Spring fever? We walked, but not for as long as Charlie wanted, apparently. It was muddy and wet and my energy, early, was very low. The fuzzy ferns were sprouting everywhere in the moldy leaves. I slushed along, focusing on my breath, accepting my tiredness. I had an appointment to get home to. In the late morning, standing in the kitchen, I was surprised by a knock on the glass door behind me: a policeman. Hello! I said. Do you have a chocolate lab, by any chance, he asked? Oh! Yes! I followed him down the stairs to the driveway, the parked police cruiser. In the back window, behind the black bars, I saw Charlie’s chocolate profile. He was sitting upright and waiting for the next chapter of his adventure. I wanted to snap his picture, but I didn’t want the policeman to think I was making light of Charlie’s danger. He had been found by a kind motorist on Route 27 amidst the dashing cars. Caused quite a commotion of traffic. She called police. This one came, read Charlie’s tag and found our address, thankfully. So, he got a ride home in the cop car behind bars. He must have followed someone on the trail when I wasn’t looking and been left in the parking lot. So, for the afternoon, he was quieter than usual. He knew he’d transgressed. But after a day at my computer, I needed to stretch my legs. So, in the quiet evening before dark, I walked them to the river where the light on the grass and under the blue clouds was peaceful, gorgeous. The ground was starting to dry. Charlie trotted happily beside me, feeling forgiven.