Scooter's in trouble...again
June 25, 2011
In the early morning and at dusk we have rabbits come visit us. Scooter *loves* chasing rabbits, and he's fast, really fast.
To get away from Scooter, the rabbits squeeze through the pig wire fence that runs down one side of our fenced 3 acres, and successfully escape onto the the adjoining 36 unfenced wild acres.
Before you know it, Scooter is on the other side of the fence happily chasing rabbits and picking up every sticker imaginable, I mean an infestation of stickers and weeds. I've walked the fence several times looking for the spot he's getting through, and try as I may, I can't find it.
My biggest worry though, is that a wild animal or a rattlesnake will get him. He's not a very big guy, he weighs only 12 pounds and doesn't even come up to my knees.
Did I mention he's my precious baby.
Last Saturday morning, not seeing any rabbits, I let Scooter out to do his business, before I even had my first cup of coffee, he was off chasing rabbits and ended up on the other side of the fence.
Sleepily I go out to get him and I have to climb halfway over the wire fence (in my mismatched p.j's and my favorite and only pair of Crocs, that by the way, are taking on all matter of sand, dirt and pebbles,) to pick up his sticker ridden self.
So he was on restriction. His only view of the world that morning was from a stool by the front door.
Then I got the brilliant idea! the next rabbit I see come on the property, I'd let him out to chase it then I'd find where he's getting out.
Yeah right
Still in my mismatched p.j.'s <that's another story> and with barely a half a cup of coffee in me, I see a rabbit...now's my chance.
I let Scooter out, and off he goes. Now remember earlier I said how fast, really fast he is? well, he's faster than that, I was left in the dust.
I missed the rabbit opportunity only to have him come back to me with a mouse head in his mouth, not his first I might add. So now I'm chasing him around in circles in my mismatched p.j.'s, and taking on more and more dirt and pebbles in my Croc's screaming "LEAVE IT".
I learned the "LEAVE IT" command in a puppy training class years ago. I've worked on the "LEAVE IT' command with him but apparently it doesn't apply to mice heads.
Back on restriction.
So while I was out running around in circles chasing Scooter and screaming "LEAVE IT" like a wild woman, in the back of my mind I was thanking God that I live out it the country with only one close neighbor.
So...I'm running around in circles screaming, when out of the corner of my eye I see these beautiful cobwebs on the fence, covered in dew and glistening in the early morning sun.
Immediately I thought to go get my camera, but that would mean leaving Scooter to happily munch on the disgusting decapitated portion of a mouse that has who knows what diseases and icky stuff.
Even more earnestly I'm trying to get Scooter to "LEAVE IT." In desperation I picked up a pebble and throw it in his direction NO! I did not throw it at him, only toward him. All this time mind you I'm still screaming like a wild woman.
(note to self: yelling "TREAT, SCOOTER WANT A TREAT" works better than "LEAVE IT")
Here are the beautiful spider webs I was finally able to photograph.
This morning, one week later, still trying to find out how Scooter gets out, I saw him squeeeeeze through the pig wire. I had a suspicion that was it, so yep, the little rascal can squeeze through the fence.
Looks like I'm going to have a lot of chicken wire to string this week. Thankfully it's only on one side of the property.
Hope chicken wire is cheap grumblemumblegrumble.
And that's that.