Weekly update August 16-22

A good week ... hot, muggy, buggy, but dogs are all well, happy, and cheerful ... little Mattie gets over her fear of Corey and starts visiting again, the Damcat getting bolder and bolder, one altercation (my fault) quickly resolved, my great hunters catch two BIG rats, Corey sees wild geese (as well as cows) ...

Monday: Cloudy, cool, morning run then fed and kenneled, Snoopy doesnt want to eat dry food. Sigh. went to work. Husband reports started raining and rained all day, he let the dogs out for a run at noon and then kept them inside trailer ... when I returned, still raining, dogs inside, they clump up at dog gate and ...disaster... dont know who started what but Banshee ended up on floor with Snoopy grabbing her neck, I reached over and got DBs collar, husband managed to pour water on Snoopy and get her off Banshee, I put DB in computer room, Snoop ran to front of living room and hid behind couch, husband got her outside ... I let Banshee thru dog door and left her in bathroom ... she was shaking, didnt even notice the Damcat who was sitting in the hall, I locked Damcat in bedroom. Corey was  just staying in the kitchen until all others separated, he then started pacing back and forth while I attempt to clean up the water and blood (blood on floor, walls, etc) ... checked all dogs, only visible injury tiny cut on Snoopy's face , Banshee licking at her leg but didnt appear injured... go outside and clean Snoopys wound. Then its stopped raining, took Corey and Snoopy for a run, told husband I'd be back and then take DB and Banshee, but, somehow he let them out ... DB came racing down hill towards Snoopy, but, didnt do anything but sniff her, Banshee stayed on porch, clearly unhappy ... I get treats and head for kennels, all follow, DB goes to shed, others in their pens. Leave them to calm down with chewies for a half hour, go get food, feed, check again for any injuries. All this totally my fault, the hallway with the dog door is WAY too small for all 4 dogs and when I get home they rush to greet me, too much excitement, too small a space, asking for trouble... just glad it wasnt worse.

Tuesday: Warm and muggy ... let all out for morning run, everyone is best of friends again. Nice run, if a bit buggy and muggy ... fed and kenneled. Snoopy again wont eat dry food. Go to work, return through blinding downpour, husband says it's just started raining and he's kenneled dogs. Arrive home, still drizzling, lay down for half hour (really tense from the drive) then its stopped so let dogs out. Still very humid, sticky, buggy ... cant mow, so ride to back, Corey stops at pear trees and barks longingly, give him one, then Banshee; they settle down and crunch away. a very slight breeze now, but still awful ... return to trailer, sit on porch but still buggy (boy I need a screen porch this year!) Take Corey inside to brush, he's complaining bitterly but manage to get sandspurs out of his feathers ... then let others in while I fix food. Feed and kennel, Snoopy eating fine tonight.

wednesday: Foggy, warm ... good morning run, DB and Banshee digging furiously under oak trees ... Banshee then rolls in the leaves, what a dirty dog. Feed and kennel. Snoopy again wont eat dry food. go to work, return through storms, husband reports dogs in with him after lunch, he ran them once, and was playing ball with Snoop and corey when lightening started so put Snoop and Db in crates brought Banshee and Corey inside. Arrive home, drizzling. Brush Banshee (who loves being brushed) attempt to groom Corey, stops raining, go with Corey and let DB and Snoopy out, Banshee still inside with husband... get her out, then start mowing in back ... give pears to corey and banshee. Go back and get husband to help mow ... til nightfall, then feed and kennel. Snoopy again eats fine in the evening.

Thursday: nice morning run, sunny but not terribly hot. DB and Banshee digging for ?? under the oak trees again, then, a flock of wild geese flies overhead and Corey goes nuts, barking, chases them to the back of the property (wow, he runs like the wind) ... the other dogs watching him and looking at each other ... maybe he's never seen-heard wild geese before? corey trots back, mightily pleased with himself for 'chasing away the evil geese'... feed and kennel, go to work. return, not raining ... DB and Banshee greet me outside, Corey and snoopy inside ... brush Corey (he's gotten burrs and wheat pieces matted in his armpits ... ) then mow til nightfall. Little Mattie from next door comes over and plays with Snoopy at the fence line, them ventures nearer and nearer, finally approaches where I'm mowing... Corey is laying down, so doesnt look as intimidating, Mattie gets nearer and nearer, Corey stands up, yikes! Mattie runs ... but returns, sits on porch with Snoopy watching me and the other dogs in front, gradually comes down again and this time makes it to the mower, the other side from corey ... this 'dance' continues til suppertime, I get the food and all dogs including Mattie follow me to the kennels, Corey barking his joyous 'it's suppertime!!' bark, and Mattie chimes in 'yap,yap' ... we go to kennels, Corey and Snoop to their pens, DB, Banshee and Mattie inside the shed and to the crates (Mattie apparently remembers the 'routine') feed all, give all chewies. a good day!

Friday: Morning run, brief, feed and kennel, go to hearing in Columbia; husband calls and has locked himself out of trailer ... nothing I can do. return after hearing in blinding downpour, not raining at home, husband and dogs in a/c dog shed ... exhausted, lay down, then later get up and mow ... Mattie comes over and joins us, not scared of Corey anymore, lets him chase her... sticks around again through suppertime.

saturday: Slept late, morning run, fed and kenneled, looks like it might rain at any moment. Mowed until early afternoon, Mattie came over and accompanied Corey and I, other dogs lay on porch, then inside with all for a nap. Had to let all out but Corey to brush him, clip nails ... mid afternoon starts raining, dogs in, and out, DB and Banshee get wet, try to dry them off and let them in too, DB causes problems (snaps at Corey) and put her out. Let DB back in again, she goes to her bed and lays down. All quiet. Start wash, all antsy again, need a run but its still thundering outside and people are getting struck by lightening a lot round here, don't want to add to the number! Take dogs for van ride, Corey gets to see 'his' cows ... return, almost nightfall, take for run around perimeter, stop near woods... and the mower dies. like the starter wont work. Give up, walk back to trailer, inform husband, feed and kennel dogs ... then go with husband to tow mower back to garage.

Sunday: Foggy this morning, its always interesting to run the dogs in fog. they appear and disappear... fed and kenneled, went to church... returned, husband and all dogs out mowing, greet me at gate. I put groceries i bought on way home in fridge, change, and join them mowing until about 1, too hot to continue, go inside for lunch. Banshee doesnt come in. Go out after lunch and Banshee comes in. The Damcat is coming into the kitchen, inches away from DB ...who doesnt react, none of the dogs do, but I'm still concernedabout all 4 being in room with the Damcat ... husband takes shower, I'm on computer, dogs all asleep, all of a sudden DB has a nightmare, wakes up barking (she does this) and runs to door, others all following her,  let them all out , DB runs all the way to the gate, nothing... they all come back. All getting very restless around 6PM, stil too hot to mow, take them for van ride, little Mattie comes over and wants to join us but no, don't have extra crate or harness small enough. return around 7, start to mow ... DB and Banshee and Mattie catch a BIG rat by the fence (the neighbors just had their property bush hogged, first time this summer, I KNEW we were hoing to have a rat influx ... get husband to continue mowing pour side so theres NO high grass for the rats to hide in ... the dogs get another rat (even Snoopy joins in the hunt, but not Corey ...) I find and dispose of one, the other (I think they ate it as I cant find it). Mow til dark, then feed and kennel.