Old and Nasty.....but FUN!

Early this morning (before daybreak), the winds from Tropical Storm Lee picked up again and pushed in a good bit of water. With this water from the Bay came a bit of debris. Being as this was just a small storm, this debris mainly consisted of naturally decaying marsh grass and a few odds and ends leftover from Hurricane Katrina. Ezzy, the dog, and I made our rounds after the winds calmed and the rains stopped. We surveyed the wash line..a lot of raking and hauling but one good day's work should take care of it. As we were walking, Ezzy made the greatest of finds! Once in a while, a storm like this can bring a lot of happiness..especially if you are a dog that finds a ball.

In the wash line was an old basketball. Amazingly enough, it was still mostly inflated and intact. Ezzy could hardly contain her excitement! She bounded after the ball almost knocking it back into the marsh. After calming her a bit, I was able to kick the ball up the hill where she could play without the ball making a hasty retreat to the depths of the Bayou. Just a point here..never..I repeat..never kick a soggy basketball. Number one: water flies everywhere! Number two: soggy basketballs are way too heavy and make you feel like you just kicked a rock! Not good at all!

But, Ezzy was happy! After three days of storm and four days of illness, it was good to see her playing! She bounded after the ball. She tried to pick it up with her mouth like she does the softball that we usually toss to her. Well, that just wouldn't work! This ball was far too big! She pawed the ball, she batted at the ball and finally she nosed the ball. Whoa! That was the effort that proved successful! Ezzy quickly learned that she could push the ball with her nose and then catch it with her front paw to stop it from rolling down the hill. After about fifteen shoves and catches, she had the ball at my feet.

We played for some time..me tossing the basketball and her nosing and catching the ball until it was at my feet. This was the oddest game of fetch that we had ever played. Then..quite by accident, she picked up the ball with her mouth! I think it surprised her as much as it did me! She ran about three feet before losing her grip. The ball rolled down the hill..she picked it up again and ran another three feet. The ball rolled down the hill..again she picked it up and started for me..drop..roll. She was losing ground quickly. One last attempt and she made it! How in the world this dog was strong enough to carry that heavy, water-soaked ball was beyond me! This time, instead of dropping the ball at my feet, she flopped down on the ground and held her prize. That ball was not going anywhere..at least not until she rested a bit!

I am assuming that the old basketball will now be her toy of choice for a the next few days. It is good exercise for her and the activity will help her rebuild her strength after being so ill. The only other "item" that washed in with the high tide..a chair. A tiny, red child's chair that had been stuck in the marsh for the past six years! Ohh..I am so glad that chair is not going to be an eyesore in the middle of my marsh any longer! Maybe I should teach Ezzy to sit in the chair then she could have two old and nasty toys that are oh, so fun!