I noticed how soft and supple Roy's coat is today. Must be 'his' new found diet. I hope to never have to see it, praying it never ends up on my carpet.
For the 3rd time this week Roy has quickly slipped away under the cover of darkness when I let him out to go to the bathroom. It is pitch black out by 4:15 BTW...seriously! And as everyone knows by now...at least I should....there is only ONE thing on this planet that takes Roy away from my side for more than a minute. Hell Yeah! Road Kill!!!
He comes back with his gut as tight as a drum. Lies on the couch in a coma. And this says it all: the next morning when I feed Reena, Roy doesn't even lift his head! He usually follows me around, liking my hands for an hour every morning and evening before meal time.
There are four sides to Roy. no more. no less.
1. Holy terror to all strangers and dogs;
2. THE biggest couch potato;
3. big fat baby velcroed to me side; and
4. hoover machine to anything that will fit down his 5 inch gullet!
All boy I guess.
So anyway, in the last week, he has eaten perhaps three meals of kibbles ( I feed twice a day) and 3 gut packing meals of dead something-or-other.
Next time I get a phone call, there's a dead deer on the road come get it (the FG) I tell them I'm on it, with my trusty canine. I'll head down and set Roy on it. He'll take care of that. All natural, all organic, free-range diet.
Of course the worst part of this is, is that road kill is on the road! I've hiked down the road calling him, but I haven't figured out where his stash is yet. Next time I let him go potty, I'm putting the GPS collar on him so if you takes off I can go get him. I'm a slow learner. What ever it was, I would think he has eaten the whole thing by now. Unless its a dead bull moose perhaps.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
a new breed of working dog
I'm gonna start breeding and training for a new breed of working dog. Those of you who've had an identity transplant into a Blackberry may be interested. A "dead battery alarm dog". Reena of course is the prototype.
I'm working in my office today and Reena comes in and stands in the middle of the room, pointedly staring at me. I attempt to greet her with a pet but she backs away, staring. Sure, this is normal so I didn't think much. Then she leaves, walks down the hallway, to the living room and lets out a big important bark. Roy jumps up on the couch barking, looking out the window.....where, where, who's here. I come out to inspect. But Reena is just standing in the middle of the room. Not at a window or door like I'd expect, warning of some going ons outside. I tell the dogs to be quiet because there is nothing out there. Reena stands in the middle of the room and barks real loud and sharp again. And then I hear this beep beep from the coffee table. My cell phone battery is dead. Reena must hate that sound. Everytime I have a dead battery and that phone is going off somewhere in the house - be it in a coat pocket on the dinning room chair, on the coffee table, or on my desk in my office - whether its during the day or she has to wake me up in the middle of the night - Reena comes and finds me, and "talks" or barks until I follow her. Then she goes to the phone, stands in the middle of the room facing the coffee table, coat, desk, etc. Usually, I am like "what Reena, what!" for a few minutes until the phone beeps, as it only goes off about every 5 minutes. But everytime, she determinedly stares at the phone until it goes off and I get her point. I just find it amazing that she pointedly brings it to my attention that the damn phone is going off again, apparently bugging the shit out of her, and I need to do something about it.
PS. I love government holidays. I'm unashamedly one of those lucky ones who gets to today off. And the same at least once a month :). I swear Mark used to have a day off every 2 weeks with the USDA. I certainly need today off too. After my 4 day weekend (you'd think that would be enough, but not when its 8.5 hrs of driving or an all day trial) I came home just in time for my not a moment to spare schedule for the rest of the week. I didn't even have time to check my emial, which was a blessing as I'd have only felt guilty about everthing I was letting slip. I had to work on Sat, meeting with a local group of volunteers who helped us build and install several Canada goose nest boxes on the WMA. All I want to do is veg.
I'm working in my office today and Reena comes in and stands in the middle of the room, pointedly staring at me. I attempt to greet her with a pet but she backs away, staring. Sure, this is normal so I didn't think much. Then she leaves, walks down the hallway, to the living room and lets out a big important bark. Roy jumps up on the couch barking, looking out the window.....where, where, who's here. I come out to inspect. But Reena is just standing in the middle of the room. Not at a window or door like I'd expect, warning of some going ons outside. I tell the dogs to be quiet because there is nothing out there. Reena stands in the middle of the room and barks real loud and sharp again. And then I hear this beep beep from the coffee table. My cell phone battery is dead. Reena must hate that sound. Everytime I have a dead battery and that phone is going off somewhere in the house - be it in a coat pocket on the dinning room chair, on the coffee table, or on my desk in my office - whether its during the day or she has to wake me up in the middle of the night - Reena comes and finds me, and "talks" or barks until I follow her. Then she goes to the phone, stands in the middle of the room facing the coffee table, coat, desk, etc. Usually, I am like "what Reena, what!" for a few minutes until the phone beeps, as it only goes off about every 5 minutes. But everytime, she determinedly stares at the phone until it goes off and I get her point. I just find it amazing that she pointedly brings it to my attention that the damn phone is going off again, apparently bugging the shit out of her, and I need to do something about it.
PS. I love government holidays. I'm unashamedly one of those lucky ones who gets to today off. And the same at least once a month :). I swear Mark used to have a day off every 2 weeks with the USDA. I certainly need today off too. After my 4 day weekend (you'd think that would be enough, but not when its 8.5 hrs of driving or an all day trial) I came home just in time for my not a moment to spare schedule for the rest of the week. I didn't even have time to check my emial, which was a blessing as I'd have only felt guilty about everthing I was letting slip. I had to work on Sat, meeting with a local group of volunteers who helped us build and install several Canada goose nest boxes on the WMA. All I want to do is veg.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
No Reena, I'm not getting a flock of geese
Well, it came down to me trying to use Reena to herd the damn goose. The next morning I was trying to leave and it kept following my truck! I couldn't catch it to put it back in the dog run, so I got Reena out to help. I said walk up as we walked to it so she would see what I was talking about, gave her an away... and low and behold she took a nice wide away around the goose and started working it! When I've tried ducks at Janies, she always pretended she didn't know what I was talking about. And I say pretended, becuase as soon as Janie got in the arena and tried working her, she was like 'Oh! you mean these things' and worked beautifully. Guess she is desperate enough up here to work something that even a single Canada goose is better than nothing. Anyway, we still couldn't get it in the dog run becasue as soon as the pressure got too much, the damn goose would just fly off.
Who the hell dropped that quack off anyways. Did they think it would just join the wild birds on the WMA and live happily ever after! GRRR. that is why people should NOT rescue wildlife!!! Most of the time the animals will be fine, ....and if they die, that is how it should be! Now what? A little goose that is imprinted, not on people by the way, but on vehicles! The goose hangs out by any vehicle in the driveway. When I leave and come back (ie. no vehicle in the drive) the bird is gone. Probably just in the grass somewhere. But as soon as a vehicle shows up, it pops a squat by the back tires. Even when I had Reena chase it off so I could drive away... it would fly over the lake, over the Canada geese on the lake, and turn around and land back in my driveway!
What, could the people that apparently tried to save a little baby gossling (which then imprinted on people ....and obviously vehicles) get annoyed with it. Then the think dropping it off in MY driveway was the way to go! In my opinion, the thing needs to be put out of its misery because its not natural! People who try to save or raise wildlife drives me nuts. But anyway, one of my technicians is going to take it home. Good luck.
Who the hell dropped that quack off anyways. Did they think it would just join the wild birds on the WMA and live happily ever after! GRRR. that is why people should NOT rescue wildlife!!! Most of the time the animals will be fine, ....and if they die, that is how it should be! Now what? A little goose that is imprinted, not on people by the way, but on vehicles! The goose hangs out by any vehicle in the driveway. When I leave and come back (ie. no vehicle in the drive) the bird is gone. Probably just in the grass somewhere. But as soon as a vehicle shows up, it pops a squat by the back tires. Even when I had Reena chase it off so I could drive away... it would fly over the lake, over the Canada geese on the lake, and turn around and land back in my driveway!
What, could the people that apparently tried to save a little baby gossling (which then imprinted on people ....and obviously vehicles) get annoyed with it. Then the think dropping it off in MY driveway was the way to go! In my opinion, the thing needs to be put out of its misery because its not natural! People who try to save or raise wildlife drives me nuts. But anyway, one of my technicians is going to take it home. Good luck.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
I've apparently got a new pet -or Dylan does and its staying here. We got back from the staff hunt today and there was a Canada goose in my yard. It didn't fly away, just started following Dylan around. It even flew down the road after him when he left. No kidding. It flew like 10 feet off the ground next to the truck down the highway! So he put it in the dog run with some hay and water, just so he could go home!
This goose can not take up residence in the dog run! That is not how I picture my starting my farm animal managerie. And just because I am a biologist doesn't mean I want to add wildlife to the mix (although a pet coyote would be cool). I let the goose out of the dog run and tried to chase it toward the lake but it was determined to head towards Dylans car. Dylan took the work truck home and left is little red wagon here. I've looked out the window all night and the goose is parked by Dylans red wagon, dilengently waiting roosting on one leg in the driveway. WTF.
I've considered the convenience of mixing my wildlife job with my herding hobby. Reena refuses to herd ducks and eats wild ducks so I don't see any potential in this starting my own Canada goose flock. I have considered herding elk though.
PS I had an awesome time in Boise over the weekend. Got to visit everyone at the trial and go for a dog run in the sagebrush with Jake and Luna. Reena did pretty good in the trial and we definitely had fun. Oh, and Reena fulfilled her destiny as the grandma eating wolf on Halloween. I'll have to wait for photos from Jodi.
As soon as I got home Monday night, I grabbed my gun and headed up to BC for the night for a duck hunt the next morning. There was about 12 of us and we split up in groups of two. I got skunked! Nothing. Not even a shot in. The fog was so thick nothing was moving or you didn't see them fly over till they were on top of you and too late to shoot. Steve did get one shot, and took a widgeon though, so together we had something. Anyway, I am so tired and I have a feeling most of this post doesn't really make sense, so I'm hitting send and going to bed. Nightly night.
This goose can not take up residence in the dog run! That is not how I picture my starting my farm animal managerie. And just because I am a biologist doesn't mean I want to add wildlife to the mix (although a pet coyote would be cool). I let the goose out of the dog run and tried to chase it toward the lake but it was determined to head towards Dylans car. Dylan took the work truck home and left is little red wagon here. I've looked out the window all night and the goose is parked by Dylans red wagon, dilengently waiting roosting on one leg in the driveway. WTF.
I've considered the convenience of mixing my wildlife job with my herding hobby. Reena refuses to herd ducks and eats wild ducks so I don't see any potential in this starting my own Canada goose flock. I have considered herding elk though.
PS I had an awesome time in Boise over the weekend. Got to visit everyone at the trial and go for a dog run in the sagebrush with Jake and Luna. Reena did pretty good in the trial and we definitely had fun. Oh, and Reena fulfilled her destiny as the grandma eating wolf on Halloween. I'll have to wait for photos from Jodi.
As soon as I got home Monday night, I grabbed my gun and headed up to BC for the night for a duck hunt the next morning. There was about 12 of us and we split up in groups of two. I got skunked! Nothing. Not even a shot in. The fog was so thick nothing was moving or you didn't see them fly over till they were on top of you and too late to shoot. Steve did get one shot, and took a widgeon though, so together we had something. Anyway, I am so tired and I have a feeling most of this post doesn't really make sense, so I'm hitting send and going to bed. Nightly night.
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