Folks, it's hot outside, which means steps need to be taken to keep from getting too hot. Linda and I have been working on our lawn and flower beds, but we try to work around the heat. After lunch, when it gets really hot outside, we try to find things to do inside.
Mornings are productive for outside work, as well as late afternoons. Midday activities center on necessary shopping trips to town or things we can do in the house. For my part, I enjoy taking a short nap after lunch. It is one of my favorite pastimes -- that and reading.
Sometimes we go to Flint Creek and cool off with the grandchildren. The water is cold enough to chill you down even on the hottest of days. Once your core body temperature gets low enough, it seems you can take quite a bit of heat. With the creek running right behind our house, we often hear the grandchildren playing in the water. Our dog, Red, loves to run down the hill to join them in the water. Otherwise, he finds some shade to lie in when the sun is beating down outside.
But anytime I go to the shop, Red leads the way up the drive, taking a short detour to bark at the sheep and goats. I reckon that is his way of letting me know he is doing his job. One problem that has been solved since we got Red is that the livestock no longer try to get out of their enclosure. In fact, they are all afraid of Red, so it seems they have come to rely on the fence to protect them instead of seeing it as a barrier to their happiness.
Red is an Australian cattle dog or red heeler, so it is just in his nature to herd animals. He also loves to chase squirrels, cats, rabbits, possums, coons and hedgehogs. I think Red has killed at least two or three hedgehogs since we got him back in the spring. He also left several dead baby possums lying on the driveway. I imagine he killed their mother.
Red is a stray that Linda found at one of her quilting retreats. She brought his tick-infested hide back to our place in her spotless Mercedes-Benz. I was shocked at the time, but then she does have a heart for animals. I, on the other hand, am not what you would call much of an animal lover. A big part of me questions the whole notion of people keeping animals for pleasure.
But, surprisingly, in spite of all the love Linda showers on him, Red considers himself to be my dog. When my truck backs out of the garage, Red springs to life and flies up the drive scattering sheep and goats in his wake. If I go to my shop, Red is there to run in where it is cool. Some days he chooses to stay outside under my truck until I leave for home. Then he is out and running, which he does with an abandon that, frankly, makes me jealous. I have never seen anyone who loves running more than Red. And he always seems to have a big smile on his face.
Red is a friendly dog, but he does have a few bad traits. For instance, he tends to jump up on people, especially if they pet him or show any friendliness at all. He also tends to make his bed in Linda's flowers, and he definitely chases the livestock too much. On the other hand, he learns fast. Once he sees what you are trying to teach him, Red is eager to please.
For example, our grandchildren have a pet rabbit that lives in a cage on the ground. When we first got Red, he treated that rabbit like it was his own personal toy. He would run around and around the cage barking like crazy while the rabbit went frantic with fear. But once I made it clear that the rabbit was off limits, Red no longer paid any attention to him. He can trot right past the rabbit's cage without even looking in the rabbit's direction. It's almost as though the rabbit isn't there.
And it seems that Red has heard the flower beds are off limits so many times that he has finally come to believe it. He now sleeps just in front of the beds on the cool grass or up on the porch. I usually turn on the porch light to check on him on my way to bed. He just looks up at me as much as to say, "Hey, Bud, I'm not in the flowers so you can relax now and turn in for the night."
I think what I'm trying to say is that Red is a really cool dog. He's cool even on a hot day. As far as the dog days of summer go, they are like so many other unpleasant things in life -- they too shall pass!
Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and weekly contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 07/26/2017