Email me RANGER HAMISH
2/1/05
Hi there; My name is Hamish I am almost 12 weeks old and just arrived at my forever home yesterday after a long and exhausting ride in two different cars. I had to leave my doggie Mom and Dad behind to come to my forever home and it has been scarey (that's them in the second picture). I was never scared when I had my doggie Mom to cuddle up to and get all warm and fuzzy feeling.
To really let my new Mom get to know me (and to check her true disposition) I presented her with the remains of the grass that I had eaten on a potty break when we were almost home. She took it pretty well and was more concerned about me than her jeep with the leather seats. This is a good sign!
After we got home Mom took me to see some little animals that walk on two funny looking feet and have lots of feathers. They are called chickens and they make very funny noises. One of them is red and he looks like he is walking through a wind storm backward. Mom says that is because he is frizzled. I'm glad I'm not frizzled.
After I met the chickens, we went inside so I could meet the cats, Velcro Dog and another chicken that lives in the house........... Ms Chicken spends the night in what was supposed to be my kennel so I don't have to "kennel up" here. Gramma Velcro is OK, a little grouchy at times. Mostly she just follows Mom around and sleeps.
Ms Chicken is cool and we sleep in front of the wood stove where it is nice and warm. I can tell that she likes me because she crouches down right beside me a lot to snooze. If I move around too much she clicks her beak at me until I settle down. I guess she doesn't like to be disturbed.
I tried to be friendly with the cats but, boy they can be CRANKY! One of them whacked me on the nose and all I did was sniff her tail. JEEZ!!!!! That doesn't seem to be a very good way to make friends! When Mom put MY food in MY bowl the cats ran over to see what was there. I politely stood back and waited for them to finish eating my food even though I was hungry. I thought that once they saw that I would share my food they would look upon me more favorably. I was wrong! Good grief, how do you impress a cat?
All in all it has been an exhausting day for me. I'm just a youngster after all and lots of things are happening that are new and strange to me. Mom keeps telling me what a good boy I am and I think I'm going to like her a lot. She has something called a clicker and whenever it makes a click, I get a yummy. Gramma Velcro gets one too. Mom gave me a little goat's milk tonight for a bedtime snack. YUM!
Ranger Hamish
2/2/05
Today started in my forever home at 7AM. First Mom let me go outside for a few minutes. Then she got a fire going, made some coffee and we went outside to let the chickens out of their night coop, feed them some scratch and fill their water. I watched for awhile then went off and took care of my business. I checked over the yard to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Mom took me down to where there is a lot of water running out of the ground into a little pond. I found a mouse and tried to catch it to impress Mom but it got away. Mom says there aren't very many around because the cats get them. There aren't any fences here so Mom doesn't let me go outside by myself. She says there are coyotes around that might hurt me because I'm still little.
Today I found a way to make Mom click her clicker. All I have to do is sit down and look her in the eye. At first I was watching the treat in her hand but now I've got it figured out and get lots of yummy treats. She only gives me a tiny piece at a time so I have to make her click a lot to get very much. Mom pets me and hugs me a lot. Even more than she does with Gramma Velcro and the cats. heh heh
One of the kittens was playing with my tail today but when I tried to play back, he hissed and spit at me. How rude!
Mom and I walked around a lot today, she says my job will be to take care of all the animals here and keep away the coyotes. I don't know what a coyote is but I'm sure not going to let one near the place. Mom says I get my ducks in a week or two as soon as she gets the flight pen finished and I get to herd them. I wonder what that means? What are ducks? She also said that I'm kinda shy right now but that as I get older and get to play more with the clicker I will get more confidence in what I can do.
I like it here on the homestead. There are lots and lots of trees and plenty of room to run around. Now if I could just find that mouse again............
Ranger Hamish, on patrol in the Ozarks!
2/3
Today Mom took me in her car again and then we got in another car so I could sit on her lap. Riding isn't so bad on Mom's lap, I didn't even get sick at all.
We played with the clicker a lot and I found a couple more ways to make her click. I lay down or I run real quick to her when she calls my name. Shoot, I pretty much do those things anyway.........well, maybe not run to her sometimes if there is something interesting to smell or do.
I got some goat milk again this evening. Sure do like that stuff. Mom only lets me have a little bit so I don't grow too fast from so much protein. I got a new toy today too. It is very soft and it squeaks when I bite it a certain way and it looks like a bone. It is pink! EWWWW! I have to chew on a pink bone.
Ranger Hamish
2/4/05
No car rides today! YIPPEE!!!
We got to walk way out back and found another really big pond. Gramma Velcro went swimming but I saw no reason to get into the water when it was so cool outside. I thought she was kind of silly but she did seem to enjoy it. She waited to shake the water off until she was right beside Mom and me. Very rude of her and Mom agreed.
We played some more with the clicker and I had a lot of fun making Mom click and give me treats. She says she is going to go broke buying treats if I keep being such a good boy.
I found the box of kindling today and it is so much fun to chew on, more fun that my toys. Mom just takes the piece of wood away from me and hands me some rawhide or one of my toys when she hears me crunching. I'm going to have to learn to chew more quietly so she won't hear me. heh heh
Mom got all excited today when she found an egg in the chicken coop, the very first one! One of those cute little red hens laid it she said. I wanted to play with it but she wouldn't let me. She said I would break it and she would spend the rest of the day getting the mess off of me.
I got goat's milk again tonight. UMMMMM!!!!!
Ranger Hamish in the Ozarks
2/5
No car rides today! We did play with the clicker while Mom sat in the car but I didn't have to get in.
I found some delicious food today but Mom said that it belonged to the cats and I should eat puppy food. She let me have some anyway. It's fun to eat their food because they are always eating mine. Cats! Geez! Sure can't please 'em.
Gramma Velcro tried to bite me today when I got too playful with her. It didn't hurt because she doesn't have any teeth. Mom says Gramma is an example of what puppy mills produce. I don't know what a puppy mill is but Mom says they are very bad places run by nasty people who shouldn't be allowed to own any animal, much less breed them. I'm glad I was born into a loving family who took the time to find a very nice person for me to own.
It's almost time for bed and I'm very tired tonight. I have been getting Mom up to let me out at 6AM so we are going to bed a little earlier now. I've had a little goat's milk yogurt and I think I'll snuggle down for the night.
Ranger Hamish, herding chickens in the Ozarks!
2/6
It rained all day so Mom and I didn't go out very much. We opened up the chicken coop at 6:30AM and I was kinda hoping that rooster would make another break for it but he didn't. I stood just outside the gate and waited for him and he gave me a couple of dirty looks while Mom was throwing down the scratch. Guess he figured out who is the boss of the chickens. heh heh
Mom put down more chewies for me. I now have 4 fuzzy soft toys with squeakers, well, one doesn't have a squeaker any more but it used to. One tiger-striped rubber squeaky that make a loud noise.......I really like that one! Outside there is this flat thing that she throws for me. I always chase it but it doesn't squeak or anything so I just sniff it a couple of times to be polite and then go to do something more interesting. Mom says she'll sure be glad when I get my big dog teeth.
I found a pile of rocks and dirt that smelled really good so I started digging (digging is fun!) and Mom got a little upset. That is a grave for her pet goat that recently went to the Rainbow Bridge and she says I am not to dig there. She also said something about "Spawn of Satan" but she was smiling so I guess that means something good?
We got more eggs today and I got to carry one for just a few seconds. Mom was very proud that I didn't break it but I know not to bite hard on something as fragile as an egg.
I chewed on kindling again today and Gramma Velcro and I played tug-o-war with a neat toy that Mom said was a sock when she took it away. Oops!
All in all it was a pretty nice day even if I did have to be inside more that usual. A little snack of yogurt then I'm off to bed until 6AM and it's time to wake Mom by washing her face.
Ranger Hamish, happy in the Ozarks
2/7 It rained again today. Mom had to go get feed so I got to stay with Gramma Velcro in the house by ourselves. I kinda chewed up all of Mom's kindling wood. I thought she would be really mad but she laughed and laughed. She was so busy getting the coop ready for the new chickens that she didn't go get any more and tonight she had to light the fire with a lot of paper and a bunch of tiny little sticks that used to be kindling. She mentioned something about "Spawn of Satan" again. I wish I knew what that meant. I got to go and spend a couple of hours with Aunt Loretta and play with her Pyr pups. They are a couple of weeks older than I am but they sure are a lot bigger!
There were 2 donkeys right next to our pen and I barked and barked at them because they are so funny with those long ears. Aunt Loretta came out and turned on the heat lamp because she thought I was cold. Then she hugged me and told me Mom would be back in an hour. Shoot, I just wanted to play with those funny looking donkeys.
When Mom came to get me I rode home on her shoulders again but when she tried to get out of the car, I tried to jump out first and I fell and hurt my paw. I cried and cried and Mom got all upset and thought I had broken it. As long as she hugged and petted me I kept on crying. I made one little tiny mistake though..........I started jumping around and running so she knew I wasn't hurt very badly. I'll limp longer the next time. She did let me eat a little of the cat's food even though she knew I was OK.
I didn't get goat's milk tonight because I ate too much cat food and Mom didn't get any thawed out for me but she says I'll get some tomorrow. I had a little yogurt for breakfast though and so did Gramma Velcro.
Mom's going to pick up the new chickens in OK tomorrow so I get to go play with the Pyrs again. YAY!
Ranger Hamish, playing in the Ozarks
2/8
Mom got up real early this morning and we went to see the Pyr pups. I got to stay and play with them for most of the day so Mom could go to OK and pick up her new chickens. Aunt Loretta couldn't believe that the three of us ate two big bowls of puppy chow. Well, we are growing puppies afterall.
The donkeys weren't in the pen with us today, they were out in the field. The Pyrs told me they are only in at night. We rassled around a lot and it has been raining for a few days so we got really dirty. Aunt Loretta called us mudballs.
When Mom came to get me I wasn't afraid of the car. It doesn't seem so bad now and I get to ride on her shoulders.
She took me to meet the new chickens when we got home. Boy howdy! Those guys are BIG!!!!! I think that new rooster might be bigger that I am. They are pretty though. Mom showed me some eggs that they had already laid but she didn't let me carry one, darn it.
We went to bed real early but had to get up at 10:00 so I could go outside for a quick visit. I got just a little custard made with fresh goat's milk and fresh eggs for a snack tonight. I sure could eat a lot more of that!
Ranger Hamish, sleepy in the Ozarks
2/9
We didn't do much today, didn't leave the homestead at least. It is cold and wet and very muddy.
Mom checked on the new chickens a lot. Seems like every one of them is giving eggs. Some of them are real dark brown. Others are very small and I think those come from the little frizzly red ones. Mom let me carry one of those again and I didn't break it.
A man I hadn't seen before came here today to talk to Mom. I didn't like him and I barked and barked trying to make him leave. He tried to pet me but I wouldn't get near him. He didn't stay very long. Mom said he was a neighbor and I shouldn't bark so much at a neighbor but I just didn't like him for some reason. Now I like Aunt Loretta just fine and I always let her pet me because she is nice and warm like Mom.
Mom's been carrying in wood all day trying to get it dry enough to burn. She says she has to order some more or we'll run out of wood before we run out of winter. She got more kindling and I admit, I did chew on a few pieces. She even gave me my own piece but it wasn't as good as the pieces she put in the box. What can I say?
Well, Mom says we are going to bed real early tonight because it has been such a long day. My snack is ready so it must be time for nighty night.
Ranger Hamish, muddy in the Ozarks
2/10
I had to outside before 5 this morning and I didn't know what else to do so I woke Mom up. She thought I wanted to snuggle so she let me get in bed with her but I couldn't stay because I HAD TO GO! She didn't get mad or anything, she let me out and she made coffee while she was waiting for me to get finished. We stayed up and she drank coffee and played on the computer. Everybody else was still asleep so I went back to sleep right beside Mom. I do that a lot now because I'm feeling more comfortable here in my forever home.
We got a lot of eggs today and I watched that little red frizzly rooster bully the other chickens. Mom says he is going to go live with Aunt Loretta until she can get a coop made just for him since he is so obnoxious. I think he acts so tough because he is so little.
I got a new toy! It's about 2 feet long with soft fuzzy material and a squeaker. I really like it when Mom throws it for me in the yard. She says it is too big to be an inside toy but that's OK.
I got to go play with Sami and Sumo again today (the Pyr pups) and we had a real good time........and got real dirty. Mom called us all mudballs and used a towel on me when we got home. Then she brushed me and that felt good. I'm getting a lot better in the car. I even jump in by myself most of the time and I don't get sick at all because I know I'm going to get to see my friends.
Time for goat's milk and bed.
Ranger Hamish, playing in the Ozarks
2/12
Today has been fun. First of all another chicken made a break from the pen. Usually I wait right outside the gate but I was off checking out a woodpile for a mouse when I heard Mom call me and there was a chicken hightailing it across the yard. I ran over, made eye contact, lowered my head and waited for her to turn around which she did right quick! She knows who the boss is around here. heh heh I pushed her back to where Mom was holding the gate and she ran right in. I got lots of hugs and kisses for that.
The Aunt Loretta called and Mom ran to the car in a big hurry so I didn't play like I usually do, I just jumped in the car and we went to Aunt Loretta's. Mom put me in the pen with Sami and Sumo so we got to play in the mud. Mom and Aunt Loretta took off in the little truck and were gone for about an hour. Later I found out that all her donkeys were over in a neighbor's pasture eating his hay. Aunt Loretta had to walk them all the way back in the creek bed. Sure was funny......she looked like the pied piper with all those donkeys following her.
Mom came home and spent the rest of the day stacking a lot of wood outside and inside so it wouldn't get wet from the rain that is coming. She worked very hard. Then she built a nice warm fire and we relaxed on the sofa for awhile until I had to attend to business outside again. I stayed out for quite awhile and was pretty wet when I went inside. Mom doesn't understand why I like to play outside when it is raining but that's because she used to those cats and they are real wusses about getting a little wet. Speaking of cats they have been pretty friendly to me lately now that I have stopped trying to play with them.
It's been a long day here in my forever home and I'm ready for my snack and then bed.
Ranger Hamish, chicken herding in the Ozarks
2/13
It rained all morning and it was cold so we pretty much stayed inside except to go feed and water the chickens. That neighbor that I don't like came over again and stayed about 10 minutes. He tried to be real nice to me but..............I just don't like him.
This afternoon the sun came out and we got to go outside and play the clicker game for awhile. Another of those silly chickens tried to run out the gate, saw me standing there and turned right around. Guess they have all heard of me by now. heh heh
We walked down by the little pond and that creek is really big now, very noisy too. I slipped and almost fell in but I got my footing just in time. I'm not sure I can swim, I think I can but I'd rather wait and try later when the water isn't rushing by so fast.
Mom caught that mean little frizzly rooster and took him to Aunt Loretta's tonight, he put up a good fight though. Mom said something about soup or stew when she carried him back to the house to put him in a box. I think he bit her.
When Mom went to Aunt Loretta's, I got to stay and take care of the house. Oh yeah, I got my big dog collar today............bright red and heavy. Mom said she was tired of digging through all my hair for the little dog collar. I look pretty grown up with that on, I can tell you. I think the cats have more respect for me now too.
Almost time for bed. I ran around a lot this afternoon and I think I'll sleep at least until 5.
Ranger Hamish, big dog in the Ozarks
2/14
Happy Valentine's Day!
What a wonderful day it was with the sun shining and the birds all singing. We got up before 5AM and spent most of the day outside and I got to chase another mouse. One of these days I'm going to catch one of those little smart alecks and then we'll see.
I thought I would explore the pond and the creek a little more today and I, uh, fell in the creek. I was all wet and tried to dry off by rolling in Mom's raised garden bed which was soft and smelled good. I thought Mom would be mad at me but she just laughed and laughed and said I smelled really bad. She made me go back outside and got a towel to rub me with again. That towel sure feels good.
Those big blue chickens are Mom's favorite and when she was feeding them today, I went to check out their feed to see if it was good to eat and the big hen pecked me on my nose! Boy that hurt! Mom says I shouldn't stick my nose where it didn't belong and it definitely didn't belong in the chicken's food trough. Mom says those chickens are going to have babies and then I will find out what a mean chicken really is if I mess with them. Just what we need around here is a few more chickens. Geez! The eggs are good scrambled though.
I did dig in Snicker's grave again today and Mom caught me. She built a fence around it but I think I can get through it if I want to. There's just something about that place that makes me want to dig. I chased, uh, I herded a cat up a tree today too. Mom says I'll pay for that later
Mom was carrying a 50 pound sack of chicken feed and she slipped in the mud and twisted her knee so she is limping around and told me not to go very far away from the place so she doesn't have to come and get me. She looks kind of funny trying to get up and down the steps. heh heh
I got an egg for my bedtime snack. I like those better than yogurt. I licked my chops a lot so Mom would understand that and keep giving them to me.
Ranger Hamish, digging in the Ozarks
2/15
Another beautiful day, lots of sunshine and a warm breeze. I woke Mom up at 5 as usual and she let me go outside. I don't much care for being outside at night so I didn't stay out very long. I went back to sleep while Mom fixed coffee and looked at her computer.
Today Bonnell, one of the older cats, caught something and brought it to Mom who got kind of upset. It was long and skinny and moved around a lot. Mom said it was a snake and she gave it to me but I didn't know what to do with it. I sniffed it politely then went on about my business. Mom threw it in the chicken pen and it was just awful what those usually sweet chickens did to that poor thing. Mom said something about extra protein making bigger eggs and left. I don't think she could watch either.
Mom is still limping around and I'm trying to stay away so she doesn't trip over me. Sometimes that isn't so easy. Another chicken ran out today and I chased her all the way around the flight pen before I herded her back inside. That'll teach her to go where she doesn't belong. heh heh
The tree frogs are really making a racket tonight and I like listening to them.
Ms Chicken and I both got a scrambled egg for our evening snack. She likes eggs as much as I do.
Ranger Hamish, snake dog of the Ozarks
3/1/
Well, it's been awhile since I've written anything but things have been pretty hectic around here. First Mom hurt her knee and then she got sick with a virus. She didn't go to bed though, instead she was out helping to put up the fence. She says I now have the biggest fenced in backyard in the state. 10 acres. She says there won't be many stray dogs or coyotes get through that fence and she is right. I can't even get over or under it. What fun is that?
We cleaned out the chicken coop too the other day. Boy, those chickens sure get hyper when you mess with their house. They don't smell very good either which is why Mom had to take all the bedding out and put fresh back in. One of the chickens is sick and is staying in the house to get well. She and Ms Chicken talk through the cage sometimes.
I got to go over and play with Sami and Sumo again yesterday. I hadn't seen them in quite awhile since Mom has stayed home a lot and hasn't been eating much. Those boys have GROWN! They are going to be really big, lots bigger than me. They are real gentle and nice when we play though.
That man from up the hill came down right after Mom got the fence up. I still don't like him. Mom says he says things that aren't true and that is probably why I can't tolerate him. She says a person that will lie is a person that is good to stay far away from because they have other faults in their character too.
Now the man who came and helped Mom with the fence is super and he let me go with him while he was walking the line where the fence would go. I ran and ran and he laughed a lot and petted me. When he came back the next day, he brought his little girl and I spent almost all of the day with her. She threw sticks for me and played tug of war, then she gave me part of her brownie. That was good but not as good as Mom's eggs. Boy, did I sleep good that night, didn't wake Mom up til 7:30.
Mom is fixing my egg now and I'm about ready to go to sleep. First a little run outside though.
Ranger Hamish, fenced in the Ozarks
3/4
Today Mom was gone for a long time and when she came back she told me we were getting a new heifer and we would be having a baby calf in a few weeks from her. She was pretty excited and said I'll have my own calf but I have to be very gentle with her because she'll be so small and her Mama has horns. We'll have more fresh milk for yogurt and cheese (I didn't have the heart to tell her I'd rather have an egg).
Another day with lots of warm sunshine. The grass is getting greener than I have ever seen it but Mom says -that's because I was a winter puppy. It's really fun to run and run on the grass and then go wading in the spring. Then I have another nap and I have such nice dreams................about catching that mouse. I AM going to get him one of these days.
Mom said that the man on the hill (the one I don't like) lost his dogs to a dog killer that we have in the vicinity. That's why I'm not allowed to leave home and why she put up the fence. One of his dogs was part wolf. Mom says she doesn't know why anyone would bring a wolfer into this kind of area and then let him run free to kill people's chickens and baby goats/sheep/calves. Before the fence was up I always had to go inside when he came down here. I sure didn't like that very much. I don't like being left alone inside when everybody else is outside having a good time.
Time for my egg and bed. Mom says we are going to build that flight pen tomorrow now that she has all the stuff for it.
3/5
Well we had a fun day. Mom got about half way through the flight pen and realized she needed another part. She was not happy. She turned those great big Orp chickens loose to free range and told me to watch them and I did..............for awhile. First they went down by the spring and I made them come back up closer to their coop. Then, I sorta got interested in other things.................well, there was a bone I've been meaning to chew on and one of the cats was playing with me.......
When it was getting dark, Mom asked me to bring the chickens in and I did but there was one less. We looked all over for that silly chicken and finally found her on the hill right beside the driveway. Mom and I climbed the hill and brought her back down but I got her to the flight pen before Mom got the gate open and off she went. Kind of made me mad so I pushed her into a couple of pieces of roofing and held her there til Mom came and got her and put her into the flight pen cause she is not going to work out as a breeder but we can use the eggs for eating. (We sure can and anything else that anybody lays. heh heh).
Mom says I was a very good dog. Mom has bought me a whole bunch of chew toys, some squeak and some don't, but my favorite toy is a half gallon milk jug that has some rocks in it. I play with it all the time and love to chase it around. Mom just shakes her head and mutters something about "it figures".
Last night I gulped that egg down before Ms Chicken or Gramma Velcro had a chance to get any so Mom had to fix more eggs. Good thing we got chickens who share. I just love those eggs!
Ranger Hamish, eating good in the Ozarks
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