Scruff along with his other brothers and sisters spotted our “vacancy” sign about six to eight months ago. They looked to be only weeks old at the time. How nice that someone decided to keep the family together and drop them all off at the same time. It must have been a recent drop off as they weren’t in deplorable condition but they were definitely in need of water and food.
Lil Duffy aka Black Bart wasn’t a stranger to these parts but it had been quite sometime since The Place Looks Decent, Suits Me Fine Gang had crossed paths with him. Rumor had it that Black Bart was nursing a broken heart (or maybe just plain nursing considering his age) after he and Grizzly had a tuff over the same girl. Some say Bart always goes for the same girl just to stir things up between he and Grizz. Bart is small in stature but he packs a six gun as big as himself, and darn well knows how to use it. Bart and Grizz go together like oil and water and there never has been any love lost between the two of them. Good thing Grizz had been in the fields working the cows as he never would have seen Bart amble on to the ranch otherwise.
It’s easy to see why the girls fall for Bart as he has a softness to his eyes yet if you look close enough you can already see the years of a desperate outlaw etched into his face. Bart wears his hair long and slicked back. He’s a two bit outlaw with no scruples but plays himself off as one of the down trodden, someone deserving sympathy. The gang never has bought that hogwash.
Bart doesn’t put up with any guff but he tends to dish alot of it out himself.
Grizzly takes time out from chores on the ranch to enjoy the day and reflect on the meaning of Independence Day.
Kodiak - All Adult Swim
Kodiak was caught in the act today. I happened upon Kodiak on my way back from the house. It isn’t often I find Kodiak in the pool but today was different. This one image doesn’t do justice to “the moment”. It is actually just one image pulled from a short video that I took. Kodiak’s gaze didn’t shift from me the whole time I was shooting the video. He had the same solemn look the entire time the video was rolling and didn’t move a muscle. Kodiak is fiercely independent and never lacks the ways or the means to entertain himself.
Kodiak aka Grizzly
Having said that, Kodiak is an absolute JOY. The four of us have become so fond of Kodiak. He always puts a smile on our faces and he never seems to quit amazing us. Kodiak has the most beautiful gaits, and whether in a trot or gallop, he is more fun to watch. I refer to it as “watching a gazelle run”. He not only runs with speed but also has the tendency to leap up in the air as he runs. Kodiak is extremely graceful, and I do not remember any other dogs in my past that fit this “run” tendency. A video will follow at a later date showcasing Kodiak’s running ability.
Given Kodiak’s arrival date here would lead you to believe that he is the “low dog on the totem pole”, the youngest member of the gang. Being the youngest can have its pitfalls but being the only male can out weigh the age factor. Kodiak tends to rule things in the hierarchy. Even Gracie takes a backseat to Kodiak in many cases.
Saturday mornings mean a walk to the end of the drive to open our front gate for the trashman. I generally rise anywhere from 7 am to 8 am to accomplish this. Dogs have this inane ability to sense certain things before they actually occur. A good example of this is their ability to sense a family leaving for a vacation before they actually leave. Maybe it has to do with the packing of suitcases and the scurrying about getting things in order. In my case Gracie always knows that I’m going out the door for that long walk up the drive. Even Kirby doesn’t have the desire for the Saturday morning walk but Gracie wouldn’t miss it for anything. She knows when I put my shoes on and open the door with my bag of trash in hand that it’s time for the Saturday morning walk once again. The minute the door opens she bounds outside which is interesting as I can tell she isn’t even fully awake at this point. Down the steps to our trash recepticle area, I tie up the garbage bags and start for the “drop off zone”.
We do not have your traditional trash collection service like you see in most subdivisions where there is an actual “trash truck” with collectors on the back that jump off, hoist whatever you have left for them on your curb the evening before, and heave it in the back for the ultimate smash up.
Three Amigos
As we begin our initial trek, we are joined by Flo Jo and Kodiak. They never miss the Saturday excursion as well. They know when they see and hear Grace and I make our way down the steps that they need to get it in gear. Kodiak usually leads the way followed by Grace with Flo Jo staying closer to me. The four of us make our deposit at the drop off zone and continue on to the end of the driveway where we set the gate to the open position allowing entry for our friendly trash collectors. I turn around and make my way back to the house with dogs sometimes in tow and sometimes not. They like to loiter at the end of the drive most of the time picking up other scents and what have you. At some point or other in my return journey the three of them always manage their turn around as well. We all make it back to the house very soon thereafter. Our Saturday morning walk takes no more than 10-15 minutes. It is probably 1/8 mile each way down the drive.
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Timothy Stark Raisbeck A Kansas City native by birth, but a Texan since 1980... The Rest of the Story » -
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- February 2012
- 01: Scruffy
- July 2009
- 13: Lil Duffy aka Black Bart
- 04: Grizzly Enjoys His 4th of July
- June 2009
- 21: The Place Looks Decent, Suits Me Fine Gang
- 20: Kodiak - Caught In the Pool
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