Whilst hiking with my dogs today, I discovered an unexpected- and actually
quite serious- danger inherent in the current cicada invasion.

Rocsi often goes hunting up a particular hill which is home to a large
chipmunk population. I don't wait for her, but holler* every 10-15 seconds,
which enables her to keep track of where we are and catch up in a minute or
three.
So today, she went off hunting, the other dogs and I kept moving, and she
didn't catch up. Getting a bit annoyed, I stopped and called her. No
response.
Getting a bit *worried*, I started back along the trail, and spotted her
tearing through the woods at the top of the hill, looking rather frantic.
She did a man-from-Snowy-River down the bank about 50 feet from me, and I
said "Good dog" when she was halfway down, expecting her to come to me.
She didn't acknowlege me at all- instead, when she reached the bottom she
turned and flew AWAY from me in the direction we'd come from, around the
bend and out of sight.
Which was when I realized that SHE COULDN'T HEAR ME OVER THE DAMNED
CICADAS, had no clue where I was, and was searching for us!!

I took off running, and just around the bend I saw her standing in the
trail nearly a quarter mile away - where I'd been when she originally left-
looking all around. I jumped up and down and waved my arms, and she spotted
me and ran back to us immediately.

Interestingly, when she got to us, she first ran to Morag and did a quick
belly-up greeting roll - NOT something she normally does- then turned and
jumped into my arms.

I don't wait for her, but holler* every 10-15 seconds,
which enables her to keep track of where we are

Forgot my footnote- I'm using "holler" in the sense of "farm holler"; a
projected sound akin to a yodel. I use "C'mon" or "Coom oop", and under
normal circumstances the dogs can hear me for half a mile or more.
Today, Rocsi was unable to hear a normal call from 50 feet away, and
clearly couldn't hear the holler at all.

I don't wait for her, but holler* every 10-15 seconds,
which enables her to keep track of where we are

Forgot my footnote- I'm using "holler" in the sense of "farm holler"; a
projected sound akin to a yodel. I use "C'mon" or "Coom oop", and under
normal circumstances the dogs can hear me for half a mile or more.
Today, Rocsi was unable to hear a normal call from 50 feet away, and
clearly couldn't hear the holler at all.

I don't wait for her, but holler* every 10-15 seconds,
which enables her to keep track of where we are

Forgot my footnote- I'm using "holler" in the sense of "farm holler"; a
projected sound akin to a yodel. I use "C'mon" or "Coom oop", and under
normal circumstances the dogs can hear me for half a mile or more.
Today, Rocsi was unable to hear a normal call from 50 feet away, and
clearly couldn't hear the holler at all.

Which was when I realized that SHE COULDN'T HEAR ME OVER THE DAMNED
CICADAS, had no clue where I was, and was searching for us!!


Egads - they ARE dangerous!

That storm last night gave us a brief reprieve. I sold a car on ebay yesterday
(hooray!) and the guy was coming to pay last night - at the time of the storm
of course, He wisely held off a bit and arrived after the rain had stopped.
The cicadas were quiet, most had gone into hiding somwhere, and all was
well.......

Janet Boss
http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/
http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience

Which was when I realized that SHE COULDN'T HEAR ME OVER THE DAMNED
CICADAS, had no clue where I was, and was searching for us!!


Egads - they ARE dangerous!

That storm last night gave us a brief reprieve. I sold a car on ebay yesterday
(hooray!) and the guy was coming to pay last night - at the time of the storm
of course, He wisely held off a bit and arrived after the rain had stopped.
The cicadas were quiet, most had gone into hiding somwhere, and all was
well.......

Janet Boss
http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/
http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience

Which was when I realized that SHE COULDN'T HEAR ME OVER THE DAMNED
CICADAS, had no clue where I was, and was searching for us!!


Egads - they ARE dangerous!

That storm last night gave us a brief reprieve. I sold a car on ebay yesterday
(hooray!) and the guy was coming to pay last night - at the time of the storm
of course, He wisely held off a bit and arrived after the rain had stopped.
The cicadas were quiet, most had gone into hiding somwhere, and all was
well.......

Janet Boss
http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/
http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience

"J1Boss" wrote:

Egads - they ARE dangerous!


Did you see the article in this morning's Sun about the decibel level?
They were rated in between jackhammers and motorcycles.

I had *two* potentially dangerous encounters with 'em yesterday,
incidentally. When we left the house in the morning, one apparently flew
into the van - unseen by me- while the dogs were getting in via the sliding
door. The critter then cleverly landed on the back of the drivers-seat
headrest.
I walked around the car, tossed off three cicadas that landed on me and
on the door, and got in. Just as I turned the key, the one behind my head
sounded off.. "BRRRRRRRRRRRR!". I must have gone six inches straight up-
damn good thing I wasn't actually DRIVING.



That storm last night gave us a brief reprieve.

That was quite a storm... I was out on the trails (second run of the
day), read the sky & wind, and headed out. By the time we got to the end of
the trail, it was nearly pitch black, the lightning was moving closer, and
it was just starting to rain.
And yet, we passed at least three groups of people going INTO the
woods.... I'm continally amazed at how incredibly blind some city/suburban
people are to weather sign.

I sold a car on ebay yesterday
(hooray!)

Congrats!


The cicadas were quiet, most had gone into hiding somwhere, and all was
well.......

knocking on wood They seem a bit subdued, still... of course, it's early
in the day yet.

BTW- going off topic, although it's the topic of cicada that reminded me:
you probably don't have any free time this weekend, but there's agility
spectating available- the Pawzazz NADAC trial in Millersville.

"J1Boss" wrote:

Egads - they ARE dangerous!


Did you see the article in this morning's Sun about the decibel level?
They were rated in between jackhammers and motorcycles.

I had *two* potentially dangerous encounters with 'em yesterday,
incidentally. When we left the house in the morning, one apparently flew
into the van - unseen by me- while the dogs were getting in via the sliding
door. The critter then cleverly landed on the back of the drivers-seat
headrest.
I walked around the car, tossed off three cicadas that landed on me and
on the door, and got in. Just as I turned the key, the one behind my head
sounded off.. "BRRRRRRRRRRRR!". I must have gone six inches straight up-
damn good thing I wasn't actually DRIVING.



That storm last night gave us a brief reprieve.

That was quite a storm... I was out on the trails (second run of the
day), read the sky & wind, and headed out. By the time we got to the end of
the trail, it was nearly pitch black, the lightning was moving closer, and
it was just starting to rain.
And yet, we passed at least three groups of people going INTO the
woods.... I'm continally amazed at how incredibly blind some city/suburban
people are to weather sign.

I sold a car on ebay yesterday
(hooray!)

Congrats!


The cicadas were quiet, most had gone into hiding somwhere, and all was
well.......

knocking on wood They seem a bit subdued, still... of course, it's early
in the day yet.

BTW- going off topic, although it's the topic of cicada that reminded me:
you probably don't have any free time this weekend, but there's agility
spectating available- the Pawzazz NADAC trial in Millersville.

"J1Boss" wrote:

Egads - they ARE dangerous!


Did you see the article in this morning's Sun about the decibel level?
They were rated in between jackhammers and motorcycles.

I had *two* potentially dangerous encounters with 'em yesterday,
incidentally. When we left the house in the morning, one apparently flew
into the van - unseen by me- while the dogs were getting in via the sliding
door. The critter then cleverly landed on the back of the drivers-seat
headrest.
I walked around the car, tossed off three cicadas that landed on me and
on the door, and got in. Just as I turned the key, the one behind my head
sounded off.. "BRRRRRRRRRRRR!". I must have gone six inches straight up-
damn good thing I wasn't actually DRIVING.



That storm last night gave us a brief reprieve.

That was quite a storm... I was out on the trails (second run of the
day), read the sky & wind, and headed out. By the time we got to the end of
the trail, it was nearly pitch black, the lightning was moving closer, and
it was just starting to rain.
And yet, we passed at least three groups of people going INTO the
woods.... I'm continally amazed at how incredibly blind some city/suburban
people are to weather sign.

I sold a car on ebay yesterday
(hooray!)

Congrats!


The cicadas were quiet, most had gone into hiding somwhere, and all was
well.......

knocking on wood They seem a bit subdued, still... of course, it's early
in the day yet.

BTW- going off topic, although it's the topic of cicada that reminded me:
you probably don't have any free time this weekend, but there's agility
spectating available- the Pawzazz NADAC trial in Millersville.