Sunday, May 06, 2012

Dog

Well, I'm happy to say that Mum is considerably better today, thank goodness. Thanks for all your good wishes.




Also we had a visit from Daughter 1 and Grandson, which improves any day.
He's coming up for ten months; she'll be ninety on Wednesday.

When I took him and Daughter 1 home, I picked him up from his car seat, shifted him to my left arm and turned back to the right to pick up the seat with the other hand. About ten seconds, at most, had passed since I'd last looked in that direction but now there was a large dog comfortably settled in the footwell of the seat where Grandson had been sitting. I was somewhat surprised. The dog must have come along the street towards the front of the car and ducked under the open door while I was transferring Grandson from arm to arm. I looked at the dog. He was a fluffy sort of Lassie-sized, black and white chap. "Where are we going now?" he enquired.

I looked about for his owner. The street was empty apart from us.

"I've got a dog!" I said to Daughter 1 and Son-in-Law. They came and inspected him. They're both allergic to dogs. "You can't stay there," said Daughter 1 to the dog.

"Can't see why not," replied the dog, settling more firmly down.

He looked friendly enough but I couldn't see myself hauling him bodily out.

"Come on, boy," I said in my teacher's voice - firm but fair. "Out you get."

The dog shrugged. "Oh, all right then." He climbed out and then spied a large plastic bottle top, which he brought to Daughter 1, wagging his tail expectantly.

We didn't feel we could just go inside and leave him, so we spent some minutes throwing the bottle top (us) and fetching it (him). We hoped that someone would come looking for him. After a while we noticed a collar and disc among his fluff: Patch and a phone number. Daughter 1 phoned the number. No reply. More throwing and fetching. Then, thank goodness, a woman with a similarly large fluffy dog appeared round the corner, calling "Patch!" Relief all round. She'd been walking the dogs in the nearby park when a motor bike had startled him - he was knocked down by a motor bike last year - and he'd run away.

He was a very jolly dog but I can just imagine the cats' faces if he'd come home with me. Which he almost did - I could easily have shut the car door without noticing him happily reclining on the floor.

15 comments:

  1. Oh I'm glad his owner showed up! How sweet about the bottle top.

    So sorry about your mum and your messed up plans, but glad she's better. And I'm very impressed about the piano. I learned for years at school and was always rubbish.

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  2. Is it mean of me that I almost wish you hadn't noticed the dog until you got home? I imagine the resulting blog post would have been even funnier than this one.

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  3. Just think how much fun Patch and Grandson could have had together!

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  4. Do you remember when Brother/Son accidentally kidnapped a dog? That could almost have happened again...

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  5. Do you remember when Brother/Son accidentally kidnapped a dog? That could almost have happened again...

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  6. That is quite a story. That teacher voice, doesn't it come in handy sometimes? I'm glad you found the owner. I'm sure the owner was just beside herself. Grandson is so darn cute.

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  7. Interesting dogs you have wandering around Edinburgh! Did he have a Scottish accent when he spoke to you?

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  8. So glad he was reunited but sorry Grandson didn't get a playmate. Hooray that your Mum feels better, please give her best wishes from me.

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  9. My old dog used to hop into any nearest car when she'd done enough walking. A sensible thing to do.
    Good to see your mother is feeling better, and I hope you can all enjoy some peace after the upheavals.

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  10. Dog would have been welcomed with open arms here, but I'm glad he was such a sweet dog and his owner turned up to claim him.

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  11. I`m sure Dog enjoyed his adventure with you, especially the game with the bottle top, after being scared away from his owner by a motor bike.

    Our cats accept the dogs well and are definitely in charge, although your two would not be so happy if they are not used to big, smelly friends barging about the house. Seeing cats and dogs together seems to emphasise the grace and superiority of felines.

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  12. Just as well the dog was friendly, and not one of those fierce dogs-whose-type-will-not-be-mentioned. There have been some shocking incidents in the news lately with people being mauled by them.
    Your poor Mum...at that age, they can get very confused when they are sick (remembering my working days in nursing homes). I'm adding my good wishes for you all that life will settle into a more normal routine soon.

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  13. Glad your mother is a tad better now...and my pa will be 85 on Wednesday....they must share a few memories of times gone by.

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  14. So happy to hear your mother is feeling better. Perhaps it was a dose of Great-Grandson that helped her? He is just too adorable for words!

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  15. He sounds like a lovely dog, but perhaps best not to disrupt Cassie and Sirius!

    I hope you do get some days just for you now that your Mother's flat is sold. A bit of peace and quiet after a busy year.

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