Hairy Moments

Yesterday I spoke of "Spring Stink" time.  Today, less than 24 hours later because, after all we did SPRING FORWARD, I must not overlook "hair spitting" and "wet paws on the jeans" as integral parts of the rites of early spring. 

It didn't stink around here quite so bad yesterday because most of the day was dry, so I had more time to put my nose in automatic pilot and focus on trying to protect my jeans and my clearing my lips. 

Yes, it is difficult to operate around this place wearing a pair of clean jeans, especially when 6 wet paws greet those jeans every time I go out the door.  

Smart as they are, it seems that at our house Border Collies and mini Aussies can never learn "down" or "off."  I still say "down," even though I know the doggie disciplinary coaches tell us that we might confuse our pups by saying "down."  

After all, that means to prostrate themselves on the wet and soggy ground in total submission to their masters who stand towering over them with great superiority. 

We're supposed to say "OFF" when we don't want wet and soggy doggy paws messing up our jeans, fresh from the clothes dryer. 

Well, I'll tell you, at our house, it doesn't matter whether we yell "down" or "off," our dogs only know "ON." 

"I want my wet and soggy paws on you right this minute and every other minute that I get a chance to jump up on you and love you to death."

I'm sure that's what they're thinking and wishing that they could say out loud to us as we're frantically waving our hands and barking "Off" or "Down." 

I also think dogs like to "leave their mark," or even several of their marks on our jeans as a warning to all other dogs who might want to jump on us with wet paws to "Stay 'OFF' my peep." 

Anyway, I've given up on clean, dry jeans during this Spring Stink and Yuck Season.

As for hair-spitting marathons, I don't like those either, but if a North Idaho hick horse is to look the least bit presentable before showing up at the "up town" stable, I'm gonna have to spit out more horse hair than usual for the next several days.

So, I got the winter-hair removal process started yesterday with Lily.  

First, we went to the round pen where I turned her lose.  She did the usual "Lily" show, first making circles, varying her gaits from "walk," "trot" or "canter" at her discretion to stopping abruptly and showing off how tall she can stand on those hind legs.

Later, she demonstrated how high she can buck and just how high that 2-foot long broom tail can swish through the air to match her flaring nostrils.

Mighty pretty but not exactly following orders----sorta like those dogs that won't stay "off" or "down." 

Once Lily had worked up a slight sweat, I called her over, to which she did comply, and I put the halter back on.  Then, we went to the barn for some rubber curry comb action.

Soon Lily was standing in her own horse-hair rug, and I was into full gear spitting every two seconds to rid my lips of tickly follicles of Lily hair. 

It's really fun to breathe in and receive more than air.  That's when you literally have remove your hairy gloves and pick your nose to retrieve that elusive, irritating hair that found its way up your nostril. 

D'ya spose the term "hair-brained" comes from?

Yup, it's dirty, wet, stinky and tickly times at the Lovestead.

And, I'm sure my jeans and the towels for wet dogs will go through the wash cycles much more often than usual.  

In addition,  I'll be picking my nose a lot as Lily and Lefty grooming sessions continue for the next couple of weeks so those uptown horses don't look down their noses too much when my country horses show up in the trainer's barn. 

"Down," "off," or "walk" may never register in my our critters' brains, but if those are the worst problems we have with them, they'll be hanging around here for a long time.