Through the Briars and the Brambles

I've been feeling really restless the last several days.  I've decided that it's either spring-fever, or too much sugar.  But I've had real problems staying focused on any one thing in particular.  So Carl and I took the dogs for a walk yesterday afternoon.  As you can see in the new header picture, it was a beautiful day of blue skies and sunshine.

Since we've not seen anyone new or any changes to the property in back of us, we headed in that direction.  Carl was about half way up the hill when all of the sudden Josh who was not on a leash started his excited barking and howling as he ran into the woods after some deer he'd seen. In the picture below on the left, Toby is looking at Josh the moment he started running.

It didn't take but a moment to lose sight of him. Carl had the dogs on a leash so that left me to get Josh.  I decided that I'd cut him off on the other side.  Of course I am not as fast as either the deer or Josh, but I caught sight of him going into the woods on the other side of the clearing.  He had been totally outrun by the deer, and he had also gone totally deaf never looking back as he started the next leg of his adventure.  I went into the woods to get him and became tangled in the briars.  As I freed myself, I kept calling to Josh and a miracle happened, he regained his hearing and came to me, all sparkly eyed and smiles!!

~Josh after his adventure~

Of course I didn't scold Josh for running off, but praised him for coming back.  On the way home the words to the old country  tune "The Battle of New Orleans" which is a traditional hillbilly tune by Johnny Horton tumbled through my head,

Yeah they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles

And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go

They ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em 

On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico...

Now, even a day later, I can't get rid of it...

Finally my mind is focusing on something.