Brandy, Our LGH (Livestock Guardian Horse!)

After wading through about 175 emails this morning, I was just heading back to bed with toast and tea when I saw Brandy (in the Home Pasture right behind the house) craning her neck toward the back of the property, standing stock still staring at something.  (Ooh, love that alliteration!)

Before I could grab my camera and snap any pictures Brandy had turned to look at me although Angel and Julie were still busy eating.  But I had seen what caught Brandy's attention!

Two graceful shapes were flitting across the Back Pasture, heading toward the pond and the woods.

Thanks to their cautious advance, I had time to grab my telephoto lens and switch.  I slid the back door open enough to lean against the frame and steady my lens--and started shooting.  Not the kind of shooting that's making the deer extra cautious, though!

By flits and freezes the deer advanced, a doe and her grown fawn, I think.

The one in the shadow stopped to grab a bite while the one in the sun leaped ahead to reach relative invisibility.

They disappeared somewhere in the area of the pond, probably hidden behind the tall, feathery weeds, down where the water has dropped low due to lack of rain.

Once I had lost the deer, I looked around to see what everyone else was doing:  Siobhan and Sara chewed their cud by the water tank, Julie and Angel ate steadily while Brandy still watched toward the Back Pasture.  Hey, that's what she gets for being the Alpha!  I bet she could have told me exactly where the deer were.

It occurred to me to wonder, like Sherlock Holmes, at the incident of what the dog did (in the day, this time)--nothing!  Where was everyone?  Even the Triplets, who usually yap non-stop much of the day, were quiet.  So I went to see.

Misty was sacked out in the sun out front.  In her defense, maybe she was tired after being (audibly) on guard all night.

Or then again, maybe she was tired out after her busy-ness the past few days . . .

. . .turning the front yard into her treasure chest again.

Hero was drowsing right outside the front door, too sleepy to look up.

Zephyr had been asleep inside on the landing carpet until an acorn hit the porch roof with a loud clunk! Then she sprang to her feet and raced to the back door barking furiously, continuing to give little warning woofs even after I told her everything was ok.  I think she wanted me to know she's on the job in the house even if outside is somebody else's job.

I waited awhile to see if the deer would come back across the pasture, but finally I gave up and took my tea to bed.  There was nothing I needed to do--Brandy was on guard!