A Friendly Face

  It has been over a year since Ms. Ez left us.  Not having a dog has seemed strange in so many ways but I am still not ready to adopt another.  Several times, I admit, that I came close...so close but for some reason, it just never felt right.  Ms. Ez was such a big part of my life that her passing left a void that will not easily (if ever) be filled.  

  For the past few days as the family has gathered at the old homestead,  I have had the comfort of the friendship of another dog.  My son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren are here and have brought their dog, PJ.  He is a sweet old dog who was best friends with Ms. Ez.  They would romp together in the yard, snooze in the sun on the pier and chase every squirrel on the hill.  Time and distance could not tear them apart! Now, he is bringing comfort to me.  I happily let him sleep beside my bed or snooze on my feet as I sit in the rocking chair.  It feels right...not that I want another...but this just feels right.  Perhaps this is because PJ and Ez spent so much time together or perhaps is merely because I know this dog about as well as I did Ez.  Whatever the case, being able to reach down and pet him has made the holidays that much better.

  Thanks, PJ.  You are a good friend, indeed.  
 

Goodbye to a Dear Friend

  Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog was a fine friend. For the past week, the old dog has been very ill.  Trips to the vet and to the Pet ER did nothing more than make her comfortable.  I am wholly grateful for that as her remaining time was at least close to being pain free.  While the doctors have yet to be able to diagnose her situation, I have almost come to the conclusion that she ate another mushroom and this one was not a good one.  Her symptoms led the doctors to believe she had complete liver failure and the beginnings of kidney failure.  Although her remaining time with us was short, it was filled with more love than could possibly fit in such a short time.  We did everything we could to make her happy and perhaps return a little of the happiness that she brought into our lives.  

  On her final day, she actually rallied a bit and was able to walk about the hillside.  She literally begged to go to the pier.  Like it is mine, that was her favorite place.  She labored to make it all the way to the bench but she was determined and would not let me carry her.  The old dog would occasionally lean against me for support.  Once there, she basked in the bright sunshine and seemed perfectly content as we watched the seagulls and pelicans. 

  Later in the afternoon, Darling Daughter came by and sat with Ms. Ez. This was a special treat for the dog.  Her tail thumped against the floor the whole time.  All was good.  Ms. Ez had such a contented look on her face.  The love between the two was evident. Elizabeth was the one that had rescued Ezzy from certain death when she was a wee pup.  It was only fitting that they had time together to share love that spanned the dog's entire lifetime. Afterwards Ms. Ez rested.

  At dusk, I could tell that things were not good.  I tried to let her out for a final time but she fell against me on the steps.  I carried the 55 pound dog back inside.  She was heavy but my heart was heavier.  I knew she would not see the next sunrise.  My sweet friend was leaving this world. I sat on her bed with the dog on my lap.  Mark sat with her stroking her soft ears.  He told her how much she meant to us and how we had been blessed that she came to be part of our family. Once again, love was shared between animal and human. 

  Right at eight o'clock, Son came to have some quiet time with her.  By this time, her breathing was becoming labored and it was evident that the pain was starting to grow. We held her.  We stroked her fur.  We consoled her with loving words.  At nine o'clock on the dot, she took her last breath in the arms of both me and Son. The very moment she drew that last breath, Keesler Air Force Base played Taps.  I thought of how this, although pure coincidence, was so touching.  Ms. Ezzy had a habit of seemingly standing at attention when the Base would play the National Anthem.  She would automatically stop whatever she was doing and stand facing the direction of the music.  For the entirety of the song, she stood not moving.  As soon as it was over she would leap up and prance about a bit.  I always was amazed at this but now, Taps seemed somehow fitting.

  Goodbye, my friend.  The hikes to the pier at sunrise will not be the same.  I am sure that I will be at a loss for a while without you but I am thankful that you are not suffering.  Godspeed, Little One.  You were a loyal friend indeed.  I will so miss you.

One Sick Pup!

  Ms. Ez is all dog.  She may think she is human by the way she has always been treated but she is definitely all dog.  As with all dogs, she has a few disgusting habits with one being the nauseating delight of drinking putrid water.  If she finds a puddle, bucket, pond or drain that has foul-smelling liquid, she will definitely take a sip or lap it up until nothing is left.  I reprimand her to no end but it goes in one ear and out the other.  Invariably, with her drinking the nastiness, she falls ill....every time.  Does she learn from the experience?  NOOOO!  Let one stagnant puddle come within her range and she drinks.  She has even gone so far as to sneak behind my back to imbibe in the slop.  Then she...and I pay.

  About four days ago, my brother stopped by the Little Bayou House bright and early in the morning.  While we were talking, Ms. Ez quietly slipped out of sight. Five minutes later, I heard a familiar lapping sound. STOP!  I knew her outside water bowl was empty and she had to have found something nasty!  I was right.  

  Now, she is ill and I am doctoring a dog.  Her tummy is incessantly gurgling and she feels miserable. She refuses to leave my side so most of my day has been spent with a dog sleeping on my foot.  The vet's office will not be open until tomorrow morning so, in the meantime, I do whatever I can to calm the innards of an ailing dog.  Thank goodness for herbs and berries.  What we don't do for our furry friends!

Visiting "Mom"

  Several years ago, I successfully raised two orphaned baby birds.  It had always been my intention of releasing the birds once they reached an age that they could fend for themselves.  Instead of constantly keeping them caged, I encouraged the birds to be outdoors.  They romped in the grass under the watchful eye of their "Mama", the Old Bayou Dog.  Ezzy would protect the little ones from any danger and when they felt threatened, they soon learned to race toward her. Nothing was going to hurt those babies!  Ms. Ez loved her little ones and they so loved her.  Then came the time when the baby mockingbirds were old enough to venture out on their own.  At first, Ms. Ez tried to search for her lost wards but after a bit, she learned the hard way that the time had come for the dreaded "empty-nest syndrome". The old dog moped a bit but soon moved on to other babies such as an orphaned possum.  Ahh, yes!  Her life had meaning once again.

  Today, I was out seeding the hotbed with peppers, when I heard Ezzy whine a bit.  I turned to see her wagging her tail and looking up in the nearby dead black gum tree.  Uh, oh....not another orphan!  My eyes followed hers and soon realized that she recognized a visitor.  Up in the tree was a mockingbird!  Either Shelby or Knox (the names attached to the two baby birds) had come back to visit their "Mom"!  As I stood there watching, the bird flew down to the wicker chair just inches away from the dog's face.  There the bird chirped some soft "words".   Ezzy whimpered and nosed closer.  I could not believe my eyes!  These two were trying to communicate!  I do believe that the bond was still there! I tried to slip past the duo and grab my camera but had little luck.  The mockingbird flew back up to its perch in the tree and Ezzy pranced about happily.  

  The mockingbird stayed in the garden area for the rest of the day.  Ms. Ez was not about to leave either so I just let the two of them be.  I guess "Mom" and "child" needed some time alone to catch up on all that had happened in recent months.  Later, I did notice that the bird decided to roost in the jasmine vine for the night.  If the two interact tomorrow morning, you can bet that I will have the camera ready!  This was one of the most heartwarming scenes that I have ever witnessed. Now..all you human kids out there.....GO CALL YOUR MOM!  If animals can visit their mothers, you surely can visit your mom, too!  It would make your mom's day so much brighter!

Scurry away, Little Rabbit!

   Ms. Ez, the old Bayou Dog, doesn't run or frolic near as much as she used to in the past.  As she ages, she is content to tag along behind me as I take my hikes.  Whereas we used to play fetch for hours on end, she now tires easily after about ten tosses.  Of course, when she chases the ball, it is at a breakneck speed both downhill and back uphill. After less than a dozen throws, she is exhausted and must head back inside to her bed.   She and I have resorted to leisurely hiking the hillside.  I have noticed that she even ignores the squirrels a good bit of the time.  This is something that she used to love doing but now, it is more of a chore.  I think the critters all realize this as they scamper to the nearest tree just to humor the old dog.  So goes the afternoon hike.

  One of the critters that we usually encounter as we make our way down the hill to the pier, is a tiny rabbit.  This little bunny was born early in the spring and is now fully on its own.  I guess our daily hikes have become so mundane to the rabbit that it has come to expect our visits.  It does not race away any longer and rarely even makes the effort to move off to the marsh.  Yesterday, I started tossing the ball to Ms. Ez.  She did her best to race down the hill to capture the bouncing ball before it reached the marsh.  Just out of curiosity, I kept tossing the ball nearer and nearer to the bunny.  Before long, Ms. Ez was practically stumbling over the rabbit during her chase.  Not once did the bunny hurry away.  It just kept munching grass.

  This lack of fear worries me a bit.  If the little rabbit has grown this accustomed to the big, lumbering dog, what about the coyotes or fox? Would the little bunny have sense enough to scamper to the safety of the marsh or would it just stand there assuming that the predator is just another Bayou Dog?  Oh, Ms. Ez, what have we done? Bunny, Bunny! Wise up!  Scamper away to the security that the thick marsh offers you! Do not become dinner for the coyote!

Fishing has just gone to the dogs!

  Hehe, I have to ponder where the saying that something has "gone to the dogs" originated.  I get the giggles just thinking about it!  I mean, imagine, "Fishing has just gone to the dogs!".  Does that not conjure up the most unusual image ever?  It does for me with my overactive imagination!  I can just see old Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, sitting on the pier with her fishing pole.  It would be a humorous sight but with her, probably not out of the range of reality.  She has been fishing with me since she was a few weeks old so can most likely use a pole with the best of them!  The saying, however, has nothing to do with fishing dogs. I used to have an uncle who would make the statement quite often.  It seems to have been a saying that was common at one point in time around here.  (The fishing part anyway.)  My uncle would mention that fishing was poor and invariable use the phrase about going to the dogs. It tickled my funny-bone back then and still does.

  Yesterday morning, however, the phrase popped into my head for an entirely different reason.  I was on the pier bright and early and noticed that something rather large had washed up on the shore toward the west.  I sat and stared at the object a bit before realizing just what it was.  When I did, I started giggling as, out of the blue, the phrase popped into my mind.  I turned to look at Ms. Ez and asked "Did you lose something, Old Girl?"  She responded with a tail-thumping wiggle. Across the way, what appeared to be a large doghouse had washed ashore.  A DOGHOUSE! Imagine the giggle-inducing sight that was! Why and how had the doghouse come to be in the water?  Had someone placed said house on a steep slope and it sort of roll down the hill into the Bay?  Had someone intentionally shoved said house overboard? Was a dog still inside the runaway house?  Oh, the questions I had!  Ms. Ez was no help whatsoever as she offered nary an answer.

  Back to the idiom of something "going to the dogs".  The statement means that something or someone is in a downward spiral due to some misfortune.  I sort of have to disagree with the connotation that the phrase evokes.  When you think about a dog's life (at least most dogs nowadays), they have it made!  Dogs used to be working animals.  They would earn their "keep".  These animals would be herders, protectors and would provide rodent extraction services.  Pets now have become "part of the family" instead of working members of a team.  They are pampered beyond belief.  This may or may not be good as most have a need to perform and if not given a chance to do so, cannot be at their full potential.  They become lazy and lose their instinctive traits.  Take Ms. Ez as example.  She should be a hunter.  Ha!  Yes, she loves to chase squirrels but if you give her the command to "Get the squirrel!", she immediately runs to the same hickory tree in the yard...squirrel or no squirrel!  To her, the command means to go sit at that certain tree and then turn to look at me for approval.  Her instinct to chase the rodents has gone awry!  Today, I caught her staring at four squirrels in the bird feeders which are her sole duty to protect.  Not happening! When I gave the command, she ran to "THE" tree and turned to look at me while the squirrels munched the sunflower seeds!  Oh, Ms. Ez, your hunting skills have gone to the dogs.

Wait, Ms. Ez, wait!

  I most likely have done horribly wrong by Ms. Ez, the old Bayou dog.  Ever since she was a wee pup, I would use the single word "Wait" as a command.  She learned patience....lots of patience.  I made her wait until I was down the steps before exiting the house.  I made her wait until I led before getting on the pier.  I made her wait until squirrels were nigh underfoot before she chased them.  I made her wait...a lot.  It is that last one that seems to have struck a chord with her. She still occasionally barrels out of the house or on the pier before me but she can out wait a squirrel by far.  Her patience is amazing when it comes to trying to snag one of those wily critters.  She has a perfect vantage point as she watches them try to raid the bird feeders.  The steps are just high enough to allow her to see over the gate and the jasmine vine is just full enough to conceal her whereabouts.  Once a squirrel is spied hopping up the board path, she quietly slips off the steps and stands just behind the opened gate.  From there, she eyes the squirrel as it comes closer and closer.  Once she figures that the critter is in the position of difficult escape, she makes her move.  She lunges out of the gate and down the board path.  The squirrel will invariably be startled enough that it darts to the first thing available that resembles a tree.  Sometimes this "tree" is the driftwood post that holds the feeders.  If that is chosen, Ms. Ez is in Heaven!  The squirrel is trapped and she bides her time.  After a bit, the squirrel will dart down the side and make a dash for it.  Ms. Ez will be hot on its tail all the way to the first tree in sight.

  There are several trees in the yard that stand far enough from others to make the squirrel be "treed".  Ms. Ez then plops herself down at the base of the tree and waits.  She sits and stares at the squirrel sometimes for hours on end.  The poor squirrel is in a frenzy to escape but all exits are blocked by this big lug of a dog! Finally, the squirrel will panic and race down the tree trunk.  The chase begins again.

  Ms. Ez never really attempts to catch the squirrel and both animals obviously think this is some grand game.  Neither seem to tire of the fun.  About dark, I have to call Ms. Ez to come inside and let the squirrel head back to its nest for the evening.  I believe she would sit there all night if I let her!  Wait, Ez, wait!

Everything is just "Rosy"....or There is a Thief Among Us!

  This afternoon I was chased inside by another round of rain. It seems as if this is one of the wettest winters that I can remember for quite some time.  My outdoor chores were put on hold for another day.  Not having much else to do, I made a cup of tea and stared out the window.  I was planning my next garden adventure when I spied the slightest movement in the rose vines on the east arbor.  Hmm?  I wonder what critter was braving the rains to play in the vines.  Could Mama Dove already be making her nest?    Rain or not, I just had to slip outside to investigate.

  Mama Dove was not the critter stirring about on top of the arbor.  A squirrel chattered noisily at me as soon as I stepped out the door.  I think it was trying to scare me away from the arbor!  It kept this up until it saw Ms. Ez bound out behind me. That old dog loves to chase squirrels and that squirrel knew it had better keep its distance.  It bolted down the arbor and out into the yard.  Ms. Ez tore out of the rose garden right behind it. The chase continued until the squirrel made its way to the large oak tree and then it took a "dare-you" stance just out of the dog's reach.  It barked at her all the while the dog leapt in the air trying to catch that wispy tail!  At least the old dog does this well.  Now back to investigating what the squirrel was doing on the arbor.  It did not take long to realize that this rascal was raiding the arbor of all my rose hips!  Just this past week, I noticed about two hundred rose hips were ripening well and needed picking.  I should not have procrastinated!  That little rascal evidently has been quite busy!  A lone rose hip remained on the vine!

  My harvesting of the hips was limited to a mere handful that I had picked last week.  I was going to need the ladder to reach the remainder of the hips and that was being used by Michael while he builds the greenhouse. I had good intentions of coming back to the arbor but got sidetracked cleaning the gardens.  That rascally squirrel was even using the fence post as a dining table while it gnawed my rose hips!

  Rose hips are pretty remarkable and are often overlooked.  They contain Vitamin C, D, A and E which makes them a great addition to herbal tea. They also have anti-inflammatory properties which help with joint pain and arthritis.  I try to harvest them to use in my teas but this year, I was in hopes to have enough to use in jelly making.  Their tartness blended with the Boysenberry juice should be very flavorful!  Now since the critters have taken a liking to my rose hips, Ms. Ez will have a new job.  She needs to stand guard under the arbor and protect my roses....errr...rose hips!

Don't "Sweat" the small stuff or karma stings!

  Well, this has been the most accident-filled day for me. Murphy's Law and all of that seemed to be working overtime for me.  Actually, it all started at two in the morning. Ms. Ez, the mutt, decided that she "had" to go out.  This took priority over my sleep according to her so she kept insisting until I got out of bed.  In a sleep-drugged state of mind, I opened the door.  Well, that would never do!  The gate was also locked so I headed down the five steps to the walkway to unhitch the thing.  After my second step, Ez bolted.  Her full weight hit me just behind the knees and sent me sailing down the steps.  WHAM!  I hit the board walkway full force on my hands and knees. OWWW!  That smarted!  I pulled myself up.  Oh, geez!  Both knees were bleeding, my left ankle hurt like crazy and my left hand was extremely bruised.  Ugh!  DUMB DOG!  I opened the gate and banished her to down the hillside!  Slowly, I hobbled back up the steps.  The dog would just have to stay outside as I hurt far too bad physically to care plus I was about as aggravated as I could get at an animal.  To be honest, I was seriously considering locking the gate forever!  OWWW!  I limped to the bathroom to cleanse and bandage my wounds. The rest of the night was spent trying not to think of my poor aching body.  Come morning, I still hurt.  My ego was as bruised as my body, though, as just the thought of being blindsided by a trusted dog hurt.  Still, I did not open the gate.  She was in exile until I cooled off a bit.  DUMB DOG!  Growl!

  Mid morning saw me pulling more weeds in the garden spots.  I do wish that my vegetable plants grew as fast as weeds!  As I pulled, Ms. Ez watched from outside the fence.  I refused to let her in the garden even though she whined to be.  She eagerly brought her ball to the fence begging for me to play with her.  NO!  GO AWAY!  I was still sore at her.  I grabbed more weeds and yanked them from the soil.    OWWW!  What in the world?  My right hand was on fire!  I unclenched my fist to see a bit of glittery green.  Wow!  Something had stung me!  In my fit of inattention, I had grasped a bee along with the clump of weeds.  Albeit a pretty bee, it was still a bee and it let me know that real quick!  My hand started swelling while I was still holding the tiny bee.  It was (past tense is important here) a pretty thing.  My aggravated clutch on the clump of weeds had not only injured my hand but fatally injured the bee as well.  Poor thing!  It was just doing its own little bee thing and I smashed it to smithereens!  I called Michael and told him of my plight.  We looked at the bee admiring its color. The green metallic torso sparkled in the sunshine.  This was a Green Sweat Bee so called because they are sometimes attracted to sweat and they are, well, green!  My little bee was not attracted to me as much as to the pollen on the weeds in my garden.  These bees are not inclined to sting unless pinched and I guess I really did pinch hard.   I had it coming.  Poor little bee.  I am sorry that I killed you!

  I suppose my anger towards the dog led to my inattention in the garden.  Karma came back to sting me.  Not only do I have scrapes and bruises from the clumsy dog, now I have a bee sting to match.   So goes life.  Michael told me that it was a signal that it was quitting time for me and that I should take it easy for the rest of the day.  Hmmm..that just seems far too easy.

PLAY BALL!

  Ms. Ez is a funny old dog.  She is quite unlike any other we have ever had here on the Bayou.  Most were outside dogs that got plenty of exercise bounding about the hillside chasing squirrels, rabbits and coons.  They would roam the marshes in hunt of snakes.  Rarely did we see any moccasins since the dogs made quick work of them.  They would sling them back and forth until the snake's head literally popped off.  (We learned real quick to stay far, far away when the dogs were hunting.)  These outdoor dogs would swim in the Bay and sleep on the cold ground.  They hated dog houses, cushy beds and being indoors.  Ms. Ez, on the other hand, sleeps on a large, eight inch thick, plush bed.  She has never been in the marsh other than one time when she fell off the pier.  Her whole swimming in the Bayou was limited to one time when she carried a rope to Mark.  He was far out on the pier during one tropical storm.  A midsection of planking had been blown loose and was ripping up other parts of the pier so he braved the storm to protect the pier.  He was in dire need of a rope to tie off the loose section so Ms. Ez went to work.  I tied the rope in a bale and handed it to her.  She swam about a hundred feet to carry the rope to him.  Job well done!  That was great but it is not the norm for her.  I have to make sure she gets plenty of run time or else she will not sleep at night.  Squirrels give her a bit of exercise but the rest is up to me.  We play ball.  I toss the thing down the hill and she chases it, snags it and brings it back to me.  The typical game of fetch is by far her favorite.  She will play with anyone who is willing to toss that ball.  One time years ago, I watched her try to interest a turtle in a game of fetch.  She would pick up the ball and drop it right in front of the turtle.  The turtle would turn in the other direction or hide in its shell.  Ms. Ez would push the ball up to the turtle's nose but it was all to no avail.  It is really hard to get a turtle to throw a ball!  Ms. Ez tried but that turtle would not cooperate!  Now she has learned to bring the ball to the top of the hill and push it down the board path. She will bolt down the path chasing that ball until she catches up with it.  This game is repeated for hours on end.

   This past week, Mark Jr., Joanna and Mary Ruth (son, daughter-in-law and grandbaby!) were visiting the Bayou.  Mary Ruth loved Ms. Ez.  She would squeal with delight every time she saw the old dog.  Ms. Ez was mutually impressed with this tiny human!  She adored the baby and wanted to constantly be near her.  It was necessary to separate the two of them at times since the dog is rather large and a bit clumsy. I put Ms. Ez outside.  There she spied her ball or rather all three of them.  She immediately grabbed one and ran up to me.  I tossed the thing only to hear a loud squeal come from inside.  My son had Mary Ruth standing by the window so she could watch the fun.  That did it.  Ms. Ez promptly forgot that I even existed!  She snatched the ball and raced to the steps!  Once there, she peered through the long window beside the door.  There are two of these windows, one on either side of the door and Mark had Mary Ruth standing right in front of one of them.  Ms. Ez could climb the step and be inches away from the baby but still be separated from her.  Poor old dog kept bringing that ball to the window.  She would try to hand it to Mary Ruth only to have the ball drop to the ground.  Mary Ruth would let out a earsplitting shriek once again!  Ms. Ez thought that meant for her to get the ball and try to "give".  This game went on and on until it was lunch time for Mary Ruth.

  This game of fetch was not the usual toss and retrieve but rather a nice game of "drop" and retrieve but it kept the two of them entertained for over an hour.  Plus, with the dog climbing those steps about two hundred times, she got plenty of exercise and all I had to do was take pictures!  I do believe this was a most beneficial game!  PLAY BALL!!!!

Once a dog...always a dog.

Ms. Ez, the dog, and I have this agreement.  I do not wash her on cold days.  Yeah, I know.  It is a sort of one-sided agreement but it works so that is all that matters.  Her bathtime has always been an easy task as she stands patiently on the the steps while I wash her down with the water hose.  She knows to stand on the second step from the bottom as this puts her at a great height for me to reach all doggy parts.  She, also, knows to stand without shaking.  She will drip like a leaky faucet and not shake until I back far, far away from her.  Then, when I give the command "Shake", she shakes and water flies everywhere.  After about a dozen shakes, I towel-dry her and then let her back into the house.   Easy-peasy!  But on those cold days, she is not a happy camper.  The water from the hose is icy as is the wind.  The poor, old dog shakes from the cold and not from the sloshy water.  Occasionally, I will bathe her in the bathtub but during those times, more water winds up on the floor and me than on the dog.  So I try to pick warm days for bathtime.

Yesterday, the weather was balmy yet windy.  I knew the cold front would blast through the area and I would have to wait to "unstinky" the dog.  I headed out with puppy "fresh, lavender scented" shampoo and a handful of old towels.  (A dog this size demands more than one!)  She hopped up on the step, adjusted herself to the right elevation and I began my task.  The bath went without a hitch.  No water showers doused my head!  We were finished in less than two shakes of a dog's tail or ten minutes if you are really counting.  The nice, clean mutt made her way into the house to settle down on yet another old towel.  Her bedding was being washed as well.  She shivered and shook for about a half hour until the bedding came out of the dryer.  Oh, my!  She loves those nice warm blankets!  Yep, I had one happy puppy!

Then this morning came and I let her out to do her duty.  She galloped down the hill to the marsh edge and then barreled back to the door. It was cold!  She was having no part of this!  GO!  I demanded that she, at least, attempt to relieve herself.  Instead of doing what she was supposed to be doing, I saw her roll.  NOOOOOOO!  I knew what that meant!  Ugh!  Sure enough, when she finally made her way back to the house, she looked a mite sheepish and she smelled HORRIBLE!  The dog had found some mushrooms!  Most dogs eat mushrooms.  Mine rolls on them!  These are those foul-smelling things that have an odor not unlike roadkill that has been laid out on the road for about three days.  PHEW!!!  I have no idea what type mushrooms these are but after they start to wane a bit, they smell awful!

My question..Why do dogs roll in smelly, nasty things?  I posed this question to my son, Michael.  He said that he read somewhere that it is instinct.  The dog wants to mask its scent so it will not be detected when it is hunting food.  The prey does not think twice about a smelly mushroom hunting it.  Well, that makes sense to a certain extent but, my goodness, her prey is not about to escape! It cannot take too much skill to sneak up on a bowl of dog food!  There is no earthly need to disguise the "fresh lavender scent" shampoo!  Needless to say, Ms. Ez and the bedding got washed again today. Cold weather or not, that dog was not staying in my house smelling like some rotting carcass!  Plus, she was not allowed to go near those mushrooms again all day!  Her potty breaks were directed to the other side of the hill!

The Dog Tent!

Here on the Bayou, we rarely get what most folks call cold weather.  Our winters usually involve a few freezing nights that warm to mid fifties during the daytime.  It is quite the unusual occurrence to have a string of days that stay below freezing and is even a more unusual occurrence to have snow or sleet.  Needless to say, I have no dire need for a massive heating system.  Our warmth is supplied by two nice woodburning stoves and a couple of space heaters if it is "really" cold.  I have adapted rather well to this although there are visitors to the Little Bayou House that complain that our house is cold but, then again, these are the same folks that do not see to putting on a sweater now and again.  That said, there is one member of our family that, due to age, has been finding the cooler weather a bit problematic.  Ms. Ez, the old Bayou dog, shivered through the night this past week when the temperatures dipped to the low forties.  Several times during the night, I got up to throw a blanket over her just because I felt sorry for the old thing.  She seemed to appreciate it tremendously and stayed snuggled in her bed well into mid-morning.

This all got me thinking.  She is not going to do too well this winter.  I have a feeling that we are in for a good bit of cold this year and her old bones are just not going to handle this with ease.  I called upon Michael to remedy this problem.  "What can you do to make her some type of warmer bed?"  He pondered and pondered and finally I heard the saw and hammer being put to use.  He was up to something and I hoped that it would suffice.  After about an hour, he shoved something through the door.  "It may not look like much but I think this might work."  Before he even got the words out of his mouth, Ms. Ez had already made herself at home!  Never before had she taken to any piece of furniture but somehow she knew this was for her!  I looked at this huge structure.."Umm, Michael?"  He had built a box with a sort of framework on the sides and back.  How this was supposed to keep her warmer was beyond me.  It was then that he threw a piece of canvas across the top and around the sides and back making a tentlike structure.  Ahh, the cover made sense.  Two bed pillows side by side were placed in the bottom with her mat over top.  Then he rolled two small blankets bolster style to fit around the edge.  Yep, Ezzy now had a snug bed..err...room?  She had patiently waited until he was finished arranging things before she hopped right into the bed.  She sank down in the cushy bedding and I promise that I almost heard her sigh with content!  She seemed totally happy!  Last night when the temperatures once again slipped below fifty, I tossed her remaining doggy blanket over her. There she stayed all night!  Never once did she whine nor shiver!  The old dog was as snug as a bug in a rug! I still have to paint the bed and make ties for the canvas but that can wait until the weather warms a bit.

Today, Michael asked what I thought people were going to say about our having a "Dog Tent" in our living room.  Without hesitation, I told him it did not matter to me what anyone thinks.  "If someone has a negative thing to say about us keeping our pet warm, then they can go home!  Ms. Ez belongs here, they do not."  Ms. Ez, regardless of the times that I am peeved at her, is part of the family.  She and Ms. Put, the Queen of the Bayou (better known as a cat) are family and we take care of family!  Of course, Ms. Put has her choice of nice, soft, warm beds so it is only right that Ms. Ez has one, too!  Nah, we do not spoil our pets.  We just treat them right.

Lots of Little Fish, A Sick Dog and a Terrifying Blanket!

Last night was a night of unbelievably bad sleeping!  Not that I was awake by choice but rather I was up most of the night due to things not so pleasant.  Mark and I had made a trip to the pier late yesterday evening to catch a few fish.  Menhaden (our bait of choice) were everywhere and fish were having a wonderful time catching their fill.  As usual, Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog, went with us. And, as usual, she ate a number of the small fishy menhaden.  She loves these things!  Raw fish has never been to my liking, personally, so I do not see the allure of her actions.  Still, the wiggly fish seem to delight her..or at least they have in the past.  Perhaps I should say..they still delighted her but not her tummy.  About midnight last night, she got sick.  Violently!  I am really fortunate that the old dog knows to "hold it" until she is outside but those outside breaks kept me hopping all night.

At first, I was a bit bewildered what was happening.  Ms. Ez knows to head to the door when she feels ill and she did just that.  Except things were a bit different this time.  Instead of her leaving her bed behind, the bed went with her!  Let me clarify that her "bed" is not only the normal doggy bed but is layered with three folded blankets.  It is very soft and comfy for an old dog.  Last night when she jumped up to head to the door, her top blanket became tangled on her toenail.  Not good!  Not good indeed!  The poor, old dog who was already feeling strange now had a blanket following her!  Since the blanket was attached to her front paw, she kept stepping on it with her back feet.  This would make her tumble to the floor.  When I first heard this, I had no idea what was happening!  In the pitch blackness of the night, I heard what sounded like a drunk person stumbling in my living room!  I flipped on the light to see a dog stumbling around the room all the while trying not to puke inside the house!  Poor old thing!  Now, I had a choice..open the door and let her drag that blanket down the steps and into the night or try to remove it.  I opted for the removal.  This was going to have to be a quick operation, though, as her heaves were getting stronger by the second!  I grabbed a pair of scissors and snipped a hunk out of the blanket.  Just as I opened the door, she bolted!  Whew!  We made it in time!  That was not the end of the menhaden episode, however.  Thirty-two times I had to fly to open the door for a sick dog!  Between midnight and seven in the morning, I did not even attempt to sleep!  At daybreak, I looked at her and she was sound asleep.  My goodness!  Now that I could not sleep, she was out like a baby!  So, no rest for me!

This evening while on the pier, I mentioned to Mark that Ms. Ez still had a piece of the blanket caught on her toenail.  I had not been able to pull it all the way off because it had actually split the nail and was wedged very tightly.  He reached over and pulled the snippet of rag from her nail with no problems.  Other than a ragged nail, she is none the worse for wear.  Tomorrow, she will get a pedicure!  Me...I am exhausted!  This evening, we made sure that this old dog did not eat any raw fish!

On to Fall!

Finally!  Finally, today I found the first inkling that perhaps Fall is on its way!  There have been a few mornings of late the the temperatures suggested that the elusive season could well be on its way but today was the first sure sign!  I found one...count it...one lovely leaf dressed in its fall attire!  Not an entire tree, mind you, but a single leaf!  Is it possible for a single leaf to elate a person to this point? Sure!  When it has been as hot and dry as this past month..sure..one leaf can, indeed, bring on a smile!  And it did!

The tiny leaf from the Black Gum tree came wafting down in the strong breeze that came with the rains earlier today.  I was outside trying to convince Ms. Ezzy that she really needed to chase the squirrels that were making short work of the sunflower seeds in the feeder.  Talking to this dog is sort of the same as having a chat with the proverbial brick wall.  Sometimes, I think I could have a much better conversation with a brick than this critter!  She has a knack of completely ignoring chatter when it does not suit her needs.  Still, chasing squirrels used to be her favorite pastime but now she would rather investigate a leaf.  The dog actually spotted the leaf before I did and she was most insistent on eating it!  Not my leaf!  This pretty multicolored leaf called for a photograph!  So, Ms. Ez was out of luck!  After I shooed her away from the leaf, I set to work getting the perfect picture.  I promptly forgot the dog. Usually, she is no problem as she is used to running free about the hillside. I figured she would eventually find that squirrel interesting and bound after it.  Not so!  When I finished my picture-taking minute, I searched for the dog.  By this time, she had found something interesting, alright...just not particularly what I had hoped.  She was sniffing mushrooms with all intentions of munching a few of those!  Oh, no!  You will not eat any more of those things!  I refuse to have to doctor you from stomach ailments due to stupidity!  Yes, I know that puffballs are supposed to be edible but, well, I am not taking the chance!  I shooed the dog away from the mushrooms.

I was rather relieved when this outing was cut short due to a sudden shower.  When the sprinkling started, Ms. Ez made a dash for the door.  She had enough of this outdoorsy stuff for the day! Silly dog!  I am happy with my one fall leaf and will not complain.  This is a harbinger of Fall and a bit of cooler weather..and..the rain is always welcome!

The Big, Red Ball!

Life here on the Bayou is most remarkable.  I see things that others do not have the opportunity to see and I experience a lot of things that others cannot.  The range of these things runs from everyday mundane occurrences to the wildly spellbinding.  Personally, I am always interested even in the things that most folks would find boring.  Take this morning, for example.  I rose before daylight to the unmistakable ruckus of hungry birds.  A pair of Redheaded Woodpeckers had two young fledgling birds out of the nest.  They were calling for me to fill the feeders so they could have breakfast.  After giving in to their demands, I made my way down the board path to the pier.    It was still quite dark but I could tell the day would be opening with a bit of a haze over the water.  This was not a fog rather just a haze.  It was one of those mornings when you just knew something would catch your interest.  It did..it did.

As I sat on the pier bench, the sky to the east started to redden.  The coming of dawn was upon old Ez and me.  She snuggled up a bit closer and we waited.  For a dog to be interested in a sunrise tickled me.  I suppose she has made this trip enough to know that is our main reason to be on the pier at this time.  She sat staring at the eastern horizon totally oblivious to the calls of critters around us.  Then..the sun rose.  It was incredible!  The largest, reddest ball of light peaked above the pines.  That haze blocked out just enough light to make this fascinating.  This was one of the few times that I have experienced the sun rising far above the horizon without spilling rays of light across the sky.  Ms. Ez and I watched that red ball rise further and further into the sky.  It was huge and made me realize just what minuscule specks of matter the old Bayou Dog and I were in the whole scheme of things.  Not that our physical size meant one iota of a difference to any one or any thing.  While I was thinking about our size compared to that big, ole sun, Ms. Ez looked up at me.  She rested her head on my knee and well, all was right with the world.  Yep, Dog...you and I are pretty important, aren't we?  This sunrise was there just for us! A grand performance to be sure! We sure did feel mighty important just about that time!

Those Great Big, Beautiful Eyes...

I mentioned before how I was beginning to worry a tad about Ms. Ez.  She just has not been her usual old self.  As with most dogs, she loves to chase squirrels. Ms. Ez is a bird dog and being thus, she loves her birds.  I know this is not normal but, hey, whatever makes the old dog happy.  She has always chased the squirrels from the bird feeders so "her" birds had plenty to eat.  Lately, however, she has not been doing so well with her job.  She has grand intentions but once she bolts out the door towards the feeders, she loses sight of the squirrel.  Ez will then stand around looking confused as the squirrel scampers off to a nearby tree.  At first, I assumed that the summer heat was taking its toll on the old dog but now I am not so sure.  The other day, a fat raccoon was in the feeder.  I opened the door and let Ms. Ez have her fun.  She raced down the hillside to not ten feet from the feeder.  She stopped and stared at a tree.  The coon was still in the feeder and took its dear sweet time ambling down to the marsh.  Ok..that was a bit much!  Ez was becoming lazy!  Both the raccoon and the squirrels now realize that the dog is not that big of threat.  They go about their business of robbing the feeders and Ez does a grand job watching the oak tree.

The saddest discovery came yesterday morning when I was heading to the pier.  Ms. Ez raced down the hill to her assigned place to do her potty duty.  While she was gone, I hung the feeders on the branches of the Dead Tree Forest.  Once I finished, I slowly meandered down the board path to the pier.  After Ms. Ez finished her business, she raced back to the spot where she last saw me standing.  She became confused as I was not there.  Wild eyed, she looked around the hillside. It was then that I noticed the troubling fact that my dog could not see me.  Her vision must be waning fast.  Poor old Ez!  My heart sank a bit. Five minutes passed without her noticing me just thirty-five feet from her. She was about to panic!  I softly asked her if she was going with me.  Her head cocked as she listened to my voice.   Once she realized where I was, her whole demeanor changed.  Now she was happy! She barreled down the hillside to be with me.  We walked silently down to the pier.  Her happy to have found me..me in deep thought.

A bit later, we wound up at my favorite chair.  Again, I watched the old dog.  She knew squirrels were around somewhere..she could smell them!  Her head would tilt from one side to the other as she listened for the critters.  She tried hard to focus on the animals.  My old dog's eyesight was failing and there was not much I could do about it.  Now comes the hard part..how do I help her?  She is in great health otherwise but this bit of not being able to see too well, could present a problem.  Living on a Bayou, she is exposed to all sorts of dangers.  How do I protect her from the snakes, gators and coyotes?  She is so used to running free that it will definitely be a challenge.  Poor old dog..my heart aches.

Good deeds...warts and all....

Sometimes Ms. Ez worries me.  Lately, she has not been acting like her old self.  Usually, she is spot on when it comes to chasing critters about the hillside. I never had to worry about squirrels in the bird feeders or rabbits in the gardens.  Coons never stood a chance!  No matter where she saw one, she would race to chase them far into the marsh.  Now..either she has decided it is far too hot to do all that running or her senses are starting to wane.  I am a tad bit worried that her eyesight might be failing.  Each day sees her chasing a nonexistent critter up the same tree while the real deal simply ambles off to enjoy afternoon free from torment.  The dog also has problems with stepping on birds and small reptiles that might happen to be caught in the path to that old tree.  More than once a dove, turtle or frog has been literally flattened by the heavy feet of the seventy-plus pound dog that barrels out the front door.  Thank goodness for all of the rains this summer as the ground is soft.  When she smashes a critter, they usually survive!

One toad almost did not make it, though.  As Ms. Ez stormed out of the door, down the steps and out the gate to chase that nowhere-to-be-seen squirrel, she stepped right on top of the poor critter!  I rushed over to see if perhaps the poor thing needed some assistance but was fully relieved that no resuscitation was necessary!  (Thank goodness for (huge) blessings!  I do not think I could have even attempted resuscitating a toad!  Still, it is one of God's creatures and perhaps I could have just pressed its tummy or something!)  As I stared at the toad, I realized that it had received the full impact of the humongous dog paw while sitting on an old beam that forms the steps to the board path.  There was no soft, squishy dirt beneath the toad.  Poor little fellow!  He was still somewhat flat!  Squished!  And, not to mention, dazed!  I poked the toad and it gave me the most pathetic look.  "Are you going to smash me, too?" was what I imagined the toad would have said had it been able to speak to me.  Nope, Little Toad, I am not nearly as clumsy as Ms. Ez!  That was when I noticed that the lumbering dog was on her way back up the hill!  Oh, no!  That poor toad was going to be right in line for a second smashing if I did not do something quick!  Telling Ezzy to stop mid-run is like trying to stop a freight train heading down the tracks!  It ain't happenin'!  Not knowing what else to do, I reached down and scooped up the toad!  This frightened the poor critter as much as Ms. Ez's gigantic paw!  The toad, being totally incapacitated with pain and fear, did what came natural...it peed on me!  Ugh!  Little Toad, I was trying to help you!!!!  Well, so much for being kind!  So much for doing good deeds!  So much for saving nature!  No..I did not toss the toad away like some icky monster.  I merely (gently, I might add) placed it among the day lilies and wished it well.  Ugh...toad pee stinks!  Eww!  At least, contrary to all of the Old Wive's Tales, I should not be getting any warts from this toad....I hope!

The Muddying of Puddlepond

I was perplexed to say the least. My refurbished Puddlepond was forever in a state of disarray and was forever muddy. This is strange since the pond has a plastic liner and clean gravel in the bottom. Then there was the problem of disappearing water. Yes, I realize we are in the middle of a drought and yes, I realize evaporation can cause ponds to go dry but my goodness, this was a bit ridiculous! I was losing gallons upon gallons of water every day..which is a lot from the little Puddlepond. I was truly beginning to believe that there was another leak..a large leak in the bottom of the pond. Surely not..we just replaced the liner about a month ago! Perhaps the deer that I feed need a drink. It would not be a far-fetched idea for them to make their way to the Puddlepond for fresh water after eating the corn that I leave for them. Let a number of them slurp their way through the pond and I am quite sure that the water level would definitely drop. Still, why so muddy?

Today, I sat in my favorite chair under the oak tree. Son-in-law and Daughter came to visit and while she and I talked, he threw the ball for Ezzy. Now, indeed this made the dog happy. She chased that ball as often as he threw it and boy, could he throw it! As a former baseball player, his throws were nothing like my feeble tosses. His went long and far...Ezzy went long and far...on and on and on, this game went. The more he would throw, the more she would run, until she just could go no further. Then..she went to get water..in the Puddlepond! No, Ezzy did not just lap up a cupful or even a bucketful of the cool water. She decided to go headlong into the pond...SPLASH! And there went the water....everywhere! She wallowed around in that Puddlepond not unlike the hogs used to wallow in the pond on the farm years ago. The head would go under and she would splash around like a sealion. This dog loves the water, so much so that she would flip from side to side..splashing water like a sprinkler system. I had my answer, the Muddling of the Puddlepond was done by Ezzy!

Later, I discovered that we had another visitor to the Bayou. It seems that we are inheriting cats by the boatload! I do wish people would just take care of their cats and stop thinking that the Hill above the Bayou is a good dropping spot for their unwanted pets. This one is a surprise, though, as Ms Put likes him! She has not tried to maim, mangle or mutilate him. She has not tried to maul this cat like she does any others that show up around here. Actually, just the opposite! She seemed to encourage him to eat from her bowl. My, oh, my this was strange! I wondered just what was different about this cat.

Actually, there are several things different about this cat that has now been named "Blinky" by Darling Daughter. The first and most noticeable difference?.. He is a tricolor cat. Almost a calico and very unique with his markings. Being a calico is not so much different but being a male calico is sort of rare. Only about one in every three thousand is male. Next bit of difference..this cat has five toes on its back foot! There seems to be an extra toe sort of just stuck in there between two other toes. I was remarking at just how large his feet seemed when I realized it was because of the extra toe. The last difference (and the one that got him his name) is that he is cross-eyed. Poor Blinky! How in the world did his former owners think he would ever survive??? Son spent a good bit of time trying to coax Blinky to the food bowl and finally succeeded. He ate ravenously! Poor Blinky...poor cross-eyed, five-toed, male calico, Blinky..the odds are against you. I guess you will just have to stay at the Bayou House where people will take care of you.

Bayou Dog..honestly!

Ms. Ez knows the rules of the Bayou.  Most of the time she abides by those rules..most of the time.  Occasionally, she gets sidetracked and for some unforeseen reason she goes far..far..off track.  No..she does not roam.  "That" she has down pat.  She knows that if she ever leaves the place, she will not have a warm, comfy bed nor a bowl full of food at her beck and call.  By off track, I mean she breaks one of the steadfast rules.  Today she did that and had to pay the consequences.

One of my sweet nieces, Kammie, and her son came to see me today.  I had promised her a batch of Boysenberries far back in the spring and when I told her they were ready..she was here.  Her son, Tristan, was the pure focus of Ms. Ez.  She immediately adored him!  Which means she followed him everywhere he went and when he sat down, she tried to climb in his lap.  Ms. Ez, by far, is not a lap-dog.  She is huge (as labs tend to be!).  Anyway, this adoration is what led to her downfall..literally. You see, we have two firm rules that she broke today.  One..no balls on the pier.  She knows this.  The rule is in place simply because I did not want to have to fish a baseball from the water.  Second rule..no Ms. Ez in the water.  This one confuses folks being as Ms. Ez is a Labrador Retriever..a water-loving dog.  The rule is there for her own good.  There are lovely things like alligators. cottonmouth moccasins and snapping turtles by the boatloads in the marsh.  (Ok..maybe not boatloads but there are lots of things that can hurt her.)  Both important rules were broken because she was so enamored with Tristan that something in her brain hit a "pause" button.  With the ball in her mouth, she happily trotted after Tristan as he headed to the pier.  Kammie called to her son telling him to take the ball from Ez.  Smart thinking on her part but dumb on Ms. Ez's.  When Tristan wrested the ball from her mouth, she immediately went into "fetch mode".  Anyone who has ever seen Ms. Ez when she is focused on a ball can tell you that she really is focused on that ball!  Nothing else matters!  Tristan held the ball high out of her way....uh oh...bad move!  From the front steps of the Little Bayou House, I could see it coming!  Yep..Ms. Ez jumped!  She jumped high!  She jumped after the ball.  She fell over.

Bouncing like Tigger from the "Winnie the Pooh" stories, she went right off the edge of the pier and into the marsh.  This not only shocked Tristan but Ez as well!  She was too stunned to move!  She had never been in the marsh before!  This was No Man's Land..Forbidden Territory..No Fly Zone!  She froze!  Kammie started yelling for her son to "Get her out!!!"  Now, I knew this was a futile effort!  There was no way this young man was going to lift a nigh on seventy pound dog up and out of that mire at least not from the high point of the pier where he was standing.  Tristan stared at his mom almost in disbelief!  I think the poor lad was in shock..afraid that he had done something terrible!  To remedy the situation, I called for Ez.  Since she was nearly hidden in the tall reeds, she headed toward my voice.  Instinct told her that she had better listen the first time and not disobey the "Boss Lady" any further!  She came bounding out of the marsh and headed up the hillside.  Covered in mud from head to tail, she sheepishly slunk through the garden gate.  Ugh!  Mud..Bayou mud..smelly mud!

Tonight after a good scrubbing, she sleeps soundly.  I will not be surprised if she dreams of the Mud Monsters that were grabbing at her legs or the Marsh Monsters that were stabbing her belly!  Poor, old Bayou Dog..she had an adventure today.  She had an adventure that broke all of the rules!

Crazy Ezzy!

Ms. Ez spends the majority of her day standing guard over the bird feeders.  She feels it is her duty to keep any and all squirrels from ever taking a single bite.  If any of these furry rodents ever decide to make a meal of the plentiful sunflower seeds in the feeders, she chases them far away.  If she trees one, Ezzy sits right there watching that tree for the rest of the afternoon...or until she falls asleep!  Naps are highly important in a dog's life!  Today was no different.  The watch began at dawn when I filled the five feeders.  She planted herself underneath the feeders and waited.  Sure enough, in ran the first squirrel.  Ezzy bolted after the squirrel chasing him all the way to my brother's house.  She returned in a few moments to continue her guard.  Squirrel number two was chased around back of the house to the grapefruit tree.  She returned.  Ms. Ez knows that she is not to go gallivanting about the hillside without my approval.  The third squirrel made haste to the tall oak tree just down the board path from the feeders.  She had this one treed!  Plop! Down she sat to wait!  That squirrel would have a hard time to ever leave the tree.  This tree was a mighty unfortunate choice as a refuge.  Ez was not likely to leave her guard..if she could stay awake.

Late afternoon saw Ms. Ez in a most unusual position.  I pondered if she was hurt or ill.  I had gone to check on PJ, (aka "poopy puppy") only to find Ezzy upside-down!  Her feet were straight up in the air!  Oh, no!  She looked a good bit like "roadkill"!  Hmmm?  Perhaps the squirrel had gotten the best of her or maybe she was just looking at things from a different view?  I called.  She flipped upright and ran to the tree!  She had been caught napping on the job!  Sure enough, the squirrel had made its escape and sat in a nearby mimosa tree!  He was chattering up a storm at the bewildered dog.  Poor old Ez, she looked a bit humiliated!  It did not take her long to take up her place under the feeders again.  She was more bound and determined to catch that squirrel now!  I blame it on the sun!  That warm sunshine beamed down on her and she did not stand a chance!  Yawn...hmmmmm...nap.