Yesterday when I was walking Maggie, I noticed that the Lumber Barons had our path blocked – filled from side to side with a huge mound of dirt. They must’ve been working on their garden.

Since it had been raining earlier that morning, there was no way I was going to walk Maggie through it to go for our walk. So instead we took a detour.

Rather than turning to head down towards the Lumber Barons’ house, we went straight through the rice paddies which dead-ends just before the freeway.

Whenever we take this little jaunt, I always try to get a better shot of the slum dogs.

And while I finally got one, it didn’t stop them from yipping their little heads off at me & Maggie.

Sometimes they’ll run down their road about 20 feet to show us they mean business…and today was no exception.

But I had the shot, so we turned to walk back home.

We got back almost to the crossroad when I heard something behind us.

One of the slum dogs – out of the slums, down his road and onto our’s (which has never happened before) & about 50 feet behind us.

I quickly got this shot & tried to coax him closer with one of the dog treats in my pocket.

Instead, he turned & raced back towards the slums.

Maggie was disappointed not to meet a new friend, but we turned back around & kept walking.

Not 15 feet later, I hear the same pitter-patter of little feet.

“Are you following us, Baby?”…

“No, no…I’m not…I’m – I’m looking at the grass.”

“Would you like a treat?”….

“No, no…I’m not listening. Not listening.”

“Are you sure you don’t want a treat? They’re really good.”

“No, no…I’m going home now…my – my friends are calling me.”

We did this little back & forth dance another 2 times before he finally decided to go home for good.

I think I’m going to name him Schmiegel.