It takes me some time before writing the current date becomes automatic. I get it right on the first day of the year, and then the following day I have a mental lapse. This’ll happen tomorrow, no matter how cognizant of this I might be.

The New Year got off to a shaky start around here. This morning, at 7:00 a.m., our dogs started barking. It was frenzied barking, which meant that something was out there. I got up to pee and looked out the front kitchen door window. There, sitting on the porch, was our neighbor Pancho’s dog. The dog is semi-feral – Pancho, to the best of my knowledge, has not been able to pet him.

Pete and I surmised that the dog was scared by last night’s fireworks, and for some reason thought our place was safe. The gate was closed; I do not know how he got through it. I went back upstairs and conferred with Pete, who upon my urging, let him out of the gate. He made himself at home, first sitting in front of the woodshed then curling up into a ball. I think the dog we now call Cisco is part husky, part Norwegian Elkhound. The elkhounds generally stay in one spot. They were originally bred to hang out on boats.

Bootleg was our first dog

I tried to talk with Pete about what we might do if the dog didn’t go home. Pete, who was intent on getting some shuteye, didn’t say anything. I was left to ponder the situation. I knew that calling the Mat-Su Borough Animal Shelter was out of the question. Dogs that are averse to being petted are the first in line to go when it comes time to winnow down the numbers.

Would we take him in? This is the question that I did not ask Pete. Sure, my heart is plenty big, and I’d consider taking him in. The problem is that Ryder and Shadow need more attention than they’re currently getting. And Pete would say no because his heart, while big, is not as big as mine.

I laid in bed for a while then got up and got dressed and went to tend to the horses. I offered Cisco a treat. He sniffed it and then backed off. I thought, a dog that doesn’t take a salmon treat has issues. He stayed where he was when I passed him. He was gone when I came back up to the house.

After breakfast, Pete called Pancho and told him his dog had spent the night here. Pancho said that the bombs (meaning fireworks) had most likely scared him.

I took Hrimmi for a walk this morning and Tyra for a walk this evening. I saw no sign of Cisco. This is a good thing.

I know that there’s going to be one more dog in our lives, a female puppy, a herding dog. For someday, Ryder will be gone, and Shadow will need a buddy. She’s that kind of a dog.

Next: 2. 1/2/24: Raudi’s State of the Farm Address