"Ticks" me off!

Shakey and Spazz had been running free all winter. No leash for them now.

And boy! Were they happy dogs now!

Shakey didn't look so much like a small horse anymore... not so fat !

And Spazz liked laying around on the porch, sunning himself, snapping at the flies.

Pushin' his nose at White-Haired Lady to get her to pet him.

Every morning they bolt out the kitchen door and run for the woods!

They stay gone for a while, but always come back for breakfast and drinks.

Lots of times,they drink from the pond! You should see the fish scatter then!!!!

Most of the time Spazz just stays close to the house when White Haired Lady is out, but Shakey, well you can tell he is on an adventure in those woods!

Barking at who knows what! Running back and forth after something I never see! Sniffing like an old steam engine up a steep hill!

And always has a smile on his face when he comes back!

Just tellin' him he has to get back in the house makes his head drop, and ears hang low, and his tail falls to the ground.

That is one free spirit!

Until... last Saturday.

Big Dude and White Haired Lady were relaxing after chores in the front yard, when Big Dude started looking at Shakey real close.

After getting Shakey to lie still on his back next to him, Big Dude started pullin', T-I-C-K-S!

a-a-r-r-r-g-g-h-h-h-h-h-u-h-h !!!!!

e-e-e-e-e-ey-y-y-y-y-y-ye-e-e-e-e-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-u-h!!!

White Haired Lady was not close enough to see, and Big Dude wasn't tellin' her how many were on Shakey.

But soon enough, Big dude said, " think we better get him in for a bath."

So White Haired Lady and Big Dude took Shakey in to the bathroom, and began the task of

"Tick-Pickin'".

Nobody countin' to be exact, but there was more than a hundred of those ticks on Shakey!

And White Haired Lady was near tears when it was all said and done.

Shakey had a body full of tick welts, and sad eyes too!

Sad because he knew there was no more "runnin free" in the woods now that the ticks were out.

And next was Spazz's turn in the tub.