I DIDN'T KNOW I COULD RUN!

Yesterday morning we met Aryn out at MacDonald Beach by the airport. There is a large walk area, field and river for the dogs to run off leash. I have never been a "dog" person per se. I am not one to make a decision that would put the dogs' need over my own or that of one of my family (read human). But, because it was a chance to combine dog walkies with a visit with Aryn talkies, I agreed to meet her.

The first thing I noticed on our way over was the weather. It was blowing and sleeting. Anyone who knows me knows I DON'T WALK IN THE RAIN!!! I had to laugh and I said to Bill "I will have to tell Aryn that this is the kind of weather where we stay in the truck and watch all the crazy dog walkers battle the weather and laugh at their doggedness!!"

When we arrived, Aryn and I unleashed our beasts and started off. As cold and sleety as it was, it was awesome walking along the river and watching the dogs play and run and meet and greet. This really is new to me and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I still think it had more to do with Aryn than making my dog happy. I love spending any time I can with any of my kids, especially the older they get. They become increasingly more interesting and increasingly more illusive. We had a lovely time.

When we left, Bill and I drove over to the runway and watched the planes landing for a while. When leaving, we kept an eye out for random hunks of driftwood for the garden. I spied one in a blocked off dirt area beside the bird sanctuary waters. Leaning on a five foot high pile of dirt, was a fairly long piece of log/driftwood, all swirly and well worn. I had Bill stop the truck. I hopped out and stepped over the log barrier and bent down and flipped the log up and over. It was perfect! Then I looked down where the log had been and sitting right where the hollow had been, was what appeared to be a nest. About the size of my hand was a pile of grasses, feathers and tiny twigs. Bill got out of the truck and came over. I was going to boot the little pile, but something made me hold back. Bill said it was probably a nest of some sort. I said "Poke it!" He did, he flipped the top portion off. Holy Jesus!!!!! At least fifteen mice bolted out of that nest. They just kept coming and coming and they scattered everywhere at a million mlles an hour. Within a nano second one had bolted right over onto Bill's shoe! Well, this fat old lady screamed like a little girl and ran like a gazelle! Honestly, I didn't know I could move like that!!!!! I leapt over the log barrier and stopped and turned to look. Oh CRAP!! They were running right over those logs and under the truck and right at me. I ran and ran some more and every time I looked back there were more and more...EVERYWHERE!!! Well, I started laughing and I just couldn't stop. It was the funniest thing and those little mice just didn't stop coming up out of that hole. Oh MY God!! Finally I bolted over to the truck and leapt in. Bill, big old Bill, had been standing stoically in one spot by the nest. And finally even he started to shake his legs and do a little evasive dancing. He finally marched smartly over to the truck and hopped in, much more quickly than usual. Laughing, we drove off. I took a moment to feel really bad for the mice. They lost their little house and it was perfect for them. And we didn't even take the log!