Saturday, November 19, 2011

Been Gone


I've been "off-duty" for a while. Hard to believe it has been that long.

Our little house on the prairie is sailing into the teeth of winter now, which comes on apace. It continues to be a strange fall— one day being a balmy 60° with lovely sun and little wind and the next morning it will be 10° at sun-up. It certainly keeps things interesting.

Jack is back. Same ol' lovable Jack but a sharper dude in the field, and stylish too. He's been used to daily exertion and bugs me no end when he doesn't get his ration of run-and-search. I was a bit concerned about him when I got him home as he was very thin. "Skin and bones" would not have been un-apt. But when I weighed him I found that he had lost just a single pound. I would have sworn at least ten. Everything had been turned to hard muscle and it all showed when he moved.

I'm a firm believer in lean dogs, but he was a bit too lean for my taste so I have been building him up a bit with special fatty beef stews over his kibble and that sort of thing. He's already looking better to my eyes. I never want him to be fat, but I do want him to have a bit of reserve.

The regular firearm deer season here ends tomorrow. I have had at least twenty opportunities to take one and have yet to do so. I'm just not as keen on it as I once was, and I guess I am waiting for a sign that "this is the one"— which hasn't come yet.

I can't believe the holiday season is once more upon us. And soon it will be over and we can say Another one down!

4 comments:

Bob@thenest said...

I'd say Jack is looking lean and mean, but I don't believe on his best acting day he could look MEAN!!

Welcome back to both of you.

Rio Arriba said...

Hi, Bob, and thanks.

No, you are right: there is nothing at all mean about Jack. He's the same old sweet chuckle-head he was when he went off to skool. Can't tell you how good it is to have him back.

Anonymous said...

Glad you're back!

"Lean and mean" is okay, but I don't like the looks of Jack's hip bones sticking out like that. I'm with you, a little reserve is a good thing. Especially with your cold winters!

Hugs to the Prairie Wonder Dawgz from Central Califreakia.

Rio Arriba said...

Yes, lean is one thing, but he was a step down from that. He's responding to my "recovery diet" very well and filling out nicely, just as I want him to.

The PWDs say "Thanks!" for the hugs! Hugs are something they never want rationed!