Lucy and I cross Franklin Street at Alder, from the post office to The Purity. We walk north on Franklin. Up ahead, a large woman with tightly curled gray hair and black-framed glasses gets out of a blue van. She moves to stand on the sidewalk and looks in our direction. She’s obviously waiting for some puppy lovin’.
Lucy’s impression of The Flying Nun
As we grow closer, I notice her expression differs from that of most people who see Lucy for the first time—she does not smile and giggle at the goofy dog with the brown eye patch. There’s a deep crease between her eyes. She gnaws her lower lip.
“That your dog?” There’s a muscle to her tone that would have frightened me in my younger years.
“Yes ma’am.” I smile. “Would you like to pet her?”
She squints and gives me the once-over. “Just saw a missing dog poster. Looks exactly like the dog on the poster.”
“She’s not. She’s mine.” I continue to smile.
She raises one eyebrow. “Where’d you get her?”
“The Humane Society.”
Lucy does all she knows to entice this woman to pet her—fanatic tail wagging, piddling on the sidewalk and wiggling into a sit. She throws herself on her back to offer a submissive tummy, mopping up piddle with her fur.
“What’s her name?”
“Lucy.”
Lucy looks up at me.
“Good thing for you that she knows her name.” The woman takes a few steps away before stopping and turning around. “You live in town?”
“Yes I do.”
“Give your dog bottled water. City tap water is polluted.” The woman points west towards the former Georgia Pacific mill site. “Because of all those years of toxic waste they dumped into the land, there’s a high incidence of cancer among dogs in this town. Don’t risk it. Give her bottled water.”
“I will.” (No I won’t.)
“You should drink bottled water, too. A lot of people in this town get cancer from drinking tap water.”
I give her a thumb’s up and coax Lucy away.
“You’re sure that’s your dog?”
“I’m sure,” I holler over my shoulder.
It Happened at Purity 
This is the kind of stuff that couldn’t even be made up! You have the most interesting walks. Glad Lucy responded to her name…..you might have been hauled in on citizen’s arrest!
That woman was serious! I think if she was younger she’d have wrestled me to the ground and taken Lucy.
You must have a magnet like me because I have some pretty interesting talks with perfect strangers – ha! I heart Lucy’s brown eye patch – so stinkin cute:) Happy Weekend!
Oh how I relish interaction with our colorful locals.
Once again Miss Katie Poo you write another winner! That Lucy is just too cute! She wears her ‘wanted’ posted so well, that I think you should do an entire series with posters and then for even more fun–add costumes!!! Hug Miss L for me!!
That was the first shot I got of her with her Wanted sign. I think she was in shock that I’d put something besides a collar around her neck. After that, it was total mayhem. The sign ended up in tatters. HA!
Wow! That’s crazy. I can’t believe you stole Lucy – just kidding! 🙂
Shhhhhhh…..
Next puppy class lesson: “Lucy, piddle on bad woman’s foot. Gooood dog!”
HA! So true.
Don’t talk to strangers, Kate. ❤
Also your dog is so cute and adorable and those eyes!
If I didn’t talk to strangers I’d have precious few people to talk to.
Good one………I remember you used to tell me not to talk to strangers, they have the best stories.
True that!