Southern Belle Skills for Dogs

You know the formula.  Female becomes helpless, requiring a rescue. She collapses against her rescuer to make him feel more manly.

You know you've done some form of this at some time in your life!  It is instinctive!

Lillibeth recently gave us a glimpse of the dog version of these Helpless Female Skills. (You can click on these photos to enlarge them and see Lillibeth's expressions.)

It started when my Uncle Charles (Unc) let Mackie follow him through the woods to the pond nearest the farmhouse - studio - Grandma's House. Eureka! A new Adventure Destination for one very active little Westie boy!

The next day, Mackie decided to show his favorite playmate Lillibeth this new fun place he had just discovered. Mackie and Lillibeth managed to slip away from our little pack and sneak off to the pond.

Lillibeth apparently swam by herself to the island in the pond, a distance of roughly 100 feet. We have to assume this because Mackie was not wet above his paws, and he was still on the shore when Gordon discovered the two run-aways.

Lillibeth might have been carried to the island on the back of a beaver or a turtle (ha!), both of which occupy this small 2.5-acre catfish pond. Common sense tells us that the smallest of our seven Westies swam the distance "all by her lonesome".

So, Gordon found the two Tom Sawyers after an exhaustive search around the farmhouse - studio - and Grandma's House. 

You may remember that it was love at first sight for Gordon and Lillibeth when we rescued eight Westies from a puppy mill on September 2nd of this year. They have a very, very special bond.

When Lillibeth saw her Favorite Fella Gordon across the water, she started crying and wailing and barking and begging to be rescued.  Gordon reacted as any good knight-in-shining-armor would. 

He ran back to the house to organize a boat rescue of his beloved little dog.

Once back at the pond, my uncle had to take the boat across to the island... alone, using a short little paddle he had made recently because he had misplaced the original paddles. (See it?  It looks more like a big spoon than a paddle! *giggle*)

When Gordon would not join him in the boat for the crossing, Unc had to paddle from the center of the boat, using that short little paddle to try to steer. That was apparently quite difficult to do.

Since we women-folk back at the farmhouse did not see this phase of the rescue, we can't say for sure, but from their separate descriptions, we have pictured something worthy of a Laurel and Hardy skit.

Once the rescue was underway, Miss Lillibeth settled down to watch the show, her wails and cries forgotten. As the boat reached the shore she did fall into the watery entrance of a beaver den, and she could not climb out or even cling to the grassy edge.

By the time Unc swooped her up and into the boat, she was thoroughly wet and cold.  She clung to him as he struggled to turn the boat around and paddle back to the shore with that one short little paddle.

The last picture is of a miracu- lously recovered Little Missy, attached to a leash because Unc did not trust her to stay in the boat. Lillibeth was getting closer to her beloved Gordon, and she forgot all about playing the clinging, shivering Damsel in Distress.

Her return to the farmhouse was met with hugs and kisses and lots of attention.  Then Gordon volunteered to give her a very necessary bath.

Lillibeth is the only one of our eleven dogs that Gordon actually bathes with real soap and water. Gordon helps me as I bathe one or two dogs every night in the shower as I, too, take a shower.

Gordon is a tremendous help by getting reluctant dogs in the shower with me and by toweling them dry afterwards. But  Lillibeth is his special little girl, and Gordon keeps her white and fluffy.

Miss Lillibeth emerged from her bath the day of the rescue, just pleased as punch to be the center of so much attention. Her look of smug confidence tipped me off that even little girl dogs can know the Secrets of Being a Successful Southern Belle.

We've had to impatiently wait for these pictures to be processed at the local Walmart. Gordon grabbed a 35mm film camera as he rushed back to the pond to his True Love with Four Legs.

I'm resigned to only being Gordon's True Love with Two Legs.  *wink*

Comments

[Penny]

Thanks, Traci! How many Westies do you have, rather, how many Westies own and share you? *grin*

[Traci]

I followed your link from the Westie board. How cute she is! What a great story!

[Penny Sanford Fikes]

How marvelous, Mary Ellen! Gordon has been "hummph" about the story....probably because I told that he did not want to get in the boat with my uncle at the helm...and because I told about his head-over-heels love for Lillibeth!....LOL The truth can be embarrassing sometimes! *grin*

What kind of rescues do you have? These little tykes are a tremendous joy every day! Do you have your quilt photos on a blog? Flickr? Pictures of your fur babies?

I am very, very pleased the little story was uplifting. It is so much fun to write about these little characters!

Thanks for commenting, Mary Ellen!
Fondly,
Penny

[Mary Ellen Daub]

Penny:
I found your site from a quilt newsgroup RE: Julia Graber quilts. I never comment on things or rarely post but this story was like a Christmas gift to me. I LOVED IT. I also have rescues. 8 dogs and 6 cats, I also run transports many of which come from the southern states. Your site and little story was such a joy! You obviously love and appreciate the love from these critters and the joy they bring us. Critters and quilts are my passion. Thank you sooooo much for sharing your story. Made my day