Friday, February 15, 2008

A Walk in the Park

Today was no ordinary day here at Heartfelt. It all started during morning prayer time. I heard the chickens squawking. I looked down towards their pen, through the patch of woods, and sure enough Mrs. Todd Fox was making her rounds. She even took a run for it and tried to scale the fence, but we outsmarted her years ago and put a chicken wire roof on top of the pen. Well, I went downstairs and loaded up the ole 22 rifle. I am still surprised Treasure Hunter bought me that rifle on our very first Christmas together, but I reckon I am thankful. I walked on down to the coop in my jammies and aimed up high then let out a few rounds that sent Mrs. Todd Fox on her way, and spooked a lake full of geese and ducks while I was at it.

We managed to do some school today amongst the sniffles and sneezes. And the warm air was calling our names, “Come out to play.” I had errands to run and was craving some pizza, so we sat out for the store, post office and Pizza Palace. Then we decided to go on down to the park for a while.

I tried my best to practice what Charlotte Mason calls “masterly inactivity,” but my kids just seem to always need something when I sit down with a book. So we climbed trees and monkey bars, swung on the swings, sent toy cars down the slide, bumped our head on the slide bar. We was having a good ole time. Then two ladies on horses happened by. Sweetness was thrilled and we walked over and petted a Palomino Tennessee Walker, with a stripe and socks and a Liver Chestnut Walker, with a star and socks. Yes, we have been studying about horses.

Then we decided to walk across the road and go down to the river. It was beautiful there. The sun was shining on the water making the rapids sparkle. We decided to walk down stream a bit and get a better look at some rapids. We had a good time throwing sticks in the rapids and watching the water take them swiftly down stream. Then they came. Six to eight big barking dogs. My kids cower behind me and I say, “It’s ok don’t act afraid.” Yeah right!

I picked up a stick to let the first dog that got near I would poke its eyes out all the while saying “Nice Doggie.” That dog wasn’t too sure if she could trust me and I felt the same way about her. Where is my 22 when I need it? Then one of the dogs picked up a big huge rock in its mouth as if to say “Wanna play fetch?” SO I figured they couldn’t be THAT vicious. Then I realized we were right beside a kennel. A kennel that I thought would have the dogs in pens.

I yelled HELP! As I figured someone must have just let them out. I kept them at bay with my stick, but they kept barking and surrounding us. Then one charged at me growling and I broke my stick on its back and sent it running w/ tail tucked between legs. We finally managed to walk back around to our path. Once we were on our way to safety and we had some distance between us and the dogs their owner comes over to say “Hey where did you come from?”

“We came from the park. Is this your land?”

“Yes, it is.” he replied trying to talk over barking dogs that were not obeying his commands to come and be quiet.

“ OK! We won’t be back here again! “ I yelled and swatted the stick at another one of his dogs. Then we tucked tail and kept on going!

Our hearts are still beating hard and the kids eyes were big as saucers as they told their daddy about the trouble mommy got them into today : / Treasure Hunter said, “That man is lucky those dogs didn’t bite you.” The man??? We are lucky they didn’t bite us.

So that was a not-so-typical day at Heartfelt. Thank you God for keeping us safe!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Oh. my. word.

:-O