Where to begin????????

What an awesome day, full of good friends, great animals, wonderful surprises. I’m going to have to use subheadings on this entry!

Five herding dogs and four animal lovers:

Today Deb and Sharon came to visit. Both are supporters of rescue, and Deb was Belle’s fostermom before I adopted her (Belle, that is, not Deb!). Deb was also the person who told me about Sadie needing a soft place to land. Sharon, a sheltie mom, fell in love with Belle when Deb was fostering her. Good thing she lives in a condo that only allows one dog or Belle might never have made it to my place! Both came bearing gifts for the dogs, cat and piggies - such spoiled critters I have! My friend Ellen also joined us for the afternoon, bearing more treats – for the humans - yum!

Deb brought her collie Riley (hmmmm…Deb, did I spell that right, or is it Rylie????) who is soooo much like Charley. Sharon brought her 13 year old deaf sheltie Crystal. And so we had a yard full of herders – three collies (or collie crosses in the case of Sadie) and two deaf senior shelties! Great fun!

The herding fivesome

Crystal

The dogs playing 'Duck, Duck, Goose'???

Charley, Riley and Belle

Belle and Crystal

Riley

Riley, Sadie and Belle

Crystal

Scotch has an adventure:

Scotch provided us with a moment of excitement. I had put the piggies in the front half of the pasture for some grass-chomping, dirt-digging recreational activity as usual. As Deb, Sharon, Ellen and I sat laughing, enjoying the dogs and each others’ company, and sipping wine and dipping Ellen’s fresh strawberries in sour cream and then in brown sugar (if you haven’t tried that tasty treat, I highly recommend it!!!!), we suddenly heard the llamas next door sounding the alarm.

As the bears are back and signs of other wildlife have surfaced, I dashed to the pasture. Martin was not making his alarm sound, but was carefully watching something moving through the long grasses at the back half of the pasture, just below the hill.

Oh oh – I noticed the x-pen that I use as a gate where the path crosses the stream was no longer standing upright. We started counting noses – er, snouties – and I quickly realized that the owner of the biggest snoutie, Scotch, was missing. Off I went, calling him…..sure enough, there he was doing his happy dance, tail wagging, mohawk high, having a great time off on an adventure of his own!

Such a good boy – when I called his name he turned and headed over to the path, and when he heard me tell him to get home he hightailed it back down the path as fast as his little legs could carry him, until he was safely back with his herd. I can see I am going to have to watch that boy – once they find a way out, nothing short of padlocks will keep them confined!

Thank goodness the neighbour’s llamas are not used to the sight of piggies in the back pasture – hopefully they won’t become used to them any time soon.


Pigs in the pasture

Two llamas piggy sitting

And I’m moved to tears:

When Ellen had asked if she could join us this afternoon, I thought it was to meet some new friends and their dogs. Unbeknownst to me, however, she had been in contact with Deb for quite some time. Deb is an artist (her work can be seen here), and Ellen had commissioned her to do a portrait of my precious Caleb who died of cancer in February. Deb added a beautiful frame and they presented it to me this afternoon. My eyes filled with tears at the beauty of the portrait, their amazing gift, and my love for my brindle boy. Deb has captured his spirit beautifully. Words cannot express how much I cherish this gift.

Caleb portrait


Then, just to top off the night....

A few weeks ago a senior collie named Rover came into the care of Turtle Gardens, the only private animal shelter in northern BC. I fretted about him, but knew I couldn't take in another. Today I got the wonderful news that Rover has an adoption pending - with a person I first met at least a couple of years ago when I did a homecheck for another dog from Turtle Gardens. This will be the third dog Kate has adopted from them - she's obviously very satisfied with Turtle Gardens and I can't think of a better home for Rover! Way to go TG, Kate and Rover!

Rover


The dogs are flaked out, my heart is full, and my soul is at peace with the world. What a marvellous day!