Losing the dog . . . again

Shall I take the very muddy path, the extremely muddy path, or the bog?

Elder Son has also been under the weather so, after a morning spent hunched over the computer, I offered to walk Toby to get some fresh air and exercise. It turned out I got more than I expected.

Toby likes to wander and normally that's fine. Middle of the woods he was gone for about fifteen minutes, and, of course, that was when I thought I could hear someone behind me. I kept glancing around trying to catch out my stalker but wasn't quick enough. I knew really it was only water dripping or branches moving or even, as happened once, my own coat rustling and fooling me, but I thought I'd get in a bit of sparring practice just in case. 

A quick jab, cross, jab, upper cut, upper cut, jab jab jab, hook. Yes, I still had the magic. And as well as reminding myself how to do it my boxing would have terrified my stalker. Or he'd have collapsed in a paroxysm of laughter. Either way served my purpose.

Soon after Toby returned and all was well . . . until we came close to the end of the path through the woods. It's one of his favourite disappearing places and sure enough off he went. Elder Son says to wait, he will come back. I waited and waited. After twenty minutes I phoned Husband and asked him to come in the car and drive around the roads to make sure he wasn't wandering there. "You've got the car," Husband said. Ah yes, so I have, back at Elder Son's house.

I asked everyone who emerged from the woods if they'd seen a dog that looked like a fox. "Yes," one man said. "Back up there going down the hill. He's black and white right?"
"No, he's orange like a fox."
"Ah, no, then."

I eventually phoned Elder Son. He'd just had a call from a couple saying they'd found his dog in Clyne Gardens. I was in Clyne woods. Somehow we'd missed each other. My first feeling was one of relief  that he was safe. After that came rude things said about him under my breath.