Ki-Anne Is Banned...

Ki found treasure today,

An armadillo shell with fermented meat attached.

I was hoping she would soon abandon it,

but not a prize like this!!

Ki-Anne will sleep  outside tonight!

Fermented armadillo is not exactly my favorite smell for the house.

Before Daylight...

I was awakened by the dogs, thank you, you worthless pack of mutts!!  I am sure they were after some critter but I did not check.  Coulda been skunks, armadillos or 'possums. They are really moving closer since it has been so dry.  I guess they are staying closer since they have discovered the eating is easier near the houses.

I so wished I had a camera the other morning.  The boys, a Jack/Rat and a Rat terrier, had an armadillo on the run, one on each side, yapping their brains out, snapping against the hard shell,  while the possum in armour kept on trotting his escape route.

The Borders approach these warm-blooded tanks a little differently...if you are sensitive to violence, stop reading now!  They work as a team, flip the armadillo, go for the soft underbelly and proceed to tear it apart.

You may think this cruel but farm life is cruel.  It is a battle...against the elements and animals who threaten the livelihood of domesticated animals and humans that have tamed this spot of earth for their own use. 

The reason armadillos are so unwanted is the danger they bring.  Danger, you ask??  They dig tunnels which can break the leg of any large mammal that is unlucky enough to step in.  They dig up plants, not on purpose, they are looking for grubs and bugs.  Armadillos also carry leprosy.

Sometimes farming isn't pretty and it's certainly not a job for the faint-hearted.  It is a way of life. You either love it or your hate it...there can be no in between.