Tuesday, May 29, 2007

We almost got a dog

We had a busy Memorial Weekend. Spent Saturday at my sister's to celebrate my dad's birthday. We finished up flower shopping and spent most of the afternoon cleaning up the box elder tree that fell during last week's storm. One might think it a crappy thing to ask one's father to bring his chainsaw up to help cut down a tree but it you knew my father you would know this is probably on of the best gifts she could have given him - an excuse to haul out the chainsaw and do some work. He was in his element. The boys were so excited to have this much activity in the backyard.

Sunday was a glorious day and I spent most of it outside planting the flowers and the last tomato plant I purchased on Saturday. I'm full up. No more room! Now comes the weeding. While trimming some of the bushes in the back yard I noticed our neighbor's dog was out. Pete had mentioned a few days before that while he was mowing the lawn he saw the pup trotting down the street. He walked him back to the house (2 doors down) and one of the owners was happy to see him back but not as worried as Pete would have liked her to have been. The dog is super friendly and not yet a year old. Still acts like a puppy and just doesn't know better where he can and cannot go. Anyway... I saw in him the yard next to ours and figured I would walk him back, they must not have realized he had snuck out again. He was very excited to head towards his house and wanted inside so badly as I knocked on the door. No answer (no doorbell either so I wasn't 100% sure someone wasn't home). So I walked around the back to the fence and realized how he had nosed his way out. One of the boards on the privacy fence was laying on the ground. Being a svelte puppy he just wiggled his way out and took a walk down the street. I didn't know what to do so I walked into the back yard and proppped up the board thinking maybe he wouldn't realize it was still loose (silly, I know). A couple hours later I was sitting on the deck with Tabby and she went tearing across the deck staring down at the ground. The dog had gotten out again and was just below our deck. This time I grabbed Pete and asked him what we should do. We thought about keeping him in our yard and leaving a note at the house for when they came home. Instead, we walked back to their house and knocked just be sure someone wasn't home. Still no answer. So, Pete went back to our house, grabbed his drill and screwed the board back on the fence. In the meantime, I noticed that the pup didn't have any water so I walked home and grabbed an old ice cream pail, added some water and carried it back to the neighbors. We didn't leave a note, just locked him back in the yard with the fence (he had plenty of shade) and kept an eye on whether he came roaming our way again. So far so good. Needless to say, I am curious to know if the neighbors got the hint when they saw their fence had been repaired and an ice cream pail in the yard. Per Pete - one more strike and he becomes our dog. Not that we need that in our house right now...

Monday was another good weather day. We had some friends over for a BBQ and some bocce ball. Good food, good friends, good times. A nice way to spend a Memorial Weekend while NOT battling traffic. I'll take that over trying to head 'up north' with everyone and their uncle on a three day weekend.

2 comments:

kmd said...

You are sweet neighbors. I'm sure that puppy really appreciated the water. Geesh! Some people!

carrster said...

Yes! You get the Good Samaratin Pet Award! I can't believe people are so careless & thoughtless about their pets. Beavis CONSTANTLY gets out of the yard but at least he has a collar & tag. That boy is sneaky!!

And that IS one of the great things about living "up north." I never have to fight that traffic!! :)