Attack! (or, the dangers of not being able to hear over loud music)

This morning Raven and I were progressing fairly well on our walk, managing to stay upright on some slippery, icy sidewalks, and I was enjoying Charlie Peacock tunes on the iPod. We were admiring the view of the frozen lake, and as we crossed the street we entered the walkway that encircles Sanborn Park. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a barking, snarling, big dog approaches. Raven of course, responds in kind and I find myself trying to separate these two aggressive beasts.

To my left, I see the owner of said dog, who calls and it finally releases its terrifying grip on Raven (well, maybe it only slobbered on him) and returns to the owner. I can't hear if any apologies are muttered over "I Wanna Be in the Light, As You are in the Light........." but I do catch the owner scolding his dog. I decide just to get out of there as soon as possible. We continue on our normal route, and the owner and dog disappear beyond the snowdrifts. I check out Raven, and it appears he only has a trail of saliva on his backside--no wounds are visible. Whew.

We trudge onward, glad not to encounter any more dogs. I do hear someone approaching from behind, but it's just another gal I see frequently on my walks--today her husband is accompanying her. We exchange greetings and then I go back to focusing on my tunes. We round a corner and start to cross a street, and here we narrowly avoid being hit by a van that is turning right behind us.

Maybe tomorrow I will go iPodless. Then I can catch the singing of the birds (I did hear some in between Charlie's songs today) and be more aware of encroaching dangers. Or, I could just turn the volume down.....

Till next time,


Suzi