walking the dogs and saving a life--well, almost

so today . . . was a beautiful day. usually it is hard for me to put on my walking shoes, wrestle the harness onto the dogs, and head out the door for our walk. and today was no exception. but once i got outside, and was able to slow down a bit as the dogs got tired, i realized how beautiful it was. until i saw the car . . .

in our neighborhood, the city has planted a different type of tree on each street. one of the streets that milo and i walk has some sort of tree that is currently in bloom, and it smells wonderful! sadly, it is on one of the first streets we walk down, so milo is moving at a pretty good pace--well, considering his short little legs and his fat little body. if it was on the last street, we could saunter along and enjoy the beautiful aroma for a while. now that i think about it, maybe while the trees are in bloom i could rearrange our route so that we hit that street last. although last week when i tried to get milo to go "off the route" and out into the street to go around some tree trimmers, he refused! he seemed to know where he was supposed to go and was determined to go there--i finally had to pick him up and take him out into the street.`

today was a lovely day--and a friday afternoon. there were a lot of people outside, walking, biking, working in their yards, . . . and i realized that sometimes walking a dog on the sidewalk is kind of like playing "chicken." when two people are approaching each other on the sidewalk, and one has a dog (so there isn't room to pass,) who should get off the sidewalk, and who retains custody? do you wait for the last minute to see if the other person is going to move, or do you get off in plenty of time so they can continue without interference? is there a protocol for this? usually i am the one who goes out into the street. and i go early. i don't know why--i guess i am just perpetually polite . . .

i had already walked about three miles with mia and was just finishing up the two miles that milo walks, when i noticed a car in a driveway, facing the street, with the driver's side door open. i didn't think too much about it until i got closer and noticed there was a man inside sitting in the driver's seat. as i continued on by, i could see that he was slouched down with his head over to one side, his eyes closed and his mouth hanging open, and his car keys were in his lap. this seemed odd to me, but i thought maybe he was just waiting for someone, and i didn't want to embarrass him (my perpetual politeness kicking in.) so i started to walk by. but then i thought, what if he is having a heart attack or something and i just leave him there. as i went back for a second look (hoping he was now sitting up with his eyes open and the car keys in his hand,) i saw that the garage door was open as well as the door into the house. i was starting to think panicky thoughts, when i realized that while i was wandering around trying to decide what i should do, the guy could be dying. so i finally sprang into action, approached the open car door, and said, "excuse me, sir?" at which time he woke up, abruptly, smiled and said he was fine, really. so i guess he wasn't dead. or in need of cpr.

thank goodness! my cpr skills are untested (although i have a card that says i know how to do it,) and milo was already thinking about a nap . . .