in for a sleepless night...

These animals of mine!!!! Yesterday morning, I let all the spaniels out as usual.. they love the idea of running free, and for the most part, they don't wonder too far. Sometimes, Trevor and Hunter will run up the road aways, but always come back the moment you call for them. So, I put them out, got "busy" playing on the computer, and they were out a little longer than normal. When I got around to calling them in, everyone came except for Hunter. Well... it was time for breakfast, so he would get in soon.... bowls were ready... no Hunter.... I call again... no Hunter.... I am now getting a little panicky.... Ed comes to help. He walks down the road calling, I walk up the road calling.... still no Hunter. Now, my mind goes into over load... did he fall into the party frozen lake?? has he gone into the woods and is now caught on a downed tree limb??? I am feeling sick to my stomach and almost faint.... Ed tries to calm me and continues to search... I am just sick!!!! I say a little prayer... "Please God, send him home!!!" and continue to call... after what seemed like "hours" (really maybe just a half hour) Hunter appears from no where. Running as fast as he can to my call... and with a puzzled look of "what are we doing way up the camp road"... I hug him tight, tell him he is good (because he came to me!!!) and then quietly threaten to make him into doggie stew!!!!

This afternoon, we were heading down to Newington for "steak night" and finish up some Christmas shopping... and that meant, closing the barn down early. The horses don't care, anytime it's "dinner time" is fine with them... they rush right in.... the guinea hens....are not so sure about being locked up!!!! Ed and I spent nearly 20 minutes getting them in (and yes, this means getting them out of trees)... we managed to get four of them inside, but number five won't budge from her tree... great.. time is short and we need to get going. So, we left the barn door open a crack, with hopes that her sisters will call her inside.

All evening I am fretting about my hen being outside.... when we got home, we ran to check the barn... no hen!!!! Ed needed to get home, so I dropped him off and headed back to the barn. This time I power up the generator to help in the search, and I found her... resting on one of the pasture gates!!!! I am so happy that I spook her and she flies into one of the trees!!! way up!!!! Try as I might, I can't coax her down.... and after a half hour, I give up... guess she is stuck outside for the night. If she stays high in the trees, she will probably keep warm enough and safe from the predators... but only tomorrow morning will tell me!!!! Stupid bird!!! if she would only "listen"... looks like a long night for me, knowing my "henny" is out.... but, I can't hardly climb a 15 foot pine to catch her!!!

I'll up date you tomorrow, but it's high on the "list of things to get done" that we finish their pen so we can keep them locked in if we need to.....