For The Dogs

 From birth to the present day, I can honestly say that my life has been richer due to the presence of dogs.  Oh, the dogs I have loved... (too many to include all of them)

The thing about dogs is - we love them, but they love us in return - and the love of a dog is unconditional. They love their humans even if they are not treated kindly (which breaks my heart).    It's been said that dogs are the only creatures on earth who love their humans more than themselves.  They give their affection freely and with wild abandon. 

Dogs have taught me the value of living in the moment... of living with joy, for that is their mantra. It's what comes natural to them.  To them, the best moment is the present one.  

I thought you might enjoy a little look-back at the dogs who have called the farm "home".

Each dog has their own story and you will find a link to that story... so, there's a lot to unpack in today's blog if you have some extra time.

When we made the move to the farm (deconstructing the contemporary loft home that was originally here - then building our log home) we brought with us our 6 year old Sadie, a quirky Bernese Mountain Dog, 

and our gentle giant, Maddie, 5, a 175 pound Newfoundland.  

Neither of them were what one would think of as farm dogs - but they managed just fine. 

 Maddie took the role of mama bear when any new animals arrived (or were born - as we were raising goats at the time) on the farm.

In the spring of 2010, in our first year on the farm, we rescued an adult Lab-mix named Oakley. You can read his story HERE.

Mid way through the summer,  a distant relative no longer wanted her dog, Hickory -

 and so this little, elderly ball of fluff joined our family.

Then, when autumn arrived, my son was relocating and could not keep his dog, Sam (Brown Sammie).  Just like that, our canine family expanded to 5 dogs.

All of our dogs were good with the farm animals, but Sammie seemed to have a special way with them.  He was curious, but slow, gentle, and kind and they all seemed to understand that. 

The amazing thing about that is... five dogs didn't seem as overwhelming as one might think. They each had their own place in the family and everyone got along just fine.  Certainly, no one ever felt lonely in our house!

By 2014, our elder dogs, Sadie, Maddie, and Hickory had one by one passed on and we found ourselves with just two dogs, Oakley and Sam.  After having 5, two seemed too few, so we chose to adopt another rescue from our local shelter.  With that, Annie came to live on the farm.

Annie, Oakley, and Sam were quite the trio and took excellent care of the farm and us.  And then, in 2017,  another relative had to surrender their puppy - so Chester joined the family. (And grew into his ears!)

Sadly, dogs don't live as long as we would like, and we eventually said goodbye to Oakley and to Brown Sammie.  We are left with Chester and Annie who are great pals.  

I am not sure what the future holds with regards to another rescue... but we have thrown that idea out into the universe.  We'll see... souls have a way of finding us.

One thing is certain - I cannot imagine life without the love of a dog.  And if there is any truth to the story of the rainbow bridge - we will have many souls wagging their tales with glee when we, too, cross over.

I suspect that this might be a trip down memory lane for a few of you.  And to you I say "thank-you" for joining us on this amazing adventure, called "life on the farm"! 

To The Bearded One… sending prayers that your procedure went well today.  Hope you are feeling well!