Since I will be on the road on my usual blog day, headed north for another summer in New England, I thought I'd reprise a blog from an earlier summer that a lot of folk enjoyed. For those who've read it before, I hope you still find it amusing and for those who've started following my blog since this was originally posted  . . . enjoy. Duff is still with me, and looking forward to spending another vacation on the island, too. 

         
It's 5:30 A.M. I'm Sound asleep and my cell phone rings. Mind you, this is a surprising occurrence all by itself because my cell phone doesn't get a great signal out here on my island and almost never rings, even when I can call out. But ring it did and the woman on the other end tells me she has my dog at her house. I'm still fighting off the residue of sleep and trying to figure out how my dog, who I left camped on the couch in the cabin when I went to bed in my tent could possibly be somewhere else at this unGodly hour. She tells me his name and that she got my number off his tag, thank goodness for the tag I got him, and then tells me that she is on a road that is miles from where I am.
   So, I scramble out of bed and into some clothes, then head out. Unfortunately, this is not like being home where the car is conveniently parked outside my door. To get to my car, I have to get into a rowboat, row ashore and haul the boat up, then hike up Cardiac Hill to where my car is parked. All of this takes close to twenty minutes and I'm gasping for breath as I unlock the car and fall into the driver's seat. (I really need to get back into shape - maybe I should have a call-out that makes me hustle up this hill several times a day?)
   Duff, when I finally get to the lady's house, hops in the car like "what's the problem Mom? I was just out for a little walk?" He is soooo in trouble! I made him get off the comfy sofa and accompany me to the tent for the night. He wasn't very pleased, but then, he asked for it.
    As if the unauthorized field trip wasn't enough yesterday, when a thunderstorm barreled in on us, instead of retreating to the dark recesses under the bunk for safety, this time Duff decided to try digging his way under the mattress on TOP of the bunk. In the process he shredded the new sheets my sister had put on the bed. So, today I wake up, fortunately after a full night's sleep, and it's cold out. And since it's cold and windy, I decide today is a good day to head to Concord to fix the thunderstorm/fireworks issue once and for all by purchasing a crate for Duff to find refuge in. Once again, we head to shore in the rowboat and climb the hill - so maybe once a day will be a good start on that getting in shape deal? Anyway, I consult the app on my phone to find out where the closest PetCo is and off we go.
   Here's where it begins to seem like my life is turning into a sit-com. I miss the turn in Concord and immediately begin to look for places to get turned around. The first two intersections are clearly labels NO U-TURN, so I finally pull into a parking lot, check the little map on my phone again and head back the way I came. Next thing I know, there are blue flashing lights in my rear-view mirror. The cop doesn't look old enough to be out of high school yet, but I'll cut him some slack since that's probably just my personal perspective given the old lady I looked at in the mirror an hour or so earlier. He asks if I know why he pulled me over. Honestly, I had no idea. I hadn't been speeding. Didn't take the U-turn even though I wanted to and hadn't been yaking on my phone so I said no. He tells me he pulled me over for the U-turn. Then goes on to explain that it's technically illegal to turn into private property, which a parking lot is, to avoid a traffic directive. Are you kidding me? This is New Hampshire. Where they refuse to pass ordinances to make folk wear seat belts or helmets on motorcycles and you're telling me I broke the law turning into a parking lot???
   But he was nice. Young but nice. When I told him I was lost and trying to find my way to PetCo, he gives me detailed directions. Then he takes my license and registration -"just to make sure I'm not running from the law in Florida!"
   So, now I'm back on my island and I got here promising I WILL NOT GO OFF THE ISLAND FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK! But that was before I couldn't remember if I'd actually locked the car when I got back. So, looks like today I'll have two hikes up Cardiac Hill to work on getting into shape, after all. Might as well. It's still too cold to go for a swim.