Where's the groundhog?

Hi,
Lucas found a groundhog hole the other day. I should have put my foot near it so you could get an idea of how big it is. I looked groundhogs up on the Internet and in the wild they only live 2-3 years and their size depends on how much food they have to eat. They eat mainly alfalfa and other greens. I happen to see the ones that inhabit this hole and there are 4 more holes besides this one. They are along a treeline that separates two fields. They are quite destructive. They can undermine quite a bit of ground and cause problems for farm equipment and large animals. I thought they looked kind of cute, but guess if I was farming I wouldn't think so. Lucas, except for a couple of quick sniffs was not interested. He's not into chasing cats or small mammals of any kind. Not prey driven at all. He is totally food driven. Food is his passion and looking good.

The Dog Walker

April 11, 2007 The drive in to herd the people

Hi,
This is what the drive in looked like. This is I-43. It was not nice, but only took me an extra 10 minutes to get to work. And still people were passing me. I was going between 40-45 miles an hour. Of course as they pass they spray all the snow and slush on your windshield. Its OK though, I usually enjoy the drive to the herd, as there is never any traffic and beautiful scenery to look at. This all should be gone in a few days. The weather is a changing, but if we lived in the U.P. of Michigan this would be a normal April.

The People Herder

The Shoe Mystery while Walking The Dog

Hi,

I have seen shoes on the highway, in parking lots, on city streets, and on country roads. I have always wondered how they get where they are.

Lucas pulled and tugged to get a better look and sniff at it and quickly dismissed it as "nothing good to eat", and moved off to something else. Tried to get a picture of him sniffing it, but no chance. So someone is going shoeless today and may have no idea where their shoe is. Lucas and I know. Just ask us.

The Dog Walker

A Doggie Box

Hi,
Found this at work (the box). Lucas posed rather well, as someone was making food and he was anxious to see if it was for him. I finally broke down and am mixing his kibbles and bits with the good stuff he should be eating. It's working, as he is again eating. Easter is cold and just a little windy. Climate changes are on the way or so we are told. I do believe the climate is changing, but don't believe that "man" is completely to blame. There are many things that are not fully understood yet. Time will tell.

The Dog Walker

Bear, the Burmese Mountain Dog

Hi,
This is Bear. He actually is as big as a small bear. The person next to bear is about 5' 5". Bear is staying with them until their owners can get situated. He's a very friendly nice dog. Lucas actually gets along with him. Bear is not real active so is no major threat to Lucas. There is no way Bear can get through the doggy door. He is 4 times the size of it. In fact I don't think there is a doggy door that would fit Bear.

The Dog Walker

Herding People In Times of Stress

Hi,
This day was an interesting one. Started out normal enough. We had a big delivery going intoboth ovens as I left to go to the bank. Two cooks, a driver, and a waitress were in the building. At about 5 minutes to 11:00 (the time we open) a man in the parking lot next to us hits the gas instead of the brake. His seat breaks and he can's see where he is going and his foot is still on the gas, going backwards. Luckily no one was injured, but we were closed for almost three days. My boss had been out on the Highway and thought I think I'll stop in. He was at the side door as the car hit. The waitress thought a bomb had exploded and the driver cutting the pizzas thought the same thing as he went flying. He picks himself up and goes out into the dining room and sits down. The cook had just walked past the oven and narrowly missed getting crushed. The second cook now panics because she can't find the driver. The oven is knocked sideways and 12 pizzas are lying all over the place. They were in the oven. I came back to chaos. My boss had shut off the gas. As soon as I got into the building I made sure everyone was OK. Took us a few minutes to find the driver. We thought he may have been under the oven. He had a small cut on his hand from the bricks that went flying. I went to let the people know their pizzas would not be delivered that day. Then I found a nice corner and cried. I was just so thankful no one was hurt. Not even the driver in the car. We talked about this for months and even now a customer will mention it.

The People Herder