…a “tail” of an earth angel, by Laura
My dog, Paula, was 10 years old. Being part beagle and part Australian cattle dog, she is quite rambunctious and remained puppy-like until she was eight years old.
Although she has learned commands like “sit” and “stay”, she has never obeyed the command to “come” when called. This can be very problematic if she escapes the confines of the house or the fenced back yard.
I have a neighbor, who we will call Tipsy Tom. When Tom has tipsied right over the top, he is not very clear headed in his choices. One evening, just after I got home from work, I heard something going on in my back and side yard. It seems Tipsy Tom had cut through my yard, left the gate open, and Paula made her great escape.
Tom was sorry, but no help at all, and Paula was in her glory as she raced around the neighborhood. From past experience, I knew that Paula would not allow herself to be caught, leashed, and returned home until she was ready.
I was growing frustrated, weary of the chase, and fearful that she might be injured in the evening rush hour traffic. She was running at quite a clip toward Herr Lane, a very busy road. Just as she was about there, a UPS truck rounded the corner from Herr Lane to King Arthur Lane, the street that connected to our neighborhood court.
Although Paula had never previously chased or followed a car or truck, she seemed drawn to this UPS truck. She began chasing it down the road. As I watched, I kept thinking, “Please don’t run under the wheels!!”
To my great relief, the driver turned onto my court with Paula trotting alongside. He pulled up to the house across the street for his package delivery.
When he got out of the truck, he bent down on one knee and Paula ran right to him. She was so enthralled with her new friend that she stayed right there until I leashed her.
They say angels are all around us and come in all shapes and sizes: That day Paula’s and my guardian angel was in a big brown truck and wearing a brown uniform.
By the way, he had big blue eyes, a pearly white smile and terrific legs.
I believe UPS should stand for:
Uniquely Personal Service.