Dog Days of April

by Maggie Mae Mushko

(6-year-old border collie)

Yesterday, Mommy took me for a ride in the truck to Union Hall. Our first stop was at The Brown Place, which used to be called Shady Rest when the Browns owned it in the old days. It is our biggest farm with lots of interesting places for me to investigate. The first thing I did when I got there was get my little orange football out of the truck.

My little orange football is my most favorite toy. I forced Mommy and Daddy to throw it for me until Daddy put it in the truck where I couldn't reach it so I wouldn't lose it while I was running. I have only lost it once in several years—OK, maybe a few times—so I don't think it's fair that they take it away from me. 

I thought Mommy was going to walk with me, but she decided to ride the Polaris, which is an ATV or 4-wheeler. 

Usually Mommy is way slower than I am on a walk, but this time she was way faster. I had to run to keep up. It is my job to not let Mommy out of my sight—well, at least for not very long—when we are at the farm. Finally, I figured out if I got in front, she would have to go slower. That is what I did. Border collies are very good at figuring things out.

I was glad when we came to the creek crossing because it is my favorite place to soak.

When I finished soaking, Daddy came along on the tractor. He had been clearing trails around the fields.

I decided I'd better get in a little more soaking time while I had the chance.

After Mommy got off the Polaris, we walked along a trail by the creek. I stopped and stuck my head in a lot of holes along the creek bank and sniffed. I'm a very good sniffer.

After we left The Brown Place, we went to Smith Farm. I'm glad that Mommy did not take the Polaris. We were able to walk the regular way and I could stop and sniff things. Did I mention I'm a very good sniffer?

I like this part of Smith Farm because there are holes along the high bank. I had to sniff each one.

The trees along the creek bottom were so green!

Naturally, I had to sniff.

Then I had to soak in Standiford Creek. (Once I followed Standiford Creek all the way to the lake and was gone for a day and night. But I am older and wiser now, so I wouldn't do that again unless I had a very good reason.)

Mommy saw a big grapevine in the poplar trees along the creek, but I was not impressed with it. It was too high for me to sniff.

This is the little hayfield beside the creek bottom. I sniffed around in the tall grass but didn't find much interesting. When I started to run a trail, Mommy called me back.  Because it is my job to look after Mommy, I reluctantly returned.

Mommy found a narcissus in the woods on the way to the spring, but I was already halfway up the hill to where the old cabin is and where Mommy's truck was parked. Mommy said that in the old days her grandmother used to walk up and down this hill a couple times a day to get water from the spring.

Anyhow, I had a very nice time running around on both farms. And soaking in the creeks. And fetching my little orange football. And sniffing. All the things that make for great dog days.

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