It's that time of year when itchy feet long for greener grass. Instead of staying on one side of the fence, the countryside beyond the gate looks mighty inviting.

After my last Light Notes blog item, a reader posted that llamas are smart enough to figure out a latch. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if they also spit out the key.

Well, come to find out, it's not just llamas that have ended up on the lam lately. A bird of another feather tried to escape and the story is worth repeating.

A former California high school classmate of mine was enjoying a leisurely dinner the other afternoon. His dogs, Danny and Daisy, were stationed below the dining room table, watching attentively for a wayward scrap. A few generously fell their way.

Life was good for man and beast - but mostly for man who munched contentedly on a leg of lamb.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside, and John jumped to his feet. Outside, he found his distraught wife, Laurie, and an open gate - this one on a birdcage. Turns out their ring-necked mourning dove had flown the coop - right into a neighbor's lemon tree.

Now, if you've never picked a lemon, then you may not know about the huge thorns ready to snag anyone trying to make lemonade - or anyone trying to catch a wayward dove. As the scene unfolded, it was hard to know who was mourning the plight more, John or the bird.

Ensnared by enormous spikes - at least from a dove's viewpoint - it was an adventure getting a bird in the hand. Patience and Band-aids soon had the wayward pet back on its home turf.

Tired and still hungry from rounding up the escapee, a not-too-happy John returned to his dinner. There sat two smiling furry faces and an empty plate. Danny and Daisy had cleaned up!

This was a miserable tale - except for the ones wagging theirs. Those two pups were smart enough not to leave home.