The Escapades Continue

Yesterday was one of those days.  For starters, I had to take my camera back to the shop as it still had spots all over the sensors, and a big piece of fluff inside it.  I haven't used my camera much since getting it back so didn't know that it was still a mess, after paying to get it cleaned up.  On the home front, my garden is having the worst year  ever.  I am enjoying some wonderful greens, but other than that, it's pretty sad with the cold, wet weeks of weather we had that have stunted growth of almost everything out there.  Even though I put a nice organic compost on it when we planted this year, it seemed like my beans especially needed something more.  I stopped by the greenhouse, and got a vegetable fertilizer, sprinkled it on, and prayed it would work.  Each of  my garden beds are raised beds, and have fences around to keep my dog out.  If you are a long time reader here, you know she loves to get in the beds and pull each carrot and have a feast.  Last year, we got one carrot from a long row.  She knows as soon as they are ready, and in one setting, will pull each carrot out and eat it, just leaving a nice straight line of carrot tops in the garden.  Yes, she looks innocent, but don't let that sweet face fool you!  She is a thief!

After returning from town, I let Maddie outside to enjoy the day, as it was cool, and breezy.  The camera place wanted a different lens on the camera before they sent it off to be fixed, so I had to return to town with my other lens.  Before I left, I went to do the door to call Maddie and she didn't come.  She always comes when I call her.  I called again, and again.  My heart was starting to sink.  I slipped my shoes on and went out back, almost dreading what I might find.  As I came around the corner of the house, I had quite the sight...... 

My 75 pound dog, got herself all messed up in 12 feet of garden fence.  I went over to her, as it was a bit difficult for her to move, but she was trying, and I could not budge the fence on her.  It was so tight around her middle, I'm not sure how she could breathe.  She had two sections over her shoulders, pressed up against her legs, squeezing her ribs.  I was not even able to move her leg to get that out of the mess.  I  glanced over at my poor beans, and peas, and see two are uprooted, some are trampled.  My peas were strung up on the fence that my dog is currently wearing.  Needless to say, they weren't looking very good.  She looks up at me with her sweet, brown eyes, as I look back at her.  Unable to get too upset because I know she is in pain, I mumble and grumble, and then try to figure out how to free her.  I told her to stay, ran into the house, but not sure what for.  I went back out, and found some old tree pruners.  I thought they may cut the wire.  I was wrong.  As I am trying to free my dog, with no luck, I am thinking, what do I have to do?  Do I call the fire department, the vet, who?  I need help freeing my dog.........anyone???  She keeps looking up at me with her poor pitiful dog eyes, trying to help me in anyway she can, but nothing is working.  I am muttering and sputtering, and praying at the same time for God to help me.  I try to call my husband, but he doesn't answer.  I knew we had wire cutters somewhere, I didn't know where.  Although this is a brand new fence and I really didn't want to cut it because it was a bit expensive, I thought it was the only way to free her.  I couldn't even get the sections apart to get it down to just a couple panels, instead of 12 feet of fence!  Suddenly, she shifted something in her body, and the fence moved a little bit.  I picked up her leg and was able to push it through.  Then the fun part came.  I looked at her, she looked back, and I grabbed her head and started pushing.  She looked at me like, are you serious?, but started to help, not taking her eyes off me.  I was scared I was going to break her neck the way I had to twist her head, but we suddenly had a break through and between the two of us, we got her head through that mess.  By then, I just had to slide the two panels off the back and she was free.    Once free, she ran, and ran, and came over and licked my hand, and ran some more.  She was free. I know I worked on getting her out of that mess for 20 minutes, and can only guess she was tangled up for another 15 minutes, maybe more. I turned and looked at my garden.  She stopped running and looked at me.  I couldn't yell at her after that ordeal. But, being a golden retriever she knew I was upset.  She came over and sat down next to me and wagged her tail, and  looked up at me with the biggest puppy dog eyes I have ever seen. I just patted her head, told her she was bad for going in the garden, and went on my way.  What made my dog push her 9 1/2 inch shoulders through a 4 inch fence you ask?  The new garden fertilizer I put down has bone meal in it, and evidently, my dog loves bone meal.  I came in and called the company to see if what she consumed was harmful.  They said not unless she has an allergy to one of the ingredients.  Grateful for buying an organic fertilizer, I breathed a sigh of relief on that answer.  She slept a lot of the rest of the afternoon away, and seems to be a bit sore from her escapades, but is fine.

In the meantime, I guess I just chalk this up to one more session of escapades with Maddie in the garden and try to salvage my peas today.  I also need to figure out a fence to keep her out of the rest of the garden, as many plants need some of this fertilizer put on them, but I really don't want my tomatoes and peppers destroyed, so some brainstorming needs to take place today.  It's pretty sad when inside a 7 foot fenced back yard, I have to put several other fences, just to keep my dog out.  Hmmm, and those of you who have deer think you have problems!