And Then There Were Puppies
Yesterday was full of dogs. That's really the best way to put it. The weather was nice, people were working on their yards, everyone had company and all the dogs were out. Fortunately, they were all the friendly ones, in the sense that the barky ones all backed down when I warned them to leave me alone and that no, being louder wouldn't work. There was the brown lab who always barks in greeting at the storm door, but backs up obediently when I warn her, so I can drop the mail on the floor. Today, she decided it was high time to sniff my hand and try to lick my face. There was also a puppy, possibly a golden retriever since it was rather fuzzy, but I'll get to that in minute.
After finishing half of C14 (I was told it was 2 hours but it was actually 2.5), I eventually reached my own route. First, there was the boston terrier who is always leery of my hats and sunglasses, but today he was feeling frisky and ran up to me barking because he thought I had something in my hand. (He was abused as a puppy before his current owners adopted him). So I crouched down and he realized it was just me and we officially made friends.
Right about there, I reach a court where several dogs live and the first house on the block doesn't always bring in their gargantuan animals. So I always walk past and on the way back, they holler at the mutant dogs to get back inside and I deliver the mail. It's sort of a ritual. It's possible they are harmless giant mutant dogs, but we've never been introduced.
On the way back to the truck, there was a man walking a puppy and a little girl, who both walked with approximately the same gait, a sort of uneven, rambling wobble in the general direction of forward. They stopped to talk with a woman who lived in the court, so I took the opportunity to see the puppy. Which promptly wandered off in the opposite direction and I didn't really have time to wait on it.
Amazingly, the little girl seemed to understand my predicament, because she toddled over to the puppy, hauled him up, toddled over to me and plunked him down in reach. I thanked her consideration and played with the puppy, who chewed on my hand. The man noted in bemusement that his wife always freaks out when the puppy teethes on her leg, while the little girl told me all about it. At least, I assume that's what she was babbling about.
But I didn't have much time to spare, so I jumped off. Halfway across the street, the woman said to me, "I'm glad you're back."
I stood there trying to figure out what she meant, since I'd been on duty all week and vacation was a few weeks ago. "Okay?"
"When you went on vacation." She traded looks with the man. "We noticed."
"Mm, in all the wrong ways, I take it?"
"So we're glad you're back."
Altogether, not a bad day at work.
After finishing half of C14 (I was told it was 2 hours but it was actually 2.5), I eventually reached my own route. First, there was the boston terrier who is always leery of my hats and sunglasses, but today he was feeling frisky and ran up to me barking because he thought I had something in my hand. (He was abused as a puppy before his current owners adopted him). So I crouched down and he realized it was just me and we officially made friends.
Right about there, I reach a court where several dogs live and the first house on the block doesn't always bring in their gargantuan animals. So I always walk past and on the way back, they holler at the mutant dogs to get back inside and I deliver the mail. It's sort of a ritual. It's possible they are harmless giant mutant dogs, but we've never been introduced.
On the way back to the truck, there was a man walking a puppy and a little girl, who both walked with approximately the same gait, a sort of uneven, rambling wobble in the general direction of forward. They stopped to talk with a woman who lived in the court, so I took the opportunity to see the puppy. Which promptly wandered off in the opposite direction and I didn't really have time to wait on it.
Amazingly, the little girl seemed to understand my predicament, because she toddled over to the puppy, hauled him up, toddled over to me and plunked him down in reach. I thanked her consideration and played with the puppy, who chewed on my hand. The man noted in bemusement that his wife always freaks out when the puppy teethes on her leg, while the little girl told me all about it. At least, I assume that's what she was babbling about.
But I didn't have much time to spare, so I jumped off. Halfway across the street, the woman said to me, "I'm glad you're back."
I stood there trying to figure out what she meant, since I'd been on duty all week and vacation was a few weeks ago. "Okay?"
"When you went on vacation." She traded looks with the man. "We noticed."
"Mm, in all the wrong ways, I take it?"
"So we're glad you're back."
Altogether, not a bad day at work.