What REALLY Happened

Okay, so this morning was NOT my problem. I was up - about a billion times last night. Couldn't sleep. I'll tell you why.

My loving, grieving husband invited my dog's spirit in the house after he died (the dog). (Where else would he go? Dogs aren't in heaven so I've been told.)

So last night was my first night in the house alone. With the ghost dog.

He huffed, and sniffed and tap, tap tapped on the floor.

Needless to say, I was scared s word less (see previous post).

I was GLAD to go to work today. (which I always am, but I am also a homebody and love being at home piddling)

So now I know we gotta fix the fan on the furnace, need to get some limbs away from the house, and ask the neighbor NOT to start his weed eater after dark. But in the dark, things can sound awfully different.

I told everyone at work about my harrowing night. As I left, I explained that if I didn't show up to work tomorrow, it meant I died of fright. So at least now I have a good reason to be late to work tomorrow besides "I had to make my lunch AND the coffee."

Our one and only dog, Leroy Brown (in the header picture above celebrating St. Pat's Day) died back in September. Since we have no kids, he was really a member of our family, and the loss was hard.

When he died, many people asked if we were getting another one. We had talked and decided we would later. When it was right.

See, Leroy really found us, rather than us finding him kinda. He was a baby baby (before weening age) when someone dropped him off in a park with nothing but a box and a handful of food. We were visiting family in a different state. They kept driving by and noticing him. Then one afternoon an ice storm came. He had been out there huddled by his box for three days. When the storm hit, we brought him to their home. And then he came all the way home with us. We really had no intention of having a dog. But I guess Leroy knew he wanted us.

So this past week, there has been a dog wandering around the neighborhood. He has been laying in a neighbor's backyard sunning himself and sleeping. On icy frigid nights. Through snow. He recently started limping.

At first, we thought he might belong to the people who live there. But he is kinda in a spot where they can't even see him, below a stone wall. And now he has begun venturing around.

He is beautiful. Shiny coat. Brindle color. Medium large size. I keep saying he is lost but hubby thinks someone has dumped him or abandoned him.

He ventured onto our front porch last night.

This morning he was guarding the next door neighbor's drive. When hubby told me he was out there, I told him to feed him. So he put a can of food on a plastic plate and took it out.

The dog is extremely skittish and shy and wouldn't come near until he had come inside. But we could see him from the window. He is so pretty.

When the dog finished eating, he trotted off.

I told hubby, "We have a dog. He just doesn't know we have him."

He laughed and said, "Yeah, we have a dog. We feed him every couple of days. He stays in the neighbor's yard. He's not too tough to take care of."

I wonder if our dog has found us.