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| LIAM WATCHING SQUIRRELS IN THE FRONT OF OUR HOUSE |
Liam and I are outside in the snow. At home in New Hyde Park. He is chasing squirrels. He prefers those in the front yard as they just hang out eating nuts in full view from our front windows. Sort of taunting. Right now he is settling for those in the backyard trees. I am doing some snow cleanup, poop pickup, recyclable transfers-inside can to outside can, ice melt sprinkling. Liam has gone around the corner of the house out of my field of vision. About 5 minutes pass, then I hear the barking. Distant but familiar. Liam.
How? His voice should be closer and not so insistent. Quick check of the backyard -no Liam. More barking. I go out to the front, noting as I go that the driveway fence gate is closed. I also glance up at the front door-also shut, both our new storm door and interior door forming a double barrier. I reach the front of the driveway and turn towards the direction of the barking. There he is, out front, off leash, barking, playing, free, sniffing, burrowing into the tunnels the squirrels have made,
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| LIAM OUT FRONT |
Greeting the school kids as they trek home. "Liam, come here." He does. Why I do not know, he never comes when I call. I usher him back into the fenced yard and continue my outdoor chores, puzzling over how he got out.
Another 5 minutes. Again the persistent barking. Our mail carrier is coming up the driveway, followed by Liam.
How the heck? Liam is out again.
What is going on?
I accept my mail and push Liam back in through the driveway gate, again.
He heads out to the back, using the perimeter of the yard as his preferred route.
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| RUNNING ALONG THE PERIMETER |
By doing so, he is out of sight for a bit.
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| GOING BEHIND THE TREES |
I follow, camera in hand, I always have it ready. He pops out on the side of the house and his actions proceed to reveal how he has been escaping.
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| LIAM SURFACING AT THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE |
The snow on this side of the house is now the same height as the fence. This must have just occurred with the last storm. Our neighbor has been adding his excess snow to ours and now we have a mountain. A mountain that is but a short climb for a curious dog intent on chasing squirrels in the front yard. I document Liam's escape.
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| CLIMBING UP |
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| NEARING THE PINNACLE |
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| MADE IT TO THE TOP |
I meet him at the front and he willingly comes with me. Squirrel-less.
We call our shovelers. We have to move this mountain away from the fence. For $30 Liam's winter wooferland is demolished. He returns to find level ground.
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| MOUNTAIN GONE |
He tries to reach the top but no success.
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| WHERE IS IT? |
Maybe next storm.
Woof Woof
