A Hound Dog Winter

A morning wintry slush gave way to a day of chill rain. Inside the dark cabin, bathroom hardware was installed. It was dark because my seeing light has been re-purposed as a well head heater. The paper holder, towel racks and a dragonfly robe hook were added to the bathroom decor. It's getting crowded in there.

The pulls and knobs of the vanity cabinet were switched to new glass ones. They are a magnificent addition. Sorry no pictures. It was dark in there.

Mid afternoon I glanced out the window to see a hound dog up on the scenic byway. Please, please keep on keeping on. No such luck. He headed down the driveway and went for my truck like he wanted in. I pretended nobody was home and watched his progress out the windows. All to no avail. He came to the front porch out of the chill rain and started looking for food in my cardboard boxes filled with a sundry rubbish.

Shoo hound. There was no shooing.

A horribly thin and shivering hound parked himself at my door step and curled into a ball. My little front porch offered just enough protection from the elements. And I forgot to get more dog food.

Yes that is a bleached R on his ear and the other has a backwards C or a " ) " thingy. That's a sign that somebody must care for him and I say that with a certain amount of disdain. There is a difference between a fit dog and a horribly bony one with his hips and ribs sticking out. That's just not right.

By night fall a chill drizzling rain had turned into gale force winds and pelting sheets of hard water. The snow will return shortly. The best I was able to do for the hound was empty a box that looked like he would fit in it in his fetal position and protect it a bit from the wind. This is always such agony. If only I was heartless.

"Why do you people do this?" amounts to vain bellow in the wilderness.

Will there be a living hound dog inside a box on the front porch of the cozy cabin in the morning?

I tried a new approach this time and called the local gas station, mini-mart, fish bait, hardware, fried chicken stand and hunter hang out and left a description of the hound. I also sent out pictures on a local list serve.

Tomorrow I will call the pound for another hound if he makes it through the night. And there is still at least one wild kitty out there. It is comforting to know wild kitty is well fed.