Dogs On A Stick

Look!

Bonnie has a stick!

Let's get it!

They tried

and tried

and tried.

but

Bonnie kept her stick.

For Saturday's Critters

Chasing Beaver

What's that doing here?

Paddling hard we can't get near

 Almost there!  Get that rat...

How's he make his tail do that?

The message Go Away was very clear.

A limerick for Senior Adventures

Chasing Beaver

What's that doing here?

Paddling hard we can't get near

Almost there.  Get that rat!

How's he make his tail do that?

The message Go Away was very clear

Alert! Snake!

This was one...there are more.

Ki is smelling under water trying to find one.

No dog saw the baby snake (left).

The Farm Team went into action.

The photographer was too slow to catch the action.

Four did their job.

Good dogs!!!

Farm Team At Work

The weather had boxed me in so the first hint of sunshine and warmth lured me outside.  We had some trimming and burning to do but I also stole some time to play.  Checking how the last big rain had changed the creek bed.

Every time I go out I see more jobs.  This was a rather deep spot reflecting the light but what I saw was the wood that needed to be cleared and the possibility of a grand son swimming hole come spring.

Then Lizzy, The Announcer, informed me the remaining farm team was up to something.

Four dogs trying to remove what ever took refuge under this stump.  Count them...four.  Squiggs is the smallest and Lil the largest but three found room inside the hole they had excavated.

Busy determined dogs

Lil takes a break and allows Ki and JR to fill the hole.

Nothing was caught but excitement was high.

Those are happy tails sticking up in the air.

Later this day Bonnie captured another armadillo.  She shook it so hard it was separated from it's shell.  Good dogs!  Bonnie two, armadillos Zero.  Things are going as they should At The Farm.

Not Every Dog (May be too graphic for some)

has her own chaise lounge.

Bonnie began her training in a crate and still goes there when we leave the house.  She graduated to and outgrew the old recliner.  She now claims the chaise lounge which usually holds what Hubby throws on it.

As much as we love dogs they are also needed on a farm.  Varmint control, guardians of our farm animals and of our place are just a few of the important jobs they do.

Just shy of eighty-five pounds and fourteen months old, Bonnie is very much a part of our life and our working team here.  Bonnie can sprint at twenty MPH but can maintain a solid fourteen for an indefinite period of time.  Yes, Hubby has clocked her.

This summer Bonnie trained with the other members of our working farm team:  Lil, Ki-Anne, Squigs, JR and Lizzy (all outside dogs). Each have their own job and work well as a team.  They've herded cattle and have kept our area clear of poisonous snakes and animals that could harm our live stock.

This summer Bonnie "alerted" us to a Copperhead but really has mostly stood back and observed. We thought maybe she's not gonna catch on to the job requirements here.

Yesterday Bonnie showed us she was paying attention.  She caught her first armadillo all by herself. At least a quarter from the house and proudly carried it all the way home.

Armadillos can reach a speed of thirty miles an hour but Bonnie exceeded this one's speed.  Hubby did not clock the chase but was very pleased with Bonnie's performance.

It's a fact of farm life.  Some critters just can't co-exist on a farm.  This is one critter of which we have tried to control the population.  Their burrows can break livestock's legs, they tend to dig in the garden because the ground is softer, and they do kill many plants.  On the good side they eat lots of insects and worms and are good to eat  (recipes here) although we've never tried one.

The other members come to check the prize.

Bonnie has reason to be proud.

She shows off her catch.

After her good girl praises

she drinks and chills.

When the wild hogs come

we may have a chance!