The Watts' Adventures

After breakfast the boys headed straight outside to shoot their new guns. It was such a rainy, miserable day so they had to shoot off of the carport. My dogs are deathly afraid of guns. Our outside dog, Dutchess, tears the door down to get in and Paddy hides under Hunter's bed when the boys get to shooting. Christmas day was no different, so we thought. We all had to get ready as we had to get Mom, Dad & Chandler to the airport. Our departure time was 12:30 at the latest. Mom & Dad wanted plenty of time not knowing and not chancing missing another flight. Luckily we are all ready by 11:30 so we started loading up. As usual I went to tell Paddy good bye and assure him of our return. Well, no Paddy. He wasn't in any of his usual places in the house. Then we began calling him outside. No Paddington and that was not like him as it was cold, wet and rainy. He would usually welcome the call back home or volunteer to do his business and come directly back. Stress had set in after 30 mins. We walked to the neighbors and looked all around his house. Road up and down the road and then I just knew that he had been hit by a buck shot when the boys were shooting. You know, those bullets spread so he didn't necessarily have to be in the direct path. Our hearts were pounding, stress of him missing and the clock was ticking for us to get to the airport. David walked to the creek, I looked the house over and over, made a few phone calls to the neighbors for them to be on the look out. It was getting close to 12:30. The phone rang..... it was David. Paddington had been found. David had walked to the creek and then back up the neighbors driveway. Standing at the end he looked around, called for him and he(Paddy) stuck his head up, stretched from his nap, tucked his tail(knowing he was in trouble) and walked over to David. He was on the neighbors carport across the road!! The only thing that we figured was that the guns had scared him so he wondered over there to get away! Not like him at all to cross the road especially since we live off the road. Boy, were we all relieved! With 3 mins left before our departure time we all loved on him, calmed down and loaded back up to head for the airport. What a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Rule: no shooting until the house is secured with knowing that both dogs are in the house!