Early in the morning, a snowy New England day, I'm dressed in my uniform, getting ready to go clear off and start my car so I can get to my drill weekend.
It's nice being out so early in the morning on a Sunday. I never see anyone and it's peaceful and quiet. The snow is softly falling and has accumulated quite a bit overnight, as I open the door to walk out, I think "wow, it's so pretty." Amadeus is going to come with me, when I open the door, he BOOKS out fast and starts barking and howling.
I immediately see what he is barking at - a woman is standing outside of my garage. He is circling her, going around and around her, BAAAA-rrooooooooooooo, barraarararooooo, in his high pitched howl. I don't know why she is standing there, not saying anything, so I ask her.
"What are you doing? What are you doing? Why are you in my yard??" - my voice is definitely at least an octave higher than normal, I'm not sure if I'm yelling, but I don't know what's going on, and it's making me nervous.
John comes to the door, he must have heard the dog barking. He opens the door and Georgia rushes out and starts jumping near the woman. WOOOF, WOOF, her deep, menacing bark combines with Amadeus's howl to create a really nice alarm clock for the neighbors who want to get up at 6 am on Sunday.
The woman is just standing there, riveted to the spot. I ask her again and again "what are you doing in my yard?" - I must have said it ten times. She is not talking, but she is pointing to the dog pen. So many thoughts are going through my mind - is there someone in the dog pen? Is this lady in trouble? Am I in trouble? What the heck is going on?
She finally points to the area by the door and says in a meek, trembling voice, "paper."
Oh my God. I apologize to her a million times, gather up the dogs, get them inside, as she walks away, backwards, down the driveway, with her hand over her heart.
It is the newspaper delivery woman.
Or should I say former newspaper delivery woman, as I called and canceled the service shortly after that incident.
Not a good way to start the day for any of us.