Let's Dress Lucy Up!

“Brrrr…” Lucy’s teeth were close to chattering. We’d just started on our morning walk, just right after Elbie and JoLee sounded the Loose Dog Alarm. Mom likes to leave the house right after the alarm sounds, so we’ll be sure to miss the Loose Dogs on their way back past our place. We turned the corner, and then Mom swiftly rounded us up and took us across the street, totally unlike our normal morning walks. I think Elbie was the first to see him – a sturdy pittie mix who looked just like a souped-up Elbie on steroids was out in his front yard, on a red cable.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Elbie barked at him.

“Shush,” Mom said. “Elbie, be polite.”

But of course, Elbie had gotten the pittie’s attention. And he barked right back.

“Hey! I recognize that bark!” Mom said. “We’ve heard that one when we’ve been sitting on the porch!”

It’s true – we know just about every dog in the neighborhood by their bark. There’s the Shepherd and the Heinz 57 (that’s what Mom calls him) up the street on the left, and the brown and white pittie that was chasing squirrels under the tree across the street; and there’s Crosby and the little teeny weenie yappers who live with him down the street on the other side, and then, of course, the Loose Dogs. Their names are Cooper and Chica. Mom calls them the Loose Dogs because their Dad walks them every day without a leash. It used to drive Mom nuts, and it still drives us nuts. There’s also the weird little dog with the big bark who lives on the next block – we know them all.

We continued on our walk, and Lucy continued shivering. Mom felt sorry for her, and snuggled her close. “I’m sorry, sweetie! I would love to get you a coat, but you’d be grown out of it by the time you’ll need it again! It’s going to get warmer, I promise. Maybe I’ll get you a sweater for winter next year!”

JoLee and Elbie sniggered. “Oh, yeah, let’s dress Lucy up! Can’t you just see it? She’ll be wearing a dress and bows and all kinds of ruffles – Ow!” Lucy nipped Jo on the leg.

“Enough of that, now, Lucy – not on the walk!” Mom kept on going, as if she hadn’t even heard JoLee’s snide comment or seen Elbie laughing at Lucy.

“Thththtat’s okay, mom,” Lucy said. “I’ll toughen up. Really, I will. I don’t want you to dress me up!”

Elbie and JoLee just looked at each other and grinned.