I got up a bit late and the dogs were whining and waltzing around telling me with everything in them that it was time to go out. So I slid my turquoise hoody (clearly stating REJOICE in glitter on the front) over my head and located slip on shoes which fit over my socks. Sprayed my knees and lower back with menthol pain relief and found my glasses. I hooked both girls up to the 'foolproof' system which was meant to make life easier for me. Two tie out lines which hooked to their collars and were anchored in the hard AZ soil with a screw in anchor next to the gate of their pen.. Last evening when I brought them in I had hooked the two leads onto a basket near the door and they knew the routine. So I fastened them up and opened the door to slide the screen door opener to make it easy to get back in and wham they shot out the door never touching the 4 steps. A helpless little bunny was under the evergreen outside the door. I yelled as they barked and they strained at the end of the leads toward the direction the now phantom bunny had headed and proceeded to wrap around the tree as I tried to use my authoritarian voice to direct them to the pen. After several untanglings requiring brute strength, as dogs do not unwind themselves easily, I got them into the pen still surging with adrenalin (both them and me!) Taffy switched gears and did her business but Bella was shaking with excitement eyeing the gate . She refused to do her business. She was looking for that bunny with her whole mind and senses. After unusual barking and me attempting to coax them to go back to the house as we opened the gate with them firmly fastened to the coated 25 foot cables. I was hanging on to keep them from winding up around the patio cover posts or the evergreen and wham a dog and owner passed into view on the street. Both dogs flew to the end of their leads barking madly and my hands were unable to do anything but get friction burn and release the cables. I was forced to bodily shove Bella around the evergreen where she was firmly wrapped after this adventure and Taffy was baying her need to chase something....anything I guess would do. I was outdone for sure but managed to get them into the mobile with my not quite brute force. Oh how I am looking forward to having the deck added on that side as it may stop some of the obvious challenges. I soaked my hands and applied Peace and Calming essential oil to bring my adrenalin down to a lower level.
I will not even bother to explain my emotional response to being put on hold by a business I needed to contact and being cut off and starting over six times. Yup it was one of those.....remembering GI Blues and Elvis singing 'Did you ever have one of those days'? I did make the bed and eat breakfast before attempting to put this down. I did eventually make eye contact with my girls and feed them a treat after a couple hours. I believe that if my morning adventure were on tape it would vie Chevy Chase putting up Christmas lights.
