A DOG-GONE SHAME

An excited Grandpa Mike was up at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday (7-7) and ready to head for Spokane to pick up Jack. We were just loading up to head out about 7:30 when the phone rang. It was Jack's dad, Yancey. "I'm just putting Jack on the plane now. I just wanted to be sure you'll be there. You should be there early to get checked in." Hmmmm, I think to myself. He doesn't trust us.

Well, it didn't go like clockwork. We were at the airport in plenty of time, but I witnessed for myself that signage at the airport wasn't what it should have been. For instance, our paperwork said that Jack would arrive on a Frontier flight, but not a single Frontier flight was listed amongst the arrivals. The 10:43 flight from Denver was a United flight. We picked up his luggage at a gate marked "Horizon -- Seattle."

Nellie was a bit reserved toward us when we arrived home, unaccustomed as she is to spending daytime hours in her kennel. But she was excited this morning. She gave Jack a "good morning" hug. Something was afoot, she could tell, and she was just sure it would include her.

Ken was here to pick up Mike and Jack for the trip up the Snake to hike and geocache near Rogersburg. I watched as Jack and Ken put Nell in the back of the 4-Runner. I looked out again and saw Jack in the backseat and Mike and Ken discussing a map. Then I heard them leave. So, I sat down to enjoy the quietude of the house for a while before heading over to town.

About 10 minutes passed, I think. Then -- "Clickitty clickitty clickitty clickitty . . . . . . " -- that sounds like Nellie running up to the back door. That IS Nellie at the back door. Poor thing! Somehow she managed to get left behind. Now I have people heading off for an adventure who don't even know they are missing a dog, and a dog who knows she has been left behind. At first I was kind of upset, but then I realized it was just an ordinary day at home with the dog, albeit a pouting dog. I decided not to worry about it. I went shopping. KW