1. Our temporary dog guest, Harriet Potter, was an ideal companion today. The highlight of our day was strolling the circumference of Greenbelt Lake. Harriet was calm. She never tugged on the leash. She was unconcerned about the presence of other dogs -- just as they were unconcerned about her. I couldn't help but try to imagine what she was experiencing as we walked in the cool shade of the generous trees bordering the trail with the lake always within sight when just two days ago she was living in an apartment in India. But, maybe, as a dog, she was so locked into the present moment that she wasn't seeing Greenbelt Lake with any memory at all. The contrast was more than likely all in my head.
2. Harriet and I picked up the Deke and drove over to the vet in Colesville, MD to secure a health certificate so that Harriet can fly to Seattle on Saturday where Hannah will pick her up and drive to Salem, OR. We hit a snag in obtaining the certificate because we didn't have Hannah's Salem address or her phone number. We got the address online and Christelle, another former Charlemagne teacher who now lives in Maine, confirmed it and gave us Hannah's phone number. Harriet is in great health and is certified to fly.
3. When Harriet was a stray dog, someone abused her by pouring a hot liquid, like grease or oil, on her back leaving a long winding scar. As we left PetSmart, a friendly and dog loving woman, a little older than us, asked us about Harriet and wondered what happened to create the scar. The Deke told her what she knew about Harriet's story and the three of us had an emotional moment of expressing our disgust with Harriet having been abused, our relief and happiness that Hannah found Harriet, who was giving birth to a litter of puppies in a stairwell (Hannah took in Harriet and found homes for the puppies), and that Harriet's life took such a miraculous turn for the better.
The vet, by the way, remarked that while Harriet's body was scarred by this abuse, she showed no signs of having been scarred mentally. To me, this is a miracle. Harriet Potter is a deeply trusting dog, not skittish or suspicious of people or other dogs. It's miraculous.
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