A Bird in the Hand

Hello Blog Readers, Farm Buddy here....

The month of June is a special one for dogs around here.  There are no less than three important birthdays in this month!  

We start off with Kelsey, otherwise known as Kelsey Bird, who turns eleven years old today!

She has gracefully and skillfully assumed the role of oldest dog in the pack, and she rules the others with quiet authority (for the most part) and subtleness, which is also her strategy for working sheep and cattle.  She has kindly put up with the shenanigans of young Ian over the past almost two years, and she has even tolerated Princess Kaia, who could test the patience of any Border Collie!  

We celebrated this auspicious occasion in grand fashion by taking the pack for a hike on the beautiful Finger Lakes Trail, where the dogs got to gallop through beaver ponds, chase each other around trees, and just enjoy the sights and smells of a new location.  Everyone had a wonderful time!  

We finished off the hike with a swim in my pond to wash away any beaver swamp scum, and now Kelsey is taking a well deserved nap on the couch.  She will get a special dinner with lots of grass-fed beef and milk from my cow, Jane, and will be in fine shape to tackle the years to come.  Let's hear it for Kelsey, and may she be with us for many, many future adventures!!!

Meeting His Match

It is hard to imagine, but Connor may have finally met his match.  He has been the fastest, toughest, intensist, never-give-in, never-quit Border Collie on the hill.  Then....along comes a puppy.  A cute, sweet, little puppy who follows him around and worships at his feet. 

But puppies grow.  Fast.

The cute, sweet, little puppy is now an 8 month old ultra-fit, ultra-fast, ultra-competitive bundle of greased-lightning speed, wild exuberance and slightly psychotic Border Collie drive.  Just like his best buddy Connor.

Connor may be feeling the dragon breathing down his neck, but at the end of the day, when the puppy loses interest, he still comes home with the prize because he still knows one thing that Ian doesn't - that the frisbee is not a toy, it is the meaning of life.