The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Hank and the Chickens

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Dayphoto

Well, it happened! Hank has been banished to his yard when our chickens are out. Banished! (But only when the Chickens are out, Mom said.)

(This photo was taken last summer, Mom liked the colors so used it here for the story.)

See here is what happened….

Well, maybe I had better defend Hank first; you have to understand Hank must have bird dog in him, that is my story and I’m sticking to it.

Hank was up visiting when he told Boomer and me that he sometimes has dreams of eating a whole chicken all by himself. (He said this as one of the chickens walked across the road in a scurry to get to Mom as she was bringing out the scraps for the day.)

He went on to say that he caught a mallard duck down at the swamp, (before he got his lovely shock collar) brought it home and had a great feast until Mom-mom and the kids got home. There was lots of ‘bad dog’ and other things that made Hank have a heavy heart.

I looked at him rather surprised, “You mean wet chicken don’t you?” The kind that comes without bones and is all canned up and well, very dead?” I asked him.

Boomer looked at Hank with a totally blank look on his face…”Why would you want to eat something that you have to chase, mug and then de-feather?” he asked Hank.

We both stared at Hank…his eyes were glazed over and drool was coming off his mouth. “Your mouth is watering, Hank!” Boomer sort of screamed at Hank.

“Slurp, slop, drool. Gosh I’m sorry. Slurp…slurp…chickens are just dumb birds….slurp, which are placed on this earth to slurp…”

“Gosh, sorry! The strain is just too much.” Hank said as his stood up. “I think I had best go home now.”

“You can’t go home, Hank. Your people brought you up here to stay with us until they get back from going to Grand Junction.” Boomer pointed out.

“Oh, yeah, I guess I had better, hummm, go sit around in the sun on the other side of the house.”

Hank’s eyes seemed to drift over to where Mom was and all four of the hens, even as his feet were moving him over to the east side of the house.

Suddenly one of Mom’s chicken’s decided to run to the front yard, just spread her wings out and took off running, sort of like an airplane heading for a take-off.

That is when Hank took off.

That boy is fast, I can give him credit for that!

Mom saw Hank and knew just what he had in his little Hank pea-brain.

“HANK!” she yelled “You have better not……………………………………!!!!”

She got to where the chicken was —– just after Hank got there.

I sure didn’t know Mom knew how to play football, and I think Boomer and Hank didn’t know it either, but hummm, well she must, because she tackled that dog just as he was trying to dodge around Mom.

The chicken squawked and flapped and ran fast as her hen legs could carry her to the hen house, the other three chickens squawking and clacking right along with her.

Hank found out that attacking Mom’s chickens is a serious crime on our farm and doing so will get a guy in big trouble.

Mom feeds those chickens and pets on the hens every day. Every day she gets anywhere from three to four eggs from them and she takes a very dim view on anything that wants to hurt (eat) her hens!

A VERY dim view!

Hank found out how dim her view can be.

So now Hank can’t come over if the chickens are out.

No siree.

Fuzzy

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — That was That

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Dayphoto

Boy was I ever happy. Mom showed up and the just like Fuzzy said the coyotes left.

I don’t know when they left but they did. I ran all the way to the edge of the cow pasture just as Mom got there and started jumping up and down and whapping my tail in the air I was so happy to see her. It took Fuzzy longer to get there, well a spell longer, but he did make it.

We were both so very glad to see Mom.

When we looked where the coyotes were….well, they were gone, just like Fuzzy said they would be.

But not forever, I wish they were. They could go down and live at the river, which would be a good place. Or they could head up to the plateau; I’ll bet they would enjoy living up there.

Mom said she was glad she got there in time. She was afraid that I, the Boomer, was going to do something that would cause the coyotes to think they had to put me in my place.

I guess Fuzzy is right. I have lots to learn, but this lesson I have learned well—-stay with Mom at all times.

{I wonder if I will be able to do that…….????}

Mom said it was starting to thaw out here so we better walk on back.

On the way I smelled ever so many interesting things, we saw two robins…and a tiny flock of bluebirds…Mom says that is a sign spring is on its way.

We ran into some into a hen pheasant…boy those birds sure are noisy and we saw two red-tailed hawks circling something in the front hay field.

They weren’t circling Mom’s hens, because they don’t come out now unless Mom is working outside close to the hen house. Not because Mom doesn’t let them out, but because the hens won’t go out unless Mom is close by. They told us that we dogs aren’t much help in protecting them. Humph! Who can see things that swoop out of the sky as fast as a falling star, I want to know.

We saw lots of rabbit trails and mice tracks everywhere.

The walk was long because we have to stop and let Fuzzy rest here and there, but we made it back to the house.

Mom brought out two bowls of canned dog food …a real yummy treat…and some fresh water. Then Fuzzy and I took a nap.

We scratched up the blankets in our dog houses and settled in for a spell.

After a while we went to lie in the sun. Now that is some sleeping!

Warm sun on you! Dreams so sweet your feet twitch and you smile in your sleep.

The walk couldn’t have ended any better!

Boomer

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Continued

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Dayphoto

Two golden-eyed coyotes, just sitting on the sagebrush hill watching our every move. Boomer thought they were heading our way, but they just walked out of the brush and sat down.

“W—-what do they want, Fuzzy?”

“I-I’m not sure. I can’t see them real well, so you are going to have to be my eyes for me, Boomer.”

“O-okay, Fuzzy. Just tell me what you want to know.”

“Where’s Mom? That’s the most important question and the second important question is tell me when they start to move.”

“Al-alright, Fuzzy, I’ll will.”

“Well, where is Mom? Remember that is the first important question.”

“Oh, yeah, right, but if I take my eyes off the coyotes how will I know they move?”

“Be fast, son! Be real fast! But Find Mom! We have to know if she is safe. We also have to know if she is coming to find us.”

“Look quick and then look back at the coyotes. You have a general idea of where Mom was the last time we checked.”

“O-okay.”

“Well…..”

“Hummmmm she is coming off the cactus hill and heading for the dirt bridge that crosses the pond.”

“Is she walking?”

“Well, no, sort of run sliding.”

“Have the coyotes moved?”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot!”

“Boomer! You can’t forget! You have to be fast and in charge. “

“HOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“NO, Boomer! Don’t bay!” I gave him a writhing look.

“But I want MOM!!!!”

“Well, look for her!”

“But the coyotes are grinning at us!!!”

“YIPES!”

I took a moment to collect my thoughts and breathe deep. “Okay, Boomer. Chill for a moment. Have they MOVED?!!”

“Wellllll, no.”

Whew!

“Okay, tell me where Mom is”

She is crossing the edge of the pond right now and moving fast around the swamp, she should be here pretty sooooooooooooooooooooooon!”

“BOOMER! DO NOT BAY! What are the coyotes doing?”

“They haven’t moved they are just sitting there staring at us as though…as though they can’t believe what they are seeing.”

“Good. That’s good, Boomer. As soon as Mom gets here I’ll just bet you will see them melt back into the brush.”

“Good! When they go I’ll give them a happy little wave good-bye!”

“No! Don’t do that! If you do that they will be over here in a flash. Faster than you can hoooo for Mom.”

About that time I could see Mom was walking up the little grade toward the cow pasture.

The coyotes saw her too.

Coyotes understand if you have a gun and can shoot at them. They also understand what a gun looks like. Mom says coyotes help keep the rodent population down, but when they decide to take down a calf or come into the yard then coyotes have to learn lessons.

But Mom didn’t have a gun, she only had a camera.

“Here comes Mom, Fuzzy! I can see her!”

“I see her too, Boomer, it won’t be long now until the coyotes will see her and leave. Well, at least melt into the sagebrush and rabbit brush so Mom won’t be able to see them.”

“Oh, goody! We will be safe as soon as Mom gets here.”

“I sure hope so, Boomer. I sure hope so.”

Fuzzy

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Cow Pasture

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Dayphoto

Boomer and I decided to go up to the cow pasture, without Mom. Well, Mom was around — she was over on the sagebrush hill looking for something that nature framed for the Sunday Stills assignment.

The snow is gone and the mud is thick, we headed up early so the mud wouldn’t be a problem, you can’t go late because late would be would be way early morning and none of us would like to travel up there in the dark.

Boom and I saw lots of stuff…the bees were out. It warmed up enough they wanted to see if there was anything to eat and to do some house cleaning. We didn’t hang with them too long.

We checked out lots of smells…

raccoon, skunk, and a couple of badger dens. I think the badgers must still be sleeping. Boom left his mark everywhere. I tried to match him, but I just couldn’t keep up with that young bladder.

“Hey, Boom!” I yelled. “There are skunk smells over here!”

“Wow! Really! Wait just minute I’ll be there!

We sniffed around quite a bit, then decided that maybe we had better NOT follow the skunk smell. It was pretty fresh so we knew we could find it and where it is holed up for the winter.

“Er Fuzz?”

“Yeah?’

Maybe we better not go any further…the last time I found a skunk Mom made me get three baths and to sleep outside for several days. And that was spring. It’s still pretty cold to sleep outside and I don’t think either one of us really wants a bath, let alone three baths.”

“Good idea, Boomer! Let’s head on over to the Fox den and see if Freddy the Fox is still sleeping in there. He might be gone because Evan has been hauling some of the wood over to his house for his fireplace.”

“Cool, Sure! “

“Come on let’s go!”

So off we went. The pile was a little slimmer, but not much. We sniffed around for some time. Mom was way over on the cactus hill (that’s what Boomer and I call it, because it has lots of cactus and you have to be careful where you run). We could see her so we knew she was alright.

Suddenly I got a strange sensation, sort of like a creepy feeling…the hairs on the back of my neck picked up …. I cut my eyes both ways and then put my nose to the wind.

Boomer was busy sniffing in the hole and all around the wood…

“Yep, Evan’s been here. Oh, yes, and so have Mom and Dad….humm, I think they took about a cord of wood…

“Boomer!” I whispered.

“Boomer!” I said a little louder “something strange is happening!”

“Yeah,” he whispered back…”there are two coyotes standing right over there looking at us.”

“HUH?!?!” (This getting old is not good; I used to have really sharp eyesight and keen hearing).

“They are?” I asked. “What are they doing?”

“Well, hum, they look sort of hungry and they are heading our way”

(to be continued………)

Fuzzy

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Out for a Ride

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Dayphoto

Our snow didn’t last very long. Well, let me rephrase that…the sky snowed all day and part of the night, but the next day warmed up to 35* so it all melted. (—except for the stuff that was left from December and is frozen solid to the ground!)

Then the temperatures dropped back down to around 28-30*. Cold enough Boomer and I stayed inside most of the time.

Mom said she was getting cabin fever so we all had to go outside.

Darn it.

I like just lying around and sleeping by the fire.

Boomer sleeps right next to the fire, but I don’t. I sleep on the back porch where it’s cool enough I don’t start panting and Mom makes me go outside to cool down. For the record, if Boomer starts panting he has to go outside also.

Anyhoo, Mom was feeling house bound so we all took off for a ride on the open fields. I ride with Mom. It’s hard to jump up anymore, but Mom lifts me up and away we go.

Boomer loves to run, so he gets to run.

Everything was ever so much fun!

When we got back, Dad had company. The neighbor down the road had ridden his four-wheeler over and his dog, Pepper came with him.

I hope Dad doesn’t see what Pepper did…Pepper will get really yelled at.

This is Boomer, Dad won’t yell at Pepper, because Pepper isn’t his dog, but Dad will NOT be happy, let me tell you. Then we dogs will get a real talking too about NOT PEEING ON THE SAME SPOT!

Sure is hard to not add our smell to Pepper’s we try really hard to wait until Dad leaves and goes someplace else and can’t see us.

I guess you know what happened when Dad when in the house.

Heheheh

Fuzzy and Boomer

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Chicken Attack!

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Dayphoto

When the weather was warmer and we were all enjoying it, Mom decided that the ‘girls’ could go outside and peck around for a while. They had been really restless, pecking on the run plastic, trying to flap out the door whenever Mom went in to do something for them-gather eggs, refresh their feed, or bring in clean water.

After a very beautiful day, in which Mom and Dad were going to be gone, Mom promised the ‘girls’ if the next day was nice they could get outside, once all their eggs were laid, and have a really good dust bath and peck around.

The next day came, it was beautiful…all four eggs were laid by 11:00 in the morning so the ‘girls’ got to go OUT!

There was much joy, running and flapping and cheerful squawking as they made their way into the mud and snow of the farm yard.

Fuzz and I just watched, and then we decided they were not very entertaining so we headed back with Mom to the house and begged to come in.

We should have stayed outside.

Fuzzy and I feel really super bad, because we didn’t stay outside and guard those hens. Mom says she feels bad too.

But we didn’t.

So the deed was done.

(If you want to see a photo of the hurt, Mom would send it to you. Maybe someone out there could tell her who tried to eat her chicken)

But by whom..?

That is the Million Dollar Question!

Mom, Dad, Fuzzy and I rounded up the hens and put them away. They didn’t want to go. They had run into the lilac bush and were standing in there frozen in terror. Fuzz and I talked about whom or what could have done the deed.

So we sat out to find out…we sniffed here and there and everywhere.

While we were out looking for the culprit, Mom was doctoring the hen. First she cleaned the neck and shoulder wounds up really good with warm water, gave the hen a few drops of liquid baby vitamins, and a mashed up half of a baby aspirin.

The hen let her, I guess she was in shock, then she covered everything in salve, after which she placed the hen in a dog crate in the hen house in a warm location.

That was three days ago and the hen is doing well. The wounds are healing over and the stress is gone from the hen’s eyes.

She has even laid two eggs!

Fuzzy and I have been on the lookout, but we haven’t figured out what happened yet. Since the dastardly deed happened in broad daylight who knows—-hawk/crow/raven maybe?

Mom sat a live trap out with really yummy smelling cat food (I kept trying to get at it, Mom was NOT happy me about it. But GEEZ it smells GOOD) just in case it was a skunk.

Since all this happened our temperatures have dropped back down to typical January temps….the high is 22-29* and the lows -2-5* at night. If it was a skunk he/she went back into hibernation.

If it was a hawk/crow/raven…he/she WILL be back!

In the meantime…Fuzzy and I will be on guard and ready to bark all predators away!

Very Serious,

Boomer

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday —January

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Dayphoto

The January Thaw has arrived! Boom and I love January Thaws…it warms up ya see.

It warms up enough that I don’t like sleeping in the house. I go outside (I know how to open the back door and go out, Boomer has NEVER figured it out. HEE HEE) and sleep in my dog house.

Now I have to admit sometimes I go out and want to come back in sooner than when Mom comes looking for me. See I go out when I get hot, that can be when everyone is asleep in the house. Then I have to wait until Sam the cat wants out——he jumps on the bed and runs all over Mom to wake her up so she will let him out — or Mom just gets up. Mom always comes to check on us dogs and if I’m not there she knows I’m in the dog house.

When you are old you can’t curl up like you use to be able to do….so I scratch up my dog blankets real good and waller down real deep in them. Even though the dog houses are covered up with lots of blankets and stuff, when the night runs on into morning…well, then, I want to come inside and sleep on my orthopedic bed.

So sometimes I have to wait.

Anyhoo, where was I?

Oh, yes!

The January Thaw is here!!! The days have warmed up considerable. Boom and I have taken to checking out things, you know…who has been walking on our property, what sort of news is on the corn stalks and maybe just maybe we can find Freddy Fox’s house.

Boomer is never still….he runs EVERYWHERE! Up and down and back. He runs off and then comes to find me.

(Actually, I like that he comes back and checks on me, I sometimes slip and sprawl a little bit so I have to wait until everything stops hurting and gets back to usable.)

We smelled lots of bird tracks, we even flushed up a pheasant hen and her guy…those birds are LOUD! Finding them was pretty nice; we haven’t had pheasants on the places for about three years. Boomer supposed to be a hunt’n dog but he didn’t even understand what happened. Just ran on, nose to the ground. I stopped and pointed so Mom could see. (She was with us.)

On we went over to the equipment area, then up to the back 40, then over to the Upper End which is where I found it……………………………!!!!

Freddy Foxes hidey hole!

Pretty cool!

I was clear inside when Mom got there….I didn’t want to get out, but she made me. Boom never saw it, so I told him all about it when we were resting in the sun later.

When we got back to the house Mom said we had better enjoy this because it is supposed to snow Saturday and colder weather will follow.

Mom asked if we wanted to come inside, but Boomer and I decided we wanted to hang outside. Even Sam the Cat hung with us. Sam rolled around in the sawdust by the wood pile and Boomer and I lay in the sun next to the house.

Sure is nice, these warmer temperatures.

Fuzzy

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday —2011 Onward

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Dayphoto

It’s been cold here! Very cold! We got down to -7* one night. It’s been so cold that when you go outside, well, heck…your nostrils sticks together. Now that’s a hard thing to do when you have a DOG Nose!!! 🙂

Freddy Fox has been seen out in the corn field hunting mice, Mom says he sure is beautiful, but he had better stay out there and not come inside the yard. Then she looks Fuzzy and I straight in the eye and says: “You boys had better guard the chickens well!”

We wag our tails really hard and look sincerely back into her eyes and try with everything in us to tell her ‘WE WILL!”

The snow is still pretty deep, but we walk with Mom every day checking out things, yesterday I went by myself over the hill and the dale clear to the coyote area, sniffed around a lot. Sure were lots to learn….two of the coyotes are going to have pups, coyotes are pretty interesting. When Mom found out I was out there she called me to come home. I sort of got in trouble for bothering my neighbors. She said now the coyotes have MY sent and she hopes they don’t come looking for ME!

Who would have thought such a thing?

Then last night Dad came inside saying the coyotes sure where whopping and hollering over in the coyote dell. Mom gave me a very stern look.

Shish!

Some people just don’t understand that I won’t get hurt. I’m just interested in learning things.

Shish! Huff! Stomp, Stomp! Huff!

Every evening the fog rolls in, and then in the morning we have hoar frost everywhere. Pretty but COLD!

Then yesterday we had a change, it warmed up to 34* and we got MELT! Melt! Whoo hoo!!!

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Since it’s the end of the year Fuzzy and I thought we would give you our Goals for 2012

If the going gets rough…hang with your people—they will need you
If you see your people upset, roll over and let them pet your tummy. They will forget whatever it is that is making them frown
Always be ready for a walk. Be sure to take your people, they forget to go outside and smell the smells and see the footprints on the earth
Every time you see your loved ones put on a happy face, wag your tail, wag your whole body…everyone loves to be loved
Don’t worry about the little stuff….heck; don’t even worry about the big stuff. Be happy right where you are.
Sleep as close to your people as you can get, it always produces sweet dreams
If you are tired, take a nap. Works wonders every time

Happy New Year Everyone….2012 is sure to be a great year!

Boomer and Fuzzy

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer —Merry Christmas One and All

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Dayphoto

Mom, Dad, Fuzzy, Boomer, Sam the Cat, Monkey the Cat, all the chickens and cows wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas!

(Mom made us do this…Fuzzy hid until Mom said “Stay!” and I tried to roll my head thing off—I don’t know why she wanted us to wear this…..)

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Anyway, Merry Christmas, we have enjoyed telling you our stories.

Mom, says “See you on Sunday”,

Linda, Fuzzy and Boomer

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday —It Snowed

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Dayphoto

It snowed! I love the snow! I really, really do! I run as fast as I can and then I stop and slide, snow is ever so much better than that really, really, really cold we’ve been having.

I smelled Robbie the Raccoon clear out buy the diversion gate; I followed him every which way and clear up to the waste water transmission pipe. Boy was he ever busy last night!

Fuzzy stayed pretty close to Mom. He likes to play in the snow also, but his left front leg doesn’t always work the best so he wanted hang close if he should fall. I looked back a couple of times and he was even running! So I ran back to see if he wanted to go with me and smell Robbie the Raccoon’s tracks.

He said he would think about it, so I told him while he was thinking I would race ahead. He thought that would work.

While Mom and Dad finished putting up the panels, so the cows can go onto the farm, Fuzzy and I searched for Mice in the old corn field.

Nope, didn’t find any.

But we will…they will come out and we will find them.

A big bird was sitting over at the equipment yard watching us—he hollered at us to let him know if we see any mice. He said he was having trouble finding some.

I bayed back that we would, if we do.

Just before we came in, the lady who was to get her last load of hay showed up. That finished up all the hay. So Mom and Fuzzy and I went up to the upper end and brought the cows down, while Dad finished the fence.

Then we moved the cows onto the farm.

They love eating all the old corn stalks and the old alfalfa stems.