LOST IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD

Can that really happen?? Well I guess I proved it. The other day after reading about a new animal shelter opening up in my neighborhood, I got curious and thought I'd go for a ride to see what it was like.

The new shelter was started by a splinter group that broke away from the Humane Society. No one seems to know the details. The thing I really liked about them was that they put long adds in the “Pets” column in the newspaper. They describe the various dogs in such glowing terms, even I was temped and I have no room for another pet except in a fish bowl.

I have some food that Mighty can no longer eat and some pet supplies that I thought perhaps they could use. So I loaded up Mighty and we went a few hundred feet down the highway to the road the shelter was supposedly on. I could have gotten the address off the computer but I thought “what the hey”, it should be easy to recognize and surely there will be a sign. Besides, this was my "country" neighborhood.

I think I mentioned before that Mighty has a horror of dirt roads. He had been abandoned in Florida on a dirt road. Even after 13 years with me, he still thinks a dirt road spells his doom. As he started his incessant, pitiful moaning and whining, I was doubting my judgment in bringing him.

He crawled into my lap and I did my best to sooth the little guy, both of us knowing it was useless. Still I thought I would just find where this place is then take him back home. In the mean time, maybe the exposure with nothing bad happening to him would help him get over his fear. We really need to work on this.

I had been down this road when I first moved here and was exploring. I remembered being surprised then to see such nice homes so far in the country. Still, I had never followed it till it ended. I drove slowly, examining each house as a possible rescue operation. No dog pens visable, no signs.

So on we traveled, bumping through lovely country to the tune of Mighty's moans. Eventually the homes really thinned out till they disappeared altogether and I might as well have been in the Ozark National Forest. Just trees and a narrowing road.

The road had slimmed down to about a car and a half width. I kept traveling hoping to find a spot to turn around. The road was too narrow to turn around. There was a bank on one side and a steep drop off on the other side. I sure didn't want to back up for several miles. I have too old a neck for that.

Often when I have been exploring Arkansas, I found dirt roads sometimes end in the parking lot of a church. Hoping that would be the case so I could turn around in a church yard, we forged on. Soon we were so isolated I was pretty sure I heard the dueling banjos of “Deliverance” in the distance.

 Ok, I do have an active imagination.

I always pack a winter emergency kit with food, water and a sleeping bag and it was still in the back since Winter wasn't technically over yet. At least I knew we wouldn't starve--- right away. I did make a mental note to add some food for Mighty in a future kit for he is usually with me. He is gluten intolerant so he needs special food. Note taken.

Obviously since I am writing this, we made it out. That road wound around for many miles and about 20 minutes later it finally dumped me out on the very road I live. By then, the dirt road had shrunk to one car width. As soon as we hit the pavement, Mighty ceased his whining, crawled back to his side and went to sleep, exhausted. I had a lap full of drool and frazzled nerves.

Did I ever find the shelter? No, but next time, I will have an address and no dog.

Do you ever get going down a path in life, feel it may be wrong but continue on regardless, not wanting to consider the time all ready invested as a waste? Do you continue watching a bad movie or slug through a bad book to the bitter end??

I have learned to walk out on a movie and to delete a bad book quickly from my Kindle. Now it seems I need to work on when to give up on a strange road going no where. Life is a learning process that never ends.