Dogs

Remember yesterday's post "Drive By" post?

There's more to the story from that morning. After being "accosted" by the little old Chinese woman, Bear and I came to "The Rottweiler House" where two fearsome beasts live. Every time we walk by, the dogs are either fenced within their yard or strapped to leashes outside the house, barking like there's no tomorrow. 

Now, I don't fear dogs in the least. I've been around them my entire life. That doesn't mean I'm not careful and wary around them, however.

They could hear the tinkling of Bear's dog tags as we walked and they know his sound. From a couple doors down they usually begin to "Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!" with enthusiasm, running the length of the fenced yard or straining against their leads in an attempt to get at us when they know we're around.

This time, though, I heard nothing as we approached their house. In an interesting twist, one of the dogs came into view all of a sudden from up the driveway. It walked directly toward us, calmly. 

Bear made a beeline for it. He loves meeting "new friends" ... no matter who they are. I yanked on his lead, forcing him back and away from the Rottweiler. But it continued to approach, uncharacteristically calm and controlled. 

Then it looked at me. The dog's eyes pierced mine with a strange, metallic stare. And that's when I noticed it.

It's laser stare was lifeless and unmoving. The dog was blind. It didn't look at me but in my direction, from the sounds Bear and I were making. That's why it was approaching slowly.

I let Bear gently inch closer. In a few moments his nose nudge the dog in greeting.

That's when the Rottweiler snapped in surprise. I yanked Bear back before it could get a junk of my dog and I put my hand out and on the beast's shoulders. He was startled by Bear's contact, that was all. I had to control Bear's enthusiasm while watching the Rottweiler to make certain the 100 pound plus monster wasn't alarmed further. 

Then, just like that, it turned tail and walked off with a strange, uneven gait. It was partially crippled, I noticed, possibly because of arthritis or some other ailment. I watched as it hobbled back up the driveway, at ease with the smells and familiarity of its surroundings. 

Those big, ferocious Rottweilers who continually barked at us in their yard weren't so daunting after all.

At least the blind one wasn't.

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP. )

"Dive! Dive! Dive!"

Drive By

I was out walking my dog Bear early Wednesday morning, the day before Thanksgiving.

I heard a car behind me. An ugly powder blue Toyota Prius approached and I saw the driver's side window come down. An old Chinese woman pulled up to me and stopped. 

She practically yelled at me.

"You looking for PAPER ... ??!?" she shout/asked.

"Nooooooo ..." I said more quizically than in response.

She began driving away. But she stopped again a few seconds later and poked her head out the window, looking back at me. 

"Nice DOG!" she yelled and drove off once more. 

She pulled into a large driveway not far from where I was headed, made a turn into the driveway, performed a rather exaggerated clockwise turn and headed out again back toward me. I didn't make eye contact as she passed me that second time. 

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP. )

"Upside down ... girl you turn me ..."

Ladder Damage? Averted

De-decorating can be difficult work.

I know ... I've been doing it for a lot of years. Too many to mention.

Over the last few days of de-decoration, my jeans and I have been tackling with rose bushes (we've both lost ... miserably), I've taken a rolling backward tumble I thought would result in my being impaled on an electrical outlet (didn't happen ... and, gratefully, I have wrestling training to thank for that) and my hands are their customary mid-January sore, cracked and peeling and crying for gads of moisturizer.

Tired from the long week, I was ready to turn in for the day when I got a text from my cousin: "Please bring back the 6' ladder." I responded I would.

The thing is I had walked to work that morning, the same as I had the last few mornings. So I had a choice: Drive the work van back to the house and deposit the ladder at home or walk it back through traffic, stoplights and more.

I opted for the latter.

Why? Why would anyone in their right mind walk a ladder a mile when they could easily drive it to its destination?

Have we met?

With four day's worth of glitter and dirt and grime on my jeans, a rosebush-torn hole in my knee, my portable coffee mug in hand, a long-sleeved shirt tucked beneath my arm, my camera (I'm rarely without my camera) and my tool pouch hanging from my shoulder and, now, a ladder in tow, I began trudging home.

It occurred to me suddenly I might look homeless. Because ... how many people do you see walking down a busy thoroughfare carrying a ladder?

I smiled. No one. No one I knew of at any rate.

Good. One more thing I can cross off my bucket list. (Not that that was on my bucket list, but ... you know ...)

I walked down the sidewalk a block or so and came to the light. I stopped, put the ladder down and hit the crosswalk button. When it turned green, I gathered all afresh and stepped into the crosswalk.

There were cars everywhere, at all four directions. The direction I was walking didn't have a left turn signal and I realized this just about too late ... because, all of a sudden, a Jeep Cherokee was coming my way unbeknownst to me. I was concentrating on all the other stopped traffic making certain it was safe to cross. I didn't see the Jeep coming out of nowhere, bearing down on me.

Obviously, the driver hadn't seen me either. Hard to imagine - the ladder I was carrying was a bright neon orange. I had to have been a sight to behold but the driver was oblivious to my presence. At the last moment, I heard the vehicle's approach and looked up. It was freakin' on top of me.

I was able to leap out of the way. I side-stepped deftly just as the driver looked up at me. He grimaced and stood on the brakes. There was a squeal of tires, I saw his wife (I assumed) practically smack her head on the windshield, the man shut his eyes in horror and the vehicle ended up stopped with me inches from the driver's door, me looking right at him.

He opened his eyes after a heartbeat and saw me staring at him through the window. I was fine. I mouthed if he was all right. He didn't understand, thinking I'd said something else. I pointed at him and mouthed again: "Are you all right?" He affirmed he was. I saluted him and walked on, hitching my ladder a little higher on my shoulder and getting out of the crosswalk. 

He was still stunned. I'm sure his wife gave him an earful as he pulled out of the intersection and onto the main road.

My ladder and I kept on going.

That must have been a show ...

.......... at least Ruprecht ( STOPed )