Mutiny by the Girls

So, it is snowy here in the Midwest.  We have had about 2 steady weeks where the ground has been covered with the powdery, white stuff.  The kids have been in heaven.  The dogs like to frolic and play  but it is short lived.  The Girls, well for some reason they seem to think that I am to blame for the cold and snow.  For the most part, they have hung out under our deck where there is no snow and we have spread straw for them to borough down in.  When we go to shut the coop at night, we get the typical clacking and clucking of them expressing their distaste at our choice of weather conditions.  I guess they thought they were going to live in Florida, I don't really know.  But for the past few days, they have actually been storming my deck door demanding access to the house!  I guess the word has spread that we have heating inside our home and they just don't feel they should have to settle for heat lamps and straw.  They might be chickens (and one duck that thinks she is a chicken), but they are not uncivilized.  So, while I am working away at the kitchen table I start hearing the faint taps at the glass door.  Then the taps increase in number and sound.  Before long, this is what I am faced with at my door.

Now how do you say no to those faces??  I think the Girls want a heated coop next year.

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Petey Goes Hunting

Petey, our 2 year old beagle mix qualifies as one of the laziest dogs in the world. This dog can seriously sleep through us making her do doggy sit ups. You have to love how seriously she takes being lazy. My girl is committed.


So even though she is a “hunting” dog and my husband does hunt, he has never taken Petey with him when he goes into the woods. She really enjoys her air conditioning way too much to go out into the hot, bug infested forest at the crack of dawn to do work. But what happened the other night really got our hopes up that she would soon be a fine companion for my husband on his excursions.

We were all sitting on the couch eating snacks (chocolate covered raisins to be exact) when we saw an amazing site. Petey stood by the couch and began tracking a scent! Then she locked on to the scent and located her prey. It was beautiful to watch; her nose close to the ground and those long, hound dog ears hanging down. It took us all a moment to fully appreciate what was going on.

Then, Petey had her prey pinned down. She was at the edge of the couch with her nose shoved as far under the couch as it could possibly fit. She was whining and barking and wiggling her behind trying to dig under the couch. My first thought was, “Oh Lord, we have mice”. So with a certain dread I had my daughter lift the couch up so the dog could go under and get that filthy rodent that I was sure had invaded my home. Up went the couch, under went the dog, and down the hatch went a chocolate covered raisin. Unfortunately for my husband, chocolate covered raisins are not native to Missouri. I guess he still needs a hunting companion.

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Fat Doggie

So, I have been racking my brain wondering how my Beagle mix got so darn fat.  She is one hefty little hound dog.  We have stopped feeding her table scraps, and I also stopped free feeding the dogs so I know she is not getting the food from me.  I realize she is still sneaking eggs out of the coop, but what are you going to do about that?  It is too cold to go out there more than a couple of times a day to get the few eggs the Girls are laying.  Anyway, that is good protein right?  Anyway, I think my daughter has pin pointed the source of her added calories.  She is getting on the table and eating any food the kids leave behind!  Bad Dog.  Here is the photographic evidence.

I did not realize that Beagles could climb.  Also, this is when she started the behavior, she is not this skinny at the current time.

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The Hawk

The other night we got a phone call from our neighbor telling us there was a hawk in the tree out back.  So, we get Blue and Petey and sent them outside to do their job and chase the hawk away.  Well, we went out and looked at this hawk and I have to tell you that this thing was so big that it made Petey look skinny.  So naturally we were concerned for the Girls.  This hawk could have taken one of them with little or no effort.  So, in his infinite wisdom my husband breaks out the pellet gun and starts taking pot shots.  (no windows or neighborhood kids were shot.)  One shot hit the hawk in the tail and the hawk just moved his feathers.  Holy Cow!  This was one tough bird.  Then my husband landed a good shot right between the wings and the hawk soared away.  Why do I think this won't be the last time we see this hawk?

Petey the attack Beagle