Shoeshine's excellent vacation

Shoeshine will be leaving tomorrow for RI to attend a friend's wedding, then back to ME for his flight Monday. It's been nice having him here for a more relaxed time then the holiday/wedding/funeral trips he usually makes. However, sometimes strange things happen when he is home.

I mentioned before that Shoeshine was a welcome addition to our step building team, but he did more. He had friends over for a cookout, with horseshoes, bocce and croquet. I think at one point they played all three at once. Here's Shoeshine wondering about the weather forecast:

J's corn patch had been visited by hooligans knocking down some stalks and gnawing on the ears. Shoeshine warned off any marauders:

Then wondered if he could think of anything better to do.

 

Ameranth is also in ME and left Anna with us while she visits a friend with cats. Anna and cats do not mix well- or rather Anna likes to mix it up all too well. Anna is a bit too good at nosing our screen door open, and today she led a breakout. I walked to the mailbox, and saw 3 furry bodies dashing past me, directly into the path of a passing car. Fortunately the car was slow, and they made it by, where they made fools of the 3 of us calling and chasing them.

Boomer came back, bless his soul, but the huskies disappeared down the hill, while we herded the two hens out of harm's way into their pen.  Anna and Rosie showed up a few minutes later and were put in the timeout corner.

Oh Shoeshine, you don't have to be in there!

I planned on chicken one night and asked Shoeshine if he ate that. He replied that he didn't like to since it gave them a reason to exist. I'd forgotten about his early childhood trauma while going with J to get eggs. They were playing army and sneaking up to the coop when J opened the door and Shoeshine went in first. Seeing the rooster launching himself at the door, J slammed it, with Shoeshine inside! He opened it immediately, to find Shoeshine bleeding from a rooster attack to the face. (no lasting damage, except to his psyche)

We assured him the two hens we had were not lethal, but he insists fowl have it in for him.

We'll miss you this much, Shoeshine!

*Thank you to J and Shoeshine for all the lovely pictures I found in my camera.