Jake Gets Stuck Between a Rock and a Bigger Rock

It all began when Jake thought he saw a kibble.

Jake, a border collie, is a wanderer, something rare in this world of leash laws. Unlike splendid isolation, Jake's family constructed a lovely home deep in the woods.  Far behind them was a cliff overlooking a lake.  Jake loved exploring the area. He likes jumping off the slight cliff into the cool water and swimming downstream, where he can easily climb out.  He thought he knew every inch of the terrain.  But Mother Earth can change her appearance overnight and catch us unaware. that was literally on you Jake's downfall  

Jake was exploring the cliff when he saw something new. A large crack had developed in the ground. Jake sniffed around it. Confident that he had seen something lying at the bottom of the opening, Jake jumped into it.  

He immediately realized he had made a grievous miscalculation. There was nothing at the bottom worth jumping in after, just water that wet his paws. The walls were too steep to climb.  In short, he was trapped.

It was morning, and Jake's parents would not be home until the afternoon to complicate the issue.  Even after they arrived, it was not odd for Jake to be out until supper time. It wouldn't be until after dark that they would realize something was amiss. By then, the crack would fill with water. There was no one to hear Jake's barks. His only chance was prayer.  

The Powers That Be thought that Jake's chances of survival were slim, so they sent the case to Foley, the Miracle Worker. I flew down to comfort Jake and promise help was imminent even if I didn't know-how.   I asked him why he jumped into the crack, and he said he thought he saw a kibble. That was reasonable. When it comes to food dogs, dismiss all logic.

The tide fed the lake, and when it rose, so would the water in the crack. I had little time.  I told Jake I would be back then went flying over the area looking for help. There would be none found on his side of the water, but on the other, there were boats. If one of the owners was home and had a dog, I might be in business.

I found a beagle named Brittany, who was asleep on her dad's lap. I went into her dreams and said, "run to the boat and bark until your dad wakes up and follows."   When I told her a dog's life was at stake, she happily agreed.

Brittany awoke and barked at her dad until he was up too. She scratched at the door to go out, and when she did,  stood on the porch barking at her dad to follow. Curious, he did and then walked after her. He saw Brittany jump on the boat and asked her if she wanted to go for a ride. Her wagging answered his question. As the ship started, Brittany stood on the bow, guiding her dad until they were on the other side. That is when he heard the barking, followed it, and found Jake trapped. He called 911, and soon a rescue team was there for the dog.

It took three hours to free Jake, who ran home and arrived at his parents' door just as they did.

"Hi Jake," his dad said. "Did you have any adventures today!" If only they knew.