Onyx Saves Mom... or...DIG DIG DIG!

Rather than blog about current events, I'm sharing a series of short stories and illustrations of past adventures with my dogs. I hope you enjoy them!

It was a mild, sunny early spring day after a tough snowy winter. A few spots of bear ground showed through the fields of otherwise deep snow just outside the deep woods, inspiring Onyx the wonder dog and Hildie his stellar daughter to zoom with wild abandon through the remaining drifted snow. Dog mom Mary was filled with joy watching the power playing (if only she could run like that!) and decided to climb on top of a big frozen snow drift to get a better view of the "zoom" games. The sun was shining, the breeze promised spring, her fur babies were rejoicing, all was right in the world... till a big jolt hit her body... and she found herself flat on her butt on top of the snowbank, with her right leg having disappeared into a shroud of slush and snow. Lucky her, she stepped right into some sort of air pocket beneath the surface and the snowbank instantly backfilled around her leg. Having never done such a thing before it seemed it would be a simple thing to just pull her leg out, but nothing doing! Couldn't budge the leg, couldn't even wiggle the foot. Foot was under three feet or so of compacted snow, and that darn hiking boot was a perfect solid anchor. Well, there was nothing else for it but to start digging, which commenced with gloved hands... that made almost zero progress against that slushy stuff that just wanted to compact instead of move. Gloves came off, fingernails dug into the ice crystals but fingers quickly froze and bled becoming too painful to use. This is when Mary realized that no matter how bizzare and humorous the situation seemed to her (seriously, stuck on your butt in a snowbank?) it was actually a rather serious matter, for they were in an area with light foot traffic (its what she and the dogs liked best) which meant no human could be counted on to arrive and save her... and yes this was before "cellphone days".

As she sat getting wetter and colder from her snow bank abode it occurred to Mary that she wasn't in such a hopeless state after all, for there still playing in the field was Onyx the wonder dog (strongest German Shephard ever) and his delightful daughter Hildie the magnificent! The call was made, the two stopped their romp and came over and to ask mom why she was sitting in a snow bank and did she intend to move along any time soon. Much explanation ensued. Thankfully not only was Onyx super strong he was also brillient...so much so that he had a hard time understanding how a seemingly competent human could get so firmly entrenched in a snow bank and not be able to get out. After deliberating the matter for a time, and receiving assurances that his help was well and truly needed, Onyx posted Hildie as look out and guard over the proceedings (a task she took very seriously), gave a deep sigh, and started digging. Oh how he dug dug dug! Those thick long black toenails tore through the icy snow drift like nothing else could, but it was a long tough job, even for the "wonder dog". A few rest breaks were needed. It was suggested that perhaps Hildie could take a turn digging but she didn't last long, she thought her skills were better suited to encampment guardian. So Onyx dug more. His toenails bled, but still he dug. Mary tried to aid with the digging but her fingers just got in his way. After a long forty minuets finally enough snow was removed so Mary could start jiggling her ankle and foot and help break free of the icy mess...rejoice! It was a very grateful but ice cold human, foot sore Onyx and diligent Hildie that then made their way back through the woods to the car headed back home to well deserved rest, warmth, foot soaks, and doggie treats. Thank goodness for Onyx the wonder dog.