Rule Buster

Since Bella has entered our lives she has lived mostly at the lake, free to roam, explore and chase wildlife. But the harsh reality of living a more restricted life style in a town home complex has definitely slowed her down. With a new set of rules and restrictions Bella has spent an enormous amount of her energy rushing from window to window wishing for more outdoor time. Her desire surges with each passing hour to chase wildlife and catch those geese swimming in the nearby pond.

There is no doubt in my mind that too much indoor time had finally got the best of Bella. It was time for her to hatch THE ESCAPE PLOT! And today was the the moment she had been waiting for. In fact it all happened so fast as a blur of yellow-brown fur whizzed by me-out the door and then she was gone in a flash!

All I could think of was the town home manual...

Section VII: Pets

#13. All homeowners must keep all pets leashed or under restraint while outdoors to comply with City Ordinances

My biggest fears were: Did she really know where our house was? And would I find her before she got to a busy street?

As I yelled her name multiple times I did spy her from a distance. She glanced at me with a defiant look and continued running off in a different direction. There was no stopping her. Several neighbors seeing my plight tried to be helpful pointing... I saw her go this way! No look she is over there! Wait.. I think I saw her there!

My poor head began to swim feeling the insurmountable odds.

Finally after a bit of time my husband managed to capture a very drenched dog just as she emerged from the pond. We no doubt had spoiled her fun since she finally reached the prize...those geese she had been looking at all afternoon out the patio door.

Of course I never did see any remorse for these hi jinks.

The irony of this afternoon adventure is I had just settled in with a new book called Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris. I had read several reviews of this best seller book and was intrigued by the title. If only Bella could read she would love the hearing these collection of woodland animal stories where the creatures who have human characteristics interact humorously with each other. Often the stories appear to be like fables but what the author has created is a modern bestiary (new word look up its meaning). Add the book to your list.

_____________________________________________________________________

Grilling continues with nice Fall weather. Try this easy recipe

Grilled Chicken and Veggie Tortellini

Ingredients:

• 4 small zucchini cut lengthwise
• 2 tomatoes chopped in chunks and seeded
• 1 green pepper chopped and seeded
• 1 small package of mushrooms
• 1 container of pesto found in refrigerated section
• 1 large package of cheese filled tortellini (use colored mixed kind)
• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 1-2 tsp. ground Italian herb seasoning

Directions:

• Preheat grill
• Season tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, pepper with herb seasoning
• Grill chicken and roast veggies in a steamer on the grill
• Let stand 10 minutes
• Cook tortellini according to package directions
• Chop chicken and toss all with pesto
• Grate Parmesan over top of pasta mixture
• Serve immediately

Note: use pesto sparingly-taste till achieve right flavor intensity