Plan B: Run fast

Shimmer and I stepped out into a cold, cloud-filled day. He marched me straight down the street to the dead possum lying in the curb. Much like sharks have the ability to sense blood from a mile away, Shimmer can locate disgusting things. I assume this is a dog thing, and not one of Shimmer’s thing. Anyhow, that’s how I found out our neighborhood has possum. Later, the mailman warned us there was a coyote wandering around on the next block.

Living with so many wild animals in the neighborhood adds an element of danger you wouldn’t expect on a walk with a greyhound. The coyotes have, indeed, become more bold. (I wonder if new cubs have been born.) The raccoons at night travel around in gangs and are rumored to carry knives. And, alas, there are skunks. Shimmer once had a run in with one, and now, whenever we smell skunk, he wants to find it and go for another round. He can’t be blamed; he was raised to win.

I have often wondered how Shimmer would react if we were attacked by a wild animal. Would he leap to my defense and throw himself in the way of the snarling coyote, or jump to attack it? I imagined him staring down the approaching raccoons until they scattered, and growling the skunk into submission. And, then I realize most likely they’d all be frightened by my high-pitched little girl screams and it would be a moot point. Still, it’s nice to have Shimmer along for our walks.

AWikipedia: A is the first letter and vowel in the ISO basic Latin alphabet. →