Lost...almost...

Life out here in the country with no fence has been very interesting for our animals. Mickey found new life the first week chasing cows, and well, Lucy...Lucy is Lucy and is running amuck!!!! Actually she is doing very well, though I know our neighbors will breathe a sigh of relief once they see the first fence posts going in next week. Even our sweet Sammi Cat somehow ended up staying out all night. Quite frankly I was shocked she was still around the next morning...she is usually quite adventurous. But it was a cold night and she has not gone anywhere near an exit door since.

Well the adventures for Mickey Dog didn't end that one day with the cows. Now I have to preface this story by telling you Mickey has pretty bad arthritis in his hips and has doggie alzheimers. He typically moves a little slow, gets confused easily, howls, and stands in corners. Our wonderful vet, Doc Burkhart, warned us that he needed physical boundaries in his new home because he might be prone to wonder...and never come back. Yet, we have been slow about getting a fence put in...and we are used to just letting him out the front door and him coming back. But that was at our old house, and this is our new house.

A week ago, Master's Saturday in the golf world, JP let Mickey out at some point in the late afternoon, then proceeded to become engrossed in golf. Well, around 10pm I finally get Olivia to bed and head downstairs to watch a movie when all of a sudden JP says, "Have you seen Mickey Dog?" Well, no. I had been pretty busy with Olivia and couldn't remember the last time I had seen him. We quickly checked all the corners of the house, and finally agreed Mickey had been outside for the past 4 to 5 hours. JP grabbed his shoes and headed for the cows to make sure our arthritis weakened first born had not fallen into the ditch separating the neighborhood from the cows.

2 hours later and with the help of Lucy's young nose and Olivia's recorder (it makes him howl when she plays it) JP found Mickey right down the street...by the cows. We couldn't figure out where all he had been, especially since JP had thoroughly checked that area several times, but he was happy...very happy...and healthy. His adventure would remain a mystery...

...until today when a small portion of his adventure was revealed by a very, very sweet neighbor lady who stopped by for an unrelated visit. In the middle of our conversation she mentioned another neighbor who "almost shot him a white dog in the middle of the night." She brought it up because a few days ago I had told her about Mickey's adventure, so she thought it had probably been him.

Apparently in the middle of the night (it was after midnight before JP found Mickey), this neighbor heard something at his back door, grabbed his gun, and went to see what it was. Well, when he saw it was just a white dog he opened the door and the dog walked right into his house! Now how many absent minded, white dogs walk around in the middle of the night, scratching on people's back doors, and walk into a complete strangers house...and when Mickey scratches at a door he shakes the whole house. No wonder the guy grabbed a gun!!! Not sure what happened after that...did he see Mickey was wearing a collar? did he shew him out quickly? did he give him a hamburger to take on his way?

I'm not sure I'm anxious to find out the answer to these questions when we finally get to talk to this neighbor. But, I am very glad he didn't "shoot him a white dog" and I know everyone in the neighborhood will thank God when their crazy new neighbors finally get a fence!!!