Today we had some driveway work done. The driveway up to my workshop is a MESS! All washed out and badly rutted. I bent a rim on Marie’s Subaru by taking it up this driveway. It’s time to dig deep into the pockets and get repairs done or it will just keep getting worse.

Cochise insisted on going out to chase the tractor and the dump truck and hurl heinous threats at everyone. He stayed on his side of the fencing, they stayed on theirs. He got so worked up early on that he leapt up against the fencing, bounced back, and did a back flip!

After a half hour of these intense aerobics, I went out with a lead to bring him back to the house. He offered no resistance at all. His tongue was hanging so low he was tripping on it!

We got half way up the hill to the house and he just flopped over on his side and panted, “I can’t go any farther, carry me!”

“Ain’t happening, Chief. But you may rest a bit.” He weighs around 90 pounds: I am not carrying him anywhere.

In a few moments he was ready to try again. He got up to the the yard water bowl, drank about a gallon of water and we went inside. He was SO tuckered out he just crashed on a dog bed in the living room.

He rested a bit then wanted back out. I discouraged him as he stood there with his nose wedged resolutely in the door: “I NEED to be out there!”

He decided to let his apprentice, Josephine handle it for a while and went back to resting. Later on he did insist on going out again: Josie was getting tired now.

This time he restrained himself to standing in one place and barking. Still, it didn’t take long and he was back wanting another nap.

Around lunch time the driveway folks said, “Rain is just a few miles away, we need to skedaddle.” And they packed up their toys and rolled on out. They’ll be back to finish up next week. Exactly when that will be depends on the weather:

Based on that forecast, Cochise will get a good long rest before being called out again to defend the yard from tractors and dump trucks.