Escapes and releases

As I drove into the driveway yesterday evening, it was apparent that something was amiss. The grandkids were all excited about something, but it was not a happy excitement. It did not take long to find out what was up – the grandkids are always eager to be the first to share news. Someone had left the gate to the back yard open and all the dogs had gone for a frolic in the countryside. The blame was quickly laid on the tiny shoulders of the youngest, but as the dialogue continued it turned out that she was simply the last one to walk through the opened gate. Regardless, all three dogs had run off as though they had somewhere to be.

Nate was walking the road and as soon as I had Savanna, the other three grandkids headed to catchup with their father. Mama and Cori were gone to the LuLa Roe lady in Bridgeport and would not be home for a while. Victoria was not home from work yet but was expected soon. So, Savanna and I began to feed the goats, collect eggs and get water to the cattle in the barn lot. From the engorged look of Daisey’s utter it was apparent she needed to be reintroduced to the neighboring property to be reunited with her calf. However, with Savanna in tow, I was not going to attempt to separate Daisy from the two calves we are trying to keep at the farm. That little chore would have to wait on Mama to help me.

Once Victoria got home and could watch Savanna I started working on a yard hydrant that would not drain when the valve was closed. It is the only one I have poured a little cement pad for. Fortunately, I poured the pad so that the hydrant was in one corner of the pad, but I still had to dig under it to get to the weep hole in the stem that was not allowing the stem to drain. Once I got there, I saw the problem. I had allowed some of the concrete to plug the weep hole. It was all repaired and backfilled before Mama got home. Maybe now the hydrant will not freeze. Still no sign of the dogs in spite of the intense efforts of Nate and the kids to call them in.

With Mama’s help Daisy was released to find her calf just before dark. Mama and Cori had brought home some Arby’s sliders and I ate one as well as some soup that our Chinese Grandma had made for me. While I was at the table Sam and Sasha started barking like an intruder was near. Kobe had made it home. The Pyrenees did not treat her well. They never do. Kobe is not submissive to them and it always leads to a fight. No on is ever injured, but it sounds horrible and Mama always panics. I went out to let her into the yard and Victoria went out to see if she was injured in any way from her time out in the countryside. Bella came home about thirty minutes later. Kira was still out. Those two seemed to be okay; filthy, but okay.

It was now fully dark and the coyotes were on a tear. It sounded like there were one hundred of them nearby.  Sam and Sasha were challenging them from the front yard for a while, but they must have heard something that needed further investigation because they suddenly ran out of the yard and full speed. Victoria was worried about Kira because she is still in heat. That is a powerful attractant to anything canine. It was another thirty minutes before Sam and Sasha came home with Kira in tow. According to Victoria, she looked to be in better shape that Kobe and Bella.

Both Victoria and Mama were in that mommy mode where there is a delicate balance between scolding and welcoming; between stern rebuking and sweet relief. All three will need to be thoroughly bathed today and Cori has volunteered her family for the task. After all, the kids spent yesterday afternoon brushing the dogs. Cori watch as all three dogs and all four kids cooperated in the effort. The dogs were carefully brushed and then the removed hair and grass was gathered and put back on the dogs, so it could be brushed off again.

I wish she had taken a video.