Ezzy is at it again!

I have mentioned several times of how Ezzy, the dog, loves to chase squirrels. If she is inside, she will nearly break the door down if one gets into the bird feeder. Today, I kept her in the house merely because our temperature reached nearly 102. I figure that if it was too hot for me to be outside, then she was feeling the same way. She is really pretty good about the whole thing except that she watches the bird feeders through the window to make sure no nasty squirrel tries to steal a bite. If she spies one, she will start to bounce a bit and maybe let out a single bark. This is my cue to open the door so she can make a mad dash down the board pathway to the feeders. Most of the time, she runs to a hickory tree that is about twenty or so feet from the feeders and looks up in the tree. She will sit there for hours just staring up in that tree! This is where the squirrels used to go..now..they are smart. When she barrels down the path, they merely sit on the feeder knowing full well that she will run right past them to the tree. After she reaches the tree and is looking up, they will scurry down and make a dash for the oak tree that is down the hill from where she is.

Today, Ezzy sat and watched through the window just waiting for the squirrels. I was in the kitchen when I heard a single bark. I knew when I was summoned that I must attend my doorkeeping job. I opened the door to see not one..not two..but five squirrels in the feeders! Ezzy bolted out the door before I even had the screen door all the way opened. As she ran down the board path the squirrels scattered..this bunch did not know the rules! Instead of sitting quietly waiting for her to pass..they were literally diving off of the feeders. She turned to chase one and down went a terra cotta feeder! I am not sure if she hit it or if the squirrel, propelling himself off of it, caused it to fall but poor Ezzy was devastated! She had a previous experience with knocking a feeder from the post and I think she fully remembered the pictures that I took! This is one smart dog when it comes to the camera. She loves to pose when she is doing something smart but let her do something like knock down a feeder..well, that is too humiliating to have documented in photographs! She turned and looked at me with the most shameful look on her face that I just had to start giggling! In the mean time, the squirrels were still dashing across the yard to my brother's place. She looked at me and then at the squirrels.."Come on, now..the squirrels are getting away!" I picked up the feeder and turned to go inside..she hesitated a moment and then dashed across the yard. When she reached to property line, she stopped..turned to look at me..and then plopped herself down as if to wait right there for them to return! It took much coaxing on my part to get her to come back inside. Finally, she did..and I returned to washing the dishes..only to hear..ARF! And there we went again!! Boy, does she ever have me trained well as a doorkeeper!