Friday, June 5, 2015

Zeb's temptation

Tuesday 28th April 2015
 
Zeb was greatly "temptated".  That's my word for his being led into temptation: I don't think dogs can actually be tempted because they act more according to instinct or conditioning than by conscience.
     Anyway, Zeb had been cheerfully running along beside the horse and had got slightly ahead when suddenly he stopped and snuffed the air as though something might temptate him off into the trees to our left.  I started to trot which encouraged him to hurry straight on.  Once he had got safely ahead of us, Molly stopped dead with her ears pricked to the left, showing me where a deer had frozen motionless to avoid Zeb's notice.  The deer walked quietly past us and we moved forward, turning right onto a smaller track.
     I called to Zeb to follow us, which he did for a short distance before suddenly turning and running after a hare.  The hare disappeared into long grass, but I could tell what was happening from the zig-zag way that Zeb was running.  Happily, that almost certainly meant that the hare would give him the slip.
     Meanwhile, all this commotion caused a heron to take fright  --  and flight.  With a heavy flapping, the heron rose from what had been a nice quiet pond and flew away above us, drawing my attention to a bird of prey gliding overhead.
     I called Zeb, who now came to heel and followed us the rest of the way home.  His having been so temptated had given me a lovely lot of wildlife viewing!


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