Thunderstorm and the Inevitable Pastel

I spent the afternoon with Diana doing another pastel. It doesn't seem possible that I could love each one better than the last, but I guess I do. Before going over to Diana's I picked up my studio, which had become so cluttered I couldn't find anything. The day started out quite cool, so I also dug some holes in the "garden" out front. Sydney offered to give me some plants from her prolific garden, and I wanted to get ready for them before I dug them up. Soon the cool air brought clouds and then a thunderstorm. I had to abandon my outdoor project and go inside. The dogs were very uneasy and follwed me around until I finally sat down on the couch with them. Lytton was very happy to have some comfort, and rounded up most of his toys to join him in the safety of my lap.

This was not a particularly good day as far as the dogs' neighborhood reputation goes. Wuile I was working outside, a woman with two dogs went by and stopped to talk. I had closed only the outside door, and when the dogs heard the other dogs they flew through the door. Benny attacked the dogs, and then Patrick and Lytton joined in. Even though he didn't know quite what was going on, Patrick did a good job of barking and looking macho. I grabbed Benny from the fray, but couldn't handle anything else until I put him in the house. Meanwhile the poor woman was trying to get her little dogs away. After I threw Benny in the house and got Lytton's leash, I ran back outside and found the man across the street (Max's owner, I think) running toward the scene and yelling at the dogs. I managed to get Lytton on the leash and the woman relaxed, since Patrick was just trying to figure out what to do to join in the fun. The man made a quiet but irritable exit. I was too embarrassed to say anything, and the woman was heading away as fast as she could anyway. I slunk into the house with Lytton, followed by the exuberant Patrick who still seemed to think it was all a big game.
So much for my setting an example as a responsible dog owner. "Let he who is without sin....etc."

Lytton got out again at the end of the afternoon and returned with spahgetti sauce all over his face. He was whining a little, and I was paranoid enough to think that perhaps Max's owner had put poison out for him. He seems okay now, though, so I guess the spaghetti sauce was just too spicey for him.