Adventuregate

I was thinking of something to do the other day. It was a nice-ish day. Mostly cloudy with occasional SUN SHOWERS. Toward the afternoon it got a bit nicer, but not much. So as a result, I was not inclined to go outside a lot. In fact, it was well into the afternoon that I actually ASKED to go explore the yard.

Molly and I almost always go outside in pairs. I am not sure why this is. Maybe it is a GIRL thing. Anyways, we both went outside to pee, chat with the neighbors, and bark at an occasional bird. I think Molly lasted 2 minutes and then she was asking (i.e. barking) to return to the comforts of her inside bed. ME? I was still adventuring.

So I went here and there around the yard, smelling all of the flowers and looking for eatables (after some winter strawberries, there have not been anymore. . . but I look) AND THEN I spotted something different.

It looked like the YARD got bigger! So I had to go check it out. Lo and Behold, there was a whole 'nother part of the yard that I did not know about! All I had to do was wander out the OPEN GATE.

Mommy note: The gate is normally closed and I still don't know who left it open. Yes, when Noodles did not come back after 3 separate yells from the door, I went to investigate. My heart stopped when I saw the gate wide open and my little pug nowhere to be found.

First I sniffed around the garbage cans and the compost bins - you never know what treasures you will find there. Then I sniffed the air at the gate and decided it was safe to explore - so I trotted right out the gate and into the NEW WORLD.

Mommy note #2: I have no idea how long she was out there (there was about 30 minutes between Molly coming in and me discovering the gate. I consider myself extremely lucky that she was not run over by a car (we live on a busy street), or taken by a stranger wandering by, or worse, left the neighborhood).

I admit. I got a little bored with the new YARD. There was a lot of noise and nothing good to eat. So I went to the front porch and "KNOCKED" on the door. Molly heard me and started yelling to Mommy that I was at the front door. But Mommy didn't get it at all and kept telling Molly there was no one outside and to quit yelling. That's because when Mommy looked OUT the side window she couldn't see me. I was right in the middle of the door. She normally opens the front door to PROVE no one is there, but this time she did not.

Finally, Mommy went outside the BACK door to see if I was sunning myself or gorging on apples leftover from the Fall. I could hear her calling me but she could not hear me saying "I'm over here." Next thing I know, I hear Mommy panicking and yelling and then I heard a funny LUMBERING sound (she was running) coming down the side yard. I considered running to it but didn't because I didn't know what it was.

I told Molly to be patient, Mommy would find me. And just as I said that, I looked over my shoulder to see Mommy run out onto the driveway YELLING my name in a most disquieting way. Then she spotted me and ran over to me. I could tell she was relieved. But she didn't pick me up and hug me like I thought she would. She said "Noodles that was sooooooo naughty but I am so relieved to find you."

I am glad too. Even the thought that I could be lost or taken away from my WONDERFUL family really breaks my heart. From now on, I will try to be a little less curious about the OUTSIDE world.