Who's There?

There is a thumping/knocking? on the front door. I open it and almost immediately trip over a wiggling, mass of brown fur.

Then, with the speed of a bullet, the puppy lunges inside... She's in the cat's territory now. :(

"Noooo! Come back!"

She careens back thru the doorway and into my knees.

"Who's dog is this?!! She just about started WWIII in the house!"

???

I walk to the driveway with the enthusiastic ball of energy threading her way thru my legs. And at the same time I hear: the neighbor calling her, Farm Boy yelling, "It belongs across the street," and a car roaring down the road.

Vance, our neighbor, sees her at the same time he hears the car, and takes off at a dead run toward us, straight into the path of the car.

"I've got her, I've got her!" I yell, as I reach down, tug on her collar, and frantically motion him back out of the road and away from the car.

She is totally cowed by the noise and commotion. Vance's face is a thunderstorm. She's just a pup, and doesn't understand that HIS dogs are always extremely well behaved. They do not leave the yard without permission.

I start talking fast. "She's fine, I've got her. So cute. What a nice looking little chocolate!" And I'm not letting go until he takes a breath and the glare fades from his eyes...

He composes himself, leans down and picks her up, cradling her in his arms. Tells me he turned, just for a moment, and she slipped away.

Oh, I know. She's fast, that one. And cuter than a button.

Goodness.

It all only took  - a minute or two, but it was quite the introduction!
-