MaryAnn and her ball

Our dog MaryAnn is a bit neurotic when it comes to balls. She will chase them, chew them, demolish them and even scoot them around if too heavy to lift. Like this bowling ball. Tim got it for her from the place he works (he's a driver for the city garbage disposal utility). People throw away good stuff all the time and although he is not allowed to scavange, ocassionally an item like this discarded bowling ball finds its way home in his truck.

Our previous next door neighbors had a young girl who often played with beach balls in her backyard. Sometimes the balls found their way into our yard and POOF! The ball would be demolished if MaryAnn was out back. She often came to our front door, "can you help me get my ball from your backyard?" Of course, I would always do so. She had been warned numerous times that if it happened while the dogs were out, she could kiss her ball goodbye. Once I felt bad because it was a particularly nice ball that MaryAnn killed so I went out and bought her another.

PS - the dogs were barking this morning at 5:00am and woke me up so I yelled at them to settle down. Tim found fresh moose tracks going across our front lawn when he got up later. I guess the dogs did have good reason to bark. I should have woke up and took a picture, but I didn't....I was too tired. I'm still recuperating from being sick. Today I went to work, but became so tired, feverish, and snotty that I came home after half a day and went back to bed for a nap.