Apparently my choice in house sitters caused a bit of a commotion in my neighborhood while I was away on our trip. I tried to ask my squirrel friends to keep an eye on things, but they are always in such a rush I couldn’t pin them down for a commitment. In the past my mice friends were more than happy to stay in the house in our absence. But Dad was not pleased with the mess they left in the basement, so I didn’t dare ask them again. And Mom put up such a stink the year my skunk friend stayed on the property, that I definitely wasn’t going to hire his services again. I considered asking the neighborhood cat, but he’s rather aloof. Besides, no one really knows who Rusty belongs to or where he lives, and Angel Chuck Billy once accused him of being a cat burglar.
Therefore I made arrangements with my cow neighbors, who live on the other side of the woods. Sure it is a far hike for them through the woods, but once I mentioned all the clover growing in my yard they were more than happy to agree to come watch the place. In hindsight I probably should have mentioned this plan to Dad, because when he saw the cows on our security cameras, he called the neighbor to let them know they were here. Another neighbor, also informed Dad about the cows. Apparently his kids spotted them in our yard on the way home from the school bus stop. Their Dad didn’t believe them, but when driving past got a glimpse of one. Not sure of the fuss though, I didn’t hire them to be undercover security, so of course they would be seen!
The cows though took their responsibility serious. After unceremoniously being ushered back to their yard, they asked their friend the non-venomous Eastern Milk Snake to keep watch on our house. Rather clever if you ask me, because although harmless, at first glance he looked like a rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes are not native to Maine, but still would probably make someone think twice about trespassing. For some reason, Mom was not pleased in the slightest when she surprised my guest by almost stepping on him. I suppose she had a reason to be upset. What kind of security guard is he if he almost got stepped on by Mom? He clearly didn’t see her coming, and was caught napping on the job. Also if Angel Chuck Billy was here, he would now insist that we move, because he would not want a snake, even a non-venomous one, knowing where we live. Snakes were his kryptonite.
But alls well that ends well! The house is exactly as we left it, and the considerate cows even left a few “pies” in the yard to welcome me home. However, yet again, oddly enough Mom and Dad weren’t pleased with the cows’ thoughtfulness. They wouldn’t even let me sample it, before shoveling it up to throw out.
