other woman greeted her. “I was wondering if you could tell me how close I should trim these roses? Last year, I think I trimmed too close, and they didn’t do so well. John was always such a dear to help me with them, bless his soul.”
“It’s probably not how close you trimmed them.” Peggy leaned her bike against the house, then walked around the neat wood fence that separated their yards. She ignored the little tug on her heart at the reminder that John was gone. “Give them plenty of lime and make sure they have enough water. They should do fine in a sunny place like this.”
“Thanks, Peggy!” The neighbor’s inquisitive eyes roamed over the shiny red bike. “You know, it’s not safe for a woman your age to be riding up and down the streets on that thing. When are you going to start driving again?”
“After I finish the hydrogen conversion.”
“Excuse me?” Clarice looked at her like she had two heads. “What are you talking about?”
She started to explain about her project converting her father-in-law’s 1940 Rolls-Royce from a gas-burning pig to a more polite hydrogen-fueled vehicle. A sudden commotion in the backyard stopped her. Clarice’s tiny toy poodle was barking like something was ripping him to shreds.
“Poopsie?” Clarice ran toward her dog, the effort straining her brightly flowered slacks.
Peggy ran after her. The apricot-colored poodle was dyed to match Clarice’s hair. It was no bigger than a large squirrel, but it had cornered something in the garden. It was difficult to tell what it was. Even though it was massive compared to the poodle, the other animal was balled up in fright against the side of the fence.
“What is that thing ? What the hell is that?” Clarice began to scream, staying a good distance away from the fray. She reached in her pocket for her cell phone.
Peggy shooed Poopsie away from the creature. She took off her purple cape and tossed it over the animal. She wasn’t sure what her reasoning was except that it appeared to be wet and cold. Immediately, a huge square head popped up. Big brown eyes looked at her in question, and the animal let out a long, low howl.
“Yes! I need animal control! There’s something in my yard trying to kill my dog!” Clarice stuttered over the words as she tried to get help from 911.
“It’s a dog, Clarice. I think it’s a Great Dane. But it’s just a dog.”
“I don’t care what it is, Peggy. I want someone to come and shoot it and get it out of my yard.”
While Clarice waited on hold, Peggy went closer to the whimpering dog. Poopsie continued to yap and growl until she told him to hush. She wasn’t a dog lover. But she could see the creature was scared and in pain. “Easy, boy. Or girl. Whichever you are. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Clarice shrieked. “Don’t touch that thing! It could take off your whole arm. I don’t know if my homeowner’s insurance will cover you being bitten by a stray dog in my yard.”
But Peggy didn’t listen. She crept in close to the animal. He laid his head down and let her stroke his matted coat. His thin hair was tan, and his muzzle was black. His ears weren’t cropped like most Great Danes. They hung down on the sides of his head. She could count his ribs. His hip-bone protruded under his wet coat. As she touched him, a long tongue snaked out to lick her hand.
“They’re on their way.” Clarice closed the sequin-studded phone. “Will you please get away from that thing?”
“It’s just a dog. He’s scared and starving.”
“And likely to eat Poopsie! Leave him alone until the animal control people get here.”
Peggy moved away from the dog. He struggled to his feet and lurched after her.
Clarice screamed, grabbed up her dog, and ran into the house.
“You are pretty intimidating,” Peggy told the Great Dane. He was rail thin, but his shoulder came past her waist. She wasn’t sure how he had the strength to stand. “I have to go now. I’m
“It’s probably not how close you trimmed them.” Peggy leaned her bike against the house, then walked around the neat wood fence that separated their yards. She ignored the little tug on her heart at the reminder that John was gone. “Give them plenty of lime and make sure they have enough water. They should do fine in a sunny place like this.”
“Thanks, Peggy!” The neighbor’s inquisitive eyes roamed over the shiny red bike. “You know, it’s not safe for a woman your age to be riding up and down the streets on that thing. When are you going to start driving again?”
“After I finish the hydrogen conversion.”
“Excuse me?” Clarice looked at her like she had two heads. “What are you talking about?”
She started to explain about her project converting her father-in-law’s 1940 Rolls-Royce from a gas-burning pig to a more polite hydrogen-fueled vehicle. A sudden commotion in the backyard stopped her. Clarice’s tiny toy poodle was barking like something was ripping him to shreds.
“Poopsie?” Clarice ran toward her dog, the effort straining her brightly flowered slacks.
Peggy ran after her. The apricot-colored poodle was dyed to match Clarice’s hair. It was no bigger than a large squirrel, but it had cornered something in the garden. It was difficult to tell what it was. Even though it was massive compared to the poodle, the other animal was balled up in fright against the side of the fence.
“What is that thing ? What the hell is that?” Clarice began to scream, staying a good distance away from the fray. She reached in her pocket for her cell phone.
Peggy shooed Poopsie away from the creature. She took off her purple cape and tossed it over the animal. She wasn’t sure what her reasoning was except that it appeared to be wet and cold. Immediately, a huge square head popped up. Big brown eyes looked at her in question, and the animal let out a long, low howl.
“Yes! I need animal control! There’s something in my yard trying to kill my dog!” Clarice stuttered over the words as she tried to get help from 911.
“It’s a dog, Clarice. I think it’s a Great Dane. But it’s just a dog.”
“I don’t care what it is, Peggy. I want someone to come and shoot it and get it out of my yard.”
While Clarice waited on hold, Peggy went closer to the whimpering dog. Poopsie continued to yap and growl until she told him to hush. She wasn’t a dog lover. But she could see the creature was scared and in pain. “Easy, boy. Or girl. Whichever you are. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Clarice shrieked. “Don’t touch that thing! It could take off your whole arm. I don’t know if my homeowner’s insurance will cover you being bitten by a stray dog in my yard.”
But Peggy didn’t listen. She crept in close to the animal. He laid his head down and let her stroke his matted coat. His thin hair was tan, and his muzzle was black. His ears weren’t cropped like most Great Danes. They hung down on the sides of his head. She could count his ribs. His hip-bone protruded under his wet coat. As she touched him, a long tongue snaked out to lick her hand.
“They’re on their way.” Clarice closed the sequin-studded phone. “Will you please get away from that thing?”
“It’s just a dog. He’s scared and starving.”
“And likely to eat Poopsie! Leave him alone until the animal control people get here.”
Peggy moved away from the dog. He struggled to his feet and lurched after her.
Clarice screamed, grabbed up her dog, and ran into the house.
“You are pretty intimidating,” Peggy told the Great Dane. He was rail thin, but his shoulder came past her waist. She wasn’t sure how he had the strength to stand. “I have to go now. I’m
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