Rescuing Tully

I had a dream last night about Tully being safe and well. I know it's my job as Flatman to find him today. Zachary and Jake are coming home to Alaska and will want to see both their dogs, not just HomeBoy. I slipped under the door and sat in the snow watching two of the visiting dogs wrestle in the white stuff, Forty-West and Lucy.

If I were a dog and wanted to go on a hike, which direction would I choose?

I noticed some houses to the east of Beanie's house and thought that might be a place to go if I were a dog.

I got out my awesome snowboard and followed a ski trail in the woods, passing a Mama Moose and her baby on the way. At the end I found a few houses, and immediately noticed a yellow lab in a fenced yard. He looked happy but a bit confused. I slid under the fence and asked if his name was Tully? He smiled, wagged his tail and I knew I had found him. He was only two streets over from Beanie's house on Katie Jean Circle.

Tully had made friends with a family that had two little kids and two big hairy dogs. He told me he got confused in the wind during the blizzard and saw a purple door thinking he was home (Beanie has a purple back door). Anyhow it was 4 degrees and he had been outside for over an hour and was so cold he was shivering. He sat by the door and whined until the family let him in the house. He had been there for the past two days and was wondering how he was ever going to find his family again. He was so glad to see me and asked if I could show him the way.

I told him to just follow me as I slid under the fence. He said goodbye to the family and thanked them for their dogpitality before he tried to squeeze under behind me. I quickly realized that Tully was not a FlatDog, and could not fit under the fence like me! Instead I opened the latch on the gate for him. He ran through the woods behind my snowboard all the way home. When we reached Beanie's house all 17 dogs were barking "Tully's home, Tully's home" on the front deck. Homer was especially thrilled to see his big brother!

Beanie and all the dogs were so glad to see us that we both got kisses, licks and hugs. Beanie called me her hero for finding Tully. I felt so proud! We were both so tired that when Tully jumped on the bed for a nap I was right beside him.

He whispered in my flat ear that I would always be his best pal for showing him the way home.

Flatman Josh with the not so FlatDog Tully, signing off for tonight. Goodnight!