Voles in the Yard

As the snow in the yard melts, the tunnels voles have made become visible.

Maia loves hunting voles. She can spend hours guarding a vole hole. Listening. Waiting. Ever so patient. She'll stand in front of a hole, tipping her head to and fro like the RCA dog of yore, listening to them moving under the snow.

How frustrating!

Often, when we're all inside, I see the voles moving from one hole to another. By the time I can open the door and point it out to Maia, it's gone.

Meadow isn't as intrigued. Although, there have been times when I find a dead vole between Meadow's legs while she's laying in the yard. Apparently, cat-like, Meadow will catch one and play with it until it's dead. Then she guards it from Maia.

If Maia catches a vole, she inhales it.

This series of photos was taken this afternoon. It's snowing. Yes - March 28th and it's snowing. But it wasn't when I started shooting this series of photos which cover an hour's time. In general sequence: Maia stands and sits patiently at one particular vole hole near the house. Snow piles onto her coat. She doesn't notice. She can be vary patient. Meadow goes outside to keep Maia company, snoozing on the bank of snow nearby, watching unobtrusively. Maia shows some impatience by digging at the mouth of the hole she's been watching so intently. Meadow becomes bored and comes to the door, imploring me to come out and play. Meadow does a play bow toward me, then prances over to her ball, hoping to entice Maia into a game of chase, but Maia continues sitting and staring at the vole hole, refusing to be distracted. She doesn't move from her vulture-like sitting position. Vigilant. Meadow gives up, plopping down onto the snow with the ball between her feet.

Another exciting Friday evening at the dog lady's house!

I need to get a life.