Personally, I am not a fan of Daylight Savings Time.
I am a morning person...and being robbed of an hour of morning daylight
After all, by evening I am tired and ready to sit and knit.
I don't have time to sit or knit.
I know.... I could make myself sit.
But when the sun is up I feel like moving.
I awaken early...too early to go out and get to work, because now the sun isn't up.
Why do we need to let the sun sleep in?
Will somebody please answer me that one?
Oh well, I suppose this isn't going to change just for my convenience,
so enough said.
Thank you so very much for weighing in with your opinions about
this potential dog adoption.
I've got to say, this is the hardest decision I have had to make.
And at the time of writing this blog post, I still have not made up my mind.
Why, you ask?
I'm scared. (And I am rarely ever scared of anything.)...scared of making a bad decision...
a decision that can potentially affect a whole lot of other lives here on the farm.
Gosh... I didn't have this much trouble deciding to adopt Oakley....
I found him online and adopted him from Kentucky (although the rescue group fostered him before we took him home and I knew he was a keeper!)
And Annie...what a mess she was when she first came....afraid of everything and everyone.
So, why am I in such an upheaval over this potential adoption?
I vowed to not be prejudiced by breed... and here I am with worries about the pit bull "half"
of this dog.
All of the "what-ifs" keep creeping into the dark recesses of my mind.
His strength is a concern...as I am not going to get any younger.
And although I am pretty strong from farm work, a torn rotator cuff
would impede my ability to continue taking care of the farm.
His strength is a concern...as I am not going to get any younger.
And although I am pretty strong from farm work, a torn rotator cuff
would impede my ability to continue taking care of the farm.
We open our farm to so many children... and that is a consideration.
As you have all voiced... it is truly amazing how well everyone gets along here...
what if we upset the delicate balance?
And I hear you.... I would give every unwanted animal a home if I could.
But, that's impossible... so choosing wisely is my best plan of action.
It is what drew us to him in the first place.
Annie has turned out to be such a delight.
But basing our decision on this would be irrational.
If only I had a crystal ball to see into the future to make sure that everything works out.
But then, what kind of life would it be if we always knew what lived around
every corner?
I don't think I want that... but .... just maybe this one time!
And if not this fellow.... there will be another who fits perfectly into our happy little world.
One thing we remain committed to, however, is to adopt a rescue.
**********************************************
Addendum: Hubbs and I had a long discussion with regards to this pup.
We are listening to our gut feelings.
We are going to continue our search for a rescue dog to complete our canine family.
Sadly, this particular dog will not be the one.
I am concerned with his strength vs. mine.
The "what-ifs" haunt me unlike ever before in our dog adoptions.
He's a good boy and will make someone a great companion...
but I think it might have to be someone younger and stronger than myself.
I am sad...but a little relieved.
Decisions like this can never be taken lightly for both the sake of the dog and the family.
It's poor decision making that has our shelters over-run with unwanted animals.
There are plenty of needy pups out there...and we have lots of love to give.
The perfect match will come along.
(The chickens are relieved as well!)
Not to mention our dear little Ivy, who is just starting to feel comfortable with our
present family of dogs!
One thing we remain committed to, however, is to adopt a rescue.
**********************************************
Addendum: Hubbs and I had a long discussion with regards to this pup.
We are listening to our gut feelings.
We are going to continue our search for a rescue dog to complete our canine family.
Sadly, this particular dog will not be the one.
I am concerned with his strength vs. mine.
The "what-ifs" haunt me unlike ever before in our dog adoptions.
He's a good boy and will make someone a great companion...
but I think it might have to be someone younger and stronger than myself.
I am sad...but a little relieved.
Decisions like this can never be taken lightly for both the sake of the dog and the family.
It's poor decision making that has our shelters over-run with unwanted animals.
There are plenty of needy pups out there...and we have lots of love to give.
The perfect match will come along.
(The chickens are relieved as well!)
present family of dogs!
Comments
Peter
Late last year we learned of a dog on a local Facebook pet page. The dog lived his life at the end of chain. The owner had agreed to let their neighbor find him a good home. The photos of the dog were precious and we were told he was a sweet boxer/beagle mix. We thought we could offer him a great home with a fully fenced large yard to run and play in with our two other dogs. We arranged a meet-and-greet with the neighbor to see if it was a fit with our dogs. Little did we realize that he was a LARGE dog (more boxer than beagle) and was stronger than either my husband or I could control on a leash. We felt he just wasn't the right fit for our family and would be more than our over 60 year old bodies could handle. A couple of weeks later, a cute little female chihuahua who someone had dumped in the country came to live with us. She has been the perfect fit for our family ever since. You will find the right dog for your family and you'll know it the moment you meet him or her.
Don't worry over much about your decision. You know what's right for your farm and animals. Pitbulls and Pitbull mixes aren't for everyone. They are a physically and mentally strong breed. But also with that, they are loving and loyal. My friend never has had less than 5, she currently has 8. Along with 50+ free roaming chickens, a free roaming pony, a handful of ducks, close to 100 rabbits, fluctuating numbers of stray cats coming and going, a SUPER active 4 year old son, and many neighbor children. The pits came first, and she's never had an incident with the dogs against any of the animals. As a matter of fact, her huge, intimidating brindle male, is actually terrified of the chickens and avoids them, or tries to pretend they're not there. A few of the dogs needed to be reminded these funny sounding animals weren't to be bothered, but all in all, they've all gotten along. No worries, Bev, you'll find the next branch in your farm family tree! Best of luck and I look forward to following you on your continued journey!!
Rose
love and laughter, di