bernie from the block

You will find that you meet some interesting people and other creatures when you are a runner. I like to give them names (some of them I actually know their real names). Today's creature I have named Bernie from the Block.

Bernie is a dog (his name is actually Bernie). He is an indestructible, evasive maneuvering, wonder that confuses and amuses me. Bernie is my neighbor. He is a black and white anklebitter bitty thing. His owners let him out without supervision or a leash and he roams the block. He lifts his bitty leg on every tree, noses in everyone's front yards, eagerly greets his canine blockmates with butt sniffing abandon, and on occasion, I find him chillin' out in my garage or on my front porch. I open the door to venture out for a morning run....hello Bernie. I run around the hood in the evening...Bernie runs with me down the block. Bernie often gets distracted easily, so he doesn't last long on my runs, but he is entertaining for the the short time he is my companion. I often end my run in front of his house, and he runs out to greet me as if to say "Way to go Betsy! You finished...you are the bets! (Kate that one was for you)" I usually just pat him on the head, give him a high five, and happily head home. Now, if you have spent any time at my house, you know I live on a VERY sharp VERY blind curve in the street. Bernie confuses me...HOW in the world does he not end up a Bernie pancake?! Seriously WHAT is it with this little rat dog that makes him indestructible?! People drive around that curve like they are in the Indy 500, and Bernie still lives. There really needs to be a study on this dog....he has some kind of freakish internal radar that warns him....INCOMING!!!!...and he just steps calmly out of the way. I want that radar.
Anyway...these are some of the things I ponder when I run. Hopefully you have a dog or other friendly woodland creature that keeps you company on your runs/walks. Next time, I'll tell you about the dog that saved my life on a run in the Ozarks (I haven't named him yet)....or Gatorade Guy...or the Porch Posse.....etc., etc., etc.