Walking with the dogs, not chased by the dogs

Since Blogger was unavailable all day yesterday and making it next to impossible for me to make my daily post to Freckles and All, I used Facebook notes to get in my post for the day.  I'll be posting again later tonight! 

"A dog is one of the remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk." ~ O.A. Battista.

A dog is also one of the remaining reasons why some people, like myself, can be persuaded to run. Earlier today, I decided I would go for a walk in the neighborhood. It was hot, it was muggy and every dog in the neighborhood was awake. Our dog, Dottie, was barking at something moving in the woods behind our house. The dogs across the street were barking at something until I came outside and they decided to stop their silly behavior. As I took out down the street there was even more barking. Of course, they didn't stop barking and decided to trot behind me as I was walking. I really didn't need companions for my morning walk, however, they insisted. I told them they could follow along but no one was to chase me or nip at my heels and certainly not bite me.

I'm not the biggest fan of dogs. I may have already told this story, but as a small child I was biten by a dog on Halloween night. I blame my mother and to this day she denies my story is true. I suppose we didn't have money for costumes or my parents had simply failed to buy my brother Jeff and I costumes. We desperately wanted to go trick or treating. Since there was only one mask and it was too little for my big face, Jeff got to wear the cute little bear mask. I had to settle for making my own. I had to make a mask out of a paper bag. I colored some silly face on the paper bag and then cut out place for my eyes so I could see and a place for my mouth so I wouldn't sufficate. I'm not sure what I wore for a costume. I have had flashbacks of wearing a feed sack, but Mom insists my memories aren't true.

When we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house to go trick or treating, I was very excited to get out of the car. It was the first of maybe five houses that Mom would take us to before she had enough of Halloween for the year. I stumbled across the lawn walking towards the porch light when out of nowhere a big black ugly dog comes from out of nowehere. The dog barked and growled and I took out running for the house. The dog went for ankle with his narly teeth, luckily missing. My heart was pounding and I was till running, trying desperately to keep the bag on my head. The dog snapped at the calf of my leg just as I was reaching the door. I was never so thankful to see Grandma fling open the door. I flung my body into the house, out of breath and almost in tears. I never liked Halloween since and I'm still not all that fond of big black dogs.
In the dog's defense, if I saw a boy with a paper bag over his head wrapped in a feed sack, I would attack too!