Awake early, worked on some of the stuff we collected in Ireland. Expelled a virus I found in my computer. Completed us form 8840. Walked to the bowls club and bowled 2 games (indoors of course). Walked home. Watched two recorded episodes of the Outlander. To bed at 9.

DOG DAYS

 

CHAPTER 5

W

e arrived back in Lund and tied up, all our belongings were hauled a very short distance to a big building on the edge of the beach – another hotel.  We moved up onto the second floor but this time there were three rooms, my house was put out on the porch that overlooked the water, I kind of liked the location.  I could walk about and see what was going on the road down below as well as the dock where there was always something going on.  We had hardly got settled in when there was a flurry of activity and I could sense an undertone of excitement.  My three humans kept talking about the first day of school.

  This turned out to be a disappointment for me as school was somewhere John was going to be almost everyday and I wasn’t supposed to go with him.  I followed him the first couple of times, but he always brought me back, then Mom started tying me up in the morning so I couldn’t follow.  But not to be outdone, I waited until I was untied, I already knew where the school was and I just trotted up there and hung around outside until he came out.  Unfortunately there were a bunch of other kids that he played with and he had the nerve to ignore me until he returned home in the afternoon.

  Lund was a great place, Mom loved to go for walks and she would always take me with her. I knew she needed me to protect her, and the odd other dog that we encountered I let know in no uncertain terms that they were to keep their distance. One day I had the chance to show her just how necessary I was.

  John was home and Mom decided the three of us should go for a walk before Senior got home. We walked up the steep hill that ran into town, well they walked, I ran about scouting out things ahead and making sure everything was safe.  We had just got past the top of the hill and around the

corner when I encountered a strong scent, it sort of was like a cat but kind of different. I slowed down and left the road and followed the scent for just a little ways when I came almost face to face with the biggest cat I had ever seen, it was ten times as big as me! Without thinking I barked, the first time it was a bit squeaky so I deepened the pitch and went into a frenzy of barking. Well that cat jumped then turned and started to run, my motto is if they run, I’m in charge! I started after it and suddenly it jumped then climbed up into an old maple tree. I would have gone up after him but I was too short to get to the first limb so I just circled the tree and kept barking.  A few moments later Mom appeared with John right behind her. She took one look then told John to run back to the hotel and tell the men that she and her dog had treed a cougar. “Hurry, hurry.” She called.

  I wanted to tell her to back off as this big guy wasn’t looking too happy and he occasionally showed his teeth and hissed and growled, but since I couldn’t talk I just kept barking.