New toys, less boys

Hercules and Augie

Riley

Toquima

 I finally broke down and bought some new toys for Hercules--a Jolly Ball (dog size), and toy tire.  I wasn't sure if the Jolly Ball would hold up and I wasn't sure if he'd like the tire.  I introduced the toys Saturday morning, a bright sunny day, and it seems that they were a hit. 










Riley and Toquima

Herc and the ball

Toquima and the ball

Herc loved the ball.  It's the right size for him to carry in his mouth and it squishes when he bites on it, which he really likes.   It's soft rubber but it's thick, so I hope it will stand up to some rough play.  It's certainly easier for me to kick than the deflated remnants of the basketball and soccer ball.  He would run after the rubber tire when I rolled it, but he clearly preferred the ball. 

Riley sometimes stole the ball, however, and then Herc would go after the tire or one of his old balls.

Trooper and Toquima

Today was also the day that Toquima went back home.  He had been here for just over two weeks and felt like a member of the household.  Our dogs all got along with him and so did the fosters.  He likes everyone it seems, human and canine.  He and Trooper were best buds.  I'm afraid that Trooper taught him to bark at birds, I wish he had taught Trooper to trust people instead. 

Happy pack

Toquima is the last of the boarders, three temporary dogs that we've had around here at varying times since the second week of December.  I had been using them and the holidays as an excuse to bury my head in the sand and pull back from rescue work for a while.  I've hardly even glanced at my email in the past two or three weeks and I know I owe a lot of people a lot of responses.  I used to check email constantly and now I avoid it like the plague. 




Maybe it's because of winter and I'm hibernating but I've been wishing that the fence around our property was a solid wall about 25' high.  I want to be closed inside, safe and warm, and be unreachable.  I still want my internet connection, iPhone, and satellite TV, I'm no Luddite, but I'd like to hide from much of the outside world for a while.

Toquima went home today; Sunday is Epiphany; the days are slowly getting longer now, and I'm out of excuses.  There's only so long you can hide and I've probably already exceeded it.  Sunday morning I'll make a strong pot of coffee and begin to read and answer some email.  However, like a bear who first pokes his nose out of the den to sniff the air, I reserve the right to growl, turn around, and go back inside.