the goofy trio: Lily, Annie, & James
They’ve crept out the door for months, ever so slowly stalking the squirrels that hang out under the large maple tree in their yard. They’re very serious about this business… Today was their Big Hit… sort of… with a little help from the hawk! It’s so much fun to watch them.
Our five acre farm in the country provides a fair amount of wildlife to keep my English Setters James, Annie, and Lily intrigued. We often have flocks of wild turkeys that plant themselves right inside the fenced-in acre and a half… teasing the dogs, I’m sure. They’ll hang out for the longest time, then in an instant, they’ll whirl their clumsy bodies up into the air and escape the dogs who are quietly, slowly, creeping toward them. We’ve had porcupines, deer, rabbits, bears, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, coy dogs, and – of course – lots of squirrels. The dogs have pretty much learned that they all disappear beyond their reach. No Fun!
Today, wow, all three dogs ran at the speed of a leopard out to the back of the field. When I looked out to check, all three were bent over, tails up in the air, wagging happily. They must have been saying to one another, Ah, a squirrel that’s not disappearing in a flash. No, it’s just lying there. Great! Annie saw me heading out to them to check things out. It was the hawk that flew up into the sky leaving a spot in the back field that tipped me off…. yes, he had been interrupted and forced to leave his breakfast behind.
Suddenly, James picked the lifeless squirrel up in his mouth and carried it proudly in his mouth, prancing around the fenced in perimeter of the back field. He was one happy boy! Round and round he went, just carrying it softly in his mouth. Not wanting to destroy his triumph, I let him complete three rounds of the field, then called out, “Time to EAT!” With this, James dropped his trophy and the gang came running for real food! They started my day with a great laugh!
Sorry, no photo of the actual event. Didn’t have my camera in hand. Darn! I’ve been trying for weeks – camera ready – to capture their morning ritual of creeping out in a line… unsuccessfully!!! I’ll keep trying.
I would have loved to see James parading his catch around – “Mr.Proud Trousers” triumphant in his victory