Weekly update July 19-25

Monday: Right pleasant weather, nice morning run, fed and kenneled and went to dentist... bad news, need root canal, but can't do it today. Work, then return home early, exhausted. No dogs greet me at gate, by time I get to trailer DB,Snoopy and Banshee emerge from under the porch, yawning. Corey inside, wildly excited to see me home early. I brush him briefly then lay down with the Damcat. Up again, now Snoopy is inside too. Work on Corey a little more (his belly hair has grown out and is matted with srraw, he has a mat between one toe... aargh. Go outside, all dogs out, treat, then decide to mow even though still hot. Mow til 815, dogs enjoying the grass clippings, rolling in them... return to trailer, fix food, feed and kennel.

Tuesday: Weather heating up again... AM run, workers already here, went down the hill, no Corey (he was playing with husband) then DB disappears. got up to gate, husband leaving to go to town, said DB had jumped in one of the worker's cars through the WINDOW ... and i needed to apologize. Got back to trailer and got food, out to kennels ... stopped to apologize to worker for DB, his complaint was she got 'hair all over his car'. Said to get it vacuumed and i'd pay for it. ACK, the guy whp was supposed to remove the wheat straw in Corey's pen hadn't replaced it ... fed the dogs, then let Corey out while worker finished pen, took Corey inside, brushed him. Then rekenneled, and went to work. Return 630, hot, husband gone to Lowe's. Let dogs out, mowed, watered trees, DB running in circles, Banshee gets an apple to chew and Corey thinks its a ball and starts barking at her, Banshee finally gives it to Corey, he then realizes its NOT a ball and lets her have it ... Snoopy meanwhile has an itch at the base of her tail which she just can;t quite reach, goes through contortions trying to get it, I stop watering and scratch it for her ... nightfall! fed and kenneled

Wednesday: Getting hot and humid again ... good morning run anyway, then fed and kenneled. Return home, 100 degrees ... Corey and Snoopy inside, DB and Banshee get to gate to greet me, moving slowly for them)... go inside, poor Corey has rubbed his hind toe raw (there was a mat caused by a sandspur in between his toes, I clipped it out yesterday, but he's still worrying it ... put some of my diluted tea tree oil solution on it ) Get changed to go mow and, a storm blows up... husband crates DB and Snoopy lets Corey and Banshee inside... wait out the storm (weird, 'Devil beating his wife', pouring rain, sunshine, AND thunder and lightening) Ends about 745, decoide to take dogs for van ride instead of slogging thru mud (plus its still lightening in the area) let DB and Snoopy out, all get into assigned places in van, and promptly fall asleep.. Corey wakens when we pass the cow pasture ... return home after dark, get food, feed and kennel.

Thursday: Blisteringly hot again ... morning run, feed and kennel, go to work. return, still 100 degrees. Husband gone into town, dogs kenneled. Let them out, try to sit on porch, too hot. Go inside with corey and Banshee, look at corey's paw, still sore, brush him, then take all for run and mowing til nightfall. Husband returns, feed and kennel.

Friday: Early AM, already hot, run, feed, kennel, go to Columbia for hearing ... even worse there, up to 105 in afternoon ... return home; husband has all dogs inside except Banshee who wouldnt come in, I get there and she does. it is too tight quarters for 4 dogs ... Banshee does OK when its just her and corey, but add the other two and she keeps thinking someone is going to take her toy and cant settle down, keeps circling around and around ... and wants to go out ...the Dancat is getting bolder and bolder, comes IN the kitchen while I'm fixing the dogs food (with Corey sitting by me, eyelevel with the counter, DB and snoop standing there, the Damcat walks in and goes under DB and walks over to Snoopy and touches noses, then runs back under gate ... Corey acts like he never notices. Maybe there's hope. Take all outside for evening run and mowing around 730, still hot but bearable ... dogs arrange themselves on hillside under trees and watch me mow ... feed and kennel at nightfall. A good day, but the heat is really bad this year...

Saturday: You guessed it, another horribly hot day. Let dogs out for run, did some AM watering (as it'll be too hot later), husband and workers gone to other property in Aiken county ... after feeding and kenneling and half hour rest, did about a half hour of mowing (and watering), 11 AM, already in the 90's. went to give Heartgard to dogs (6 weeks) realized I only have medium dog size ... kenneled dogs and went to vet to pick up big dog size for Corey (didnt take any dog with me, it takes car too long to cool off enough to put a dog in ) Return, give everyone heartgard, let loose. Dogs follow me to trailer, Banshee and DB immediately go into the 'cave' under the porch, I let Snoopy and Corey inside. Brush Corey, his foot is better,,, they lay down for a nap while i do wash and computer stuff. Can't DRY the wash as dogs under porch, go out and let DB and Banshee inside. chaos. Banshee just can't seem to be in this small a space with more than one other dog., She gets too excited. after a half hour of trying to calm her down (she grabs a toy, takes it to each dog, barks, then growls, then circuits again...) take Snoopy and DB and put them in ac shed crates. Then dry the wash. Banshee and Corey inside, the Damcat comes strolling into kitchen... Banshee reacts, corey doesnt, Damcat runs back under gate. Husband returns, I let DB and Snoopy out, then it finally cools off enough to mow ... finish around nightfall, feed and kennel.

Sunday: Whew, hot again. Morning run, watered pear trees and Angel Ginger's red plum and the other trees by the pond... then fed and kenneled and off to church.Returned, DB and Banshee in cave under porch, Corey and Snoopy inside. Fix lunch, then lay down with Damcat, when woke up all 4 dogs inside ... Banshee doing better. Everyone settles down, I am reading on the couch, husband at computer. Still awfully hot outside. Brush Corey (difficult with the other dogs, Banshee keeps taking brush.) Settle down again... and Damcat walks in, sees all 4 dogs, skeedadles. Take all dogs out to potty, Banshee and DB decide they've had enough inside time and head off towards the fence line. Corey and Snoop come back inside. Finally get Corey brushed, he's gotten into something sticky and his chest is all matted up. Yuk. Settle down again, here comes Damcat, strolling in. Corey remains calm, Snoopy goes over and Damcat runs behind couch, all OK for a moment, then Snoopy follows ... Damcat runs past Corey who tenses,I hold his collar, this is nervewracking. Damcat goes back to bedroom and hides under bed. decide to go out and mow, still hot (630) but dogs are getting antsy. Mow and water the peach and pear trees on other side, husband re-tilling the spots where weeds re-emerging ... continue working til nightfall, return to garage ... dumping last load of grass clippings, Corey starts chasing DB, who does her mad dash in circles routine, Snoopy joins in, all barking loudly and joyously, Banshee even participates (she cant keep up so cuts them off when they circle near her), all having a marvelous time! Get food, feed and kennel. A good day ... but oh Lord, send us some rain....

A good week ... despite Corey's ouchie on his paw, and Snoopy's finicky appetite, and Banshee's restlessness when all are inside ... my goal is to be able to have all 4 inside at same time, and, for the Damcat to be safe ... if the Damcat just had the sense to STAY on the other side of the gate, but oh no, he's now decided he wants to come out with the dogs... back when Angel Ginger was alive, he was fine with her (well, Angel Ginger was terrified of the Damcat and very deferential, Banshee and DB and Snoopy he was scared of (so I didnt let them in), now he's apparently decided the dogs aren't a threat ...  I'm amazed at how calm Corey has been. Maybe there's hope.