Watchers

taking their job seriously.

The Perpetual Game Of Stick

Sorry for the butt shot but you can't miss these natural bob tails!

They always steal poor Lil's stick. I try to sneak Lil a stick of her own.  A fun game for a bunch of miss matched farm dogs.

Diamond Lil

Any stick will do

Lil's search for a stick is border line/Border Collie OCD.

Getting up in years, Lil, a short haired Border Collie is our oldest dog on the farm team.  She's a great stock dog, a snake dog and a stick dog.  She also has a love of food.  She dines after the cats at Marcy's at three AM  then lets the chickens eat what she deems is enough then she lays on the rest of the food until the chickens give up.  Then Lil eats, casually, and in good amounts.  She no longer maintains her girlish figure.  

She never turns down a game of stick.

Throw it!  I got it!

Don't blame us, we throw what she brings if we can.

But there are always helpers...

and those who taunt

All want the stick Lil chooses

 Come on, old lady, I've got  your stick!

 but Lil doesn't play that game.

I know she's thinking, Why in the world did I ever teach them stick?  But like the good teacher she is, Lil patiently waits.  Young ones change games quickly.  Darn pup!

Random 5 Friday...A Day Late

A Rural Journal

One:  Spring is taking a toe hold on the farm.  Today it is sleeting and snowing.

Two:  Andrew and Hubby are in Nashville.  Andrew and his band are playing for the "powers that be" to see if they have what it takes. They are having a great time.

Three: The farm dogs are quite happy with the change in weather as are we all.

Four:  Daughter is still not walking from her car wreck but improves every day.  This has been a long haul for all...since November.  I imagine we are all equally ready for things to return to "normal".

Five:  My creativity seems to have atrophied but it will return. This week I have read "Shoot The Moon" and "77 Shadow Street", both very good and very different.

Going To, Uh, With The Dogs

No words needed.  Six Word Saturday.

Not Every Dog (May be too graphic for some)

has her own chaise lounge.

Bonnie began her training in a crate and still goes there when we leave the house.  She graduated to and outgrew the old recliner.  She now claims the chaise lounge which usually holds what Hubby throws on it.

As much as we love dogs they are also needed on a farm.  Varmint control, guardians of our farm animals and of our place are just a few of the important jobs they do.

Just shy of eighty-five pounds and fourteen months old, Bonnie is very much a part of our life and our working team here.  Bonnie can sprint at twenty MPH but can maintain a solid fourteen for an indefinite period of time.  Yes, Hubby has clocked her.

This summer Bonnie trained with the other members of our working farm team:  Lil, Ki-Anne, Squigs, JR and Lizzy (all outside dogs). Each have their own job and work well as a team.  They've herded cattle and have kept our area clear of poisonous snakes and animals that could harm our live stock.

This summer Bonnie "alerted" us to a Copperhead but really has mostly stood back and observed. We thought maybe she's not gonna catch on to the job requirements here.

Yesterday Bonnie showed us she was paying attention.  She caught her first armadillo all by herself. At least a quarter from the house and proudly carried it all the way home.

Armadillos can reach a speed of thirty miles an hour but Bonnie exceeded this one's speed.  Hubby did not clock the chase but was very pleased with Bonnie's performance.

It's a fact of farm life.  Some critters just can't co-exist on a farm.  This is one critter of which we have tried to control the population.  Their burrows can break livestock's legs, they tend to dig in the garden because the ground is softer, and they do kill many plants.  On the good side they eat lots of insects and worms and are good to eat  (recipes here) although we've never tried one.

The other members come to check the prize.

Bonnie has reason to be proud.

She shows off her catch.

After her good girl praises

she drinks and chills.

When the wild hogs come

we may have a chance!

After The Rain...

The waters have receded.

The flood height is shown by the leaves.

May Apples are coming up right on time.

Another dry ditch where the leaves mark the water lines.

Rock Hollow

called me.

I answered the call.

We explored.

Returning from my walk

I emptied my pockets.

Sometimes You Bend, Sometimes You Break...

Saturday Centus prompt by Jenny Matlock  

Every week Ms Jenny gives us a writing prompt.  The rules are the same only the prompt changes. 

PROMPT: "Sometimes you bend. Sometimes you break."
WORD COUNT - Not to exceed 106 (including the prompt)
STYLE OF WRITING - Any
PICTURES - Any Additional

Once upon an autumn day

Harry Tarantula came to play

Border Collie noticed the arrival

Didn’t consider it a threat to survival

As he reared to scare her away

Lil turned another way

The lesser experienced arrived on the scene

Had a discussion and thought Harry was mean

Lil tried to convince them to just stay away

But it’s a danger, Lil said, “No way”!

They jumped back with fear

While Lil just watched with upright ears

Her job was to train the upcoming team

"You need to assess what’s good and what’s mean.

Sometimes you bend, sometimes you break

Important thing is don’t make mistakes."