Friday, February 25, 2005
It's a dog's life!
In this true story the names of the dogs have been changed to protect their identity. I hope my friend doesn't mind me recounting it, but it gave me such a good laugh, I had to share it.
My friend rang me today from a distant city. She was feeling down, away from family and friends and she'd been laid low by a virus for a week.
We chatted for a short time and I felt she needed some direction, something to bring her out of herself, so I suggested: "seeing it's a nice day, why don't you take the dogs for a walk down to the river, sit under a tree for a while and get some fresh air. Maybe that would make you feel better. " Seemed an innocuous enough suggestion. A short stroll in the sunshine followed by a sit under a tree.
Later today I received an email from her that went something like this:
Hi
I thought I would let you know how my walk went. As suggested, went for the walk, took a magazine, bottle of water, towel to sit on and dogs down to the river. It it was lovely. I sat in the shade and the dogs ran about and I threw rocks and branches in the water for them to fetch. You throw rocks so they see the splash, they go in after it, grab a stick that's already in the water and bring it back, or you follow the rock with a stick to make them swim a bit further.
That was all nice and peaceful for an hour, then the dogs were getting a bit bored so I decided to head back home. On the way back we stopped at another dog swimming spot. I threw a rock in for Snapper who swims out and grabs a tree branch that's sticking out of the water. It is massive, and stuck in the mud to the bottom, so he has no chance of dragging it in. But of course he tries, and swims around in circles with this thing. I tire of this and tell him to drop it we're going, but he just keeps on. So I walk off thinking he will definitely come now; but no.
So I go back, and his head is nearly below the water now but he just won't come. Flipper gets a bit worried and runs down to the bank. He's running back and forth and I realize I'm going to have to jump in to save Snapper!
With a quick thought to take everything out of my pockets and decide whether I should get my gear off first (cursing that I didn't wear my matching underwear that could pass for swimmers), I jump in and find his teeth have stuck into the soft wood and he can't disconnect himself from the log. I pull him free and we swim to shore.
I felt really bad. That must have been why he was swimming in circles with the bloody thing - because I was yelling at him to get out, and he couldn't! Anyway I was glad I'd brought the towel so I could dry off a bit and not look so much like a drowned rat on the walk home - up the hill!
........................................................................................................................................................
Well, I guess it will have been kill or cure! Either my friend will have benefitted from the excursion in the sun or will now have pneumonia from getting soaked and stressed! Either way, it was a very funny story and added quite some enjoyment to my day.
My friend rang me today from a distant city. She was feeling down, away from family and friends and she'd been laid low by a virus for a week.
We chatted for a short time and I felt she needed some direction, something to bring her out of herself, so I suggested: "seeing it's a nice day, why don't you take the dogs for a walk down to the river, sit under a tree for a while and get some fresh air. Maybe that would make you feel better. " Seemed an innocuous enough suggestion. A short stroll in the sunshine followed by a sit under a tree.
Later today I received an email from her that went something like this:
Hi
I thought I would let you know how my walk went. As suggested, went for the walk, took a magazine, bottle of water, towel to sit on and dogs down to the river. It it was lovely. I sat in the shade and the dogs ran about and I threw rocks and branches in the water for them to fetch. You throw rocks so they see the splash, they go in after it, grab a stick that's already in the water and bring it back, or you follow the rock with a stick to make them swim a bit further.
That was all nice and peaceful for an hour, then the dogs were getting a bit bored so I decided to head back home. On the way back we stopped at another dog swimming spot. I threw a rock in for Snapper who swims out and grabs a tree branch that's sticking out of the water. It is massive, and stuck in the mud to the bottom, so he has no chance of dragging it in. But of course he tries, and swims around in circles with this thing. I tire of this and tell him to drop it we're going, but he just keeps on. So I walk off thinking he will definitely come now; but no.
So I go back, and his head is nearly below the water now but he just won't come. Flipper gets a bit worried and runs down to the bank. He's running back and forth and I realize I'm going to have to jump in to save Snapper!
With a quick thought to take everything out of my pockets and decide whether I should get my gear off first (cursing that I didn't wear my matching underwear that could pass for swimmers), I jump in and find his teeth have stuck into the soft wood and he can't disconnect himself from the log. I pull him free and we swim to shore.
I felt really bad. That must have been why he was swimming in circles with the bloody thing - because I was yelling at him to get out, and he couldn't! Anyway I was glad I'd brought the towel so I could dry off a bit and not look so much like a drowned rat on the walk home - up the hill!
........................................................................................................................................................
Well, I guess it will have been kill or cure! Either my friend will have benefitted from the excursion in the sun or will now have pneumonia from getting soaked and stressed! Either way, it was a very funny story and added quite some enjoyment to my day.
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