Wednesday, March 26, 2008

A Hole In the Ice

Well, I finally managed to do it - I had a trauma at a usuallycrowded ski area and dog park and I was the only person there besidesan older man with a cane in each hand.....Has anyone watched that IMAX movie about beavers? They swim aroundunder the ice on lakes and rivers until they come up for air invarious holes that they make near their beaver homes. I know I talkabout beavers alot, but I seem to have my fair share of run-ins withthem. Anyway, 3 days ago, Bailey, Scooby Doo and I were out for oneof our usual dailies around the lake. Now this is a different lakethan the one we ice skate on - this is just the regular dog park/skitrack lake where the beavers do their thing. Apparently Bailey musthave seen a beaver come up for air - it's my only guess - because sheshot down the side of the hill - off of the trail and down to thewater. The lake is so frozen hard that we've been walking across itand on it for several weeks now but somehow Bailey managed to find ahole big enough for an 80 pound dog to slide right through.It all happened so fast - at first I heard the kersploosh and Ithought she could pull herself out no problem - she is always goinginto lakes and rivers and gets out just fine, but after her firstmajor pull, she didn't make it. Then I saw her face change. Fromexperience, I know that you have about 30 seconds in water like thatbefore changes start to occur. For the worse. Over the period ofthe next 60 seconds things went so fast they are almost blurry. Bythe time I crashed down the hill, over and under the damn trees thatthe beaver had criss-crossed , all I could see sticking out of thewater was her nose and eyes - barely. Her entire body had nowcompletely frozen up and her limbs were useless. I army crawledacross about 8 feet of ice to where she was, in an almost perfectlyround hole that looked like a professional had made it for icefishing (beavers are technicians). I only had to put my arms inalmost to my shoulders, and gave the one good pull that I knew I hadin me from that position, and she popped out like a greased pig. Theworst part was the walk home, but we made it ok, and after a day'srehab on the couch, Bailey is raring to go again. I guesshypothermia isn't as hard on dogs as people!! I know that my kneesare still bruised and my arms/shoulders/neck have been better, and Iwasn't even all the way wet!!!Anyway, all is well with us - just thought I would let y'all in onthe latest of my beaverish adventures. Peace and love - Jamie C.

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