I was on the road early yesterday for a Noon meet up time in Albuquerque. We walked our dogs to the Rio Grande river from the Rio Grande Nature Center and it was a pretty hike but whoo boy, was it HOT. I think actual temp was around 93ยบ but it was humid and I was just dyin'.
Jake thought it was hot, too.
Later, we met up with some friends and went to a terrific Thai restaurant then went back to their house to hang out for the evening. I was able to park Bliss on the street at their house and that's where I spent the night. These folks have a bull terrier that is aggressively friendly with other dogs so I put Jake in the rig while we hung out in their screened in porch so that our hosts weren't constantly having to pull their dog away from Jake.
We hadn't been sitting on the porch long when we heard something scratching at the gate. Everyone looked around to make sure their dogs were accounted for and of course Jake was in the rig so what was it scratching at the gate? I went with one of our hosts to check it out and when she opened the gate, Jake came running in. What the what??
I quickly went out to the rig thinking I was going to find the door wide open and the cats both gone but it was closed. When I got close I saw that the screen was out of the door window (the window itself was open); I opened the door and found the cats and .... well .... this:
Somebody, and I'm not naming names here, needed to get out of the rig very badly and needed to be with me very badly and destroyed the door very badly. The amazing part, or more amazing part, is that he squeezed his big self through the small window in the door to get out.
I don't know what set him off other than possibly a next door neighbor's dog that was barking a lot. I feel bad that the poor guy got so panicked and I wasn't there to comfort him. I am so so glad and relieved that he knew where to find me and didn't just run off.
I had been annoyed with the kitties earlier for scratching at and pulling loose the carpet material on the lower part of the door. Thank goodness I don't have to worry about that any more!
And now, because I can hear you all wondering, the date was/is good and it continues with a few days of camping in the forest at higher elevations southeast of Albuquerque. And that's all I'm sayin' about that. :)
Well I'm very glad about "that" but feeling sorry for Jake and for you that you can't do a single thing without him and have to repair/replace the door. Boy does that look like a mess. Maybe Jake needs some "calming pills" when you go away.
ReplyDeleteuh oh...
ReplyDeleteZowie! It has been hot here too! Today right now, looking at my indoor/outdoor thermometer it is 111.5. I mean... How much can a chubby gal (me) take? Or maybe I should go outside and see if it will just melt off, I don't know. : ) So... Jake decided to do a little remodeling while you were visiting, eh? He really did a number on that door... Just keep repeating to yourself... I love my dog, I love my dog, I love my dog... lol... Thank goodness he knew where you were and didn't get lost, silly pooch... Really goes to show ya that dogs aren't just dumb animals, they have such strong feelings for us and love us with all their hearts. I guess you will have to find something creative to do with your door. Install a shoe rack? Place to hang dogs leashes etc. Think storage woman! Hanging dog dish rack? I could think of lots of things to do with the remodel. lol... Keep cool girl... That is what I am going to do!
ReplyDeleteOh my! Poor Jake, and poor you! Glad your date/visit is going well. Sorry about the door. Give Jake a big hug from me and Riley. See you soon.
ReplyDeleteJeanne
Jake is certainly resourceful, and very much likes to be near you. Glad you're a handy lady with repairs and remodel. Happy you have a date. What is that by the way? ;)
ReplyDeletePoor Jake, he can't help but love you so much.
ReplyDeleteWe finally have heat, 100F with 1% humidity. I don't think I would survive if we had high humidity.
Maybe Jake's just not quite accustomed to the new rig yet & felt a little spooked. It was good he knew where to find you. With your skills you will have that door fixed up in no time. With my skills I would have had to trade in the rig for another one with a good door.
ReplyDeleteLOL, AL. I think with all that wheeling, dealing, and trading you have had this summer, in a few weeks you will wonder what happened to summer!!!
DeleteAlways tough in a new situation like that with the furry ones .....they kinda feel the newness and the pressure and want to locate the master ..... As you said probably didn't help that neighborhood dogs were barking, etc. I am sure it was a huge shock seeing Jake at the door !!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad no one escaped .....
Glad you are having some fun and a chance to have a special visit.... Enjoy ...
Ah, the joy of pet ownership. We feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteNot sure that it would be pretty, but a piece of kennel wire, or something like that, which could be screwed over/into the inside of the door might prevent that from happening again once you get done fixing it. Even if you have to make a frame and attach wire to that, then screw the frame onto the door. We had to cover our windows and under the dash with chicken wire when our then six week old MoonieCat started traveling with us 23 years ago. On her very first trip she would crawl up under the dash and sit on the part of the motor cover that was behind the front side of the dash because she wanted a safe place to hide, and we also found a window screen pushed partially out one day where she attempted to get out through an open window. We wanted her with us when we traveled, so we were desperate to find a fix for those two problems.
ReplyDeleteWe securely screwed a 2x2 piece of wood (up and down way) where the two window panels met in the middle when shut, covering only the side of the window where the screen was with wire. The wood was to keep MoonieCat from slipping between the wire and the window screens, and it allowed us to still be able to open and close the sliding windows. We did every window like that. We secured the wire down under the dash by drilling holes at the needed spots to secure the wire down, then used big washers on top of the wire where we screwed it in. We made sure to screw it down in the right places so we could still get the motor cover off when needed without having to undo the wire. The washers were a lot bigger than the holes in the wire. It wasn't pretty but it sure got the job done!
We bought that camper when it had 51,000 miles on it, and sold it at 300,000 miles with the wire still in the windows and under the dash!
I chuckle when I think what folks thought when they saw that wired up window from outside. But it worked beautifully, Moo couldn't get out but she got plenty of fresh air and 'new to her smells' through those wired up windows, and the now 23 year old MoonieCat became a true seasoned traveler after that first trip, although she is somewhat retired from it now.
You may have to resort to something like that, or crate Jake when you are away from the camper. A big dog definately requires a lot more than a cat would, but maybe it'll give you an idea of what could be done. Where there's a will there's a way, and maybe you'll find a solution from one of your readers or friends.I really hate to see what happened, but believe me..one day you will remember this with a smile on your face. Poor Jake, he loves you so much, he was probably so proud of himself that he was able to rescue you from the evil clutches of that other dog and people even though he had to literally tear the door down in order to get to you. (Ya' just can't stay angry, upset or frustrated at that, now can you?)
~Pam in Louisiana~
~Pam in Louisiana~
Look at you, being all forthcoming about a date! What is my problem? I have those stupid impermeable boundaries, or something.
ReplyDeleteOh, Poor Jake! And poor you! Geez, I'm sure you'll be able to repair the door, but you've got to figure out something to do with Jake if you want to leave him. Crate? I feel so bad for him, they say some dogs feel safe in a crate, maybe on top of the bed where he'll be in his "cave" room?"
ReplyDeleteOn a happier note, I'm delighted the meet-up is going well. Enjoy your camp out!
See you soon, I hope. :)
Glad Jake found you. If you haven't figured out yet what he needed to tell you, I suggest you do. He clearly was coming to find you, not just get out of the rig. I always trust my animals' instincts and messages. Have fun with that :-))))).
ReplyDeleteOH my Jake still has issues of being left alone? Poor guy at least he wasn't hurt and the kitties didn't escape.
ReplyDeleteJake doesn't really have "alone" issues, does he? That's weird.
ReplyDelete