Grace Made Penguins

This child is a whiz at making something out of nothing!  She was given a pair of penguin earrings yesterday by a dear family friend.  We were invited tonighted to have dinner at Bo’s house.  Bo and his wife like penguins.  Grace whipped up a few for them. In fact, she spent all day making penguins.  It kept her so occupied that I am thinking of declaring an animal for each day to see if she can create stuff.  She made a caddy out of Pringles can, two polymer clay figures, a fridge magnet out of little melty plastic beady things, and a hand sewn stuffed toy.  Cool stuff!!

Totally unrelated, we had another dog in the pool.  Merlin apparently jumped with Freddy and clawed him heavily trying to get out.  He did swim, doggy paddle, to the side but was re-directed to the ladder, where he promptly pulled himself out and ran away.

The Dog is in the Pool

10/8/07  10:48 am 

It’s not even noon and already I have:  read the paper, rescued the dog – whom I found treading water in the deep end at 6:40 am, picked up two kids, put one on the bus, been to the Y, ate breakfast, performed gross tasks generally reserved for veterinarians, and oh yeah, put on my wet suit, got in the freezing cold water to restore the pool cover and water bags to their proper state. 

What’s that you say?  Put on your wetsuit?  Rescued the dog?  Yes, the sad what “if’s” linger in the air.  Last night it bothered me that the dogs were too close to the pool cover and I kind of made a mental note.  Of course, the fact that they wouldn’t be NEAR the pool cover if they weren’t terrified of the puppies and had to go out a different door to go potty, but I digress.   So this morning as I was getting ready to leave, the thought crossed my mind to check on Rufus as he hadn’t come back in with Lily.  Usually, I leave him out there, but I went to check. 

I heard a “whewww-whewww” sound and looked over to see the pool cover half off and Rufus treading water, very calmly in the far corner of the deep end.  I went over and hauled him out by the scruff of his neck.  He ran off into the yard and I changed and left to get Ursula.When we got back from the Y, Freddy ran back screaming that Rufus was bleeding.  I checked him out and discovered that one of his huge cysts on his neck had ruptured and was bleeding. 

This discovery forced me to take action.  I had to cut away the remaining gunk and expose the problem which literally fell off in my hand.  NASTY!!  So now he is wet, corralled in kitchen and slightly blood streaked.  The opening is the same as the one on his side that the vet said to apply ointment to and watch.  Now we have 2 holes to watch. 

I had to forego the sauna/shower at the Y ritual because I knew that I would be getting in the pool.  This did not make me happy.  I donned my wetsuit, forced the rest of my family to assume positions around the perimeter, and assigned Ursula to be second in command.  Previous experience with pool covers and Tom made this decision easy.  (If we ever divorce, it won’t be over typical marital issues, it will be over the pool cover).  But I digress again.  Working together we actually raised the beast and all but one of the water bags.  (I have limits and completely submerging in cold murky water under a tarp was one of them).  

We got the job done, the puppies go back today and the issue of having the dogs out there in the first place will be resolved.  But “what if” I hadn’t gone out to check?  One dead, drowned dog would have doomed our pool forever.  Thank you Heavenly Father for sparing us that trauma.