Ember was napping in her crate at the time, but I figured, the conjunction of cool weather and extra people would make it worth waking her up for a brief ride down to join them.
When we got there, Carl rushed up to the fence, and it took some doing to keep Ember moving to the entrance, but as I've said before, she's getting better and better with self-control under distraction, and following Mom's cues to get what she wants most. We got there!
Erosion takes its toll. They are already slanted, at least some of them, and when they get wet from splashing, and multiple dogs are ignoring them and splashing across... not a safe passage for this particular little old lady.
I waited a while, not having sight of her OR the rest of the pack. Then I caught a glimpse of the two dogs through the trees. I could tell she'd crossed back over and found her pack, but here I was "lost in the woods".
The two photos helped us find one another after a bit.
The Mythical Son (as Google photos insists on calling him, because I have referred to him that way often enough... this is how AI works, people) and I sat down on a bench to watch the dogs play.
We proceeded after a while across the bridge to the agility course, where FGC made use of the tunnel and he and DIL played "hide and seek" with the dogs giving away everyone's hiding places, of course.
After the game of hide and seek started moving back toward the exit, I met a lovely "senior" white lab and her people. Her name is Helene and she's a retired guide dog, but her humans still care for her and were confident enough to bring her to the dog park. Now that's a "real job" for a dog... see, Ember? I tell Ember every time we go on a leash walk that it's her job to keep mom on the sidewalk and to keep me being a "good human".
My son was the last one to "hide" in the movable game, and he tricked FGC into following him all the way to the exit where son went to "hide" in the truck. Ember was a good girl and patiently let me hook her leash back on. As we were walking her toward my car... 🤯👀 I discovered my car keys were NOT in my pocket. A quick strategy session was held, considering how much room there was in the truck and how close my house is to the park. We left DIL at the dog park while two dogs, FGC, "Mythical" and I migrated back to my house to pick up my spare keys. Fortunately, there is a coded garage door opener, and the batteries were charged!
Ember went into her crate, they took me back to the dog park, and I started a cursory search for the lost keys. DIL had done a little searching while we were getting the spares, but I encouraged them to head on home. I mentioned what I was looking for to various dog handlers as I retraced particular places. Every time I did, three or four extra pairs of eyes helped me look. Sure enough, the second place I paused was close to where I picked up Ember's poo... there were the keys. Another dog walker had seen them and mentioned it. Whew! I texted the kids that it was a success and drove on home to let Ember out for her supper.
Glad I had other people along, although I'm confident that even had they not been there, the other dog folks would have helped me, and Ember and I would not be "stuck". Grateful for a lovely adventure.
Life is good. Keep Sparking!
