Scarecrow Jack in the Pumpkin Patch

I’ve fogotten completely to mention this earlier …

Brenda, over there at Pumpkin Patch Primitives is using my Scarecrow Jack picture in her magazine advertisement which is in the August edition of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

It’s out in the magazine stands now so if you happen to subscribe or see it in the stands, check it out!

The Strawberry Candle Mat pattern is almost ready to sell!

The instructions are written, the pattern layout page is drawn and it’s all ready to get printed.  I just need to work on the picture area of the front and I’ll be ready to announce the sale. 

Watch for that soon.  I was hoping to have it all completed by yesterday, but some things just took way longer than expected.

 

I’m still working a few hours every day with the Census job.  It’s nice because it gets me out in the world of people.  The entire experience has really opened my eyes to how other’s live life.

One thing that I noticed almost right away was how many people have pets … dogs to be more specific.  Oh, I’ve seen a lot of cats too but cats don’t make much impression with strange people who come into their space.  Cats will either quietly run away or they’ll hang around wrapping themselves around a leg, trying to get a headrub. 

Dogs, on the other hand, let you know of their existence  right away with their barks and most times it’s not a real friendly welcome.

But I did find a pair of quiet .. very quiet dogs that frightened the life out of me.

I had driven up a very lonely quiet driveway out in the country.  No neighboring houses could be seen from this property.  As I drove up the long driveway, I saw two dogs quietly laying beside a doghouse.  One was a cute little Jack Russell and the other looked like a Golden Retriever mix.  I could see that the Jack Russell was tied with a chain so I figured it would be ok to get out of the car to approach the house without fear of being leg-chewed.

Knocking at the door, I could tell that no one was home.  Silence was all around me as I stood there at the door, writing my notice of visit. 

The dogs never barked, which I thought was so unusual because I knew they both were watching me and well aware of my presence.

Standing there facing the door, I heard a sound, right behind me.  A sound that I will probably remember for a long time in my head because it frightened me so badly.

It was the sound of one big huff of a breathe exhale that came from the mouth of something alive that was right directly behind me.  I realized then, without looking back, that even though the Jack Russell was tied up, I shouldn’t have assumed that the other dog was tied up. ….

Because it was standing right behind me. 

Now at that point, lots of things ran through my head while trying to think of how to get back to my car without being attacked, but I knew that I was stupidly trapped between a closed,locked door and a big, very silent dog with no one around to hear me scream.

In other words, I was royally …. in trouble.

Thinking that perhaps my #2 pencil might be able to help me to defend an attack, I turned around.  I fully expected to see a Stephen King type rabid dog, braced on its hunches and ready to attack me.

But I’m happy to say that I’m alive today because that large sweet Golden Retriever just wanted to take a sniff to see who I was.  He turned around and slowly walked back to lay down with his Jack Russell friend.

I was never so happy to get back into my car though.

It was after that incident that I learned to never assume anything when it comes to dogs, out in the country.  Most are not tied.

Later in the week, when the owner of the home responded back with a phone call, he told me that the Golden Retriever was a neighbor’s dog and that it practically lived over with them because he was in love with their Jack Russell.  They were the best of friends, always hanging out together. 

How cute!  I told him how odd it was that they never barked or made a sound.  He said that they were just so happily content to be with each other, they really didn’t care about anything else in the world.

I’ve had several other incidents with Jack Russells and Golden Retrievers … all of them scaring me but turning out just fine.  I shouldn’t assume, but from my direct experience with them as a stranger in their territory, they have turned out to be friendly endings. 

Oh so many dog stories I have to tell.  Maybe I do a “Dog A Day” series of stories!

haha …

Happy Day everyone!