A Hound Named Hope

 Every once in awhile Ellen makes blatant hints for a kitten or a puppy; much like I did when I was her age.  Following my mother's example I had, up to now, vehemently denied our need for another pet.  The idea of something else to care for, the headache of worrying about its health and well-being...all too much for me.  Not to mention the fact that at some point on down the road you've got to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes.

But then one morning last week Gary mentioned that there was a strange dog down the road at his sister's.  A friendly thing, followed him around to feed chickens. 

I thought nothing of it until I was walking back home from visiting a neighbor later that same morning and as I went past her house here came a dog. I couldn't get it to go away; it...she, that is, followed me home.

A friendly dog:

This above picture was on the first day she visited. I sat down outside to see what she was up to.  She came straight over to make friends.

After I posted a picture on Facebook we discovered that she belonged to the couple on up the road past Gail, Gary's sister.  He runs coonhounds, of which she was one. The guy couldn't make it down to get her til the next afternoon.  In that amount of time I'd bizarrely become attached.  When he came, Wade said something to the effect of; "You can have her if you want her.  She not much good as a coonhound." He took her home that evening.  I missed her. And bizarrely enough I found I DID want her.

So here she is...our very own coonhound.  At least on a trial basis anyway.  There are a few hurdles.  The main one of which is keeping her home and out of trouble.  She is an escape artist, loves lots of company, and knows which porches in the neighborhood have cat food on them.  Haha...  We'd been letting her run free during the day, but she's going down the road, scaring Gail's cat and eating the cat's food.  I've kenneled her at night and, aside from an "awoo" or two she's done pretty well.  

Today we rigged up her own kennel next to Bella's in the shade for the warm months.  She's not impressed.  I watched her and the very first thing she did was paw at the edges of the concrete blocks and poke her nose at the bottom chain links, looking for weaknesses.  Ha!

Bella herself is enchanted. 

It's been awhile since we had Deuce, who nearly vexed the life out of Bella.  Hope is so mellow though, she puts up with Bella's nonsense with barely a reaction.  Bella can't help but try to herd Hope around at times.  But Hope is a bit bigger, and isn't easily vexed. She shakes her head and flaps her hounddog ears in Bella's face. I just laughed and laughed the first time she did that. 

Hope is living her best life at the moment it would seem. I've been braving the ticks and chiggers and taking them on walks down into the creek bottoms.  As soon as we've had our first frost to discourage the chiggers and ticks we will plow through the waist high weeds all the way to the creek. Then we will have a grand time.

 I will let you know how things develop.  We still have to make sure she gets along with the cat.  I think in time that won't be a big issue.  They have looked at each other through the opened back door.  Hope didn't make a lunge or anything, so perhaps she won't make trouble there.  

Oh, I think she is about 5 or 6 years old...Jeanna wasn't sure.  Although she didn't come up here on a permanent basis until Wednesday Aug 28th; she showed up here on Monday, August 26, 2024; National Dog Day, so we will call that her Gotcha Day and be happy with that.  An appropriate day to acquire a new dog.