Armadillo Sighting

It is finally starting to thaw out. The temperature has been much higher for the last couple of days, and the large accumulations of snow and ice are giving way to very soggy ground. Birds can be heard twittering. On my afternoon walk I saw a squirrel scamper away, and a hawk circled overhead in search of rodents.

Bow spent the better part of the day outside, coming in for bathroom breaks and snacks and naps, but always eager to go back out again. But late this afternoon, when the dogs started barking frantically, Bow did not want to go out into the outer pen. He motioned to me toward the front door. He wanted me to go out to the front yard to see what was going on and to report back to him.

I trudged through the muddy ground, sinking a little as it gave way, to the spot on the other side of the fence from where the dogs were barking. It was an armadillo. It saw me and started to move away, and I followed, filming. Then it changed its mind and turned around and started walking toward me. I was a little startled by this turn of events and began to retreat.

I wanted to take pictures of the armadillo, not to have a very close encounter. But eventually we worked out a kind of deal: I would not bother him, and he would not bother me.

I followed him into the pasture.

There he began to take refreshment from the bountiful earth.

I watched from rather close up, but not close enough to disturb him.

When I came back and showed Bow the footage, he was not impressed. He was expecting a bigger intruder and asked to go outside to the outer pen again at once. Such a little armadillo could not possibly pose any threat to our household security. What were the dogs thinking when they gave the alarm, barking so loudly?