The One That Got Away

My family has learned something new about me over the last couple of months.  They have come to realize that, thanks to the big back yard out east and the newly installed fence, I am a natural born athlete.  True, I am not a ball dog nor am I a Frisbee dog, a swimming dog, or a dog who can scoot around on a skateboard (though it does look like fun).  I am, however, a runner.  I can run very fast and, when properly motivated, I can run for a relatively long stretch of time.  My athleticism was tested today, and thanks to my training, I almost caught the prize.

Sister and I were hanging outside in the backyard.  Sister was talking with the next door neighbor while I alternated between bunking noses with the neighbor’s dog Honey, snoozing in the sun, and trying to inconspicuously dig a hole under the forsythias (I only managed a small hole...Sister was keeping a very close eye on me because she said Ma and Pa would skin both of us alive if I got muddy so soon after getting a bath).  Anyway, eventually Sister decided that it was time to go in and offered me a cookie to agree with her decision (what can I say, I'm easily bought).  Overflowing with puppy energy and the promise of food, I scurried toward the side door of the house.

But as I reached the side door, I noticed something hunkered down in the grass by the front gate near the remnants of the hole I dug almost a week ago.  With a warning bark, I bounded over only to discover a squirrel.

I will admit that I was shocked at first.  I really didn't expect to see an interloper on my property while I was outside.   The squirrel, on the other paw, was downright horrified (hey, he trespassed on my property!) and quickly tried to make a break for it.  But rather than just slip under the fence and off my property, he decided to try running past me (just like the lizard in my first post).  So, I did the only thing I could do:  I chased after him.

A Map of What Happened

The squirrel ran directly in front of me, up and over the side steps, past Sister who was screaming (I believe she was shouting "Rigby, leave it" but I can't be certain because I was kind of preoccupied and did not pay much attention to her), into the backyard, and onto the fence separating my property from Honey's (I was inches behind him the entire way).  Running toward the front of the property via the top of the fence, the squirrel came face to face with Honey who gave chase steering him back in my direction (while Honey's mom screamed something as well).  The squirrel panicked, jumped to the ground, scurried toward the tree, jumped back onto the fence, jumped onto the tree, stumbled and fell down about a foot (leaving him about a foot above me), then hot-footed it up the tree while Honey and I barked hysterically.

I almost had him.  This was the closest I've ever gotten to catching one of those stupid little furry animals that routinely trespass on my property, and I owe my success to all the practice I had out east!