Last night we all went for a bike ride after work.  Inari has an injured back leg so we left her at home.  She and the other 3 dogs had been at home the entire day, so I didn't think about changing anything.  The ride was a lot of fun, and about 2 hours long.  When we returned, there was no barking.  Uh-oh.  I kept saying happy thoughts to myself as Miguel went inside calling for Inari.  "She's asleep, she's in the backyard and can't hear us, she's busy eating something," I thought to myself...but when I came through the back gate, Miguel said what I was fearing, "Inari's not here". 

We went into action scouring the neighborhood; Miguel by bike and me by car on opposite sides.  With no luck, we headed to Nate's house thinking that a lot of times, dogs try to find their way back home.  She wasn't there so we called 911 and they said that she was spotted on I-5 not far from the onramp by our house; she was alive, but not captured.  

We continued our search late into the night as Nate and Christina made their way home from the Mariners game in Seattle.  I posted an ad on Craigslist under lost & found and I sent an email to all our friends in the area so people could start looking in the morning.  I kept having to remind myself that this was reality and not a dream.  The awful feeling that she was hurt or captured by a mean person, or up in Ferndale by now made it difficult to eat or do anything.  I felt guilty for not closing off the doggie door when I left, but since she had been there all day, the thought didn't even cross my mind.  She must have felt alone and scared since everyone had left, and decided that she needed to go back home. 

Within minutes of sending out my email, Matty and Sean both called, and people were on the lookout.  I could go on, but I'll cut the drama and tell you that Nate called about 2am and after he and Christina had searched for about an hour, they came home to find Inari in the yard whimpering, but apparently unharmed.  

Dogs are pretty smart, and they do have good noses.  Inari took the freeway to get home last night, which isn't the most direct route, but she did manage to make the journey.  Welcome back Inari, we all missed you, and you can have the Purple Monster if you want it.