Some people really suck. Others, well the amount of suckage they produce is so intense that it borders on pure vacuum. I am even having a hard time calling such creatures “people”.

The cause of my current dissatisfaction with several members of the human race? As usual with me that would require a story. And pictures. So go grab something to drink and maybe a snack before you have a seat. I’ll wait…… Well, go on then….

Your back? OK. Well here goes this one..

Steve and I were driving home yesterday from a major shopping trip. The Jeep was packed with newly purchased things and we hadn’t even eaten yet. Our lunch was somewhere is the the mound of merchandise that filled the back half of the Jeep. We were on the home stretch, the house was almost within sight, lunch was mere minutes away from being consumed, then, we saw it.

For some reason Steve had decided to take one of the back roads home. We were driving down the last dirt road before turning back on to the pavement. Three more turns and we would be in our driveway. This decision to take an alternate route however, would prove to be a life changing one. Our lives and the life of another.

It was laying in the middle of the road. A large dark lump sprawled out and taking up quite a large section of the road way. Our first thought, and the most likely considering the frequency with which all manner of things were killed and dumped on this particular stretch of road, was that someone had hit a large animal and left it for dead.

The closer we got the larger the object became. Perhaps someone had dropped a pile of garbage in the road? Not unheard of. Finally we were close enough to make out that it was organic in nature. Slowing, we got even closer and discovered that it was indeed, as we thought, some sort of animal. There was a large animal laying dead in the middle of the road. How anyone had been able to drive past it without running over it was an interesting thought. As we got even closer and began to decide for ourselves how to navigate past the blockage, it moved then it got up. And it got up. And it got up.

Now, standing in the road before us was one of the biggest dogs I have ever seen in person. A Great Dane to be precise. It was a walking skeleton but at least it walked. His ribs were all that gave form to his chest, hip bones and neck bones were definable and he wobbled a bit when he moved.

We talked to him from the Jeep. He was interested but wary. Seeing that he was not aggressive, and I was armed as usual, I got out and approached. He moved away but didn’t move far. Steve got out and he became more wary and even managed a weak, but still deep, bark at him.

So we stood there, looking him over and deciding what to do next. He didn’t appear to have any wounds. He was neutered and, other than being very skinny, seemed in decent shape.

We knew he would take a while to approach within petting, and leashing distance. So Steve left me behind to keep an eye on him while he went home and emptied the Jeep. Once that was done he grabbed a can of dog food, and loaded up the hog trap. Those of you who followed along with “The Doberman” will be familiar with this procedure.

I stayed and watched the dog while waiting for Steve to return with the tools for our next adventure in dog rescue. There was a box of dry food set off to the side of the road for him. So someone had dumped this dog. Some piece of filth who dares to call itself human did this to this poor creature. There was a path beaten in the brush from the food to the dirty ditch where something that could have possibly once been called water ran in a thin trickle. The evidence said he had been there for several days.

Steve finally arrived with the trap and the food as well as a bucket of clean water. While we were setting things up the Dane approached the running Jeep and sniffed it. The door and back hatch were open and he inspected the interior with interest. For a fleeting second we thought he was going to load right up and the trap wouldn’t be needed after all. Alas, he walked away and just stood there watching us getting ready. He became excited when Steve poured water into the bucket and came up for a drink. He was even more excited when I popped open the can and the scent of dog food wafted his way. He certainly knew what that was!

We didn’t even take the trap off the trailer. I just made a trail of dog food into the far corner and set the trap. We stood back and waited. It took about 15 seconds for him to circle the trap and realize that the food was now inside. He stepped in and ate his way down the trail of food towards the corner. When he stepped on the trigger and the door didn’t close on it’s own I stepped up and began to close it manually. The Dane turned around and I was afraid he was going to squirt through the door and never get near the trap again. Instead he stood there watching the partially full can of food I still had in my hand. I gave him some more and gently lowered the door. It was done.

We brought him home and housed him in the outside kennel. The other dogs were interested in him. For his part he sniffed the others through the fence and then pretty much ignored them. At least he isn’t dog aggressive. He can see the pigs and horses from the kennel and doesn’t seem to be overly interested in them either. A couple of the cats walked near the kennel and he watched them but that was all. So far so good on the getting along with other animals front. It is probably the second most important attribute needed to reside here. The first being that he not try to rip out our throats. I can’t stress that one enough.

So now we have a Great Dane. If he works out, and at the moment that is a big IF, we will likely keep him. Provided that he hasn’t been reported stolen or lost. Right now it is hard to tell his temperament other than that he is wary but not aggressive. He did growl at both of us but didn’t show his teeth. It seemed to be more of a defensive sound than anything but we are not taking chances. Neither of us go in with him alone and one of us is armed. Until we get to know who he really is we are cautious. He is just too big to do otherwise.

May 9, 2014

We had been keeping Lil Bit outside but decided to bring him in when the weather turned bad.

This photo is about 80 lbs of dry dog food and 15 extra large cans of wet food later. He gets several “small” meals each day along with some treats.

We took Lil Bit to the vet. He was aged at about 6 years old and he wasn’t micro chipped.

May 10, 2014

Lil Bit has wormed his big goofy self right into our hearts. There is no longer a question of keeping him.

May 17, 2014

Lil-bit can’t figure out way we keep hitting balls into pockets.

May 18, 2014

Lil Bit is a happy and lovable guy.

A great Dane is not something we would have gone out to get on our own. Giant breeds just don’t appeal to us. They are too big, eat too much and take up too much room. Now look at us! Lil Bit has shown us the error of our ways.

Feb 4, 2015

Dec 13, 2015

Kinda hard to watch the game now that Lil-bit thinks he is a lap dog.

July 6, 2019

Lil Bit left us today. There is a huge Lil Bit shaped hole in our hearts.

I know you are aware of this portals’ existence and how to use it because of the numerous “toys” and “gifts” which you proudly bring in from the outer jungle and deposit on the kitchen floor, living room carpet and in the middle of the communal feline sleeping place I amusingly refer to as “my” bed. While I am always appreciative and thankful for these glorious “treasures” which you graciously bestow upon me. I cannot help but wonder if you only use the smaller entryway when necessary to circumvent my personal editing of such “gifts” when you try and bring them through the “people door”?

Given that you have demonstrated the ability to use this secondary access it would be much appreciated if you use this entryway exclusively for future interior/exterior admittance. It would be beneficial to the human inhabitants if, instead of singing loudly at the base of the “people door” for a personal servant to open the larger doorway, that you walk a mere three feet laterally and utilize the smaller personal access point provided to you. This would significantly cut down on interior air outflow and allow for better inside temperature management.

Thank you for your understanding.

Perhaps I was unclear?

Later is one of the newest members of our little family.

To understand why this lovely little chick is named Later I need to start at the beginning. And, as usual with me, it involves a story. You have been warned.

Later’s tale starts well before his/her shell was ever laid. You see, our small flock has been getting ever smaller as time catches up with our ladies. Each year we lose a couple more to old age.

I decided this year to let a few hens go broody and hatch out some eggs to replenish our numbers. Thankfully our rooster Carl was more than happy to do his part.

I let two hens and one duck sit and they hatched out 14 healthy chicks between them. Unfortunately the Mississippi Kites that nested across the street decided that we didn’t need so many chicks. Only three chicks escaped their attentions. Once I saw what was happening I moved all the chicks to the covered pen where hungry raptors can not reach.

Three chicks were not enough so I decided to let two more hens sit on eggs. It took a while because they kept switching nests and abandoning eggs. All the while the non-broody hens kept slipping fresh eggs under the sitting hens. Every couple of nights I would candle the eggs and remove the fresh eggs and any non-developing eggs. But both hens soon settled and began incubating.

The problem came when the first four chicks hatched. Both hens wanted to be their mommy and abandoned the rest of the eggs to care for the new chicks. To stop this I picked a hen and put her and the new chicks in the covered, hawk resistant, pen. I then candled all the eggs and put all the well developed eggs in one nest away from the other hens. The remaining hen returned to brooding and that was that. Except it wasn’t.

After four days that hen hatched out three chicks and left the nest to care for them. Out of all the eggs only three didn’t hatch. Not too bad considering all the shuffling around. This last hen and her chicks were also moved into the covered pen. No more hens wanted to sit and I was happy.

All was well. Until six days later. I heard a chick peeping from the chicken coop. Strange. Maybe one of the chicks had somehow gotten out of the covered pen? Imagine my surprise when I investigated and found a newly hatched chick in that last hens nest. One of those three remaining eggs just hatched! I had completely forgotten to go back and remove the eggs the hen had abandoned. Nothing had been sitting on them for almost a week. Yet here this little guy or gal was peeping away.

I first tried to get one of the hens with chicks to take the new baby in but they didn’t want anything to do with it. Now I have a chick which has imprinted on me. A chick that odds said shouldn’t have even hatched. A chick which defied all reason and told the world that it would not give up. Sure it was late, but by golly it was here now!

Doubtless the insanely hot days (and nights) we have been having allowed that one chick to continue on in the shell. Still, you have to admire the sheer tenaciousness of this little one. This one last, late chick. And so Later has earned a name.

Later spends his/her days helping around the farm. Later chases bugs, weeds the garden, and “helps” pick vegetables. He/she is seldom far from from my foot or hand. I foresee interesting times ahead.