Rick has gone to bed. I’m watching “Away” on Netflix. I hear the dogs barking by the bird seed shed out back. I get my big flashlight. The barking gets more intense the closer I get. Now I can hear growling and snarling under the shed. Telly is circling. Hazel is under the shed and all I can see is her tail and back legs.
Back to the house – consult with Rick who is getting out of the shower. He’s no help. Back to the shed. I can’t get Hazel’s attention. Back to the house. Rick says bring Telly to the house. Back to the shed. My big flashlight quits! I get Telly back to the house and locate another flashlight. Back to the shed. So much growling and snarling. Yikes! I prop the flashlight up by the hole, get on my knees and grab Hazel’s tail and a back leg. I’m so afraid the animal will now strike back at Hazel as she is retreating. Little by little she is dragged out and I pin her to the ground. I grab the flashlight in one hand and the muddiest little white dog I’ve ever seen under my other arm and return to the house.
Big balls of caked on mud are just hanging off her belly, her side, her feet and her face. Into the kitchen sink she goes. It takes a good ten minutes to get all the mud soaked off. I’m as wet as she is. After I towel her dry it’s time to play “towel”!
I am exhausted and going to bed.
Thank goodness it was just mud not a skunk. Been there done that. Smelly dog sleeping on the floor next to me all night.
Ahh, mud season in Iowa I remember muddy dogs well. Hazel is just doing what terriers are bred for, you had quite an adventure.
What was under the shed?
Ginny – I was planning on writing to you tonite – I’m wondering what’s happening at your house! It was probably a raccoon or possum / I didn’t look again after I got her out!
Whoa! What was under the shed? Any ideas? Glad Hazel is OK!!!
Diane Bauer – probably raccoon or possum
Wow, did you see what it was? I thought maybe a raccoon? Does Iowa have poison snakes? That was sure scary, you are brave to get on the ground like that. I’m sure when you let Hazel out the first thing she will do is go back underneath the shed.
I wonder why the small dogs always have no fear.
We have wild rabbits here and my Ginger can run like the wind, she has got one that I know of but took it away from her. They have a den under a stump I have flowers around. It’s in the middle of my back yard that is fenced in for the dogs.
So glad Hazel or Telly or you weren’t hurt. We also have raccoons they come up to the orchards but so far Ginger hasn’t seen them.
Hope you don’t have another bath for Hazel in the morning.
Bobbie – I have never seen a snake in 40 years on this property and I don’t think Iowa even has poisonous snakes. It was probably a raccoon or possum – it will be gone in the morning and I’m going to do everything I can think of to close that hole!
Sleep well!
Oh Dear! Sounds like you had quite an adventure. I understand the fear of her being attacked while your pulling her out. We don’t let Loretta out after dark by herself…too many critters and she is too little to defend herself.
Mud is the part of spring I do not like!!!
Hi Mary, Hazel certainly is Jack Russell, very determined. And loving! I bet you both slept well that night.I’m interested to see the bengal cat you get, l thought my cat would have spots, but she has silver grey stripes and white front and the most beautiful ice blue eyes.take care everyone, best wishes from sandy
Sandy – I’m going to pick up a rescue after lunch today. Details tonight!
I’m laughing out loud right now. I live on acreage and have two dogs who do this kind of thing to me. I’m always scared of what they are chasing!
Boy, it’s nice to know I’m not alone! I have similar adventures from time to time with one of my dogs, they seem to pull those kinds of mishaps at the worst possible time. Look on the bright side, she didn’t get sprayed by a skunk!
Linda Schluchter- yes, I am thankful it wasn’t a skunk under the shed! Whew!
Oh my goodness!! What a night you have had!! Hopefully Hazel is ok! I hope you had a good nights sleep after all that! The breeder used piddle pads in the pen with the puppies and then had a tray with alfalfa pellets that she used as a litter box for poo. Someone told her that because they smell like grass the pups potty train easily. They had never been outside to potty. So I
Am just amazed at the fact that she is just
doing so well, no “accidents “!!
Kathy Hanson – I have never heard of either being used so she is quite a caring breeder, isn’t she? And your little Penny learned quickly!
I apologize for laughing hysterically but I’ve been there done that. You putting it into words is so funny. As we say here at our place you can’t make this shit up we live it!
Sandra Goddard – ain’t that just the truth! At 72 with two fake knees, I wonder how long I can keep this up but wouldn’t living in town be boring?
I thought Mary reading your comment on how long you can last cause my sister who lives further out in the country and has a barn said to me she can’t take it anymore and wants to move. I think the breaking point for her is a barn cat tangled with a raccoon and died and she sees too many coyotes that she can’t freely walk outside with her dog so wants a place with a small fenced in yard. Hopefully she finds it this year. She’s an animal lover like you and takes in anything needing a home. Sorry have to write this next day but not seeing any comments.
Kathy in western NY – oh, that is so sad! Are your sister and I about the same age? Has she lived in the country a long time? I would want to leave, too, if coyotes were a problem but what will she do with her animals that can’t move to town with her? That’s a real concern for me.
She’s down to one dog and some cats who luckily she has found homes for. The cows and chickens have passed on now so she didn’t replace them. She kept telling herself she couldn’t do it anymore. I would say she has been in the farmhouse for over 25 years. I love her home but I sure can understand as we don’t move as fast as we use to. One of the adult residential homes for those incompetent of living on their own wanted a house cat which was a blessing to her to know it was going to have lots of laps to sit on.
What a night! Good grief! So glad you, Telly or Hazel weren’t hurt! Opossums and skunks make a lot of snarling noises and they are evil about killing chickens, ducks, etc. I’m thinking it wasn’t a skunk since Hazel was not sprayed. Be very careful out there this morning cause one of these critters would hang around. Stay safe!
Diane in Maryland – Hazel went directly to the shed this morning to check – no varmints! Probably was a possum or raccoon.
I know it isn’t funny to you but the tv in my head thinks it very comical. Hazel doesn’t realize you probably saved her from disaster. And since she takes many naps and you don’t considers it all a game. That is Hazel for you. Hope you had a great night sleep. Glad all came out ok.
Angie from Baltimore – well after the bath and cleaning up the kitchen it did take me awhile to get to sleep! And I have much to do today so no nap for me.
My goodness what a night! I believe I have been there before as well, with animals going crazy with some unseen creature in the darkness. You did good, did what needed to be done , pat yourself on the back!!
NO COMMENTS TODAY !!
NO COMMENTS TODAY!!
I try to think of all the extra exercise it gives us and the dogs. Ha quite the adventure.
Wow! It would be hard to sleep after that adrenaline rush. Glad Hazel is ok.
Your post today is like reading a mystery novel. You had nothing but bad luck last night but I certainly hope everything is ok with Hazel. Did you ever find out what was under the shed? Your experience reminds me to put fresh batteries in my flashlight just in case we get a power outage with storms moving in. First and foremost-are you ok?
Lorraine McGeough – yes, I’m fine, just mad because I couldn’t get to sleep after all that trauma! Haha! It was probably a raccoon or possum.
Sounds more like Mary’s late night adventure!
Happy to hear you all are all right! You have more interesting things going on in your life than anyone I know! And still find so much time to quilt. I don’t know how you do it.
God bless you!
Thank you for sharing the “almost” midnight adventure!!! Never a dull moment with an adventurous Hazel!
A very funny story but one I could definitely relate to as well! My Bailey is a dog who would not “back down” and I would have to go out and get her. I don’t especially like this “muddy season” of the year either. It is hard on the floor in the kitchen. Did you ever learn what Hazel was barking at?
Ohh, my goodness! Were you ever able to determine what the horrible, awful critter was under the shed? So good that neither of your pups were bitten. You’re lucky that Hazel fits in your kitchen sink, sure beats bending over the bathtub like we have to do with our 14 and 25 pound cockapoo. We have a beautiful day here in west central Illinois along the Mississippi and hope your day is beautiful, too.
I apologize as I can’t stop laughing…. been there.. done that!
Did you find out what she was after ? My bet would be a raccoon or opossum .
Nikki M – yes, raccoon or possum. I didn’t lay down and look after I got Hazel out. I just hauled her muddy little ——- back to the house!
You were fortunate! At our house this time of year when that happens, there is usually a skunk bath involved. I keep bottles of peroxide, boxes of soda and Dawn handy. Mud is preferable regardless to time of night. Did you find out what the varmint was? A groundhog? Never a dull moment with terriers!
Miriam – I didn’t lay down and look after I got Hazel out – probably a possum.
That’s too much excitement for me at the end of the day! Glad all was well with the dogs & that it wasn’t a skunk under the shed! You may want to put up some heavy duty mesh wire at the bottom of the shed or put big blocks all the way around (depending on how tall the opening is) to end further performances. They’ll want to return tonight to start round #2, or in the middle of the night when they tell you they have to go out. Years ago our two little yorkies (all of 9 pounds each) had the biggest possum I’d ever seen stuck on the top of our 4 foot high chain link fence years ago – at midnight, of course. Here I was out in my night gown whacking that possum big time to force him down the other side, it was hissing at me big-time (after I’d put the dogs back in, of course). Another time, a young possum was on the ground playing possum and the dogs were barking like crazy at it. IN they went, and OUT I came with another broom, but by that time, it had gone. Another time there was the ugliest “toy” just inside the dog door. My husband thankfully was HOME & determined it wasn’t a toy – those same elderly yorkie sisters had caught & killed a mole & brought it in as a gift to us. There were other incidents, of course! This was at a previous home – can’t help but wonder what the neighbor thought about me running around in my nightgown in the middle of the night with a broom whacking at animals and hustling 2 tiny little dogs back in the house. These things always happened at midnight, and invariably mostly when my husband was away on one of his business trips! : )
Deb E – hilarious! They are also terriers who are always on call for varmints! We have had lots of possums in the past – a couple years ago I live trapped 11 of them in late fall. I transported them to a wildlife are near here. Somebody told me I was probably trapping the same possum so the next time I had one in the trap I spray painted his tail red! They were not the same – haha!!
Yes, we’ll have to see how we can close up that hole under the shed. I can’t do this again tonite – it took me hours to get to sleep.
Good for Hazel being protective! She takes her dog duties seriously!
Saturday we were looking out our kitchen window watching a very big cow Moose taking big mouthfuls of snow. A Fish n Game Officer knocked on our side porch door. Did we mind if he had gotten her off the hiway to safety? He said she was exhausted! The hiway is 2/3 mile from us on our private road! She was most welcome to rest. Apparently the deep 5’ plowed snow mounds on both sides of hiway prevented her from escaping vehicle traffic.
We took pictures thru windows and kept Pepper inside. It wasn’t long before Moose mozied behind the house and could be seen all settled down, resting in very deep snow that looked like a down comforter!
She spent two hours until a snowfall started and she arose and walked up the steep mountain thru the trees into the National Forest! I’ll try to send you a picture, Mary.
Launa – what a stunning picture! She almost looks like a baby in a white blanket!
Wow! Where do you live Luna? What a sight that was.
Launa – Hazel is just a typical terrier!!
Wow! Where are you located, Laura? That must have been quite a sight.
What an exhausting episode! We will do anything to help our furry friends that we love so much. I wish we could see a pic of HAZEL. She must have been defending her territory!
Sounds like a wild time. Be glad it wasn’t a skunk under there or you would have had more fun. Those terriers love a good hunt! Everyone enjoy this early spring weather.
So funny Mary! It’s written so well it’s worthy of some publication!
Not funny for you; but thanks for the laugh!
Kathy Gibbs – haha! Today even I think it sounds pretty funny but last night I couldn’t get to sleep for hours afterwards!
Oh so funny, Mary. I am sure it wasn’t when you were in the middle of it. I hope it wasn’t a raccoon with so many having rabies. Glad you are both okay, but tired! My husband bought me a trail cam so I can see who is visiting Buckeye’s food. He is not ours, but lives near by and is neglected. We seem to have several other visitors, too🙀🙀. 61* and sunny here today🌞
Trying again. I commented and it looked like it posted, but disappeared. No problem, I can read the others.
Delayed comments again, but that’s just fine. I enjoyed reading about your adventures last night. Hope tonight is more peaceful.