Don't fence me in

It's been quite a day but it all ended up well.

I took the dogs out to feed them this morning as I always do. Everyone has their eating spot and I've been feeding Chico in the pasture, just on the other side of the gate. Typically he will eat, explore a little, and then come back through the pasture fence behind the puppy shed to rejoin me and the other dogs. Not today. 

I waited a while, walked out to the pasture and called him, even put Kaiya out there, thinking she would locate him and bring him back to the gate. No such luck. I started on my fencing project and before long got a phone call from a neighbor saying that she had my dog. I hopped in the car and headed over there but she no longer had the dog but said that he had headed down the next driveway. That's Jan and Paul's house and sure enough, Chico was there. Fortunately he's a friendly dog and will readily go up to complete strangers. Unfortunately, he can jump and climb out of anything. 

After getting him back home and into a crate in the house, I pulled out my phone again and found this rather nice picture of Chico that one of the neighbors had posted in the Fluvanna Lost and Found Animals group. He's a wonderful young dog, but he presents some challenges, to say the least.

My major goal for the day was to rebuild the dog yard fence. It had fallen into disrepair and I finally took it down sometime last fall. Since then the fence posts have stood there but without wire or board fencing on them. Last weekend I painted the posts and Friday I got new fencing and bracing materials. Kevin Proctor came over with skills and tools I lack and new wire fencing was applied to the posts. Suddenly we had a dog yard once again. That space had once been Max's primary domain and I left him out in it the rest of the afternoon.

Two of Holly's puppies went home we are down to five pups. Holly seemed rather concerned about them leaving and I was tired from all the day's activities, so I took Holly up to Patch for beers and a bite to eat. She loved on a lot of people but she didn't really settle down there. She wanted to visit her pups when we got back home of course, but after some more time out with them, I put them back in the shed and she as happy enough to come back in the house with me. 

Chico's picture from Facebook

New gate and bracing in place, awaiting the new wire fence.

Della hung out in the back of the van for a while but she really loved it when

the Proctors, their kids, and all the puppy visitors arrived.

Holly watching as the five remaining pups eat. 

Charlie and Peggy have gone home, Yukon goes tomorrow.

New fencing is probably my favorite home improvement.

Holly at Patch Brewing Co. this afternoon.

Here are my last two door opening videos with all seven puppies.

Chico's theme song: