Katie: Grandma's Black, Silly (Albiet Gorgeous) Slug-Pup

I have to say, when this big, black, gorgeous, 8-month-old Dobie tries to climb up on something (forgetting she could elegantly jump up), she rather looks like a floundering slug. Or at least that's what I tell her.

So what did 'Slugger the Wonder Pup' do today ???

Hal, loving husband that he is, has recently (actually, over the past few years) been purchasing VERY heavy hay bales for all of the hay munching critters. He told me this was due in part, to curtail my help in moving the bales. I have to admit, the past few years I could barely budge the things, so I have happily "retired" from even trying.

Well this works out fine until ,something goes awry. Say for instance, hubby dear "decides" he needs a surgery. Well, Granny often likes to "steal a march" on the one eyed pirate (for those of you who don't know: Hal has a glass eye. Thus I call him my one eyed pirate, now and then).

So last week while Hal was comfy, lying on the couch, and enjoying a good book (his favorite past time) granny noticed our trailer was plumb stacked with a load of hay (winter is coming). So Granny says to herself that perhaps she could move a couple of bales a day and thus surprise the one eyed pirate, something she loves to do :-) . She also was curious to see if she could budge one, since her health has vastly improved this last year, and, why yes, she could.

So, deciding to parcel them out, she found she could manage to shove, roll, shift, tumble, and wheel barrow up to 10 a day. Not only was she able to do this, she also found bed time was very rewarding on the days she managed to do TEN. Or perhaps she has become demented from the excitement of such stuff and needs a new dictionary ??? (Rewarding ??? how many people reward themselves for moving hay ???)

HAY HO HAY HO IT'S ON TO WORK WE GO...

OK. Fast forward to the next week. Now the goal of ten bales is barely doable. A goal of 5 or 6 is... Well, still a lot of work!!! Especially since now that the trailer pile is diminishing (all down- hill) the mound in the hay shelter (all UP-HILL) has been growing. Today, as Granny managed to get another bale UP there, (only bale tree thus far) she took a break. It was rather pleasant sitting UP there looking down on our small kingdom. Well, my entourage (a fluffy, furry, feathery entourage) noticed all movement had ceased. Not to be out-done, our dog, Roo, decided that since I was so very still, that he could jump up a steal a kiss, (something he loves to do despite the fact I discourage him on a regular basis). Our Dobie, Katy (the copy cat), saw Roo up there and decided that the hay stack looked like fun. She must have thought she was climbing Mount Everest as she tried to come straight up the side ( ignoring the stair-step bales I'd rigged to help me maneuver the bails). She tried to "slug" herself up - not working.

Me, I'm nearly falling of the stack laughing, she looked so comical! Casper (the old man) saw the fun (fun-loving boxer that he is) and since he has the advantage of wisdom that age often bestows not only on us humans but on the critter creatures too, went to the stairs-steps and climbed right on up. Albeit, not as spryly as he once might have.

With some prompting, Katy saw the light. Enjoying the view of our little realm and the refreshment of a breather, I noticed that the entourage was still in process. There came two of Grannys fluffy kittens, dubbed Tigress and Bear by grandsons, Jay and Jonathan.

Granny is laughing again. What will be next the geese? Probably not. They were still in a high dudgeon from my nixing their foray onto the front lawn earlier this morning. Hmm.... They've become quite clever and SNEAKY about finding ways to come and flaunt their new found freedom. That or else they want to be sure granny doesn't sleep in to long, as they always give a honking alarm, bright and early :-)

COWABUNGA! DAT'S GOTTA HURT!

How did the rest of the day go ?? Well, Granny became one of the (barely) walking-wounded. Pup, Katie, in dodging some unseen playmate, or perhaps remembering her she was part of a wild goose chase (one of the Nene geese likes to give katie a run for her money whenever she gets a chance), Katy whipped her head around and hit me right above the knee. I thought it would be a bad bruise and limped along grumbling to her to be more careful as we finished the remainder of the chores. Later, in the cool haven of the house, the dogs all relished lying in front of the fan after lying down and watched Granny work (unless they decided it was time for a game of tag).

After setting out to do eve feedings, Granny finally gets a rest. By the way... Granny has put on another hat with her work at home... Entrepreneur. So now with wounded leg propped up, she finishes up a few things (OH MY GOODNESS! Granny is lying down on the job!) and uses the time with a couple of ice paks, to enjoy watching the grandsons playing, interspersed with getting a long overdue blog worked on...

WHAT'S NEXT ????

"Meow!" says a kitty. "Where is dinner....?"