Foreseeable Harm

The sun was shining in Gabe's eyes. And his face was being washed with something rough. He opened one eye. A beautiful collie was licking his face and making little moans of concern. The collie's once-lovely coat was now wet, muddy, and tinged slime green by the bumper crop of algae flourishing in the ditch.
"Hey, Boy."
The collie, heartened by this greeting, wuffed a couple of times and then started barking in earnest.
A little boy in a t-shirt and shorts parted the reeds enough to spot him b...