Fuzzy and I have been helping in the fields lots. We always go irrigate, three times a day, early morning, 2:00 in the afternoon and then as it is getting dark. I love to go irrigate…there is just so much to learn out there. News of the world, so to speak!
Last night Dad was clear across the BIGGEST corn field setting tubes in the dirt ditch, and Mom was at the cement ditch between the bean field and the second largest corn field. Fuzzy was in the cement ditch trying to catch bubbles and I was in the corn field looking for that huge bone I buried four days ago.
Like I said it was just starting to get dark, the sun had set and the shadows were growing darker and darker. When I smelled something ….
Coyotes!
I came running out of the corn field as fast as I could go…my nose in the air when we heard them….Loud, long yipps and a bark howl. Jeepers weirds me out!
Then it happened again! Only this time more of a chattering yips. Mom told Fuzzy and me to get on the four-wheeler…. “Let’s go!” she said. “Hurry, Fuzzy, get out the water, we need to see what is happening with Dad.”
“Boom do you want to ride or are you going to run?”
Ride! I’m not running through the corn rows with that wild smell out there and that big noise, no sireee.
I hopped up before Mom even had Fuzzy picked up and placed on the back. I could feel the back of my neck all prickly with my fur standing on end. Fuzzy didn’t really seem to know what was happening, just that Mom was in a big hurry.
As Mom was turning around I told him….Coyotes!
Fuzzy growled real deep and long. Mom told him “Shhhhhhh, Fuzz, we will get there and scare them off. They won’t do anything when they hear the four-wheeler.”
Dad was supposed to be at the dirt ditch waiting for the last of the water that Mom had let loose, then he would set the tubes there and come on home, we would meet him at the barn.
Wheeeew, Mom was flying! It was sure hard to stay on, but we made it. Dad was at the dirt ditch with four more tubes to set when we flew up…. He said four coyotes were hanging around warning him to not come any closer. He didn’t have a gun with him, so he was glad we showed up. Mom wouldn’t let us off the four-wheeler. She didn’t have to worry about me, but Fuzzy kept growling and pointing toward the equipment area. Mom had her four-wheeler turned around so the lights were hitting in the general direction while Dad finished up. Coyotes can and will defend their pups if they think someone is too close to them.
With lights on and darkness almost complete we all headed back to the barn and the safety of the house. I was so scared I jumped right off and headed to my dog house…its safe there!
After jumping inside the dog house that was closest to me, I turned around a few times and settled in. Mom and Dad had already gone into the house and Fuzzy was heading into the other dog house. I was really tired. Getting really scared sure can take the energy out of you!
“We scared them off, Boom! We did a really good job.”
“I agree, Fuzzy!”
“Well, Good Night! I don’t know about you, but I’m beat.”
“Me too, Fuzzy! I’m really tired. Good Night!”
We were dozing real good when I heard Mom come outside. It was dark, of course, for it was still night. I got out of my nice warm bed to see Fuzzy standing next to Mom shivering and shaking all over.
BOOM!
BAM!
CRACK! There was fire in the sky!
Rain came down really hard in great big drops. Mom completed picking up our food dishes, placing them under the carport so they wouldn’t get wet from the rain. Fuzzy and I were so tired when we got home neither one of us finished our supper.
BAM!
CRACK!
We were all getting wet!
“Come on,” Mom invited. In we went to spend the night in the bedroom right next to the bed. Fuzzy got under the bed; I stayed close to Mom’s side. This is really nice, sleeping inside. You can’t see or hear anything going on outside, like you do when you stay in the dog house. Dad says dogs need to be outdoors, they are for guarding the house and the property, inside they don’t know anything that is happening.
“Shhhhh,” Mom put her fingers to her lips. “Now this is only until the rain stops.”
That works for me!
We got up early…Mom ALWAYS gets up early…and went outside to check things out. The world was new again. Made me so happy I had to twirl around and around and around! Then I ran just as fast as I could to the haystacks and back. Fuzzy stayed with Mom while she did the chickens and threw some hay out for the cows. Dad went to irrigate, but it was too muddy for us to go…so Mom said. Besides she was going to fix breakfast.
I LOVE breakfast! I love anything I can eat, I like dry dog food and canned dog food, I love people food, I give it a good sniff and whooose down the gullet it goes! Fuzzy is particular. If he waits too long I try to sneak over and see what he is not eating. I have to be careful because he will get really mad at me for taking his food, but I wait. I can wait a long time, and then when Fuzzy dozes off to sleep BAM I’ve got the food!
HEHE!
Around ‘that time’ Fuzzy and I decided to head on down the lane so we could be at the mailboxes when the mailman comes. Barking at the mailman is one of the most important functions any dog can have. I just love barking at the mailman. We have a really cool mailman, he always has a dog cookie just for us…we bark, he tosses out a cookie, we head home…..after we eat the cookie. Pretty Neat, huh?
MAIL MAN…Come on Fuzzy! We are about to be late! MAIL MAN…he’s coming up the lane, WOW! I love it when he drives all the way down the lane to deliver the mail. We get to bark him home. To our home, that is.
BARK! WOOF! HOWL!!!
Mailman!!! YAHOO!
Our mailman is really neat, he has never killed a chicken, broke a sack of feed like the raccoons do, or stink up the farm like skunks do, he doesn’t seem to run in a pack like the coyotes, he just well, delivers the mail!
Off we ran…barking and howling and baying….HERE COMES THE MAILMAN! HERE COMES THE MAIL! HERE COME THE DOG COOKIES!
And there he was…handing a package to Dad, along with two dog cookies!
Now this is what I call a really nice day!
Boomer
Life on a Colorado Farm 