The Curious Case of the Dog(s) In the Night

What the heck?

After I finished work on the Winnie, I stepped out on the porch to enjoy the sunshine. Two dogs, one a large gray/reddish, brown German shepherd sized beast with a look of a mastiff or pit-bull in his--for there was no doubt that it was a male) face and head, the other a smaller black-with-speck-of-white pooch looked like an Austrailian shepherd came wondering down the hill. The passed behind the house and then down into our driveway. I was still on the deck and spoke softly to them asking what they thought they were doing. Neither had a collar and neither seemd particularly afraid of me. I was up on the deck and they were on the ground so I wasn't concerned for my safety either.

The came around the retaining wall and went under the deck. I yelled at them to come on back out and the did. Then they wandered off down the hill.

Just now, an hour and a half after our first encounter, I heard a sound out on the front door step. Yep, it was the two dogs looking to either bed down on the little porch there or gain access to t he house. The big guy tried to stick his nose in the door when I opened it a crack to tell them to beat it. I had to open and slam closed the door a couple of times before they got the message and went off around the garage.

Taking in a stray kitteh like Miss Kitteh is one thing, but if Terry came home tonight and found two dogs.... Well, let's just say I'd be testing the heating system in the Winnie. (They were healthy and friendly looking though.)

Deck Construction and more!

After Rick and I paid a visit to the Big Orange Box store (aka Home Depot) on Saturday to get supplies on Saturday, Eric showed up at Rick's house today for a breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon after which we got to work on construction. First we sent Rick out to get two more 4"x8" timbers. Then Eric and I carefully sited the concrete piers for the four corners and the centers. We sistered two 4"x8"x8' timbers to a 16' 2"x6" to form the rear stringer, cut 4"x4" posts to level it across the house, and mounted joist hangers on it to place the joists. We cut the joists to length and then waited for Rick to bring the 4"x8"s that would form the front stringer.

Once Rick got back, we all positioned the front stringer on three concrete piers (only a little adjustment as to their position was required), cut the 4"x4" posts to level the stringer and attached the hangers and joists. All that remains to do now is to attach the cedar deck boards using screws and construct a ramp and set of stairs so as to get up and down to and from the deck.

6'x16' Deck Nearing Completion

 Nearing Completion 

Much of the construction was done under the watchful eye of Penny, the Labradoodle. As Eric had brought his dog, Buddy, with him and the two pooches entertained one another. (In reality, Buddy just wanted to be left alone so he could figure out how to spring the gate to chase after a cat that would have beaten the crap out of him or just to go across the street and smell the California poppies int he neighbor's yard.) Penny seemed very pleased with the new deck ans sprawled out upon it as soon as we laid the deck boards.

 Penny the Labradoodle 

Rick is a bee keeper with 5 or 6 hives at various places including one at a friends house a little over a mile away. He works on his boxes in his yard sometimes and had one set in the back that was unoccupied until a few weeks ago when a wandering hive found it and took it over. For all he knows, these may be the same bees that swarmed over at his friends place a month ago.

 Volunteer Bees 

(Check the entry on the left. They're busy as...well...bees.)

 

More on Brent Sass and the Yukon Quest

I was wondering how Brent Sass lost 6 hours [Actually, the numbers may just be a little FUBAR. One place it says they were just an hour apart. Still, it doesn't detract from the rest of the story...as Paul Harvey might have said.] to Hans Gatt when they both got into Eagle at the same time--give or take a few seconds. Looking at the leader boards indicated Sass left Eagle about half an hour after Gatt, but then things went badly for Brent.

A six hour a stop at Trout Creek was followed shortly thereafter by tragedy. One of Brent's wheel dogs, Taco suddenly fell dead in his tracks. This was a seasoned veteran of the trail. Obtained as a pup in 2005, Taco had completed the Yukon Quest twice as well as run many 200 and 300 races. Brent carried Taco's body in his sled some 60 miles to Slavens Dog Drop, the next check point in the race.

Sass will continue the race without a trusted companion on the trail; one with skill, fortitude, and experience. One who, earlier had helped save a human life. One he clearly loved and one who loved to race.

God speed Taco. As they say, all dogs go to heaven. I think you've earned your entry.

Exactly!

see more puppies

That'll work

Car thief has a swift change of heart
I’m guessing he needed a change of undies too.

A thief who stole a car after spotting the keys in the ignition swiftly abandoned it when he was confronted by a great dane that had been asleep on the back seat.

The man was unaware that Diesel, an alsatian cross, was inside the Toyota 4x4. As he drove off he saw the dog, 9st (57kg) and 6ft tall on his hind legs, through his rear view mirror. As soon as Diesel sat up, the man stopped the car and fled.

Yeah, I’m sure Diesel makes a great theft deterrent, but wouldn’t the Club be cheaper? I mean the food alone…. Of course they may have banned those in England too.

The owner, Nick Griggs, 41, of Brixham, who runs a quad bike centre, said: “I’d love to have seen the look on his face when he saw Diesel. He must have got the shock of his life. There’s no alarm, but who needs one when you’ve got the Hound of the Baskervilles in your back seat?”

Indeed.

Go look at Diesel’s picture.

Seeing that mug (no matter how lovable he might be) pop up in the rear view would make me want to get out of the car too.