"What's that, Lassie? Little Timmy fell down the well?"

Yeah, so Rog is home so we get to play the "Let-Me-In-Let-Me-Out" Game incessantly, right?

Rog let the hounds out while I was inside - doing whatever...

Rog let's 'em out [whether they need to go out or not!] - I get to let 'em in when they start barking like lunatics - that's The Rule!

Sometimes we have a little stand-off where I simply refuse to get up - no matter how much they bark and, eventually, Rog will get up and let 'em in.

("Welcome to My World!")

So anyway, the dogs were out, barking their fool heads off (at what - I do not know!) (Frankly, I'm amazed that no one has called the cops on us, yet. Although I *do* try to be considerate and I certainly don't allow them to bark at zero-dark-thirty in the morning!).

DH and I were in the middle of one of our "You let 'em out - I'm sure-as-hell not bringing 'em back in" Power-Struggles. So Rog reluctantly got up, went to the back door, shouted "Pooooooches" and two of the three came in.

A quick inventory revealed that Princess Annie, Roger's girl, was absent. Yet, she continued to yap and yowl...

Rog is partially clothed at this point and announced that he was getting ready to take a shower.

Hmmmm... Guess that means *I* have to retrieve her, right? ("Welllll... She doesn't LISTEN to me!" was the lame [but truthful!] response!)

(Bear in mind that Annie and I have this ongoing Power-Struggle, as well - where she is trying to achieve Alpha-Dog Status above ME, right?)

(NOT gonna happen.......)

(And part of that "game" involves her outright REFUSAL to come-in with 'the commoners.' Ohhh, no - Annie's return to the indoors must ALWAYS involve a SEPARATE trip to open the back-door. So *my* role in that game is to REFUSE to let her in, when she 'demands' it!)

(Again, "Welcome to My World!")

So, I poked my head out the back door and called "Annnnnnnniiiieeeeeeeeeeee!"

Nuthin'!

"To hell with ya then!" as I closed the door.

Well, the yapping and yowling continued - with a bit of a "desperate tone" added to it - which was unusual.

I hear the desperate yowling and I'm all "WTF" right? Open the door again... Call out "Annnnnnniiiiiiiieeeeeee" again, and (this time) I get the desperate yowling in response, right?

"Hmmm. Something's wrong."

So I put on my shoes, go outside (and leave the other two in the house). Well, Rog - in his infinite wisdom (words to be eaten later!), then opens the door and lets Dynah out.

I'm all "Great - Now I'll have to herd TWO dogs - THANKS, HON!"

So now I'm wandering around the yard, calling "Annnnieeee! Annnnniiiieeee!!" and Dynah's all "Doot-doo-doo" following me everywhere with tail-wagging. I'm checking the side of the house. Nuthin'. "ANNNNIIIIIEEEEEE!!!" Check the back fence... Nuthin'... Wander back to the garden... "ANNNNIIIIEEEE!!!! Where the hell ARE you?!!" Nuthin'! Look behind the greenhouse... More Nuthin'! No Annie. Not a peep. Not a sound!

Finally I turned to Dynah and asked "Where's Annie?"

Well, sumunabeech! Dynah immediately turned around and trotted happily over to the planter bed in front of the shed. There's Annie! Tucked underneath the leaves of a Cast Iron plant.

I call out to her "C'mere you little sh*t!!!" And she didn't budge!

Turns out, Annie had managed to stick her head over a long (and very strong) vine, then twisted herself around 'til she was effectively stuck! Not "hanging" or anything - but definitely in danger of strangulation! She was just waiting for someone to come and rescue her!

Nuthin' like ANSWERING ME when I'm calling your name, right?!!

Thank Gawd Dynah was there - and Dynah was SMART ENOUGH to recognize when I asked her where Annie was!

Annie=Dumb

Dynah=Hero!

...And do you think I got even ONE OUNCE of gratitude from Her Majesty when I extricated her?!!

HA!!!