Saturday, July 23, 2011

Indy's Independence Day

July 1 is Canada's Independence Day. July 4 is America's Independence Day. July 21 was Indy's Independence Day.

Yep - you read that correctly. Indy the escape artist and accidental steer herder has finally learned how to behave himself off-leash on the ranch. Mostly.

For the last three days, he has accompanied me (free of a leash) everywhere on the ranch where he is welcome. To the berry garden, to the kitchen (where we waits in the grass), to the laundry room, to dead-head flowers, to get the mail... You get the idea. He's been a very, VERY good boy. Except for the cat chasing incident, in which I had to crawl into the brush, haul him out and carry him back to the cabin. But all told, he's spent about 3 or 4 hours of each day out and about with me.

He likes it so much that yesterday he decided he'd been alone in the garden for too long, jumped into the compost bin and from there jumped out to freedom. God knows how long he was out. Maybe an hour. Jason and I panicked, thinking he'd be long gone.

Nope! He was in the tack shed chasing ground squirrels. Easy to find, and doing J.W. a service at the same time. More importantly, he was not lost in the wilderness or causing a steer stampede.

Good boy, Indy! Your independence has been a long time coming, and well earned.

I suppose it doesn't hurt that I always have dog treats in my pockets these days, too, and I make sure he sees me put them in there. :)

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