Monday, July 9, 2012

Who let the dogs out?

Since I am posting this in the middle of the night it's a safe assumption I'm not just being a night owl but being paid to stay up. And it's not even my regular shift to work. I answered one of those 'unknown name unknown number' calls this afternoon and agreed to do an eight hour night. When my summer neighbour called she was a bit concerned that I would be staying up all night and then going swimming in the morning but she's a retired teacher and not a shift worker. Nonetheless I did take her up on her offer to drive, one thing to get myself home on automatic pilot, another to travel to the pool with passengers.

And since both my summer neighbours have arrived now I will have lots of visiting to do. I was advised of the second sister's arrival on Thursday by a phone call from a member of the next community asking for her phone number. FYI the summer folk are issued a new phone number by Bell each year when they return (not sure of the reason for this except to torture them) so I didn't even know what it was. I say "I don't think she's here yet, she just left the midwest on Monday". The caller stated that there were two large dogs which looked like hers (Airedale terriers) who had run by her house and a blue van driving around as if looking for them. "I'll try to keep them here" she says as I promise to track down their owner. I phone her sister looking for the number and the line is busy. Hmmm, did I write the number down wrong or is she on the phone to her sister because of this situation? I jump in my car and head over and yep there is a phone consultation going on. I attempt to describe where the escapees are but it's difficult when you don't know the players in the local geography so I again jump in my car and head out to have the dog owner follow me. When we make our way about two km down the road we're met by the caller who says she's sent her husband to capture the dogs who are running through the old cemetary. I leave the summer neighbour in her care and head home to my baking in the oven. She quickly retrieved the dogs apparently. We live in a great spot where neighbours will look out for your pets, even if you haven't been in the area for a year.

Apparently it rained the day I finished nights when I was sleeping (or so I was advised) but had cleared by the time the life partner and I went to buy $316 worth of groceries in the afternoon. We had a BBQ and with one glass of wine I was toast at 7:30 p.m. and back in bed. Today was a beautiful weekend day with lots of UV to go around and another BBQ for supper. The animals were out flat on the floor of the veranda room with the heat and there were naps as well for the humans. In fact the whole week is forecast to be lovely weather. Ah, coastal summer.

I won't need that rain jacket which the shore captain picked up for me from the fishing supply store. It took two tries because he arrived home with two in size L and when I couldn't fasten either of them up he says "oh yeah, the saleswoman said they run small" so wouldn't you think you'd choose a larger size? I told him not to give up his day job for a fashion consultant.