Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be? (Thursday, Feb. 3)

Herb went to bed early last night.  Kara and I were enjoying watching television when Hero began barking loudly outside the back door.  It was his imperious bark that means, "Let me in!  Let me in!"  Being closer to the door, Kara hopped up, keeping one eye on the television, and slid open the glass door to let Hero in.  Just as she plopped back into her chair, I heard a loud "THUNK!"  Almost simultaneously, Kara leaped to her feet, exclaiming, "Oh, Mom!  Oh, Mom!  Oh!  Oh!  Oh!  Oh, Hero!  Oh, gross!  Oh, my gosh!"  I hurried around to see what had upset her and just as quickly began yelling for Herb.

Herb, of course, was already asleep and was not too happy about being woken up, but I was adamant that we absolutely needed him right then.  So he groaned his way into the living room--and then he understood why his presence was indispensable:

He knows me well enough by now to know that I don't do disposal of dead animals, no matter how little of them might be left!

Sadly enough, deer season ended weeks ago, and this was a very fresh leg, so we know there's a poacher in the hunting preserve.  He obviously took only what he wanted--leaving the rest for Hero to find.