Bounding deer and a shoe in my sock

I have been taking the dogs walking daily, unless its stormy. Two days passed with either thunderstorms or pouring rain so by yesterday the dogs were more than ready for their daily sojourn into the woods.

We hadnt been walking long when it felt like I had a rock in my shoe....no time then to stop and get it out...just shake the foot and keep moving. It seems like I am always the last to see whatever wildlife is out there...the dogs are wayyyy ahead of me on that score.

Lady, who is never the lead dog in the pack started straining to get ahead of me (huh?) When I looked up not 20ft in front of us was a female mule deer...a big girl. By this time the rest of the crew had seen her too and she took off like a shot...not running mind you but bouncing, all four feet off the ground and gone. I stood there in shock for a minute : who would think a deer could hop?? The dogs investigated every hoof print and were more than ready to give chase but I still feel like they are out of their league when it comes to chasing game that weighs hundreds of pounds more than they do,so we turned for home. ( The "rock " in my shoe was getting a bit uncomfortable by then, so it was a good excuse to end the walk ).

Back to the house, off with the shoe and ...no rock. Hmmmm. Ok off with the socks and what fell out was a shoe. There are teeny-tiny Barbie dolls that Bella and Ellie love...and they come with even teeny-tinier shoes. For the most part ( choking hazard doncha know ) the shoes always get tossed in the garbage. Not just because of the choking issue but because when you step on them barefoot it hurts like the devil. How this one made it into my sock and all the way across the country is beyond me. But I am not tossing this one....it brings my girls to mind so I will keep it, just not in my socks.