Masquerade

Yesterday when I walked Lily down poop alley a lady I see occasionally was slowly waddling toward Lily and me with her little white shaggy dog dressed in a red doggie overcoat. The lady shouted in her Ethel Merman voice, "Is he friendly?" She was too far away to hear an answer. As she came right at us, again she shouted, "Is he friendly?" I said, "Lily won't hurt your dog." As soon as I said that, Lily hunkered down in her library lion pose. The lady thought she was so cute, but I was suspicious. I grabbed Lily just as she lunged and barked at the dressed-up mop dog. No harm done. Although maybe the lady now thinks I am mistaken about my dog. The woman kept walking and greeted a friend further up the path. I strained my ears to catch if she said anything about being traumatized by our little canine exchange, but I was too far away to hear. She seemed to be onto other things. I was amused and grateful that it all worked out. Lily is friendly with other dogs and rarely barks, but I'm not sure she understood that this dog was really a dog!