Beware of the Killer Penguins (or "Just when you thought it was safe to go in your backyard"...)

We live on a golf course with lots of woods and lakes. So we often get "critters" wandering into our yard. We have rabbits (not good for the plants), snakes (not good for my nerves), and mice (not good for anything in my opinion). I ranted and raved in the patio at 1am one morning trying to find the offending must-be-huge frog that was bellowing outside the windows and doors - only to find an itty-bitty toad (who knows, maybe the BIG ones are tenors while the little ones croak bass?) And more than once I've heard Izzie (our youngest miniature schnauzer) frantically barking and doing a little meerkat mob dance to find that she was "worrying" a snake away from the porch (good girl, Izzie! Just don't get your snout bit!)



So I let Izzie and Shelby out last night before bed. It was midnight. Soon I hear frantic barking, barking, barking! Alarmed at what (or WHO) might be out there, I look out the window to see what the commotion was about. I could see Izzie near the master bedroom bay window but, as she seemed to be barking at the boulder in front of it, I assumed she was fussing at a frog or some other critter. She kept dancing around the edge of the boulder, letting whatever-it-was know in NO uncertain terms that SHE was there and was having none of it! As it was midnight, I called her back in so our neighbors would still talk to us when we next meet and not talk about us to everyone else! It took some doing to get her to let loose of her fixation on whatever was out there but I thought nothing of it as she came back inside the house.

This morning I let both dogs out as usual. Soon I hear the barking again and assume it's someone next door (they've been putting in a pool and landscaping - any of the workmen warrant a stern warning that security is on premises and not to forget it!) I glanced out after awhile to see who was next door only to see that Izzie was barking at the boulder again.

Now yesterday I had moved some things around in the backyard trying to tidy up some things, make the hoses more accessible to the hanging plants, etc. So I had forgotten about one particular item I'd moved elsewhere. So imagine my laughter when I finally figured out what Izzie had her back up about. THIS is what she was protecting me against:




So BEWARE of sunbathing penguins - they are so vicious you know!