The apparently thin line between foolish and fun.

I took Wendy and Trey for a walk at Rainbow Haven today.  The large parking lot there, which is inaccessible to cars at this time of year, was partly covered in ice.

To amuse myself, I lazily slid the ball across the ice.  I didn't even throw it.  I just rolled it gently, maliciously thinking how amusing it would be to watch the dogs slip and slide after the ball.  The lack of friction meant the ball just rolled and rolled.  As I expected, Wendy and Trey skidded across the slick surface after it.

What I did not expect was for the ice to break, and them to be trapped, chest-deep, floundering to get out of the frigid water.

It's is a freakin' parking lot -- not a lake !

Both dogs have broken through at this point.  

Wendy, being taller than Trey, managed to get out pretty quickly, retrieve the ball, and make her way to the grass, where she happily trotted around in a "nyah, nyah" sorta way.   "I have the ball and Tre-ey doesn't".  Trey was too preoccupied with his current situation to even care about the ball.

The ice kept breaking under him as he tried to climb out.   

I quickly regretted my foolishness as I watched him struggle.

I watched as the ice kept breaking under him, as he valiantly tried to climb out.  Even though he wasn't getting out, he was inching forward through the broken ice.  But I could see him shivering, and the look of worry on his face is evident in these pictures. I moved to a spot on the grass that was closest to where he was and sized up the situation, and considered how I could get to him, without falling ass-over-tea-kettle myself.  Before I went for the big rescue, and I urged him to try one more time.  He was shivery and barked at me in frustration.   And then, he tried.  He tried one more time, and

he found that the ice was able to hold him.  Gingerly he hauled himself out, and oh-so-carefully, spread-eagled like Bambi on the ice, made his way to shore.

He was soaked and trembling, but very relieved and happy to be on dry ground.  Suddenly, all he wanted was the ball.  "Throw the ball !   Throw the ball", he barked.  I didn't even tell him off for barking.  I gave him a quick rub-down with my mitts and heaved the ball into the grass.  

I wanted to keep him and Wendy running until we made it back to the car.

And I did.  By the time we got back to the car they had warmed up. I gave them each a good rub down  with the blankets and towels that I keep in the car, started the engine, and got the heat blasting.

No harm done.

But gosh, I can be stupid sometimes.