Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Dog in the Drink...with Barnacles

There won't be a nail polish post this evening. It's been quite the eventful day here in South Texas and I just can't muster the energy to resize photos for a decent enough post about polish.

I've been slowly trying to rebuild my stamina (not from any illness or anything unless a bad case of the Lazy-Butt is an illness) and start being more active so I've been going to the boat every day and cleaning on it. The starboard side, for some reason, needs extra cleaning...I suppose from how it sits in the water and where the sun stays on it most of the day? So any work I do on it is definitely needed.

View of the marina from the bridge of the boat


Anyway, Twinks has been to the boat a lot. She's never any trouble and is perfect off-leash. Agile and quick. Murphy is the opposite. Today Murphy wasn't any trouble because he stayed away from the dock and the boat. But Twinks had herself an, um...incident. She fell right off the dock into the water. SPLASH!



Twinks - Boat Dog Extraordinaire




She likes the water and swims well so I wasn't immediately alarmed, just a little irritated that I was going to need to fish her out.  Then I couldn't lift her the couple of feet out of the water and back up on the dock. No leverage. No ladder. I didn't even THINK to open the tuna door, but not sure that would have helped really either as far as getting her back aboard, but it would have kept me from cutting myself up on the barnacles when I got back on myself!

Nothing was working so I decided I'd have to go in after her. I didn't think to remove my non water-proof watch (bowl of rice please work!) Still couldn't manage to get her onto the dock because I REALLY didn't have any leverage once I was in the water.

Now we're both stuck. LOL! And the place, usually teeming with activity, was deserted, of course. I finally managed to free some rope from one of the pilings and get it around her, then I clawed my way back out, slashing my feet and arm on the barnacles attached to the dock. I look like I've been in a fight with a bobcat.  Thankfully I had on jeans or it would have been worse. But I wouldn't have tired out so quickly in shorts.

Once back on the dock, I was able to use the rope to lift her back half and her collar for the front half and WHAT A RELIEF! Back on dry land! She was exhausted, but she is SUCH a great dog. She didn't panic, she listened to everything I told her to do, when to stay and when to help and when to go limp. Seriously, I've said it before but she's the smartest dog EVER! Well, except for the part where she fell in the bay. LOL!



All Tuckered Out



And YES, I'll be getting doggie life jackets with top handles for both dogs. And I'll leave the tuna door open when working on the boat from now on. And I'll wear a less expensive WATERPROOF watch.

Oy.


Tomorrow tune in for butter LONDON Lillibet's Jubilee!!!!!!





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10 comments:

  1. I am laughing and cringing all at the same time. I am so glad you are okay. ♥

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  2. Oh, what a day!! :O I'm glad that all of you were alright! :D
    I'm sorry to hear about the barnacles!! I never even thought about them being sharp!

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  3. Yeek! Glad everybody is okay, if a bit shredded...

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  4. Your dog sounds amazing - if a dog knows how to go limp, I assume its intelligence is almost human. WOW! HAHAHA

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  5. Gosh! Good job, your dog is quite big so that must have been really hard! The picture on the couch all tired out was adorable and so understandable- bet you kinda wanted to settle in to after that day huh? Be sure to clean and anti-biotic ointment those barnacle cuts!

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  6. oh my goodness! what a day! Poor Sheila and the dog!

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  7. Oh my gosh, that could have ended much worse! Thank God it didn't and that you are both safe and sound!!

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  8. The lil lady is amazing, and I'm glad you're both OK! Did your watch dry out? Thanks for pointing me to NPR posts in your 2 year blogaversary / Paddy's Day giveaway - I've read a few now and am thoroughly entertained ahaha! :D

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  9. Poor little thing :)Good that you managed to take her out

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  10. Gotta watch out for those bobcats, er barnacles ;) Cute story and cute pups too (referring to all three on the side bar over there <--)!

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