Barkfest 2006

(Photo from a dust storm ahead of me on my drive back from Utah)
On call today. Long day, but not terribly busy. I was completely and totally exhausted from being up from the barking (and maybe from the long drive the day before). I was so tired I couldn't even fake being alert. I was a zombie most the day. Thankfully, from about 1-9 PM I worked urgent care. Seeing one patient after another. The constant motion keeping me awake. There was one admission, one transfer.

After much coaxing (pitching my exhausted voice high to fool the dogs into thinking I was excited to be standing in the cold in my scrubs I finally got all five dogs in the house and was able to close the front door (it was getting below freezing and the screen door was letting in a lot of cold air). I then collapsed into bed. (Photo of Teddy, the perky one.)

I woke again to barking. Thought at first it was coyotes again. Then after I got more alert realized it was dogs. They were howling and barking and making a ton of noise and, I realized after a few groggy moments, all in the house. I realized the five of them were in the living room making some sort of ruckus. So I padded out of the guest room, walked to the hall, faced the dark living room and, facing the direction of the dogs (no glasses and it was dark so I had to guess) I gave a loud, sharp “SH!” And immediately they all stopped. I went to bed and slept the rest of the night.