It was a beautiful day today. Sunny, windless and around 50 degrees. I decided to go walking on the boardwalk by the lake, a habit we enjoyed together for years. We both grew up in the beach district of Lake Ontario. The water was so flat - like etched glass. I could have skipped a stone across the whole 26 miles at that point. I think it is about 50 or 60 miles max by 190 or so in size; it is the smallest of the Great Lakes.

Hundreds of people had the same idea and the boardwalk was alive with every size, shape, age and colour of people who were taking this advantage. And dogs. Dogs of all breeds, sniffing, leaving messages, tangling leashes with others or with strollers.

But the best part, I mean really the best part and as true as I write this - no devices! No phones, no iPods, no headsets or music - nothing! Just people really enjoying the experience of the rhythm of their fellows strolling, chatting, laughing and all in the overarching silence of nature by the water.

As great as it was, the scuff of shoes on the sandy boards, the smells of different items from the snack bar - the myriad things the senses took in, none of it felt quite the same.

I walked about a mile or so round trip, my thoughts in the past.

The hand to hold or the smile and chuckle to savour when encountering little kids and dogs was missing. The expressions of pleasure when a duck would get up and 'run' across the water sending the children into rows of excited jumping jacks I didn't hear anymore.

We would pick a bench and sit and watch the people go by. I'd have my arm about her making sure I had the silk of her hair against my cheek. We'd listen to snatches of conversation and joke about entire stories we imagined, or languages we would try to guess. As the years passed I had to do most of that 'entertaining' but I could see how much she was getting from just being there.

It wasn't the same today. Even venturing comments to dog owners about their pets felt forced and empty without an opinion to share it with. It was nice and I'll continue doing it as the weather improves but feeling lonely in such a crowd with all those memories . . .