Paw Print

I was on my way to visit my mother in the hospital earlier this week outside of Philadelphia on a very rainy morning with a little thunder mixed in.  Taking the back roads to avoid traffic lights on every block and not completely sure I knew where I was going, I emerged from under a dark overpass in teeming rain on a very busy two lane road and there were two sopping wet Golden Retrievers running between cars and in the middle traffic.  After I composed myself from my immediate panic attack I immediately put my flashers on and pulled to the side of the road to try and rescue these frightened wet dogs.  Fortunately they were as scared as I was and as soon as I clapped my hands and opened my car door they got in panting, dripping, shedding but I could have cared less.  I was so happy to have them safe in the car with me there was nothing else that mattered at that point. 
These two Goldens were so sweet and appreciative to be out of the rain and in human care, they were full of love and kisses - and wet.
They both desperately needed to be in the front seat with me so there the three of us sat for a few minutes while I tried to figure out the next step.  They both had their invisible fence collars on and vet tags so I figured I could at least get them there but I really wanted to make sure they were reunited with their owner.  They literally had me pinned in the drivers seat and to get them to settle just enough for me to see if there was another I.D. tag was our first wrestling match - but I won and did find a number to call.  Of course one of the beautiful 100 lb. beasts was sitting on my phone on my console so here we went again - round 2.  Once I had my phone I had to dial quickly before I forgot the number and had to wrestle her again for her tag, I will say most of the wrestling consisted of big sloppy kisses from them while I giggled and found the tag.  Got the number in the phone and was connected to the owners place of business, a very nice Irish man was pleased to hear I had captured his girls.  Thinking ahead after he gave me directions of how to get to his home and anticipating a challenge driving with these adorable love-bugs I asked their names so I could maybe give them a command with name and they would listen better - it was a good thought. He said “Daisy is the bigger one and Lucy is the puppy” - huh, there was no puppy in my car!  But here I was preparing to take them home in an area I was not familiar with but that was not my biggest challenge - wrestling match round 3 - I tried to get one in the back seat so the other could sit in the front passenger seat (this is how my two thirty lb. dogs travel anyway) but it became pretty clear early on that that was not going to happen so I did my best to gain control of the drivers seat and go.  It was certainly not the safest of driving conditions but we made it and when the owner came to get them out of my car with their leashes they were happy.  Once they were out of the car it took me a few minutes to gather myself and stop giggling - I was completely wet and my black shirt was covered with their hair and my car looked like a cyclone of wet red hair had hit it.  And to complicate things a touch remember I was on the way to the hospital to spend the day with my mother recovering from surgery,  I stunk like a wet dog!
Fortunately I had expected to head back to Baltimore that evening so I had my bag in the trunk so I was able to change my wet hairy shirt but did have to sit for eight hours in wet jeans…but, I would do it again in a heartbeat! 
The couple of claps of thunder that morning sent Daisy and Lucy through their electric fence and into the traffic,
please mind your pets when thunder and lightening are in your area.
On the way home that night I had to giggle again when I saw the inside of my windshield covered in wet dog and hair smudge,
they were very big dogs and they completely consumed all of the front seat.