DOGS BARKING IN THE MOONLIGHT

I know when my dog begins to bark, she is trying to tell me something.

Most of the time, it's that the FedEx truck is pulling into our yard.

Sometimes it is that a killer rabbit is lurking right outside our door.

And once in a while it's because somebody from Mexico is illegally crossing my back acreage.

Today, however, she as well as my neighbor's dogs seemed to go slightly berserk - they even got my horse whinnying with them.

I let my dog out to try to discover what she was all upset about, and she would RACE up and down the fence line, crying out in frustration,

I still don't know what she and everyone else was so upset about.

But I think I may put my pistol by my bed. Just for tonight,

ESCAPED HORSE

I often feel guilty about the time I spend with Najale, my horse.





Not that it's ever a great deal - a few minutes here and there throughout the day.





But by the fact that he is one of six horses.




Only five aren't mine, I am just taking care of them.







So when I do take Najale outside of his pen, I feel five accusatory sets of eyes following our every move. One in particular, his pen-mate, whinnies almost continually the entire time they are separated.


This afternoon, I took Najale out to graze, and one of the horses, Sammy, took particular offence.

And opened his fence, slipped under the wire, and followed us.

He took some convincing to return to his pen.