Just Jack

I awoke one morning much like any other morning...wandered downstairs to make a cup of tea. I hadn't taken the girls out yet and I hadn't prepared myself for visitors, but that's what I got...a visitor.

I first spotted a man in my driveway. I couldn't make out who he was or what he was doing but it looked like he had rope in his hand. I was curious as to why this stranger was in my yard, coming across my driveway and up onto my deck, carrying a rope of some kind, yet not coming to my door. This was no ordinary Jehovah's Witness and it wasn't the mail man...who was this guy?

I had a moment's trepidation at opening the door unarmed and in my bathrobe (mainly because my vanity demands that I not let people outside the family see me in my morning getup), to confront an unknown man lurking on my deck. But as I opened the inner door I saw something brown and white shoot across my deck and over the snowbank that is as high as my deck railing. It startled me and I startled the man. We were all startled. I opened the screen door, said hello nicely and asked him why he was on my deck.

He was obviously frazzled and told me that he can't get his dog....which, as it turns out was the brown and white rocket that had just gone up and over the snowbank. I smiled to myself when I realized that this must be a small dog having the time of his life sniffing around in my yard that smells like my dogs. This must also be the little dog that occasionally "talks" to my girls when we're outside...someone they've never met but have answered with deep bellowing howls to his short rapid barks.

The man looked like he was going to go over the side railing after his dog but I informed him that the snow is chest deep over there. I also told him that way leads to the road so perhaps it might be a good idea to head around to the front of the house. We don't want the little brown and white rocket dead in the road. He got a momentary look of panic on his face and started for the front of the house. It was apparent that his dog didn't want to come to him and in fact was having the time of his life staying just out of arms reach. Oh those little dogs! They know just how to push your buttons don't they?

I looked out a front window but didn't see anyone so I determined I had to help this guy and grabbed my coat and jumped into my boots. I also had the idea to grab some dog biscuits....little dogs like them just as much as my big girls do.
I no sooner joined the man on my deck then 'the rocket' came to the crest of the largest snowbank and paused to look at me. This was my first clear look at him. I already knew he was a boy because he'd left his signature on the side of my deck snow....clever boy! He looked to be a Jack Russel terrier or something quite close to that. He looked a little bit like "Eddie" from the Frasier show.
I asked the man what the dogs name was and he said "Jack"......I thought, of course it is.

Well I looked at Jack, raised my voice to that high baby talking sissy voice we use for speaking to small dogs...and said 'Where ya going Jackie? Come on over here and gets a biscuit from me!' And that's exactly what Jack did. He launched himself in my direction and happily chewed a biscuit long enough for me to grab his collar. His little body was all wiggles and wags and he was clearly very excited about his adventure. I got the impression also that 'Dad' doesn't normally have much control over Jack. I think Jack is a momma's boy and that's why he came to me so easily.

Jack's Dad clipped his leash on him and while I fed Jack biscuits he explained how the escape took place. Jack normally has free reign of his backyard but this day Jack discovered that he could walk on the snow and that snow just happen to be piled up just right so he could go up and over the fence out into the wild world. Thankfully Jack stopped at my house..probably because he smelled the girls and was hoping to meet them. Jack's Dad (I never did get his name) had been following about 3 feet behind Jack for the past hour. Jack is a smart little guy and he knew he had to stay away from Dad to continue his adventure.

Well thankfully Jack didn't wander into the road and nothing bad happened to him. I told his Dad that he'll have to move the snow in Jack's yard. Once he's made a break he'll do it again. The small dogs are very smart about retaining that kind of information. I said good bye to Jack; gave some extra biscuits to his Dad; accepted his thanks for my help and went back to my morning cup of tea.

The picture here is not Jack...it's just a reasonable facsimile of him. :)