Bouffant Blonde

Sunshine is a lab. She loves to hunt. She loves to catch things that move. It really doesn't matter what. Of course with the weather near 100 degrees and the heat index even higher, she's abandoned much of that. Except when something just happens to cross her path. She really can't help herself. I knew something was up when she scrambled out from under the van (which she is really too big to be under) and raced across the yard. I hadn't seen her move that quickly in weeks. She's so laid-back that her usual mode of travel is slow and leisurely. She immediately started looking for something. Her nose was in high gear. I didn't know what she saw. I figured maybe a squirrel. She likes to go after squirrels. I know the squirrels get a good laugh as they jump from tree to tree without the dogs ever having a clue. Sunshine started trying to move some tin stacked next to the cattle trailer. Soon, Little Guy and Miss Lady Bug had joined the search. I tried to be helpful...

Little Guy loves to fish. He never really understood fishing until my oldest nephew visited when Little Guy was just a puppy. He'd obviously lived in the city before he came to us. He knew we had a pond. He loved to romp along the sides, splashing in the water. But he never understood that there are fish in the pond. Wow! He watched my nephew gather a reel and rod and other supplies. Then Little Guy happily followed him around to the dam. Both his sisters went along so it was a fun adventure. He sat right next to my nephew as he threw the line in. Then, oh my gosh, a fish came out! That was exciting! Little Guy danced all around and tried to get close to the fish. My nephew removed said fish from the hook and threw the fish back into the pond. Wait a minute, Little Guy said. Don't we get to play with the fish? I want to take the fish back to the house and show my mom. So Little Guy did what any puppy would do under those circumstances. He went into the water after the fish. He...

I always knew it would happen one day. I hoped it wouldn't. Truly I did. But with three curious dogs and many, many wild animals it was like a train wreck waiting to happen. Little Guy encountered a skunk. Not that we saw said encounter. The smell, however, gave it all away. Little Guy always tries to be helpful. While I worked in the garden late yesterday, he hunted. He loves to hunt. He rarely catches anything. He leaves that to his big sister Sunshine. But he does so love to smell his way through the beans and corn, searching for anything at all. I paid no attention when he exited the garden and headed toward the barn area. He does that everyday. I didn't even notice that he sort of lagged behind when we headed toward the house. But, oh my. When I closed the garage door and he plopped in front of the fan, the air got a little smelly. At first I wasn't sure which dog was the culprit. The look on Sunshine's face was priceless. So pitiful. I wondered if she were the one...

How many times have you whined today? Give it up! We all complain numerous times each and every day. And usually about trivial things that really don't matter or that we simply can't change. We just don't like to admit that we are whiners. Think about it. It's June in Alabama. It's hot and humid. And sunny. I'm thankful that the rain has finally stopped but now in a two-day span of time the ground is so hard. I miss the cooler temperatures that the rain brought. But when it was raining and water was standing everywhere, I was first in line complaining that I wanted to see the sun. Or think about the traffic. That's a favorite whine topic. The stop lights never work to our satisfaction. If we're in a hurry, they're always red. When we're trying to delay our arrival, they're always green. And don't forget about that slowpoke going our way. You've heard the phrase "he's got nowhere to go and all day to get there." If the sl...

With three dogs comes the once a year trip to the vet for shots, tests, etc. I'm always surprised that they don't lock the doors when the receptionist sees us coming. We do try to bring three people with the three dogs. I'm really not sure it helps but at least they can see we've made the effort. You see, our three are not used to being on leashes. It's what happens when you live on a farm. They get to run around and play, pooping wherever and whenever. The only road rules are those governed by fences and mama cows. They are always so excited to get in the truck. I feel guilty. I wonder if they think we're all going on vacation. Or maybe the beauty parlor. Miss Lady Bug goes to the beauty parlor several times each summer to get her long hair clipped. Maybe she tells her brother and sister stories of luxurious pampering. I have no idea. I just figure they have no clue as to what awaits them. They love to look out the windows as we drive. Little Guy got the prime...

It seems that everyone wants to garden these days. A little packet of seeds and some dirt. It's certainly cheaper than buying fresh produce at the grocery story or the farmer's market. Even the White House has a vegetable garden. It all looks so very easy. The key word here is "looks." Farming -- even the small garden variety -- is hard, hot work. First, you've got to decide what to plant. It's easy to say "peas" or "snap beans." Do you know how many different kinds of snap beans there are? I figured it would be easy to choose the type to plant. The round ones, not the flat ones. That only brought more choices. It's a good thing my father knows the name of what he plants every year. I think I need to write it down. I'll never remember on my own. Fortunately, he has a tractor and planters. It makes it go so much faster. Of course, we have a large garden. Some things though still have to be planted by hand. Tomatoes do better if they...

I hate snakes. Truly. They scare me so badly. This is the Deep South where one can happen on a snake at any moment. We watch for them in the yard, in the floor beds, in the garage. Anywhere really. That's especially true in May and June. The old timers tell me that's when snakes travel in pairs. Their version of mating season. I walked out onto the back patio the other day. I was minding my own business. Okay. I was minding the dirt dobbers' business. I'd watched them building away while I washed dishes and I was going to tear their dirt mess down before more dirt dobbers could hatch. I do this on a regular basis. I'd like to believe that we have fewer dirt dobbers because of it. I'm not sure though. We have a lot of dirt dobbers. I glanced at the top of the screen door that leads from the laundry room to the patio before I stepped outside. A few years ago a snake was resting on top of the door and struck my father. Fortunately, he has a hard head and it didn...