Part Two: Yoko Saves the Day

Yoko is happy that her Mom is jogging.  She runs ahead and takes a few detours in the river.  Mom is not happy that she is jogging.  I used to run, but now at almost 62 yrs. old I'm a walk/jogger.  One thing I am very thankful for is that I see I left Wayne at marker #18.  The next marker was numbered #17.  That's a load off my mind and body.  I'm thanking God right about now, because I'm not sure how many miles I'm good for. :0)

Yoko makes me smile between panting (my panting).  She runs ahead and balances on a sign indicating what type of trees we are passing.

"Look Mom...See what I can do!"

We (Yoko and I) are at marker #5.  I can see the sun is getting lower.  Speed it up Suzanne.  I'm starting to imagine all kinds of things now.  I'm hoping Wayne will be upright by the time I get back to him.

We arrive at the truck, the only vehicle still at the conservatory.  I knock on the conservatory door hoping someone will be there knowing full well that no one is there.  They are somewhere else having Thanksgiving dinner.  I try anyway.  Maybe they have a 4 wheel drive vehicle and can rush some hard candy to Wayne.  No such luck. 

Okay Lord.  Watch over him.  I get out his insulin fanny pack with hard candy along his glucometer from the truck.  I grab an apple and two hard boiled eggs that are in the cooler and Yoko and I start the journey back to marker #18. 

Around marker #14, I decide, I'm sucking wind and I need to get things rolling faster.  I strap on Wayne's fanny pack around Yoko.  I tell Yoko, "Where's Wayne?" 

Happily, she hears the "W" sound and splashes into the Water!  "NO, Yoko," I yell.  I repeat in a different phrase, "FIND Wayne."

Yoko starts down the trail with Wayne's fanny pack around her neck.

Yoko gets it.  She is galloping down the trail.

Now I know a lot of you think it's silly to teach your dogs stupid dog tricks.  I'm not on the band wagon with you.  All of my dogs fetch, carry, hold, find it, etc. etc.  And, today I was proud of Yoko!

Yoko delivered the goods. She and her father are running back up the trail to find me.

Good dogs. 

By the time I get to Wayne he has taken his blood sugar and is munching on hard candy.

I sit down with him and watch him chow down an apple.

Special K stayed with Wayne right at his feet.  Good girl Kilt.

Xena wasn't sure how long she would be in the woods.  She curled up for a nap.

Jet is the smartest dog I have ever owned.  I left him with Wayne OFF leash, because I knew if there ever was a problem and if Wayne slumped over, he would be able to come find me on his own.  This dog is my heart and soul...I am so lucky that Patrick Shannahan picked him out for me.

Sweet Trouble.  We always dress her in camouflage when we walk in the woods.  Less chance of her disappearing as someone's dinner.

With Wayne feeling much better after "eating" and receiving a short lecture from his now very tired and stressed out wife about always carrying hard candy with him, we start back to the truck.  Only 17 markers to go.  It would be nice to get up to McNally's to sit by the roaring fire over looking the river.

At about marker #15, I say, "Do you have the keys?" 

Oh shit, oh dear. The answer is, "No, you do."

"You have the leash I was carrying and I know I had the keys and the leash in the same hand UNLESS I put them in my pocket and they fell out when I put the fanny pack around Yoko's neck."

I think this is where Wayne said some very unkind words to me.  And, I said out loud, "Find a younger wife."

I jogged back to the bench at marker #18 (it was better than listening to my husband).  I swept the area with a branch.  No keys.  I walked looking at the ground scuffing leaves with my feet back to marker 8. Nothing.  I walk back to my husband who I left at marker #15.  Now my husband is questioning me to remember exactly what I was doing on the way back to him at marker #18.  Quite frankly, if I had been carrying a fire arm, I think our wedded bliss would be over and I would be in jail. 

Silence is golden right about now.

I mention to him, at least, I was smart enough to carry a cell phone and that we are lucky enough to get 2 bars on it.  Actually, at this point I was so tired and stressed out that the only BAR I wanted was at McNally's.  I told Wayne, instead of ragging at me, start thinking about what we were going to do or who we were going to call on Thanksgiving in the middle of the woods with 5 dogs, and a locked truck!  Not to mention the temperature would be in the 20's come nightfall.

Part 3 coming tomorrow

Big time praying going on by me.

We need a divine intervention.