Lizbit has a chain collar, which I keep on her only when she's on leash. I've discovered that the choke chain is a better training aid for a headstrong little four-footer who needs to learn "heel." But I did a dumb thing. This morning, I forgot to take it off her after her walk. She went outside in the back yard to play, fallen branches and all. When she came back, the chain collar was missing. I found it, snagged on sturdy branch. It could have injured her or even hanged her, and it would have been all my fault. She managed to wriggle out of it, without so much as complaining. Thank you, Power That Be in Charge of Dogs.
I have a treasured live oak tree that is very rare for my area. Live oaks aren't supposed to grow in this zone, but I've kept this one alive for more than two decades. It was a gorgeous tree, but I thought it had been finished off by the ice storm. Enormous quantites of live oak are on the ground. I finally got close enough to pull away some of the debris, however, and the main trunk and a good quantity of upper branches remain intact. I may need to get help in having it pruned by a professional, but I now think the live oak will survive for more years to come. (My irrational plan is for it to get too big for the house and the yard, then call a realtor, charge extra for the lovely tree, and move, right before its roots take out the sidewalk. Okay. I won't really do that, but the tree is a wonder.
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