Misty Morning

A foggy morning is beautiful in a landscape, though unfortunately, foggy is also a bit how I feel this Monday morning. I took this photo Sunday morning, just at sunrise as I was coming back to Roundtop after running out to get a Sunday paper.

After a busy weekend, I need a weekend where I have nothing to do but relax and enjoy the beauty around me. Instead, my weekend felt like a battle plan, with missions to accomplish and activities scheduled hour by hour. Missions accomplished; I got through it, but with no time to relax or enjoy.

I can report that Baby Dog had her first recorded encounter with a toad and survived to tell the tale. With luck, her encounter will keep her from attacking toads for the rest of her life, though with Baby Dog this isn’t really a sure bet. Saturday evening we’d taken an after dark walk down to the end of the lane and were almost back to the cabin when Baby Dog tugged hard on the leash and went after something. She had her mouth on it before I could see anything or stop her. Just about then I saw a large toad hop away, presumably unscathed.

Toads secrete a substance that causes dogs to salivate excessively if they try to eat or catch the toad. Baby Dog spent the next half hour salivating and trying to get rid of that substance. Flushing a dog’s mouth with water will help them get rid of it quicker. The substance isn’t dangerous to the dog, unless you live in Colorado or Texas where certain kinds of toads are really poisonous to dogs.

Every dog I’ve ever owned has had one toad in their history, but only one. I think it’s a little like kids sticking their fingers in a light socket. No matter how small the kid, once is all that’s needed for them to learn never to do that again. I hope Baby Dog has learned her lesson.