Of Mice and Birds

The temperatures in our desert have dropped considerably this past week. We had 90+ temperatures in Early November, and were still getting tomatoes off our vines. But we've dipped into the high 20's at night, and I've actually (finally!) packed up all our summer clothes and flip flops, and have brought out the down comforters so we can all be nice and cozy inside for the winter.

Outside, our beloved dog Raisin has a cozy new bed inside her dog house.

Everyone in our household is snug, warm and ready for winter.

Things would be great...except for one thing.

Birds.

Thieving little birds that think they are entitled to Raisin's food, when it rightfully belongs to her as she is the one who has earned it patrolling the perimeter.

It has gotten to be costly (we currently buying twice the dog food we used to).

It has also gotten to be troublesome to Raisin.

Especially since they have taken to brazenly looting her bowl in broad daylight.

She's taken to lying on her sunny spot bed and keeping watch all day long.

Here she is on full alert status.

She even drug one of the boys toy rifles over to the bowl as a show of force.



It did nothing to deter the birds.

Apparently they are 'onto' the whole meaning of the 'orange tip on toy guns' thing.

They don't seem to worry too much about the dog, either.



"Do you see what I'm dealing with here?", Raisin asks, appalled that things in her little corner of the world have come to this.



But she has not taken this sitting down.

She's finally begun chasing them away with a deep-throated growl.

In fact, she's caught two birds already. And the one mouse.

Yes, our beloved dog has crossed the line from from good citizen dog to serial bird and mouse killer.

When she ran up to Jericho all proud of her conquest with the first bird, he said in disgust, "Get away from me, bird breath!" (In much the same manner as, "Get thee behind me, Satan!")

When we saw that first bird fluttering in Raisin's jowls, I was worried little Judah would be traumatized and warned him to stay back where he couldn't see it.

I wasn't quick enough, however, as he moved to the front of the crowd at our glass sliding door and yelled excitedly, yea even proudly, "She's a hunteen dog now!"