A few days ago, Dougie (our 1.5 year old tri-colored Collie) was out playing with the other dogs in our yard. In case you're not acquainted with them, the other memebers of our pack consists of three Shetland Sheepdogs: Declan (alpha boy), his mother Lyric and the former meek 'n mild Lily, who now takes no crap from Declan. But, that's ripe fodder for aother observation.

Anyway, the pack was out & running around the back 40. As is the norm, activities usually consist of Deckie (a.k.a. Declan) chasing Dougie full speed around the yard, undoutedly instilling in him the law of the pack: he's alpha, and Dougie being the newest/youngest must adhere to the rules he lays down. (See Deckie Rules With an Iron Paw.) So it's back & forth through the yard, Dougie always being chased, with an occasional sidetrip up to our deck. I assume the deck trip is actually an attempt by Dougie to get Deckie off his tail; Dougie can bound off the bottom landing and up the next two steps in a sigle leap. Since the smaller Deckie is reticent about making such a leap, Dougie must feel safe...at least for a few precious seconds. Then, it's back into the fray as Dougie jumps down the two steps and accelerates off into the yard again, Deckie hot on his heals.

We decided to watch these antics, the bride & I, by sitting on the steps, not realizing we'd be in the direct line of fire for the two aforementioned maniacs.

There went Dougie, and then Deckie chasing him at full tilt through the yard. Suddenly, Dougie decided to make on of his side-trips up to the deck.. Trying to turn on a dime, he lept onto the wood landing and at that point I think his feet skidded a bit. I say that because when he tried to perform his leap up the two steps, he miscalculated and ran straight into my bride, knocking her over onto her back. She looked like a running back on a football field who had just gotten clothes-lined. I helped her up & while doing so Dougie "ejected" himself from the deck & got back into his speed functions with Dougie.

The bride was none the worse for her ordeal, suffering scrapes on her neck and arm, and Dougie seemed non-plussed over the entire incident. She said all she saw as he literally barrelled into he was "his big black head."

Based on injuries sustaijned, I expect to be questioned by the local police when my bride is seen in public with the suspicious marks on her person.