Last Monday week, I was in the kitchen with a large bowl in my hand about to mix oil, xylotol (sweetener), toasted flaked almonds, an egg & a ½ cup of potato flour together to make some biscuits (had a craving for something crunchy) when Molly (family dog) started her usual night-time whine to get out the back garden (sensed either a fox, cat or bird out the back).
I let her out and she raced down the back of the garden like a thorough-bred race-horse (she’s a Bichon Frise), circled the garden twice, stopped, looked up in the air and started to whine again.
I was a little confused by her behaviour as she usually calms down after a circuit inspection of the garden, but a streak of blue light across in the night-sky revealed the cause of her agitated state.
It took myself and my dad a few minutes to catch her and get her back into the house; however this incident gave me an idea of how I might remedy a problem she occasionally gives me. Sometimes while out for a walk she’ll stop, lie down on all-fours and refuse to move for me. This happens every so often and as I try to coax her to move, passers-by smile or laugh at my predicament. I don’t mind the laughing but in the winter-time, it’s no fun. My idea; I’ll you-tube lightening storms on my phone.
Speaking of agitating others, I came across a story of an incident involving a Mr Richard Braxton 27, & a Mr Mark Storms 46, in their local chapel, Keystone Fellowship Church which is situated in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, (25 miles outside Philadelphia).
According to witnesses Mr Braxton had been in a none too happy mood on arrival at Sunday service (reason not given) and sat at the back of the church in a pew that had been reserved. We are told a fellow worshipper tapped him on the shoulder and pointed out that the seat was taken. It can be ascertained by Mr Braxton’s reaction that he was indeed in an agitated state, as he turned towards his fellow worshipper and shouted, ‘Don’t f***ing touch me’. It was then reported that Mr Storms approached Mr Braxton from the back of the church and showed him a badge declaring he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon and asked him outside. Mr Braxton’s response to Mr Storms’s request proved that he was not mellowing. He punched him in the face. Mr Storms’s response to Mr Braxton’s cooperation (or lack of it) displayed that he was now empathising with Mr Braxton’s state of mind. He demonstrated this by taking out a loaded Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun (which he had taken to church along with his wife & son) and shot Mr Braxton twice in the chest killing him.
This tale got me thinking of how Mr Storms might respond (if he were in my shoes) to Molly stopping, lying down on all-fours and refusing to move, while out for a walk on a cold winter’s day. Come to think of it, now it doesn’t. Perish the thought.