Monkey

Saturday morning I took Sunshine for an extended walk.

Typically when I dog sit we go for walks that span no longer then 10 minutes. However, on this particular morning I was feeling rather inspired to get somewhat of a workout in from our excursion.

As we turned the corner to make our way back home Sunshine began to feverishly bark. This meant only one thing - there was some sort of animal up ahead. After surveying the path ahead of us I saw a little, white dog in the distance. Normally, this wouldn't concern me, but this dog was not on a leash. Thankfully, its owner was standing right next to it and sensed the tension between the two dogs. He quickly picked up his precious creature while I kept mine on a shorter-than-normal leash.

Phew! "Crisis" averted!

Just as Sunshine and I were back on track, we would once again stumble upon another "animal" that would cause a distraction. This time it was something distracting me, not Sunshine.

When I first saw the monkey hanging in the tree I had to do a double take. I knew it wasn't a real monkey, but nonetheless it still took me by surprise. As we got closer my mind began to rewind to six months prior . . .

There I was standing at the bookcase smiling at the monkey hanging from it. How could you not smile? I asked my friend if they planned to hang it outside on a tree when they one day had a house of their own. After I made the comment I realized how silly it must have sounded - the first bout of incremental weather and the monkey would be toast. I can't imagine stuffed animals fair very well in snow and rain. I didn't retract my comment. Instead, I listened to the reply I got and then changed the subject.

I stood in front of the tree for just a few minutes recalling this memory. I just couldn't believe my eyes. Of all the things to stumble upon . . My question had been just been a silly thought that had passed through my mind at the time. Never in a million years did I really think it possible that I would actually see it in real life. More importantly, it took me back in time when I had least expected it.

Unlike my friend's stuffed animal, the monkey I stood in front on this particular day was made of plastic or ceramic . . .or whatever material could stand-up to snow and rain. I couldn't really tell. Before I departed I took a picture - or two - with my cell phone not knowing exactly what I wanted to do with it. All I knew was that I felt the need to take one for posterity sake. For the remainder of the walk all I would think about was the monkey.

Yesterday, I got a new phone. I was so involved in the process of getting it that I never thought to transfer any of the pictures or data from the old phone - including the monkey picture. Today I had the bright idea to e-mail this picture to my mobile uploads. As the saying goes, "a dollar short and a day late" . . . or is it "a day late and a dollar short"? Either way it is what it is. My old phone is now an emergency only phone. I'd like to think of this as an emergency, but I don't believe that is what the provider means by "emergency."

I do wish I had the picture of the monkey to add to this post. (You'd smile if you saw it.) Maybe the next time I walk Sunshine I will pass by that house again and take a picture that I can upload instantly, but until then you'll just have to trust me on this one.

There is no nice, neat little way to tie-up this post. Really, it has all been a bunch of vague ramblings about an old memory that is now part of a new one that makes me smile - just like the old one - whenever I think about it.

Until later . . .