The sands of time… former president Bill Clinton begins his 66th birthday with a walk on the beach with his dog (and shows off his new slim frame)

He was once the most powerful man in the world with a demanding and complicated job.
But for Bill Clinton, it seems the simple pleasures in life now bring him most joy.
The former president celebrated his 66th birthday yesterday by taking his beloved dog for an early morning stroll.

Relaxed: Former president Bill Clinton celebrated his 66th birthday yesterday by taking his beloved dog Seamus for an early morning stroll

Clinton woke up at dawn to take his chocolate-coloured Labrador Retriever Seamus for a walk on the beach in East Hampton, New York.
Wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, the former President looked relaxed and happy as he took a stroll. Fellow walkers also stopped him to say hello and wish him happy birthday, much to his delight.
Clinton - whose wife  Hillary is currently the  U.S. Secretary of State - has credited a vegan diet for his new lean and healthy look.
He turned to the diet last year and just months later had already lost 24 pounds.

Celebration: Wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, the former President looked relaxed and happy as he took a stroll. Fellow walkers also stopped him to say hello and wish him happy birthday

With a history of heart disease in his family, Clinton has previously told how his new diet saved his life, saying he was lucky not to die of a heart attack in 2004.
He went on to have quadruple heart-bypass surgery that year and in 2010 had two stents placed in his coronary artery.
Seamus was born just a month after his old dog Buddy was killed by a car.

Working out: The former president seen jogging in 1993, left, and warming up for a run in Naples, Italy, in 1994

You want fries with that? Clinton waits for a McDonald's employee to take his food order in 1992, following a jog

Buddy was also a Labrador but died at the age of four after being hit by a car while chasing a contractor in 2002.
Clinton served as the 42 President of the U.S. from 1993 to 2001. He controversially had to admit he had a sexual encounter with Monica Lewinsky despite having previously denied it in a press conference.
Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, is also believed to be considering running for political office.