Thoughts to ponder, continued

I was out riding my bike yesterday and for the first time in a long time had a canine experience. I used to carry pepper spray for fleeing from dogs, but haven't done so in many years. It seems as things become more urban, people have less of a tendency to let there dogs run loose. Thus it has been quite a while since my adrenalin has spiked from a pursuing dog. That brings me back to yesterday. Riding along, not on a rural road where I would be more wary of a dog, but in a developed area, I hear barking, look go my left and see a large German Shepherd mix bounding across the lawn angling toward me. Shifting into fear mode, I sped up and once past the property, looked back to see he had stopped. And that brings to me the thought to ponder.

If a person has their yard perimeter monitored by one of those invisible fences, does it really keep a dog inside? Does the dog simply sense it and stop? But will a large dog, traveling between fifteen and twenty miles an hour, bounding across the lawn, simply stop? Or because of his speed, will he hit the invisible barrier and be through it before he has a chance to stop? I know I could probably do a google search and spend time searching for answers, but I am content to ponder it on my own.

People

First let me say that the last entry was made on the first of April. No more needs to be said.

Now onto this post. Last week at this time we were on our way back from north central Pennsylvania where we were searching court records for clues to our ancestry. For anyone who wasn't there and wishes to consult a map, we were in Wellsboro and Blossburg looking for info on our forefathers who resided in Morris Run. On the map it will look like it is out in the middle of nowhere, and that is because it is. As for who "we" is, besides myself, it included my brother Rick, my brother Bob and his wife Judy. Of course that probably makes up more than half my readership, so I should probably include something in this entry that would interest them too. But first let me explain why I am making this entry. I should have made an entry or two while at the hotel, but we were always busy and I kept putting it off, being the procrastinator that I am. That is a topic for another entry which I will get to at another date. This entry is again about people. Again, you may ask. Yes, again. My last entry was about drivers, this time it is about people in general. At least people who reside in the area of Pennsylvania we were visiting. It is just an observation. Everyone, and that is everyone, without exception, that we came in contact with was genuinely nice. It was like a breath of fresh air to have such cordial unhurried contact with other members of the human race. Helpful and accommodating without reservation. It may sound like it is an unusual experience for me, and that is because it is unusual.

But the whole trip couldn't have gone by without some person trying my patience. On the way home Rick and I pulled into a gas station somewhere in PA off of I-80. All the pumps were taken and we pulled behind a minivan with out of state plates. The hose wasn't in the car, so we figured the vehicle would be moving soon so we could get our gas. BUT NOOOOOOO! The woman and her kids were inside the minimart. So we have to wait til she comes out, gets the kids in the car and then takes two or three tries to maneuver around the car in front of her. Rick will attest to my lack of patience with her. I have encountered these people before. "Oh, I won't be more than a minute in the store so I can leave my car anywhere I want." Inconsiderate white trash.

Okay, I have said my piece.

WaWa incident

A couple weeks ago I was at WaWa getting gas and then went inside for a cup of coffee. I do like their coffee. I used to like 7-11, but now prefer WaWa. But I digress. After coming out of the store I got in my truck and found I was blocked in by someone else's car. They were parked illegally, which is a topic for another entry. I was going to sit there and wait for them and then give them a stare when they came out, but decided instead to try to get around them. I pulled up as far as I could go and then managed to inch my way around them as I backed out. As I cleared the car by inches I felt like it would have been better if I had just plowed into it. It is at these times I wish I had a rubber car. Anyway I made it out of the space, backing out around the car, and as I shifted into drive I saw the driver of the car walking toward it. I gave him a look and then drove off. Well, I thought it would end there. Yesterday I am sitting reading a book when there is a knock on the door. I open it to a cop who asks if that is my truck in the driveway. I said yes, and then he asked if he could come in. At this time my knees were weak. He explained that someone said I was a hit and run driver, and then that it was someone at the local WaWa who was making the complaint. I then went through the whole thing with him about being blocked and maneuvering around the car without hitting it. He seemed to believe me, saying that the guy who made the complaint couldn't show any damage on the car or anything, but they had to followup anyway. He told me not to worry about it, and if there was anything else he would contact me. So, now I sit and hope that it is all in the past.