That was refreshing

I apologize to my two faithful readers in advance for the following post, perhaps I should have named my blog the irritants or the Grey Lady's latrine as this poor blog is fast looking like a repository for me crap. I will post this regardless as I neeeeeeeeeeeeeed to put it out there and get on with me day.

Today is a lovely day that has capped off a string of unusually warm days. AWESOME. So lovely in fact that the deck in the backyard was free of snow for the first time in about 5 months. Took the critters and the children outside so I can clean the deck and the kids can have some lets get dirty again fun. A perfect morning outside, no huge snowsuits, feeling the sun on my face, the kids happily loud as can be and I can enjoy their pleasure as the sound can echo thru the cosmos and not just my head.

Sound idyllic? It was for about 2 minutes and forty seven seconds. During my one moment of complete inner peace, embracing of those rare instances of near perfection what do my wandering ears hear? I register the distant sound of the dogs barking. The distant sound of the dogs barking? Oh....that can not be good.

Fact number one: The more the snow disappears the more escape routes for a  4 or 8 lbs dog can  and WILL magically appear along the fence line. EVEN if you and your spouse spent serious $$$$$, time and imagination making said fence line safe from escape for a 8lbs dog all last non-snow season.

The game is now a foot, where could have those little ...er...scamps have gone off to this time?  Next door to visit the sweet golden who loves to play? Nope plugged that hole good yesterday. Out into the fallow farmer's field in behind the yard? Nope, plugged those multiple holes  yesterday too.  In the front on the road? Nope, putting the fire wood allllll along the front until we get more chicken wire on the weekend did the trick.  Uh-oh that leaves one neighbor's place left. I'll just climb this play structure and take a look see. Yup there they are, one on the side of the 40 foot pool barking at the other one franticly treading water in the forty foot pool. What? Do you see where I am going to have to go here? I gird my loins and just barely manage to "hop" the 6 foot fence to choruses of "mom you look funny". (Every one is a critic.)

Fact Number two:  This stuff NEVER EVER happens when the Cattleman is home. Why oh why is the hubby NEVER home when stuff like this happens, what wonderful Karma does he have? What amazing good did he commit to escape this sort of stuff?

By now Lola is getting a wee bit distressed at being unable to get out of the pool and Bear is just a barking fool who is escalating his calls to Lola. Shut up Bear! I tried. Believe me I talked sweetly, I begged her, I pleaded to her to come to Mamma, but she just kept paddling in an ever increasingly smaller circle. F*** I did NOT want to do what needed to be done. Jeepers it is a huge 6 degrees outside, the water has just transformed from ice. I do not want to have to do this. Boots off, jacket off, much cursing and serious consideration of just going back home and ordering a new dog, but I took the necessary plunge into the shallow end.


OH MY LORD LOVE A DUCK!!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me. Lola comes to me of course as soon as I enter. Out we get. Kids cheer, they are watching from play structure, Bear jumps all over me,  stuff Esther Williams back under the fence, Bear intelligently follows, stuff my jacket, boots thru hole and close it up.  Even more elegantly "hop" over 6 foot fence while attempting to not be rude to children who question my judicious use of colorful language. Run into house to strip of portable ice cubed clothing.....and it wasn't even 10 am yet. Heh, the Cattleman hasn't even given his customary phone call, I tell ya that man has some Karma.