My First Year...

...of being a Dog Guardian

~ by Hootie

I remember being a young girl and reading a mystery novel by Daphne du Maurier called Rebecca. In the story, the dog Jasper is a faithful, non-important, companion to Mrs. de Winters. Jasper stuck with me and I dreamt that some day I would grow up and have a dog just like him. Winston is my Jasper.

This past November we celebrated being Winston's guardian for one year. I grew up with dogs in my household, but I never really took care of them. I have learned so much from him over the past year!

26 Things I have learned from Winston

Feel free to insert: a dog, of a dog or with a dog after each "..."

*how to walk...

*how to clean up waste...

*how much one can shed

*how to bath...

*how to brush...

*how to pick ticks off...

*how to give pills...

*how to pet the belly...

*how to trim nails...

*how to play fetch...

*how to dry off...

*how to pick burrs out of the fur...

*how to I.D. tapeworms in the wastes...

*how to cuddle...(especially a bigger dog!)

*how to praise...

*how to wipe off dirty paws...

*how to go for rides...

*how to eat ice cream...

*how to hunt, even though retired,...

*how to de-skunk...

*how to blame flatulence...

*how real that flatulence blaming may be...

*how to ignore begging...

*how to share pizza...

*how to howl...

*how to trust he'll return should he get loose.

I don't know how to put into words the happiness I feel from Winston each time I return home. He pulls himself out of bed, groggy from napping, sits down, places his head in my hands so I can cuddle his head and his back feet slowly slide out from under him causing us both to end up down on the ground, his tail thump, thump, thumping as he looks up at me and seems to be smiling a doggie hello.

When I am cooking in the kitchen he lays in his bed, keeps his eyes slightly opened and in my direction, like a sentry keeping guard of his charge. Should I leave the room, he lifts his head inquiring when I'll return. If I linger too long he'll come survey the situation. He is always nearby. When the food starts to smell yummy, he'll come see if he can be a taste-tester.

If I jingle my car keys to go pick up one of my children from wherever, he runs to the door, ready to jump in the van for a ride. Without saying a word, I can open the house door, pop the van sliding door and Winston automatically hops in, ready to be my backseat driver.

Hat Head...I have also learned to enjoy walking in every weather condition possible. Cold rain is my least favorite, but dressed appropriately all weather can be fun. Winston enjoys trails much more than walking on the road. The nature lover in me always spots interesting finds. I have learned to focus on protecting my camera when I walk and worrying less about my hair (hat head). :) That's a tough thing for ANY girl to get over!

A lack of vacation. This may be the one area that has suffered in the past year. Our freedom to have someone just drop by once or twice a day and feed the cats so we can vacation has disappeared. I am not willing to put Winston in a kennel. I do not know what his conditions pre-us were, but I am pretty sure he wasn't a pampered pooch. My fear is that he was strictly a hunting dog and left in a cage most of the time...hence his strong, strong hunting desires and instincts. Maybe this year we will be able to get away. When we do go on vacation we will either take W with us, or call upon a friend who would love to spoil our pooch a little for us. :)

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't proclaim how happy I am that we have Winston! How wonderful love at first sight is...I am so glad his picture was in the newspaper and that our shelter could care for him until we were brought together.

Have you donated to your local animal shelter this year?

~Hootie

What I found in the woods today (11/30)...

Yesterday on a walk, I made Hootie stop and investigate a pile of brush. Inside the pile I found this very young cat. Hootie was cautious as she reached down to see how friendly, or not, was this baby. He was VERY friendly. She scooped him up and tucked him inside her coat. Then she let me put my nose on him. He was friendly! He liked smelling me back too!

Unfortunately for our household, this guy couldn't hang around. Hootie says two cats are enough. I thought maybe she could boot Jack or Lily out and keep my find. The girl child was really sad. She tried pleading, begging and crying to add a third cat to the mix, but Hootie remained firm and took this little guy to the shelter. I heard Hootie tell her hubby on a phone message that taking this little guy to the shelter was one of the hardest, but right, things she's had to do. Hootie really wanted to keep this baby too.

I know my friend Laurie and her staff at the shelter will take good care of this guy. Maybe he was just lost and his owners will claim him. Knowing where we found him though, most likely he was dumped. Anyone need a new friend for Christmas? He gets along with others, is curious and purrs like crazy. Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe it was a good idea that Hootie took this baby to the shelter and didn't keep him. I all ready have to share her with the two cats that live here, the two teens and her hubby.

*****

Hootie has started her Christmas baking in the house. She took a break from making buckeyes for the humans to bake me a special treat last night! Mmmm! She says she's going to post the recipe on her blog soon.

~W

Sun Rise...

On our walk this morning, the sun was rising up over one ridge as we walked on an old fire run. Hootie decided she'd be artsy-fartsy and take a few photos of our shadows.

After taking her photos, Hootie and I were standing stock-still when we heard thundering hooves of approaching deer. Six deer; five doe and one buck came over the ridge and down the hill, crossing our path maybe 30 feet away.

Soon it will be breeding time for the deer: rut time. The bucks have rubbed the velvet off their antlers in preparation of defending their territories. They aren't running solo yet though.

*******

I don't like to limit myself, so it's ALWAYS chipmunk hunting time for me! ~W

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Thank Goodness too!

It's finally great hiking weather.

The BIG baby, Jack needs to stay inside.

Wimp!

~W

Just over 24 hours to vote!

See my last posting for details!

I'm now in 25th place and definitely not going to be on the calendar! C'est la vie.

Poor Hootie, she is a little bummed. Good thing she gets to look at me all the time. I'm lucky to have her as a friend.

~W

A Pin-up Boy!

Hootie took that last picture of me and entered it into a calendar contest. The contest posts the winner on the calendar cover and then on their month of choice. My choice month would be November, but I'm not poised to win this competition. The top 12 entries make the calendar. Currently I am in 6th position, but it's a close competition.

The group holding this contest is a non-profit called PetsAlive. PetsAlive is an organization which provides low cost spay and neutering in south/central Indiana. Their goal is to decrease the number of animals going into the shelters therefore decreasing the number of animals needing to be euthanized. A wonderful goal and mission, if you ask me. You might recall I was in the shelter less than a year ago.

Well, the contest goes until Sept 19th and votes do cost a dollar. But just think, you can spend a dollar to show how great you think I look and earn me a spot on that calendar, make me feel great, make Hootie proud and then at the end of the year claim it on your taxes! Win, Win, Win, Win!!! If you are going to spend a dollar, why not spend more? Great cause, you know.

Don't wait until September 19th... Vote 4 Me!

Thanks admirers! ~W

Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder

It was

the DH's

b-day

recently.

I gave

him

this

photo

for his

office.

His g'ma would have said, "Self praise stinks."

But she didn't know me!

~W

An Impromptu Romp in the Water

A few weeks ago, Hootie and I were on our way to take a short walk in the summer heat. We were three quarters of the way down one of the paths and my neighbor, Kai showed up! Kai has a "sister" Lucy and they both wear collars for their electric fence. Lucy doesn't like to get shocked, but Kai is always up for an adventure! Since Kai decided she'd like to walk with us, Hootie took us down to the lake for a swim.

We found a cicada on it's back and took turns seeing who could hold it in our mouth the longest. It's wiggly legs and flapping wings made it a challenge. For kicks Hootie added the photo below. It's a cicada we couldn't get to. ~W

Being Hunted...

Who

is

hunting

whom?

<---

the fish

watch W

~Hootie

They Call Me...

...Stinky Pete.

I met up with a skunk while frog hunting the other night.

The DH called Hootie on her cell at 11:15 pm and she was ready in the driveway

when we got home.

She had tomato juice, white vinegar and my shampoo lined up.

For 30 minutes DH and Hootie washed and rinsed me.

Tomato juice, rinse.

White vinegar, rinse.

Shampoo...rinse.

I'm pretty good smelling now...

as long as you don't add water to my coat.

~W

Frog Legs....

...are handy when carrying a frog.

I did a little night hunting with the DH and brought home a friend to show Hootie. The Girl wasn't so happy, protested and in the end convinced her dad I should let it go. She needs to stay INSIDE when I bring my treasures home at night. At least The Boy said "Good job!" I like his attitude.

~W

Speaking of Smelly...

Look what I spotted today!

If only this darn wood wasn't in my way.

Can you see where I tried to sniff him out

and drool all over him?

Hootie thinks I am lucky he didn't

have much room in which to maneuver.

She is of the opinion I should let a sleeping skunk be.

Not much fun in that!

~W

Opinions

Sniff, sniff, sniff...

"You smell

like wet dog

and fish!

Have you been

in the lake again?"

a recent conversation between the Queen, Lily and Winston

Ssssssss

Hootie is a little freaked out tonight. She IDed this snake we saw today at the lake. It is a Copperhead and it is venomous. The good thing is, of all the poisonous snakes in her area, it's the least venomous.

~W

Trail Maintenance

ANNOYING!

See this plant in front of me?

It's some kind of wild rose type wildflower.

Hootie says it's annoying when it scrapes against her bare legs

when she wears her shorts as we walk.

I'll tell you what's annoying...when she stops every five feet on a walk, whips out her handy-dandy plant clippers and chop, chop, chops the vines or plants hanging over the path! Seriously, if she'd just quit shaving her legs she wouldn't have a problem.

Am I right?

~W

Bird-Dog

Man am I quick!

Caught this while I was on my leash too.

~W

Size Doesn't Matter!

Real hunters don't measure size!

It's a vole, in case you were wondering.

~W

One of the Family!

Aww!

They

love

me!

~W

On Pointe!

On a beautiful warm and sunny Saturday afternoon...

... thirteen butterflies gather on the muddy bank of the stream.

Hootie and I are on a walk and I stop and get On Pointe (well, the girl is at ballet class and I thought I'd use her spelling of this word. You know, for me, my hunting is an art form; just like ballet!)

Ever so slowly I creep up on my unsuspecting prey...and then...

ATTACK!!!

Hootie's yelling, "Stop! Stop!" didn't phase me.

That's what she gets for trusting me,

stepping back to take her dumb picture

and thinking I will forever just point!

Silly human.

~W

Dog Days All Ready!

Whew! It's been hot in my neck of the woods!

Any chance I get to jump in the water I take.

I think Hootie may buy me my own pool this summer.

Wouldn't that be the cats meow!

Here I am laying in about 6 inches of water in one of the streams...

...hunting the geese...

...and just plain looking adorable!

~W

It's a Guy Thing!

At least once in their youth

 a guy must try writing their name in the snow.  

~W