If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you will know that there have been a couple of times that I have had a couple of scary encounters in the woods.

Yesterday we had a totally terrifying experience.

Just as we were prepping for our walk it started to rain.  As long as it wasn’t downpouring I was willing to go; I just threw a hat on and thanked the powers that be that the bugs wouldn’t be coming along with us.

We knew the shelter of the trees would provide some protection from the rain, so immediately we headed off onto a trail we don’t normally take.  This trail is about 15 to 20 feet into the woods and runs along the side of the field for a ways.

Sampson left the woods and ran out into the field where he ran along side the wood line and back into the woods, completing a gigantic circle.

Chet asked, “Buddy, what the hell are you doing?”

I said, “He’s getting his run on.”

Chet questioned “Where did he get that energy from?” “I haven’t seen him run like that in a long time!”

(After I thought about it I realized that I had run out of Benadryl yesterday morning so he didn’t get his normal dose.  He was running because he wasn’t all doped up!)

We had planned on keeping the walk at about 20 minutes due to the rain, so we turned around and headed back.  As we approached the area closest to the field, Sampson again ran out into the field and from our vantage point 15 to 20 feet into the woods we watched him happily running back and forth in the little brook that runs along the side of the field.  (If you have never seen the video of him running in the brook, check it out.)

Chet and I were walking, watching and commenting on how happy he was if he was happy then we were happy.

We got to the end of the trail and Sampson wasn’t there waiting for us.  So Chet called him and whistled and we waited, but he didn’t come back.

Chet started walking up the field and I said, “I’m going back in.”

I headed up the wooded trail, looking as I went at the large rocks now slippery from the rain and worrying that possibly he had tried to scale a rock and slipped and was hurt.

Chet was calling and whistling as he walked the field and I was calling as I hiked the trail, I could hear the panic in my own voice and that active imagination I have started to run wild.  He was hurt on the side of some rocks; a wild animal had him and was gnawing him; someone had seen him and grabbed him.

And then, miraculously he was there in front of me!  Apparently he must have gone back to where he left us and when he couldn’t find us, he went searching for us, but he went the wrong way!

I have changed my opinion about as long as he’s happy I’m happy;  to..as long as he is happy and I can see him, I’m happy.