Learning Curve

 Found these tracks in the snow the other morning.  One of these nights I need to stay up late and join the party that happens in my front yard from dusk to dawn.  I bet we get all kinds of visitors.

 Here's what the morning light looked like.  All photos taken with the iPhone because I can't seem to get the real camera out anymore.   One day soon!

This is a screen shot of the dog park I stole off of Google Earth. The dog park is basically the triangular area of white you see above.  This area was dubbed the dog park when the dogs and  I came along  and joined the farm. The dogs are allowed free reign in this area.  Just added the image  as a visual for the following story as told to me by Boyd.
Since I don't get home until after dark and tonight I had to work even later than normal, Boyd is kind enough to take the dogs for a walk along the river.   Usually the biggest news of the night is how much deer poop they consume, but not tonight.  Tonight's story isn't overly suspenseful, it just proves once again that my Golden Retriever still has a lot to learn.
So here's the story as I remember it being told to me.
Boyd and the dogs were walking along the river when they heard a big splash.  Of course the dogs take off, but luckily, when Boyd called them, they returned.   Pretty sure it was a beaver as they love to smack their tail on the water as a warning sound.  So, they continue on and I am pretty sure my husband was proud of the fact that the dogs came when called, because that certainly doesn't always happen. They actually get past the dog park and to the dirt road when Jasmin turns and heads back to the dog park. Boyd turns to get her to come back and sees a slow moving, smallish, black shape making its way through the dog park. Boyd yells, she doesn't return, she heads straight for the shape.  Yeah, you all know what happened next.  A thick, green, odorous spray got her right in the face.  She yelps like a poor puppy and sneezes, shakes her head desperately and frantically rolls in the snow. She got what was coming to her, but unfortunately, she ruined any chance she and Buddy had of coming in the house and waiting for me to get home. I don't know what it will take to teach this dog to stay away from skunks.  One night, she got sprayed twice by the same skunk.  Boyd had it trapped and she stupidly approached it twice and got it both times.  That isn't the only time she has been sprayed either.  So, sadly, Boyd and the dogs stayed out in the cold.  Boyd stayed out because he really is good to the dogs. I guess Bud whined and whined while doing chores until Boyd told him he could go wait at the back door even though I wasn't coming home on time.   I guess Buddy didn't understand that part of the conversation and laid there for about 45 minutes until Boyd locked the dogs up.   He's such a loyal dog.  I am sure he knew it was time for me to be home and was just waiting and waiting.  My husband, on the other hand,  holed himself up on the straw pile in the chicken coop where the skunk-sprayed dog couldn't reach him and he was a little warmer.  I told him he should have just locked them up and gone in the house, but he instead gave them some time to play.   Such a nice husband!  He'll be mad I said that about him, but it is true.
And, you can all feel sorry for my husband even more because he gets to do it all over again on Thursday night when I won't be home until after 9:00 p.m.   Wish him luck!