I watched the kids dive into the water off the dock for almost an hour. And the big black old shepherd-border collie cross had a great time jumping in after them. Koda (short for Killer Old Dog Attack) loves the water, especially the splash created by the swimmers. From my vantage point, it appeared as though the dog was jumping beside the divers when they left the dock.
So eventually, I thought I’d invite Koda to jump in beside me. I called him over and jumped in. As the water closed over my head, so did something else: a 70-pound dog. Bingo! Right on my wet noggin landed pooch and almost immediately I felt the pain.
But something funny happened as I stumbled my way out of the water. Koda was busy watching the other swimmers but when he saw me leaving the lake he came over for a few seconds to check me out. It was as though he wanted to make sure I was okay.
The nine-hour trip home from our friends’ cottage was a long one as I felt every bump and swerve in the road. I had a mild case of whiplash following a car accident years ago; this is what this felt like.
Today, however, neck and feelings are on the mend. Nevertheless, I am considering a lawsuit against the dog but my family says it was all my fault. Koda wasn’t jumping in beside the divers but right on them. The only reason they got away unharmed was they were diving in and swimming away quickly and not jumping in and staying in one place. I disagree and will say so in my affidavit.
My bucket list isn’t a long and complicated one. A couple of entries involve Sandra Bullock, a Rolls Royce and a credit card with no limit. But nowhere on there is having my head jumped on by a dog in a lake.
©2012 Jim Hagarty
