Kaylee Goes Walkabout

Or Never Trust Your Dog....
Friday the thirteenth was an interesting day for Kaylee and I. Here's my story, even though it's a bit late and very long.
Friday morning Kaylee asked to go outside - very nicely put her head in my lap and gave me a brown-eyed look of love. I didn't suspect a thing, and opened the back door so she could do her usual rush into the back yard to get the squirrels. This time wasn't business as usual. There was a Big Old Yellow Dog (Boyd) in our driveway, and before I could move, Kaylee took off after him.
I grabbed the leash, squished my feet into snow boots and took off after her.
Boyd was a Saint Bernard-Great Dane mix, an even tempered guy, but a little shy. He was ambling along enjoying his day out of the yard, while Kaylee was doing tuckbuttruns and wild loops in the neighbors' yards. She wouldn't come close enough for me to grab her. Several times I convinced her to follow me home, but she always turned away to sniff Boyd and playbow to him.
The high school started to let kids out for lunch, and Boyd decided to take off. He lengthened his stride as he left our cul de sac, and Kaylee had to hustle to keep up. I followed, and all I could see was an Airedale butt bounding toward the next street - four lanes of traffic. Boyd managed to stop traffic; they crossed safely and headed toward the park.
I ran after them, huffing and puffing. I was getting desperate. The park is just an open field, a baseball diamond, a small playground and a soccer field. I could imagine Kaylee cutting across the soccer field, and then she'd be lost for sure. Once she crossed the bridge over the highway, the next neighborhood is unfamiliar territory.
Instead of heading to the park, Boyd detoured into another cul de sac. I caught up to Kaylee in somebody's front yard. I picked up a stick and waved it at her, inviting her to play. She came close and I grabbed her collar, but only because she was too exhausted to dodge.
As we headed home, I realized how cold I was. Friday's high was only 37 and I left the house without my coat. Boyd followed us, we crossed the street together. He veered off to check out the neighbor's garbage and I haven't seen him since. Boyd had no collar or tags. If I had managed to confine him to our back yard, the only thing I could have done was call Animal Control. A certain death sentence.
I chased Kaylee for at least 15 minutes, and I swear I added 10 years of gray hair. Needless to say, she's not going to get the chance to do that again. Now I promise - I'll always use the leash to make the trip from the back door to the back yard gate. Every time. Promise.
Never trust those big brown eyes.