[Dailydrool] Sister Gracie's Grand Adventure

[AWoodrum]

My friend Kim, who is the Yapper's mother, flew in and spent a couple of
days with us.  Kim is going back to South Carolina for at least a month, so
this afternoon I dropped her at the airport and took along the three dogs,
Gracie, Holly and Belle the Yapper.  The plan was to drop Kim off then take
the girls to the park, and that's what I did.  We have several nice parks
quite close by to choose from, and I decided to go to Twin Lakes Park.  It
is two identical parks on either side of a large main thoroughfare, each
park has a small man-made lake with a large fountain in the middle, and
there are always lots of ducks.  The girls love this park because they love
the different smells there (a nice way to say they love the duck poop
smells).  

 

Now you have to understand that Sister Gracie is a water drinker like you
can't believe.  A tanker.  And she drinks like a horse, meaning she puts her
entire head in the water up to her eyeballs.  If she sees water anywhere,
she drinks it - in fact, it is her personal mission in life to drink any and
every puddle she finds dry.  If it's a huge puddle, she wades out into it
and gulps until I drag her off.  And if it's really hot and the puddle is
good and dirty, she tries to lay down in it while drinking.  Texas in the
hot summer with everyone watering their yards, you get the picture.  

 

So one of Gracie's dearest wishes is to try to drink the little lake in the
park dry.  (Picture a lake that's oblong with a large fountain in the
middle, about half the length and width of a city block.  With ducks and
fish.)  She sees that lake and she starts barreling towards it, and I always
steer her up to higher ground and don't let her near the edge of the lake
because in my imagination I see a disaster occurring with her getting into
the water and not being able to get out, etc.  

 

For some strange reason, when we stopped at the park today, I let the girls
go close to the edge of the lake (all are on leashes the whole time).  Well
guess what happened next.  It was in the mid-90s and Gracie made a beeline
for the lake.  Holly and Belle ignored the lake and were sniffing a tree
(ducks).  Gracie gets to the water and sniffs and takes a little drink and
goes YUCK this doesn't taste good.  Then takes another drink to be sure,
yep, this water tastes nasty.  At which time I look over to check on Holly
and Belle, they're still at the tree, then I look back at Gracie and she is
in the water up to her belly.  So I start yelling No Gracie, No and pulling
on her leash.  Then her feet hit the green slime, and her collar pops off as
she slides out into the water.  I'm yelling Gracie, come back Gracie to no
avail.  But she is swimming, not sinking, so I run to the tree and quickly
tie the other two girls to it and then head back towards Gracie, all the
while hollering Gracie, come back Gracie, which is not working.

 

About the time I was ready to jump in and go get her (I'm a great swimmer
but that water is green and nasty), I suddenly remembered that Gracie is
deaf.  So I could holler come here from now on and she's not going to hear
me.  Plus she is swimming in a big oval with her back turned, so she can't
see me and is probably disoriented and frightened, and it looks like her
rump is getting lower and lower in the water, she is getting ready to start
sinking.  So I quit calling and run down the bank to where she can see me,
and sure enough she starts paddling my way.  She managed to get to the edge
and I helped her get out.  She was so pooped that she could barely walk to
the car.  In the meantime the other two were sitting up under the tree
closely watching all the goings on with a great deal of interest, I don't
think they could believe that Gracie was out swimming in the lake.  

 

All's well that ends well. Gracie has not dried out totally yet and does not
realize that she will be getting a shower tomorrow to get rid of the pond
smell, and I think she's sore from the swimming, but she is okay.  The
doggie blanket from the car is muddy and also smells like pond scum and is
in the washer.  I think poor old Gracie (age 14) has had all the exercise
she can take for today, she is going to get some extra pain medicine tonight
and get put to bed early.  Holly and Belle seem to be rather subdued, too,
and Mama is just thrilled that Gracie did not drown.  We probably will wait
a few weeks before going back to Twin Lakes Park.  

 

Anita Woodrum

awoodrum at clear.net

 

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