This is the backstory. I have a litany of issues in my life that I have to address. One of them is caring for Ginger, my 80 lbs. Irish Setter. Ginger is only four years old but has faced some medical issues in the past couple of years. Those health concerns required me to take her to Purdue Veterinary Teaching Hospital twice in the past two years. While those issues are being held in abeyance by a handful of different prescriptions, Ginger is doing well. In addition to Ginger’s pills, we still circumnavigate the lake on which we live everyday early in the morning. It takes an hour each day, and she loves it. It is good for Ginger’s health along with mine.

Every morning, usually before 7 am, will find us doing our exercise routine. Ginger has a special collar that she wears every morning when we circumnavigate the lake. I can get her attention by clicking a small handheld device that will cause the collar to vibrate or emit a small shock. When on our walks, Ginger will try pick up all sorts of items from dead baby rabbits to goose poop some of these side dishes will make her sick. The collar lets her know, that while she might enjoy the goose poop, not to touch it.

Last weekend, we were doing our early morning routine. I inadvertently dropped the clicker. When we got home, I realized what I had done. The next day, Frank Martinez called me.

Frank is a good and trusted friend. A couple years ago, he went out of his way to help to push me out of snow drift and ice on a road in our subdivision. When I needed to make some changes in my will, Frank was there. He will always go the extra mile.

...but Frank is on the road.

When the phone rang, it was Frank. He started the conversation, “I found….” He didn’t need to go any further. I knew that he found the clicker. It didn’t have my name or address on it. However, he posted my lost clicker on www.nextdoor.com and asked if anyone lost it. Jodi replied to Frank’s question and said it might be Al Campbell’s clicker for Ginger.

That evening Frank came by with my clicker.

Ginger said, “That’s Frank. He’s a nice guy. Now, Frank and I can play.”

Now, this is an addendum. Anyone that reads my website will know my fascination with evil eyes. No one in America has more evil eyes than I do. The ancient Greeks shared my fascination about evil eyes. Hesiod, Plato, Plutarch, Pliny the Elder, etc. all mentioned them in their writings. Evil eyes were designed to keep evil spirits or misfortunes away from those that have them…including dogs.

However, my clicker didn’t have one, but it does now.

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