Too Close Of a Call

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 851.3 (running: 670.8; walking: 35.7; biking: 144.8) Money Found For Food Bank: $77.21

2,015 in 2015 Change Hounds progress: Nancy: 851.3 Aaron: 556.3 (b: 490.6; w: 65.7)  Elly: 230.4 Total: 1638

Today's run started out like most others. Elly and I happily cruised along (okay, perhaps the 'happily' part isn't like most others ... but, I digress ...) while taking in the cool morning. I heard this is supposed to be the week for colors to peak around here, so I paid attention to that, too, since the sun was already up.

Elly was enjoying the first mile of this particular route more than usual because we were running on the sidewalk against traffic. Given the sidewalk status, running with or against traffic shouldn't matter. But, when you're a hound afraid of the sound of big, scary trucks or even of heavy traffic, it matters. Today, she was rather peaceful.

Until she wasn't.

We came to a stretch where the sidewalk was out. Of course, it wasn't until we were up on it we could tell it was gone. The whole area where it used to be was blocked off by construction mesh. Of all of the choices I had to get from one side to the other, using the pathway left between the mesh and the road seemed the most reasonable especially for this small stretch.

Perhaps it was reasonable to me, but it was not to Elly. Our path was only wide enough for one, so she and I had to be one in front of the other. And, she did not like being behind me (not that being in front would have been any better). When the light changed and traffic started moving toward us, the girl lost her mind. I felt a tug from her leash, and I turned to see the dog scared to death and pulling herself backward into the road. Both of her back legs and her rear were already off the curb in the road by the time I saw her. She was completely non-responsive to my leash tug or commands; she was that petrified.

It was immediately evident she was not going to come back on the grass on her own; I think the orange mesh fence intimidated her or otherwise messed with her sense of space. She was still working as hard as she could to go backward which was nothing but unnerving for me. Fortunately, I kept my wits about me for the both of us. I squatted down and heaved her hind end up on the grass and just held her until the pack of cars went on and the next was held up at the light.

"Holy crap, mommy, I am scared!!"

Thank you, God above, that her collar didn't slip or break. Had it, her momentum would have hurled her right into the line of traffic without a thing anyone could do about it, not to mention, given the right grip on her, we both could have tumbled into that lane.
When traffic was held at the light, we scooted past the construction and to safer grounds. It took about a quarter mile for it to all catch up with me enough to feel it. Of course, by that time, you-know-who was totally fine.

"Is there a problem? YAHOO!"

I'm happy to report the rest of the run was completely uneventful beyond finding another awesome Fall tree ...

... which is where Elly got all contemplative. About what, I have no idea. It's not like her earlier antics provided much evidence for deep thought.

Now that Elly has shown that she hates both sides of that particular road, that will answer my question about whether or not to take her when I use it in my runs. I'd say it was her way of getting out of the exercise, but, she's not human, so that can't be the case!

Tomorrow? I'll run if it's not raining hard. That'll be the deciding factor! I hope your Thursday was way less eventful than ours, and I'll check in tomorrow ...!