How to explain that picture?
Well I had a spot I wanted to fish. It was known for a species I've been trying to add to my list for years. But I had the dog with and would have to tie him up. There was a busy road nearby. In fact there was a bridge with a highway worker on it. We had a nice chat.
I tied Hank to a tree, affording him shade and a nice view of the river. I was maybe 20 feet from the end of the rope. Attending to my angling I was bothered by his plaintive yipping, but after a few minutes it stopped. Good.
Then the kid working on the bridge said: "Sir, your dog is up here."
Sigh. Well, the rope was old and I figured he just snapped it. Re-tied. He somehow did it again. I really wanted to fish this spot and it was too sunny to put him in the car for long. Double tied rope. He broke free again. I had some fresh paracord with me. It also failed.
I left the dangling shreds attached. I think he looks a bit like Jacob Marley's ghost, who wandered Eternity - or at least Dicken's Christmas Carol - with chains hanging off him.
In Marley's case it was a mark of his sins. Greed and Selfishness.
Dogs don't exactly have sins. But virtues taken too far can become negatives. Marley started out with commendable thrift and prudence, but took things too far, out over the dark edge.
Hank has the virtues of dogs. He is unshakably loyal and friendly. He wants to run free and sniff things. I understand. But it can be a pain in the rear.
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Addendum. On the return swing of this trip up north I had a new dog containment system. This time a plastic coated cable thing. While attempting to fish a different spot I gave him a bit of side eye and caught him trying to chew it. So I don't think his previous escapism was pure Hank Power.
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