Filed under: July 2015 | Tags: cats, grandpa, grandpa's advice, kittens, little girls, oxen, small children, small farm life
Milo and Otis
July 7, 2015
My granddaughter got to pick out two kittens from our recent litters. I suggested in jest that she should have a kitty and to my amazement, her dad thought so too. These kittens are cute, like all kittens, but they are borderline wildcats. I pick them up from time to time when they are small, but as they grow and crawl out of the box, I pet them much less. Kittens need little boys and girls to tame them, keep them calm and love them.
These two baby “tigers” were hiding in my workshop. It took three adults and two children a half an hour to catch and contain the little darlings. The kittens were delighted. I could tell from their squalling and hissing that there was nothing they’d rather do, than to be held in the arms of a child. The children paid no attention to the jaw snapping sweeties, but they did wrap the one with the biggest claws in a baby doll blanket for a while 😮
In no time at all, much to my surprise, the kittens were purring and enjoying being held. “We must name them.”, my granddaughter said. So all of us started to come up with names for the two male kittens. I used traditional oxen names like Bright and Lion, Star and Tiger, Cuff and Link, Boone and Crocket, but my granddaughter was not having it. Finally I said, “What about Milo and Otis?” She loved the idea.
After a few minutes, she asked me, “How will I tell them apart?” I looked them over and in my best grandfatherly advice I told her, “Milo has an “M” on his head….and if you lift the tail on the other one…there is an “O” for Otis!” She was not amused…..
Filed under: February 2015 | Tags: Border Collie, cats, dogs, Love, St Valentine's Day
Cinch
February 13, 2015
St Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. It is a day for lovers and all things sweet. It is not just love, but all things that say love. In my mind loyalty is an awesome thing. A good dog loves his owner beyond words. After all, you never hear them talk, do you? Yet, in their eyes, there is no doubt how much they love and trust you. It is the payback for feeding, caring and loving a pet.
I have a farm full of animals. Many of them could not care less who feeds them. The only thing they care about is that someone does. My horses, on the other hand, look for me, work for me and try to please me. The cats too seem to search me out. Wait to be petted, sometimes not too patiently, but they do wait. The dogs, especially Cinch, are a whole different story.
We adopted Cinch this past summer. He was aloof at first, paying more attention to the animals, than any of us. He loves small children, but his excitement makes them a little mad. They all seem to work it out. Cinch chases stuff for hours even tiring the kids out. He loves our animals and knows who belongs and who doesn’t. He is an asset to our farm.
I guess my favorite part about him, is his love for me. This dog idolizes me. He has wormed his way into my heart among the places where my favorite canines live. I hold him dear like Freckles, Lucy, King and my old friend Queenie. I see them in his quiet honest eyes and I swear, sometimes they look back at me. It is a beautiful thing and if that’s not love… I don’t know what is!
Filed under: November 2014 | Tags: Border Collie, cats, crap, herding, wolf
Ugly, helps bring the cows in
November 19, 2014
Every night when I bring the cows up, the cats come along too. It started by walking the dogs down the lane. The cats wanted to go. So, now every night, when I head down the lane, two dogs and two cats help bring the cows to the barn. Herding cats is like trying to nail Jello to the wall, but a cat that herds cattle…priceless!
Tonight as I went to bring the cattle in, my gang of herders trailed with me. I got to the gate, called the cows and everyone headed to the barn quickly. Everyone that is, except the new gray, white-faced calf. Her momma took off with the rest of the herd, but she stayed put. My trusty companion Cinch, the border collie, laid down right at the gate. The little calf would not go near the “wolf”.
I tried to convince Cinch to come with me. He dutifully did just that…scaring the crap out of the calf, literally and figuratively 😮 The little calf ran for the thorn apple thicket. We coaxed her out and to the gate twice. Every time we got near the gate, Cinch would lay in the opening and the little calf would hightail it back to the thicket. Darkness was closing in and I am not the running cow herder I once was… So a new plan was hatched.
Cinch, the cat and I went to the barn to get the cows. I named the little calf “Shirley” .. for surely you have got to be kidding me! The calf’s mom and the rest of the herd went back to the field. Mom and baby had a great reunion. Mom was much more interested in grain just moments ago, but now her baby was her only focus. The gang reunited, I marched them all back to the barn again. The three little calves led the way. Cinch the cat and I brought up the rear.
RicelandMeadows 