Blame it on the moon

Blame it on the full moon.  That’s what I’m doing.

Saturday night, ALL of us dogs decided we SHOULD be sleeping on my human’s bed.  I must confess, I’ve been sneaking up there some nights, but Saturday, we ALL joined in.  So my human found herself at 3AM hanging off the side of her bed.  My solution?  I suggest getting a bigger bed.  Her solution was to excuse all of us from the bed.  Party pooper.

Anyway, the plan was to get up early Sunday and go for a run with my buddy Jackson.  So.  My human took Frodo and Pax out first for their walk – and to keep me from barking while they were gone, she hid kibble all around the kitchen and dining room.  What she seemed to forget is that I have an EXPERT nose,  so in NO time, I found everything.  And of course started calling them to come home.  Which my human could hear from WAY up the road.  My shouting managed to work, as they did return.  So now it was MY turn for a walk.  I KNEW it was going to be a run – because I was equipped with a collar AND a bell.  So off we went.  We were going up to the golf course that is at the end of our road and it was a PERFECT fall morning.  Frosty and crisp and the sun was just coming up.  It was peaceful and calm.  For a short while….

So my human let me off my leash and for the first little while, she had to keep reminding me that I was FREE – and could run with Jack.  I kept sticking with her – because she had great treats in her pocket.  So we came around the bend, passed a pond (which Jackson ALWAYS goes in – I just don’t get that swimming stuff – but he IS a Lab), and started walking along a fairway.  And suddenly, I spotted something.  And it was like someone shot me in the butt.  I was GONE.  My human and her friend watched me take off like a BULLET.  Jackson watched me, and then decided to follow.  Around a bend I went – and I was out of sight. And Jackson came back.   My human and her friend reached the bend and could HEAR my bell in the bushes – but no sight of me.  Then they caught a glimpse of me racing along another fairway.  They called and called to no avail.  I was deaf.  Completely deaf.  Don’t ask me why.  I had total namenesia.  I couldn’t remember my name – or any of that great obedience training.  So my human walked along where they last saw me. And she called.  And called.  She expected me to materialize any second.  She walked and called.  After about 15 minutes, she started to get concerned.  You see, we live kinda in the boonies – and the golf course is surrounded by woods and a dog could run for MILES and MILES.  My human headed for a trail in the woods and her friend went to cover more of the course.  They kept communicating by phone.  My human shouted my name.  OVER and OVER and OVER.  She walked and walked.  She went several kilometers in the woods and headed back.  Shouting and shouting my name.  By now I was gone for close to an hour. The guys working on the golf course were told I was missing and they offered a golf cart to ride around the course.  My human circled back to the clubhouse.  No sign of me.  She didn’t know what to do – or where to even look!  So she figured she would go and get Frodo.  She didn’t know why – but she also had a FEELING that MAYBE I would have gone home.  In fact, she wasn’t TOTALLY panic-stricken yet as she thought it COULD be possible.  So she headed down the long driveway, and her heart began to sink.  She didn’t see me.  At first.  Then she noticed a scruffy looking wet creature, sitting in front of the door, waiting to get in to be fed his breakfast.  That’s when she nearly cried.

So I guess there will be no free runs with Jackson ANY time in the near future.  Honestly, I’m not sure what all the fuss was – I DID come home, didn’t I?   Honestly it wasn’t MY fault.  Blame it on the full moon.

©  Linda Wozniak