Watching The Finch at the park is one of the most joyous experiences I get in my week. I must confess I am one of the bad dog owners that actually let’s their dogs off leash in the on leash area, but I just can’t help myself. The visual of that goofy lug running with his ears flapping in the wind, without a care in the world is simply breath taking. He is at his best and he is truly beautiful.
Finch isn’t wild and crazy about playing with just any dog, which explains why the off leash area isn’t a favorite spot for us. He prefers well mannered dogs, that don’t sniff his back end, go after his stick, or jump around like wild things. He isn’t wild about huskies, rotties, or anything you can carry in a purse or dress up. My boy has a preferred type. Female, blonde, 65lbs, of the Labrador Retriever lineage. When Finch spots a yellow lab it is like nothing else. Ears perked up, tail high, perfect posture, and then full on throttle to land right in front of that beautiful yellow girl.
Today the most miraculous thing happened. Finch and I were at the park making our last lap after a great stick retrieving adventure and there SHE was. I had to do a double take, it looked like HER…same size, coloring, gait, and she looked our way….right toward us. Finch looked up at me in disbelief and I had to let him off leash. I was dumbfounded, I was misty, it looked just like HER….our beloved Emma we lost last Spring.
The encounter was like nothing I have ever experienced. As Atticus approached HER, a squirrel in a tree caught his eye, so he stopped for a couple of jumps. I watched HER run toward a woman with another yellow lab. I turned to look back at Atticus and then turned to marvel at HER and SHE was gone. I kid you not, SHE was nowhere to be seen. We scanned the park, cars, side streets, owners holding leashes and no one had seen HER. Both of us looking and searching, and yet SHE had vanished into thin air.
The experience still makes me misty and takes my breath away. I so wish my wife had been there to see it. Had our boy not been so attracted to those yellow’s we might have missed HER….come and see us again soon Emmy….