Catastrophe

Each morning when I get up I go into the bathroom and raise the blinds and look out on the new day. This morning, my view was horribly marred, for what I beheld was Wayne's coondog, Lucy, chasing a chicken across the garden! I ran to the back door and acted overjoyed to see her and she (thankfully) came running to me. I brought her inside our enclosed back porch. Sadie, our other dog, was also loose, but her chain had caught on one of the stakes that anchors the flower bed that surrounds the back patio. I went inside and told Wayne the dogs were loose, and they had been killing chickens. (I saw two bodies when I checked to see where Sadie was.) Lucy had broken the snap on her collar, and Sadie's "s" hook that held her chain to the post had separated. (We just replaced Sadie's snap about two weeks ago when she got loose and killed one of my hens.) I dressed and began walking the yard. It was a gruesome task. They killed four of my laying hens, including my two best Silver Laced Wyandottes, and two roosters. There are also two roosters that are wounded, but I think will live. This leaves me with just three hens: two Americaunas and a Brahma. From now on we will be replacing the hardware on the outside dogs every ten months!
Their method of attack: rip the bottom out of the chicken coop. We have now replaced the wire bottom with plywood. We are planning to enclose the sides with plywood as well and just leave small holes for ventilation around the top.

LeeRoy's Debut

This is the longest LeeRoy's hair has ever been. I think it's positively gorgeous, but also messy because he sheds a lot and has to be brushed frequently. The shedding is the worst. His hair is all over everything in the house. I can't stand it. Also, he is miserable in this warm weather, even though we have air conditioning. He will lay on his side with his legs spread out, and just pant. He's not his usual energetic self, either. It got this way because my old clippers were worn out, and I couldn't replace them. Then we got Twinkie, and she plays so rough that I didn't want his skin to be easily accessible. Now he's got his bluff in on her pretty good, and I am not worried about that, so it's time to get rid of the hippy dog look.

He was actually shaking and rolling in this next shot. My camera caught it so perfectly it looks like he's being still!

Being groomed is SUCH hard work! My new clippers kept getting hot, and I would have to stop and let them cool down every ten minutes or so. Once, I found him like this. I thought he looked too sweet.
When I stopped for the last time, cleaned everything up, and went and turned on the faucet to get a bath, he ran and jumped in the tub! This is a dog who usually HATES to be bathed and protests with grunts and whines the entire time. Not today! He's ready to be fresh and clean!!! I just laughed and laughed at him.