Rocket Adventures

Saturday, October 14  5:54 pm

Ah Rocket - her name is a dirty word in our kennel right now. 

Rocket

The little darling has figured out how to climb her 6-foot chain link fence. Up until today, she only did it when we went out to feed each night and would greet us at the feeding table as we came out with the buckets of food. Her plot pretty much worked, as although she would get carried back and put back in her kennel, she and her kennel mate, Powder, would get fed first.

Powder stands watch for Rocket...

So today we were feeding the teams in harness after a 20-mile run when who should suddenly appear but Rocket. Mark's team basically ignored her, but mine wasn't as tolerant and both Vortec and Jr gave her a good scare - grabbing her as she rocketed by. She was fine, but was shown no sympathy and quickly put back in her kennel.

While we were shovelling this afternoon, she thought maybe she'd come visit. Silly girl didn't count on my being a few steps away and a hand slammed into the chain link scared her back to the ground.

She's just too athletic and clever for her own good!

Saturday, October 14 8:41 pm

So, we headed out to feed tonight quite sure that after Rocket's adventures earlier today she would have figured out to stay in her pen. As we are now watering as well as feeding, it takes 8 buckets to feed the yard (3 buckets of kibble, 5 buckets of 'soup'), so it takes a few trips to get everything out to the feeding table.

Three Firecracker littermates in the rear pen overlook the activity

First out was Mark, followed by Markus - whose bad timing had him visiting just at feeding time - and a minute or so later (I was having trouble finding a hat to stick my headlamp on) me.

Rocket was waiting for Mark at the feeding table. He handed her off to Markus and went back for more buckets. Markus carried her back to her pen, but didn't take her dinner up with him. Rocket met me at the feeding table. Markus showed up about 2 minutes behind her. She had scaled the fence and made it back to the feeding table in less time then it took Markus to walk back down.

She went back up with Markus and her dinner. It took her all of 3 minutes to finish her dinner, scale the fence and join us again.

She spent the rest of the feeding time locked in the outside part of the 'MASH' pen, which has a roof on it - screaming her head off and throwing herself at the fence.

Tomorrow Rocket gets introduced to a stake-out chain!

*sigh*

Too clever for her own good!

Saturday, October 14 10:09 pm

9:20 pm - caught Rocket and stuck her back in her pen.

9:40 - 9:50 pm - chased Rocket around the yard because she had now figured out that if I caught her, her fun was over.

9:50 pm - put Rocket in the roofed pen off the back of the house and locked in the big closure so she wouldn't bother Sprite and her babes.

9:51 - 9:54 pm - Mini 'Hound'ini patrolled the perimeter of the pen looking for weakness and climbed to the top of the chain link to inspect the roof.

9:55 pm - the howling and barking, which incidentally is right outside our bedroom window, begins. I'm fairly confident it will go on all night. I'm also fairly certain I'll now be awake all night - and also that Mark will sleep right through it all.

*sigh*

©Penny Blankenship
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FYI - She howled all night long...

Sunday, October 15 6:41 am

Honestly, Rocket has always been my favourite out of this litter and deep down I like the evil little ones, so this only makes her more special. She is still moving out onto a chain today though.

Actually, I put her sister Powder in with her this morning and that has quieted things down. I should have thought of that last night.

Sunday, October 15 4:36 pm

Rocket got a reprieve on the chain, as it is pouring rain today and I didn't want her (and me) sitting out and getting soaked while she was getting used to her new living arrangements.

(To be continued...)

Karen

©Penny Blankenship
More cartoons by Penny