Greta: Snake dog

(Side Bar before I begin. My oldest and smallest wirehair dachshund is Greta. She is under 10 lbs and about 8 years old, a little curly headed blond. She takes nothing from nobody and has her way - none of the other dogs really cross her. She's the big mama.)

4:30 p.m. I am sitting at the computer reading my nephew Steve's email on the solution to the glass coin trick, an email forward from Japan. Look up Japanese glass sleight of hand trick.

I hear a BANG!!! / CLANG !!! ( if you will ) outside my window - Greta and Fritz (my 20 lb 7 yr old black & tan) start barking - they are pretty close to my window, right under it to be exact.
Liesl (our 6 yr old piebald - white and tan) runs up the hill from her tree squirrel vigil. I see her arrive under my window. She looks, flips & runs back down the hill to the tree - "C'mon squirrel, bring it on."
I know this doesn't seem right, so I leave the computer and run to the back porch (notice tie in to my blog's title). There are Fritz and Greta under my window with a coiled snake. I grabbed the nearest weapon (a pick axe with a broad end) and moved over to the spot. By now Greta moves in and has the snake -- She starts shaking it. Greta moves down the hill grabbing, shaking, growling, the works. Fritz has moved back cautiously; he ain't nobody's fool.
Yelling at Greta to drop the snake (what a waste of effort - she neither speaks English or cares to listen when she has a snake in her little mouth - "I'll give up this snake when you pry the cold dead creature from my clenching teeth." I try to see the head of the snake to go for the kill. Greta isn't going to share with me. Finally she moves her grip and grabs the snake in the middle and shakes. I see the head. The axe goes between the head and Greta. I push down on the axe. Greta stretches the snake out full length (give or take 4 feet long) pulling it out from under the axe.
I moved again. Finally, the snake is trapped under the axe again, and I shove my foot against the blade. The snake's tongue quits moving. Greta has ripped a hole in the snakes back - she still isn't giving up the snake. Another couple of minutes pass with more shaking and biting. After much yelling I got her to take a step back. I grabbed the back of the snake and started to throw it over the fence.
Greta was having nothing to do with that. She jumped up and grabbed the snakes tail jerking it out of my hand. Frankly, the snake is still warm - it is not my plan to caress any snake, alive or maybe partially dead. She can have it for the moment.
Got the snake again - over the fence. She began pacing. She was on the hunt for more snakes. Greta patrolled the perimeter of the immediate fence - returned to where she originally grabbed it - her heart rate is up and the adrenaline is flowing...mine too.
Relaxing after the battle I will let you know that the snake probably wasn't poisonous - I think. Probably a rat snake. They say to look for the pit in the viper's face. C'mon, I ain't holdin' no snake looking for his pits. Greta believes the only good snake is a dead snake. This is her 3rd snake that I know.
She got a cottonmouth and a water moccasin last year with me in tow.

For those who pay attention to my blog, Greta is the Hoxie Bridge dog.

Wildlife from the back porch

A.) It would've been about this time last year; I was outside working on some project & looked up. A flight of big white birds with black wing tips we coming over heading north (like cranes). They swooped down landing on the lake. I'd guess 40 or 50 of them. I watched them gather - more were coming. All of a sudden they all took wing and and headed north over the lake; but, they didn't leave. They landed in a cove on the other side of the lake. At this point I could make out not 40 or 50 big birds - but hundreds maybe thousands; just don't know. They covered that area of the lake in white - "thick on the water" ( a great title for a 60's protest song). I just stood and watched for quite a while as more and more joined the flock...more like a mob.

Today sitting at the computer looking out across the lake, 4 giant crane like birds, white with black wing tips just flew over. As of this moment, no more have followed. I hope I get to see the migration again this year. Massive.

B.) Speaking of birds, we have two purple martin houses up. These birds are fun to watch. They (to use old phrases) soar and swoop and dive and twist and turn and - c'mon you can come with words like this. Our colony of purple martins remind me of our puppy Oscar- massive energy, going all the time, chirping - moving - constantly on the go.

One just flew from his house diving to scim within an inch of the water, then, suddenly, he twists and flies straight up a hundred or so feet. Fascinating and they don't even charge admission. And Sing !! Lordy how they can sing.

C.) Remember our storm Sat. morning? Limbs down, couple of trees snapped off, electricity gone for 22 hours. Leaves and small twigs are everywhere. I may never get them cleaned up. It's a shame we can't put the leaves & twigs in big black bags and give them to the Salvation Army to distribute to the poor. Everyone needs a bag of leaves; I think it is a Constitutional right. Not sure; just think so.

Three spanish guys, dressed in lime green T-shirts, showed up next door to clean up their yard. They moved fast fffaaasssstttttt. They grabbed limbs and threw them down the gully - went to back yard and threw them into the lake. A guy used a leaf blower while another scooped up stuff in a big plastic trash can - guess what he did with the trash cans. Yep, dumped them into the lake. Leaves floating out to sea. I just have to think that it is wrong to dump leaves and limbs into the lake. It just seems wrong.

D.) staying with the outside theme here: We are trying to get this company to give us a price on hauling rock & dirt in here to put behind my naked retainer walls. It has been a week working on them. Sure they have good reasons (12 yr old son broke leg on his bike one day - Oncor electric hired them to work on our power outage - and so forth - plus they are the contractor doing the dirt work for Corsicana's new picture show movie house theatre / bowlng alley coming to town.) Anyway, the lady is an Ellie May. She rescues baby animals found in the woods - raccoons, so forth.

Yesterday she told stories of rescuing a baby bobcat named Honey (I think). it was raised inside their home and apparently was dominant. It was declawed as a baby but not de-toothed. Long story, it took off and made friends with another bobcat a year or so later.

What I found interesting was the cat loved taking baths and showers. It had 2 toys and would get into the bath tub with her kids and splash around. When it had a bad day, they would turn on the shower which would help calm her down. Y'know, I think I need a pet too other than dogs: something really dangerous. Send me suggestions.

Wife just called me to eat lunch; beef stew,yum.

E.) Took dogs out to the "pit" looking down our hill to the backyard - 11 pm. There were two rabbits - getting really friendly - My pup Oscar yelled at them. guess we'll be chasing baby rabbits in the near future.

Horoscope

This is from aol startup - welcome screen. Tuesday.
So, I know that my son Roger & bro Jim are Leo(s) -- Anyone else. Anyone a Taurus? Once owned a Taurus = loved that car. First car I ever had that went 100,000 miles without a tuneup or ANY -- ANYANYANY repair. Loved that car. Then I had that Mercury Marquis that ran fer-ever.

Now, let's be clear (to quote dingbat) = if y'all like this Horoscope stuff and think it is importantly valid - I will try to not make fun. Every since I read a horoscope that proclaimed me as the next athletic star - well, let's get serious here. Is Horoscope derived from Horrorscopes. Nevermind.
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Full Moon Tonight Could Be a 'Powder Keg'

Getty Images (they had a photo of the moon on the welcome screen)

Leo, family & work demands come to a head tonight. And Taurus may want to avoid your partner or risk a big fight. See lunar impact on your horoscope

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Luckily my wife and I are Virgo and Scorpio - we're good people. mtz

FYI Gem Stone

Found a flaw in the blog system. If blug is started and put in time-out for a couple of days, it is published in the order of the original date. I understand what I just said. Looking for a way to fix.

This is an FYI GemStone...not funny...just stuff.
1. by the numbers. As you may know, I work with the U.TX Stadium in the chairback (stadium seat) rental biz. It is pretty part time for me - I don't get rich but it keeps me active...and I need the exercise, plus I get to see my Round Rock daughters ( & one hubby).
I was down there last week sorting chairs - not something worth explaining in detail. On Sat. morn, 8 a.m., I stopped at the Walmart (Parmer & I-35) to pick up supplies. In the store for about 15 min. tops. Somebody keyed my car while I was in the store. The only thing I can figure is AT 8:00 A.M. somebody was offended by my Tech Band alumni license plate frame. It is purty.
An aside: I have been told that the UT coach (Brown) gets upset if cars are parked at the practice field which are from other places...Heard he once questioned who had the "red" pickup parked in the lot. That guy bought a black one soon after. If he sees my Tech Band tag, I will be ejected. That's what i was told. May cover it with a bread wrapper.
2. The Marauder went into the body shop this morning. They said out by Wed. Can you believe anyone would get it done in 2 days. I am amazed.
3. Dropped off Marauder at 8. got home & had a phone call. Our house air cond broke last week. A man showed and surveyed the damage. He went home & in 5 days they have our new condenser coil. They drove down from Arlington today - before lunch today. Another merchant doing what he said he'd do in the appropriate amt of time. Amazing.
4. I just learned that the TV show RuPaul's Drag Race is not about automobiles. I clicked on it & made the revelation. Some things could have gone unlearned.
5. Spent the rest of the day: A. cutting wood B. stacking wood C. moving stones for my new walls D. made a bonfire to burn leaves and wood from Sat. morn's big wind. Had to stop when wind started kicking up coming across the lake. Surf's up.
6. People showed up to measure my new wall. Am looking for help moving rocks and soil behind the wall. Spouse Brenda thinks I am too old to wheelbarrow 15-20 yards of rock and dirt up and down our hill...plus shoveling, we'll see.
7. tomorrow, more wood cutting and leaf burning.
8. Sat., the Corsicana Swing Orchestra (see earlier blog) is playing a gig in Tyler = wedding reception. I am practicing my horn everyday to get ready. Now, all of you go practice too.
more later. If you need to practice, you need to practice !!

Storm report

Not going for sympathy - none needed. Sat. morn at 1:30 a storm rolled through Corsicana with 80 to 100 mile winds. 87 officially in town. We stayed huddled down with the 5 dogs for about 30 minutes till the winds slowed down. You could here the rain coming straight in at the house. It was quite a noise. Later checking I had some tree damage. Two enormous limbs off tore off 2 of our giant backyard trees landing on our fence. About 6 sections of the fence will need repair. About 5 other trees lost major limbs....two other 8 " trees were snapped off about 5 ft from ground. Electricity went off at 1:30 and came back on Sat. night at 10:15. We had a quiet night and day. Lucky the day was cool. We learned today that the local town (Mildred) lost 5 telephone pole in a row. Today, my chain saw & I worked on trees; the wife worked on small branches and an abundance of leaves. Nothing is finished. Do you need some fire wood? http://corsicanadailysun.com/local/x1687723477/Severe-weather-causes-damage-power-outages-for-many there are some other great stories in today's paper. Later.

Bobcat

Friday - It is 5:45 pm. My wife has been working in the front yard planting spring flowers. She decided to go to the top of the driveway & bring our trashcan down. She reached up for the can (it rolls) and looke up. There, about 10 ft away, sat a bobcat. It looked at her; she looked at it. It stood and walked into the woods. I broought the dogs in from the backyard. Visit http://www.mikemetze.com (it will take you back to here - thanks to Johnny Wilde who fixed it. If you want to read a soap opera - read his blog about his life and love life. It can get a bit juicy -- LOW or LifeofWilde.com I think.

Hoxie Bridge

Over time I will revisit past etudes I have written friends and relatives. Here is one of my favorites written back n 2005. Side bar notes have been added in this obnoxious color.
The Hoxie Bridge

After retirement from teaching, Brenda, my wife of 43 years, (it has been longer now - 43 years was then, this is now) and I sold our house in Pflugerville, Texas, and moved into our motorhome. Journeying with us are our three wirehair miniature dachshunds (weiner dogs): (if you follow my blugs, you will know that I have 5 now - these three remain on staff.)
Greta, a cute little blond, is the smallest coming in at about 8 lbs.,
Fritz, a black & tan 20 lb. loving fuzz ball, and
Leisl, a brown & white piebald who gets nervous about things.

Last week, we moved to the Granger Lake Corps of Engineers park. Granger Lake is about 20 some miles east of Georgetown, TX, 8 miles north of Taylor, and right beside a nice little town of Granger. For those who haven't heard, Corps Parks are great for retirees. Once you are eligible for the "Golden Age" Passport, (cute title - probably dreamed up by a 22 year old girl in the front office) -- you can stay in a Corps Park for half price...dogs are free.

Half Price is about 9 or 10 dollars a night. For this you plug into electricity and hook up the water. Sewer does not exist at Corps Parks usually. Now, that's not true. Sewer is down the block. You go down there and empty your sewer tanks. Sewer Tanks can be a whole different subject for another day.

Granger Lake has 3 different parks or areas. We are on the south side at “Taylor Park” in space 4. This space backs up to a wall of trees and ground that falls off radically to somewhere green. A small dark creek trickles at the bottom of the green.

After we parked on Thursday - and rested appropriately, we rounded up the dogs for a short walk around one of the legs of the figure 8, or loops if you prefer. Not 20 feet down the road, I noticed an orange stucture to the right, behind the motorhome, down in the creek bed. It is a bridge, a one way bridge going nowhere in the middle of the wilderness. A narrow path leads down to the bridge.

Taking the dogs in tow, we continued down the path. The bridge is at the bottom of a steep path - no road, old or new, is in evidence. It extends across a deep ravine with an ugly creek creaking along, or whatever a creek does. Babbling brook certainly does not apply to this waterway. The floor of the bridge is 2 x 8 boards fastened to the steel structure. At the far side of the bridge is a sign post explaining the reason behind the structure.

I paraphrase the sign: The Hoxie bridge was built in the early 1900s east of here. It was built with prison labor, or local prisoners. One of them tried to escape and was shot. To make a point, the guards hung his body from a nearby tree. He was never given a proper burial. For years after, his ghost was said to haunt the bridge at midnight on Friday nights. At one point a priest came out and performed a religious service which was said to send the ghost on his proper way. About 15-20 years ago, the unused bridge was moved to its present location by volunteer workers and has set here since.

[ So you will understand the why behind the next thing -- My process at bedtime is to take each of the 3 dogs out for a wetting. Greta goes first (she is the smallest) followed by Liesl and Fritz in that order. This usually happens between 11 and 1 a.m. ]

The following evening as I prepared to close it down for the night, I held Greta in my arms and took the steps down to the grass. Usually when she is put down (she can't climb down the stairs by herself), Greta paces about sniffing until she locates just the right blade of grass - then she squats.

That night, hitting the yard, she immediately went into a freeze position staring into the thicket behind the motorhome. We stood; she did not wet.

I heard voices down on the bridge. It was a group of kids talking. On the road to my left 2 young girls walked. They were covered head-to-toe with beach towels. In the dark of the night, all I could see was the tuff of their hair and the flip-flops on their feet. They moved slowly to the edge of the bridge path. Greta watched; she did not wet. Behind me in the motorhome, Liesl and Fritz barked for their equal time.

The young girls slowly moved down the path, not venturing over 15 feet before freezing into their pose. Greta had not moved a muscle. From the bridge I heard an older voice speak,

"Oh Spirit of Hoxie Bridge, show yourself. Come to us ole spirit of Hoxie
Bridge. We want to see you." His voice continued; the girls didn't move;
I checked my watch. It was midnight, and it was Friday night. Greta
still frozen, watched; she did not wet.

I raised my extra heavy duty flashlight pointing it into the woods near the bridge; I flipped the switch on. All of a sudden everything broke loose. The people on the bridge began to run. The girls screamed, flip flops flip-flopped away from the bridge - up the path - back home as fast as their young legs could move, beach towel flowing behind like a cape. Screams galore. The sound of many boys yelling and running across a wooden bridge is a racketing noise. They emerged from the woods. I would guess 8 to 10 bodies came flailing up the path.

Greta watched; she did not wet.

Within a moment or two, all was silent. There were no girls in beach towels flip-flopping. There were no boys yelling and running up the path. There were no more noises drifting up from the bridge. It was now past midnight on a Friday night. Oh, to be a kid again seeking ghost at midnight on a deserted, haunting bridge. I miss those days.

Greta and I stood, watching for another few minutes. She didn't move, and she didn't wet. Greta held it all night long. Liesl and Fritz came out and performed magically & quickly, each in turn.

We all went to bed dreaming of next Friday night at midnight on old Hoxie Bridge. Greta curled up waiting for the morning light.