Just Another Day in the Country

We really aren't all that 'country' with plenty of subdivisions around us, but since we have chickens, we like to think we are.  Yesterday, Blaise was on chicken duty.  He went out to feed them and quickly came back in calling for the big boys.  An opossum had gotten itself caught and twisted in the netting that covers the chicken yard.  Not only that, but while it was ensnared some other predator had gotten to it.  I'll spare you the gorey details.

Kevin J. quickly and manfully went out to cut the netting away and dispose of the carcuss in the woods. I am so grateful he was home and handled the situation. 

While he was in the woods a stray dog wandered into the yard.  The late opossum must have repositioned the netting in it's struggle and all the chickens were out.  Of course the dog took chase.  The children raced outside, half of them chasing the dog and throwing snowballs trying to shoo him away, which naturally made him gallop faster, the other half chased chickens, trying to corrall them back into the safety of the chicken yard.  I was in the house with the baby, shouting directions from the window, our cats were both up trees hissing and gowling at the interloper, while our dog was barking crazily from his outdoor pen.  He was in disbelief that he couldn't get out to protect his own property.  Either that or he couldn't believe this stray got to chase chickens with the children.  Some dogs have all the fun.  That stray even manged to get a few tail feathers.  I'm sure we were quite entertaining to any neighbors that could see us.

Finally Kevin came out of the woods, got a hold of the dog and put a leash on him.  Alex got the chickens back in and we were able to check the dog's tag for a name and phone number.  Waldo.  Good name for him. The owners were not home so we had to call animal control.   We made freinds with Waldo while we waited for animal control to arrive. He was really a sweet dog, very freindly and well trained.  We felt badly, sending him off to doggie jail. He had a pretty darn good time here, maybe he'll be back.