I nearly lost my best friend tonight...

Nixon managed to get out, via the pile of branches and weeds that Jorgia and i had piled up at the back corner of the yard. He climbed up on top of the pile, then jumped over the fence. This was a pile of weeds and rubbish, that included a LOT of thorns.

That can't have felt nice.

I was sitting here in the lounge, on the laptop, when i looked around for Nixon and got worried because i had not seen him in a few minutes. I went outside and called out for him. It was dark, but i could hear him rustling around in leaves etc...i called out for him and he came bouncing across the yard towards me like he always does...so i turned around and headed back inside...but he did not follow.

So i went back out, and heard more rustling in the rubbish/leaves...and then nothing. I walked in the dark out to that back corner of the section, calling him...and then i heard rustling and him running around panting, in the neighbours yard.

I called and called for him to come back. He ignored me, and then there was no noise.

I rang Jorgia, upset, to see how far away from coming home they were, because i needed the girls to go looking for him. They were on their way here so i told them to look out for him.

He has no idea about busy roads...and i could hear the traffic on a busy road nearby from down the back of the section by the fence. The houses that back on to ours, are on a busy road...so i found out tonight.

I was down the back, still calling out for him, and i heard him run back down the driveway of the house that backs on to ours and running around in their backyard...so i ignored the bracelet, and jumped the fence. Nixon then proceeded to run back up their driveway, with me chasing him and calling him.

There were a couple, walking along the busy road with their Dalmations, and when they saw me, in my jammies, on a busy road yelling for Nixon...they pointed me in the right direction. They had seen Nixon...and pointed to where he was...on the side of the road.

Nixon then proceeded to run away from me...right into traffic. I ran out in front of cars...in my jammies...waving my arms...and grabbed Nixon, who had decided to just stop, and sit there and stare at me, in the middle of the road.

I grabbed him, and waved at the cars, as a thank you for stopping and not killing both Nixon and I...i yelled a thank you to the Dalmation walkers...then i ran back down the driveway of the house that backs on to ours...chucked Nixon over the fence...then jumped it again, myself...i then levelled the pile of rubbish/weeds/thorns...with my bare hands...lets not forget the Nixon poos that was in there as well...

...and now here we are.

I don't know if i want to cuddle him or kick his butt right now.

Thank you God...for keeping Nixon safe tonight. He had been out there on that busy road by himself for a good ten or fiftenn minutes. Thank you for sending him back to me.

He is lying at my feet right now...huffing and puffing, in his sleep, totally ignorant to the danger that he was in, or how upset i was, at the thought of losing him.

I want to kick his butt, like Danny used to when he would get out...but i figure if i do that, and he ever gets out again, then he will be even more determined not to come back. So instead, he got lots of cuddles, and my new rule of him not sleeping in my bed with me, that i decided on today, after waking up to find paw prints on my lovely fresh white sheets...has gone out the door.

Ugh. I can't lose my best mate. Please don't do that again Nixon. I love you too much to lose you. :(

Speaking of best mates...Nicky is visiting me tomorrow!!! Yippeeee...i have not seen her in 3 years, and can't WAIT!

Nicole is back from seeing Eden off. There have been lots of tears, but i think she is going to be ok. We will be saving for her to visit Melbourne at Christmas, and hopefully Eden will be back here to visit her grandma in September. I hope Nicole is ok at school tomorrow. That will be hard for her.

Goodnight x