Today I had the pleasure of reading an essay titled “It Takes A Village” at https://athingirl.com/2025/12/11/it-takes-a-village/. Please stop by for a touch of Christmas Spirit.

That being said, I had my own village experience today, and I’m still thawing out from it since this afternoon.

On my way home from work, my neighbor texted me a photo from his Ring camera. A dog had shown up, and he was wondering if I knew who it was. Thankfully, I did. It was Scout, the rambunctious terrier mix, who had a hard time adjusting to life in an adoptive home. Little by little, she’s been getting better… just not today.

I pulled into my driveway and, lo and behold, there she was, right on my lawn. That lasted about two seconds. I called her name. She stopped. I walked toward her. She ran.

My phone dinged again. Another neighbor had been alerted and was heading out to drive around looking for Scout. Great! Meanwhile, I was now playing chase with Scout, who had managed to make it two blocks away in the freezing cold.

I knocked on the owner’s door. She was delighted to see me until she realized Scout was roaming the neighborhood solo. Mind you, it’s freezing, I’m 61, and I’ve been playing tag with a four-legged escape artist for a solid 20 minutes. So when she asked, “How did she get out of the yard?” I honestly don’t know what my face said, but my mouth stayed shut.

Just then, my knight in shining armor arrived, or rather, a white Volvo with every amenity known to man, including heated seats. Bless him. I climbed in, and we resumed the hunt in the lap of luxury.

The owner jumped in her own car, and off we all went. On our third lap around the neighborhood, we spotted Scout. I leapt out of my chariot for yes, another thrilling round of tag.

After “running” through yard after yard, Scout finally headed straight to her front door. I tiptoed, praying not to spook her, opened the door, and let her in. Mission accomplished… mostly.

Now it was time to call the owner, who is elderly and driving. After what felt like a million redials, she finally answered. I told her Scout was safely inside the house, warm and unapologetic.

I waited on the porch like a giant popsicle while my other neighbor, and those glorious heated seats, drove off to run errands. As I walked home, one thought crossed my mind:

“What if someone captured this insanity on their camera?” OH MY GOD!

By the time I finally made it home, frozen, windblown, and rethinking my entire personality, I decided two things. First, Scout is extremely lucky that she’s adorable. Second, if your Ring camera captured a woman running through your yard, yelling “SCOUT” with increasing desperation, that footage is fake news.

Enjoy the Ride!