Taking the dog outside before bedtime

She is sniffing around, bob-tail wagging.
My feet feel swollen, too much walking on concrete in old shoes that need replacing I'm guessing.
I buckle to the achy knees and sit down in the grass, longer than the neighbors like I guess but cool and sweet to bare toes and ankles.
She comes to sit with me.
The crickets are very loud tonight. I watch for stars above beyond the street lights and her nose twitches with delights of scents coming in on the nighttime wind.