Ray Revisits the Teachings of Gandhi

Ray was feeling neglected. We had walked almost all the way around the block and he hadn't met a single friend of his or a person to rub his belly. We were coming up on Ken's house and the Promised Land; Ray started to pull a bit on his leash. I pulled back. Ray was well up on Ken's lawn but still had forward momentum going when all of a sudden he pulled a Gandhi. A total flop out. I tried sweet-talk. I tried stern talk. I tried the old trick of pulling on his leash from behind. Nothing.

I got down on my knees, wedged my hands under his shoulders, and pried him up (I'm not supposed to lift anything for another week - Doctor's orders). Ray stood and started walking again. Rambo, one of the foster dogs living next door to Ken's, started barking. Ray was pulling, he wanted to visit his old friend. We had made it past Rambo's house (the Promised Land), Rambo still was going crazy in the back yard, when Ray pulled another Gandhi. I was standing trying to talk him out of it, when an old man came out of the front door, gave us a glance, and started to unroll his hose from the reel on the front of his house. My urgings to Ray became slightly more urgent. I wasn't sure if we were going to have a hose turned on us and I preferred to get the heck out of range before I found out.

Ray was showing signs of life. I got on my knees and did the wedged hands again. Ray got to his feet just as the old guy turned on the hose. He wasn't paying any attention to the nozzle which was waving wildly (I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt); a stream of water missed us by inches. We headed out of range just as the guy turned and looked in our direction then turned his hose on the plants along the fence where Rambo was still furiously barking (we've had an awful LOT of rain lately - must be really thirsty plants). Ray and I beat feet down the street and headed to the safety of home.