judy did not come running

Last night, while watching Kathy Griffin My Life on the D-List, I had an awful feeling that Judy was not in the backyard. That she had escaped.

I yelled at Jake that I think Judy is out, so we both ran out to the backyard and whistled for her.

She was NOT in her usual top of the stairs spot.
She did NOT come running from around the side yard.
She did NOT come running from over by the garage.

I just knew that she was not in our yard.

I remembered that earlier I had opened the white gate in the side yard to have her run around the front yard. I had also propped open the front porch door for her to run inside. She didn't want to come inside so we both ran to the backyard and I played with her for 15 minutes.

It was hard to remember the exact sequence for everything but I thought I had left her outside and I came inside.

As Jake runs into the backyard to go looking for her in the back alley, I sprinted to the front of the house, out the front door to check the white gate and look for her in the front.

As I ran through the propped open porch door and onto the side yard - the white gate was shut! This was good but it meant that maybe the back gate was open! Oh no!

I ran into the backyard and Judy comes running to me!!!!! JUDY!!!!!

As Jake ran to the back gate (which was closed as well!) Judy was standing there wagging her tail at him!! She had somehow gotten out and looked like she was just waiting for us!

Turns out, after we played in the backyard we BOTH came back inside. I had forgotten to shut the porch door and apparently she just walked outside and had about 15 minutes of FREEDOM.

Where did she go? What did she do? She has sorta done this before.

All I know is that she is the most wonderful dog ever and I love her.

I mean, she saves Max on Christmas Day and now she is taking trips around the block by herself!

She is so good -- she didn't run around the neighborhood, or to Hamline Avenue, or get hurt. She somehow made her way to the back alley (found the one house that doesn't have a fence around their yard) and just waited for us to come and play with her.

Of course she could have just walked back through the front door, but that is totally not as exciting!