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| "Officer, I was only looking around for a place to stop." |
We were getting close to Arkansas when we decided to stop and fill up in Nevada, Missouri.
We got off I-49 one exit early and thought we might connect to Nevada (Ne-vay-da to us locals) on the old highway. The streets were almost deserted - with an emphasis on almost. Soon a police car lit up behind us and stopped us.
I could only roll down Sassy's window because mine froze up weeks ago. So I began talking to the officer about our search for gasoline. He checked out my pristine driving record (no arrests) and came back without his writing pad. Good news so far.
He was very friendly and asked if he could pet Sassy. I am sure Sassy was giving him those loving eyes she uses on everyone. He petted her a while and said, "I will drive you to the nearest gas station. Follow me."
He took us north on I-49 a mile, the south on I-49, then into Nevada to the gas station, doing a U-turn and driving away, waving.
Singing Our Song
Sassy signals her need to stop with a high-pitched sound, not loud, but distinctive and lasting.
We answered by saying we were close and not to worry. Sassy's Cattle Dog style chattering began with certain mutterings mixed with high-pitched sounds.
Only four or five minutes to Ne-vay-da,
Please don't get wet on the seat
Mama will cry from the mess you make
Please wait longer for goodness sake...
(45 Minutes from Broadway)
Sassy sang and murmured along with me. My mother had us write variations in poems. At the end of her life, after a broken hip, she composed poems on the fly as we wheeled her through the nursing home where she was recovering. The staff was stunned, because she used a poetic meter and rhymed everything as she rolled along.
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| This is Sassy's response to being in trouble. "No one could possibly be upset with me." |