Life with a D.O.G.!!!!

So as I was wrapping things up for the night, my dog wants to go out one more time. Okay...no big deal. I let him out and proceed to check my email one more time before I turn everything off and head to bed. No new email, so I surf on over to check my bank accounts just to see where I stand. Not thinking of anything else I needed to do online at the moment, I shut down the computer ~ which takes a minute or two for all the programs to stop and everything to power down. Finally done, with bleary eyes I get up to go let the dog in. He hasn't asked, but I am ready to curl up in bed, so ready or not here I come.
I open the slider and call for him...
no response.
I go out on the deck and call again...
nothing.
I head over to his "favorite" spot (as of late)...
not there.
Running into the house, I grab the BIG flashlight and start searching the yard.
Nada...
Where is this dog?
I head back to the trees, with an inkling that he has broken through my temporary barrier into the neighbors yard (since they can't seem to get their fence fixed). He likes to go exploring if he can get away with it. I do not see him in their yard, so I start to head out through their yard and think better of it. I don't really want to carry him a long distance if he's wandered far, so I run back through the house, grab my keys and drive around to that street. Park the car. Grab the BIG flashlight and start dog hunting.
I go up the street...stop and listen for the tinkling of his collar...think I hear it back down the street, so head on down that way...nope...back up the street I go...listening...still nothing...praying "oh Lord, where would he go? He would follow his nose. How far? Which direction? Please help me find him Jesus." I think I spent 15 minutes walking up and down the street, listening and whistling and calling his name. One more desperate plea to God for some kind of sound so I will know where he is. He starts barking...FROM MY OWN BACK YARD!!!! I couldn't tell at first if he was still in the neighbors yard (where he like to go exploring) or in ours, so I started walking through their yard. Yep, he's in ours!!! I wanted to traipse through the fence and scold him something good (not to mention see if he was barking at an opossum [you'll have to look a few stories back for that adventure]), but didn't want to have to come back for my car, which was parked down the street. So, I ran back to my car, hopped in, drove home as fast as I could, enter the house as quietly as I can (since Mom is trying to sleep) and head to the back yard. Who is right at the door waiting for me as if NOTHING IS OUT OF THE ORDINARY!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He heads over to his dish, gets a drink, and heads on up to my room! As I follow him up, I can smell something not so nice...what is that smell?...great...he rolled around in something! I am NOT giving him a bath at 12:15 AM! So, I just have to sleep with my window open a bit. I can live with that. Thank you Father for whatever it was he was barking at. You ALWAYS answer my prayers. I asked for a sound and got barking. That's a pretty good sound to find him with.
Ah, life with a dog who has his own ideas about when (and if) to answer when you call.
It's always interesting, I can tell you that.
Good night y'all.
Eryn