Who me? Why didn't you tell me you objected to me plopping my hard heavy bone down on the wood floor at 3 a.m.? 3 a.m. is party time at our house. Yes, I know I am supposed to be in my crate, but I can explain... What's that...you're wondering about the gift I left you on the rug? What did you expect? Someone closed the dog door. I'm smart, but without opposable thumbs, the dog door is hard to open.
I had thought this highly intelligent dog had managed to open his crate door but that was not the case. Later I learned that he was apparently sleeping so soundly on the couch that my soft-hearted husband couldn't bear to disturb him to put him in his crate. Hubby didn't want Ragnar to escape while we slept, so closed the dog door. ALL good intentions.
We all make mistakes. For example, watch this video and you tell me if you would have decided yesterday morning (as I did) that another 6-mile run was in order for Ragnar.
He could not WAIT to run. Now, he was slower than the run on day one, and we didn't run as far...more like 5.75 miles, and then a 1.5 mile cool down. However, afterwards, my sister Amy sent me a text with a link to a "husky chat group" that said huskies under a year old should not be run every day, and certainly not six miles. Apparently their growth plates are not fully formed yet, and the pounding from running at that age is not good for them.
Uh-oh.
The entire rest of the day, this is what Ragnar did:
After reading Amy's text, and watching Ragnar's comatose state all day, I consulted with my husky expert friend, Danielle. She concurred with my sister's text. Only run him a mile every other day. Walks were fine, but running would not be a great idea for a dog under a year old. At least he has no interest in chewing up my house.
Of course, he might not be exhausted from running. He could be exhausted from being up in the wee hours of the morning clunking his bone on the floor and pooping on the rug. Anyway about it, I won't run him today. We will take a leisurely walk.
On a more serious note, God as always was providentially watching over me. Yesterday, I was running Ragnar (which now I feel terrible about...) when a woman shouted from the curb, "Be careful!"
"Why?" I asked, wondering if she knew something about huskies I didn't.
"A woman from this neighborhood has been missing for four days. Her husband is frantic."
I don't watch the news so I had known nothing about this. I thanked her for the warning, and ran on. That neighborhood adjoins ours. We ended our run as we entered my neighborhood, and were on our cool-down walk when a black Mercedes pulled up next to me.
A man rolled down his window, and with what sounded like an Indian accent said, "Hello, may I offer you a cup of coffee?"
My radar was instantly up. Having just been warned by the woman on the curb, I stepped further from the car, and said, "No."
I was really glad I had the huge Ragnar with me, though he would not attack a soul. The man in the car didn't know that.
He rolled the window up and drove into a cul-de-sac to the right. I memorized the license plate and quickly wrote it on the reminder app of my phone.
He sat in the cul-de-sac watching me for a moment, pulled out, and turned back down the road the way he had come. I think it is possible he had followed me from that other neighborhood.
Anyway, I called the police saying it was at best "strange, and suspicious." They took the tag number and wrote down my description and said they would send a cruiser right away to patrol the area.
I have no idea if I would have been in danger without Ragnar. I do carry mace with me at all times. However, I felt like God had been watching over me, and it was God who had ignited my instincts that I needed to memorize the license plate and call the police.
Maybe Ragnar and I were supposed to be on that run to be able to help track down a bad man. Still, today no running.
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Everything in God's time: Ragnar staying with you, the run, the warning, the text from your sis...
ReplyDeleteso true! God right with me!
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