Hang in there, just a couple more, got to get the number of posts up.
Reaux
Splash
Last Christmas I bought a radio controlled model tugboat as a gift to my friend Paulo owner of Mulligan and now Molly. The idea being to attach a fishing line to it and see if we could remotely send it out onto Long Pond in Maine and catch fish with it. This past vacation we had the opportunity to try.
First we decided on a trial run, all three dogs were in attendance. "Well it floats once it takes on a little water for ballast" I commented to Paulo. "Okay, Bill, lets see if the remote control works" he replied. With that he started the boat up, Mulligan and Molly looked on in interest; Reaux on the other hand went absolutely ballistic. Leaning far over the dock trying to get at that 'thing' barking incessantly, then he jumped into the docked boat crashing fishing gear asunder all in an effort to get at that 'thing'. Did I mention that he was barking his fool head off?
Convinced that one and all on the lake could hear the ruckus we decided to drag Reaux away and put him in the cabin where he wouldn't be tormented by the thing. After further testing we removed the boat from the water and took the batteries out to re-charge them. "Let's try it out for real tomorrow when Steve gets here" Paulo suggested.
Next evening with everyone present we tried again, this time with the fishing line attached. As a precaution I put Reaux's life jacket on him. Steve looked at me quizzically as I tightened all the straps. Noticing his look I told him "You'll see why shortly." As before everything went calmly up until the point when we started up the tug boat with its fishing line, and as before Reaux went into a berserk rage. Eventually he worked the other dogs up as well, to the point where Mulligan not paying close attention to the edge of the dock misplaced a foot and unable to regain control tumbled into the lake with a splash. He came up swimming though and I managed to grab him by the scruff of the neck and haul him back onto the dock. Standing on the dock I watched Mulligan shake himself, none the worse for his sudden immersion. Then I heard Paula calling me "Bill, Bill look behind you" turning I noticed that Molly's leash now led directly into the water where a bug eyed Molly was getting her first swimming lesson. Reaux was still barking non stop as I reached down and got Molly back onto the dock (Glens do look funny when they are totally soaked BTW). The canine chaos was brought to an abrupt halt as the tugboat, with bass attached, slowly listed to port then turned over and began to seriously take on water. After rescuing two dogs and one tugboat we decide to quit the evening sport and reflect over cocktails on what had just transpired.
To be continued. . . .