Mayhem on the front porch

First I have to give you some background. Last fall, during the World Series, I was visiting my friend in Houston. Before I left, she gave me a plant that originally came from Hawaii (leas are made from its blooms) but grows well in her area. She had rooted a cutting for me and another for herself. Mine wintered on the windowsill above my kitchen sink; during the winter, the sun is low enough that the plant could get a lot of sun. As spring approached, the plant had put out a number of new leaves and as soon as it stayed warm enough, I put it on the floor of our deck.

My friend and I talked daily about our plants' progress. We had a friendly competition as to who would get the first bloom. Mine had a number of large leaves and was getting very tall. I wondered how I would winter it since it had grown so big.

THEN, one morning I went out on the deck to check all my plants and the top leaves of my plant were gone. Not just broke off-GONE. I also noticed some chewed areas around the stalk of the plant. I moved the plant to the deck railing, hoping that whatever was eating it, would not be able to climb up that high. Nope, that did not discourage whatever it was. DH and I discussed whether the marks would have come from a large squirrel, as teeth marks were clearly visible. They seemed too large for a squirrel but we have some really big red squirrels around. Also, my impatiens and a decorative sweet potato plant had been browsed.

Anyway, because of all the damage to the plant, I had to cut it off below the chewed area that was almost level with the dirt in the pot. Then I took the undamaged top 8 inches and put some rooting compound on it and put it in another pot. Of course the top did not have the leaves on the tip but it appeared that some new sprouts were trying to grow from the sides. I covered the stubby original plant with some chicken wire and put the newly potted top on the front porch where it would get a little morning sun. We are blessed with abundant shade in the summer time so full sun areas are scarce around our house. So far, so good.

Since we live two miles from a highway and 300 feet off the rural road, our dogs are allowed to run free. Both are cattle dogs. One is an older Border Collie and the other a young Red Heeler. They stay very close to home, if they aren't with DH checking the cattle. The Red Heeler has decided that her spot is on the front porch and the Border Collie has decided that her job is to guard the back yard and she stays either on the patio under the deck or under some nearby scrubs. Our deck sits two stories high on the back of the house and is only accessible from outside via a staircase. I have a wooden gate across the opening to keep little children in and the yard dogs out. Since the dogs can not get onto the deck, the marauder seemed to be feeling anything put there was free for the taking.

Last night about 3:00 a.m. both dogs were making more racket than we have ever heard them make. It appeared to be coming from the front porch. First it sounded as if they were fighting (each other?). There was barking and also what sounded like yelps of pain. Then the bedlam moved out into the yard. It finally woke DH and he yelled at them to hush. No such thing! They continued to bark ferociously. DH finally got dressed and carried a shotgun outside. By now both dogs were circling and barking at a stack of corrugated metal roofing. They seemed to calm down by DH being there but quietly maintained their stations at the stack of roofing.

Then, this morning, DH as usual, unlocked the front door and looked on the porch. One of the metal chairs was turned over in the middle of the porch right in the path to the steps. Then he noticed that there was blood and soft feces all over the porch floor. When I looked out, I noticed there were even large spots of blood on the seat of the hanging porch swing. The young Red Heeler was at her usual place on the front porch but had a number of gashes and cuts all over her. DH used some of his spray antiseptic on her to help her heal.

What had happened last night? Was the intruder what has been eating my Hawaiian plant? The plant was undisturbed but maybe the menace was attracted by its smell to the front porch and met up with the Red Heeler. We decided that only a raccoon could have attacked the Red Heeler that way. If the turmoil happens again, I will post about it; 'til then, I guess for my dogs' safety, I will start bringing my Hawaiian plants in each night.