Going for a Ride

 

When it’s time to take the trash out to the dumpster, the moment the puppies hear the plastic trash bag being removed from the canister in the kitchen, their ears perk up. Then, once I take the keys for the truck off the hook, they know it’s time, they’re going for a ride. 

The puppies have linked the idea of going to the dumpster or mailbox as a chance to have fun; but only if I go in the truck.  If we place the kitchen trash bag behind the front seat of the car then they know the game is over, no going for a ride this time.

On the other hand, if they see me with the keys to the truck it doesn’t matter whether or not there’s a bag of trash going to the dumpster, it’s time to go for a ride, at least that’s the mindset of our puppies, even the newcomer, Harold has joined this group.

Harold doesn’t want to actually get in the truck, just that he can tag along as the truck eases its way to the dumpster or mailbox.  Max and Shadow will sit in the passenger seat until the truck arrives at the dumpster, a tad over half a mile.  As soon as the truck stops, Max jumps out while I unload the trash from the back of the truck.  Then Max waits to see if I’m going the last bit of the way over to our mailbox or, if not, if I’m headed back to the house.

Shadow likes to ride the whole way while Harold, being a younger version of a puppy, runs the whole time, trying to prove he’s the lead puppy on this job.  As soon as the mailbox has been checked I tell Max, “Let’s go home!”  Max heads back down the road towards home and Harold figures he better do the same, trying to overtake Max for the lead.

This is how it’s done, most of the time.  There’s a glitch in this system, one that presents itself when I want to go into town in the truck.  The puppies automatically think the truck only goes to the dumpster and mailbox; why else would I take the truck?

When they follow me all the way to the dumpster and mailbox; but I’m actually going somewhere else, I have to tell Max to head on home and then goose the engine so the truck leaves in the opposite direction so quickly that the puppies can’t keep up.  I do this until I’m well down the road, around the bend and out of sight.  This works, most of the time.

Today wasn’t most of the time as I later found out.

I headed toward Crockett to visit some friends from church.  Their property is almost all the way to Crockett, a good thirty minutes or so drive.  We visited for almost an hour before I headed back home.

I knew something was wrong as the truck pulled into our driveway.  Max was the only puppy waiting for me to park the truck.  Shadow and Harold were nowhere to be found; that’s not normal.  I gave them a little while to turn up; perhaps they spotted a squirrel or a rabbit and went chasing it off to the other side of the fence line. 

After a while an empty feeling landed in the pit of my stomach, maybe these two puppies didn’t follow Max home, maybe they tried to follow the truck as I sped off down the road.  That’s when I got in the truck and started driving around the area looking for two really stupid puppies, puppies who got lost and couldn’t find their way back home.

I made a large circle, driving down each of the county roads that all are connected spanning several miles; nothing.  I drove back to our property and there was Max, all alone still.  I glanced at the time and knew it was time to drive over to the Thornley’s for Family Home Dinner.  I put Max in the house so he wouldn’t try to follow as I’d be in the truck again.

I drove really slow, going down the same county road; but asking a road crew if they’d seen two puppies, giving them a brief description of how they both had a white blaze mark on their chests. It might have been a waste of time since it appeared the workers only spoke Spanish as they waved to me.

A little further I spotted one of our neighbors driving one of those sport vehicles, camouflage paint on what could easily have been a golf cart sized vehicle.  Before I could ask, he must have read my mind as he asked, “Are you looking for two black dogs, look like Pits?”

I was already nodding that I was as he pointed down the road a way, “They’ve been on our property by the pond for a long time, looked like they were exhausted”.  I figured it to be about  two miles from our property since it was right near where CR 358 intersects with CR 314.  That’s a busy place for a stupid and confused puppy to be wandering around. 

As soon as I drove a bit further, I saw both coming towards the truck.  There was a school bus coming at the same time and I could only hope the puppies wouldn’t dart out in front of the school bus once they recognized my truck.  Their tongues were hanging out and both of them were drenched in sweat from having run so much. 

Shadow jumped inside the truck, but Harold was still not sure how to react as he backed away. I turned the truck around, calling out the whole time, “Let’s go home, Harold, let’s go home!”

Harold is a young puppy, guessing he’s less than two.  He had enough energy to keep up with the truck as I carefully and slowly inched back home.  Harold kept up the whole way while Shadow was totally winded sitting on the passenger seat.  All the puppies are home now, Harold had enough energy to go chasing a rabbit that ducked under the cargo container.

I called the Thornley’s and let them know I’d be a little late; but that I had some brownies, a sort of tradition for our family to take when we go for Family Home Evening.  I didn’t mention to anyone that Shadow had stepped on the plate of brownies.  They were well protected within a gallon freezer bag and I didn’t see any damage. 

So, how was your day?