This morning Sam had a near-death experience… and if only he knew it.  These nut crazy squirrels are going to be the death of him and perhaps pull my arms out of socket before then.

Josh and I woke up at 7:30 am to pray together before our separate morning coffee meetings.  I was meeting with a client to chat about doing 7 year anniversary pictures for them and Josh got to meet with a long-time friend and musician to chat about getting.

The morning routine is that the first person out of bed lets the dogs out and feeds them (unspoken but common sense expectations because the dogs target whoever gets out of bed first as their lifeline).  Josh was cracking the door for them as I was hopping on the pot for a morning tinkle when I hear a familiarly stern “Sam!”  Sam has a bad habit of initially bolting to a particular tree in our yard that brings him dangerously close to the street so we always holler a stern reminder at him to go no further.  It seems there’s a particular squirrel that lives in that tree that has been on Sam’s menu for over a month and he is bent on getting him.

Normally after a brief circle around and tinkle on the tree Sam relents and comes back inside.  Today, however, he tried to commit suicide.  Since I wasn’t the eyes on the scene I’m not sure what exactly provoked him to attempt to cross the bustling major road right outside our front door (HWY 31 S) but all I know is Josh’s stern commanding turned to desperate calling and then onto a sort of emotionally-wrecked manly shrieking.

Fall is my favorite season… normally… but it’s quickly getting on my naughty list because it is also nut collecting season for squirrels.  So now on walks Sam turns sled dog trying to yank me towards them and on tinkle times he turns suicidal dashing towards his precious squirrels at any cost.

Sam returned.  He sat in a puddle of black fur at our feet while I hugged my now trembling husband.  Josh simply said something along the lines of “all I know is he bolted for the road and then I couldn’t see him so I thought he turned road-kill.”  This scenario is my worst nightmare and exactly the reason I am always open to any new home ideas/options.

Those of you reading if you hear of a home option that’s affordable and off of a main road I’m all ears.