Dad Trainin'

Well, I'm filin' this lil' tidbit in my memory bank for future use.

I was up in my tower an' ...OMD...what did i see? I let out a hollar an' Lexie heard what I was sayin' an' she pretty much answered in kind. Then I ran downstairs an' told dad. He looked at me an' said, "what?". Mom told him that he had to stand up an tell me, "show me". (this is all kinda new, since he's usually at work when stuff happens). He gave mom a "look", but did what she suggested.

As soon as he said it...I took off back upstairs. Dad told mom that it looked like he was bein' led to "the tower". Then off he went followin' me.

I showed him, alright......there was Ginger w/her brite green LED collar (actually all you could see was that green glowin' collar, lol) goin' on a walk w/her daddy...after dark, too! I just felt that was wrong...on so many levels. All kinds of stuff could happen.

Back down the stairs we went. Lexie had followed us up there, so she knew what was goin' on, too. We were both beside ourselves an' expected results from mom an' dad....an' immediately.

Mom an' dad were kinda tired...they'd been busy all day movin' furniture, shoppin' (mom), breakin' lamps (dad), rollin' up a thousand pound rug (that's what dad said)...just all kinds of stuff. But dad came down an' told mom the situation. Lexie an' I got on either side of her waitin' in anticipation an' excitement....for those words....

.

"looks like we're all goin' for a nite walk".

YES!! (I tell you....I have to brag a lil'...we've got 'em pretty well trained)

We left the house an' then dragged mom an' dad about half a block...before mom dug her heels in (literally) an' told us to slow down...that we weren't gonna be able to catch up to Ginger...that she was fine w/her glowin' collar an' daddy, an' to enjoy the cool nite air.

The rest of the walk was great....I managed to leave a p-note about every other bush...Lexie picked a few yards as well. There was one rude dog across one street that was doin' some trash talkin'...an' you wouldn't believe it, but Lexie ignored him. Me on the other paw...I had to tell him to "shut it".

Thinkin' back on this.....I may have to change my tactics on warnin' off dog walkers...this worked so well....I guess I just have to tell dad an' then get out an' track 'em in person.

10 foot Pole

AHS Report--

<ahem>..
.I'm gonna have to compose myself from laughin' so hard.   When mom announced, "that "possum is gone"...an' then, "good job, let's go to the house for cookies!"....Lexie an' I were already half way there.  No sense in stayin' out there, 'cause that 'possum was gone for sure...now.....w/mom's help....again.

It all started when Lexie an' I had that possum cornered in the lil' loquat tree way out back.  Of course, we may have been a lil' noisy, and that's what woke dad up.  He came outa the bedroom an' told mom what we were up to.  Well, he told her what we were soundin' like.  Since he's not as willin' to go traipsin' about in the dark in his jammies....mom grabbed her big lite an' headed out to see what was goin' on.  

She found us at that tree.  One of us on each side.  We waited while she got under it an' shined her lite.  Naturally, she wasn't in the right spot an' didn't see anythin'.   So, we had to coach her to look in the right spot.  She got under that tree an' still didn't see anythin'. She shined that lite this way an' that way, lookin' this way an' that.  Finally, she just grabbed that tree an' shook it a couple of times really hard.  Usin' the theory that if you shake a tree hard enough, somethin's bound to fall out.   It worked.
I had to alert her to come around to my side.  There that possum was...hangin' onto the end of a limb that was hangin' over our fence an' the field.  Mom figured that's where he needed to go....in that field.  She grabbed her trusty 10 foot pole (she says that's a necessary piece of AHS equipment an' won't let dad throw it away).  Then she proceeded to push/knock/prod that possum off the end of that limb.  She thought she had succeeded.  That branch bent way down then popped up sans possum.
This is where Lexie an' I were torn between yellin' at that possum, yellin' at mom...yellin' in surprise an' alarm...heck...it was an excitin' moment...I tell you.   At one point...mom was yellin'.

All of a sudden...her pole was way too heavy to hang onto while holdin' it an' her big lite.  She had to drop that lite to keep from losin' her pole.  "Cause just before droppin' her lite, she could see that big possum pullin' himself up on her pole an' startin' to move pretty fast toward her end of the pole.  <at this point..we were all yellin'>

Mom started backin' up...still holdin' her pole..tryin' to scrape him off her pole on the top of the fence.  He wasn't lettin' go...she tried whackin' the pole on the fence to knock him off...but he weighed too much an' he was still kinda on the other end.

I had to step in to save mom....I started jumpin' up on the fence under that possum...Lexie was yellin' encouragement an' ready to intervene if any one of us managed to knock him to the ground.  At this point...I think a lite bulb of sense came to that possum...an' he decided that fence may just be his salvation.   The next time mom was able to get him close to it, he grabbed the top of the fence an' took off down it towards Ginger's house (she was inside an' clueless to what was happenin').  All three of us were after him.....me an' Lexie jumpin' an hollarin' ...mom w/her stick (still no lite)...but he got away.  Last I could tell...he was about midway on the fence in Ginger's yard.  

This is when mom told us it was gone (duh)...an' we went to the house for a reward of a job well done.  We were successful in eliminating a poacher...an' we saved mom.  Hopefully, he's learned his lesson.  Probably not...but that's ok...we'll be here...an' ready.  Not sure about mom's "help", though....for some reason...they seem to escape more often when she "helps".  But Lexie an' I wouldn't have it any other way....it's always lots more excitin' when she does.

Winner winner Chicken Dinner.....NOT

Don't know what she was thinkin'. At least when I make a move on somethin'.....I eat it right then an' there. Not Lexie...oh, nooo. It's like she's askin' to get caught.

Mom fixed a roasted chicken for supper. It did smell delicious. Bein' older an' wiser...I know sometimes it pays to be patient. I, also, know that when mom tells us, "when we're finished you can have some.", well...you can take to the bank. She hasn't let us down, yet. After all, how could she put their plates in the dishwasher w/out our prewash cycle? So, I know to just settle down an' wait for mom an' dad to finish their dinner. Easy peasy.

Lexie decided to go rogue, instead. She came strollin' thru the livin' room, past dad...then in front of mom....almost thru her lil' door when mom jumped up, opened the big door an' (usin' "that" voice) tells Lexie to, "stop right there!!".

Lexie made it past her porch an' was chowin' down as fast as she could when mom grabbed half that chicken hangin' outa Lexie's mouth. Then stuck her whole hand inside Lexie's mouth an' dragged some more out. Lexie still was tryin' to hide some way back in the back, but mom's kinda ruthless an' knows that trick. (sidenote...can't tell you how many times it's felt like mom's had her whole arm down my mouth. She says we're like gators...all mouth.). Anyway, mom got it all.

Now all this only took like a minute...mom can move fast when she wants to. As she came back inside, holdin' two handfuls of grassy, dirty, partially chewed, mutilated roasted chicken, dad asked what was goin' on. Mom showed him the remains of half a roasted chicken that had been left on a plate. Dad was shocked...he said he made sure he pushed that plate all the way back on the counter. Mom looked at him an' reminded him of Lexie's penchant for never ever lettin' somethin' stop her in her quest for somethin'. Not to mention, she probably stood on her tippytoes, turned sideways, an' snagged the edge of the plate to get it close enough to get that chicken. The fact she grabbed the biggest piece, is just a testament to her abilities.

Lexie an' I both followed mom back to the kitchen hopin' she'd go ahead an' give us that chicken. It was obvious to us that mom an' dad weren't gonna eat it. But, no...mom threw it away. Dad noticed that there was almost a whole breast sittin' off the plate on the counter. Mom told him we could have it...but not now. We had to "wait". (This is where guilt by association comes in...I didn't do anythin'. In fact I was actin' support for mom....an' I did double check to make sure all the chicken got picked up in the grass. Not sure why I had to wait some more...I'd been waitin'. But, again, ...the good have to suffer 'cause of the bad.)

Mom an' dad finished dinner. Then dessert. Then they were watchin' a show. Lexie climbed up next to mom for some cuddles. She said to say she was sorry. I say she was suckin' up. Anyway, dad went to the kitchen for somethin'....an' mom told us to go in the kitchen to dad.....he was gonna give us some chicken.

SCORE...finally!! She didn't have to tell us twice. We were in there in nothin' flat. Dad turned around to find us sittin' nice an' proper like. He laughed an' gave us some chicken an' some of the brown n' wild rice w/chicken broth. As we cleaned our plates, I have to say all's well that ends well....an' it was worth waitin' for.