Hi Friends,

I have four large dogs, one medium sized dog, and a 15-lb. wonder named Gracie.

Gracie likes to hide under one of the bigger dogs, and then run out the door without a lead on when the opportunity presents itself.

With my husband working, I can't lure her with the truck, b/c my spouse has it.

Last week she beat it out of the house, and surrendered in the soon-to-be vegetable garden.

Well today I wasn't so lucky. She ran into the fenced area with the horses and steers, but left them alone and just ran down the back pasture towards the ponds. As I walked down the hill behind her, I heard hoofbeats behind me. I turned expecting to see Stormy, our horse, but there was Winston, one of our black angus steers about six feet behind me.

In the meantime Gracie had made a sharp left into the southeast pasture.

I have learned to move slowly on our property, or inevitably my foot will find a hidden hole, and I twist something and injure myself.

The southeast pasture didn't contain Gracie for long, and she bounded under the barbed wire fence, and I chose to follow. She ran across our neighbor's pasture, flew over a three-foot fence, and disappeared into the woods on the far side.

I followed as fast as I could. Wouldn't you know I chose my clogs over my running shoes today of all days.

The woods were really quite nice. While I had lost sight of Gracie, I didn't give up my steady pursuit. When I reached a small stream there was Gracie, stopped on the edge as well.

In a minute she had plunged into the water, and hopped out the other side. I stepped on some small branches to ease my crossing, but they were dry and broke, and my feet went into the cool water too.

Fortunately, I spent a lot of time as a child in the woods, exploring things. I climbed out the other side and kept going. When the woods ended there was Gracie again running across another pasture at top speed.

I followed, and after just entering the woods on the far side, I called Gracie and she came to me and surrendered.

I led her back home around a fairly large pond and across several wide fields. I lay on the ground, rolled under the barbed wire fence again, and we proceded up the back hill to the house.

Molly, by biggest St. Bernard, and Baby Girl, one of my medium sized St. Bernards, both sniffed Gracie thoroughly when we got inside to make sure she was OK.

It was a pretty day for such antics.

That's all from the Prairie for now.

EJ