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di's Insite
Me and My Shadow
I drove to Georgia recently on a road trip. I stopped in Lyons to join my family at a wedding anniversary party my step sister was having. As I got out of my van, I noticed this black fur ball standing at the fence, with solemn eyes watching me.
He was in a large fenced in yard, black matted curls, in dire need of a bath. Like all pups, he had been in the dirt rolling, sticking his nose where it ought not to go! Kids played in the big yard, swinging on a tire swing, but the 4 month old puppy seemed bored. I went to pet him and our eyes locked and I knew this pup had touched my heart. Walking into my stepsister's busy preparations for a party, I asked about the dog.
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"Take him, you are the dog lover, not me." My reputation in the family as a dog lover was well known. Heart skipping a beat, I looked at her to be sure I had heard right.
"You sure you don't want him? I asked tentatively.
"I have no time for him. You take him home with you." Seeing she was serious I agreed and so "Shadow" became mine. I asked her to call the local groomer so he could go in for his first grooming. Later at store, I picked out a black harness for him to wear in my van so I could slip the seat belt through and keep his puppy nose where I could see him!
When I picked him up from the groomer, his back was cut to short curls down to his stubby tail. The baby-fine long hair on his legs now was trimmed, providing him with hip-like wading boots! His uncut ears and trimmed topknot gave those black eyes an appealing look. The groomer said the only problem she had was cleaning his dirty ears.
I was glad to know I would have little trouble keeping him groomed. We were ready to hit the road to see what our future as traveling companions would be like.
He rode in my van like a pro! I had put a harness on him, stuck the seat belt through the back and he seemed to know that as soon as it was on it was travel time. While I drove down the highway, Shadow laid down and napped till the next stop. He did not bark much, unless someone got out of a car at a rest stop, then he stopped romping, gave them his "give-some-id-or-else" look, then let out a warning bark!
There was one time I was not so sure of that bark: it sounded more like "Hi friend!" It was when we were stopping at a roadside park during the day to sit and eat a bit around the peaceful looking scene: a small lake, shade trees, flowers in bloom. I hadn't been there in Georgia for a long time so thought I would have one last stop. A small squirrel came down a tree and stopped not far from us. Shadow was on his retractable leash so knew the chase could not be for long. But he surprised me. He stopped, looked at that squirrel and seemed to smile, just one little hello bark. Hmm, could it be? Naw, surely not, he is just 4 months old, and not used to squirrels.
*** If you have a travel story you would like to share with me, please send
to me at: di_txwriter@hotmail.com I will answer all email. If used in one of my articles, you will be notified. However, due to privacy, no names will be used.
© 1999 di
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