Farmer H Discovers That A Zirconium Requires Protection

We all knew it would happen, didn't we? All of us besides Farmer H. Who declared that loaner-dog Zirc was just fine staying on his trailer, barking her fool head off all the live-long day, eating her breakfast and slurping up the water provided by Farmer H each morning before he left for town. Yep. Zirc was just fine. Until she wasn't. 

As I left for town late Sunday afternoon, I encountered Farmer H in SilverRedO coming down the driveway. He stopped to talk to me.

"Have you seen Zirc?"

"No. Why? I heard them all barking earlier."

"She ain't there. She was there this morning when I fed her. But she hasn't been here since then."

"Maybe she's backed up beside one of your sheds. That's how I saw her when I tried to give her a treat. Like she could protect herself from Jack and Copper Jack. Even though they were just looking at her."

"Maybe. I'm going over to the BARn. She might be over in that area. She came over there with me once."

"She's probably over at her old house. You might want to take the Gator. Or drive over, so our dogs don't follow you."

"I might. If I can't find her."

"Why are you so worried about her NOW?"

"Bev called. Her and her husband are bringing out a bag of dog food for Zirc, and they were going to pet her."

"Oh, well. I TOLD you this was going to happen. They'd better not blame us!"

"Nah. They're gonna drive around and look. I already told them I haven't seen Zirc since this morning."

Well. You're not going to believe this (actually, you ARE, because you have more common sense than Farmer H), but when he went over to Zirc's (and Bev's) old house, Zirc was laying on the front porch.

"Bev said they saw her, but her husband said, 'That ain't her.' When I pulled in, I said, 'Yeah. That IS her.' They got out and called her, and Zirc ran over and started jumping up on them. I came back to get my truck to bring Zirc over here."

I saw all of them out the front window as I was waiting on my chicken to bake for supper. Farmer H said that he tied up Zirc so she can still get on the trailer, and get under the trailer, and even get inside his Schoolhouse Shed if she wants. He says she must be pooping in the grass, because there's none on the trailer. That's what he SAYS. Because I told him he'd need to pick up Zirc's poop if she's tied up in that one area.

 

Farmer H is sure that OUR DOGS took Zirc over to her old house. To get rid of her! Like, "You obviously don't belong HERE. You need to go back where you came from. C'mon. We'll show you."

 

I said that's preposterous. Zirc knew the way to her old house. Dogs know that stuff. Like turtles know what beach to go lay their eggs, and salmon know where to go back to spawn. It's through the earth's magnetic field, I think. Or some say the stars. No way did our dogs go persuade Zirc to follow them down across the creek. She just felt more comfortable, and decided to go roaming away from the trailer while they were off doing something else.

I hate to have a tied-up dog. I'd rather not have a dog at all. It's not fair to the dog. A dog needs to be a dog. Running free. Not in a pen, not on a chain. That's incanine!

Farmer H says that Bev thinks they've found a house to rent, and will probably be back to get Zirc in a few days. That was Sunday. This is Thursday. We'll see...