This is the 1300th post on the blog.  I wanted to write something meaningful, heartfelt, something about one of my favorite causes.  But instead let me tell you about today’s morning trip out into the 6 a.m. darkness to find the perfect spot.

I had been dreaming about my mother.  I lost the dream when I woke to find Katie standing on me asking to go out.  But I was thinking about mom when I clicked Katie’s leash onto her collar and we ventured out into the cool morning air.  The stars were out.  I glanced up and saw Orion’s belt, my representation of my mom, in the sky.   I don’t think I’ve seen it all summer and it felt good to have her overhead again.

We walked down to the end of the driveway, Katie, mom and I; Katie  sniffing her usual places where other dogs leave her messages.  I was watching the sky and thinking about mom when I realized Katie wasn’t sniffing anymore. She was staring intently over at the neighbor’s yard.  “That’s just our shadows silly girl” I told her.  And I moved a little just to prove my point.

And then we heard this;  you only have to hear the first few seconds to get the effect.  The sound was just over our property line…perhaps 20 yards away.  Katie didn’t even bark back.  She looked at me.  I looked at her and together we hustled back to the house.

We were creeped out, but not as much as if Katie’s dad hadn’t heard this last week when he was out with Katie around midnight.  He described it and found it on youtube for us to hear.  So I wasn’t so surprised once I got my heart rate back down and could think about it.  I don’t think the fox would have come toward us.  Katie wants to go back outside.  But I’m not taking any chances.

Not till the sun is up anyway.