Otis is trying to kill me!

We have a Jack Russell and Rat Terrier Mix that is about 3 years old. His name is Otis, Otis Spunkmeyer, O and O day lee us! He comes to anything and generally is a hoot to be around. However, I now know that he is trying to kill me. So I am watching him because his first attempt did not work.

This weekend we received a beautiful snowfall. I would say that we got a least 6 inches up on the mountain where I live. Well, it is really more of a hill. On Saturday, Ryan, Otis, Benji (my dad calls him a Beyond Shit Dog- he is a Bichon and Shih Tzu mix) and I decide to explore the snow covered mountain. Ryan and I put on our ski pants, jackets, boots, gloves and hats... out the door we go.

Now Otis goes through life at a high rate of speed, so we are following behind him as we start our journey. He is jumping around like a jack rabbit. We check out the pond to see if it is frozen, cross streams and walk all over our ten acres. After about 30 minutes I am out of breath and ready to head home. However there are only three of us and Benji is a now walking snowball so I have to carry him back to the house because he can no longer bend his legs.

The three of us make it back to the house and I start thawing out Benji the snowball. Benji is thawed and I go outside to see if Otis has made it back to the homestead and of course he has not. I start calling for him and calling for him and nothing. I get this feeling that he could be in trouble, I mean I had just thawed out Benji and Otis does not have much hair... it is all on the couch, carpet and my clothes... he could be frozen out there.

I put my gear back on and head out. Past the pond, over the streams and back up the mountain. Calling Otis... nothing. I am getting a little worried about Otis. I start looking a big blood spot where a coyote snatched him. I walk, walk, climb, climb and the snow is now seems about 12 inches deep. My legs are getting weak and I now am seeing spots before my eyes. A ringing starts in my ears. My stomach is touching my back...I am breathing that hard. Still calling Otis... nothing.

I am telling you now that Otis is as white as the snow on the ground with the spots in my eyes he could be standing right in front of me and I would not know it. Starting to get fearful that I might not make it home, I point myself that way and try to make it home before I have a massive heart attack. Still calling Otis... nothing not even a bark.

Finally, I make it to my house and I am sooooo glad to see it, I only have to make it up 4 stairs and I can collapse and Ryan can call 911 to help me. And as I take those last few steps, moving at a high rate of speed is Otis. That darn dog was probably behind me the whole time. Jumping up and down like a jack rabbit and camoflaging himself in the snow, laughing at me the whole time, everything is a joke to Otis. I tell you he is trying to kill me... I wonder who put the hit out on me... it was probably Tiny Tim from the Creek Nation Casino.