Today I heard Zoe barking in a way I hadn't heard before. It wasn't the bark that said a cat is in the vicinity. It wasn't the bark that said people and dogs are romping across the river without my permission. It wasn't the bark that said the UPS guy is here again. It wasn't the bark that said a friend has come to visit the humans. It wasn't the bark that said the pizza is here.
This was something frantic, and insistent.
When I went outside I saw that a porcupine had deigned to cross her path and climb the maple just a few feet away from the end of her line.
It moved slowly, like it had just woken up from a six-month nap.
We watched it for a long time. I got as close as I felt comfortable, and I have to say, even though porcupines are the enemies of dog-lovers, this guy was kind of cute.
From a slight distance, those quills looked like fur you could pet.
Zoe begged to differ. The closer I got to the porcupine, the more she leapt into the air and said no. It must be a total drag for a dog when its person gets quilled. And where can a dog take its person for help on a Sunday afternoon?
Eventually the porcupine got tired of being yelled at and he climbed back down.
"Wow, he's a tripod too," my husband said.
This was unbelievable. The three-legged dog and a three-legged porcupine crossing paths.
For a moment the two tripods were staring each other down. Then we realized that the porcupine was simply holding one of its front legs aloft. Perhaps it had been injured before it sought refuge, mistakenly, in our back yard.
We watched it slowly limp away into the brush in the back yard.
Now we'll have to be careful about letting Zoe off the lead, even at home. There's wildlife afoot.
A few hours later, Zoe and I squared off with a garter snake.
It's exciting out here when the wild world wakes up just outside my window.
This was something frantic, and insistent.
When I went outside I saw that a porcupine had deigned to cross her path and climb the maple just a few feet away from the end of her line.
It moved slowly, like it had just woken up from a six-month nap.
We watched it for a long time. I got as close as I felt comfortable, and I have to say, even though porcupines are the enemies of dog-lovers, this guy was kind of cute.
From a slight distance, those quills looked like fur you could pet.
Zoe begged to differ. The closer I got to the porcupine, the more she leapt into the air and said no. It must be a total drag for a dog when its person gets quilled. And where can a dog take its person for help on a Sunday afternoon?
Eventually the porcupine got tired of being yelled at and he climbed back down.
"Wow, he's a tripod too," my husband said.
This was unbelievable. The three-legged dog and a three-legged porcupine crossing paths.
For a moment the two tripods were staring each other down. Then we realized that the porcupine was simply holding one of its front legs aloft. Perhaps it had been injured before it sought refuge, mistakenly, in our back yard.
We watched it slowly limp away into the brush in the back yard.
Now we'll have to be careful about letting Zoe off the lead, even at home. There's wildlife afoot.
A few hours later, Zoe and I squared off with a garter snake.
It's exciting out here when the wild world wakes up just outside my window.
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| That shadow is Zoe's head watching the snake slink away |
Hilarious...
ReplyDelete"It must be a total drag for a dog when its person gets quilled. And where can a dog take its person for help on a Sunday afternoon?"
Be careful in the wild backyard!
Zoe is still very worried that I'm going to do something stupid out there, Dan.
ReplyDelete