CP Foster Hazel is determined!

Contributed by Hazel's foster mom

I have to set the stage - I buy cheapo puffed rice (NOT the cereal with sugar - just puffed rice) and throw a handful out on the kitchen floor when I'm filling kongs (so The Girls (including MAY!!) won't bark at me). Tim, my All-American, being taller than the Cairns, tends to end up with puffed rice pieces in his coat. So I'm getting out of the shower, greeted by my Constant Companions, Tim and Nana - Hazel has been cleaning the bottom of my slippers (she's so funny - comes in, turns over the slippers to make sure no rice is squished on them and cleans them - bet I have the cleanest slippers in Vermont!) so she is there too.

Suddenly Hazel spies the pieces of rice on Tim's side and back. She tentatively reaches up to get one, and he immediately knows and turns and give her the Stink Eye - FOILED Hazel says, so she looks away. About 30 seconds later, she tries again... again Tim can feel her touching him and gives her the Eye again. She backs off. Once more, she tries, same result so finally, she gives up. I, in the meantime, was laughing my head off, Nana was laughing with me and wagging her tail a million miles an hour - she didn't know what the joke was but she loves to laugh and wag her tail.

Fun morning!!

Hazel is being fostered in Vermont and she is available for adoption. You can learn more about her by clicking here.

Life with Hazel

Written by Hazel's foster mom



Hazel has perfected the balance beam in her quest for the ever elusive chipmunk(s) Here's the set-up. I had a small section of fence that divides the side part of the yard (with the shed) from the main part. This is rather handy since I can close off that section when I am getting the mower out, etc. so I didn't have them remove it when they put up the BIG fence. I have so much brush from my trees that there are piles on either side of the fence. That doesn't stop Miss Hazel - She has figured out how to jump up there and patrol the area. In addition to the brush piles, the chipmunk goes regularly under the shed (several Hazel dug holes there) and in the shed (she ALMOST got him in the bottom of the wood pile)

So this weekend we had chipmunk sightings or soundings first under the screened in porch. She started digging and wacking her paws against the lattice to try and get under there. So I grab a big piece of fencing and spend about a half hour tying it up against the lattice so she can't get under the porch. FOILED!

Then he is heard in the downspout of my gutters on the other side yard.I heard him too so she wasn't dreaming. Grabbed her and her Mom and took them in - then I came and rapped on the spout to get the little critter OUT of there! Back out they came to worry at it some more. Hazel pulled off the part of the gutter that comes unhitched and dragged it into the middle of the yard to discover it was empty. I think I put it back on 3 times after she kept pulling it off. In order to make sure she didn't destroy my downspout, I found MORE fencing and managed to get the whole thing fenced in. She patiently sat beside this fencing for most of Saturday and early Sunday until she figured out he must have left.

She's 10 years old and she's making ME 100 YEARS OLD!!! What a Cairn........ Good thing it was a nice weekend - if it had been raining,I would have been cursing.

Hazel is being fostered in Vermont. If you would like to learn more about her, please click here.

CP's foster Hazel the Chipmunk Killer almost becomes Hazel the Blue JayKiller!

Written by Hazel's foster mom

but luckily she seemed shocked she actually GOT the bird and only managed to get some feathers off him.... and foster Mom was VERY happy with no dead bird in the closed-in porch.

Here's the scene: I tend to leave the screen door open in the winter because, hey - NO BUGS! And then I can stay in the nice warm house while the dogs go out in the yard to do their business. I have had birds fly into the screened in porch before but never a Blue Jay.

My late cairn Myra would have died - she wanted SO MUCH to catch a bird in the porch - she tried so hard. Anyway both The Girls immediately noticed me trying to get the Jay back out the door and rushed over. Dumb bird actually went down to their level and before I could race over to that corner with my broom, Hazel had managed to grab him. I really think she was shocked, as she let him go and he flew up. Got the dogs in the house finally and went back out for the bird.

He sat on the rafters and talked to me - I put the broom up near him and he hopped on it and actually stayed on for the 5 steps it took me to get him out the door- then he flew off. There were about 5 tail feathers left in the porch and every time we have gone out since, The Girls immediately run over to that corner hoping he is still there.

Never a dull moment but I'm glad I don't have to change her nickname to Hazel, The Blue Jay Killer...

Hazel is being fostered in Vermont and you can learn more about her and all of the other cairns available for adoption by clicking here.

CP Foster Smyrna - Good Girl!! Fetch

Written by Smyrna and Hazel's foster mom

Hazel and Smyrna

Smyrna

o.k. I still haven't sent an introduction on these two girls yet but I had to share a funny store. Smyrna is the "Mom" to Hazel, The Chipmunk Killer. Smyrna is 11+ and VERY overweight. However that doesn't stop her from being a Ball Fiend and great Fetcher.

So last night after supper (Editorial question here - do ALL dogs like to play after supper? It was always Myra's favorite time - used to drive my Mom crazy with her growling all through the 6:00 news, LOL) and Smyrna had a cuz that had it's feet chewed off (thanks to Hazel of course) which she was chasing.

So I toss it again and it takes her a few minutes and back she comes with MY SLIPPER? o.k. now that's very cute - Austin fetched my slipper the other day and then peed on it (Gotta love The Pee Man) so I didn't think anything about it but OF COURSE (punch line and you saw it coming right?), her cuz was IN MY SLIPPER. Smart Girl! Can't get the ball out so you bring the whole thing. Of course it blew my idea that she would fetch my slippers for me all the time. Oh well..........

Smyrna and Hazel are being fostered in Vermont. If you would like to know more about them or the other available cairns that Col. Potter has for adoption, please click here.

CP Foster Hazel - 1 ; Chipmunks - 0

Written by Hazel's foster Mom


Yup she hasn't even been here 2 weeks (tomorrow will be) and already one chipmunk bit the dust. Since her first day here, she has scouted out all the hiding places and put the chipmunk(s) on full alert. They had gotten lazy since Myra passed in early March. Darn!! I know she can't help it but chipmunks are so CUTE it always kills me...

This girl has probably theone of the most intense prey drives I have ever seen. Maybe even more than Myra which is really saying something. You don't want to be in her vicinity unless you have ear plugs when she spies a squirrel or cat in the yard either. She's already missed her supper twice this week because she wouldn't leave her hunting post in the backyard.

Cairns, got to love 'em (I think)

So, if you have a yard that needs the critters kept at bay, consider Hazel who is being fostered in Vermont. You can check on her and the other cairns that Col. Potter has available for adption by clicking here.