Sparky

"All this candy!" The grocery bag falls over with a thump as Hannah turns to close the door. "I can't believe I let you talk me into buying all this sugar for the kids."

R.J. laughs, "Like you and I don't get into the baskets almost every time the kids backs are turned!"

Hannah opens and closes the cabinet doors, "Help me find a place to hide the bags before they get home. Please make sure Sparky and Ming can't get to it, chocolate is very bad for animals."

There's so many new smells in the kitchen when Hannah comes in with all the bags I don't know what to sniff first.
R.J. carries the big bag of my food and sits it on the floor by the garage door; the smell of my food hangs in the air. I sniff and nudge as hard as I can but can never find a place where I can pull out even a tiny piece.

Jumping right over my head Ming lands on top of the bag. I want to bark a warning but I know Hannah and R.J. will be mad if I bark in the house.

"Ming! Get away from Sparky's food!" R.J. slapped his hands together, startling the stupid cat. With a snap of her tail she walked out of the kitchen, but I know she'll be back soon enough.

Sitting in a corner out of the way I watch and smell as Hannah walks back and forth putting stuff away. I smell meat and cheese and the green treats I like so much, but mostly I smell candy.

Placing the last package on the counter Hannah calls to R.J. "I think the boys are old enough to have an Easter Egg hunt this year. We could hide those plastic eggs in the yard before we go to church and they could find them after we get home and change clothes."

R.J. came through the garage door, "I guess that would be alright, we could tape the eggs closed so ants can't get to the candy."

Taking three boxes of eggs out of the refrigerator Hannah tells R.J., "You go call the boys I'll get started making dinner and boiling all these eggs. The Easter Bunny is going to be very busy here this year."

All the wonderful smells making me hungry I slip through my little door into the garage and began eating my own dinner.
Scratch, sniff, snuffle…Strange sounds coming from under the car! There's a strange animal under the car!

Barking and scratching at the floor in front of the car I try to pull myself forward but I'm to big to fit all the way under the little car.

Grooowwwlllll! Hisssss! The animal slowly backs away from me toward the front door
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"What's all the racket about!?" R.J. leans over and grabs my collar. "What's wrong with you Sparky?" "Stop all this!"

I sit still but I don't like it, I can see the animal's eyes glowing in the darkness under the car.

As I watch the animal turns and waddles from under the car and out the door.

"A raccoon! Hannah! there was a raccoon under the car and Sparky almost got to it!" R.J. yells.

Hannah leans over to give me a hug and ruffle my ears, "We'll have to be very careful letting him and the boys play outside until we can get some one here to trap the raccoon. I don't want to have to worry about that animal having rabies and maybe biting someone."

"C'mon Sparky, lets go back in the house we don't want you tangling with that old raccoon tonight. I know what a tough guy you are but that's a wild animal and he could have rabies." Picking me up R.J. closes the door and latches my little door so I can't get out.

Still mad at the strange animal that came into my home I think the best place for me to be is right by the door so I can hear or smell him if he dares to come back. Lying with my nose to the bottom of the door I drift off to sleep.

Soon it's morning and Hannah is the first to come into the kitchen where I am still lying by the door, "Sparky, are you still waiting for that old raccoon? I know you want to go out but you need to be on a leash until someone traps the raccoon."

Stopping to wipe her feet then dry mine with the old towel Hannah calls the boys, "Gregory! Jay! Come on! You're going to be late again!" Turning to me she whispers, "Go get them out of bed Sparky!"

I hear Gregory giggling as I jump on the bed. Snuffeling and sniffing while wiggling under the covers always wakes the boys up and I know I'll get a hug when I finally dig under far enough to find them. Covering Gregory's whole face with kisses makes him laugh out loud.

It took me a little while to reach Jay, he was wrapped tightly in the covers. I find a little hole way down on the bottom and wiggle my way all the way to the top where I am able to give him lots of kisses and make him laugh too.

Gregory sits up next to me, "Jay do you think the Easter Bunny will come tonight?"

Jays head popped through the hole in his shirt, "I don't know, Mom said he might. I sure hope he does."

Racing each other down that long hall someone tripped and we all ended up in a pile.

"Boys! What have you been told abut stomping and running in the house! Get up and walk the rest of the way down the hall!" R.J. sounded annoyed.

Jay stops and leans on the wall, "Dad why do we have to get up on a Saturday?

"We told you last night your mother and I have to work, I'm very sure Grammy will load you up with junk food and let you watch cartoons all day. You guys will love it. Let's go!" R.J. opens the front door.

"The trapper will be here this morning to set a trap for the raccoon, make sure someone takes Sparky out and latches the doggie door when you bring him in. I'm late for work already, I'll see you later." R.J. closed the door and I watched through the window as he walked to the car.

"O.K. Guys, lets go. I don't want to be late for work too." Hannah opens the door and everyone rushes out.
A little while later a truck pulls in the drive and a stranger gets out. He walks to the door and I bark a loud warning, but he doesn't leave. He walks back to the truck and pulls out a big box.

Barking as loud and angrily as I can I'm surprised when the man just goes to the back of the house where I can't see him.

Pretty soon he gets back in the truck and leaves, but he doesn't have the box.

Running from window to window I can't see the box anywhere. I don't like strange men walking around our yard and leaving boxes.

Sitting with my chin resting the window sill I am soon joined by Ming. The silly cat walks back and forth in front of and over my nose until I bark and snap a warning. That cat never runs out of ways to annoy me.

It's dark when the family comes home and R.J. takes me out on my leash. The box that the strange man left looks like the box that I ride in when we travel, and has food in the middle. I sniff and rummage around in the bushes growing along the fence but there's no scent or sign of the raccoon.

There's barely time play and wrestle with Gregory and Jay before dinner is ready. Hannah brings my food bowl just inside the kitchen door and I am able to have my dinner with my family.

I hear the sniffing at the same time I catch the scent of the raccoon. He is just on the other side of the door! Barking a warning to my family I try to jump through my little door but it's still locked. I hear the raccoon hiss and growl then my nose tells me he is moving away.

"Sparky! Stop! Be quiet!" Hannah held my collar while R.J. opened the door just as the raccoon waddled around the corner of the garage and into the bushes.

I'm still upset and sniffing at the windows and the bottom of the door after my family finished dinner and settles down for the night. I sleep by the door again just to be sure I'll know should the raccoon come back again.

"Happy Easter! Hey Sparky, the Easter Bunny brought us baskets with candy and colored eggs! He brought you one too!" Jay and Gregory run into the kitchen carrying baskets full of goodies.

Gregory puts one on the floor in front of me. I can smell doggie treats and carefully pull one out, tail wagging on fast speed.

"Look Mom, Sparky likes his basket!" Jay laughs and rubs my head.

"I'm glad he approves. The Easter Bunny loves Sparky too. Hurry and get dressed now, Dad is taking you to church this morning, I'll be there a little later." Hannah already has her pretty clothes on.

After everyone leaves Hannah pulls another basket out of the cabinet. "Sparky you and I can get these prize eggs hidden in the yard now." She opens the door and I rush out first, I want to make sure the raccoon is gone.

"Sparky! Come here! Stay by me just in case that animal is still around, I don't want you to go after it." Hannah points to the ground next to her and I know she means she wants me to sit right there. I'm not happy about it but I sit and sniff the air trying to catch his scent.

Sitting in the same spot I watch as Hannah moves from plant to bush hiding the eggs.

There he is! The raccoon! He is just on the other side of the box and Hannah doesn't see him and is getting to close, she is in danger!

Barking and growling as mean as I can, I run past Hannah and put myself between her and the raccoon. He suddenly stands on his hind legs and holds his front paws out which shows me his big nails. This stops me for a moment; I have never seen an animal up on its hind legs like a human and stand its ground like that.

Every hair on my body is standing on end as I lower my head and slowly move forward growling down deep. I am warning the raccoon I will attack if he does not back up. I hear Hannah yelling at me to stop but I can't, I have to make the animal go away before he hurts her.

Still hissing the raccoon slowly drops his front feet to the ground and begins to back up. I rush forward and just before I can get to him the animal turns and tries to run.

Scrambling around the bottom of the bush I chase the raccoon into the thick bush where the strange man put the box.
Clank! The door on the box slams shut! The raccoon snarls and spits, I can hear him snapping at the metal door.

I growl and bark while circling the box. The raccoon is trapped inside but still hissing and growling. It looks like he can't get out but I'm still so upset I just keep trying to get to him.

Hannah grabs my collar and drags me into the house, my hackles are still raised and I'm still breathing hard.

"Calm down Sparky!" You got that old raccoon. He's trapped now, he's gone." Hannah holds me in her lap, but I wish I could still be out in the yard.

Hannah picks up the phone "I'm sorry to bother you on Easter but you can come back and get your trap now. My little hero chased that old raccoon right into it."

Giving me a big hug Hannah says, "I would have been bitten for sure if Sparky had not jumped between us and charged the raccoon, he wasn't afraid of the nasty animal at all."

Reaching into the cabinet and pulling out my box of treats Hannah declared, "We can go and finish hiding those eggs now, but first I believe you have a reward coming to you." And she dumped a bunch of treats into my food bowl.

I don't know what reward means but if it comes with treats I'm all for it.