Success is Measured in Many Ways!

Well, today we ventured to Cartersville to lure course in SEGC's last Spring trial. During prelims Lucy failed to make the first turn, actually running way past it, but she did spot it after that and did "catch up" and then ran like a champ. Unfortunately the judges didn't think her run all that spectacular scoring her a total of 148 for prelims. After lunch, I made sure she watched the lure a few times and hopefully would run better. She did, somewhat, scoring a 152. Unfortunately again, this wasn't enough to put her in a higher placement and she ended up in fourth place out of four dogs. She is safe and sound though, so that is most important. We are hoping to get out of the Open category before the fall season but I'm not sure that will happen at this point. She now has 84 points but needs 100 to move to the Field Champion category. All in good time, I suppose. So, to sum up today, she achieved one success in the fact that she ended the day without injury . . . tired, but definitely fine and fit as can be. That is definitely a good thing!

The second is, well, simply gross, for lack of a better word. We got home from Cartersville today at about 5:40 p.m. I was anxious to get somewhat settled so I could watch the Kentucky Derby. I let the girls out in the backyard so they could potty before their dinner. I didn't muzzle them as I usually do, I guess because I was in a hurry and thought they would be as well so they could get back inside for dinner - it had been a long day for all of us. The next thing I know, they are all three coursing a squirrel who apparently had been on the ground when they ran out there. The squirrel did quite a few jig saws back and forth, all the while the three girls were coursing him left and then right and back again and all around. It was quite a sight - almost like a ballet. Very smooth and fluid, really quite beautiful.

In the end though, Lucy won the prize, if you can call it that . . . she got the kill. I still can't understand why Remi and Sugar would give it up to her but they did, although I don't think they had much choice in the matter as Lucy was determined to stay on the poor thing during this entire ordeal. Well, I quickly ran back into the house and into the garage to my vehicle to retrieve my camera. I was gone perhaps 45-60 seconds. I quickly took off the lens cap and camera cap, put the lens on and ran back outside to snap a quick shot of Lucy with her prize squirrel dangling out of her mouth (that is the squirrel on the ground with Lucy over it). Sounds morbid, I know, but she has hunted squirrels for over a year now since she came to live with us and has been unsuccessful until today. So I thought it befitting to get a photo of her with her trophy catch! Well, that was not to be (read on). When I had arrived back at the "killing spot" where Lucy was with her prize, I immediately saw that she was definitely quite taken with her squirrel.

At first I thought she was just gumming him or something - I had no idea she was doing what she was doing until I got a little closer and it was then that I could hear the crunching and saw her jaw movement. UGH, I know (hope you've had dinner, lunch or breakfast before reading this). She had commenced to eating the head of the poor squirrel. I tried to get her to "leave it" - yeah, like she is going to drop something she has pursued for 15 months and come to me all happy as can be. NOT!! She crunched a few more times and it was then that she decided, I think, that it wasn't as much fun because the thing wasn't squirming anymore. But by then, the squirrel's head had been completely consumed by my dear, sweet, kiss your face, Lucy. Disgusting, I know, I almost threw up on her and the carcass (see picture - go grab throw up bag first!).

After this was all said and done, I herded the girls back into the house, retrieved the shovel from the garage, and a body bag from the cupboard. I shoveled the poor thing into his final resting place and then put him in the outside garbage can. I can't possibly bury all the squirrels they kill out there so that is the best solution that I can think of.

I have since baby-wiped Lucy's entire face and have brushed her teeth. I wish I had some doggy mouth wash.

I just know at about 6 a.m. in the morning, she is going to want to give me her morning lovin' where she snuggles up to me and licks my face. Guess I'll deal with that then. In the meantime, I'm just hoping she doesn't decide to throw up her afternoon snack. I think I would just die!

PS - my typical pet names for Lucy range from Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds to Lucifier to just plain Crazy! I think now I'll have to call her Squirrel Breath!

PS AGAIN - Lucy earned 5 points on Sunday with another 4th placement out of 5 Greyhounds so she now has a Grand total of 89 points.