Life with a Border Collie
I know, I know. I have not been very faithful on postings but I feel like I say the same thing over and over again and I know you all must get tired of it. Life here on the farm doesn't change much and for me that's a good thing. Every thing revolves around the seasons and pretty much the same things occure, with a few diversions along the way.
Since the first day of winter, we have had snow on the ground. I love winter and I love snow, so I am one happy camper. Winter gives me some time to be inside. I have been washing wool and mohair like crazy. Carding and spinning every chance I get and knitting when I have some spare time....yeah right. The does are fat and saasy and due to start freshening in a couple of weeks. I also have some Angora babies on the way, which is very exciting. Our ewes from sheepsandpeepsfarm.blogspot.com are hopefully all bred for sometime in March. The ram that we got from them is so beautiful also. We are raising a pig this winter so we have a great use for all the table scraps. The chickens, ducks, geese and guineas are all fine too. We have added a pair of miniature donkeys, a jack and a jenny. The jenny is due to have a baby soon so we are excited about that.
Like I said, everything is about the same as it was last year at this time....with the exception of a BORDER COLLIE. You all read about Megg last summer when we got her. What you don't know, is how a border collie changes your life. (unless you have one) She is so intelligent, so serious, so obsessive, (she suffers from OCD), so goofy, so intense. All rolled up into one little fireball. Tim says she is the perfect dog for me because I suffer from many of the same things she does, therefore I am able to completely understand where she is coming from. I am a morning person (Tim is not). When my feet hit the floor, I am ready to go. I set an alarm but rarely does it ever go off. I am awake way before that. However, now that I have Megg, it NEVER goes off. She has a nice, soft dog bed that we got at Tractor Supply for her. It is on the floor on my side of the bed. She starts the night out there, but sometime around three o'clock she slips her front feet up on the bed and nudges me with her nose. I pull her up into bed and she snuggles right up to me. I know what she is thinking and I understand. She knows that we have slept long enough and there are things to tend to in the barn. We usually lie there for another hour or so, sometimes dozing, sometimes not. By 4:00 or 4:30, she has just about had all she can take and she starts to squirm. Now see, some people would hate this, Tim for one. He says that's just about the time he starts sleeping good. But I understand where she is coming from. I start to squirm too. So we get up, get dressed and head to the barn. She knows the routine, who gets fed first, who gets let out first. Don't try to change it because she knows how it is to be done. She keeps the sheep back while I put their grain in the troughs, then she runs to the chicken pen to open their door. Then it's over to the side of the barn where the goats are, to feed them, then back to the donkey pen to give them their grain. Then we feed the pig. Then to the milk room to check the rabbits and their babies. All of this is done at the speed of light. I can see her thinking that I move so slowly and she tries to be patient as I finish each and every chore under her watchful eye. She can't understand why I don't run from pen to pen like she does. On days that I work, Tim will do some of the chores before I get home. I know this must drive Megg crazy because he does them out of order and not the way I do them. But see, I understand that thinking (it drives me crazy too) The bottom line here is if you suffer from OCD like I do, get a border collie. But if you are one of those kind of people who are laid back and calm, you better get a Golden Retriever. Have a great day...I've got wool to wash.
Since the first day of winter, we have had snow on the ground. I love winter and I love snow, so I am one happy camper. Winter gives me some time to be inside. I have been washing wool and mohair like crazy. Carding and spinning every chance I get and knitting when I have some spare time....yeah right. The does are fat and saasy and due to start freshening in a couple of weeks. I also have some Angora babies on the way, which is very exciting. Our ewes from sheepsandpeepsfarm.blogspot.com are hopefully all bred for sometime in March. The ram that we got from them is so beautiful also. We are raising a pig this winter so we have a great use for all the table scraps. The chickens, ducks, geese and guineas are all fine too. We have added a pair of miniature donkeys, a jack and a jenny. The jenny is due to have a baby soon so we are excited about that.
Like I said, everything is about the same as it was last year at this time....with the exception of a BORDER COLLIE. You all read about Megg last summer when we got her. What you don't know, is how a border collie changes your life. (unless you have one) She is so intelligent, so serious, so obsessive, (she suffers from OCD), so goofy, so intense. All rolled up into one little fireball. Tim says she is the perfect dog for me because I suffer from many of the same things she does, therefore I am able to completely understand where she is coming from. I am a morning person (Tim is not). When my feet hit the floor, I am ready to go. I set an alarm but rarely does it ever go off. I am awake way before that. However, now that I have Megg, it NEVER goes off. She has a nice, soft dog bed that we got at Tractor Supply for her. It is on the floor on my side of the bed. She starts the night out there, but sometime around three o'clock she slips her front feet up on the bed and nudges me with her nose. I pull her up into bed and she snuggles right up to me. I know what she is thinking and I understand. She knows that we have slept long enough and there are things to tend to in the barn. We usually lie there for another hour or so, sometimes dozing, sometimes not. By 4:00 or 4:30, she has just about had all she can take and she starts to squirm. Now see, some people would hate this, Tim for one. He says that's just about the time he starts sleeping good. But I understand where she is coming from. I start to squirm too. So we get up, get dressed and head to the barn. She knows the routine, who gets fed first, who gets let out first. Don't try to change it because she knows how it is to be done. She keeps the sheep back while I put their grain in the troughs, then she runs to the chicken pen to open their door. Then it's over to the side of the barn where the goats are, to feed them, then back to the donkey pen to give them their grain. Then we feed the pig. Then to the milk room to check the rabbits and their babies. All of this is done at the speed of light. I can see her thinking that I move so slowly and she tries to be patient as I finish each and every chore under her watchful eye. She can't understand why I don't run from pen to pen like she does. On days that I work, Tim will do some of the chores before I get home. I know this must drive Megg crazy because he does them out of order and not the way I do them. But see, I understand that thinking (it drives me crazy too) The bottom line here is if you suffer from OCD like I do, get a border collie. But if you are one of those kind of people who are laid back and calm, you better get a Golden Retriever. Have a great day...I've got wool to wash.
Loved hearing how you and Meg start your day! You'll have to share some photos of your spinning.
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