NELLIE TALES

Saturday, while we were still in town, I let Nellie out for her morning constitutional. When she didn't immediately return, Mike and I discussed her whereabouts while standing at the back door. Just then she came up, dragging a leash that was hooked to her collar.

Now Nellie is Mike's dog and gives her allegiance to him. She mostly treats me as a subordinate whom she credits with reading her wants and needs better than Mike does. She pushes me around a bit if need be, and she knows eventually I'll get her message for food, an open door, whatever. And she looks to me to console or reassure her. So, she went round and round my legs as if she had something to say to me. If only she could translate those pictures in her mind into words.

We could hear voices nearby, so Mike unhooked the leash and walked to the corner of the house. A woman asked him if that was our dog. She said her visiting grandson was playing around and had thought Nellie was a stray so hooked a leash onto her collar. So Mike gave her the leash and we went our separate ways. Nellie was relieved to be back home with her own folks after such an adventure.

Today – here at the farm – I took Nellie for her afternoon walk while Mike rode his bicycle. Now Nellie is afraid of vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, weedeaters, and her own shadow. For an assertive dog, she has a sensitive temperament. But when it comes to huge farm machines making loud, deep noises, she seems blithely unaware.

"VROOOOM," said Farmer Kyle's big machine. I was on the road and out of harm's way, but Nellie refused to get out of the field where she was hunting rodents and where Farmer Kyle was working.

"Over here, Nellie!" I yelled at her above the din, trying to get her into the field on the other side of the road.

"VROOOOOM, VR, VR, VR, VROOOOOM," said Farmer Kyle's machine, as he, too, wondered what Nellie might do.

"I simply don't know what you're thinking today, Kathy," said the look in Nellie's eyes, "but I can tell you one thing – you're a little testy. I think you should check your attitude."

Finally successful in getting her to Curfman corner, I walked her back cross-country to stay out of Farmer Kyle's way. KW