Some weeks back, when there was still warmth in this part of the world, and we took the whole family including three dogs to the woods, we had to restrain the dogs for a while. Flike didn't know what fire was and tried to lick it. Crusher didn't want to be there at all and stayed tucked inside my daughter's down vest (except when he stayed tucked inside my son-in-law's down vest). And Queequeg, well, I was just certain that there was a bobcat lurking in the trees, ready to snatch him. So for a time, Flike and Queequeg were stuck inside the truck so they would be out of harm's way (and not under our feet or twisting their leashes around our legs). Flike had no trouble with this, sprawling across the back seat and happily accepting whatever treat anyone brought him from our lunch. Queequeg, as you can see above, wasn't so accepting of his banishment. He wanted out. He wanted to join the pack. The dogs were eventually released, and they frolicked with us as we went on our hike, but their time away led me to thinking about our dogs and our cars. Queequeg always loves to hop in the car. It's an adventure for him (even if the car never leaves the garage). When I am driving, he'll climb onto Libby's shoulders and snuggle in behind her neck. He seems to like it, but it doesn't look very comfortable for Libby. Flike, on the other hand, hates getting into cars, at least so far. We have to lift all 30+ pounds of him and wedge him into the back seat, often as he is actively resisting. I don't know why this would be. He's had very little occasion to ride in cars, and the trips have never resulted in any unpleasant destinations. (Even the trips to the vet aren't bad. He loves all of the attention when he finally gets there.) I am hoping that his aversion to cars will change when he begins to equate them with adventures like trips to the woods. Max and Whimsey didn't have car aversions, at least not that I can recall. There was one time, though, when I still had the big green truck, that we had to put the two of them in the bed while I changed a flat tire. (They were full of mud, so we didn't want them in the cab.) Whimsey didn't like this arrangement, and through some struggle, managed to hoist herself over the side of the bed and jump to the ground beside me. She hit harder than she expected for her legs splayed and you could see the look of surprise on her face. She was unharmed, and when I put her back in the bed, she didn't try that little maneuver again. Missouri calendar:

• White-tailed deer bucks begin to lose antlers.

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