Two weeks ago when Koyuk was scheduled to take the test, she was in critical care fighting for her life. A special testing was held for her last night. I was concerned that both she and I might be too stressed and that she would be too velcro for the 3 minute alone with a stranger separation test. But after a few minutes in class, she was able to focus and went through her paces like a champ. The stranger was indeed a stranger but after she figured out he didn't have any treats, she laid down and closed her eyes as class went on around her. Twenty dogs, including three excited puppies, and handlers in a small room were part of the "mingle" test. Normally "mingling" (walking on loose leash in a mingling crowd), is done just with humans but her test was done as part of the class. She really wanted to play with the puppies but successfully pulled off mingling.
This was our first outing since everyone became so ill and Willy's death. It feels good to finally be able to start moving on. I am so proud of her for passing.
Yesterday I made the first big garden bouquet. 
While picking the flowers, I heard all kinds of primal calls coming from the trees bordering the garden. At first I thought it was a crow mimicking the blue herons but it soon became evident that there was a nest of hungry chicks too. Then I saw the pair of Turkey Vultures flying in and out of the trees. I grabbed my camera with telephoto lens and started my search.
Somewhere up there is a buzzard nest. 
Suddenly I was dive-bombed by a very upset raven warning me away from her nest while the upset buzzards screeched overhead
.
A little research and I now know that turkey vultures nest on the ground. With the pair of foxes living in my barn, I find this hard to believe. I must have been close to their nest while photographing the raven's nest. The insistent chirps of robins and swallows have nothing on the ruckus from these two nests serenading me while I garden.
.jpg)
