Day Ten, Wednesday AM/PM

This morning, I got up before the birds (and the Belles) to meet Julep's new mom to loan her the crate I took out of the Camper's quarters, because Tara kept peeing in it (of course I cleaned it first!) After meeting with her, I head back home. The minute I hit the door, the girls are wide awake and scrambling at the barricade for attention and food. Pam and the resident four are already awake - and the resident four are fed! They go outside - Daisy eyes me warily while I reassure her that there are no puppies outside to bother her. She sticks her head around the open door jamb as if to make certain the coast is clear, shoots me a look of complete distrust, then she darts outside with amazing speed, does her business and makes a beeline for the door. Once inside, she heads for her couch, and sacks out - safe from the puppy chase.

The girls and the resident boys go outside - what a BEAUTIFUL day!

Cindy is coming to meet Dixie today, so I'm 'beagling' from home. The residents love this, because it means unlimited access to inside the house (my agenda for the day: let the dogs in, let the dogs out…let the dogs in, let the dogs out - it goes on forever!) The puppies are a bit bewildered by the fact that I am home and they are in and out with the big dogs - but they love it. Dixie has achieved a victory of sorts - When she first tried to get into Daisy's dog house, Daisy was inside it. That did not go well. Now, with Daisy inside, it's hard to pry Dixie out of that dog house. It should make crate training her VERY easy! We spend a lot of the morning outside - the girls and their Uncle Potsy are playing in, around and on top of Dog House Mountain. I now realize that the reason Buster climbed it was because he was trying to get away from sharp puppy teeth being applied to his legs and tail. He barks very sharply at the girls - HIS bark is much more effective than Daisy's because Buster has the teeth to back it up. The girls slink away, and I go over and pet and reassure each of them. Tara likes to lay on the top of the hay bale next to DHM - that's the perch from which she can observe the neighbor's back door to see exactly when their miniature long haired dachshund comes outside. Then Tara and the residents make a beeline for the fence and start barking.

Cindy and her mom arrive with Shamrock, who has the same markings as Honey. (An English beagle, I'm told) Shamrock goes out in the back yard (I MUST remember to poop scoop this weekend!) with the whole pack, and is immediately surrounded by curious beagles. He backs away, gracefully. They pursue. He looks around frantically for a way out. We get him back inside, and introduce him to the puppies. He runs away, jumping on the couch with a "MOMMY, what are you THINKING?!" look on his face. I take Georgia and Tara outside and he meets Dixie, one on one. They slowly warm up to each other - Dixie walks behind the living room couch, and Shamrock follows - the residents can't fit behind there. Dixie jumps up on the love seat, and Shamrock follows. Shamrock meets Georgia and Tara, who are a bit too aggressive for him, and Dixie turns suddenly shy, hiding in the crate in the kitchen and in Daisy's dog house outside while Shamrock is playing with Tara and Georgia. We get Dixie and she and Shamrock begin playing together, and it's decided. Cindy will adopt Dixie. We talk for a while and Dixie falls asleep in Cindy's lap. The paperwork is completed, the pictures are taken, and Dixie has a new mom, dad, big brother, and very proud grandma! The hard part is that Cindy has to leave Dixie with me until the weekend. She leaves a towel for the girls to sleep with so that when Dixie is by herself, the towel will smell like her sisters - this is one smart beagle mamma!

After the excitement of Dixie's adoption I decide it's time to go outside and rake up some of the tons of leaves that have managed to find their way into the back yard. I put on my "dog shoes" and out we all go. I get the rake, but I end up fending off curious puppies more than I'm raking leaves. I try to convince them that this isn't a game, but I am as convincing as Daisy's barking. I manage to get some leaves raked up, only to have seven beagles plow through them, flattening the pile. Buster decides I've made a nice bed for him, so he lays down right where I want to be raking. The girls think the rake is a chew toy, and it's almost as much fun to attack as my feet. I give up on the raking. What was I thinking, anyway, trying to RAKE with all those beagles?

With all the exercise they are getting, they will certainly sleep well tonight! I take turns cuddling the girls while I watch TV - I tried to read a magazine while holding Tara, but she started to eat it!

At dinner, Daisy's bowl is a bit too close to where the puppies are, and she shows her displeasure by peeing on the rug. And she gets so agitated that she throws up on the tile floor for good measure. It's time to take her for a walk. Buster MUST be mellowing in his old age, because he doesn't complain once that he's been left behind - But Daisy and I aren't gone too long. There are some days at Beagle Camp that are tougher than others…I can't believe it's only been ten days - the pounds of newspaper, the pints of Lysol, the yards of plastic…the MOUNDS of confetti…the punctured feet and hands…the lack of sleep…all balances out with a puppy snuggle. The girls should be tired enough to sleep so that Pam and I can watch West Wing, and it starts out that way, but then the girls get their second wind. Dixie climbs over the barricade in search of amusement, and that sets Tara and Georgia into fits of frenzied barking. I scoop up Dixie, who's headed for Daisy's couch, and plop her on Pam's lap. Then I go get Tara and Georgia, and we all settle down for about 15 seconds. The girls are squirming and wriggling, itching to get down and find SOMETHING more interesting than their foster mom's laps. I put Georgia and Tara back in the kitchen, and take Dixie from Pam - and put her back too. I cover the crate with the towel and put the top half of the barricade in place - after a good 10 minutes, they finally calm down and sack out. Meanwhile, I've missed my favorite TV show! It was a big day at Beagle Camp!