Willow Oak

[Willow Oak]

You gotta check this out. It is a video clip of Smokey I received from Emeraldgreen.

[Willow Oak]

The fence that encloses my front yard is definitely the best investment I have made so far for my animals. For sure, I have a very beautiful 16 acres, plenty of room for the dogs to run and play, but I have had to learn the hard way that even in as rural an area as I live, it is not wise to let one’s dogs run loose. Accidents can and do happen, and I as I have said I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way. Now with the fence I get to enjoy the pleasure of watching my dogs run and play and chase each other, without the worry of their getting lost or getting in the road. I love to watch Oscar run and run, with his tongue lolling about and that big grin on his face, and to watch Fred chasing Sam, then Sam chasing Fred The smaller dogs run and play and chase each other. Cathy runs after the bigger dogs, and they tolerate her. Taz barks at outsiders right along side the bigger dogs. Thumper is always out there with the dogs, as is Tiger and Pete. There is no greater pleasure for me or thrill for them.

For an animal lover there is no greater agony than to look outside, expecting a beloved pet to be near, only to discover it missing. The agony of not knowing, of worrying and aching over the loss of a beloved pet – dare I try to empathize with a parent who has lost his child under nefarious circumstance? The agony is not lessened when a pet is not necessarily missing – just not in the immediate line of site. This was my daily experience with Sam and Oscar before I built the fence. I had already confined the dogs to the back yard, which has been fenced in since I bought Willow Oak. The area immediately behind my house is fenced in, but not nearly as spacious as the front yard, and after a while a dog simply must stretch his legs. The other dogs were confined by the four-feet high chain link fence, but to Sam and Oscar it was just an adventure in fun, because they soon discovered that four feet to them was like one-foot to you and me – they simply jumped the fence!

No matter what adjustments I made to the fence, Sam and Oscar would simply find a week spot and jump over. So for all the time that Sam and Oscar (since he has grown up) have been with me, the fence in the back yard has been no obstacle for them. And every time they traversed the fence I had that agonizing wait until they returned to the gate to be let back in.

I made the decision to fence in the front yard, because I wanted the dogs to have more room to run and play. And, the cats needed an area away from the dogs. In the back yard the dogs and cats could mingle, and the dogs might not have had a problem with that arrangement, some of the cats prefer to not have the dogs around. With the fence, the dogs would be in the front, and the cats that didn’t like the dogs would have their own area to mingle among themselves.

So I hired Larry and built the fence in the front yard. Building the fence would solve one problem – lack of space – but I knew that I would in all likelihood still have to deal with the issue of Sam and Oscar jumping the fence. The fence in the front yard was to be the same height as that in the back: four feet. So the fence was built, and the first time the dogs were turned loose, only a few hours were required before Sam and Oscar decided to give the fence a try, and sure enough – over they went. Gone! I knew it would happen, and now after all that expense I once again had that agonizing wait until my dogs returned.

But, I had studied the matter and had anticipated the possibility of Sam and Oscar going over the top, so I invested an additional sum of money and bought the materials I needed to electrify the fence. I bought a solar-powered unit, and strung a strand of 17-gauge wire about four inches above the top of the fence – all the way around. A few days were required to complete the job, and only when it was finished would I be able test it on the dogs. To be sure I had already tested the thing on myself. Once or twice I had accidently touched the wire while touching the fence, and trust me on this one – it isn’t pleasant.

So, I finished stringing the electric wire, and waited. I wouldn’t have to wait long. Shortly thereafter, I was inside when I heard a very loud yelp followed closely behind by another very loud yelp. I went outside to see what had happened. I looked all over the yard, and sure enough Sam and Oscar were gone! Now for the agonizing wait, and if they returned safely this time, hopefully Sam and Oscar would have learned their lesson, and that would be the last time they would jump the fence.

I wouldn’t have long to wait. Within moments after hearing the two yelps my other dogs were at to the gate where Sam and Oscar would have to reenter, and they were making a loud racket. I went over to where they were, and could see that Sam and Oscar had already returned. They were there, but there was something different about them. Each dog was hanging his head in the most abject manner, and when I opened the gate each dog very slowly and carefully made his way into the yard, tail tucked between legs. Each dog crept into the house to find a quiet place of solitude in which to hide and recuperate.

Believe me, it was a day or two before either dog would venture outside again. At first only Oscar would look out, and at that all he could manage was to stare in the direction of the fence then quickly duck back in and crawl back to his place of hiding. This went on for a few days, but eventually each dog would circumspectly return to the yard, but only to sniff the grass and check out the scenery. Time would pass, and both Sam and Oscar would return to their running and chasing and playing about. Everything for those two would return to normal: chasing Fred and being chased by Fred. Every day I would let them out with the others and Oscar would run about, tongue lolling – a big grin on his face. Everything would again be all right with the world, and everything would return to normal for the dogs. Everything, that is, except that since the day I heard the two yelps, neither Sam nor Oscar has gone near the fence.

[Willow Oak]

I have only had Taz for about a month, and he is still such a baby. I took this video of him, which I thought you might enjoy.

[Randi]

Taz, you naughty boy! What was that you got hold of to tear apart? I suggest your dad give you a treat - then I bet you'll come out and show your pretty face!

Dan, you sound just like a guy I know from Indiana - forgive me if that's bad! LOL!

[slick]

Oh my gosh.....what a brilliant accent you have WO!!!! To me it screams out "Southern States". I love listening to other people's accents....and don't let anyone ever tell you that I have a Canuck accent.

I have decided that I simply cannot and will not open your thread on weekday mornings. I get all wrapped up in the content and find myself reading stories over again and getting that Leaky Eye Syndrome once more. In addition it really does make me late for work. Because your thread is like a magnet...drawing me closer and closer, I just don't even bother turning on my PC in the morning or if I do, I will not open Pet Talk....and that, Dear Dan, is a compliment.

Now Taz, get out from under the couch and take it like a man....the treats that is! Thanks for sharing that video and the other stories. My kleenex is always handy.

Slick

[Willow Oak]

Oh my gosh.....what a brilliant accent you have WO!!!! To me it screams out "Southern States". I love listening to other people's accents....and don't let anyone ever tell you that I have a Canuck accent.

I have decided that I simply cannot and will not open your thread on weekday mornings. I get all wrapped up in the content and find myself reading stories over again and getting that Leaky Eye Syndrome once more. In addition it really does make me late for work. Because your thread is like a magnet...drawing me closer and closer, I just don't even bother turning on my PC in the morning or if I do, I will not open Pet Talk....and that, Dear Dan, is a compliment.

Now Taz, get out from under the couch and take it like a man....the treats that is! Thanks for sharing that video and the other stories. My kleenex is always handy.

Slick

I think I am out of stories. I believe I have posted all of the interesting ones anyway. I could make some up, but that would by unethical. I could write fiction, I guess, but this thread is reserved for non-fiction only.

I have a Sony digital camera, and I've known all along that I have a movie feature -- I only just thought about shooting some video. That story and video about Smokey the Coyote, lent to me by Emeraldgreen, gave me the idea about shooting some video of my own animals. So I may make a few short clips and post them here.

As for a Canadian accent, I doubt if Icould understand what you (slick) are saying anyway.

[Willow Oak]

Taz, you naughty boy! What was that you got hold of to tear apart? I suggest your dad give you a treat - then I bet you'll come out and show your pretty face!

Dan, you sound just like a guy I know from Indiana - forgive me if that's bad! LOL!

That guy from Indiana that I remind you of might be me. I lived in Indiana for eight years!

[Willow Oak]

Randi has been working up a new siggy for me, starting with the kitties. She sent me the one currently showing. I do believe I count 14 kitties! But I thought I only had 13! Oh! I see Tumper is in there twice. Well, he deserves top billing!

I am currently listening to Candace Carnie's Madd River CD. Very soothing, very pleasant it is.

[gini]

Out of stories? I think not! You could write about the weather in your part of the world and I think all of us would agree that it was the most interesting weather report we had ever had the good opportunity and fortune to read