Mishap on the Maurice!

Yesterday, my friend Barbara Spector, and my dog Trixie and I found the Maurice River Conservancy and hiked the blue trail down over one of the bluffs along the river.  We had a great time, Barbara swimming in the river and Trixie fetching sticks, then, suddenly, my dog was whining and clawing at her muzzle.  Barbara is a trained animal shelter volunteer so she held her and opened her mouth and I felt around her teeth and under her tongue and at the end of her mouth near her throat.  We felt certain she had a piece of wood lodged in her mouth somewhere because she chews the sticks she fetches.  I found nothing, and she kept crying and clawing her muzzle so I though maybe it was in her throat.  I wanted to get her something to eat and see if she could swollow so we left the woods and headed to Wawa.  She seemed fine while she was walking but she kept salivating and from time to time, she'd drop to the gound and claw her muzzle again and whine.
In the car, outside the Wawa, I fed her a container of yoghurt which I thought might sooth her throat and take down whatever was stuck.  Failing that, I figured it was a trip to the emergency Vet and another $500 (been there done that before).
We could hear a clicking noise and Barb said she could see something in her mouth, so she held her head and opened her mouth again and suggested I try feeling the roof of her mouth.  There it was, an inch and a half of wood firmly lodged across the roof of her mouth.  I pulled it out and she was instantly better, but our hike was over for the day at Maurice River, anyway.
On the road, we felt recovered and decided to visit our old stand-by hiking spot Parvin State Park.  It was filled with happy families swimming and grilling fragrant foods and playing music.  What a great way for a family to vacation.  You don't need sto spend all that money to ride roller coasters - Nature is where it's at!
People were canoeing and kayaking and everyone was happy.
For really excellent information and pictures try this blog:  ( wish I had seen it before I went!
http://gonehikin.blogspot.com/2013/05/maurice-river-bluffs-nature-preserve-nj.html