The Tortoise and the Hairy...

The last time Pierre, our three year old cocker spaniel, barked continuously for over ten minutes, it was because he had found a large water moccasin hidden in the big leaves of our magnolia tree near the front pond. But that's a story for another time.

So, I left the studio to see what was the matter this time and found Pierre just confounded by a box turtle that entered the garden to munch on some clover. He was so put off by the turtle and wanted me to come by to see and explain to him why this rock smells different and moves. I never saw the turtle's head come out of its shell in all of the twenty minutes I was there laughing at Pierre's antics and clicking away at his frustration. It was hilarious watching him try to figure out this whole scene. Every now and then, he'd raise his head to look at me with a puzzled stare as if to say, "What's up wit dis! though he wouldn't let me get close enough to it to give the turtle a breather.

I guess the dog figured a bird in hand is better than one in the bush because there was no hesitation when I said the magic word,"Treat"? Once indoors, I escorted the turtle back to the pond where it could escape to should Pierre sniff him out again!