You would think that cute can’t also mean more ferocious than all of hell, but you would be wrong.
Laudie, cuteness defined, and such a happy dog, is always at the ready for the worst, wanting to defend what she has and yours truly, ready to lay down her life.
Laudie-dog’s hearing is rather spectacular. She hears things I would never begin to notice. I guess that’s her job given to her by her wonderful Creator. She’s always at DEFCON 5 - at the ready, and last night her antennae threw her into action.
She skipped DEFCON 4, which, for her, would be taking note of the barking of other dogs echoing throughout the ridges, trying to figure out what they are on about, but without joining in, as it’s not her job to bark just to do it.
Ever polite, Laudie-dog pretended to move only into DEFCON 3 while she was in the hermitage, so that I myself wouldn’t get a heart attack. She could hardly hold herself back, snorting, sniffing, jumping up and down, glancing at me to see if I was catching on, and then looking in the direction of the noise, again and again, then snorting and sniffing and snorting and sniffing, and beckoning me to let her out and let her out NOW if I expected to survive what she knew was happening outside.
So, O.K. DEFCON 2 for Laudie-dog. I opened the door and she was — how to say it? — a nuclear weapon that was deployed but not yet set off. She ran down the steps and straight into the pitch dark forest. How she could see before her eyes could adjust is just amazing to me.
It only took her perhaps four seconds to go into a wild frenzy of growling and barking and charging and threatening whatever it was. I stayed outside the door — silly me — peering into the darkness. I don’t have a gun, but whether man or beast, standing outside amidst such hellish mayhem would indicate that I did have a gun and was willing to use it.
Thank goodness, nuclear war was not imminent. I now heard whatever it was, perhaps only twenty yards away, smashing through the forest, heavily breaking branches, making an ever so annoyed get-away. So, DEFCON 1 was avoided.
Because of the awkward escape — not what panthers or lynx or bobcats do, or what coyotes or wolves do — I’m guessing that it was a bear, or a human intruder. One swat from an annoyed bear and that would be the end of Laudie-dog. But, she doesn’t care. Now, there’s a lesson for me, for all of us.
If it was a human intruder, he knows that I’m willing to have a confrontation, which will put him off, right?
I’m happy to have Laudie-dog always at the ready. 
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops, deacons & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. Prayer and sacrifice go up, of course, for both Benedict XVI and the next Successor of Saint Peter. 
Seems like you need a weapon Father.. just in case. Didn’t you mention this before? Is it on a wishlist?
yay! Laudie-dog!
Father you are truely blessed to have Laudie as a companion. May The Lord keep her in good health and continue to protect both you and her…
j : The problem is that in this area, the item for which breaking and entering and robbery occurs is a gun. If “they” think you have one (druggies – lots of them – and black-market gun dealers – lots of them), it’ll be gone pretty quickly, along with anything else you might have. But let’s say that that’s just my paranoia. I could probably handle myself.
I did joke before about a gun that would take down a bear. But not only are they expensive, but the ammo is expensive, and my aim isn’t great without a bit of practice, and… and… that kind of gun would surely be illegal in a week or so and then confiscated with no recompense by Joe Biden’s executive orders for Obama to undo the 2nd ammendment of the Constitution like a dictator. But, perhaps, that’s just my paranoia again.
Also, never buy a gun for someone on a wishlist!
Lol Father.. you are right.. bad idea to buy one on someones wish list
But on the flipside if you have one before we cant buy them anymore you will be okay.
Maybe a baseball bat? Not that I would want you to face a bear with one…
But sounds like all you need is brave Laudie .. what a good dog!
… heavily breaking branches – h o p e f u l l y bears coming out of hibernation with cubs looking for watering holes, bird seed, food in a frozen forest. The alternative might not be so prone to get-aways. So, good. I hope. Thank you for the news, especially the sleepy warmth picture and those fowl. Did Laudie see that happening to the rooster?
________________________________
125: Laudie is afraid of the rooster, as she should be, very afraid.
You need a sling shot, Father, like david of old.
Joisy Goil: He only had a sling! If I did have a gun, I wouldn’t hold back. It would have to be a semi-auto with an ample magzine, with bullets strong enough to go through the always-steel-plated-foreheads of bears. I mean, you must know the recent story of the lady with kids being attacked by some fellow in her house, how she shot him in the face with a .38 five times, and that only slowed him down but didn’t stop him, and he survived O.K.? Imagine a bear! But, as I say. That’s expensive, and takes an awful lot of time. It would have to be appropriate for a cc permit. However, no. Toooooo much!
Good points! You’d probably be better to just continue to rely on Laudie’s and your Guardian Angel’s protection.