Dog Days of Summer

 Goldie and I made our way up the sidewalk on this hot July day. The app on my phone had said it was 89 degrees, but it felt more like 100 the way the sun beat down with little to no breeze. I hadn’t wanted to walk, but my roommate, Alexa, said “Penny, we need toilet paper. Will you please go to the store? I have finals to study for.” Once Goldie heard the word store, she was barking and carrying on like there was no tomorrow. She even brought me her leash off the dryer.

So, here I am walking my lovable golden retriever uptown to the store. She took time to sniff each neighbor’s mailbox and threaten every cat she saw along the way. Bob’s border collie, Fluffy, had to come out and greet us as we passed their porch. She even chased a squirrel back up a tree for Mr. Nelson who was grateful to keep it out of his garden. Goldie loves to be helpful and is a social butterfly, unlike me who tends to hurry her along.

We finally made it to the supermarket. I already know there are no dogs allowed in Mr. Burman’s store, so I tie Goldie’s leash to the bench out front.

“Stay here and be a good girl, Goldie. I will be right back.” I pet her soft, golden fur and looked into her deep brown eyes. With a tail wag, she obediently sat down as if she were willing to wait. “Good, Girl. I’ll get you some water and a treat while I’m in there.” The word treat perked her ears and made her tail go crazy. “I’ll be back in a minute," I assured her one last time before I went through the sliding doors.

I nearly sighed with relief when I felt the air conditioning hit my skin. The environment was definitely a welcomed change. I only wished I could bring Goldie in, but I already know that won’t happen, so I’ll just be as quick as possible.

Briskly, I made my way back to the housewares department and found a pack of 2ply toilet paper on the shelf. Four rolls should be enough for now at least. They looked pretty thick. It should last until Friday when I get paid again, it’s only a couple days away. I picked it up and tucked it under my arm before going around the corner to the dog toy aisle. Goldie was due for a new toy, but given my current situation, that would have to wait until Friday as well. So, I found a dollar box of treats that I knew she loved and took them from the shelf.

“My dog likes those, too.” Mr. Burman’s voice surprised me. He was restocking dog food down the aisle, and I guess with my focused nature, I hadn’t noticed him.

“Oh, hi, Mr. Burman,” I said with a smile.

“Hello. How’s college been treating you?”

“It’s quite an adventure, Sir.”

"I'm sure," he agreed with a smile. "Oh, I just got in a new shipment of gadgets for the tech-savvy people in town!"

"Nice." I loved his enthusiasm for his store. He was always trying to help his customers in any way he could, including keeping up with the times to better serve them.

“Yes, the one I am most excited about was the Alexa devices. I have one now, and I love using it! If I’m cooking, but feel like listening to music, I don’t have to stop what I'm doing and go into another room and turn on the stereo. All I have to do is say 'Alexa, play me some Sinatra,' and boom, it works."

“That sounds super convenient.”

"Yes, you should think about getting one for you and your roommate. It does the same for tv or the internet. You can look anything up without being at a computer."

“Well, I would, Sir, but my roommate’s name is Alexa, so you can see how that might be confusing if I start telling Alexa to play some music or turn on the tv.” I giggled at the thought and had him chuckling, too.

“That might be a problem.”

“I’m sure we’ll make do, though. Thanks, anyway.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Well, I’d better get going. Goldie’s waiting for me outside.”

“Enjoy your day, Ms. Penny.”

“You, too, Mr. Burman.”

I walked away and found the refrigerated section. With my free hand, I opened the glass door and picked up two water bottles. One for me and one for Goldie, and yes, Goldie can drink from a water bottle. She’s very talented… The truth is, it’s actually quite messy, and I’m not sure she gets half of it. However, it gets the job done at least until we get home.

Quickly, I get through the line and pay for my items at the register. With my new belongings now in a bag, it was much easier to maneuver and ensured I’d be able to also hold the leash with a free hand.

However, when I made it out of the sliding glass doors and turned to the bench, I didn’t find my dog. I arched an eyebrow as I looked all around it. She was nowhere to be found, but she left something very important behind: her collar with her leash and tags still attached to it.

“GOLDIE!” I called and looked further away. She had to be here somewhere. I wasn’t in there that long, but then again, I’ve seen her run as fast as those cheetahs on the nature channel when she’s loose… I may never find her.

I untied the leash from the bench and took it with me in hopes that if I found her, I’d be able to get it back on her. Anyway, I crossed the street and called for her a couple more times. Nothing.

It was so hot out all I could think about was getting back home, so I considered that Goldie may have concluded the same… What if she got tired of waiting and slipped out of her collar to go home? So, with good intentions, I started homeward.

Vigilantly, I scanned my neighborhood for my dog. However, nothing caught my eye until I saw her at Mr. Nelson's yard barking up a tree at that darn squirrel.

“Goldie!” I squealed both in excitement and frustration as I accosted her. She looked at me, proudly wagging her tail as she barked another threat at that annoying rodent. “I thought I told you to stay put.” She ignored me and put her front paws up on the trunk of the tree to scare her game. I saw this as the opportune time to slip her collar back on and tighten it a bit.

“There, now you won’t do that again,” I proudly said as I wrapped the leash about my wrist before holding the handle in my hand. “Now, Goldie, let’s go home.”

 Before I could begin to walk away, Mr. Nelson rode by on his lawnmower and scared the little creature into running down the other side of the tree. It made a beeline for another neighbor’s yard… and so did Goldie.

The jolt on the leash pulled me, and to keep on my feet, I found myself running after her. At this moment, I regretted that I didn’t gain those extra pounds Danielle was teasing me about this past weekend. I’ve always been quite small, barely gracing a hundred and ten pounds. Knowing Goldie weighed 70 pounds at her last vet checkup a couple months ago, I'm really doubting I'm going to be able to stop this dog on my own. The weight of my grocery bags might have added a pound or so to me, but at the moment seemed unhelpful as she drug me across two yards, a playground, and a churchyard.

“Heel!” I found myself screaming as I tried to dig in my heels, but Goldie was in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, the little squirrel took a turn toward the Mayor’s house. Goldie was so close to catching the poor little animal, but it was too smart for that.

Upon getting close to the pool, it scurried up the nearest tree and had Goldie sliding sideways in trying to stop so suddenly. However, her slide across the grass ended in the in-ground pool. Thanks to inertia, I couldn’t stop myself, and with a squeal, I joined Goldie in the water with a splash.

The surprise seemed to cool her off as she doggie-paddled to the side of the pool with a whimper.

Frustrated, I growled and observed that my toilet paper and dog treats were now soaked and useless. Fully clothed, I swam over to my dog who apparently couldn't climb out of the Mayor’s pool on her own. I pulled myself up onto the side and sat on the concrete for a quick breath.

I looked down at the dog who wouldn’t look at me, and I shook my head before I helped her out of the water. 

Then, she shook her excess water and loose hairs… all over me. Another squeal erupted from me, and Goldie just lowered her head and sat next to me. We both sat there, dripping wet, exhausted, and embarrassed. She laid down in defeat, and I think she understood how upset I was.

Slowly, I turned to her and said, “I am never going out with you again.”