On this particular day, I left my mom's, came home, let the dogs out to romp and play with me while I planted yet more plants and watered, after I had already helped my mother in her yard.
Precious, our Yorkshire Terrier, acts like Lassie.
Whenever there's something wrong she comes to me barking and barking until I come see what the problem is.
Well, like normal here she comes, barking and running back towards the storage shed in the back of the yard. I didn't see Babette, our daschund, however. Upon further investigation I saw Babette very quickly run out from under the shed (it's very low to the ground) and back under again. That's not so unusual though. She often checks things out under the deck and under the shed but usually comes right out.
Well, Precious (aka Lassie) was trying to tell me something was wrong. She kept barking and barking. OK, so I laid down on the ground and looked under the shed and ..oh my..it did appear that Babette
was half way under the shed, her back arched downward as if she was stuck. Uh O! I called her, I tried to bribe her with a treat, you name it.Then I went in the house and called Al. He says well, maybe she's stuck. Oh God. He says well just continue to make sure she's OK. and I guess we'll have to figure out a way to jack up the shed when I get home. Oh My! Then I panicked. Stuck! Poor Thing!! She might hyperventilate and die, OH NO!!
So, armed with a shovel, a pick, a hoe, and a giant glass of cold Pepsi, off I go to save my poor pitiful puppy. Remember, I've dug, mulched, weeded, mowed, and planted for two days straight and I am TIRED! But, after all, this is an emergency!
So with shovel in hand I begin. The grass is so thick I have to jump up and down on the shovel to even break ground. Oh goody, a 1/2 inch indentation in the ground, I'm on a roll. I keep going, and going.....until I have dug up the grass and I am beginning a trench. Meanwhile, Babette has stopped barking under the shed and has reduced to a whine or whimper, Oh NO...What if a bee or spider has bitten her. She's allergic, we know that. She's probably going into a coma! Dig harder, faster! So I do. I faintly hear, I think, Babette shake, you know like they do after a bath. Well,wait, if she's stuck how could she shake. Yuck! What if she's gotten some animal trapped under there, like a rabbit or a mole or my worse fear of all..a mouse!
It's 3 p.m. now, daughter will be home at 3:20 p.m. and she will know what to do to help. Babette will come out, if she can, for Courtney. A mouse, oooooh, do I dare stick my head in this hole I've dug and look in with my flashlight? I'd better be brave and do it, after all, Babette needs me.
So I do, and there she is, my baby, with her nose through a tiny hole under the beam that I have I've dug out, looking at me like, help, help. So now I'm brave, there's no animal, she's really stuck. So I dig, rest, dig, rest, dig, rest and so on. Here's the bus..yipee..Courtney..she's younger, she'll dig a while....I'll make her. So she comes strolling back to the shed to me and my mound of dirt and grass. She says, "Mom, what are you doing?" I say, "Courtney, poor Babette is stuck under this big shed and I just can't get to her." She panics, Oh No..".Let me dig," she offers, thank God. She bravely and fearlessly sticks her head in the hole with the flashlight and I warn her what if there's an animal.. she jumps back up..bumps her head hard..second thoughts.. oh but poor Babette. So she goes back down, she can see Babette..she digs some more.. Babette whimpers and cries (probably thinking Courtney will save her when I couldn't!
It's 4 p.m..yes, we're still digging and looking. Now we see ! Babette cheerfuly climbs into the trench we've dug, turns her butt to us, and starts throwing dirt aggressively out of the hole at us. We call, beg, tease her with her pride and joy, her ball. You name it, nope, she wouldn't come out. She was obviously after something. We would reach for her and she would snap at us. I grabbed her tail to pull her out and heard a cracking noise and I was afraid that I had broken her tail so I let go and when I did she bit me! OK, now I am mad.
It is 4:30 I go to the house. Wait until Al gets home. He won't believe this. He will think of something to get her out, after all, it will get dark soon. 4:45 p.m. Al is home, great! I go out to meet him. You can see the concern in his face. He says, "Is she OK, I wondered coming home if a bee or a spider bit her", as he heads toward the shed with his friend, Carl. Ten feet from the shed out pops Babette thrilled to see Al, leaps up in his arms snarling and growling, ready to go back under. I hold her and give her a proper fussing at! Carl leaves laughing and saying, "Well, I guess those plans to jack up the shed tonight are off, see ya tomorrow".
Al fills in the crater Courtney and I have dug. I tote Babette inside and give her a brushing off and scolding she's not likely to forget. Boy, I'm pooped!! Didn't get a darn thing done but to dig a hole that nothing gets planted in! OK., mark this afternoon off as an adventure and forget it..like a bad dream.
Forget dinner we are ordering pizza, I'm too tired to cook. I go get the pizza, make Courtney go in, she's less dirty than me! Go home, eat pizza..now for another hot, hot bath.
I dry off and gaze out of the bathroom window and chuckle about my day..wait..what's that out by the shed.. oh..it's ok. It's Timmy, our fat cat..no..it's too big.. Al, come here quick, he says "What's wrong, are you ok?" He runs up the steps. "Look, what is it? Timmy, nooooo, it's a ground hog, a huge ground hog, good grief, it's four times bigger than Babette, do you
suppose..yep..it was a stand off"..and they say there is no excitement living in the country, Huh!! I know you must now be envious of my exciting life. *Smile
