Lucy, Pepper and Cool Breezes

Lucy and Pepper's family told last night me they've been receiving complaints about Pepper barking, and that Lucy has suddenly developed a habit of disappearing. So far, knock on wood, I haven't had any problem with them. Pepper likes to bark to get attention - and when he goes to the other end of the house and barks at nothing, I put him in his crate. After two episodes of this, he's stopped barking at nothing (as of 16 hours into the job). Lucy hasn't gone out of the yard and I'm keeping a wary eye on her when she's out. The family says she's beginning to chase squirrels and rabbits, and once (so far) a skunk. They are darling little dogs - but I think Pepper has had a lot less discipline than Lucy ever got, and he's a little spoiled. He needs to find out that he's equal to Lucy and can't get away with things, just because he goes belly-up as soon as he's caught doing something he knows he shouldn't.

We've had quite a breeze most of this afternoon and evening - of course, I'm out in a small subdivision with large yards, and half-way between Boulder, Longmont, and Niwot. But it's quiet, and there is plenty of wildlife here. My only complaint is that the mosquitoes here like me and my blood - I'm having to drown myself in DEET to go outside if the wind isn't briskly blowing. The county is spraying to kill the skeeters, but that doesn't really take care of the problem along local creeks. Will go home to my kits for a few hours later this morning - then head back out here on my bike -