Today...

Newman Ran Away!

full name: Hanford Newman Hoyt

He was very pleased with himself.

It was all Donna at Funky Junk Interiors fault. She urged her readers to get a mundane project done and then post about it. I've been needing to redo my deck planters since moving in this house.

I decided today was the day...urged on by Donna's post today.

Funky Junk Interiors

I put all the weenies in the house and left the gate open to take huge bags of potting soil in from the car. You see where this is going. After I lugged them in, I went to the house and opened the patio doors for them to come out again. I was going back in the house...when I thought....did I close that gate?

I went out to see it was ajar just a few inches. They were all busy smelling at the new dirt I'd drug in...and didn't notice it was slightly open. I started talking to them...oh good puppies...what do you smell? sweet puppies...trying to stay calm as I worked my way to the gate. I had to walk through them to get to it. Newman looked up and looked at the panic in my eyes and his eyes went instantly to the opening in the gate...and he took his shot....out he went!

He is always trying to escape when there is a friend over...so I hold him whenever anyone goes out the gate. He is usually fine with me....but this was his perfect opportunity and he knew it. 

I had to make sure the others didn't get out and go through the gate and latch it as he took off running as fast as he could...nose to the ground zigzagging back and forth across the street from yard to yard...headed towards the park...which is better than the other way.

He went the other way once...and turned around and went towards the park...so I think he remembers the park direction is where all the interesting things are.

This scared me soooo bad. He's like 10 inches off the ground. He doesn't look at anything...he just runs...laughing the whole way. It would really be joyful to watch if I wasn't so frightened that he was going to get run over. There isn't much traffic in my neighborhood but just a couple of blocks and around a corner and he's in true danger....a heavily traveled road leading to a highway.

I was screaming for him...which does absolutely no good. But I was hoping someone would come out of their house to help me. Because he won't come to me...but there is a good chance he'll go to someone new just to see who it is and find out what they are about. 

It was noon today when this happened. Thank goodness at the house on the corner where there is usually no one during the day...they were having work done on their house. A very very nice man who was working there came out of the backyard to see why I was screaming..."Newman, no" Newman, no".

I asked if he would help me that I thought he'd come to him...Newman was in the bushes of the house then...When the man bent to try to get him, he ran through the gate into the backyard of that house. It was only then that I knew we had him. He tried to go back out and ran past the man but the man scooped him up as he went by. Newman was thrilled with the adventure...he was smiling from ear to ear.

I was near tears. I thanked my rescuer profusely and explained I didn't know what I would have done without him. How kind he was to drop all and help me get that little devil.

We then walked the block back home. Newman smiling all the way...He thought it was just a great day out in the big wide world.

(excuse those toenails...he keeps them razor sharp by digging all the time and refuses to let me clip them)

Newman. Very very pleased with himself.

He was sleepy right away though.

I say Newman is my real live boy...just like Pinnochio. Because he was a puppy that grew up to be a real live boy.

He's the first to come give me kisses if I am upset...

He loves to be kissed on the cheek. If I say, "Newman, I'm going to kiss you." He throws himself down on his side and turns his cheek up to me and wiggles all over in anticipation of being kissed on the cheek. 

He loves to sit on the back of the sofa and look out the window in the den. If I sit on the sofa...he will then jump on my shoulder to get down and slither his body diagonally across my body like a snake. This feels incredibly pleasant.

Sally was very happy to have him come back home today. Since Sally was a rescue dog...she knows what its like out there in the big wide world and she has no desire to go back out there. 

(Sally has cherry eye caused from allergies...she will have to have surgery soon)

All four weenies got out once...I caught them as they ran down the drive way. Harvey got scared and stopped...Sally changed her mind and followed me back to the backyard...but Violet and Newman took off. Violet threw herself into the arms of the first man she saw. This is what she always does. She's such a girl. And Newman went on a wild run that had me and my neighbors chasing him and diving to catch him like a greased pig at a fair.

It sounds like my dogs get out all the time...they do not. They only got out that once because I was having a garage sale and again had the gate open while they were in the house...then I let them out forgetting I hadn't closed the gate. That one time was the only time in 5 years they all got out. And only Newman has slipped out since. He got where he'd duck behind someone as they went through the gate...so now I always hold him while someone leaves through the gate. 

I tell Newman he would not like it out there in the real world. There are neighborhoods not far from me, where he might end up as dinner on the dinner table. But he doesn't understand anything about that. He'd have the greatest day...if he could, out in the world...but when night would come he'd be so unhappy to find himself lost and not at home in bed. 

Just look at that face.

This was while I was scolding him.

As all my dogs do...Newman has his own song...

Newman's Song

sung to the tune of this....

Na na na na

na na na Newman!

Na na na na

na Newmie Nu!

Na na na na

na na na Newman, na Newman, na 

 Newmie Newmi Newmi Newmi Nu!

Na na na  na na Newmi Nu!

Na na na  na na Newmi Nu!

Na na na na

na na na Newman!

Na na na na

na Newmie Nu!

Na na na na

na na na Newman, na Newman, na 

 Newmie Newmi Newmi Newmi Nu!

Whew! that was hard to write...I've sung it a jillion times but never written it out of course. When ever I start in with Na na na na...he immediately pricks up his ears...he knows its his song...of course he wouldn't have heard it if I'd sung it while he was running away today. He was in the zone.

Here's some pics of him as a puppy...he had turquoise eyes...so he was named after Paul Newman and because I liked saying "Newman" because of Seinfield.

The rest of his name comes from a dear family friend who is no longer with us...Hanford Hoyt who complained that I named him Newman because of his blue eyes that were like Paul Newman's instead of his own blue eyes....so I told him..."Ok, Hanford...I'll name him after YOU and Paul Newman". So his full name is Hanford Newman Hoyt.

Well, hard to see..but his eyes were turquoise. He was so little then. So sweet and didn't get in to trouble like he does now. He is always into something. I have wanted to post about him for ages...but you can't get him to sit still for photos. Today because he ran away...he was tired and would sit still while I took photos.

He's my Real Live Boy!

One day soon...I'll tell the story about Newman and the bird, but not today.