stoutfellow | Stationary Pick

One day last week - I think it was Monday - I had an encounter with one of the neighborhood dogs. She was a short-haired white terrier, with a smallish body and an enormous head, complete with a huge gap-mouthed grin. She (I heard her owner call her name) came running at me with that grin, then started a short-range fusillade of barking. Her owner came after her, trying to get her under control, but the dog evaded her by the simple expedient of dancing around so that I, unmoving, remained between the two of them. After a few moments of this, I knelt down and offered her the back of one hand to sniff, tousling her ears with the other. This gave her owner the chance to gather her up. She thanked me; I said nothing, just grinned, nodded, and went on my way.