Down for the Count

Marcus:  Jan says I have been a good boy this past week.

Jan:

This past week has been very hard on all of us and I am proud of Marcus.  He has so wanted me to play with him for weeks and I just didn't have the energy, but I did try to walk him and Buddy every day possible.  (I walk Merci by herself if she wants to go.)

I wasn't going to do this post but Loulou's sweet mama is concerned that we haven't been posting.  It's easier to type this once so we told her we would try to do a post.  This has been a hard summer.  I have been sweating buckets, cutting the lawn with a grass whip, and tottering around in exhaustion.

Last Monday I tried out my new electric lawn mower with a 100' cord that should make my life easier.  Six hours later about 3/4 of the lawn was done.  (There were a lot of breaks in there where I collapsed in a chair on the porch or over the trash can near the side yard.)  Then I wobbled up the street with the two dogs. 

Tuesday evening I set out with Marcus and Buddy for a walk.  We made it as far as the public sidewalk next door. Without any warning I was yanked sideways and back with such force the chest pain was excruciating and I was  screaming.  My feet were flying and I almost fell over Marcus and one of the dogs from next door when they both stopped.  Some distance away the neighbor kids were playing basketball in the alley.  I screamed for them to get their dog on a leash and they just stared.. 

There was another hard yank in another direction and I was face down on the lawn, still screaming in pain.  Bless the woman driving by who saw it happening and stopped to help..  She was there right away, wrapped the leashes in one hand (I had a death grip on them) and told me the dogs were okay. (I wasn't thinking straight and neglected to get the name of the kind woman.)  I couldn't see anything but I could hear those kids approaching.  From beginning to end, there was no sound from any of the dogs except one low growl from Marcus - his "I'm in trouble" growl.  One second he was walking, then he was playing, then I was on the ground screaming and there were all those kids coming at him.  He is timid and I knew he was scared. 

I spent a long time face down on the lawn listening to the mouthy teenager who doesn't believe the leash law applies to her.  And when I was finally able to get up. things got worse.  She told me to GO HOME (complete with arm gestures) or WALK THE DOGS ACROSS THE STREET but to GET OFF HER PROPERTY (meaning the entire side of the road).  No remorse, no concern that her off leash dog caused the violent take down (not a fall) of someone. 

Injured or not, I still had to take care of the Funny Farmers.  By Saturday, I HAD to get out of the house so I set out with Buddy and Marcus on a slow walk.  Buddy stopped to poop.  I cleaned up after him. turned around and there was that dog racing onto the sidewalk at us.   She will not put it on a leash!  The fact the dog is friendly and wants to play isn't the point. I don't know if Animal Control has been in contact with the family yet.

So, things are not going well around here.  The Mousebreath interviews are postponed.  I don't know for how long.  We won't be posting to the blog either.  I am taking a break from everything to recuperate.

I wasn't joking about Marcus being a good boy.  I don't blame him for what happened, nor the other dog.  I blame the defiant teenager and her parents.  He was going stir crazy without his walks, so he was so happy they resumed.  Tonight - Monday- Marcus stopped on our walk to make friends with a man in a wheelchair who has had a stroke and was frustrated because he couldn't convey to me what he wanted to say, but he and Marcus communicated just fine.