Month: April 2020

The Story of Boomer
Critter Stories · Farmtastic Stories

The Story of Boomer

My Farmtastic Life3 Comments

If you follow our Instagram account, you’ve no doubt seen adorable photos of our latest pup, Boomer, who came to the farm last summer.  This is his story.

One steamy July Sunday morning, Cowboy headed out for the day, and I decided it was going to be a day of relaxation.  It’s my happy place to have an iced coffee, a good book, and sit on the porch listening to nature chirp and chime all around me.  (Side note,  when we get up in the mornings, we crack the barn door so that Nightmare the cat can go on farm patrol. That fact will soon become a very important part of this story.)

After whiling away my morning lounging and reading, I finally decided to head out to the barn.  When I opened the door, I walked smack into a yellow, smiling dog who promptly rolled over on his back, tail wagging, as if to say, “Well hello there, let’s be friends. And while you’re at it, please rub my belly.”

Stunned. Simply stunned.  I shook my head. Where in the world did this dog come from? And how in the name of all that is holy did he get into the barn? (Remember the cracked door?  Yep. Just enough space for this wily fella to sneak in.)

I mean yes, country strays are sadly part of life. Goober was a stray who showed up on the farm, but he had the good manners to stay out in the pasture when he made his appearance. But this yellow dog had arrived with no apologies. He was here to make friends, and was not going to take no for an answer.

Boomer On the Patio Furniture - MyFarmtasticLife.com
I mean seriously, how could you not fall in love with that face!

I quickly moved him out of the barn, Nightmare’s domain, who is clearly a good mouser but not a good dog-er, and moved him to the yard. After I watered and fed him, he jumped up on the cushioned patio furniture as if to say, “Have a seat with me.”

Who was this crazy friendly dog? Now while he was chill, I had a house full of pups who were not. They were, shall we say, losing their collective milk bones. Barking and bounding at the door. I knew I was going to need a second set of hands to settle the situation with my windows and doors intact. And most importantly, if I was going to figure out where this lovable guy belonged.

Dad to the rescue. Bless him.  (Of course, when I call the man comes running. He always has.) Once Dad arrived, I quickly made a flyer, posted to our small town’s social media groups, texted neighbors, and we headed out driving farm to farm with this guy in the back seat of the truck, smiling the whole way.

He rode well, which is more than I can say for half of our pups who pant and pace like drooling maniacs when they get to go for a r-i-d-e.  This guy, however, loved it.  As we drove around, we had no luck. Well maybe we had some luck, because no one chased us off of their property. It’s always tricky when you head down a windy driveway onto someone’s farm on a random Sunday afternoon. People are friendly, but wary. In Texas, we are fond of our fences and our gates.

Giving up for the day, we headed to our local Tractor Supply, dog on a leash, to let him pick out a treat, and of course bought him a shiny blue collar and his very own food bowl.  (I mean if he was going to hang around, we had to do it right.)

What in the world was I going to do with him? (And yes, I was already scheming as to how I could keep him. This should shock no one.)

In the midst of all of these adventures, I did text Cowboy with a simple picture, because, as you know, a picture is worth a thousand words.  He was less than thrilled, as his running joke is that we can have no more things that poop. He’s over scooping.  He also has his own theory as to why these critters magically appear when he is not home, but I digress.

Long story long, one of our neighbor’s let us know of a lady who had been missing her pup.  So after five hours of farm adventures, which is more than enough time for this fur mamma to get attached, we loaded him up and took him home.  Turned out, he had been missing for over a week, and wandered five miles through dense, thick cedar and bramble woods, with plenty of coyotes I might add, and made it to our place, apparently no worse for the wear.  She was thrilled to see him.

But we learned that he wasn’t really her fella. She was keeping him for a friend, who thought he’d be better off in the country than in an apartment in the city.  But el poocho was prone to chasing cars, and she didn’t have a fence that could keep him in. I left my name and number, and asked her to let me know if he got away again.  I left a little sad, as I had already thought this guy was going to join the herd.

The next day, I could not get this yellow fella out of my head, and so I texted his caregiver to check on him.  Turns out, his owner was willing to give him to us if we wanted him. Oh my heart skipped a beat, but I also dreaded sharing this news with Cowboy.  But as you know by now if you read the blog, Cowboy is a softie.  And well we are plenty equipped for scooping poop around here. So, welcome to the farm, Boomer. Welcome to the farm.

P.S. Turns out that Boomer has decided that Cowboy is his person. That dog loves that man, and I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual.

Boomer Hunts Frogs - MyFarmtasticLife.com
Boomer just might have ruined some landscaping last summer on his determined adventures to find frogs in the pool. But we must admit, he’s a gentle soul. He really was looking for new friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look Up
Lessons & Thoughts From the Farm

Look Up

My Farmtastic Life2 Comments

This thing going on in our world can result in an emotional rollercoaster.  And this rollercoaster has room for all of us. No height requirement necessary.

For me, this week was tough. My emotions poured out of me in a million little ways. I teared up at the sound of a treasured song. I smiled at the many acts of kindness taking place in our small town. I was filled with gratitude that Cowboy and I both still have jobs, a home, and groceries for us and our zoo. I got stressed over a work project. I missed hugging my family members. I felt guilty for being in an okay place when I know folks who are not. I felt happy when I was able to share and to help others. I got lost in nature. Up and down, left and right, I rode this roller coaster in the front seat with my hands in the air screaming, laughing, and crying. 

Here’s the thing.  This pandemic has changed our world. It’s changed us.  Every single one of us. But we don’t yet fully know how much and to what extent. There has been loss for everyone –  freedoms to move about as we please, pay and jobs, a sense of security, and worst of all the loss of neighbors, friends, and loved ones.  And yet there has been so much goodness as unsung heroes have emerged to keep us all moving forward.  I’m looking at you healthcare workers, first responders, truck drivers, and grocery store workers.

It’s one big, beautiful terrifying messy life right now. 

And for so many of us, it’s also the time to celebrate Easter or Passover or simply the arrival of spring.  It looks different this year. There are no fields filled with laughing children chasing down Easter eggs. There are no churches brimming with Easter bonnets as parishioners sit shoulder to shoulder. There are no tables set for extended family gatherings centered around a favorite meal. 

I was telling a dear friend of mine that when I go for walks through our pastures, I often walk with my head down because I am staring at my feet.  I do this because I’m incredibly clumsy, so it’s purely for self preservation (of my knees and my dignity). And she said to me, “Don’t forget to look up.”

Look up my friends. Even in times of loss and sadness and confusion there are reasons for hope. There is love. There is kindness. There are doggy kisses and flowers blooming. There is prayer and meditation. There is goodness in this world. There is each of you.  

So in these trying times, when emotions have become theme park rides, and clumsy feet seek steady ground, may we all find a moment to look up.

Featured image (heart in hands) © simona – stock.adobe.com.  Standard license.

It’s Okay to Just Be
Lessons & Thoughts From the Farm

It’s Okay to Just Be

My Farmtastic Life6 Comments

As someone said to me this week, “I don’t want to see or hear the words unprecedented times or our new normal anymore.”  To be honest, they, like me were just mentally exhausted and rife with a bit of anxiety. And who could blame any of us right now?  These are different times for sure.

Now to be perfectly candid, I’m a born worrier. So even though there is a pandemic going on, this anxious brain is not new to me. In fact, my third-grade teacher pulled my parents aside to say she had never seen a child worry as much as I did.  So to be frank, it’s in my DNA, and I have my suspicions about where it came from, but that’s for another day. The point is, even when all is well in the world, I struggle to keep my overactive imagination in check. The what-ifs take over and I’m quickly swept up from the present and plopped right down into the imaginary future.  And while this sounds harmless enough, it means I am completely and utterly missing the present.

Here’s the deal, as much as the phrase unprecedented times makes me want to throw things, it’s where we are at.  It’s where we are all at. No one is exempt. And we all deal with our stress and our anxiety in our own ways, some admittedly better than others. 

Some people like to dig into the data and the stats and predict a potential outcome. Some like to retreat completely and escape into a good book or a movie.  Some like to make a Plan B, a Plan C, and a Plan D just in case. (Do I have any kindred spirits on this last one? It’s okay we know who we are.) Anyway, I could go on, but you get the gist. In particular, when times feel out of control, we are all craving some predictability, something we can count on, something we can control. But as another dear friend and colleague said to me, “Control is an illusion. We never had it in the first place.” (He’s far better at rolling with it than I am.)

So here we sit, all coping in a myriad of ways.  All learning new things about ourselves, our communities, and our society.  All in this thing together, no matter how it turns out. So we could stand to give each other a little grace as anxiety and worry are too close to the forefront for so many.

All of this got me to thinking about another anxious time in my life, which honestly seems silly right now, but in the off chance it’s helpful, here’s how it went.  As this past January was rolling around, the start of a fresh decade, I found myself getting lost and wound up about making a New Year’s resolution. Should I or shouldn’t I? Maybe just a theme or a word? Maybe a 20 for 20 list? I was riding in the truck with Cowboy one day vomiting all of these words and anxious thoughts to the calmest soul I know, when he looked at me and said, “I’ve got one for you. How about you just be. Just live your life and just be.”

I immediately had this sense of “duh, you are making this way too hard” wash over me. I smiled at him and said, “You’re right. You are absolutely right.”  I’m telling you the man doesn’t say much, but when he does it’s totally worth listening. 

So if you need someone to give you permission to just be, I’m offering these words up to you in the hopes they bring you comfort or maybe just a little relief in these anxious times. The beautiful thing about taking a moment to just be is that the past and the future aren’t part of the equation. Rather, it’s just the moment, the present.  So hug a dog, text a friend, take a walk, read a book, or say a prayer. Whatever works for you, but allow yourself time to just be.

Featured image (just be) © treenabeena – stock.adobe.com.  Standard license.