My posts will be a bit shorter and perhaps less frequent in the next few weeks, but I couldn’t resist passing on a blog post from Bark Magazine that gave me the best laugh of the week. It’s about a reported (so yes, this is a story about a story about a story) who read that a dog sold in China for 1.5 millions dollars and reminded us that the dog, a Tibetan Mastiff, is believed to be the reincarnation of a Tibetan monk. I suspect I laughed especially loudly because, like many, I can get truly silly when I’m tired and 2) I go on and off the meditation wagon like a five-week old puppy in and out of a whelping pen (I’m currently back on it, but someone better tie me up to keep me there).
The Bark blog was written by my colleague (and co-author); here it is: Karen London’s Bark Blog.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm. Yesterday it snowed, today it is sunny and warm and tomorrow it is supposed to snow again. Ah, April in Wisconsin. Jim is up north, but this weekend I am staying home to work and hopefully, deliver lambs. I have 3 ewes due to lamb (Spot was due Wednesday), but none of them have read that particular chapter. This morning I spent some time cleaning out the barn (still needs lots more work, so maybe it’s good the ewes are waiting for me) and went up the hill to pen up the sheep before the truck comes to fertilize the pasture (which needs to be done before a good rain if at all possible). So there we were: me, Wilie and the flock, all staring at each other in the bright sun and blue sky, and I lost my head, and yes, yes, I did it, I said “Go Away” and let Willie run around counter clockwise and gather them to me. His shoulder is doing well, we’ve done his exercises religiously, the surgery is coming up in May, and I decided that one brief moment of joy wasn’t going to hurt anything. I wish I could have taped it: watching him run in a huge circle, back lit by the sun and the sky, to gather up my girls made my heart sing, and judging by his demeanor when he came back, his too. Ooooh, I miss herding with him so much, I can barely describe it. We’ll be good again until the surgery, as good as we can be anyway, but I’m glad we had our little moment. Sometimes you just have to take care of your soul as well as your body. Meanwhile, patience, Trisha, patience.
Here are 2 of the triplets: (And no, they don’t have blue eyes, that’s just the tapetum reflecting the flash. You can’t ‘fix’ it with the ‘red-eye’ function and I didn’t have time to mess with it, even thought it was sort of cute.)
Here’s Barbie, climbing the fence in hopes it will get her the grain I’m giving the mom with triplets. We call Barbie Explodo Ewe every year around this time. For good reason.
Ruth T says
Have you heard about the chihuahua that “prays” at the Jigenin Buddhist temple in Japan? Apparently, the temple has had more visitors since the dog joined prayer time. So you never know… 🙂
em says
Adorable lambs.
I’m happy to hear that Willie had his run. Those moments truly do feed the soul.
When Otis first came to us he was so badly malnourished that he’d lost much of his muscle mass. He recovered rapidly, but for the first couple of weeks, even a twenty-minute walk left him obviously fatigued. One afternoon, as we were making our way back home through the park, he was visibly drooping, stressed by his struggle to learn leash walking and clearly tired, body and soul. So I lost my head for a moment and slipped his leash off. We were in a 3/4 enclosed athletic field, far from traffic and he had been listening to me fairly well, so I figured, what the heck, he can noodle around a bit at his own pace, sniff the bushes and maybe feel a bit better.
He took one tentative step, then another, looked me right in the face… and took off, hell for leather, for the far (unfenced) edge of the field. Faster, faster, faster… he was flying. I called him back and he didn’t even twitch an ear. I thought for sure that I’d spend the rest of the afternoon chasing after him. Just when I started cursing myself for my foolishness, he reached the far edge of the field, whipped around, and blazed back, just as fast as he’d run away. Pure, unadulterated joy radiated from every inch of his body as he flew across the field. He slid to a halt at my side, muscles shaking with exhaustion but with an expression of such supreme happiness on his face and a lightness in his posture that hadn’t been there before. As long as I live, I will never forget the surge of pride and joy and wonder that I felt, watching him hurtling back to me like love and joy and freedom incarnate. Ok, whew, sappy. Sorry.
I meant to say that I know what you mean about the song in your heart as you watched Willie do what he loves and I hope that his surgery and recovery go well and pass swiftly for you both. Good luck with the lambs, and all best wishes to Jim and family as well.
Dena (Izzee's Mom) says
Sometimes balancing the competing needs and desires of our bodies and our spirits is a challenge. I can feel your joy in working with Willie and the sheep. What beauty I feel!
orietta siri says
Great!!!
I just would like to say we’re near you in this though moment, you don’t know how much you helped me and Bella in past year and you’re so far away from us… I think this is really something valuable, this community that overcomes distance, countries and cultures..
I agree with you, we’ve to take care of our souls together with our body. Last Sunday we went with Bella to the country and I’ve never seen her being so truly happy. We went to a river (with a strong current by the way) and she swam like an otter (you will laugh.. all the Lab do it..) but for me it was a great moment, she judged the current correctly and she retrieved splendidly. In addition she was off-leash all the day and behaved perfectly also in my sister’s house.. and for this I have to thank you.
We went trought some smashed trees and she looked concerned, maybe I’m going too far here, but I’m pretty sure she remembered the death of her previous owner under a tree and her running home to find help .. I cannot be sure but for a brief moment she looked concerned and when we passed by this area she looked relieved. Anyway we had a great moment and, as you said, my heart was singing…
all the best for all your souls.
orietta siri says
Trisha pls have a look at these photos on the theme of training, hope you’ll like them. The text is in Italian but the photos are self-explanatory.. the story of a German girl who loves horseriding but could not afford it. Apparently she trained one of her parents farm cows’ … amazing… have a look if you’ve the time
“http://www.repubblica.it/persone/2011/04/05/foto/il_cavallo_di_regina_una_mucca-14513682/1/?ref=HRESS-1”
trisha says
To em and orietta: No apologies necessary em, your story actually made me tear up. Sappy? Ah well, that’s my middle name. And orietta, what a beautiful story you tell as well, I loved imaging Bella being so truly happy. Both stories are such good reminders that what dogs really want is freedom, and that training is, ironically, what can give it to them. On so many levels, both accounts of joy in dogs filled my heart up. Thank you both so much.
Pat says
Hi, I just found your blog and am loving it. The funny thing is, I have a just-turned-1 yellow lab from a shelter last summer that I am training (he is the BEST DOG in the world, no offense to other dogs who may also be the best in the world) and have read and greatly benefited from several of your books (thank you!).
But only reason I found your blog, here, is that I also have 5 sheep (yes, that’s right, my flock is “micro-er” than your flock!). I was googling for small flock info and one of your blog pages came up. I saw the “Other End of the Leash” title and thought ‘hey, that’s funny, I wonder if Patricia McConnell knows about that and has any issues with it”… but then I read some more, and realized… D’OH! 😛
So now I have to go back and read it all, not just for dog thoughts but for the sheepy bits which I am also enjoying!
Lorena says
while helping my elderly Blue Heeler on the path to enlightenment, I have to remind him to “stop the grasping” when he gets so excited over feeding time! Just kidding, I think the dogs are naturally enlightened it’s me who tries to live in the moment with them.
terry nelsen says
Patricia, we are a married couple from Wausau,Wi. We recently adopted a 5yr.old Cairn Terrier from a rescue group(Col.Potters Cairn Rescue Network) Anyway I don’t know if this is the right forum, but we bought your book “I’ll Be Home Soon.” because “Nala” suffers from Sep.Anxiety. She sleeps in a crate at night with no problem,but when we try to have her go in when we both need to leave,she scratches at the door or floor and drools pools of saliva. She is great in all other areas except this one thing. Were going to try some of the advise in your book, hopefully it will help,but because she does go in her crate at night we don’t know if trying to get her to go in when were leaving will help or hurt? Any additional help in this area or advise on having “Nala” get comfortable with her crate for both situations would be greatly appreciated.