Jack Russell Terriers are excitable in the same way water is wet or rocks are hard. Theirs is a natural phenomenon that never, ever varies under normal conditions. Doesn't take much to get the attention of our dynamic duo. And designing a backyard to attract wildlife has had the effect of presenting to them an endless stream of diverse distractions, just outside the comfortable confines of the Manor. Bird, rabbit, dear, chipmunk, mouse, fox, squirrel, shadow, leaf. The shadow of a leaf. And human-induced disturbances: meter-reader, neighbor, dog, cat. If it moves, Sheba and Siegfried want to check it out, in tandem. Immediately. Fervently. Desperately. Did I say now! They're not shy about letting us know. Especially Sheba. 
Out of sheer frustration and in an attempt to diminish the frequent bedlam, a month ago Sophie taped newspaper to the bottom one-third of our back faux French doors, resulting in a more peaceful and serene household. Not a long-term solution; at least not intended to be.
Like every great innovation in history, Sophie's solution has at least one unintended consequence. Those huge urban rodents people call deer are decimating our perennial flowers like never before -- all since the installation of these view blockers. Coincidence?
1 comments:
Steve, that's hilarious. I can just imagine - even our basset hounds make enough noise to vibrate the windows, and they're about as excitable as tectonic plates.
Maybe the deer will stay away if you let the dogs pee on the flowers from time to time?
Post a Comment