Well, alrighty then.

I worry about the boys too much.

Post-walky, I took them in the Jeep to go water the trees. Less than five minutes after I started watering the first tree (Yes, I timed it, though not for that reason) they sidled off over a rise and disappeared. I didn't bother them; figured they'd probably come back. They didn't.

I finished up watering - one reason I was timing, I get bored and want to make sure I water each tree at least five minutes - took the battery out of the tractor for recharging, turned off the water, started up the Jeep. No boys. I called, but didn't waste a lot of time on that. I drove down the ridge, past the Lair, into the wash, and home. No boys.

I was determined not to worry about it. One of three things would happen: They would catch up with the Jeep, meet me at home (they know where they live) or I'd get an annoyed phone call from a neighbor. A distant fourth possibility: One or both of them would get hurt and I'd spend the rest of my life guilt-stricken. See, I never used to worry about the dogs wandering off. They did that sometimes, and they always came home. But the older dogs were always a moderating influence: If they weren't getting a walk or a Jeep ride, all they wanted to do was hang around the yard. After Magnus and Fritz died, Ghost and LB remembered they were young dogs and I started having a lot of behavior problems - and calls from the neighbors. But that was a year and a half ago, and lately they've behaved themselves. So it's time to loosen the leash if I can.

Came home, backed the Jeep to the barn, and heard panting before I even unshipped the battery. Here they both came, and Little Bear made a beeline for the quiet and cool of the Scriptorium, where he has staked out a shelf for sleeping. Why they didn't meet up with the Jeep and get a ride, I dunno. They just wanted a run. That's okay as long as they come home, and they did. So there, worrywart.

BTW, after fifteen minutes of watering the water still came out of the hose hot. That's about 600 feet of water line exposed to the sun (there's a lot of trenching in the future) and enough free hot water for a good lingering shower. I don't think arranging hot water in the Lair is gonna be a big deal - at least in the summer.