On the gopher trail

Annie has been really, really good lately. She hasn't killed a guinea hen for months. And she seems to be trying to tell me she is so over that bird-killing thing. So, when the birds are locked up in the chicken yard (we're not completely nuts), we've been letting Annie into the garden with us. She sniffs around, wanders off sometimes (ending up near the chicken yard, oh coincidence!) and then detects Evil Gophers.  Time to dig furiously, tail wagging. Time to bark a persistent, annoying bark. She'll dig for hours, eyes and nose and mouth full of dirt. It's what she was born to do. Eventually, I think she'll get that gopher. She'll eat half of it and leave the rest in the clean-laundry basket. And we'll be so proud.