Lately, one thing I’ve taken upon myself to do is scrub down the pigs’ water trough and the dogs’ water dishes, because if they’re not scrubbed down at least every second or third day, they develop a nasty thick film of algae and don’t the pups and the pigs deserve clean, fresh water?
I think they do.
Last Thursday I was out there with my tools – elbow-length pink rubber gloves, a green scrubby, and a scrubbing brush – scrubbing away. After they finish their afternoon snacks, George and Gracie like to watch me work, and then drink some of that fresh, clean water. George was standing there watching me, and I had finished scrubbing the pig trough and was refilling it, when Gracie came trotting over.
“Hey, Gracie Mae,” I said, and held out my hand to her. She started toward me, and then suddenly turned around and ran off as fast as she could.
“What the -?” I said. She stopped about ten feet away, glared at the ground near my feet, and started barking.
“Gracie, what are you doing? Come here!” I said. She barked a couple more times, and then backed off another ten feet and barked furiously some more.
I looked around on the ground, trying to figure out what had her freaked. George stood there next to me, all “What’s HER problem?”, and Gracie stood twenty feet away, barking continuously.
I finally realized that she was barking at the hose, which apparently looked like a snake to her. When I wound the hose back up on the hose reel, she gave a couple more nervous barks, and then came over to drink some water.
“You know, Lassie would have thrown herself between me and the perceived threat,” I told her. “She would have picked up that snake and bitten the life out of it TO PROTECT HER HUMAN. Then she would have thrown it down a well and NOT EXPECTED A WORD OF PRAISE, you useless brat.”
And Gracie was all “Yeah, whatebs.”
“HA HA YOU ALMOST GOT BIT BY A SNAKE AND I WAS OVER THERE KEEPING SAFE, DUM-DUM!”
Ciara has finally gone off to Petsmart. She was a bit peeved to be stuffed into that carrier, and she might have called me every name in the book on the way there, but once we were there, she was a little concerned and a bit hissy, but she adjusted pretty quickly. I did take the camera with me, but didn’t take any pictures of the Spice Girls, because the morning cleaner was still cleaning, and I didn’t want to get in her way. Clove, Cilantro, and Coriander were their usual laid-back selves, and I was able to pick up and snuggle (and repeatedly kiss) each of them before I left. When I left, Ciara was sitting there looking annoyed.
As of yesterday, none of them had been adopted. Adoptions have been slow lately, likely due to school starting again. Once Labor Day is past, I’m hoping that adoptions pick up.
Ciara and the Ears of Annoyance.
She is such a gorgeous girl, isn’t she?
Harlan keeps an eye on things.
Jake enjoys the sun, while Everett takes a quick sniff of his tail.
Molly, keeping an eye on me.
Everett and Harlan confer.
And….
attack! (Kong bird is appalled.)
Lucy’s all “What’s going on over here, Mister Bird?”
Kong bird’s all “Nothing you need to see, missy. It’s appalling.”
Everett’s all “I BITE YOU BUTT.”
“I SLAP YOU FACE!”
A brief break from the fighting while Harlan confronts Mister Bird.
“Why you not come save me, Mister Bird?”
“Mister Bird doesn’t get involved, sonny. Mister Bird is Switzerland.”
Everett decides to get into it with Lucy, while Molly LEAPS out of the fray.
You know how cats stretch as they walk? We call that their monkey walk. Kara always monkey walks over to Newt, then head butts him. Then she might smack him, depending on her mood.
Newt likes hanging out on the patio in the back yard.
Note that Kara’s thinking about monkey walking over to him. You can see by her ears that she thinks he needs a smack.
::thlurrrrrp::
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Previously
2010: No entry.
2009: “Thank you, internets, for my new eyelids!”
2008: Sometimes she growls at him.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: So Rambo had his belly shaved, too, and he and Jodie are awfully funny looking, laying around with their little shaved bellies.
omg that Gracie story is too funny!
Gracie was saving you….but she is sure you can think for yourself. She SAID to get out of there!!!! 🙂
Awww sweet Gracie!! LOL!!! Well she sort of warned you in a very erm.. non-Lassie kind of way! LOL! She’s lovely!
Awww Ciara’s gone!! I do hope she and the Spice Girls get adopted asap! They’re really beautiful kitties and they so deserve good homes!
Yay for Kara’s monkey walk and smacky attitude! LOL! Poor Newt! Take care
x
Your dogs’ expressions crack me up.
yeah, Gracie’s laughing her head off that cheeky girl! and Ciara was looking annoyed? Little Miss ‘I cut you’? as if! why that’s like saying Corbie is beautiful…the Peppers sure are cuties and who knew King Birds are switzerland? and all boys need a smack from their sisters, surely? 🙂
The second to last pic of Newt makes me start humming some Barry White.
That’s hilarious about Kara monkey-walking to Newt — my girls monkey-walk, too (although I’ve always thought of it as “stretch-walking”) but I’ve never noticed any particular reasons why they do it!