These trips out in the car to quiet parts of our town were very useful in familiarising Nanette with walks for the sake of walking, meeting the occasional human, sometimes with another canine, 'reading' messages from local dogs and leaving some of course!! Plus generally developing some confidence. She walked extremely slowly!!! I mean 'Slowly' as in snail pace, and in fact it is only recently after three years, that she walks at a brisk pace to keep up with the dynamic Bertie and myself!!
Normally at 8am there would be no activity at all on the courts. HA!!! It just so happened that two men were cleaning up on this particular morning!! That meant brooms, rakes and other 'objects of attack ' in Nanette's mind. By the time I was through the gate it was too late to change course. She had already seen them in action and was straining at the leash to escape. On our left was a bank and a steepish drop!! Of course, she took it didn't she! !and at speed!! I slipped on a bed of leaves and went headlong over the edge. My one dominant thought was 'don't let go of the lead Jil!!'... I didn't.
The fall seemed endless. Finally we came 'to rest' with a thud against a fence. I opened my eyes slowly dreading what I may find!! Nanette was cringing against the fence partially obscured by leaves and I was immersed in layers of dog pooh, twigs and wet leaves!! I was aware of a severe pain in my right shoulder....apart from that, investigation revealed no broken bones or any other significant damage!! I surveyed the bank above me and thought 'I'll never get her out of this!!!'
I thought of calling the workers for help!!but then realised it would exacerbate the situatiion!!. Instead, I gingerly got to my feet and grasping the lead, attempted to drag Nanette up the steep incline. Not she!!! I fell back again. After a couple more attempts at this, I realised it simply wasn't going to work, so I sat there and considered ' brain storming' which I had learnt about in my youth. Ladders,? ropes.?..rope ladder?...crane?....tow bar?...Helicopter?.These potentially useful tools being absent, I had to think again. Then it struck me!!! Wheelbarrow!!!! No, I didn't have one BUT I remembered playing a game of 'wheelbarrows' in my boarding school. This involved holding the legs of your friend and 'wheeling' them to the finishing line! I grabbed Nanette's back legs and began to steer her towards the incline....she had no option but to comply of course. I steered her up the bank as I slipped and regained my footing several times.
Finally we emerged and seeing the men close by, I continued to 'wheelbarrow' the helpless Nanette across the court in front of them. You should have seen their faces!! I could not afford to waste energy explaining or changing course, so I wheeled her a good 75 yards to the other side and through the gate towards the road where our car was parked.
Once the other side of the gate, I dropped her back legs and assumed a more dignified posture!! To my consternation, at this moment a Gendarme appeared. He gave us a very long look!! 'Bonjour' I said and rushed Nanette to the car which was just a few yards away. He was still watching as we drove away. We arrived home...both exhausted. After a bath and whilst sipping a whisky.. (No,no!! Nanette didn't have the whisky!!) I sat and reflected on the events of the morning.
The conversation went something like this...'You just can't continue like this Jil!! Damn it, you're 73 now!! So?? Well, look at you!! limping, covered in bruises and shaking!! This is just no life....'.(Me talking to me.) I have many faults but there's just one useful trick I can do and what's that? See the funny side....I just began to laugh and laugh, the more so as I thought about those men on the court. When I looked in the bathroom mirror, I understood their expressions!! I was tempted many times to give up the struggle but then I looked into Nanette's eyes.....xx