Extra Sunshine

I just want to add the person we just encountered on a walk tonight as a bit of extra sunshine (sorely needed this time of year) today! Suddenly someone turned up behind us from an adjoining road in the dark, and as I tried to hurry along Monster needed to stop and contemplate nature for a while. The man and dog were closing in on us while I was frantically struggling to open a bag (why are they so impossible to find a way into - it's easier to break them than open them from the top!) and keep an eye on where Monster was crouching in the dark, not daring to call out to them to ask if they could please just wait a moment - since I know that's exactly what sends Monster (literally) barking mad at a nasty surprise in the dark. He hadn't yet spotted them approaching (well, he was busy after all) and I had a slight hope (vanishing quickly in my struggles with the resisting plastic bag) that we could still get away quickly enough. But whoever it was stopped at a distance and waited for us to finish! That's a kindness I've learned to not expect from most people, and certainly not unprompted! I was so happy and relieved (as was Monster, hehehe I'm soooo funny!), and called out a thank you as we managed to finish and started walking again. So nice! Whoever you were, thank you!

Wait... You mean someone was watching me!?

And Monster spotted them while I was searching through the dark (Must. Bring. Flashlight!) but stayed (relatively) calm! He didn't hesitate to turn his back on them and walk away, and while he did want to keep glancing behind us to check they weren't creeping up for a sneak attack he could also focus quite well on some impromptu obedience training instead. Great little five minutes in our day!