Part Four--Confessions of An Almost Dog Lover

A Red SUV, a Red Light, and Red Box

Maddie is wagging her way into our hearts but we still desire to find her family. This whole situation is, I am afraid, making me crazy. As in, losing my mind. One sandwich short of a picnic. The lights are on but nobody's home. Or maybe just barking up the wrong tree.

The other day, one of my sons happened to be in the front yard. He came running in to tell me that a red SUV was drving down the street with open windows, calling out "Daisy!" I ran to the backyard and said "Daisy!" and Maddie came running. Then I dashed back to the front to see where the red SUV was and my son said it had just turned right onto May Avenue so I jumped into my car, and sped down the street in pursuit of a red vehicle. Aha, just ahead was a red mini SUV, in the turning lane and, happily for me, it was a red light. I jumped out of my car, ran up to them and asked if they had been looking for their dog Daisy. Ummm, no, they had not. Jumped back into my car, swung over into the next lane, and spied a red van at the gas station. Well, maybe my son doesn't know the difference between a van and an SUV. It was worth a try. The car's driver was apparently in the gas station getting a Big Gulp. I decided not to go inside and ask who owned the red van. Patiently waiting out by the van, I briefly wondered if I was losing my mind. Before I had time to answer myself, a big guy with a 12 pack (of beer, not abs) came out and I asked if he had lost a little dog named Daisy. No, he hadn't but he wanted to hear the whole story. I was a little impatient to get back to my search for more red vehicles but I gave him the short version. He wished me luck and we both peeled out of the gas station, me in the lead. The next red vehicle I spotted was parked near a Redbox, probably renting Old Yeller, or Where the Red Fern Grows or Shiloh or another sad dog movie. But nope, she didn't lose her dog and she was actually renting Jack the Giant Slayer.

By this time, all the red vehicles in the area had left because there was this crazy person flagging them down and asking if they had lost a dog. So I went back home to play with Maddie/Daisy, who by this time, was not answering to the name "Daisy."