SheriM - Too Stubborn to Stop Dreamin' - SURPRISE!!!

[SheriM]

Well, I hadn't planned to test Ellie's willingness to stay home quite so soon, but she had other ideas. When I put out hay for the goats, I tie the girls up so they don't escape when the gate is open but the instant the I swung the gate open this afternoon, Ellie slipped out of her collar and bolted out of the pen. There I am, with only a very few minutes to get the bale in, back out, pick up the feeder, take it in, slip it over the bale and back out again before the goats finish their grain and notice the gate is open and I have a dog on the run. Uh, okay, forget the dog. She'll either stay home or she won't.

I hollered at Fynn to stay with me (which he did, bless him) and went ahead and put the bale and feeder in place. The whole time, I kept half an eye out and could see Ellie was running all over the place, sniffing and basically just being a dog, but she didn't seem interested in taking off.

By the time I was done in the barn yard and had the gate closed again, Ellie was over at the house checking out the visiting dogs again. I put a lead on her and she walked calmly back to the barn yard with me and has stayed in all day. I still don't know how she got out this morning, but I'm worrying less and less about it now. She has really begun to redeem herself, but the true test will come when I can let her out on purpose and see how she does. I don't want to do that till after trapping season, so if she does take off and the boys go with her, I won't have to worry quite so much about someone getting hurt.

 

[Farmfresh]

Do they still use jaw traps up by you? I remember as a kid all of the dogs with missing legs and feet that used to live down near my grandpa's house. All had been caught in those toothed jaw traps!

 

[SheriM]

No, they use wire snares now. They're far deadlier, actually...virtually impossible to escape from.

 

[Farmfresh]

Actually they are probably much more humane however. Death can be a blessing.

 

[SheriM]

Anybody sick of hearing about my dog's exploits yet? I'm just so tickled, I had to tell someone.

I got up this morning and, as usual, looked out the window. One of the boys was in the dog house by the house here and the other was asleep beside the round bale out in the yard that I feed the dairy goats from. This is exactly what I expected to see, but a few minutes later, I got a heck of a shock.

I heard Smiley barking, so I went to see what he was going on about. The dog out at the hay bale had lifted its head to see what was happening and I saw dark ears. Harry does not have dark ears. Ellie is the only one with really dark ears.

I watched for a few minutes, but in the dim light, I couldn't tell for sure. It's -38C this morning and even if it was Ellie, she obviously wasn't going anywhere, so I decided to just leave things as is till I went out to do chores.

A few minutes later, Jim took something outside and said it had to be Ellie out there because both boys were in the dog house. I went back to look out the other window and there was Ellie wandering around the yard. She stopped and did some "business" then went back to the bale and curled up again.

This is an incredible New Year's gift. It's obvious Ellie has been loose most of the night, if not all, and she hasn't gone anywhere. She curled up in exactly the same place the other dogs sleep, claiming it as her own. I can't tell you how tickled I am that she has obviously learned that this yard is her home and it's where she belongs.

She's still loose out there and I'm not worried at all. What a difference from a month ago! Of course, things will probably be vastly different if she goes into heat again, especially if there are no boys here that can, uh, satisfy her needs, but that's easily solved with a trip to the vet.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

YAY! Good girl, Ellie!!!

 

[SheriM]

And, apparently, good girl Angel, too. When I finally did go outside this morning, I got terribly confused. One of the girls came crawling out of the dog house. I looked up the driveway and "Ellie" was still sleeping at the hay bale. What the ???? All the dogs look very much a like, especially the two girls (full sisters) and Harry (son of one, nephew of the other) and suddenly I didn't have a clue who was who. Closer examination sorted things out. It was Ellie in the dog house, Angel at the bale, Harry way up at the entrance to the yard and Smiley trotting around like the king of all he surveyed.

Harry came to join us, and I had the amazing pleasure of walking around the yard with all 5 of my dogs, something that has never happened before. The girls happily went back into the barn yard and Smiley wanted in with them too. I fed the girls there as usual, so they continue to understand that is where they belong, but now I am certain that both girls know that the farm itself is home and won't have to worry when I have to bring hay into the pen they are in.

I know it may seem kinda silly to be going on and on about the dogs and where they are, but as I said in an earlier post, harmony is the most important thing to me. The farm needs to be a place of peace and tranquility. By and large, that is what it is, but worrying about the girls getting out was one source of discord every time I had to open a gate. Now, I feel a real sense of harmony out there. Dogs can come and go and all get along and socialize with one another while I'm doing what I need to do. I think this is a sign of very good things to come in 2010. Thank you, Lord!

 

[SheriM]

I recently joined FaceBook to keep in touch with some friends and while I was exploring, I came across a virtual farm game called FarmVille. Some of you may be familiar with it, but for those who aren't, it's a game where you create your own virtual farm, with animals and crops. You tend the farm and visit your neighbor's farms where you can do chores for them to earn "money". This thing is totally addictive, especially this time of year when I can't be working on expanding my real farm.

 

[TanksHill]

he he your in trouble now. There is a Farmville thread around here somewhere. several of us have added each other to our FB friends list so we can be neighbors in farmville. It's such a hoot to see everyone's farms.

If your interested in adding friends track down the thread and post that you want us. I am sure you will find a few.

gina

 

[reinbeau]

I recently joined FaceBook to keep in touch with some friends and while I was exploring, I came across a virtual farm game called FarmVille. Some of you may be familiar with it, but for those who aren't, it's a game where you create your own virtual farm, with animals and crops. You tend the farm and visit your neighbor's farms where you can do chores for them to earn "money". This thing is totally addictive, especially this time of year when I can't be working on expanding my real farm.

Sheri, many of us are on FarmVille, and I've recently discovered another one I like better, CountryLife. Fun for whittling away idle time - or addicting enough to keep you from doing what needs to be done! If you'd like neighbors in either, you can add me, http://www.facebook.com/reinbeau. Just make sure to identify either SS or FarmVille