ROCKY ADVENTURE - Around the Corner

Of course, I’ve got to put on a performance in order to get my share of the goods. Nothing much; basically, all I have to do is dance around and show him how cute I am. Of course with anyone else, it all comes down to my extraordinary talent of being cute.

After our breakfast fun, it was time for our morning walk, which went quite splendidly. The morning air is so much cooler this time of year, and it’s a great chance for me to chat with all my friends. Occasionally, Debbie and Izzy join us, but we are alone today.

And that’s probably why we wandered off the beaten path. When the old man took a left instead of going right, I immediately noticed the change. I tugged to get him back on track, but he insisted on going left. Sometimes, he can be such a stubborn companion.

After a brief argument, we ended up going left, down a rather shady street. With all the new scents around, my nose is kept busy enough to overwhelm my curiosity. New messages are left here and there, some about a cat stuck up in a tree and others about how silly their companion looked today. I felt odd, smelling other dog’s mail, but a little gossip never hurt a curious nose.

We walked for some time, I paying more attention to the scents and smells rather than where we were going. I tugged to stop the old man at one house, where I noticed a strange message. Unlike many of the others that warned about intrusion, this one was an invite. A rarity indeed, especially since it was posted on the edge of one’s territory. I responded with a hello, and left it at that. That’s when the tiniest dog I’d ever seen came bounding through the grass. Most dogs would have towered high above a short lawn (even me), but this little rascal was practically dragging his belly.

“Hey! Hey, what you doing?” the little puppy yipped. “You want to play?”

“Sure…” I responded, a little unsure about the situation. Such a tiny dog, I don’t think he could really outrun me during a game of chase, let alone win the rope in a game of tug. But, if he teamed up with some friends, there’s no telling what could happen.

“I’m Hemi. What’s your name?” the little tike asked. He leapt up on the fence and poked his tiny snout through to give me a good sniff. I let him check my ear (which by the way has been presenting an itch which never seems satisfied unless the old man gives it a whirl), and let him inspect me.

Then, I started introducing myself, “I’m…” but our conversation was interrupted by the pup’s companion. A woman came rushing out of her den, calling to her companion to return. She seemed frantic and worried, as though there was danger all around. I searched for some, ready to take on anything that came my way (my plan was simple: bark furiously from behind the old man’s legs). But, there was nothing intimidating around.

“Awe shucks. She doesn’t want me to play with you because she thinks I’ll get hurt again,” Hemi said sadly. It appeared as though I was the danger. And I assure you, that is a first. Then the small pup turned around and skulked away, posing a rather sad scene.

“Hey,” I called out to him, “my name is Rocky. And I’ll see you tomorrow.” At that, his ears perked up and his stubby little tail gave a happy wiggle.

“Good.” the miniature pup woofed back.

Then he turned and went inside while the old man and I continued down the new path. I guess you never know who you’ll meet when you turn a different corner. Sometimes, there’s new people, new pups, and even a few new adventures. And sometimes, all it takes is a simple change in habit to make our day a little brighter – or someone else’s.

And tomorrow, I’m sure we’ll be turning left again.

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