"Always Plan Your Way Back Home...!"

The summer days stretched out and the dogs often found themselves gathered under the tall trees, resting in the cool damp sand and hiding from the desert heat.  On this hot afternoon, Bo snuggled next to Mum in the hammock as the pups chatted lazily below. As Mum nodded off to sleep, the pups began begging their Uncle Bo for another story.

"Tell us a story, Uncle Bo," pleaded Nessie and Morgan, the border collie puppies who were back from Indiana for another visit at the little ranch in the California desert.

"Well, pups," said Bo. "I just might have a story for you. Have I told you about Goldie's big adventure?" 

"I don't remember that one," said Nessie, the red and white pup. 
"Who is Goldie?" asked Morgan, the merle.

"Goldie is the oldest goldfish who lives in the stallion's water tank out back," said Bo. "Haven't you ever visited with Goldie?"

"Well, I tried to chase her once," admitted Nessie. "How can a goldfish have an adventure?"

"Well, young Nessie," said Bo, "You have a lot to learn. Anyone can have an adventure. The trick is doing it safely. Goldie almost didn't return from hers, but I'm skipping ahead of myself."

"Well, what happened?" Asked Morgan, cocking her head, lifting an ear and thinking about what type of an adventure or trouble a goldfish could undertake or encounter. "Did Sylvester Kitten try to catch her?"

"Well," said Bo, "That's a good guess. Let me get started on the story, and you'll find out!" 

Bo's gaze drifted up toward the puffy white clouds starting to drift over the sun to perhaps block some of the heat. Deep in thought, he paused to remember the story from long ago. The pups knew better than to interrupt the storyteller with more questions as he prepared his story. Good stories take concentration, they knew.

Finally Bo looked back at the pups and began his story.

A few years ago, Mum had problems with the ravens dropping bread into the horses' water tanks. She put out extra tanks just for the ravens so they could have water of their own, but they always liked to drop their food in the ones the horses used. Well the horses were unhappy about the dirty water and asked Mum to do something. She tried tying up flapping rags to scare the birds, but those tricks only worked for a little while. Then, someone told her to put goldfish in the tank to eat anything the ravens dropped. So Mum bought a few 10-cent feeder goldfish for each horse tank.

One goldfish grew more quickly than all the other fish. Mum suspected this one might be a koi. She named the fish Goldie. Goldie lived by herself in the stallion's water tank, and spent her time floating below the stallion's bright blue jolly ball toy, nibbling on drowned insects and dropped raven snacks.

Each morning and night, a green water snake brought more water to the tank. The green water snake was actually a garden hose, but Goldie didn't know that. The water filled the tank and then overflowed to the ground, watering the grass below and freshening the tank. Goldie often peered over the edge, watching the waterfall drop into a small puddle on the ground a foot away. 

Goldie often dreamed of visiting her cousins in the neighboring horse tanks. She knew they were there because on moonlit nights, all the goldfish would jump high into the air and splash out messages to each other. Each was happy in his or her own home, but Goldie still yearned to go out for a visit. But the puddle below her tank always looked too small, so Goldie never jumped.

Then one day, Mum fell asleep in the hammock while waiting for the stallion's water tank to fill. One hour passed. The puddle grew to the size of a small pond. Two hours passed. Now the puddle became a small lake, at least that's how the escaped water appeared when Goldie peeked from the edge of the tank. 

"Bo, what's happening?" she asked me. "Where did all this water come from?" 

"Mum left the hose on," I told her. "She worked late last night and she's napping in the hammock." 

"Well, maybe it's time to go visiting," Goldie said.

"But Goldie, how will you get back?" I asked her. But it was too late. She had already slipped over the tank edge and into the puddle. Goldie loved vastness of the water. "How wide this puddle is!" she exclaimed, gathering speed for a rush to the other side. But, the puddle was not as deep as her tank, and Goldie soon missed the freedom to dive deep for safety. "Never mind," she thought. "It's time to go visiting." 

Making her way across the puddle, she dodged between the horses' feet. She nibbled their toes. She nosed the gravel for bugs. "This is fun!" she thought to herself. "What a wonderful huge lake I have found!" The puddle still seemed to be growing as Goldie made her way into the grass and through a small stream that seemed to run over to the neighboring tank. "Hey, Kyle!" she called, hoping to catch the attention of the fish in the neighboring tank. Two black eyes in a gold face peered over the edge of the tank. "Goldie! Is that you? I haven't seen you since the last moon dance! You are looking lovely as ever!" 

"Come join me," said Goldie, "I'm going for an adventure swim."

"Well, I'm polishing my scales," said Kyle. "Why don't you catch me next time?" 

"Are you sure?" said Goldie. "Mum forgot the water snake on, and we might not get another chance like this." 

"No, I'm sure," said Kyle. "You have fun and I'll watch you from here."

So Goldie swum on over to the next water tank. "Freddy Fish, are you up there?" she called. "It's Goldie! Come on down."

Goldie heard a splash, and some grumbling sounds. Soon, a set of brown eyes in a gold and white face peered over the edge. 

"Why Goldie Goldfish! As I live and breathe!" Freddy seemed quite astonished and happy to see her. "What are you doing here, and how are you going to get back to your home?"

"Oh, I'll get back," said Goldie. "Come join me!"

"Well, I just finished dinner and I'm ready for my nap," said Freddy. "I really couldn't join you. Besides, your adventure looks far too risky." 

"Are you sure?" said Goldie. "Mum left the water snake on and we may never get another chance to go exploring. If you're not coming, I'm off to see the world." 

"But Goldie," Freddy called after her. "What will you do when Mum turns the water snake off and the water dries up?"

But Goldie hadn't thought of that possibility, and she didn't hear Freddy ask, because she was already swimming away toward the part of the puddle that flowed under the bamboo. 

Goldie was having a grand time. But what's this? A big beetle started toward her, pinchers clicking away and chirping loudly. "Oh no, you can't catch me!" Goldie shouted at him. She ducked back out of the bamboo and into the grass. But here, she came to a large wasp. The orange-winged creature dove at her, its black legs barely missing her back fin. She darted back toward the horse corral. 

"Freddy, help me!" She called. But Freddy was busy napping and didn't hear her.
Oh how she wished she could dive deep into the water of her own tank. She was beginning to wish she hadn't left home. 


As she swam through the horse corral, the colts began frolicking. She dodged the fast falling feet, wishing again for deeper water. "Kyle, help me!" she cried as she passed the tank that held Kyle's home. But Kyle was busy polishing his scales and he did not hear her. Goldie swam faster. Now she found herself at the base of her tank on the edge of the stallion's pen, she threw herself into the air, and hit the side of the tank with a smack. "Ow!" she cried, "That hurt!" She hadn't jumped high enough to clear the top edge of her tank.

Goldie pulled back to the center of the puddle in the stallions' pen to think. "Is it my imagination, or is the puddle shrinking? Oh I do wish I had planned a way to get back before I left home! Running away is not so much fun when you can't come back easily." She began to cry great big fishy tears. But the puddle kept shrinking. She swam in circles, trying to keep to the deepest part of the puddle. She tried again and again to leap into her water tank, but it was just too high. In desperation, she called out, "Help. Please help me!"

I saw her there, as the puddle began sinking into the dry desert sand. Mum had awakened and turned off the garden hose, not knowing that Goldie had left her home and was in grave danger as the puddle quickly vanished into the thirsty ground. 

I was fond of Goldie, and couldn't stand to see her suffer. "I'll get help, Goldie!" I told her. "Hang in there and stay wet!" So I began to bark. Mum ignored me. Now, I was still quite young at the time, and I have to admit, I often barked quite a bit for no reason, so Mum paid no attention. I had not yet learned the value of barking only when attention is really needed. I ran to get Mum. She was about to settle back into the hammock. Still she ignored me. "Bo, Mum's too tired to play much," she said. She threw my ball and settle back onto the hammock. "Mum," I barked. "Goldie is in danger." But Mum ignored me and closed her eyes. "Go play, Bo," she murmured, settling back into a dream.

If she falls sound asleep, I thought, I won't be able to wake her and Goldie will be doomed. I knew I couldn't get inside the horse corral to lift Goldie back into the water. I raced back to the horses and called to the stallion, "Mouse! Make some noise. Wake up Mum." 

"Why should I do that just because you ask?" He snorted. "You're always teasing me."

"Don't do it for me," I pleaded. "Do it for Goldie. She's in the puddle in your pen, and will be out of water soon. She will die if we don't help her."

"For Goldie?" Mouse shouted. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"
First Mouse tried to lift Goldie, but Goldie was afraid of his lips and swam to the center of the puddle. "What should I do?" asked Mouse.

"Make some noise," I told him. "Get the mares to help. Make noise and wake up Mum." 

So I began barking and Mouse began squealing. The mares began whinnying and banging their feed barrels. Mum began to stir, but did not waken. 

The puddle was shrinking rapidly. 

Ben, the Great Pyrenees, seeing that we needed help, walked under Mum's hammock and gave her a great big bump. The hammock pitched wildly and Mum sat up. Thinking I was barking at the horses, she rushed over to scold me. 

Mouse stood in front of Goldie, bobbing his head. 

But Mum did not see Goldie. "Jump Goldie!" I barked as Mum took my collar and started to lead me away.

Goldie gave a great big jump and sent out a large splash that touched Mum's cheek. Mum turned in time to see Goldie falling back into the now tiny puddle.

"Bo, is that Goldie?" she asked.

I nodded, grinning my big puppy grin. 

"Bo, is that what you were trying to tell me?" Mum gave me a hug and then rushed to grab a feed can and scoop Goldie up and plop her back safely into her home tank. 

Goldie swum deep into the tank, doing three rolls and then another jump for joy at being home again. "Thanks gang!" she called to me, Mouse, Ben and the mares. "I sure will plan my trips better next time. I forgot all about booking a return flight!" 

So Mum put extra dinner goodies in Ben's and my bowls that night, and the horses each found extra treats in their food buckets too. Goldie saved her visiting for Moon Dance nights when she leaped high into the air and called messages to Kyle and Freddie in the neighboring tanks. 

Nevertheless, from then on, Mum always checked to make sure all the goldfish were safe every time she turned off the garden hose after filling the water tanks, and I began practicing saving my barking for when it really counts.