Gussy's troubled day

Well it all started to go wrong for Gussy when he went on patrol with Hubs. Off they went. Over to Station Field to make sure the flock had not vanished, and no they hadn't because Gus did a 'psyching out' at them whereby he stands at the fence and stares at them which has the result of freaking them out so they run off in panic. Soooo satisfactory for him, and worth the telling-off he gets for his naughtiness. He would much prefer to have a bark at them instead which makes them really freaked out, but that is being big-time naughty as he has learnt to his cost. 

Then off to see the rabbits. Not much going on there for Gus, although he managed a nose to nose moment with the male rabbit in the lower run, but the female in the upper run was busy eating so was not annoyable. All a bit boring for him really.

Now Max. Good fun to be had there. Can do a bit of a bark and have a general naughty carry-on while the piggy is being fed, often without being told off as well, Max being a very laid-back piggy and non-fazed by anything. 

 But today Gussy was too bold. Thrusting his nose through the wire to show off to Max, hoping to spook him like he does the sheep, only his nose got zapped by the fence, said fence being one that carries a very low voltage electric current. Wow but you should have heard him. To the Heavens above he yowled his outrage. Full pelt he sped his way to where I was in the house, yelling his indignation all the while to whoever cared to be listening. Laying his head on my lap he whimpered his sorrow. Oh poor Gussy!

But then he was diverted from his sorrowfulness by the arrival of Mr T's two sons, who wanted to go off to our river bank 'To look for stones which have diamonds inside them. You break the stones open' they said, waving a hammer in the air. Oh so this was a possible adventure to which Gussy and Bools were eager participants, so off we all trundled, off to the river, to arrive at a tiny mound of pebble-bank. 

Gussy's previous woes having been forgotten, into the water he plunged, encouraged by the throwing of stones by the boys who by now had chipped open at a couple of stones in their keeness to find a diamond but not having found any had become quickly bored and had taken up with a new task and that was finding stones suitable for skimming across the fast flowing water.

Oh so Gussy was very enthused with this new project of theirs. Standing on the river bank, I watched Gussy jump into the water after the stones. Watched him as he 'deaf-headed' me as I tried to call him back to stop him from swiming out towards the now sunk stone. Watched him as he turned to head back and got carried sideways in the current. Away he went. Not to worry, though, because he fetched up  on a newly formed shingle bank away's out in the river. 

Wahoo. Into the river plunged Mr T's oldest son. Over his knees the river fast flowed. Then half way up his thighs. Across to Gussy he went.  But as he waded towards the bank, Gussy jumped into the water to return to me, passing Mr T's son en route. But halfway across, although he was trying to swim forwards, the current took hold of him and tugged him backwards, moving him in a long arc back to the pebble bank. He tried again. And again. Mr T's son tried to encourage him to keep having a go at getting across, meanwhile earnestly engaging himself with a resurrected diamond hunt in between times.

So I went into the water. Yes I did. With my boots on as well. Plus Bools  swimming along behind me, him fulfilling his self appointed task as my guardian. 'Well this is not good,' I thought, as the current took hold of him and threatened to send him off in the same direction as Gus. So I unceremoniously grabbed hold of his tail, and sort of swung him round in a watery arc to push him back towards the bank where he was grabbed hold of Mr T's other son. 


Back into the water I went. Only I didn't get very far because the current was too strong. But I had to try and encourage my other little doggy to get across the water. It didn't work. Gussy tried to get across the water several times but was circled back to the bank each time.

So I went in a little further. Up to my mid-thigh. 'Come on Gussy' I yelled, and yelled. And he did try. And try. But back to the bank he was carried.

But Mr T's son to the rescue. Still over at the bank, he went into the water with Gussy. And as the current pulled Gussy away, he picked up Gussy. Gussy, meanwhile, seemed not to realise that he was in the air and not the water, because he kept on swimming. In the air his little legs were still paddling away. 

And we all laughed. And I am so miserable about this, but we were all laughing fit to bust, at those little paddling legs, although my heart was aching for the efforts little Gussy had been making. 

And the curious thing was that as he was put on the small pebble beach he headed straight into the water again, as if he needed to keep swimming. Nothing for it then, but to get him away from the water and help his head forget its recent experience. A fuss, a photo-shoot, and a rub over with a towel seemed to do the trick. 

Things I have learnt: That fast flowing water is a wonderful remedy for legs that are heavy with the heat of the day. Sort of gets the circulation going again.
That animals can be traumatised by things which happen to them as well, and so  therefore deserve our respect at all times. 
That little doggies have big hearts.