Tonight, as the fog descended, the crazy people came out to play.
One particular crazy person decided that she was immune from council by-laws and that her two large dogs should be allowed to roam free in the park out our back gate. (She also had no visible means of cleaning up their litter, but hey – why break just one law when you go for two?).
Rae went outside to call the cats in, as it was after dark and we try to be responsible pet owners (have you figured who the good guy is and who they bad guy is yet?), when she saw these dogs running at Tom who was just heading in. This is where I entered the fray as I suddenly heard her screaming at the dogs, and Crazy Person, to get away from her cats. I am in awe and impressed beyond words with her mothering instincts.
A war of screams erupted between Rae and CP. I eventually talked Rae in to letting me follow CP and her dogs while Rae went hunting for the cats. What followed was a very slow motion chase across the park as CP and I continued to ‘chat’ about the legality of having unregistered dogs off their leash. At one point she (with a mountain load of bluff) threatened to sic the dogs on to me. The same dogs who at that moment were walking around me wagging their tails and saying hello. I gave them a pat, looking for their collars and registration tags but none were to be found. We wandered up and down the park. CP said “I know what you look like!” I said “I don’t care.” She then wandered off threatening the dogs on to me again, but the dogs just wanted to know if I had anything for them to eat.
Rae reappeared, a yelling match under a streetlight ensued until a kind stranger intervened pointing out to CP that, in fact, we were right and it should all be left at that.
Now we’ve both calmed down; I’ve dispatched a note to the council asking that signs explaining the regulations be put up, the cats – who really had no idea what the heck was going on – are asleep, the neighbours are on CP watch and I know that nothing on earth can ever happen to those loved by Rae.
Rae and I were talking about books the other night, old books, books we had read as children when one popped in to my head; 