FIRST WEEKEND AT THE NEW DOGWOOD FULL OF EXCITEMENT--AND A NEAR STROKE

PICTURED: Charlie--completely wore out after his first escape attempt at New Dogwood

Yes--we finally introduced the Dogwood pack to what will be their new home.
 Last weekend, we hauled Lucy, Charlie, Daisy, Hines, Bart, and Sebastian from Clarksville to the new house in Waverly. Needless to say, after the hour in their kennels, they were not happy once we got there.
I just spent almost 3000 bucks having their backyard fenced in. I had it done in two parts, so that they could either be in the yard, or in the carport. I really thought this was smart, providing them with shade and a place to be when it was wet outside.
TEN MINUTES after we got there and put the kids inside the fence, I was running for my life after Charlie and Hines, chasing them down the hill, up into the hollow, thru back yards, and into the woods.
But I digress.
My father, God love him, was trying to help me get the canine convicts (literally) from the back of the truck into the back yard area. But someone pulled up the drive way and he walked off to go investigate, leaving the gate open. It took two seconds for ALL FOUR dogs to bolt.
Thank God, Lucy and Daisy went straight to my father--but Charlie (who was quite upset by the change of venue) took off like a bullet. He never stopped, he never looked back, he just ran!
Hines, who loves Charlie to death, was right on his heels.
No matter how hard I screamed at them, they just RAN~!
To make a long story short, I caught them. But I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I did.
Welllll, then Charlie slipped out of his collar and took off again. I was spent--no way I could have followed him. I also had Hines bucking in my arms, trying to follow Charlie down the road.
But God watches over old stubborn dogs, and idiots like me. The guy who was installing our satellite had followed me down to the edge of the hill and got hold of Charlie for me.
Then, just to make things more interesting, when I tried to slip Charlie's collar over his head, Hines tried to bite the satellite man.
That's gratitude for you!
Everyone was put back in the fence and they finally all calmed down and laid in the shade of --what else--the dogwood tree there.
Bart and Sebastian had a ball. They climbed everything there was to climb, and got multiple spankings for it.
Needless to say that with two escapes and two acrobats making me claw closer to a nervous breakdown--NO ONE was out of my sight for the rest of the weekend.
But everyone finally calmed down, and mostly laid around the house and snoozed.
It was all calm and happy--until we loaded everybody up for the trip back to Clarksville. BAD DADDY!
Of course, this event scared me to death. Thank God we are up in that hollow away from the highway--but by the hand of God, Charlie and Hines went UP the hollow road and not DOWN towards the highway.
But, like I said--God loves us, and watches over us, and I thank him 10,000 times a day for it.
New Dogwood has officially been christened as the house got six new residents, my heart got a jump start, and THE GATE GOT A LOCK.