Last week, Ace disappeared. As I went out to put him away, I realized he was not in the yard. With the now-40 acres, Ace does a bit of wandering but given his lazy nature, he had never gone too far. Yet today he was not there. Jack and I drove up and down the area yelling his name - yes, Jack was yelling Ace for every yell I gave. He did not come. Throughout the night, we searched. Notices went up on community records, and we tracked his chip. As the night wore on, there was fear something had happened. All of us often would walk onto the porch hoping he would just show up.
So when the next morning came around, there was a bit of dread. We began the plan to call area vets and also potentially solicit searchers. Then there was a knock on our door, and a neighbor asking if we were missing a dog. And then there he came running...after being sure to stop for breakfast. Screams came from all the kids. Having him be gone made us all realize how much a part of our family he is.
It appears the neighbor's dog wandered to our place as they were cutting down some trees. Ace decided to follow him home. Then he just stayed the night. At least now we know where he might go next time, although I suspect he will settle back into his routine of settling down at home.
