The goats return

But this time I have some dog reactions. I first realized the goats were back by the change on Lilly’s face. I turned to see the goats making their way toward us. Today they came as close as a few meters the other side of the fence. I must say I like shooting goats. Easier than dogs because they don’t move as quickly or as suddenly. Their coats have interesting colors and some nice detail. And those strange eyes! But no more goat photos. Not for a while anyway.

Goats in my backyard

Not the fenced in portion. The area beyond that. They belong to my neighbor. Sometimes they lunch in my yard. Perhaps by design, perhaps not.     I could tell he was about to charge me. I was caught without my cape so I skedaddled back behind the fence. But what were the dogs doing during all this? The dogs that bark furiously at these same goats when they are two yards away on their own property? Yule and Scrappy were strangely quiet as the goats approached withing 30 feet or so. Not so brave now, are you? Lilly was in…

Salt and pepper

I recently tried to get some shots of two dogs playing. I don’t expect perfect photos when the dogs are wrestling and running about. I just don’t have the chops for that. But people like them, and I occasionally get a shot that I am truly satisfied with. But… on the two days in question the subjects were Aspen and River — a white dog and a black dog. That’s brilliant white and pitch black. Okay, to be honest, River’s coat has dark brown highlights.  But he’s still quite dark. The contrasting subjects pose a dilemma for the camera’s meter….

Crop circles

Dogs: DaddyDog, come quick! In the backyard! That would be Scrappy, Lilly, and Brandee. They like to call me DaddyDog. Think it makes them edgy… or something. Me: What do you want now? Dogs: Hurry, come quick. We’re guarding it for you.   Me: Guarding what? Scrappy: It’s a crop circle. Come see it quick! Me: What makes you think it’s a crop circle? Brandee: Well, it’s in a circle. And it’s round. I think. Me: What kind of crop is being grown? Lilly: Looks like grass. Yeah, I think it’s grass. Or weeds. Your backyard isn’t all that great…

How many is too many?

Dogs, that is. I’ve wondered how many dogs I could have mingling inside the house. I’ve had 5 for several days with 1 or two more in the kennels (converted garage). That was a lot. Of course, the answer first depends on which dogs are on the list. Some dogs just aren’t going to get on with other dogs no matter what you do. This Thanksgiving weekend I have the opportunity to see if I can handle 6 dogs inside the house with 1 in the kennels. I’ve had all of these dogs boarding with me before but they all…

Yule and Tucker

Yule met Tucker during his last visit but they didn’t get on right away. That’s actually not unusual for Yule even though we’ve introduced him to quite a few dogs over the last two or three years. Yule is generally standoffish for a bit until he decides the other dog is safe. Then they’re good. But with Tucker it seemed that Yule had to replicate his “new dog” assessment each time they shared the yard. So Yule met Tucker’s advances with a worried look and an occasional weak growl. About 20-30 minutes into the play session Yule would pluck up…

Yule came by again

To be honest, Yule has been here for a couple weeks. And he goes home tomorrow. But he’ll be back for Thanksgiving. He was his usual good-natured self during his stay. The kids discovered that some birds have been hanging in the tree in back. That was good for some entertainment and vigorous barking during Yule’s stay.   Yule has his serious moments now and then. He occasionally misses his mum, the Wealthy Heiress. Did I tell about a surprise visit from Yule a couple, three months back? In the middle of the night there’s a tapping at my window….

My last photo of Chief?

This may the last shot I take of Chief. He went home today. Chief’s new Dad brought in Chief’s new brother so they could meet for the first time. That was the last hurdle before Chief could go to his new home. Lori managed the intro so naturally it went swimmingly. Chief’s new brother is a Rotti mix so they are both big dogs. So now Chief’s Dad is happy. All the volunteers are happy. I’m happy. And I’m sure Chief is happy. He’s in the best place he could possibly be. He hit the Lotto. In case you’re wondering,…