In 2002 we ran away from Illinois where we were born and raised, and started a new life in SW Florida. This blog is about me (an eccentric old artist), ROM (my Real Old Man), Isabella (our neurotic Standard Poodle) and Emmy (our crazy snake killing Jack Russell Terrier). Oh- and the neighborhood old people. Life is good in Florida!

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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

My Dog Is The Neighborhood Bully...

It's been awhile since I blogged anything. I've started writing several entries, but they always turned out to be too long and I lost interest before I finished them. The latest one was about our nightmare evacuation when we headed north with Irma on our tail. After two hours of writing, and not even halfway done, I deleted it. I've found the longer I go without blogging the harder it is to get started again. So I'll start again with a simple post...


Emmy turned 11 this year. At her yearly check-up, the vet found she has developed a heart murmur and warned us it could lead to congestive heart failure. We've been making her take it easy- staying in the air during the heat of the day, no more chasing balls until her tongue is hanging out and no long bike rides with ROM. She has slowed down a bit with age, taking afternoon naps which never used to do and actually sitting quietly beside us when we watch TV instead of insisting we throw every toy she owns. She's even stopped defiling her stuffed lambThis older, more mature Emmy had lulled me into letting my guard down with her, which she took full advantage of Sunday afternoon.

Every day for several years, a cranky chihuahua would drive by on a golf cart with his owners. And if Emmy and Isabella were outside with us or on the lanai, the chihuahua would erupt in a barking frenzy which Emmy would match in return. Well, Sunday as I was trying to maneuver Isabella (on lead), my walker and myself out the lanai door, the golf cart with the chihuahua went by the house and Emmy chose that moment to launch her long-awaited attack. 

All I saw was a blur of white shoot out between my legs and through the open door. At first, I wasn't even sure what it was. When I finally got out into the yard I saw Emmy racing down the street after the golf cart. Just before the golf cart turned the corner, Emmy caught up and jumped into it. I froze in terror, yelled at her to come and she quickly jumped out of the cart and ran right back to me. By the time I carried her and dragged Isabella safely back inside, we were both panting and struggling to breathe. Isabella just looked at both Emmy and me, totally perplexed as to what just happened.

When ROM got home I informed him his dog was now the neighborhood bully and we had to go apologize to the people Emmy had terrorized. Actually, I didn't know what she had done once she got on their golf cart- she could have bitten their dog or them for all I knew. So to their house we went, to beg forgiveness and find out what damages were done. 

And they couldn't have been nicer. They said all she did when she jumped in their cart was to bark at their dog and then she was gone. They thought it was funny and payback for all the times their dog barked at her. We promised to be more diligent about making sure she didn't escape again. 

Heart murmur my ass, there isn't a damn thing wrong with that dog!