Wildlife adventures - and the day I didn’t want dogs anymore

[Stacy]

Okay, not really. But, /insert-whine-mode. I think my dogs are my children. And then they do something like this. I have a love/hate relationship with spring. I’m finally not cold! Less clothes, boating, I don’t even mind mowing the grass. The rabbits seem to have gotten smart enough not to have babies in the yard this year.

The birds have not gotten smart enough not to dump their babies out of the nest and into my yard to learn to fly. Fledglings. Neither one of the girls are super hunters, but put little baby hoppy birds (I think they’re Starlings) in the yard and what do their mamas expect? The first one I took away from them and put it under the fence. The mom bird was *angry* and she tried to dive bomb me. Come on here bird! I’m the one trying to help you. It just sat there and Maggie stuck her head under the fence and pulled it back out. I put it under the fence again where she couldn’t get it. I like to think that it’s living a happy life next door.

The second one, well. I don’t think Katie meant to hurt it, but she picked it up by the eyeball and let’s just say it didn’t make it. I disposed of the poor baby birdy body and tried not to think about it.

And then today. I worked all day. I came home and Maggie had pulled a sun catcher out of the window and broken it all over the floor (why?) and did a little pee-pee on the carpet after a month of no accidents! I just had 2 weeks off and I was with them practically every minute. Do you think that she forgot that I sometimes have to work and that we had decided that pee was just for outside? I cleaned the carpet for the million-billionth time So frustrating. I really thought we were past this. That’s what I get for telling everyone that she was potty trained.

Then it happened. I climbed in bed with my string cheese and my drink. I look around for the remote. I lose that thing every time I’m not actively holding it. I didn’t find the remote, but (you all know where this is going, right?) There’s a dead baby bird under.my.pillow! People. My pillow!


I don’t know who did it. I have my suspicion, but no one is in trouble. But I would love it if someone could explain to me why I am so ridiculously in love with these dogs, and they repay me by bringing dead things into my bed. My happy place! The only thing that belongs in bed are me, snacks, dogs, and maybe the remote if I could ever find it again. And then they both have The audacity to look at me like they’re insulted that I didn’t appreciate their present. Or maybe they were just saving it for later. I love dogs. I love dogs. I love dogs.

Maybe I should just learn to love winter? These things don’t happen in the winter.

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

Unfortunately the snake did not take care of the cotton rat invasion we had.  Otis set rat traps around the yard and had to check every morning for victims and rebate as necessary.  He did this for 2 to 3 weeks.

[BG and Gavin]

My nicely trained, mannerly, nearly nine year old “pup” did this yesterday!! In retrospect I should have investigated a bit further ther perfectly round hole in the ground as the edge of the patio. But...I thought it may be a snake hole. Now I am going to say chipmunk den.  *Bonus* on our walk shortly after, without even breaking stride, Gavin expelled a stream of foamy mud barf. What a lucky girl I am!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You have no idea how hard it is for me to even reply to this discussion. I have a hard time even looking at a picture of a snake, and this discussion is full of them. Although I am not as bad as my DD, who can't even stand to hear or see the word. I have to say "you know what" in place of the S word in conversation or writing. 

And after being frustrated at how many people here on DK post links to photos instead of embedding them in the discussion, this is the discussion filled with embedded photos? The one time I would have vastly preferred the links???

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

LOL!!! to your last paragraph,  Karen.

[Amy and Annabelle]

My daughter is afraid of spiders. She slammed her hand against a wall and broke it in 2 places, jumping in fear of the spider. It wasn't even a scary kind.

[Stacy]

All spiders are the scary kind! But I don't mess with it as long as it stays outside. I don't want to get close enough to kill it if I can avoid it. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

It was in her mud room. Must have come in through the garage. If they are in my house, they are dead.