NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS...

Jordan, Wendy, Emily, Allen and JOEY...



Would I have believed that I would buy a DOG!

I had so looked forward to all the kids growing up so I could finally live peacefully without cleaning up after the animals 'they wanted so much, and promised to care for' then didn't.

NO! I told myself over and over again, I would not be responsible for another pet...ever! Dogs, cats, ponies, birds and guneia pigs would never darken my door again...I promised myself!

Yet, this eight week old chocolate Lab and I made some crazy connection, and the next minute I was in WalMart going crazy in the 'pet section' buying him everything his little heart could desire. I didn't ask Allen about buying a dog, but it is easy to see that I didn't need to by the photo and the look of love in Allen's eyes. He looks a lot like Allen...and the only other one I know who 'looks a lot like Allen', is our youngest son, "Joey", so we named him JOEY. He's also laid back, mellow, funny and sweet...and a tease, so yep...his name HAD to be JOEY!

'JOEY'S' real Dad is a 95 pound Golden Lab and his Mama is a Black Lab with a chocolate neck coloring, but as I observed the parents I noted that they were pretty laid back and mellow, and so was JOEY. He wasn't the runt of the litter, but in a litter of 12, his sisters were all bigger than him and he showed signs of them biting him as they all went after the food. If he doesn't get to 95 pounds, I think we can live with it...happily. In the meantime, no more fighting for his share of food either.

I thought about what a pain it is to go through the 'puppy stage' with any dog, but then again, a grown dog comes with experiences that might not be good either. Were they abused? Do they have a mean streak? Would they try to bite my "little" grandkids? Do they hate cats so much they won't listen to anything in pursuit of killing them? Why were they abandoned to a Shelter? Those potential "unknown" problems seemed much more ominous to me, than putting up with a 'puppy' that would be well loved, softly disciplined and trained, and thus, become more and more willing to try to 'please' his Master(s) as much as possible. Thus is the 'nature' of Labs.

The first night we put JOEY in a little crate (that he will outgrow in a few weeks) outside with a rug and a blanket and he barked, cried and whimpered half the night. It was too much for Allen, so now Joey sleeps in Allen's room at night on his 'little rug', and if Allen lets him out a few times a night, there are no accidents as a bonus. In the morning, JOEY goes outside for the day and coming the house during the daytime is a 'no no'...but come night time around 10 pm now, he just trots into Allen's room and goes straight to his 'bed' as soon as Allen opens the door for him to come in.

I don't know why I felt that JOEY would become an important part of our family, but I wanted a dog that would be good with children (small grandchildren), would be loyal, would protect our family and the animals, and would be able to work around the ranch. JOEY is already showing off his retrieving instincts, but even better, he is showing signs of 'herding' instincts as well. I read about every single breed of dog out there in the mid size to large range... before narrowing it down to a Lab, Collie or Golden Retriever as it is my nature to 'research' things to death before making major decisions like an animal to consider for the next 15 years or more. Until I saw JOEY, I still hadn't made up my mind,

We want to get some sheep for the ranch fairly soon as I've been around sheep before and Aunt Faye has a lot of knowledge about them. When David and Wendy were small, we lived with Aunt Faye and Uncle Merv at the Cider Mill in Three Rivers, and they had lots of sheep. My cousin Vickie can shear them and collect their wool as she spins yarn from their wool, and I think JOEY will make a good guard dog for them. Sheep are very helpless animals as sometimes the 'dogs' in Three Rivers, would pack up and go after the sheep while they were in the field. The dogs would chew up the sheep and they would never make a sound as they were being attacked, and never even tried to fight back.

I wouldn't want that to happen to our herd when they come in and there are Coyotes around and bobcats and maybe even cougars a little further into the woods, but why take chances on something getting the sheep if you don't have to? We probably won't get the sheep until next spring when they start to lamb, but when we get the Goat pen built and a couple of cows, we'll start training JOEY to herd them in at night, and to protect them, with the help of professional trainers.

I'm also looking for a very 'Morris like' kitten now to pair up with JOEY so he can have someone to play with, and we can have a 'mouser' ...and I think we'll name the kitten 'Schlupy'. Our son David is a Leo, loves to be scratched and rubbed, and is pretty 'kingly' so we couldn't have a mini lion and not name it after him. The cat(s) will always be outside and Joey may be with him in a dog house as well...as we don't want dog or cat smell in the house...and we definitely don't want anything to 'trip' Aunt Faye!

When we find our 'minature pig', what name would be better than "Wee Wee" (which is a nickname for Wendy as David couldn't pronounce Wendy when she was born...so it came out 'Wee Wee' and it stuck. Haven't thought much about what farm animal will be dubbed "Linz", but when it comes, I'll know it fits...so she won't escape her namesake either.

So, the "ranch family" is going to grow...and local children already love to come here...big and small. I'm checking into minature horses too...as they can pull little carts in parades, or small grandkids around the property. The whole purpose of most of the animals is to teach the kids 'animal husbandry' and also to keep the brush and grass and berry bushes from taking over...the more the animals eat, the better for the land and prevention of brush fires etc. So, everyone works on a ranch or farm...even the pets.

Us two Humans are both totally exhausted by the end of the day as we are still in the process of remodeling our home, trying to unpack and get organized as fast as we can, and from morning to night we are continually working at a steady pace...but it feels good. It feels right. It feels like a labor of love. So much has gone wrong, or had to be fixed or modified "before" we could actually do what we had planned...so many things ended up costing so much more than we dreamed it would, but we want things "done right" the first time, so there is no 'cheap way' to do important right that we know of especially in the Electrical or Plumbing line...or the Computer Line either!

When we take a smoke break about every two hours, we go outside and watch nature. The goats are always wondering if we might have a special treat for them so they jump up from their continual 'eating' job to check us out, and then there is JOEY who chases the tennis ball and can now get his mouth all the way around it...and then comes over and plops down on Allen's foot to snooze as he poops himself out being such a stud. He checks out the Goats regularly too...but they look at him with great distain and intolerence, but I think their resolve to hate him is cracking lately as well.

Then, we look for our "Doe and her two fawns" (our Doe has had two fawns annually for the past ten years the former owners tell us) and note that the fawns are beginning to lose their spots...and tend more to run (than to hop) when we meet them on the road (as they dine on the abundant black berries and red berries until we disturb them by walking or driving by. Yet, even these 'wild ones' are getting 'used to us' and don't display the fear they used to.

Today some Finches were marching up and down the trunk of one of our large Douglas Fir Trees which seemed pretty strange, but interesting, to us...(not from branch to branch) as I've never seen them march straight up the trunk of a tree like that...beginning on the ground...and then watch several more marching right behind the leader up the trunk and then down?

I think Aunt Faye will get a kick out of watching the animals as they are so amusing and entertaining...(except perhaps when Dr. Phil is on), and as we fold ourselves into sleep earlier and earlier every night (except this one), and rise earlier and earlier in the morning...it is with a good sense of accomplishment and assurance that when we found a "home" we could both 'pour' our hearts, love and spirits into we made a good decision.

One day we can leave what we're building here now as a Legacy for our children and grandchildren in hopes that they will keep it and be able to share it with their own generations to come...it is a good thing to do as parents I believe, the right thing for us to do for ourselves and Aunt Faye, and God willing a meaningful and lasting thing to pass on.

We took a short 'one hour' break the other day, and Allen took me to where the Old Growth Forests begin on our property about an eighth of a mile up a fairly wide trail which we rode with our ATV's. It looked like Sherwood Forest and I was stunned by it's ancient beauty and amazed at the apparent vastness of this property. Neither one of us know where the "back" boundary fenceline is yet because that is the 'fun part' to come after the 'work part' is done.

I can't wait to explore this place, and to get to know it personally...from one end to the other. It's a great adventure...and a once in a lifetime dream come true. I'll be sharing more of it as we get at least one room completed at a time now with the before and after and an explanation of what had to be done to get it to the 'after' part. Things are coming together, and an amazing amount of work has been completed, in a relatively short period of time, with a very small...but determined and happy 'crew'.

But sharing all 'that' is for another day. For Today...we've fallen in love with JOEY and we hope you will too when you meet him out here at 'the ranch'.

Hugs to all....Linda