Orion has been hidden for most of this week, although each time I go out at night, I've been looking for him. It's been cold, too, so the stoves are going. Walking Sadie each night, I get whiffs of fireplaces, and I want to go home. The smokey smells reminds me of Hampton, and I miss it terribly.
There was a stray dog out today. Sadie and I left (for a break from writing, for me, and some attention, for her) and started walking, down toward the abandoned house. Coming toward us was a husky; he was on the sidewalk, walking as though on a leash, but completely alone. Sadie has the instincts of an attack dog and the constitution of a china plate, so I pulled her up to a stop. The husky saw us, and stopped too. We were about 100 yards away from each other. The dog cocked his head. Sadie and I turned around. So did the husky.
I looked back a few times, to see if the dog was tearing toward us. He was not. He looked back once or twice, but mostly kept walking, down the side walk, as though he just popped out for an afternoon stroll as well. Sadie and I ducked inside for a few minutes, and then we went back out. The dog was nowhere to be seen.
I wasn't sure what I was supposed to have done. I am afraid of dogs (my cousin was attacked by one when we were all little), and I'd never seen this one before. What if it got scared and bit me?And what about Sadie? A few months ago, a pitbull-like dog was chained to a cinder block outside its house, and when M., Sadie, Daisy, and I walked by, it actually dragged the thing behind itself, following us. Sadie was snarling at it, barking, egging it on. She has no fear of being broken, unlike me.
But what if the dog was lost? Sadie and I walked further this time, more towards the apartments, and I saw it, running around by some trees, and then again, darting between parked cars. It still kept to the sidewalk, and certainly didn't seem wild.
Beth, I love the way you characterize your dog! "Sadie has the instincts of an attack dog and the constitution of a china plate."! I think you did exactly the right thing...no sense putting yourself or your dog at risk, especially since the dog didn't approach you, asking for help. If you see it again, alone, you might want to call the nearest vet office and ask if someone has reported their dog missing? (That's one of the things we do here, since we don't live close to each other.)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the beginning of a story: abandoned house, lone dog, Orion in hiding...
I agree with Raven Road. That makes a fascinating opening for a story! I really like the way you talk about the smoke hanging in the air in the beginning. I have a coal stove, and my boyfriend has a wood stove, so I know the scent well. There's not much more comforting than the way that smells, and I can understand how it would make you homesick. Also, I have been looking for Orion too. He's obscured by the clouds lately. i always look for him. That way, I know exactly where I am.
ReplyDeleteReading your post, I imagined that the husky was being walked by an unseen person. I found it so interesting that alone, the dog would behave exactly as it would have if being led by a person. Such a strange little encounter.
ReplyDeleteI, too, like your characterization of the dog. What I like most, however, is your introduction--looking for Orion amid the smell of fireplaces and how this reminds you of a familiar place thought of fondly. I like this idea of reaffirmation.
ReplyDeleteDogs, as your post illuminates, are so instructive for their innate, heightened sense of awareness of their surroundings and of the natural world.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone has mentioned, this seems like the beginning to a little story! I wonder where you could take this... perhaps the dog is owned by a strange new neighbor. Perhaps weird happenings occur each time you see the dog. Or maybe, the dog accompanies good happenings. I guess I see the dog as some sort of metaphor or foreshadowing, were you to take this piece somewhere. But it's also fantastic that you would pick out this sort of event to write about-- many people wouldn't really think twice and move on with their lives. I love how your eye and mind focus on this!
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