Unhappy Halloween

I took all three dogs on a run Halloween before it got busy with the usual candy mongers, however, there isn’t a lot of action anymore. To be honest, the most action is the vans from LA that drive to the nicer neighborhoods to go house-to-house with their kids.

George has been pretty good lately so I decided to reward him before I went out. I took him to a park about 4 miles away. The drive was all uphill.

We drove to the park about 6PM just as it was getting dark. There is a big grass area and I let George loose being we were alone. The weather was nice, but thunderstorms were on the horizon.

It hasn’t rained in LA for so long I literally cannot remember the last time.

Being in the park all alone I laid down on the grass with George and just took some time to stare at the sky for a little bit.

George and I then walked some more and headed back. It was dark at this point and up ahead I saw some lights. There are no vehicles allowed in the park so it had to be the park ranger who lives on the grounds.

As the ranger drove slowly to make sure the park was empty, George and I jumped over a small wood fence in a ditch like we were in an action movie. We ducked down as the truck drove by.

Very exhilarating!

As we approached the exit I reached for my keys.

I had a very different horror take place this Halloween—that of empty pockets!

I had to get back home to be somewhere so I tracked back to the two places I could have lost my keys;
1. The place I laid down in the grass
2. The place I played James Bond jumping over the fence.

There was just enough light to barely see the ground.

George and I searched both places ardently to no avail. The grass field and the fence were not close to each other—it was a trek to get to each place.

We now walked to the grass field and I searched.

Like a needle in a haystack!

I tried to narrow my search, but after over an hour of looking I decided to knock on the ranger’s front door…another hike to his place.

To my surprise he was very cool. He loaned us a flashlight. George and I went back to the fence and grass area. I was confident I would find my keys.

I had no luck at the fence area. I trekked back and forth three times. At the grass field I searched with no success and I knew it had to be here because I laid down again and with my knees up and my pockets opened.

IT HAD TO BE ON THE GRASS!

Confident of this, I literally combed the lawn in three feet sections walking back and forth for over an hour. I got serious grass blind! Everything looked green to me.

It was about 9pm by now. I hate to quit but I had no luck.

Back to the ranger’s house.

I asked for a phone and only know two numbers—my folks and my neighbor. My folks are too far away and we are not getting along too well right now and my neighbors never answer their landline. I got no answer.

Yes...I have no cell phone and am probably the only male over 12 that does not in America.

George and I walked home the four miles and it started to rain.

Are you kidding me! It hasn’t rained all year and tonight it rains.

We got home at 11pm. I was super tired.

When I got George he could barely walk two block, but tonight he limped all four miles and we even ran together before we went to the park. Then there was all the walking at the park. I was proud of him!

I didn’t sleep at all last night. I got up at 7AM, mounted my bike with two coat hangers, small binoculars, a jacket (it rained like a Tennessee thunderstorm last night) and rode the four miles uphill.

BRUTAL!!!

I felt sick when I finally got to the park. I began my route at my car and tried to recreate the path we took last night.

At the fence area I searched and saw nothing. Therefore, it HAD to be in the grass somewhere.

The grass area looked very different in the light. I searched where I did last night and saw nothing. I have a real hard time praying for such trivial things—I mean, God has more important things to do, but I prayed anyway like I did last night.

I was willing to accept whatever happened, similar to when I lost Sally last week which still stuns me.

After about 30 minutes I finally saw the little surfboard that holds my keys.

That felt good.

…yes, I made copies of my key today

George wiped out
Albert napping


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