Fences, traffic and neighbor's dogs

Keeping neighbor's dogs from the yard is one reason we decided to build a fence. Of course when you have 2 acres of property to fence it's a major undertaking. The other reason is our dogs attract other dogs who cross traffic to come visit. So hopefully we can save a dog's life. We've seen 2 dogs hit in the past couple years. One was a hunter's dog that had strayed and gotten lost. Sad, very sad.

So we're working on fencing to reduce the attraction to our yard. Our 3 dogs love the visits and bark grandly to let the other dogs know they're here, while usually are inside our backyard fence, but have occasionally been out and run full speed after another dog, right towards traffic. I was glad to see the good breaks on a cement truck last week.

The first fence post hole was delayed when a good size chunk of sycamore tree root was hit. Off to the hardware store for a new reticulating saw, which did the trick with some effort and revealed a 12x12 inch chunk of solid root. Thankfully only one more of the dozen or so holes dug yesterday, required roots to be cut through with a saw.

My job is watering down the ground around the set posts to solidify the dirt in place to hold them. I didn't however sit and watch the heavy sweaty work of hole digging. I cleaned out a flower bed, weeded and transplanted some succulents to the sandy soil, along with fetching and carrying tools as needed.

The fence will be a nice barrier to what traffic does travel this country road. And the dogs will be safer. :-)

I want to WALK!

Is it time for treats yet?

Carrying their own stuff and loving it!

A nice walk with my own water and treats!











Oh, how I love my walks with friends!

Praying Dog! Love it!

'Praying' dog at Japanese temple

Conan the dog joins the priests at Jigenin temple at prayer time

Attendance at a Buddhist temple in Japan has increased since the temple's pet, a two-year-old dog, has joined in the daily prayers.

Conan, a Chihuahua, sits on his hind legs, raises his paws and puts them together at the tip of his nose.

"He may be showing his thanks for treats and walks," says a priest at Jigenin temple on Okinawa island.

Priest Joei Yoshikuni would like Conan to meditate, but "it's not like we can make him cross his legs", he says.

"Basically, I am just trying to get him to sit still while I meditate," he told Associated Press news agency.

Mr Yoshikuni said it only took Conan a few days to imitate the motions of praying.

"I think he saw me doing it all the time and got the idea to do it too," he said.

Jigenin temple now gets 30% more visitors than it did before Conan joined in the prayers, Mr Yoshikuni said.

Funny dogs!

Outdoors

The warmth of the day is welcome for myself and all the dogs. They watch for which shoes I put on, knowing that will tell them when it's time for a walk. The yard is fenced but they love to run in the field , so they watch for when I'll be taking them out. The hawks are riding the air currents today watching and circling . When we first moved to the country we wondered if the hawks would swoop down on the dachshunds. No problem. They just circle and watch for small animals in the corn fields.

The puppies have discovered the compost pile has some interesting things in it from time to time, so they love to go over and check for an old biscuit or other crumbs. Usually nothing is available but an interesting smell. It's all vegetation for the most part, as well as egg shells, tea leaves and other cuttings. No meats, dairy or that sort of thing, so no flies or ants.

I think I'll work again with the dogs on getting them to not bark when someone comes to the door or yard. At least to watch for my signal as whether it's right to bark. There's a good time to actually warn people and a time to be quiet. Spring and summer are great times to work on this.

Well , cooled off enough now. Back outside to put another coat of varnish on the bench I'm refinishing. The puppies will tag along and watch, while rolling in the early grass.

Oh, how we love our dogs

Man Clinging to Boat: Save My Dog First


The Associated Press
CORE, W.Va. | Life jackets are made for people, not dogs. So, when Randy Earl's small boat capsized while he was fishing with his dog Lacy, a black spaniel mix, he stayed in the water with his life jacket while making sure Lacy was OK.

"When the boat flipped over, I put the dog on top of the boat," Earl told The Dominion Post of Morgantown.

While waiting for someone to rescue them on Mason Lake in northern West Virginia, Earl clung to the 12-foot boat's hull. The water temperature was about 50 degrees, said J.M. Crawley, a senior conservation officer for the Division of Natural Resources.

Another fisherman, Jan Thorn, watched from shore as a state trooper paddled out to rescue Earl and Lacy.

"He asked the state trooper to take the dog first," Thorn said. "It was very touching."

Earl, 53, said Lacy means a lot to him and his wife since they lost both of their children in a car accident 15 years ago.

"That dog is like a child to us," he said.