BOOOOOO!

Yesterday's craft fair turned out great. Lots of people, beautiful booth. I had the corner spot in the front room with all the natural light. It was heavenly.

At this point I'll have to back up a little. SACA holds three craft fairs a year in this venue which is across the street from my house. It's really across the street, up a wide lawn and behind a large three storey stone dormitory. In the past when I've been a shopper at these fairs I've brought Monk along, as Sewanee is very dog friendly. So Monk knows about the fair, whether it's indoors or out, and at times when I've taken him home, he has returned on his own to look for me. Last fall when I had a booth outside, James brought him over to visit and left him behind. Within minutes Monk started guarding the booth!!! Agh! Aussies will be aussies. So I took him home. He got out and came back three times.

So yesterday I was very careful not to let him know I even had a booth. He saw me packing and carrying things to the car, but I never took him over. James stayed home with him in the morning and I thought I was in the clear.

Around 10:30 when the hall was jammed with people and there were about 4 people in my booth, I heard a single booming call that could only be one thing. Monk. "BOOOOOO!" he howled. Everyone rubbernecked, but none faster than I. Standing inside the doorway was a spotted dog who, if he could have put his hands on his hips, would have done so. His head was high, scanning the crowd. He had come for me, and seeing a sea of people, he had called me with a single broadcast, one meant for the back 40, not a rather small foyer. When he saw me he was all wiggles and smiles. He had everyone's attention and they were saying, "what kind of dog is that?", "I used to have an aussie, but he was a different color," and "oh, let him stay!!!". Little did they know what that would lead to. I led him to the booth and showed him where I was set up. He smiled and greeted, accepted butt scratches and pets, all sweet and light. But I knew that in 5 minutes time he would have called my corner his own, so back home he went at my heels, probably thinking he was returning me to the fold. I just wish I had had the presence of mind to grab my phone and take a picture of him standing in that doorway.