How do you Say Goodbye?

Fifteen years ago, Charlie, Bailey and I moved here to the current property.  Shortly thereafter, we realized that Callie Jo needed a friend. We were still mulling it over when Bailey saw her opening. She was getting ready to turn two, and she asked for a dog to come join the family for her birthday.

We went down to the local shelter, and wandered the isles while her Daddy was away on a duty assignment. I was worried she would want them all. I knew I did! But she carefully walked the line, looking from side to side, gazing at the animals. Then we got to the last of the row. As she looked to the left, a single white paw extended through the bars, and Bailey stepped closer. Their eyes met, and she sat down.

After meeting Callie Jo, and going through a few hoops, Vegas came home the next day. According to the shelter, he was 3 to 4 years old. How could we have known that he would be terrified of men, noises, fly swatters, the training clickers, newspapers and more?

These photos were taken about four years later. By this time, Callie Jo and Vegas were great buddies, and Hopper Spark had joined the family, as well as Wyatt Clay. That is Vegas Ace on the left in the top right photo. He loved his Bailey, and his girl dogs. A mellow guy, the girls always got what they wanted.  He never did learn how to play, but found his way into following the girls as they played.

As the years went by, Vegas was here when the goats came home. He tried to save Bailey's first goat Vital with Callie Jo when there was a dog attack by one we were watching for a friend. He was there as we nursed Vital back to health, and was there when we lost Callie Jo not long afterward.

Vegas helped raise Remington Pups when she came home, and taught her which humans belonged to which dogs, and how to have manners. He had a terrifying wandering habit in those years. On one occasion, two semis stopped and honked in the big road when he had figured out how to open the base of the West gate. The gate was quickly secured, but even now a honking semi on the big road leads to everyone counting dog noses.

As time went on, his muzzle turned grey, and he slowed down a bit. He had mostly let Remington take over his guard dog duty when she suddenly fell ill three Christmases ago. He calmly snuck out to realize what happened to her, and then followed me around for weeks, giving me love and attention as I mourned the animal who had actually been more mine than anyone else's. Through birthday parties and sleepovers, holidays and visits with family, his sweet yet quiet boy nudged his way into so many hearts.

Old Man Vegas began to wander more, but always had love for us, even if he didn't want to leave the property. His groomer came to him, even though he was old enough most groomers wouldn't have wanted to work with him, Denise came to him twice a year to make him comfortable, working around the growing tumors and quiet complaints of our sweet buddy who didn't look forward to haircuts, but still had a wag and a kiss for her.

Veglar, Vegie, Old Bear and more were his names, and Graybeard was there as Hopper grew sick with cancer, and later that year welcomed Shadow Paws into the family. As she grew into her role, he took longer naps and really enjoyed the mornings and evenings outside, with Shadow waiting for him on rounds and using her nose to help his stand when he stumbled.

The years slowed Bailey's buddy, but he sat with her and reminded her about unconditional love when the bullying made us reevaluate so many of the influences in the lives of the kids. Then he enjoyed the regular ear scratches and treats that came throughout the day from having home schooled kids. 

In the last month, Vegas Ace's health decline became more apparent. Shadow and the kids worked harder to help him, and keep him happy and comfortable, making sure he didn't wander too long during the heat of the day. At about eighteen years old, we know we were so lucky to have Vegas as part of our lives. But that didn't make it any easier for us when we lost him late last night. With one last kiss to his Bailey and a nuzzle to me, he laid down his head and went to sleep. We know he had a great life here, with his own dog bed, doting girls, elk legs to chew on, elk to eat, his own fire hydrant and all the love to make whatever used to scare him melt away.  We are sad for us because we loved him so much.  We are so thankful for all we had with him.

Goodbye, Vegas. We will always have you in our hearts. Run fast with your girls up there.

Love to all.

Silly Old Bear has a Spring in his Step!

It took a couple months, but Vegas' good buddy Denise came to visit today.  When they arrived, and pulled the mobile grooming van into the year, Vegas initially came out to say hello. Then he suddenly realized exactly who she was (she has been the only mobile groom from back when Callie Jo was still with us) and he turned and quickly made a break for the house.

Bailey scooped up her furry friend, who has been with us here at Patriot's Dream for almost fifteen years now, and whom the county animal control believes to be eighteen or nineteen, and walked him down to the van, telling to to relax, that she loves him and he would feel so much better in a moment.

Then our sweet Vegas came back a little while later, all skinny and long-legged and spiffy looking! For as much as he dislikes the grooming process, he loves his Denise, and loves feeling all cool and clean. He gets that just been groomed spring in his step and his little sister, Shadow loves it too!

So for all of Vegas' adoring fans out there, he is happily hanging out with us tonight, all spiffed up and ready for the warmer weather coming our way!

Our friend, TIny

I know that I have said in the past that some girls just aren't meant to be mamas...

Well, this is a story of a girl who is very bent on being a mama, but just cannot get her act together.  Really, this is the story of her little one...

Our Phoenix hens LOVE to go broody. The find the craziest places to hide and hatch out babies.   Well, after we had turned off and cleaned out the incubator and brooder for a while, she was at it again. And before we caught it, she hatched out this cute little baby chick in the big pen. The big pen isn't really the place for hatching a baby.It is a pen of laying hens with a few protective roosters mixed in.

When we found out she had hatched again, we were going to take the baby chick to keep it safe, but she consistently thwarted our efforts. We gave in and chose to watch carefully and track, especially since she still had eggs- in a loft above the nesting boxes.  

Before long, we went to check and she had gone back to sitting on her clutch of eggs.  The little chick was huddled in a corner of the barn, crying.  So Wyatt handed her to me to keep warm while he finished chores, and then we set up a little brooder in the living room.

Chicks need friends, and can sometimes cry themselves into death.  So we didn't put a top on the brooder, and she would hang out with Bailey while she did school work. Then, Bailey was out of town for a few days, and "Tiny", as we had come to call the little one, was crying, so I gave her a stuffed animal.

Another week or so passed, and "she" was getting out of the brooder to roost on the edge, and soon wander the house. We don't advocate this!  We all chat with her when she sits on the edge, and she chats back and watches the world go by out the front window.

When "she" gets out of the brooder, Tiny wants to explore the house, and also find a comfy spot.  You will find the little chick heading for the dog beds, looking for someone to cuddle with.  Tiny tries to be coy, and starts on the edge of the bed, side stepping and sneaking up to cuddle with the dogs.  

When Tiny settles in, though, Vegas bolts.  AT eighteen, he says he has had enough of the babies we bring around.  He likes life on his own terms, where he puppy makes sure his bowl is full and the door opened whenever he wants it.

Shadow Paws wants to be a good girl, but has been trained that chickens are not her domain, aside from protecting them, so she backs away from Tiny, wagging her tail and cutting her eyes to make sure we see who is messing with whom.

Of course, TIny runs from us humans when out and about, because "she" knows we will put her back in her brooder, and there will be no more gallivanting

I am starting to get worried about Tiny's lack of friends. Tomorrow afternoon, I will try the back porch brooder again, keep your fingers crossed! 

.

Sweet New Faces

I am finding myself up late in lesson plans and sitting with a sweet old dog who is sneezing a good bit tonight.

Since I wandered over to check for news, I thought I would take a moment and introduce a couple new little friends...

Please pardon the photo quality, but this first one was from yesterday i the little nest box when we went to check on the three broodies in the Silkie group. She was still wet, so she stayed with the hens until today. As we have been relocating snakes from near there again, we went ahead and pulled the little one to the brooder in the living room. I didn't get any new photos, though, Wyatt is beginning to take the two Silkies that hatched for this year's showmanship birds.

We still had six eggs in the incubator, and Wyatt thought for sure last night that one was talking. I thought he was just hearing the very loud little ones in the brooder, but he was right. Today, a little bantam Cochin joined us, running about the incubator happily.

Once dry, Bailey lifted the top, and the baby chick jumped into her hand. Old man Vegas had to see the new little addition. He isn't too fond of the loud brooder, but has a soft sweet heart!

Well, everyone seems to be quieting for the night, though Shadow did sneak in and lay on my side of the bed. She worries when her big "brother" isn't himself, especially if her doting kisses don't fix things straightaway, or with her bringing him the bowl.  I suppose I should get some sleep, morning comes early, and I never know what the new day will bring! Have a good night, all.

Kids and Animals Mark the Passage of Time

Sitting at the park yesterday, working on math with Wyatt Clay when a coach came by and asked him about homework, I thought how funny it would be when children began asking him what school he attended and, for the first time, he learned to start saying, "I am home schooled."  I left the boys at the park, and headed home to manage the animals and do the watering.  Shadow had gotten to stay inside with her brother, Vegas, during the day. The only thing we found out of place was a large stuffed Shamu, and he still had his eyes (the first thing she remove when destroying a stuffed animal.) As the dogs and I headed out to feed and water and collect eggs, I thought about all of the things coming full circle, and how children and animals really do mark the passage of time.

I am definitely not eighteen anymore.This photo is several years old, I believe the second Halloween after Wyatt was born. He has always been so big, the in-home day care talked me into dressing him up as BamBam, Bailey was a flapper girl in one of her dress up dresses (she has often been silly and fun in such a simple way), and Charlie went all out in his leaf suit. I had an old gypsy outfit, and was very nervous dashing out in it, you can tell what part of me never sees the sun! Funny, Charlie was between TDYs that weekend. 

As moms, we often note that when something happened, the younger one was around so old, or like looking back to losing Callie Jo, our first family dog, January before the first county fair when Bailey joined 4-H, and Remington coming come while the club kids were preparing the animals for show.  

In a military family, we have extra things, like oh, no, we were in San Diego then while Daddy's unit was flying against their F-18s. Or, no, we went to that chocolate factory in Phoenix when Daddy was up there on deployment briefings and we went to visit.  When I first started hiking with the kids, we used to go to this place a little North of here, where there are petroglyphs on the rocks. Back then, Bailey didn't mind posing for pictures. It was before the bullies.

I look back at photos like this, and am reminded if part of why we chose to home school. In the balance of trying to deal with bullies, and life, and meet the constant expectations of others with life where we live, there was no time for hiking and family fun in the driving and craziness of live.  This was a component, along with the refusal of the school to deal with the bullying, in our decision to home school.  There are so many important things to learn in life, and a number of them are not taught while spending an hour a day practicing standardized testing to prepare for a test after the regular lessons.  Hands on experiments and trying out random thoughts, chasing dreams and building things from scratch cannot be ignored.  Now my hiking buddies are as tall as me!

Right after 9/11, when I had just begin working for the Tohono O'Odham reservation, this little dog was hit by a car. Charlie was away hunting, I didn't even know Wyatt was on the way yet.  I brought the puppy home, hoping to bring it back to health and find its kid.  Hopper Spark would be Wyatt's first best friend, getting him through long stretched of not speaking and withdrawing from the world during Charlie's deployments. We lost her right as Wyatt was turning ten last Summer.  Wyatt and I still talk about how special she was, and how she loved him unconditionally, never complained and was such a special element is him rejoining the world. 

On one of the many trips to San Diego, while Charlie was working and we would go to Sea World and help some around my aunt's house, she licked out this great place, with the history she knew I enjoyed teaching the kids- about explorers int he area who had traveled all the way around South America to make it there, and these neat little tide pools. She had once worked nearby in bunkers built into the sides of the hills. The kids loved the stories!  You wouldn't think they would remember from being that little, but Wyatt still brings it up sometimes, and Bailey mentioned it while studying WWII last year.

Fast forward a tad to when Bailey joined 4-H. This was one of her first goats, Vital. Vital used to sit in Charlie's lap, when he was in town for 4H shows.  Such a silly goat, and a great ambassador! He boy, Obediah, took over as lead buck this year. Talk about the passage of time!

Maybe not the best picture in the world! Anyhow, Wyatt always liked the bucks better than the does. Our bucks are cuddly, though you won't want to go anywhere in the clothing you were wearing when you cuddled them!  Initially, we had Huey and Steely, they came along in Bailey's second year of 4-H. I will get to Steely in a minute.  Huey is a beautiful black buck with a great personality. When shown, the most common thing for people to say about him in the line to show is how strangely sweet he is. He was so well conformed, and folks told us to go ahead and breed him as long as he wanted to.  Typically, once his belly was full, he would be interested in girls more than anything else.  This year, when Bailey put him in with his best girl, Glory, he went to see what was in her food bowl.  Bailey called me over from the garden area, and said, Mom I don't think this is going to happen. I think he is retiring.  I told her to give it an hour, and just rake the next pen over and watch.  Yup, he laid down and ignored Glory, until Glory went to the fence and complained to Bailey. Obediah, his son with Vital, took over as lead buck.  He was all to happy to, and funny thing is, he and the new guy, PowerStroke, spend most of their day calling to ladies from their fence.  They give Huey first shot at the food, and pretend to head but him and are so gentle with him but play hard with one another.  A far cry from the days of Huey's rough and tumble play with Steely and calling to the does from the show ring.

Steely, Wyatt's smiling buddy, is shown with him below in the monsoon sunset.  When we brought he and Huey home, there was another we also liked, named Mr Wiggins, but he was Steely's brother, so we wanted to keep different blood lines for the bucks in our small herd. After losing Steely and Bailey seeing PowerStroke show for a couple years, the son of Mr. Wiggins, Bailey bought PowerStroke this year to round out the breeding stock. So, not only has Obediah taken over as head buck, but Powerstroke, Steely's nephew, has come to Patriot's Dream as well.

This was Bailey at her first county fair.  The little girl to the back left, who Bailey met st fair this year, went to leadership camp with her a couple years back, and they are still friends now.

This past year was year number seven in 4-H for Bailey. Despite the ups and downs, she loves learning about her animals, and loves to help the younger ones. When she went to meetings this year, the older ones were asked to teach more, and help the younger new members learn.  Working with the other kids is one of her favorite things, and this Summer she got to be a camp counselor for her first time.

This was one of the first baby goats born here at Patriot's Dream.  I just showed Wyatt this photo, and asked if he remembered getting along this well with his sister!

Well before Wyatt could join 4-H, he began asking for chickens. We kept getting stuck in the poultry area of the petting zoo at functions, and he figured out he could teach children about them, and look after them, but never have to speak with the adult. (He doesn't care for crazy show parents, but then again...) He spent a year taking care of the dogs where all I had to do was check, and then as his birthday came around, he wanted to start looking for birds for his own flock.  This polish was Sgt Winger, his very first, who laid in his arms the whole drive home from the other side of town.  After Wyatt had his established flock, and the economy went south, friends of the family would find abandoned birds in their rentals, and call Wyatt, leading to him learning about quarantining and flock management.  Before long, the flock grew, and grew, and now his eggs are sought after at the farmers markets and by local customers who come directly to us. While the research is all over the place, this week we make the transition to non-soy, non-corn, non-GMO feed, since we finally have a source again!  Looking at this photo, I can see where the pens are now that was once empty and how different things are! Remington, on the left, learned to be a flock protector then.

Remington, who came home at eight weeks old, right before that first county fair, while Charlie was on his way back from that long assignment to the Border deployment up at Silverbell Army Air, learned to warm up cold babies who fell in water buckets, helped raise a bottle baby goat (remember Nathan from the sidelines when Bailey was on the basketball team?) and shared her home and bed dutifully, even when she didn't want to. Plume Snowflake, here, followed Remi around the lining room during Christmas after getting wet and coming in hte house, nestling up to Remi until she cuddled it.

Remdog was my buddy, who adored the older dogs she was raised with, and who we lost the Christmas before last, but when Hopper passed so soon after, We moved back to being a two dog family and Wyatt brought Shadow Paws home.  Here she is with Vegas, about six years ago.  How do I know this, because she was still skiny, not fully filled out, and look at Vegas' face.

This photo really shows the passage of time.  Old man Vegas has been with us fourteen year, but the animal control estimated him at seventeen to eighteen year old.  Shadow Paws dotes on him, and makes sure he always has food in his bowl, the door opened on his whim and someone to play with or help him chase lizards when he wants to.  Wow, those photos next to one another sure say a lot about the goofy buddy presently at my feet.  Wyatt snuck some arthritis happiness in a treat for him this morning, hoping he feels good as the storms rumble overhead.

Speaking, of Wyatt, you saw him as BamBam, you saw him with his first chicken, here he is with his d'Uccle hen, Millie, when they went to sing Christmas carols with the 4-H club at the elder care facility.

These juvenile chickens he was holding a few months back are some of this year's new layers.  That little Brahma in the middle may have been one of his champion heritage meat birds this year, too.  Those chickens are in the 9-11 pound range at this point! And then hens are all laying, most of them up to full size eggs. some with eggs in the incubator in our work for determining the best breeding stock moving forward.  That Millie, above has babies in another part of the county (don't tell her, though, she might want visitation!)

This photo was from Wyatt's first year in football, when they were lucky enough to play at half time in a scrimmage on the field of the Arizona Wildcats.

Here he is about a year ago, back to back and out-sizing his adult cousin, Jamie!

And, as we begin a new football season, here he is this morning working tire drills, with Shadow Paws in toe, doing extra training for this season.  I am adding obstacles to the obstacle course daily for us, and this tire is five feet tall.  Where did my baby boy go?

Well, I am just back in from checking on the Javas out back. They came home about nine weeks ago as tiny chicks, and I just switched them to big chicken food mixed with the baby food, in preparation for their move out to the Buttercup pen.  The cycle continues, as always.

Got any before and after photos to share? This would be a great place and time. Maybe the first day of Kindergarten alongside the first day this year? Or any of those photos and stories that show the passage of time.  Your thoughts and experiences are ALWAYS welcome!

Hugs to all,
Erin

My magazine, you may not read it!

Busy day yesterday.  I subbed a yoga class with a great group of folks, then went to visit the friendly vampires at the Red Cross/  OK, just kidding, I donated blood, but I am sure they are used to folks calling them that, especially when roly poly veins take several sticks (ugh).  But then I ran errands and finally made it home in time to unload feed between storms, and Bailey and I headed off to bring home one last new addition to the herd for the year.

Sure, I know it is a tease to say that, and then go to a photo of a monsoon sunset, but a mama has to have a little fun in this life!

Anyhow, once the new addition came home, Bailey got busy with updating shots and preventive health stuff, since she had held off a bit so they could all be on the same schedule.  The new little one is really friendly, and isn't happy about the mandatory quarantine, but Bailey spent a good bit of time with her =).

The sky was beautiful, and while the storm was pretty much over by the time I got home, there was enough water to water the garden plants, with a little left over.  YAY!!!!

As we were working our way through chores inside, I looked down to see Vegas with a magazine open. I laughed and showed Bailey, and when we asked him about it, he used his paw to flip the page back, as though he had a neat story in there that he didn't want to share.

Bailey thought it was funny, and he liked the extra attention, so he wagged at her like he was getting neat little recipes tricks out of mam's magazine.

Despite staying up much of the night- again- with a puppy barking at the lightning, and than falling asleep n the sofa without getting Charlie's uniform in the dryer- BIG oops- the rain gauge was only barely wet this morning.

Wyatt thinks it is because the ocotillo has gotten so big that it may be getting in the way if the rain isn't coming down in a favorable direction, so I suppose I will let him and his buddy Shadow the lightning barker set up the extra rain gauge today.

Well, he is to hoping for more rain, and I do have a lot to do today, so I had best get to it!  Have a great day!

I Rescued a Human Today...

I saw this adorable poem online, and thought to share it.  Our dogs have all been rescue dogs, all being essential members of the family who taught us a great deal along the way.  Hope you enjoy!

I Rescued A Human Today 

Author:Janine Allen CPDT 

I rescued a human today. 

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly 
and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. 

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know 
that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them. 

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to 
and want to make a difference in someone's life. She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. 

I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. 

Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my 
paw to assure her that all would be well. 

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. 
I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. 
I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. 

So many more to be saved. At least I could save one. 

I rescued a human today.

MY POT! And I have a guard, too!

I walked out back on Sunday, to find Jalympics sitting in a pot.  I looked down at her and asked what she was up to, she just looked at me.  I figured nesting to lay an egg.

A few feet away on the gravel below, stood this mama hen.  She chatted at me like there was something going on in the pot, then turned and pecked at the ground.

Beside the pot, next to the steps to the gravel, lay Vegas.  He wagged his tail without lifting his head and gave me that eye roll look.  It was almost as if Jal was using him to fend off mama Phoenix, and he knew it.  Those are some spoiled chickens out there!

Oh, and when Jal did get up to leave?  She didn't leave an egg.  Yup, spoiled hen...

Still got it!

Last Friday, Charlie left for the base early.  Shortly after he left, I heard the scream of an angry cat.  I sat straight up, and wondered if it was all in my head.  Shadow got up, and sat at the front screen, alerting on something outside.  I heard the hens begin to fuss.

I went ot get Bailey to help me.  She asked me whether I really trusted Shadow's instincts yet, and what did Vegas think.  Old man Vegas was circling and nodding his head at the back door, as if to say "I'm ready, let's go!  I'm in!"

Bailey went out the front door, and I the back.  We swept the usual suspect area, as the dogs began to fan out around us.  I couldn't see anything, so we began walking pen by pen.  The dogs were combing the West fence.  We talked about where to check next,as the dogs came together at my shed.  They managed to corner a feral cat under my shed.

In the end, it ran off, but Shadow was cute talking Vegas's lead, and Vegas pranced around so proud to prove that at his advanced age- he's still got it.

When I got home from work that night, Vegas met me out front, with tail wagging, bouncing in circles like a younger dog.  By nightfall, he was very stiff and got extra treat with a little extra something.

Funny, with him looking at me from all that grey, but don't  let the grey in his fur or the bushy eyebrows fool you.  He's still got it.  Still on duty.