Our Misadventure in Chana

A few weeks back, we were out picking up goat feed. (Sometimes it smacks me in the face: "Woah. Our family really raises goats. Hm.) Sam found this local guy who mills his own feed that is supposedly superior to what you can find in the feed store and is similarly priced. So, off we went to Chana, about a half an hour away.

We've been trying to acclimate Sadie to riding in the car lately, so we brought her along. As Sam was leading her out, I noted she didn't have her harness on, and since Sam didn't seem concerned about it, I didn't grab it, or her leash. (Can you see where this is going?)

We arrive in Chana, and Sam gets out of the car, opens the back hatch, and goes to find the seller. I was doing something I'm sure very important in the front seat, and wasn't paying attention to Sadie. The girls, also occupied, weren't really paying attention, either, but they have the excuse of being young. :) Anyway, I feel the back of the car depress and turn to see Sadie has jumped into the back of the car. I have time to get out, "Sadie, NO!" before she's OUTTA THERE.

I'm out of the car and trying to chase her, calling to Sam to come out, screaming for Sadie to stop. I don't know how many of you are acquainted with how a Shar-pei moves, but these dogs are powerfully built and crazy fast. I run into the building to get Sam and by the time we get out behind it to find the dog, she is GONE. No sign of her whatsoever.

Now, I know the girl can move. But, we were staring out at very flat fields, that have yet to be planted. It was bizarre not seeing any trace. We stood there a few minutes, calling and trying to puzzle out where she could have gone, then walked around calling for another twenty minutes, trying to see if we could figure out even which direction she may have headed. I was fighting down my panic, which I don't do particularly well under normal circumstances. For my pregnant self, this was almost too much.

It was freezing cold, drizzling, and the feed guy eventually came out, so I picked my way back through the mud to the car while Sam took care of things. He told the guy what had happened, and then we drove around a while, asking anyone we saw if they had seen a dog they didn't recognize wandering around. No one had. By this time, I couldn't hold the tears back anymore. You need to understand, I tend to fall in love pretty quickly with any living thing under my care (plants included) but this dog....this is "Sam's dog." And my heart was breaking for my poor husband. My mind was reeling with what I could do to ease the blow, who I needed to call, wracking my brain for breeders we had come across, determined to drive however far I needed to to find a replacement that very day, and that I was absolutely going to get the new dog microchipped!

Sam was holding it together really well, even using the awful circumstances to teach our girls why it's so important to stay by mom and dad in unknown places. :) "Look how upset Mom is, and that's just over Sadie! How do you think she'd feel if this was one of you??"

After I don't know how long, but to me it didn't seem long enough, Sam said, "I don't know what else we can do." I stared at him, aghast. "We're giving up?" He shrugged. "She's nowhere out here." The girls both started to whine and protest, close to tears themselves. I said, "We have to at least check in the other direction." So, Sam drove back the way we had come and THANK THE HEAVENS! Sadie had come back to the scene of her disappearance and the guy we bought the feed from was trying to lure her to him with a dog treat. :) It was pretty funny, watching, knowing her personality. She wasn't taking that treat from him for anything. She wasn't aggressive, but had her nose in the air, smelling for us, and had this look on her face, "I don't know you, so, no thanks." He had a leash in one hand, a treat in the other, and he had, bless his heart, followed her as she had gone across the street looking for us.

I was so grateful and so relieved. I was touched that this young man had taken the time to keep an eye out for our dog, and had tried to get her for us. It seems like such a basic thing to do, but unfortunately, the basics of human decency are becoming a lost art. I wanted to hop out and give this guy a big hug.

So, we got our darn dog back. :) I'm so glad. She really is a big part of our family, and even though I never thought I'd want a family dog, much less an indoor family dog, I love that wrinkly-faced sweetie pie.

And now, she never goes ANYWHERE without her harness and a leash. :)

Pure Genius

I have fallen in love.

Adele - Cold Shoulder

Adele - Rolling in the Deep

She is utterly brilliant.

Hello, Spring!

Today is a beautiful day, with perfect weather. The sun in shining and there is just a tiny chill in the air. Perfect day for working in the yard. Which is so what I want to do. But, I can't fight down the feeling of needing to puke. Maybe it's the migraine, or maybe it's the baby. :) I've had far too many days with this feeling during this pregnancy. :( Always so much to do, and feeling too much like crap to do it. UGH. I survived the first trimester with saltines and ginger altoids, hanging on, hopeful for the promised reprieve of the second trimester. Cue second trimester: two days of feeling NORMAL! It was awesome! ....then the yucky came back. And worse, the saltines and altoids don't cut it anymore. Sigh. All this is compounded because this is our busiest time of year: prepping the garden, getting new animals, mending fences and making other repairs the winter brought to our attention, seeing to a thousand things around the farm, not to mention trying to get the flowerbeds looking decent, and caring for the yard. The inside of the house normally gets a little neglected during this time anyway, but right now, I'm pretty much useless! It's driving me CRAZY!! BUT, it is gorgeous outside, and that makes me smile. I am grateful for the shining sun, and that feeling this badly means I have a little life growing inside me. I'm also grateful for an understanding husband, and kids who help me when I get into my "I WILL get up and work for 15 minutes even if I end up in the bathroom afterwards!!" My girls are fantastic. I'm so grateful for our friends who are sharing the garden with us this year, and ALL the work they have put in already. I'm so grateful for all the friends I have on standby ready to help with whatever, should I ask. I'm so grateful for the hard times in life, because it means the Lord has enough faith in me that I can get through it, and knowing that I will be stronger afterwards. I'm grateful for the beautiful birdsongs, and the bright, happy cardinals flitting around. I'm grateful for the amazing world we live in that refreshes and revives, no matter what happens to it. I'm grateful that my body is well enough to bring another baby into this world, that my blood pressure is perfect, and that the baby's heartbeat is strong! I'm very blessed. So, I guess if I can't be productive in this lovely spring weather, then at least I can use this time to enjoy it? :)

Ok, I Know I'm a Total Gleek ;)

One of my absolute FAVORITES. AMAZING!! Thriller/Heads Will Roll (Tip: Make it full-screen, and enjoy!)

For Those Who Don't Know....

Baby Names

Names

Pregnancy

FANTASTIC SONG. And if you know the show at all, it'll bring on the tears and goosebumps. :D

Loser Like Me

A Good Freaking Laugh

Oh, my lands!! I saw this on Facebook posted by a friend the other day and had to share. This CRACKED ME UP!! And it was even funnier the second time.




Grrr....I hate how the blog cuts off half of it. Click here.