Under the Arch

New neighbors moved into my building about a month ago, and though we had waved at each other, I hadn't met or talked to them though their dog had introduced herself as only a dog can...with a nose in the crotch. ;) I love dogs, but I wasn't exactly thrilled that another dog was moving into the building. The girl who lived in the apartment before them also had a dog, and though she was sweet, she was dumb as hell and barked at me every time she heard me, no matter how long I lived there or how many times we saw each other. That got a little old.
The new puppy, Hesta, is a lab/springer spaniel mix and as soon as she sits still long enough, I'll take her picture. ;) She's already provided me with a couple of funny stories. Saturday, I was going down to the basement to take clothes out of the dryer when her door popped open and out bounded Hesta all "Are we going outside? Cool!" (Why yes, dogs do talk like teenagers. Shuddup.) She ran downstairs and I went after her, expecting one of the girls to yell her name. Apparently they weren't home and Hesta has decided that I am one of her people. So, I let her out to pee, making sure the gates were closed and took my clothes out of the dryer, came back up to the back door and she was sitting there waiting for me to open it. When I did, she bounded up the stairs, waiting for me on the landing before bounding up to our apartments on the top floor. lol We had a moment of confusion when I tried to explain that she had to go into HER home and not mine (I'm sure my cat would LOVE that!) and I made sure her door was latched securely this time.
Then, tonight, I was watching tv and I could hear her whining on the balcony, so I went to investigate and found that she had managed to knock a tennis ball into the rain gutter. Like a giant dork, I climbed over the railing that seperates the balconies and fished the ball out while Hesta watched intently. I've fallen in love with my neighbor's dog. All it took was a doggy grin around a tennis ball that I rescued from the gutter. That is so pathetic. ;)