Saturday, February 11

Playing possum...

This story actually began yesterday afternoon during our late day walk.  All three of the girlz were frolicking about when I heard a dog barking.  I was unable to determine exactly where this barking originating . I did a quick head count and was one dog short....Schatzie, check... Molly, check...Gracie....Gracie.... NO Gracie!!
A few minutes prior, I watched as she and Molly had ventured near one of the small ponds on our ranch..  Panic ensued as I ran approximately 100yds. through the knee deep snow toward the pond and the barking. My biggest fear was she had broken thru the ice and  now was in the water. In my mind  I had to come up with a plan to retrieve her from the freezing water.  As Schatzie and I drew closer to the pond I continued to hear barking and now it seemed to be a muffled bark. Again...PANIC MODE.
Finally, at the ponds edge  I see a large mound of snow move and it was barking!! Gracie had managed to burrow herself into an old muskrat  mound and had found some sort of wild animal. If you know Gracie, she is one dog that doesn't give up, she doesn't let go, she stays with it til the end. I peered into the mound and saw an animal, it was a possum, but I didn't want to stay too long thinking that maybe a skunk had taken refuge in the muskrat hut also. If you have read our past posts you know our record with skunks the past few months hasn't been stellar.
I'm not sure how it happened but as I was yelling, Gracie released the animal, got out of the grass mound and headed back to the house with me. She acted like nothing happened.  I kinda figured and hoped that maybe the possum was just playing possum and she lost interest. By this time my heart rate had finally returned to normal and I could breathe again--- no dogs had to be retrieved from the water,a possum was probably playing dead and best of all,  no skunk..... So, end of story and  crisis was averted.....

Well almost...this morning  as we were out and about again. Gracie and Molly ran ahead of me and then disappeared for a few minutes. As Schatzie and I were watching the sunrise, I saw the two golden girls head toward me. I will let the following photos tell the rest of the story...

 Here they come...their tails held high and they were a waggin!!

 Gracie and a frozen possum

 Once she dropped it for me to see she wanted nothing to do with it...Thank goodness!!
Poor little possum was really playing possum

Life on the ranch with these three just makes ya shake your head.

6 comments:

  1. at least your pups are as bad (or good) with varmints as mine are. :) never ending critter carnival... :)

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  2. as soon as i get up off the floor from where i fell while laughing, I will comment. HILARIOUS story to start my day. i know that panic feeling well. a couple years ago a raccoon climbed our fence and Jake cornered her in the corner of the yard behind a big bush, i was screaming for bob to come, Jake is fighting with something, i can't see him, it was early am and not quite daylight.
    he fought that coon for what seemed hours and bob decide to try to break them up, he was over there in the mix and finally grabbed the coon and threw it over the fence in the neighbors yard, he was trying to save it. the darn thing came back up over the fence and jumped on Jake and you know the rest of the story. she now resides in our graveyard. the ice thing is not funny and i would have been terrified even just thinking about that part of it. you do lead such and interesting life.

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  3. Well, that's one way to get your heart pumping! Happy Sunday!

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  4. sounds like things we go through with my crew...glad everyone was okay...well except the posseum....

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  5. So glad the puppy dogs are safe! I would have been freaking out thinking about the ice! You must of had a good workout running through that ice! Did you know when a mother oppossum is killed you can check her pouch and a lot of times save her babies. They live a little while longer than mama.
    Glad you share your adventures with us!

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  6. Oh dear poor Possum! Looks like they had fun though.

    Slobbers
    xxx

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Thanks for dropping by...I would love to hear what you think of our adventures, so please feel free to add a comment.