I lost ANOTHER phone on the beach today. But it's not my fault, really!
You may not know this, but we have snow in Massachusetts right now. And, I don't mean we have a pretty covering of white on the ground. No, we have a lot of snow on the ground. Think a foot or so at a time, once or twice a week for the last month. Even with settling, and the occasional above freezing temperatures, we have about 2 or 3 feet in many places, and much, much more where it has drifted into the beach access paths, and been plowed to the side of the road. We also have a LOT of snow days, which must be difficult for people with small children and jobs. I do not have small chldren, or a job. But, I do have a Milo. Affectionately known as Smelly Dog or Naughty Puppy. I like snow days, because Tagg can deal with the excessive energy of Milo. Today was not a snow day, and Tagg is safe at school.
So, Milo and I did what we usually do on school days. We headed for the beach. We especially like to go when the weather is lousy, because then there are no people that need to be avoided, or jumped on. I am doing the avoiding to discourage Milo from doing the jumping. This means Milo can do what he loves more than just about anything else in the world. With the possible exception of steak, disgusting found food in the great outdoors, and his people. In that order. Milo loves to chase seagulls. I mean he really loves it. I think he believes he will catch one some day. I really hope he doesn't. He just wants to play. He does not see wild animals as potential food sources, just as potential friends (some day I'll tell you the rabbit story).
Today, when we got to the M street path to Nantasket Beach, I discovered that all my just above the knee foot steps from my last several trips to the beach had been filled in from yesterday's storm. I decided to take a left on Beach Ave. at M Street to look for a less intimidating entrance. That's what I told the police officer, it's the yellow house left of M street on Beach Ave. As we passed the yellow house, I saw movement. Strange, because the yellow house is a summer home, and currently boarded up. It was a seal! Yes, a seal I say, in the backyard of the yellow house just to the left of M street at Nantasket Beach in Hull!
Well, I did what any technology challenged person would do. I looked at my phone for a few minutes, then called my husband and asked him if he knew how to take a picture with it. Keep in mind that my technology genius husband does not have the same kind of phone I have, and had never tried to take a picture with it. He said no, he could not tell me how to use the camera over the phone without looking at it. I think it demonstrates my great faith in his brilliance that I tried. So, I hung up and called the Hull police station. 'I'm at Nantasket Beach at the end of M street and there is a seal in the back yard of the yellow house just left of M street on Beach Ave!', I said. (Keep in mind Naughty Puppy, who is trying to pull my arm out of the socket in an attempt to get to the beach, he has seagulls to chase after all!)
Eventually it is established that although the animal control officer is not in, someone will be at the yellow house just left of M street on Beach Ave in Hull in 10 or 15 minutes. Whew! That's a relief, especially since the seal is periodically trying to climb up the dunes to access the ocean on the other side (or so I thought!) and then rolling back down the hill. Maybe he's injured! By this time, I am hip deep in snow drifts which my four legged friend is casually walking on top of while continuing to encourage me in my progress by pulling firmly at his leash. Maybe I should lose 100 pounds and walk on all fours. I emerge victorious on the beach at last, and remove Milo's leash. Sadly, he catches the scent of the seal. Really?!, and heads for the backyard of the yellow house, at the end of M ... Never mind, you know where it is. Well, this calls for extreme measures. Who knows what will happen if Milo tries to make friends with the yellow house seal. So, I do the unthinkable, I start running down the beach. In my peacoat, by bogs boots, on the rocky beach. I do this because it is the only sure way of distracting Naughty Puppy. After all, chase is his favorite game. Half a mile down the beach, I decide I must have a picture of the seal and pull out my phone to figure out how to use the camera. Only, my phone is gone!
Somewhere between the hip deep snow, and the beach running my phone has fallen out of my pocket. And, I cannot find it. So, clearly it's not my fault. It's the fault of the seal, or the snow, or Naughty Puppy.
I am currently leaning toward the seal. When the police officer arrived to rescue him, it was amazing and sweet. He talked to the seal, and clapped his hands in encouragement, and the cute little fellow followed the police officer up the dune and over the top. (Gliding along the top while the very kind police officer sunk to his knees in the snow). When yellow house seal got to the top, he took one look at the ocean, which was still about 200 yards away, and turned around. Yes, he turned around and all the kind policeman's encouragement could not convince him to cross the rocky beach to the water. He was having a snow day, a ski vacation at the yellow beach house, and would wait for high tide, thank you very much.
And, I have no pictures to prove my story, and Milo? He's not talking. You'll just have to take my word for it.
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