April, May, June, July and August!

*Remember:  clicking on the photos, as well as the links will take you to the related blog posts

Please join me in prayer for my Dear Friend Kim at "Golden Pines" as she has lost yet another beautiful, golden friend.  Kim gives so selflessly to the magnificent dogs that she fosters.  She brings love and peace and joy into their final days, or weeks, or months ~ sometimes even years!  And she suffers so when one of them passes from this life into the next.  This has been a year of too many loses for Kim.  Her heart is heavy.  Pray for her to find the strength to go on doing the wonderful work that she does.  Pray for her to know what a blessing she is in the lives of the many dogs ~ and people ~ that she touches.

When I think about it, I realize that no one gets through this life without suffering.  At least no one who has a heart and cares deeply.  I believe that just about anybody could write a riveting novel  about the joys and the sorrows of their lives.  I don't think anyone that lives a life worth living gets by without suffering and pain.  Some of us just tend to be a bit more vocal about it than others...    ;-)

(I'm referring to mySELF here!)

In many ways, 2011 was a year of tremendous hardship for me.  Of couse, that also means that it was a year of great joy.  Somehow the two always seem to go together!

April

In spite of my accident and subsequent surgery in March, April means lambing and this year was the 10th (and final) "Alice Watch"
Sadly, I missed most of the lambing this year, due to ongoing pain and repeated surgeries and infections.  Fortunately, I was blessed with a loving family and friends who took care of me and the sheep throughout my ordeal...
It seems I missed most of April.  Even had a couple of 'guest bloggers' fill in for me when I was hospitalized.  But I came home on April 30 (my BBG's birthday!) and actually wandered out to the barn to meet the lambs in "She's Home!"

May

The lambs were coming like crazy now that I was home!  Godiva had a gorgeous white ewe lamb and a stunning moorit/smirslet girl, quickly followed by four HST lambs, two of which can be seen in:  "Dilemma's Twins"

The ONLY good thing about all the pain I was in as my body attempted to recover from the accident that I had in March was that I was constantly in the care of family and/or friends.  My Beautiful Baby Girl even got an 'emergency leave' from the Navy to come home and take care of her mama!

It may look like Katie spent her time "Loving the Lambs" but trust me, it was a good thing she came home.  By the end of May, my health deteriorated to a crisis point.  I told the story in:  "A Memorable Memorial Day"   Suffice it to say, Septic Shock is NOT something you want to ever experience!

June

Due to all I had been through since March, and because I was still weak and in pain, I made what seemed at the time like the only decision I could make regarding "The Next Chapter" in my life. June was also the month when the tiniest lamb ever born in the Bluff Country graced my life for four short days.  Although posts were few and far between in June, due to ongoing problems with my arm, I did get the opportunity to ride with my Brother and his Wife to Georgia and visited with my Beautiful Baby Girl, one week before she got married!  While I was in GA., the very last week of June, for the first time in months it occurred to me that I was HEALTHY!   After three surgeries, two infections and Septic Shock, I was finally regaining my strength and out of danger.  My arm was healing and I was getting STRONG!  I was no longer a patient and didn't have to go back to the hospital again.  What an awakening!

July

Unfortunately, before I could relax and enjoy my new-found good health for long enough to start halter training lambs, I was scheduled for a Stereo Tectic Core Needle  Biopsy due to abnormal results on a mammogram and subsequent ultrasound.    No worry ~ after everything I'd been through, there was NO WAY I'd have Cancer.   Or so I thought.

August

I had my mastectomy on August 10th. 

The thing about cancer is that nothing is "Black and White" 

Lucky for me, I was surrounded by my loving family as I faced what lied ahead.

Upon looking back, I have to admit, I'm proud of how I managed to keep my sense of humor through (almost) everything I went through this year!  One of the most difficult things that I faced was selling my beloved flock of Shetland sheep.  Especially when it was time for Dream and Alice to leave!  Alice in particular made it very obvious that "She Knew"...

That's enough for now!

All that's left in this review is Sept., Oct., Nov. and December.

Piece of Cake!

Later!!!

Looking Back ~ The Year in Review...

2011

I have to admit, I don't think that I have ever, at any time in my life, been so happy to see a year draw to a close.  Not that there weren't plenty of good and wonderful things that happened in the past year ~ of course there were!  Still, I think that 2011 will probably go down in my personal history as one of (if not THE) most difficult years of my life. 

I've decided to use my blog to reminisce over some of the happenings of the past 12 months.  Please join me as I look back at the good and the bad of 2011 in the Bluff Country.  I will select a couple of favorite, or most significant blog posts from each month to highlight the events as they transpired...Click on the links if you'd like to revisit them with me.  Each photo will also take you to the blog post that it was featured in!

January

Once of the things that I enjoyed doing in January ~ and I definitely think is worth repeating is "Making A Happy Card".  I was delighted to find that there are SO MANY things in my life that make me happy that I couldn't contain them all in one post, so we have:

"Happy Card Part Two".  Of course, not everything last January was fun and games.  In fact, "In a Pig's Eye"  may have  may just have been a forewarning of the year that was to come.  For sentimental reasons, "A Letter to My Daughter" still makes me smile & tear up.  And for a good laugh, you can "Listen to Those Piglets!". 

February

In February I shared some of my favorite "Black & White" photos, while complaining about being sick (seems to be a recurring theme here!).  Last year, I did my reminiscing in February in a post called "Looking Back".  Sometimes reminiscing makes me very sad...like when I see photos of animals that I've known and loved but are no longer part of my life.

I suppose that I could deal with the sadness of loss the same way that I dealt (or didn't deal with!) our snowy winter last year in "I Refuse!"

March

Aside from what was apparently becoming the norm (I was sick), March started out GREAT with a visit from my Beautiful Baby Girl & her (at that time) Fiance.  In "My Beautiful Baby Girl Helping out ...aka Pig Rodeo" you'll see Katie helping take care of the piglets.  What a HOOT!  I discovered a fun new way of "Dying Mohair Locks" and made many beautiful colors in March of last year.

And of course, the beginning of the end of Life as I Knew it happened in March...Unfortunately, on the advice of my attorney, I have removed all posts about the accident that shattered my elbow ~ and my life.  I'm not sure if this will work but I just found an unpublished DRAFT of a post I was planning on doing.  You can tell I was on some pretty heavy duty pain-relievers at the time!  Speaking of heavy duty pain killers:  This is a video that my daughter, Pam, took of me in the emergency room ~ shortly after getting IV pain meds:

Ya gotta love that "La-la Medicine"!

Just so that you know that I was being "Well Cared For"  This is one of my very favorite photos:

I have my three kids in photos on the wall above my bed (sorry about cutting off your head Ben!) and my much loved dogs and cat keeping me company and keeping me warm as I recover from my painful injury.  I am loved!

Coming up next: 

April, May and June.

My!  How time flies!

 Update at 2:45pm:  Since Michelle said, in the comments, that the link to the Draft didn't work, I've copied and am pasting the text here:

Incapacitated.  Incapitulated. Impossiblated.  Inebriated!

ij you havent heard by now, i'm hurt. i took a nasty fall last wednesday at the local gas station/civenience store. i tripped over little concrete curb-thing that you pull your vehicle up to, when you park. unfortunately, this particular curb is wider than my jeep, so when i walked around the jeep i tripped over it and went flying. i landed hard. very hard. i scraped both of my knees and my left wrist. and hurt my left arm. i couldnt get up. i laid there for few minutes, worrried that some one was going to run me over. lucily, no one did. a kindly elderly gentleman pulled me to a sitting position. i was in a great deal of pain so, of course, wanted to go home.
'the manlifted me up so that i was staning and helped me get back into my jeep. unfortunately, i was in so much pain that i couldnt even turn the key in the ignition let alone drive. store personel and a parimedic who happened to be in the store came out to see what was going on. the parimedic was sure that my arm was broken and worrid that i might go into shock. a policemn came and asked me if there was someone in the area that i could call to take me to the hospitable. i told him no because i didn't want him to call pam and have her drive all the way out here (45 vmiles one way!)) Pam's therinlaw had suffered a stroke the day before and she and her husband were yring to take care of his mom. i didnt want to dump another problem on their shoulders. so the cop called an ambulance. FOR (what we thought was just) A BROKEN ARM! How embarassing,
to try to shorten this (i'm typing with one hand) let's just say that they gave me massive doses of
'la-la medicine" in the emergency room BEFORE even looking at my arm. i felt pretty good until someone touched it. then i screamd. Pam met the ambulance at the emergency rrm ~ she and karl had just taken his mom back home. i felt SO badly for my princess. she held my hand so tghtly and kept her fce right up against mine as the er doctors unwrapped my arm and then started an iv. it had to be so harde for oam because i wasw in so much pain that i was screaming and sobbing like a baby.

it wasnt until thursday when an othepedist looked at the x-rayys that it was discovered that i had much more than 'just a broken arm' ~ i had "shattered my elbow1' i guess the end of the radius was broken ino pieces (some of which were now floating around between the shattered and dislocated radius and the ulna. no wonder it hurt so bad! i felt vindicated. not that anyone implied that i was being a baby, but i felt like i was. i've had broken arms befre and never screamed and cried like i did with this one. it's silly, i know, but i actually felt better when the orthpedist sowed pam and i the x rays and explained the exstent of the injuies.

so much for short post, =my arm really is killion me soi i'm going to go lie back down in the recliner (thats where i have to sleep because it hurts too much to lie down in a bed.

Holiday Knitting...

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me

There was unfinished knitting not under the tree,

The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care'

Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

But I had not finished the caps for their heads.

Dad was asleep---he was no help at all.

And the sweater for him was 6" too small.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I put down my needle to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash.

Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.

The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow

Reminded me how far I still had to go.

When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,

I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.

And although I was tired--my brain a bit thick,

I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.

Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed

For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.

"Move Rowan! Move Koigu! Move Addi and Clover!

Move Noro! Move Cascade! Move Be Sweet! Move over!

Brown Sheep, don't circle around, just stand there in line.

Pay attention you sheep and you'll work out just fine!

I know this is hard as it's just your first year

But I'd hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer."

I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:

Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!

And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door

Santa's big boots stomping on the porch floor.

I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.

As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.

He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe

And his clothes were hand knit from above to below.

A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.

And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran knit sack.

His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace

A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.

The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,

And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.

On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.

And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:

"S.C." in duplicate on the cuff. So I asked,

"Hey, Nick, did YOU knit all this stuff?"

He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.

I learned how to knit when I was just a kid."

He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,

And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.

I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,

And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.

He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap

Where I had laid my needles and yarn for a cap.

He began then to knit, first one cap then 2--

For the first time I thought I might really get through.

He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,

While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.

Quickly like magic his needles they flew,

Good Grief! He was finished by two!

He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,

And over his shoulder he looked back at me.

I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,

"Next year, start your crocheting sometime around JUNE!"

~ Author Unknown



It's GOOD to be ALIVE!

I had a spectacular day, playing outside with the dogs, yesterday.  Jill and BoGo and Cisco just ran and ran and ran!  It's as if they are making up for all the time that they spent in cages or shelters or cars.  My Bella and Sable have accepted the three rescues as 'part of the family'.


BoGo and Jill have appointments with the veterinarian this morning.  Once they've recovered from their surgery, they'll be ready to move into Foster or Forever Homes!  As much as it is incredibly difficult to see "one of my babies" leave, I know that the best thing for each of them is to have their own home where they will be loved and can give all the love that their hearts are overflowing with!  Plus, then I have room to rescue another dog facing death in a 'shelter'!

I'll be updating the Bluff Country Canine Rescue Blog as well as the BCCR Facebook page later today....

ADOPT A DOG.

SAVE A LIFE!

CLEARLY, I am insane!

FIVE dogs in the house???

I MUST be nuts!

Meet "Jill"

I absolutely adore her!

But she is a PUPPY.

ALL puppy!

Who has reminded "Cisco" that he's not all that far from being a puppy himself...

And then there is "BoGo"

(the Old Soul)

This chubby, Aussie-cross is such a sweet, kind, gentle dog!

(no, that's not a growth ~ he's chewing on a bone)

He quietly sits before me and just waits for me to pet him, or comes up and lays his head gently on my lap.   If ever there was a dog who lived to be loved, it is Bogo!

The resident pooches have amazed me with how well they have taken all of the commotion and upheaval in their happy home...

"Bellamica"

"Sable"

I am so proud of how tolerant my girls have been of the crazy newcomers!  Sable actually PLAYS with Jill and although Bella makes nasty noises at almost everybody, I have caught her 'flirting' with BoGo.

This afternoon, my realtor/best friend will be showing my house.

I know.

CRAZY!

I'll probably be sitting out in the barn with five dogs...

Five dogs really is a lot in one house.

I'll probably look to set up a couple of them into foster care until we find 'forever homes' for them.   Then again!  It IS Christmas...

And I do have THREE Grandsons...

;-)

Don't worry Meem ~ I know that I'm the only lunatic in the family!

P.S.  For those who may be wondering, Jethro has totally taken over his Forever Home with my sister, Penny!  She fell in love with him on the day we  picked him up in Milwaukee and her husband and kids now love him as well.  Jethro is one, HAPPY boy!



We owe them ....

I think that the only thing that is equal to the unquestioning  love and loyalty of a soldier is that of a dog. For that reason, among others, Bluff Country Canine Rescue will wave the adoption fees for dogs adopted by any members (past or present) of the United States Military.

Let them know the feeling of being loved unconditionally. They've earned it!

One year ago in the Bluff Country...

Because all of the snow has melted and it's UGLY outside it's raining out and I don't have any new photos for today, I thought it might be fun to see how things looked a YEAR ago.   I copied and pasted my post from 12/13 (apparently I didn't actually post on the 14th) of 2010 and I hope that you enjoy this "rerun" as much as I have!

Princess and Kiss are in the paddock by my backyard. 

They have the calf hut for shelter.

 They seem to appreciate having the calf hut for shelter!

There are snow drifts four feet deep between me and these girls!

Fortunately, the wind cleared a little opening, right in front of the door to the hut.



Sable goes out to check on them when I go out to feed and water.

She so wants to play with her friends and doesn't understand why they won't leave their calf hut!

But Princess and Kiss are not about to brave those snow drifts.

I can't say that I blame them!

Yes, I DO crawl through the drifts to put hay and water in the calf hut for the poor babies...

DREAM says...

"Awwww!  Poor  Mom!  There aren't any snow drifts in HERE!"

       " te he he h e he..."

"Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!"

I apologize for the NEGLECT!

I realize that I have not been very consistent at posting on here as of late.  Truth be told, I had NO idea how incredibly time consuming setting up and running a canine rescue would be!  I did have some idea of how rewarding it would be and I was definitely right about that!

Here's a little video that may give you some idea of how adopting a shelter or rescue dog can change the world for that animal...

If you watched that without getting a tear in your eye
you're a lot tougher than I!
Wouldn't it be wonderful to make a homeless dog's dream come true?
Consider adopting a dog before the year is over.  You'll start the New Year with more love than you can imagine!

Did you happen to notice the "Chipin" gadget in the sidebar?

I am SO grateful to everyone that's made a donation to help me help homeless dogs!  There are only seven more days left of this fundraiser so if you've been thinking that it might be a worthwhile cause, maybe now is the time for you to pitch in.  I realize that not everyone wants ~ or is in a position to have ~ a pet.  Perhaps adoption isn't an option for you.  You can still make a difference!  You can be instrumental in making a lonely dog's dreams come true.  Your donation to Bluff Country Canine Rescue helps me to rescue a dog that is scheduled to be euthanized, and give it a second chance at a life where it can experience kindness and love.  A life where it can do what dogs do best:  shower someone with unconditional love and affection and devotion that isn't found anywhere else but in the heart of a dog.

OK
I hear you.
It's time for this blog to get back to being about sheep & shepherding!  You may be happy to know that I just finished a blog specifically for Bluff Country Canine Rescue.  Now, I won't have to do all the posts related to rescue on here.  If you'd still like to know what's going on in my world of Rescue ~ just follow along on the new blog!  I even have a Facebook Page devoted to the world of Canine Rescue!  The blog is still a work in progress and I have much more to add but I feel like it's a good start.  The new blog will be the "Official Home" of BCCR.  Once the initial set up is completed, it shouldn't take up too much of my time ~ just updates on new rescues and promoting dogs that are available for adoption.
(and of course, the never ending plea for money to make it all possible!)

Thank you all for your patience, your encouragement and your contributions.  I am truly blessed and...

Live is GOOD in the Bluff Country!

Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!!!!

I want to say Thank You VERY much to those of you who have generously donated to Bluff Country Canine Rescue! This is our first fundraiser and I'm SO happy to see the dollars coming in. I've got 3 or 4 new dogs coming next week (since I've already found loving, "forever" homes for my first two rescues). Three of the new pups will need spaying/neutering and they'll all need vet checks and heartworm medication! The only way that this rescue will be able to keep on saving the lives of wonderful, deserving canines is if people like you continue to support us.

"TETRA"

(Boxer cross)

I can't wait to meet this girl!

Can you believe that she was scheduled to die on Monday, 12/12?

UPDATE:  Tetra will NOT be coming to the Bluff Country after all.  It seems that someone in North Carolina also offered to rescue her and it will be easier for Tetra not to have to travel so far since it won't be essential to saving her life.  HAVE A WONDERFUL LIFE, TETRA!!!

"CISCO"

(Pointer cross)

The handsome brute!

Also scheduled for euthanasia tomorrow.

Cisco will be arriving next Saturday (12/12)

"JILL"

(Shepherd cross)

Just LOOK at that face!

How could they kill her?

Who WOULDN'T want to adopt Jill?

I hope  you realize that together we are saving

these loving animals lives!

My hope is that they will bring many years of LOVE into

some lucky people's world.

They may be coming to my house,

but I couldn't do it without YOU!

P.S.  I've got the BCCR  Blog/website under construction! 

It should be up and running in the next day or two...

Ladies and Gentlemen...

For you viewing and listening pleasure,

I am Proud to Present:

"THE BLUFF COUNTRY CANINES"



Happy Saturday!

I was doing a little blog-hopping, while sipping a cup of steaming cappuccino this morning when I came upon Georgia Farm Woman's blog:  "Life on a Southern Farm".   It features a close up photo of a donkey smiling and the title of the post is:  "Saturday Smiles".

Instantly, I had this song swirling through my mind.  I drifted  back to the nineteen sixties and the drive-in theater on a warm summer evening...

And I'm SMILING!

I'm working on putting a smile on this big guy's face too:

Meet "Cisco"

He's a Pointer cross who was scheduled to be euthanized Monday!

Instead, he's heading for the Bluff Country.

Have a Happy Saturday

and

Keep Smiling!

This is a Saturday Pet Blogger Hop Post

Life at Golden Pines: I Love a Parade!

Life at Golden Pines: I Love a Parade!

Mixed Feelings...

It is with very mixed feelings that I am announcing  the adoption of my very first Rescue dog.

 I got a call the other day from a friend of mine who moved to Rochester, MN. a while back.  She had seen my blog and FaceBook page with the pictures and stories about Jazz and Jethro.  

Apparently, Virginia did the same thing that I had done:

She fell in love with Jazz the first time she saw her!

Virginia said that she had been thinking about getting a dog for quite some time.  We talked long and hard about what a commitment getting a dog is.  I want Jasmine to have a home for LIFE!

She deserves a Forever Home, where she is part of the family and could no more be discarded or left behind or chained outside than a young child could!

Virginia called me back a couple of days later to tell me that she had dreamed about Jazz.  That she knew, in her heart, that Jazz is meant to be her dog!

Now, that's all well and good and I should have been rejoicing,  Right?  Then how come I felt so SAD???   Because I  love Jazz!  She wormed her way quite deeply into my heart the very first night that I had her at my home.  I really did think that perhaps I would keep her forever!

Virginia and her significant other and his young daughter came to see Jazz yesterday.  She adored them and they her.  When Virginia walked to the front door, as if she was going to leave, Jazz eagerly accompanied her and stood happily at the door, wagging her tail as if she was going with Virginia.

And so she did.

Good bye my Beautiful Jasmine!  I know that you will be loved and cherished as you so deserve.  You'll be the star and get all of the attention.  It's what I want for you.  Just know, that if there is ever ANY reason why things aren't working out for you with your new family, you will always have a home, here with me!

I love you, you big, beautiful, goofy hound!

Don't worry.  I'll be OK.  But I do miss Jazz.  A LOT!

I know that I did the right thing by placing her with Virginia.  And I'm doing a follow-up home visit in two weeks ~ just to make sure that it's a 'good fit.  I'll do home visits (as I will with all of the dogs that I place in adoptive homes) at one month, six months and one year.  Part of the adoption contract states that if for any reason Virginia is  ever not able to keep Jazz, she is to be returned to me.  I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen but it's good to know that Jazz will never have to worry about be left chained outside again.

Now I  have room to rescue another needy dog!

Getting into the Spirit of the Season...

We got a decent amount of snow last night.

And it's plenty cold outside.

I got the Christmas decorations out.

I guess it's time to get into the spirit of the Holidays!

Atta Boy, Jethro!

I know you're not really thrilled  with the hat and antlers on your head.

I can tell...

But you're SUCH a good sport!

Sable thinks I'm NUTS!

She refuses to relinquish her dignity!

Even in antlers and a Santa hat!

Sweet Jasmine isn't too sure about this silliness!

But she'd never complain!

Even when she's TIRED!

And THEN, there's

Bellamica...

"You can't MAKE me behave!"

Oh yes I CAN!

"Bah, Humbug!"

We hope that no matter what you believe in, you are enjoying the buildup to the Holidays and that your life is full of good health, good friends, and GOOD DOGS!

Of course, if you don't happen to have a dog, we probably could help you out with that!  If you already have a dog that makes your life more joyful, perhaps your DOG would like to make a donation to our "Chipin", on the sidebar of this blog to help us save other deserving dog, so that they too may one day bring unconditional love into somebody's Christmas!