Gone Again

Zipper is missing again.  We last saw her Friday night when we fed the big dogs.  She had been hanging out with the big dogs at night and laying around the yard all day.  Last week a neighbor called and said she was on their front porch.  So Joe started tying her up at night.  But Friday, we let her stay out with the big dogs again.  She didn’t come back for breakfast Saturday.  We drove up and down the roads,  called some neighbors, messaged others on Facebook, nothing. I had the clinic post it on their Facebook page.  It has been shared 30 times.  

The not knowing is the hardest part.  I don’t understand why she doesn’t stay in the dog heaven we have here. 
 

Sadie Sunday

I brought Sadie home with me after church today.  The first thing she always wants to do is to go to the barn and see the horses.

Zipper headed down to the barn with us.

We took several laps around on a Otoelene then down the driveway and back.  She wasn’t ready to get off, she kept saying more, more.  My next job is finding a helmet to fit Sadie. 

We finally got her off and headed back to the house.  After lunch and a Sadie nap, it was another trip to the barn to let the horses out to graze.  Sadie always likes to check on the hay situation.  She is very concerned about the horses having enough hay.

Got a picture with a proud pop pop. 

And when Mike and Virginia came to pick up Sadie, they had Allie.  At least I got a picture this time. 
 

Unfortunate Events

Today was the big day of spring cattle working. 

For this many, we enlisted the help of Mike. 

Joe and I had already gotten the cattle closer to the barn the day before.  So with the extra help, it was no trouble getting them to the barn.  

First in the series of unfortunate events, sometimes your face is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Then a board holding a gate came off.  We had to stop everything to get a hammer and try to patch it back. 

Next, a cow jumped a gate.  Unfortunately, she didn't clear it.  This required a corral panel as a temporary solution.  Other than that, things went smoothly.  No injuries, human or animal and we were done by lunch. 

Zipper stayed out of trouble in the dog pen.  

 You can tell she is still alive by the fact she rolled over.  I think she has been running around all night with the guard dogs, then comes back to the house to sleep all day.  A big change from a couple of months ago. 

Gone But Not Lost

I had to work today.  We just have appointments until we close at noon on Saturdays.  I decided to take Zipper in and spay her after work. 

She did perfect.  She didn't get car sick.  In the run all morning she just stayed on the bed resting quietly.  Surgery went fine.  Post op, she will be staying a little longer than usual at the clinic.  I'm sure if she came home she would be out zipping around way too much.  I would hate to have to call myself in for my own emergency. 
 

Big Playday

We kept Sadie for one more day.  Since I had to work the last two, she has been at daycare and we haven't been able to spend much time with her.  So I kept her here today instead of sending her back to daycare.  She had a great day.

She petted a goat and played at the barn. 

Got carried by Pop Pop. 

Found Kit Kat at the new barn and got him back to the house so he could eat. 

Got Emily's old tricycle out and started learning how to ride.  Sitting is all she is doing so far.  Her leg weren't long enough to peddle.  

Then the farrier came to shoe Draper and Otoelene.  She was an angel while I had to hold the horses.  

I think she even wanted to help.  

And she played with Zipper.  Then back home to start bonding with her new sister. 

She's Back!!!

We got a call at 6 AM from the neighbor J talked to yesterday.  He saw Zipper 2 miles up the road in someone's yard.  J ran right out and picked her up.  They had a Great Pyrenees tied in the yard so she probably felt at home.  It is a wonder she wasn't hit.  It is a busy road with a 55 mph speed limit.

She went right to work at home. 

We had the rest of the yearlings to get up and work.  They were on the back side of the hill and weren't in any hurry to get to the other side. 

Zipper does a lot of zipping around, not sure if it is really doing any good yet.  We need to give her more direction on what to do. 

We finally got them headed down the hill.  They are all pretty tame so it really wasn't a big deal.

I worried all night about her, thinking the worst.  We are glad she is back.  It was a lonely night without her. 
 

Zipper Is Missing

We went to early church today and when we got home Zipper was gone.  Sometimes she goes out in the field exploring or out to play with the other dogs.  But when she didn't come back by the time we were finished with lunch we got worried.  We checked the field with the goats and other dogs, nothing.  We checked with the closest neighbors, nothing.  I rode Otoelene around the farm and up the gravel road, nothing. 

We are half a mile off the road but she had started trying to follow the car sometimes.   This morning we had to back up a couple of times until she stayed in the yard.  We didn't see her follow but she could have, I don't know.  I don't know if she got hit, picked up or attached by a coyote.  But it doesn't look promising for her coming home. 
 

First Sprouts

I managed to get some lettuce and onions planted.

The lettuce is just now sprouting. 

And the onions are coming up, at least the ones Zipper has left in the ground.  I have had to stick some back in 2 or 3 times so far where she has been digging them up.   This is what she was doing when I was trying to work up the soil.  

Who need a tiller with Zipper around. 

Making Friends Sort Of

We still have to carry Kit Kat to the house from the barn most days.

But he has been allowing some supervised visitations with Zipper in the garage. 

This day looked very promising.  Zipper has calmed down a lot and was behaving herself. 

Kit Kat seemed to like the attention.  Then this happened...
 

I'm not sure what set Kit off, but he was clearly the instigator.  Looks like we still have more work to do. 

Best Help Ever

Baby S came for a visit today.  She loves to go outside.  She will go to the door and pull at her hat on the rack and say, "hat, hat," until someone takes her out.

She walked with me to check on the goats after lunch.  We had given up on grafting the triplet to the non pet goat when Crazy, one of the pets, had a deformed set of twins last week.  She is easier to deal with so we decided to try to use her as the adoptive mom.  Three times a day when we check on if there are any new kids, we give Crazy a little grain to distract her while the triplet nurses.  She is doing better and no longer tosses it in the air. 

Baby S wanted to go in the field with the rest of the goats and worked a long time on the gate chain.

She was not successful, 

so moved on to another gate.  

Zipper was hopeful that the gate would open, 

as was Tribble, 

and Trouble.  But S was unable to help anyone escape. 

So she picked up her buckets and trudged back in the barn with them.  

We spent at least 45 minutes at the barn.  She would have stayed longer if I had let her.  She didn't want to leave the buckets there and carried them all the way (0.2 of a mile) back to the house. 
 

Playmate

Zipper loves going out to check on the goats because she gets to play with the other dogs. 

Molly is the youngest of the guard dogs and Zipper has really taken to her. 
 

Looks like they are having fun. 

Bone Yard

The farrier was coming Friday to reset Otoelene's shoes

On the way out of the field Zipper really caught her attention.  Apparently, Zipper had found a tasty deer leg.

A pretty big prize for a little puppy. But she managed to make it all the way back to the house with it.  Our yard is starting to look like a dug up grave yard.
 

Safer Interaction

The gate worked. Baby S came for a visit today and wanted to play outside. Zipper acts like she is a chew toy.  Using the gate to separate the two made for a much safer interaction. 

Zipper got to sniff and lick and check out Baby S

without all of the jumping and mauling.  

So later, when we went to the yard to play, Zipper was slightly better behaved.  And Baby S seems unfazed by all the licking, chewing and jumping.  She just braces herself and asks for more. 
 

Making A Safe Space

For some reason Zipper has not been getting on the deck.  This made me very happy to not have to worry about her chewing anything up.  That is until this weekend.  When I would catch her on the deck I would run out with a little whip and tell her to get off.  But I knew that was only a temporary solution.

Today, I worked on a more permanent solution.

I had an old crib that V didn't want to use because it a banned drop-side style.  I used one side of the crib, some hinges from some kitchen cabinets M and V tore out of one of their rentals, and some scrap wood.  I didn't want to attach anything to the siding and have since replaced the wood block with a brick to keep it from blowing open.  I am hoping the gap between the siding and the gate is big enough for Kit and too small for Zipper.  Time will tell.

Zipper doesn't look like she cares too much for it. 

But maybe it will be enough to stem her curiosity,

and protect the plants that I have been cultivating.  They have been in the garage out of reach from her chewing for the last 2 weeks.  The cedar Christmas tree proved to be a poor protector and Zipper managed to chew up 3 more plants.  Maybe this will be their new safe space.