My newlywed son and his bride are still settling into their home here in the countryside. Every day they savor the sunrise over the pond and the wildlife that takes their presence in stride. Red-shouldered hawks sail in and out of the trees. White-tailed deer creep to the edge of the yard at night, their eyes glowing in the firelight from the backyard pit.
One day, my son said: “I think we have a raccoon. Or a possum. Something is getting into our trash every night and scattering it all over the yard.”
“What will you do?” I asked.
“For now, just watch and see if we can figure out what it is.”
So it was that as my son and my daughter-in-law were sitting by the firepit one crisp evening, they heard the telletale rattle of plastic from the trashcan.
The creature had arrived.
My boy and his bride strained their eyes, trying to make it out.
Small. Not gray. Not a possum.
A bit of brown, a patch of white…not a raccoon.
They finally got a good look at the wild thing:
A dog.
A beagle, to be precise.
With a great deal of coaxing, the skittish scavenger finally crept over to them on its belly.
Covered in layers of greasy residue, wearing a monstrous shock collar that had left a bald place on its neck, the little dog slithered over and submitted himself to his new family, who loved him from that very first moment. They bathed him, fed him, cut away the collar and pitched it, took him to the vet, made every effort to find the owner (no chip). They give him meds to rid him of heartworms.
His name? Buddy. That’s what they called out to him, the night he was hiding in the brush, deciding if he could trust them or not.
“Come here, buddy,” they’d called. “It’s ok, buddy. We won’t hurt you.”
They have learned that they have to keep the dog food secured or he’ll bust into it when they’re gone…the scavenger days are too recent, plus, beagles are known to gorge themselves.
Buddy seems to have learned, though. that his days of insecurity are over.
He’s made himself at home:
He’s even made a new friend that he utterly adores:
Dennis the dachshund has been most gracious toward his new sibling…he just won’t be outdone for attention, as you can see.
I’ll say it for my husband, for my boy and his wife, for their two cats, two guinea pigs, and hammy little dachshund: There’s one more thing to love and cherish here in our neck of the woods.
*******
with thanks to Two Writing Teachers for the Tuesday Slice of Life Story Challenge
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lit bits and pieces 
Lucky dog to find them! I loved the build up!
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Thank you for reading, Erika – glad you enjoyed the build-up.
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Look at that friendly wild thing! Welcome, Buddy Haley! That is one lucky dog, and your son’s cabin sounds idyllic. I’m glad he is part of the family now, and glad that Dennis approves. Your post had me shaking my head again. Just last night, Boo Radley treed a coon for the first time ever. I’ll blog about it soon, but it has been a decade since we have seen a coon out here. Bulls and cows from a neighboring pasture, yes. Foxes, squirrels, possums, feral cats, birds of all kinds, escaped donkeys, coyotes, yes. We’ve seen all those and keep our eyes peeled. But your post today and my experience last night remind me that sometimes we get the unexpected that crawls in from the dark and takes up residence.
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Boo treed a coon?? I will be on the lookout for that post, Kim! I have seen so many roadkill creatures in the past months – enormous, beautiful raccoons, and so many skunks, too, which are honestly gorgeous creatures also (except, needless to say, for the stank). I used to never see these until the last couple of years…so, to your, point…the wild thing in the trash might have been anything number of creatures, including feral pigs and yes, coyotes. To discover a humble little beagle which can’t stand any sort of confrontation, fending for itself…it’s a mixture of relief and heartache. I offered to take him, being presently dogless, as you know, but my boy and his wife had already fallen in love with him. Buddy is only about a year old – I know he looks older – and they are babying him so. He’s just precious.
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What a wonderful story! And what a lucky dog to have picked the right trash can.
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I was thinking what if it’s a skunk, but lo and behold a skittish Beagle. I’m glad he’s found a loving & warm home. He has definitely settled in. The dachshund is so cute too! He is certainly a little ham.
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Anna Maria, the wild thing in the trash could well have been a skunk – there’s a large population of them out here. Can you imagine-?? Yikes! Oh yes, Dennis the dachshund is a mess – the granndaugthers adore him and miss him terribly since he’s moved out with my son – fortunately, that’s only four minutes away, so visits are easy.
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So glad it was not a mouse, possum or skunk! What a lucky dog! And Buddy is a perfect name for him! Thank you for sharing.
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We’re especially glad it wasn’t a skunk! I did see one running along the outside of my backyard fence last summer, where I’d thrown some squash – will never do that again, ha! Thank you for reading 🙂
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That face! Such a precious one.
As Erika said, that’s one lucky pup!
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Oh, Fran, what a precious story. How cute is that? Buddy was hanging around where he knew he would be loved and accepted, it seems. I didn’t really know that beagles were know to gorge themselves, but it makes sense; my brother had a beagle who ate a whole package of hamburger buns once. I love the photo of Buddy and Dennis.
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Gracious, Denise, I can only imagine how your brother’s beagle felt aftereating all that bread – yikes! Buddy has made himself at home in our hearts – you should see how much he loves Dennis. It’s almost pitiful.
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Fran, your slice includes an introductory paragraph that provides the beginning of a haibun. You shared beautiful scenery; word choice, and followed by great dialogue. Buddy is adorable and I see from the last paragraph that all is fine. You have a new member of the family. I hope the little grands love Buddy as much as you do. Rnjoy winter days with Buddy.
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Thank you for your insights, Carol – never even thought about the beginning of a haibun there in my opening. Yes, the granddaughters love Buddy, although he’s easily excitable and has to learn to calm down with them. He craves attention, though.
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I’m not a dog person, but those eyes! Buddy would have stolen my heart too. So glad he’s in a good place where he can be properly loved and adored.
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Dennis has a new friend! DENNIS! I miss him and Buddy is so cute! Can’t wait to hear more adventures!
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