The Big, Bad Wolf???

  Early this morning, I left the old dog, Mr. PJ, on his bed while I took a hike around the hillside.  There was a slight drizzly rain and he is not partial to being wet.  It did not matter to me as I love the rain.  It was probably a good thing that he was not with me as there could have been trouble and with his age, that would not be good.  He would most likely try to protect me from any predators that may venture too close. 

  Just as I was coming back from my little "Glade in the Woods", I heard some strange barking coming from the marsh.  Uh, oh.  Since this bark was far from the yelp of my brother's beagle, I was concerned.  While the beagle will roam the marsh chasing rabbits, this bark was more of a threatening bark than the "I found you" yelp of his dog.  The bark sounded to be that of a rather large dog and sounded close!  Ok...so perhaps I needed to skip part of my hike that normally skirts the marsh.  

  The first thought that went through the head when hearing the threatening bark was that I had inadvertently startled the coyotes that visit occasionally.  Being unarmed other than the camera, I picked up a rather hefty stick for "just in case".  Edging my way around the canebrake, I came almost face to face with the "big, bad wolf"!  Well, I was not going to back down and neither was he.  We stood staring at each other for a good five minutes before he turned to leave through the marsh.  I could make out his shape through the brambles and this was one large animal.  Without breaking eye contact with him, I noticed that he was covered in mud but, also, I noticed that he had a collar under all of that mud.  

  My big, bad wolf was none other than a German Shepherd dog.  The dog was either lost, dumped or had run away.  Whatever the case, I tried to call to him.  He needed to be out of that marsh.  It is full of cottonmouths and gators!  A while later, my cousin said that the dog had made its way to her house and she felt that it may be a threat to her chickens.  I hope not.  

  Knowing now that the big, bad wolf was a dog, does not make things better.  Had this dog decided to attack, I had little way to defend myself.  I am thankful, however, that Mr. PJ was safe snoozing on his bed.  The German Shepherd was much younger and much stronger than the old dog.   A fight would have been a sure thing as neither dog would have relented.  My intervening would have had little effect on their demeanor once they were in "fight mode".  Until this critter is back at its own home, I think I will keep close watch on Mr. PJ.  Better to be safe than sorry.