Big Dog Saves a Life

This is probably a story that is played out dailyto the driveway and the woods beyond, I kind of
somewhere in the world between humans and a dogexpected to see them returning. Everything was ready
but when it happens to you it is a humbling andexcept the eggs and toast and I couldn't help
unforgettable experience. It happened not so long agowondering why they weren't back. I guess I was
during a patch of below freezing temperatures insetting the table when I heard a light bark.
January, typical of a New England winter. On thisSurprised, I went to the door, to see Big Dog standing
particular day, we awakened to three inches of newthere, not moving through the doorway, just staring up
snow. It was about 10 degrees outside and the air wasinto my face. I looked up the driveway expecting to
crisp and clean.see my husband but no one was there. I waited for
The woods. the trees, the undulating terrain, werethe dog to come in with me. He didn't. I talked to him,
beautiful with the new fallen snow. But beneath theas I usually do, and he turned himself around to face
pristine white cover, the earth was frozen and thethe driveway and then looked back at me. Clearly, he
roads were icy. It's an ever present danger up herewanted me to walk out with him. I did, and he led me
during the New England winters, hidden from sight anddown the porch steps where a biting wind made me
waiting for the unwary. I decided to walk out with ourrealize I'd better be properly dressed to withstand that
dog and suggested that my husband might put on thefreezing wind.. Big dog would not come in. He just
coffee and when I returned I'd fix the sausages andwaited on the porch, outside the door.
eggs and we could have our breakfast in front of oneWith my hat, my down anorak, boots and gloves on, I
of the nice roaring fires he loves to build.followed him up the driveway and turned left with him
I thought that was pretty diplomatic, not wanting towhen we got to the road. Then he started to run,
remind him of the old knee injury or the bad hip he'dstopping now and then to make sure I was still
been struggling with lately. But he disagreed. Hefollowing. Up ahead, in the distance, there was a figure
thought the two or three inch snow layer provided alying on the snow, a little sprinkling of blood where his
fairly secure footing if you walked with care. Heknees had suffered abrasions right through his heavy
decided he would be the one to walk out with Big Dogcorduroy slacks and more blood where his hands had
while I stayed home, busy with the sausage and eggsbroken his fall. He told me what happened. Big dog had
and coffee. So, into the boots and the jacket and thebeen running in the woods when my husband fell and
wooly red cap and off they went, the dog boundingcould not get to his feet. His hip was dislocated. He
ahead up the driveway toward the woods as Ihad called the dog and when he ran over, at first he
watched them go.just stood there, over my husband, licking his face.
Then I got busy, building the fire, making the breakfast,Then he had laid down next to him.
enjoying the smell of the wood fire. the aroma of theThere they were were, the two of them lying in the
coffee. The sausages were sizzling in the pan, almostsnow and my husband telling the dog to go back to
done and I thought how nice the house was going tothe house for help. After about fifteen minutes, the dog
smell to my husband when he walked in and howgot up and ran off. You know the rest. He's a
good the breakfast would taste after the walk in themagnificent creature. He could have run into the
snow with our dog.woods, done anything he wanted. He chose. It is a
Every once in a while looking out the kitchen windowhumbling experience.