SEARCHING FOR A LITTLE DOG I SAW RUN INTO THE WOODS THIS MORNING

RED BREASTED NUTHATCH

Pheebs and I were on Centennial Road heading east between the Bronson and Goshen lines this morning about 9:35.  Saw something tawny in color dash across the road in a gully up the road.  Because of it’s color I assumed it was a fox.  Reaching the spot where the road cuts through a forest seconds later I slowed right down to a crawl looking intently down the ditch and into a hardwood forest.  Didn’t figure I’d have much chance of seeing it in all the leaves on the ground.  Something caught my eye in my driver’s side rear view mirror and it was something running across the road from south to north behind the Jeep.  Saw right away it was a small dog with a strawberry bandana and it was dragging a leash.  Only saw it for about a second so I stopped the Jeep, backed up, and quickly hopped out.  The little dog had disappeared into the forest. 

ALTHOUGH I HAD A REASONABLY GOOD SIGHT LINE THERE WAS NOTHING MOVING

Hurriedly letting Pheebs out in hopes she might pick up the trail I headed down an embankment to the edge of the woods but there wasn’t a sound or movement anywhere.  Absolutely nothing.  I whistled and called out, but nothing.  Pheebs didn’t seem to pick up any scent either.  Walked further into the bush and stood scanning the forest floor and steep embankment leading up to a ridge line.  The little dog had simply vanished without a trace. 

CHECKING ALONG A SHALLOW CREEK BED

Headed back to the road, hopped into the Jeep, and headed for our Vet Clinic in Zurich about 5 miles south.  At the Vets I slipped inside but they didn’t have any reports of a missing dog (or two) in the area.  I’m thinking the first furry blur I saw maybe wasn’t a fox but another dog as well.  Gave them the location and time where I had seen the dog.  Back out to the Jeep again and we headed right back to Centennial Road and parked.  Pheebs and I headed back into the forest a second time in search of the little dog. 

WITH ALL THESE DRY LIEAVES ON THE GROUND I THOUGHT FOR SURE I WOULD HAVE HEARD SOMETHING

ATOP THE FOREST EMBANKMENT SCANNING BELOW IN THE DIRECTION  OF THE ROAD WHERE THE JEEP WAS PARKED  AND THE DOG HAD RAN ACROSS THE ROAD

Managed with difficulty to climb myself up a very steep embankment covered with slippery leaves to the top of the ridge where I could see an open field along the tree line.  Headed in that direction but there was nothing to be seen across the field.  From the ridge I had a good view of the forest floor below but there were no sounds of leaves rustling and nothing was moving.  Couldn’t believe how fast that little dog had vanished into thin air.  Carefully made my way down the steep hill back to the Jeep.  There was nothing more we could do and despite stopping a couple miles north of the location and walking about a quarter mile to a hilltop and scanning the area with my binoculars we never did find the little dog with the red bandana trailing a leash behind.  But as I said to Pheebs on the way home, at least we tried.

WE SAW NOTHING IN THIS FIELD AT THE EDGE OF THE FOREST

IT WAS A DIFFICULT DESCENT DOWN THE STEEP SLOPE THROUGH THE THE SLIPPERY LEAVES

FROM A NEARBY HILLSIDE I SCANNED WITH BINOCULARS

Weather has been reasonably good for us so far but late Tuesday that will come to an abrupt end as we plunge into a freeze with temperatures below the freezing mark for the next week or two.  And there is a good chance of snow, snow, snow………………….

BUNDLED UP FISHERMEN ON BAYFIELD’S SOUTH PIER THIS MORNING

UP CLOSE WITH A RECENTLY PLOWED CORN FIELD

A year ago today Pheebs and I were splashing our way through the Hassayampa River near Wickenburg Arizona’s Box Canyon Narrows.  You can read about our day here >>> Box Canyon, Burger King, Bic Mac Mistake And Big Front Seat Mess Again.  It was 2 years ago today we were hanging out in a couple cemeteries with George and Suzie from Our Awesome Travels.  And it was 7 years ago today I reached my first thousand blog posts.

WICKENBURG’S BOX CANYON NARROWS

We are on the eve of December 5th which is Kelly's consultation appointment in London's St. Joseph hospital.  We have been waiting for this day for nearly two months to find out when the Doctor will perform her ultra-sound guided endoscopy biopsy procedure.  We may know tomorrow morning if we will be heading south or not.   Weather looks Okay so Kelly has decided she will drive to London herself and I will stay home with Pheebs.  Finger's crossed as I wait by the phone for her call regarding what the Doctor says.  Kelly also has a another Cat Scan scheduled for December 21rst at London's University Hospital.  

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Signs of Christmas Everywhere:::
- Toy Store: "Ho, ho, ho spoken here."
- Bridal boutique: "Marry Christmas."
- Outside a church: "The original Christmas Club."
- At a department store: "Big pre-Christmas sale come in and mangle with the crowd."
- A reducing salon: "24 Shaping Days until Christmas."
- In a stationery store: "For the man who has everything.….a calendar to remind him when payments are due."

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When you stop believing in Santa Claus is when you start getting clothes for Christmas.

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Knock knock!
Who's there?
Hanna
Hanna who?
Hanna partridge in a pear tree!

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