Pay no attention to the ominous angle of that ladder. In the snow. Against a prickly evergreen. Where Tango’s ball is lodged. At the very tip top, of course, the tippiest of tops.
I know you’re wondering, so here it is…
Today, finally, the sun shone. Brightly, oh so brightly. And finally the wind stopped howling at gale force and the dogs actually wanted to go outside. Being the excellent dog owner that I am, I obliged Tango when he brought me his tennis ball. All was well for about 5 minutes on the retrieve-throw-retrieve merry-go-round. Until I tried to get fancy and throw the ball where Tango least expected it. I meant to throw it over the tree. Over. But no, cue the sunshine! Next thing I knew Tango was dancing around that evergreen. I knew the ball had gone in there — that’s the only time he dances around the tree.
I got countless prickly pine needles in my hand trying to find the danged ball, but was unable to locate it. I guessed it was up higher than I could reach. So, home alone (well, with the dogs, so technically not alone, but no one to call the paramedics if I happened to disappear into the prickly evergree, so that qualifies as alone methinks), I had to right this wrong. In a valiant effort, I brought out the little ladder I keep in my closet to reach the sweater shelf. Ha! Not even close.
I went into the hall closet for the step ladder. It, too, fell far too short. I had to go all the way into the garage and get the giant ladder (maneuvering that thing around our garage [with two cars inside at the time] was no easy feat, but I didn’t ding a one, I can report) and trudge all the way around back (uphill in a snowstorm both ways) to get a ladder tall enough for the job.
The dogs (Lily) had dug a little moat under that tree when it was hot last summer, hence the precarious perch and tilt of the ladder. It only took me a few minutes — with Tango cheering me on, safely from the ground — before I found that stupid tennis ball. It really was at the very tippy top.
These are the great lengths we go to for our dogs. I know you do, too, don’t try to deny it. So leave a comment below and tell me what great length you’ve gone to…