I Never Thought of Myself as a Hick

So there I was talking to a man with a pistol his sack. After Harley, his well-behaved Australian Shepherd puppy ran my old man Sam, moderately well-behaved Australian Shepherd, around for awhile, she curled up next to her owner and burrowed in for a nap. Dirt flew about as she dug her den and into her owners nap sack it landed. And then I saw the pistol.

"For lion's," he said. He'd never shoot to kill, just wanted to scare them if they came for Harley.

In panic I thought of old man Sam. I thought he was supposed to rescue me, but what if I am supposed to rescue him?

And where was I headed? I was off to explore the mountain leading to the "Lion's Den" bouldering area. A name by any other name is still as fair? or something Shakespearean like that, right?

With caution to the wind I headed uphill to the den. I had to climb, despite the endless mind-chatter. I concluded, while talking to myself and answering every question with just as much thought, that I would wrestle the lion...and then I saw it...

Not the lion, silly, the boulder. I could not resist. Dancing shoes donned, Sam at rest, I was up one, then another, and another.

Of course no lion. And do you really think a lion would go after a dog like this anyway?