An Eventful Evening

[pameladlloyd]

Karl and I went out this evening to get a cup of tea (me) and coffee (him). Our original plans had us leaving much earlier, but what with one thing and another, we didn't get out the door until around 5 p.m. Almost as soon as we were on the road, we noticed a light on the dashboard which is supposed to indicate that there's something wrong with one of the tires. We pulled over and made sure there were no actual flat tires, then drove over to the local gas station that still (amazingly) offers free air. Karl used a pressure gauge to check the tires and filled the one tire that seemed a bit low and we got back on the road, but were distressed to see that the light was still on. *sigh* We decided to ignore the light and headed north toward one of our favorite bakery/coffee shops.

We were about halfway to our destination when we witnessed a pickup truck swerve into the far right lane and side swipe the fender of an ancient VW bug being driven by an elderly woman. Her fender was minorly damaged by the glancing blow and we had no reason to believe the driver was in physical distress as although she'd slowed and looked frightened, she was still driving forward, so we rushed after the pickup and got the license number before turning around to see if she needed help and to let her know we'd witnessed the incident. However, we couldn't see her, nor after driving that section of road a couple of times could we spot her car in any of the nearby parking lots or down any of the side roads. While we were looking for her, I was also on my cell phone, reporting the incident to the police. So, if she reports the incident, there's at least a chance that the hit and run driver will be caught. I hope so. There were no other vehicles near the two cars and no reason we could see for the driver of the pickup truck to have swerved into the other lane, and it was unconscionable for him not to stop and offer to make amends.

There was nothing more we could do, so we continued our journey to the bakery, only to discover it had closed at 6, a few minutes before we got there. We drove around the area a little bit, as we were in the western Catalina mountain foothills area, enjoying the sight of the rugged, green-tinted folds of Pusch Peak and Rosewood Point. (My thanks to Google Maps for my ability to name the exact bits of the mountain range.) Eventually, we headed back down into town and settled on having our tea and coffee at Beyond Bread, which is a combination bakery and sandwich shop we really enjoy.

As we left Beyond Bread, it was raining. We commented on the warm, gentle rain and how pleasant it was, as we walked across the parking lot to the car. Later, as we neared home, we noticed a dog standing at the side of the road, near the protected desert area that sits north of our neighborhood. Karl commented that he'd seen the same dog in nearly the same spot earlier in the day when he'd been running some errands. Worried that the dog was lost or abandoned--it had a sweet face and looked well cared for until very recently, its long coat wasn't even noticeably matted so far as I could tell from the brief glimpse I had as we drove past--we grabbed a dog leash and a couple of flashlights and headed back on foot. It was full dark now and we didn't see any sign of the dog, although we were both certain we'd walked well past the point at which we'd seen it before. Finally, we turned back for home, just as it began to rain again. This time, the rain was a heavy downpour and the water was cold. By the time we got home, we were both soaking wet. We changed into dry clothes and I started supper preparations while Karl went back out with the car one last time to look for the dog. No luck, so he returned home and took over cooking dinner, while I got online.

Comments

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a really frustrating evening. I hope the elderly woman and the dog are OK. At least you did your best to help.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

The evening had its frustrating moments, but it also had its good ones. Karl and I had a good time just being with each other; too much of our time is spent in opposite ends of the house, each working at our respective computers, or with kids around. We love our kids, of course, but sometimes it's good to have a bit of quiet time alone.

We will continue to hope good things for those whose lives so briefly touched ours. I think the VW driver will be alright. It is the dog I worry about. It's odd, because it was I who put my foot down about not bringing any more strays home, but really it wasn't so much the bringing them home as the keeping them; we've got too many dogs, all rescues, as it is. But, this dog was so clearly someone's pet until very recently, with a beautiful long apricot coat that had been recently brushed, and a gentle expression on its face. I went back out and looked for it this morning, but there's no sign of it. We can only hope that it was picked up by its owner or by someone who will care for it and see it finds a good home.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

What a day--I can feel its emotional pulls and lingering dissatisfaction. So many pieces of stories, and you only saw the fragments of them.

Here's to a good cup of tea, though. I'm going to go make one, too.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

Yes. It was odd. Karl and I in our calm little bubble, only to have it burst.