The Lake Loon Chronicles: The Breathin' Air

I've always loved the song Out in the Country by an ancient band called Three Dog Night. Since I'm now living out in the country for a while, it pops into my head regularly. Unlike James Taylor's and John Denver's songs celebrating country roads, it's more of a warning or a lament about a time when country life could disappear.

 The chorus goes: "Before the breathin' air is gone..." Three Dog was saying that it might go away one day, but fear not...there's still some breathin' air left, and it's a beautiful thing. I've been to the mountains and the beach and out in the country and noticed the difference in air quality, but it's been well over a decade. 

 Even my dog knows the difference. Every time I take him out and he finishes walking, he just wants to sit and sniff the air, and it's all I can do to get him to come back inside. It's interesting and pretty cool. 

 It's not like I'm 500 miles from civilization, and there are cars and whatnot, but it's far enough away from the city that I can tell a huge difference. I can feel it in my mind and body. So can my dog. Speaking of dog, I bet Three Dog Night would really dig it out here. It's a breath of fresh air.