Creek Running North

I’ve done that head-pointing thing for my dogs many times. I’m sure they see a lot of stuff I miss, but when I do catch something I know they’d find especially interesting, I always try to aim them at it. It’s my duty as a hunting partner, and I think it gives both of us pleasure. :-)

Awww! And you call him “Zekie”. How sweet.

you go Zeke!!!

the zekester just needed a nudge to remind him about the important things.  like all of us do, sometimes.

the late, great annie-dog used to guard the yard by barking at deer on the hillside behind our house, in her younger days.  until we moved in with dogs and installed a fence, our yard was apparently a well-beaten path to the streets below.  [the fence was not much of a challenge, but the deer traffic slowed, between that and the dog.]

one day — it was as annie was beginning to feel her age — i saw a big buck deer in the back yard.  annie was down by the house, hunkered on the ground, just watching him intently.  perhaps he got the hint — that was the last time we saw a deer in the yard.

annie is gone now, and the herd on the hill no longer sees our yard as one of their paths.

Too lovely.  One thing I don’t miss about living in the North bay is the pain of watching grimy humanity encroach on the wild and splendorous natural beauty of the area.  But tableaux like the one you’ve presented here (written, as always, with a fine ear) are always lovely.

Deer (also mostly blacktail up here, but some mule deer, as well as elk at certain times of the year) are always a menace to my garden and my horse food — my dogs have the habit of barking like maniacs and running them off.  My bitches be alert, yo!

I took Fraiser with me to pick up some veggies from an organic farmer. His farm sits between 2 others that raise horses. Apparently, Fraiser had never seen a horse before. I stopped my car by the side of the road for about 20 minutes while he sat in my backseat and stared at the horses, totally focused.

The next time we went, I took him for a little stroll while the farmer filled our order. Two of the horses ambled over to their fence to stare at us. Fraiser went nuts. Thank goodness I had him on a leash. He was trying so hard to get at the horses, that he was taking this tiny hops on his hind legs. I was holding onto his leash so tight that he should’ve strangled himself on his collar The horses walked a little ways from the fence, but then, when they realized that I wouldn’t let him get any closer, they came back and stood there staring at him as he barked at them. I finally had to drag him away because he was making so much noise. I think he feels he has to dominate any animal bigger than he is.