Rush, Rush, Sweet Scarlett!

Hick is working hard to get our new dog Scarlett released from captivity. Even though we are the ones holding her hostage. After Hick had to track her down on two separate occasions, he plans a window for Scarlett's next trial at freedom.

Such a sweet girl! If only she would stay here! Surely she can forgive Hick for her near decapitation when he dragged her under the Gator with her lead wrapped around the axle! She doesn't seem to hold it against him. Scarlett adores Hick.

Wednesday afternoon, Hick let Scarlett off her lead. He petted her a few minutes. Then proceeded to mow the BARn field and the cleared portion of our 10 acres next to it. I saw Scarlett come up on the porch a couple times. Jack was following after her, but they did not seem to be acting like buddies. Hick mowed for three hours.

"I put Scarlett back on her lead for the night. She did real good. Every time I turned to look, she was laying down where I could see her. She made a trip down to the house by my blacktopped hill, then came back. She made another trip across the road to our neighbors where I had to pick her up last time, but she came back. I think she's starting to realize that she lives here."

Hick didn't let Scarlett loose on Thursday, because it was so hot, and he didn't want to chase her if she ran off. Also, he had his SUS2 (Storage Unit Store 2) business on Friday, and didn't want to drive all the way back home if she decided to roam. But Friday afternoon, he let Scarlett go, with plans to tie her back up for the night.

When I came home from town, Scarlett came to the side porch to greet me. I petted her. She jumped up on me, but when I said, "NO!" she got down. She went in the garage, and came out when I called her. I went back in to get my purse, and as I closed T-Hoe's passenger door, it made a THUMP and balked. Huh. I think I might have closed Scarlett's head in the door. I apologized and petted her. That's what she gets for sneaking up behind me! She didn't seem to hold it against me.

When I took some of the groceries in, Scarlett did not bother the bags I had left on the chair on the side porch. Jack was there. He did not seem jealous. No barking or growling. I had pats for both of them. Scarlett did not run in when I opened the kitchen door. I tossed out a hamburger-grease-soaked bun for Jack, and another for Scarlett. She looked at it like it was something foreign. I guess she never got table scraps in her old home. After a sniff, she ate her treat.

While sitting at the kitchen table perusing the innernets, I saw Scarlett go around the porch several times over the course of 90 minutes. Both directions. I spoke to her through the windows. 

Around 6:00, Hick got a phone call. "Yeah. I'm home. Okay. I'll be right up."

I'm sure you know what THAT was about! Scarlett was up the gravel road at another house. The man called. He said his wife thought she had seen something about Scarlett being our new dog. Hick drove SilverRedO up to get her. About a quarter-mile. Scarlett had been in their driveway when they called, and was on the porch when Hick turned in. She came running to SilverRedO, wagging her stub tail, and jumped right in. Her reward was being put back on the lead.

I really wish Scarlett would hurry up and learn to stay home! It's not like she's running off wildly the minute she's let go. I think maybe she's just exploring, and might eventually come back. She seems glad to see Hick when he goes to fetch her. As Hick said, she at least went in a different direction this time. Perhaps she's mapping out the area for future reference.