Priorities
Oct. 20th, 2017 02:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thisnewdayGlancing out the front window, across Terry Road and up the hill, I noticed clouds of grey smoke billowing up from somewhere behind the houses which line Fern Road, the next crossroad south from where I live.
I watched for a minute, at first puzzled and then concerned. I'd recently seen a sign, posted in the vicinity, which said that local ordinances forbade open fires. So, I figured, unless someone was being a total scoff-law, we might have a problem.
Deciding to investigate, I ran upstairs for jacket and car keys, pulled on shoes, checked the whereabouts of my cell phone.
But as I stepped outside, I came face-to-face with Winnie, the large, energetic, bully-breed mix who is usually anchored at the end of a cable in the neighbor's front yard.
Ever since I moved here, I've always taken a minute to talk to her when she's been outside, even though she mostly just runs around barking at me. For whatever reason, both my daughter who's a vet tech and I have taken a liking to her, even though Ms. Winnie makes such a show of guarding her territory.
In fact, we've each managed, on separate occasions, to get her safely back to her owner when she's slipped her collar or dislodged the auger that secures her cable.
We've been cautious, especially when approaching the front door of the house, but have taken the chance because we were more concerned about the danger to her from the traffic along Terry Road. We do have our priorities, I guess.
Anyway, I was exiting the house by the side door, and was about to walk down the steps and into the driveway, when Winnie rounded the corner from her backyard. I stopped in my tracks to see what she would do but also started talking to her like I do when she's in her front yard.
She stopped for a minute, as if to say a quick hello, even allowed me to pet her as we walked down the driveway, and then resumed her jaunt around the front yards, coming perilously close to that heavily-traveled road. Still talking to her, trying, in fact, to coax her back towards the house, I went to the neighbor's door and knocked.
I explained to her that I'd been enroute to check out a fire but would wait while she went back inside for a treat to lure the freedom-loving Winnie back to the house. More of those priorities, I guess.
With that accomplished, I hopped in the car and turned up the crossroad to where I could see behind the row of houses. And out there, next to a wooded area(!), was someone burning trash, yard debris, whatever.
Relieved that it wasn't someone's house or garage, at least not yet(!), I drove around the block and back home where I'm now waiting to hear from my grandson that he's ready to be picked up for dinner before the drive to soccer practice in the city tonight.
In any case, all's well that ends well AND I got to pet Winnie...
LPK
Dreamwidth
10.20.2017
I watched for a minute, at first puzzled and then concerned. I'd recently seen a sign, posted in the vicinity, which said that local ordinances forbade open fires. So, I figured, unless someone was being a total scoff-law, we might have a problem.
Deciding to investigate, I ran upstairs for jacket and car keys, pulled on shoes, checked the whereabouts of my cell phone.
But as I stepped outside, I came face-to-face with Winnie, the large, energetic, bully-breed mix who is usually anchored at the end of a cable in the neighbor's front yard.
Ever since I moved here, I've always taken a minute to talk to her when she's been outside, even though she mostly just runs around barking at me. For whatever reason, both my daughter who's a vet tech and I have taken a liking to her, even though Ms. Winnie makes such a show of guarding her territory.
In fact, we've each managed, on separate occasions, to get her safely back to her owner when she's slipped her collar or dislodged the auger that secures her cable.
We've been cautious, especially when approaching the front door of the house, but have taken the chance because we were more concerned about the danger to her from the traffic along Terry Road. We do have our priorities, I guess.
Anyway, I was exiting the house by the side door, and was about to walk down the steps and into the driveway, when Winnie rounded the corner from her backyard. I stopped in my tracks to see what she would do but also started talking to her like I do when she's in her front yard.
She stopped for a minute, as if to say a quick hello, even allowed me to pet her as we walked down the driveway, and then resumed her jaunt around the front yards, coming perilously close to that heavily-traveled road. Still talking to her, trying, in fact, to coax her back towards the house, I went to the neighbor's door and knocked.
I explained to her that I'd been enroute to check out a fire but would wait while she went back inside for a treat to lure the freedom-loving Winnie back to the house. More of those priorities, I guess.
With that accomplished, I hopped in the car and turned up the crossroad to where I could see behind the row of houses. And out there, next to a wooded area(!), was someone burning trash, yard debris, whatever.
Relieved that it wasn't someone's house or garage, at least not yet(!), I drove around the block and back home where I'm now waiting to hear from my grandson that he's ready to be picked up for dinner before the drive to soccer practice in the city tonight.
In any case, all's well that ends well AND I got to pet Winnie...
LPK
Dreamwidth
10.20.2017
