Sandy’s Moving Day

With the dawning of the new day, Sandy was just waking up. Still half asleep, she felt odd. Like there was something exciting that was going to happen. But she could not quite put her paw on what it was. As she did her morning stretch, she heard a loud noise, with strange voices coming from outside. She perked up her ears and cocked her head to the side to listen. Wondering what was going, she looked out the bedroom window and saw a big truck parked in front of the house. Men were carrying her family’s furniture out of the house and into the truck. Then she remembered, “Today is moving day! We are moving to the country!” she barked with great joy. Excited, she ran down stairs. Everyone seemed to be busy taking things outside to the big moving truck. In and out. In and out; it was making her dizzy.

“Good morning Sandy,” said Andy. “Are you ready to move to our new home?” Sandy replied with a big woof and wagged her tail. “We better double check your moving box, that all of your things are packed and ready to go. Let’s see…bed, blanket, food, dishes, brush, toy’s, leash.”

“Don’t forget my favorite red ball,” Sandy said, as she carried it to her box. “Yes, everything is ready to go.” Suddenly Andy’s tone changed to sorrow….

The family was all packed and ready to go. As they pulled up to the new home, Andy yelled out, “We’re here! Welcome to your new home Sandy.” She wagged her tail and woofed.

Just then, the moving truck pulled up, and the men jumped out and started to take the furniture into the new home. There were boxes and furniture everywhere. “We are going to be very busy unpacking,” Andy told her. “I think it would be a good idea, if you were in the backyard; so that you would be out of the way, and not get hurt. You go play with your ball, and I will call you when lunch is ready. But don’t wonder off.” So, off Sandy went to the back yard, to play. After a while, Sandy started to get hungry. It seemed like a long time, but finally, Andy did call her to come in for lunch.

Afterwards, Sandy went back outside to play. She went over to where she had left her red ball and it was gone. “That’s odd?” she thought. “I left my ball right here. Where could it be?” So, she began to search for it. No, it’s not by the flower pot. No, it’s not by the fence. “Maybe it’s in the front yard?” No, it wasn’t there either. She looked all around the outside of the house, but no ball. Puzzled, she laid down, and wondered what could have happened to her ball? Sadly, she gave out a big sigh. She decided to pray for help. “Dear God, first we had to move, then I had to leave my friend Brody behind, and now I lost my favorite red ball. What is going to happen next? Can you please help me? Thank you, Amen.”

After a little while, she thought to herself, “lying here is not going to help me find my ball. I did not look over by the big trees yet. Maybe it will be there.”

As she looked around, she suddenly heard rustling noises up in the tree top. She looked up and heard a loud sneeze, a-a-choo. Out popped a squirrel. “Hello,” said the little squirrel. “My name is P-P-Peanut,” with another sneeze….

“Oh, thank you for finding my food. How can I ever repay you?”

“Well,” Sandy said, “I have lost my favorite toy, a red ball. I had left it in my back yard and when I came out to play, it was gone. Have you seen it?”

“No, but I will keep my eye out for it,” Peanut said with another sneeze.

“Thank you,” said Sandy, “and I will say a prayer for you to get better.” And off she went to continue the search.

Sandy thought to herself, “My ball has to be here somewhere. It just couldn’t have walked away. Maybe if I go a little bit into the woods, I will find it.”