bear the three legged wonder dog strikes again!

Just because I'm lame doesn't mean Bear has to be... This past weekend we went to Horseshoe Lake, a lovely little spot just outside town. It is Bear's favorite new swimming hole, mostly, I believe, because every time we go there it's like going to a dog park. Last time he met four irish wolfhounds at the same time. I was nervous. Fortunately, he realized he was out muscled and way out legged, so he behaved.

This week we were carrying on with out normal game of "I hobble around on the shore and throw this piece of what I can only assume to be $17 gold I bought at the pet store, and Bear swims out and gets it." We repeat this about 8,000 times until I get bored. Well, there were these kids playing with a tennis ball. You know, dad playing catch with the kids in the 27 degree water? Anyways, as bear was paddling around with his red toy, I watched an over-zealous dad hurl the little green ball well into the center of the lake, beyond the reach and over the heads of the six swimming kids.

Bear, meanwhile, had made it to shore and proceeded to shake all over my skirt. Awesome. In this brief moment of embarrassment in being covered with dirty water, the dad comes up to me in a sheepish way, looking down at the ground.

"Um," he says, "Do you think your dog would go get that ball?"

"You mean my dog here with the three legs?" I asked.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that..."

He apparently saw the irony as well.

"No problem."

He asked what the dogs name was. "Bear," I said.

So, Bear, not being the sharpest tool in the shed, promptly began swimming after a rock that I threw in the general direction of the tennis ball. Meanwhile, all six kids are on the shore jumping up and down screaming, "GO BEAR, GO!!!"

Bear triumphantly brought the ball to shore after about 7 minutes of super swimming and all the kids giggled.

Oh man, is my dog cool.