Drama in Hawkeye

Since the storm offered no drama, my dog Treasure decided to add a little something to our life.  She disappeared on Wednesday night, didn't return with Tess as she ALWAYS does.  I was concerned, but waited a while.  A while turned into hours, so I got hysterical and drove around the neighborhood, calling and calling.  I checked our camp, hoping she had closed herself in on the back porch--nope, that's not where she was.  I slept on the couch, hoping she'd wake me up by banging on the front door.  Morning came and there was no Treasure.  By now I was beside myself, not knowing what to do next.  I walked (with Tess) to each camp in the neighborhood, walked around and called her.  Most of the camps have screen doors that open out so she didn't get in and get stuck anywhere.

This was the pits.  Finally I decided to walk across the land to Fred's camp, hoping she was there.  Well BINGO!  She was in the field across from my house, with her toe caught in a trap.  Very dramatic, the whole thing.  It was hard to open the trap but I did, she freed herself and refused to put any weight on the damaged toe all the way home.  I felt the toe, the leg, the paw--there was no obvious damage.  To her body, maybe, but her psyche suffered considerable damage.  She's barely recovered, limps when she remembers to, moans and whines quite a bit (while wagging her tail).  Tess, ever the jealous one, seems to have dismissed the entire thing.  She knew where Treasure was but wouldn't tell me.  So, Timmy, if you're ever lost in the mine, don't rely on Tess to bring help.  And Treasure was too stupid to make enough noise for me to hear her.  I walked past the gated entrance to the field in my searches, but she didn't respond to my calls.  What a pair they are, those dogs.  The whole thing was awful but did let me know how much Treasure means to me and how important it is for me to keep track of my dogs.  Now when they go out they're only allowed to be loose for about 5 minutes before I call them back in.  This means I'll have to walk them so they'll get at least a modicum of exercise.  But that will be good for me, for sure.

I just walked 20 minutes on the treadmill at work.  I walked so much the other night that I felt very righteous, but since I couldn't think of an errand to run during lunch, I did the right thing and walked.  Good for me.  This is a pitiful attempt at what could barely be called exercise, but it's a start.  I'm still carrying the weight I gained over the summer.

The weekend looks quiet from here.  No big plans, nothing going on.  I should finish the projects I've yet to complete for my friend Barb's grandchildren.  I could always start sorting the crap that fills the master bedroom.  I'll watch a lot of TV.

My mother finally got electricity, this morning at 5:30.  Their power went out after the storm on Monday, so she's been playing Pioneer Girl all week.  She did very well but got really bored and tired of reading by candle light.  Don't blame her.  We agreed that washing dishes and flusing toilets use a lot of water.  Mark did water runs to the Wakefield branch of his bagelry, so at least she didn't have to fuss with that.  She's a peach.