Well, I'm home from rendering my dogsitting services. It was quite the experience, let me just tell you. Their dog, Allie, is a rescue beagle and she has some emotional baggage that doesn't make boarding an ideal solution for her. And anyone, who's ever loved a dog, knows that you can't really enjoy a trip if you know your pup is unhappy, so that's how I came into the picture. If anyone is well-versed in caring for emotionally needy dogs, it would be me. After all, I was Sugar's Mama for fourteen years and have always had a soft spot for the shy and nervous type.
My sweet friend, Regena, came along with me for the experience. Regena is one of those friends, who adds fun to whatever you're doing and, since she retired from Mississippi State, she's always up for a road trip. I promised a long and laid back weekend with a kind of sleep/eat theme to it, so she packed her bags without too many questions.

Between our restaurant visits, a little shopping, and catching a movie, it was on our to-do list to take the dogs for two daily walks. One in the morning and one at night. And I use the plural form of dog, because Blair and John Samuel thought that bringing Ruby would be a good distraction for Allie in her state of separation anxiety. And Ruby is kind of like Regena in that she also adds a level of fun to whatever you're doing. Well, sometimes, it might be a stretch to call it fun, but that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, each morning, well before my usual wake time, the dogs would get up ready to eat. Ruby's morning feeding is usually found on Davis' chore list, so I was missing him badly at that ghastly hour. And not long after they were done with breakfast, they were raring to go walking and would indicate this with intense barking and howling. To avoid waking Regena, I tried to get them out the door as soon as possible even though my blood wasn't quite yet pumping effectively. This seems as good a place as any to mention that Regena's little, short legs/bone spur combo was not conducive to helping me walk the hounds. We tried it once and, let's just say, it didn't go well.

Well, Ruby was like the country mouse, who'd come to town. She's not accustomed to walking on a leash or having restrictions placed on where she can and cannot conduct her personal business, so I knew walking the country mouse on her retractable leash and the city mouse on her regular leash would be an experience. Once I finally got them both on their restraining devices, I opened the front door. It was like the starting gate at the dog track as they took off at warp speed toward the big oak tree across the street to chase a squirrel. I believe I was airborne for approximately 25 yards. My feet finally made contact with the ground when Ruby, the country cousin, went around the light pole on the opposite side from Allie and me. Leashes twisting and pulling and locking up. Now, I am not one to say bad words, especially audibly.....well, unless it involves a funny bone or toe stubbing, but, as I worked to get everyone on the same side of the pole, I may or may not have used some words that are found on the list of words my mother taught me never to say. Surely, there are exceptions, though. Like when you're a night owl and it's 6:45 am and you have two barking dogs in pursuit of a squirrel, who are tied in a square knot around a pole. After much ado, we finally made it to the oak tree and everyone enjoyed smelling it and looking up into it for potential prey. With the tree well inspected, they seemed to slow their gait down a tad as we continued on our trek.
It was a lovely Saturday morning. It wasn't too hot yet and the dogs were enjoying themselves. The neighborhood was a flurry of activity even at the early hour. There were people jogging. Kids riding bikes. Golf carts buzzing. The soccer fields were filling up with uniformed kids. Apparently, these people needed someone to teach them how to relax on Saturday mornings, but I was only out there because I had no choice in the matter. The hounds were restless.
Well, we'd finally gotten leveled out on our walk. With a couple of days under our belts, the country mouse seemed to be getting the hang of this leash co-walking thing for the most part. That is, until we turned the corner and met a little girl walking her large chocolate lab and black kitty cat. "Oh, this is not good," I remember saying to myself. I believe that, perhaps, it was the last thing I remember as Ruby took off after the kitty. That's what dogs do where we live and so Ruby was unconcerned with the social norms of the city. Well, Ruby stretches out her retractable leash going after the black cat with Allie close behind. Their barking and running causes the large brown lab to snarl and growl and take off after the two hounds. The little girl runs behind him after her cat, who's now in the storm drain, and, in the process, she lets go of her big dog's leash. I'm being dragged by the hounds behind the little girl. And bringing up the rear of this circus train were the little girl's parents, who'd spotted the whole ugly incident from their front porch and were running after us all. The parents, the dogsitter, the little girl, the chocolate lab, the hound dogs, and the kitty cat. That's when Ruby and Allie, astoundingly, performed a slip knot around a stop sign and I was forced to release of one of the leashes. I knew if Allie got lost on my watch, I might as well go drown myself in the storm drain, so I let go of Ruby, who was wide open and finally enjoying the freedom to which she was so accustomed. It was like "The Farmer in the Dell" gone horribly wrong. The only thing we were missing was the cheese.

For five days, we tried to perfect the walking thing. I know their neighbors were wondering, "Who on earth is that strange lady, who comes launching off of their front porch like a rocket ship, everyday, pulled by those rabid sled dogs?".....or the Hounds of Baskervilles as my well-read Regena had them named by day two. So, while the happily married couple of two years was off doing stuff like this...
After a delayed flight, the parents finally made it home to their fur baby, on Monday night, and all was right with the world, once again.
Since getting home, it's been a game of catch up at work and home and, most importantly, sleep, but thanking God for safe travels and the precious gift of their sweet marriage of almost two years.

Y'all have a great end to the week!