Free! Free at last! Run Run Run Run Run.........

It must be something in the air, or the phase of the moon... I had my own escapee this morning.

We are fostering a small young woolly Siberian Husky named Dyani, who is greased lightning wrapped in fur. She LOVES to play "run circles around you and see if you can catch me". She nearly always wins.

So, Aida is pulling out of the driveway, I notice she left her sunglasses, so I run them out to her. As I come back in the house, Dyani charges right past me and takes off. She's never charged the door before, caught me totally by surprise. I am in socks, and do not have my cell phone. I can see Aida driving off down the street, and am helpless to get her attention.

Dyani runs circles around me through 5 neighbors' yards, and I am becoming exasperated, exhausted, and quite worried that I will never catch her. Finally, she runs into a boxed area with three sides closed in. Mind you, the fourth side that is open is a good 30 feet wide. Better odds, but I know from experience that I rarely catch her when we play.

I round the bend, slip on the dewey grass, and my right knee comes full force into a fire hydrant. I curse, and dash for the boxed in area. Dyani predictably does her big arc, runs right towards me, and zigs when I zagged. Amazingly, she comes around, runs back into the boxed area, and does it again. And again. Five times! On the sixth pass she lost her footing for a moment, and I tackled her. In my new beige suit. That now has grass stains.

Well, I carried Dyani home. 32 pounds is not so much to carry. As long as it is not wriggling and wet and dog. Sigh.

The pain did not kick in until about 2 PM. In retrospect, I am surprised I did not break my leg. Those hydrants don't give.

But Dyani is safe at home and has resumed trying to convince Matilda the 3 pound Chihuahua that she really is a squeaky toy. Sigh.