Summer is always trying. This summer seems to be trying extra hard.
The latest trouble, skipping over several things, was a stray dog coming on the farm Saturday. He made a run at the horses in the morning. I chased him away. He appeared back in the evening and came in on the sheep. We tried to catch him that time, but he got spooked by some fireworks and bolted away.
Without a good guardian like Hank, we are going to have to take extra measures to try to keep our sheep safe until a time when we can find a new dog. And finding a new dog may be nearly impossible because of a situation with the new house built right on our front field fence line. I set up a camp.
The first thing we did was lock the sheep up in the secure paddocks near the barn. A dog or coyote could still get in if they really worked at it, but hopefully it would be too much trouble or at least slow them down enough to give me a chance to intervene. We put the tent on a clean(ish) patch of level gravel.
Big Moose was immediately involved so we moved the tent back to straddle the short fence and took two jug panels and built a wall around the front half.
He is so silly. I just love this sheep :-).
From there it deteriorated, because you can either laugh or cry, and Biscuit is ready to welcome everyone to the Equinox Farm Vacation B&B. The sunsets over the barn roof are stunning!
You can have an up close and probably personal encounter with Maisie. What a face, eh? (Click to biggify)
You can watch the full moon rise and travel over the farm. Definitely a highlight!
A slightly better picture, but not much. The moon was so big and so bright. A cell phone just can't capture it. I never needed a flashlight and as it reached it's peak height over my tent, maybe 2:00, it was so bright that every time I woke up and looked across the barn lot, I could see everyone and everything. So much better than fireworks.
I thought of Hank off and on throughout the night. He and I would often sit together on the hill and watch the farm on bright nights. It was one of my very favorite things, even in the winter. The last picture I took of him was him resting next to me under a bright full moon. I wish I'd thought to camp out with him all night, even just once.
The next morning I woke to the sound of Petunia's bell and turned over to see the sheep grazing in the arena. They'd quietly tiptoed past me and let me sleep in.
Good morning! (new puzzle :-)
I watched for the dog on Sunday and did not see him again. That evening a neighbor found a promising post in the missing pets group on FB. I contacted the owner to make sure it was indeed the same dog, now safely at home and back in his electric fenced yard. It had been scared by fireworks. Fingers crossed we never see him again.
Other than the gorgeous full moon and the fun of sleeping in the sheep yard (which was actually fun even with the bugs and hot weather), the best story from all of this was what Rocky and Jared did to try to protect their flock. I told it on an IG video post last night. You should be able to follow along.
11 comments:
Big Moose just wants to make sure everything is copacetic. 😋
Why would anyone want to build their house right on their neighbour’s fence line? And why would they be allowed to? Was there no other place they could put it?
What a great story-thanks for sharing!
How does the new house prevent a new guard dog? I sure miss seeing Hank with his sheep.😢
You all certainly had quite an ordeal. I'm glad the dog is back home and all the sheep are safe.
i really do hope that you can find another guard dog in spite of encroaching neighbors.
So it's not just us dealing with close, new neighbors? On your blog of love and light, you probably won't say. I might just call....
Rocky and Jared are Hero Sheeps! I do hope you can get another guardian dog...not that just anyone can take Hanks place. He was so good with the sheep. The flock must be adjusting...and doing what has to be done! :) Nice place to camp out...maybe a tent or at least mosquito net!
I wish Hank was here for you too!
Why can’t you bring another canine protector into your family? If some nearby folk(s) can build right on your lot line (which imho means they don’t deserve the original, Anglo-Saxon meaning of “neighbors”, but they do deserve some other Anglo-Saxon terms, you should be able to. I bet they have a happy dog who isn’t trained to commands or it’s boundaries! Your sheep need protection. You can’t sleep outside permanently (even a saint like Tim would have to object to that).
I guess the new neighbours wanted to feel like your lovely farm was part of their property (eye roll) I hope they aren't nasty neighbours and I wouldn't let them deter me from getting another guard dog. Hope it all works out.
Camp outs are fun! Especially when they are sheep approved ad the moon is full.
We so understand the 'neighbor' issue...we have an on-going thing here also.
Sigh
The story of Rocky and Jared protecting their flock makes me cry. Good boys!!! Interesting that none of the life-long wethers helped out -- I wonder if that is significant (years spent as rams left R&J feeling responsible in a way that the castrati do not?).
So glad all is well. It shouldn't be legal to call shock collars a "fence." !!! They may work 80% of the time for 80% of dogs, but what about all the rest??? And they don't do a damned thing to protect the dog that is supposedly "confined" from other dogs (or other potential threats). !!! "No, dear, what do you really think?" >:-( There is a little dog in my neighborhood that I have taken home three times, because he goes through their shock-collar "fence." He's a really sweet dog -- easy to walk up to and pick up. Makes me so mad that they don't take better care of him.
If you can't have another dog, what about a llama? I know you'd be glad to have more fiber, since you are sadly deprived in that area.
;-) ;-) ;-)
You are making progress. I have all my project washed and dried now...onto carding one day when it is not 90 degrees and a wind storm:) content
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