Will it rain or won't it?

It's Tuesday morning and the weather is looking like rain. The weather bureau didn't mention it raining this morning in Adelaide, but then I'm not in Adelaide, I'm in Redbanks (I'm glad about that!).

The Bureau did mention possible rain in Adelaide this afternoon, so that possibility is there. We sometimes get rain when it misses Adelaide, and the other way round.

Of course, if it does rain, that means the dogs won't want to be outside. The Pharaoh Hounds don't like getting wet. The Schnauzers have thick coats so the rain drops don't always make it to their skin, they just gather the drops together in their hair so they can share the water with me when they come inside!

It's funny, I've always said Pharaoh Hounds don't like getting wet, but I have a lovely photo sent by Phil, who has a Pharaoh pup from us, Sertar. Sertar is standing in the mighty Murray River and he looks as comfortable as anything. He seems to be looking for fish in the water. Pharaoh Hounds love having things they can chase! It brings meaning to their lives to be able to run and chase and catch.

The Schnauzers will chase things too, but it isn't the main thing in their lives. Schnauzers main focus is on their family, Pharaoh Hounds main focus is the hunt. This varies of course from dog to dog, household to household, but in the main, I've found it to be true.

Ananka, a Pharaoh Hound, is almost totally focussed on the hunt when she's outside. She becomes deaf when there are little birdies taunting her. She loves Spring because that's when the birds drop their guard and get into mating ritual mode. Ananka has had many meals of starlings, turtle doves and sparrows in Spring over the years.

The Schnauzers aren't as fast or as focussed, but they still have hunting successes from time to time. Last summer one of our dogs caught and killed a one metre brown snake. I didn't see it happen, I just saw the two halves of the snake in the backyard. I don't know which dog did the killing either, they'd all been in the yard that morning. I kept an eye on them all day, ready to whiz them off to the vet if they looked sick, but they were all fine. Clever hunters, but I'd be happier if there weren't any brown snakes in the yard for them to kill! I'm over my phobia, but I still don't like snakes at our place.