See, it was a stranger who called me after finding Bear laying down in the middle of her neighborhood street.
WHAT?
Oh you didn't hear?
Let me back up and tell you about the EXCITING Saturday we had!
Chris had planned to take Bear pheasant hunting. Bear was acting skittish that morning for some reason and when he opened the back of his Jeep for her to climb in, instead she took off sprinting up the road. Apparently she really didn't want to go hunting (who can blame her? It was cold and snowing).
So with it being early and snowing, Chris was able to track her in the snow all the way to the top of our neighborhood. But then she must have crossed Gordon Ave because he lost her tracks. I get a call at 7:45am with him saying "we have a problem". I IMMEDIATELY think "it's that damn Jeep. Something happened...how much will THIS cost?" Then he tells me Bear took off.
I hop in my car and spend about 20 minutes driving the neighborhood, asking people out if they've seen her. Nothing. I head back home, grab the girls and we spend another 45 minutes weaving in and out of the area looking for her. Nothing.
We get home and I just start crying. I've had her since she was a puppy. She was MY first baby. She was my kid before I had kids!! I love that big lug of a dog.
A few hours later I'm in the basement painting and my phone rings. I could feel it in my bones it was someone calling about Bear.
"Um, I think I found your dog, Bear"
YES!! Someone had found her. Laying down in the middle of the street, most likely cold, tired and hungry. I hop in the Jeep and the gal directs me to where she is at. The neighborhood just west of our church. I pull up and Bear is sitting on the sidewalk. She recognizes me and that big tail start wagging! I must have looked like a crazy dog lady. I'm covered in paint, my hair is a smell and I'm sitting on the sidewalk hugging this dumb dog!
I thanked the gal repeatedly and offered her a reward. She declined and said "when we drove up, my son said "mom is that dog dead?" because she was just laying in the street".
She could have easily ignored Bear and drove around her. But she didn't. She stopped and called and I'm so very, very thankful.
Bear is such an important part of our family. I couldn't imagine life without her in it.
