Home! Dogs! Chaos and Mayhem!

S is home, safe and sound. His flight arrived on time even though it took off late. (How do they make up that time? Speed? I thought the plane roads had set speed limits so there would not be mishaps. Maybe I'm wrong.)

Anyway! We were up late into the night looking at pictures and chatting and catching up and I was so very glad he was home.

Then! We got up early to chat and look at videos and catch up and drink coffe and I was still so very glad he was home. As I continue to be.

He had many good stories from his 10-day cruise and I know I've not heard them all yet. (I'll ask if I can post some of his pictures.)

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This past weekend, I stayed at my parent's house. Sunday morning while they went to church, I took the dogs for a walk*. Their dog Annie is a Shih Tzu puppy and has not had much experience on a leash. She stuck close to Russ and followed his lead but she was not walking tail-up, ya know? Cautious, she was.


I thought it was adorable so I snapped a pic and texted it to my dad. My (72 year old!) father texted me back saying he got the pic. So I called him. Told him his Annie was doing fine and that Russ was being a good walk-on-a-leash role model** for her.

About this time, he darts sharply left just about jerking me off my feet. I had a brief glimpse of beady eyes and white teeth before Russ came up with The Raccoon With A Death Wish. Russ begins shaking it like it's a stuffed toy.

Meanwhile, I'm still on the phone with my dad. "HOLY SHIT, he's got a raccoon, I gotta go!"

A ruckus ensues: hanging up, raccoon shaking, leash tugging, screaming DROP IT -- all while standing in the middle of the road, mind you -- more shaking, and finally! I get the leash pulled up enough that Russ drops TRWADW.

On my shoes.

Luckily Russ had grabbed TRWADW by the scruffy bits of it's neck and shoulders so there was no blood***. Thank gawd.

TRWADW shook himself off, then made haste for the side of the road**** where he hopefully climbed a tree instead of sitting at the base of one WAITING FOR ANOTHER DOG ATTACK*****.

It was about this time that the bumping, dragging noise I was hearing registered. It was Annie, tearing ass down the middle of the road, dragging her retracto leash behind her. HOLY SHIT! My dad's pride and joy was running like her tail was on fire.

"ANNIEANNIEANNIEANNIE!" More screaming, some running, much tugging on Russ's leash with shouts of "This is your fault, MOVE YOUR ASS!" The yelling finally broke through her panic. Annie stopped, turned around, saw Russ trotting towards her and became her usual puppy self again.

But she made me carry her home.

My throat hurt until Monday morning.

To any of my parent's neighbors who were trying to sleep in? Oops, sorry.

*down the very un-busy-at-10 a.m.-on-a-Sunday-morning dirt road that is across the street from their house.
**he lied.
***Russ is current on his rabies shot and a close inspection revealed no scratches or puncture wounds on the big doofus. I'm watching him closely anyway.
****but not before looking over his shoulder to either a) determine he was clear for a get-away or 2) to send Russ a WTF? look. I think it was the latter.
*****GAH! Raccoon! Sitting at the base of a tree! Was he eating? Was he sleeping? Had he been hit by a car? I was going to go back and check on him but I still had the dogs with me. Poor critter. I hope he's o.k.