An old golden retriever

An old golden retriever sat on my porch. I could tell it was an older dog by the white muzzle. As I approached, it watched me and slowly got up. It trotted gingerly away from the house down toward the lake.

It was likely someone dumped the old gal because she was elderly. I lived way too far off the beaten path for her to be lost, but I suppose it is possible. Town was fifty miles away. There was one grocery store and the veterinarian where I could post a flyer if she would stay around.

It was late November and there was snow forecast any day now. I didn’t need a dog or to even be worrying about a stray one. I went back to putting away a few more things in the shed that I should have stored a good month ago.

The next morning, I grabbed a cup of coffee and went outside. I settled in my favorite chair and spied the dog sitting by the shed. Well, no one came looking for her last night and now she’s back. Lovely.

I went back inside to make some breakfast for me and the dog. I scrambled up a half a dozen eggs, fried some bacon, and made some toast. I scooped a majority of the eggs onto a plate and put the rest of them on mine. She wasn’t getting my bacon.

As I suspected, she rose and meandered away as I approached the shed. I put the plate down and returned to my chair. She sat down on the walkway to the house so she could keep an eye on me and that plate of food. While I ate, we watched each other. I went back inside and grabbed my camera. I got several good shots once she no longer could resist those eggs.

Who would just dump an animal? I could not stop this conversation from running around in my head. I wanted to believe she was lost rather than dumped, but folks don’t come up here to go hiking or hunting. And where is her collar? That question made me think of microchipping. If I could get her down to Dr. Frannie’s office, maybe she was chipped. Hopefully, I’d find her owners that way. That is a big if with as skittish as she was.

I went back to chores over the next several days, and the dog stayed nearby but not too close. I shared my meals with her, and she seemed appreciative of my cooking. Each day I put the plate down a little closer to the porch in hopes to get her to come closer. She didn’t seem to mind this, but she always kept me in view.

What did they do to you, sweet girl? Why won’t you come up here on this porch once again?

The nights were getting colder, so I built her a doghouse. I know, I know. She’s my dog now if I am making her a house, right? No, I am just looking out for her. I will get the chip info and get her back to her owners soon enough.

I put her plate in front of the house. Maybe she would go inside tonight.

I went for a walk around the lake. It was a ten-mile path that I had worked hard at clearing. Odds are the next time I came up here it would be on my skis. I was about a quarter of the way around when I encountered a pack of three wolves. In my haste to leave, I had forgotten my gun and bear spray. I knew better. Now what?

I had a large stick I was using for walking. That surely would do me little good with these snarling beasts.

I heard a noise from behind me and thought it was more of the pack, but it was the dog. She came barreling in and barking. The wolves backed up as she took a position in front of me.

“Get back here, girl. Leave them alone,” I said, like she knew what I was saying.

She continued to bark and press toward the wolves.

I didn’t know what to do but stand still.

Usually, wild animals were more afraid of me and would leave whenever I encountered them. This was frightening. Would they attack her and me?

The dog pressed forward and lunged at the wolves, and they turned and fled. I could finally breathe. I kneeled and called her to me, but she stood her ground and just looked at me.

“Well, thank you for sending them on their way.” I patted my leg and said, “Let’s go home.”

She followed me but not too closely.

I cooked two steaks that night, one for each of us. I figured she deserved something nice for a job well done.

The next morning there was a foot of snow on the ground. I looked out the front door and could see her black nose just inside the opening of the doghouse.

I put more logs on the fire and made breakfast. I opened the door to see if I could get her to come inside for her meal. I put the plate just inside the door. I sat down at the table and waited. I gobbled up my breakfast as I was very cold with the door open.

She did the same and gobbled her food as she glanced up at me.

At least this was progress.

That evening, I looked out the window as I was worried about the old gal. She was not in her house. I think she will come around eventually. The two of us loners on top of this mountain.

I was happy to see her over by my chair.

An old golden retriever sat on my porch.

Prompt: ▼

Start and end with An old golden retriever sat on my porch. and use Animal as one genre

Word count: 977