As a child of 8 or 9 years old, i had a wonderful and spirited female German shepherd dog. She was the kind of dog that set the standard for all future pets to live up to. Well-trained and obedient, she frequently embarked on adventures around the yard, through the woods, and even inside snow forts built in the cold New York winter. When it was time to go out (for bathroom type things), she could be sent out into the yard alone, and would never wander off - whether day or night.

One night after letting my dog out for her nightly bathroom break, i became distracted by a movie and forgot to bring her back in. As the movie concluded, while everyone was wondering where the dog was, it dawned on me. I forgot to let her back in! The back porch was found empty upon inspection, and after a few calls, we knew that she had left the yard. Everyone suited up and began searching the areas surrounding the house, in the bushes, and across the street.

Already creeping toward the late hours of the night, we decided to call off the search until morning, and left the door to my fathers truck open, in the event that she found her way back home over the night. Morning came and, unable to sleep, i jumped out of bed and raced to the truck to check for my dog. To my surprise, the truck remained empty and she was still unaccounted for. Everyone finished their morning routine and began to consider the idea that our reliable friend had officially run away. Scrambling for new ideas, I asked my father to drive down the road to see if she may possibly be spotted, reluctance gave way to hope and he agreed.

We traveled about a mile down the road to the local softball / little league field only to find our companion laying resting in the dugout, waiting to begin a new day of adventures! Everyone was excited to have Crystal back in the house causing a ruckus, and i was glad to have my buddy back chasing me around the outer fence surrounding the swimming pool. The lesson learned was that even the best dogs can be tempted to embark on impromptu adventures, with or without human supervision!