A monster is in the yard!
This story took place back in Jan of 2015, but for some reason it didn't post. So, some 4 1/2 years later the story comes to light.
Characters: Gandalf male (LGD) of the Maremma persuasion weighing about 100 lbs
Gurl is a female Brittany weighing about 40 lbs
Sally the Nanny Goat
And Me... the gullible one
One would swear, by Gandalf's aggressive barking this morning, that a griz or some other evil being had wandering into the barnyard. At roughly 0300 hours on a very cold and dark morning, Gandalf has alerted on a stranger in the yard waking me and Gurl from our winter sleep. Gurl is now joining in with her own barking and is eager to get outside. Gurl was sleeping at the foot of my bed when Gandalf sounded the alarm. Quick as she can be, she is now ready to bust down the backdoor to get out.
So, here I am getting my old arse out of warm bed on a cold winter morn, to see what was the matter. Opening the door, Gurl rushes out and we found Gandalf barely six feet away and facing towards the west with head down and tail stiffened. This is serious I thought! As Gurl bolts out and she echos Gandalf's stance and barking. This, however didn't embolden Gandalf the least little bit. But, both dogs are fully on alarm and aggressive. A quick look to the corral, everything there looked just fine, except the goats were watching from the doorway of the coop. I grab the flashlight and out the door I go to see this monster.
As I approached the northwest corner of the house, both dogs rushed forward to my side. I felt so protected! Scanning the flashlight into darkness yields nothing moving beyond the three of us. Rounding the corner of the house Gandalf increased his aggressive stance and charged forward towards a dark object on the ground by the bird feeder. Catching the movement, Gurl too increased her barking, but her movement wasn't forward, but rather was now behind me on my right. I quickly lit this intruder up with the flashlight and was ready to add my own growling to the mix. But No! It's a damn flower pot.
A large green plastic type flower pot was rolling about in the fresh snow. The wind was pushing the pot back and forth thus creating a terrible beast. As I picked up the pot to place it back into it's place, a tricycle pot holder, I asked Gandalf, REALLY? Sheepishly wagging his tail and with a sideways glance... I got the Sorry look, but I could have sworn there was a bit of a slight smirk included. Gurl just barked at Gandalf and raced back to the backdoor. It was too damn cold for her, so she was ready for the warmth of the bed. Sally (the goat) turned and reentered the coop. And I am sure she went back in telling the rest of the goats the story that just unfolded, all the while laughing her arse off... It would have sound something like this...."You should have seen the BOSS, Gandalf got him out of bed to chase a shadowy monster and and and... he was outside in just his underwear!" Baaa Baa Baaa!
There was not more barking that night....
In November of 1890, at the age of 17, Emma married Joseph Becker to which four children were produced; Hazel 1891, Edna 1893, Caroline 1898, and Rosalie 1900. At some point between 1900 and 1908 the marriage fell apart.
