Today is Saturday, as I’m sure most of you already know. As per our usual routine, Mom and I walked up to have coffee at Carlene’s The Gathering Place this morning. Afterward we walked down to the Sunken Garden to enjoy the festivities of Atascadero’s Colony Days. Before we even got up to have coffee, however, we first had to endure a bit of drama: a loose dog (I believe he was an English Pointer.) decided to attach himself to us and while we kept trying to get him to go home, he would instead run out into the street, nearly getting hit several times. His sad condition was a concern: he was very skinny – we could see his bumpy spine and boney hips – he limped and he had a bad scrape on his lower back that looked fresh. We guessed this poor animal had either been missing from his home for a long time (he had a collar and tags, after all, he must belong to someone!), or he’d been abandoned. Either way, I couldn’t let him just run around, because he was obviously too stupid to stay out of the street.I finally called him over – which thrilled him no end; I thought he would wag his tail off! – and checked out his I.D. tag. There was a name – Lewis – and a phone number. Because neither of us had a phone, we headed down to the baseball park where there was a payphone, and tried to call the number. Now, maybe it’s just me – I’ll admit I haven’t used a pay phone in a long time – but is it really too much to ask to plop two quarters in the slot, dial the number after getting a dial tone, and expect to be connected to the number you dialed? Apparently so, because I tried and failed five times. Each time, the automated female voice told me to “hang up and try again”. Maybe they just didn’t like my quarters.

Anyway, mom and I finally decided to loose the dog in the baseball diamond, hoping he wouldn’t be able to get out and run into traffic again, when we heard someone whistling. We turned and to our utter relief and joy, saw a red station wagon with a large pet carrier in the back. Obviously, Lewis’ owner had been out looking for him. We cheerfully handed Lewis over, and the owner cheerfully took him back.

“Only had him a week,” the guy said. “He just figured out he can jump the fence!”

Ah, that explains it: the owner just got Lewis from the shelter, and Lewis couldn’t “go home” because once he jumped the fence, he wasn’t sure where “home” was. At least there was a happy ending to this story.

With Lewis safely on his way home, we continued up to Carlene’s The Gathering Place, where we enjoyed our coffee and shared a delicious cranberry muffin. It was after my first sip of coffee I realized that while I had my camera in my jeans pocket, I’d completely spaced on taking a picture of Lewis! I had numerous opportunities for some great doggie pix, and just had a total brain fart. Gah!

Once we finished our breakfast, we headed over to the Sunken Gardens. The parade was still going on, but we weren’t really interested in that. We wandered through the few vendor booths set up around the fountain, then headed over to what I was really interested in seeing: Tent City.

A Barber Shop Quartet sings in the Barber Shop.

Design plan.

Tent City.

Many actors bring Tent City to live every year. They dress, act and speak the part(s) of the first residents of Atascadero.

Spinning demonstration.

It was a gorgeous day for the event, and mom and I had a great time. I even got a few Christmas gift ideas from some of the vendors! Also, I’m feeling much better, thanks to some antibiotics and codeine-infused cough syrup, so it’s all good! It’s all good! 

Happy Saturday!