The Dog Days of August Commence

I opened the back yard gate and Bella charged into the driveway. Suddenly, she became transfixed by the sight of an airliner's moving bright light in the distance. I wondered what she was thinking....

Bella's walks have been challenging of late. Sometimes they are more like sprints, as she tries to hit all her favorite spots all at once. Or she wanders very far afield, like her stroll up to Fremont Park and along Q Street. Or her puzzling zig-zag path back and forth across the railroad. The plan isn't always clear.

We have seen many dogs as the dog days of August commence. Bella chose to visit San Fernando Way for the first time in six months. I knew why - there is a large Huskie who lives over there. Bella just wanted to make the Huskie jealous of her freedom, and she did. We saw some homeless guys on Broadway last night. One was changing clothes and another was doing a kind of lilting dance. But in their midst were one, possibly two, large dogs, and I had to pull Bella away fast. Another time, next to the AM/PM at 16th & W Streets, we started probing around a mysterious baggage-laden children's red wagon when I noticed we were being silently watched from the shadows by a large, apprehensive Boxer, and I quickly pulled Bella away. We saw a large poodle wearing a handsome flashing-blue diode around its neck. Despite the colorful hi-tech amulet, even from the distance, Bella could still tell it was a dog.

On S Street at the railroad, we heard a roar, then saw a car take off down the street with a police car in hot pursuit. I expected flashing red and blue lights any second, but instead, the police car abruptly dropped the chase, did a U-turn, and came roaring back at high speed, forcing Bella and I to scramble out of the street. Some puzzling police cat-and-mouse game at work.

Last night, Bella started bucking on her leash in excitement, but there was no raccoon or cat. Instead, Bella had been fooled by my spectral shadow cast by street lights.

Bella and I were across the street when all the teenage employees of Gunther's Ice Cream Parlour on Franklin Blvd. came bursting out of the front door at closing time. They were all dressed in uniform black, and now that their many, many chores were finally done, they scattered to the winds like high-spirited ravens.