The next in our reach for success series

We went out to the property yesterday. The dogs had a great time. We have received 3.5 very welcome inches of rain in the past week, and more is predicted this weekend (hasn't come, yet) and coming week. The ground was soft. The predicted high was only 84. As, I wrote....the dogs had a great time.
Mati added to her REACH for Success series. The picture is a little out of focus, but I couldn't resist:Yup, the girl is a tennis ball FIEND.

When we arrived, the bovine unit was at the south end of the property. However, they couldn't stand not knowing what was happening, so after about half an hour, they lumbered to our end. You know, despite the fact that they still kind of scare me, I am beginning to think that they are really cute.
Gabi, of course, was still called to her Herding Dog side, and several discussions with the cows about their location on the fence line. Apparently, she does not like being watched when she plays tennis ball retrieve.
Hudi, not to be out-done by Gabi, also tried a little policing. I don't know if you can tell, but this cow was not really listening to her at all. Hudi rapidly succumbed to fear and well, kind of gave up with her tail between her legs.
I don't know what it is, but I really like seeing cows living on land that I own. And, yeah, they are BIG animals, but really cute.....

The good thing about living in the country...

There are some very good things about living in the country. One is the space. I love living on 5 acres, but I love the "field" (i.e. the whippet ranch) that I purchased last winter even more.

"We" have been fencing. Today, I went up to look at the fencing which is nearly complete.

The above photo is taken from the ranch (or cow) side towards the whippet side which will be smaller.

We had a good time running around with the dogs being dogs. Look at the following and tell me that dogs don't smile:

Yes, we were well pleased with our fence:

The whippets seemed a little more "activated" and prone to wondering off than normal. I didn't make anything of it. I also didn't make anything of the large pile of excrement I found. The pile looked like a cow patty, but I figured the rancher or fencer had a horse out there when the fence was going up. There were tire tracks from a pick up on the perimeter. Don't ask me why....I assumed that they had brought a horse out.

All of a sudden, Gabi went running off to the tank at the south end of the property (for those not familiar with the lingo and "tank" is a pond). She would not come back when called. Once, again, I didn't think anything of it except that, perhaps, she was hunting. Gabi seems to be the keenest hunter in my bunch. I was only half way down the field. Charlie followed her, but Mati and Hudi stayed close.

Imagine my surprise when I met the cows....I guess the cow patty did belong to a cow. I did not see Gabi.

The "well-behaved" whippets (and that term is used VERY loosely in the context of this story) decided that they would go after the big bunnies. Although the rancher who owns the cows had told me that he had no problem with me running my dogs on the cow side, I was not intending to test this process with all my dogs at once. Packs of dogs will do things that one or two would not consider doing.

This whole set up was not my cup of tea. I managed to call Hudi, Mati and, eventually Charlie back to me, but Gabi was not wearing her listening ears. I decided to head back to the van, because I feared my ability to keep the dogs with me when there were such big bunnies in the neighborhood was probably limited. Unfortunately, the cows decided to cut me off at the pass, so to speak.

We zigged and zagged, but the cows seemed to KNOW. In the photo below, the position of the van is highlighted with the red arrow....see the problem?

Now, if anyone is a cow expert, please look at the above image and tell me if these are cows from the neighborhood Welcome Wagon, coming to bring me a basket of warm cow patties, or if these are cows from the 'hood, here to protect their turf and knock me and my skinny little dogs into the next county. I chose to assume the latter, thinking that would probably be best for my longevity. If the cows were friendly and now offended by my lack of hospitality, so be it.

In the end, the human managed to fake out the cows with her zigging and zagging eventually reaching the safety of the van. I kept telling myself what my realtor had commented when showing the land, "cows are really stupid", but underneath it, I also knew that they could probably smell my fear. Cows are BIG. There was no doubt in this city girl's mind who would win the battle of cow vs. city girl. I was all ready to give it to the cow.

Once to the van, I decided to drive across the field to "rescue" the errant Goober Girl. Picture this: the pearl white Toyota Sienna mini-van driving across a field of cows....not your usual ranch transportation. I was already feeling out of my element, and this only added to that feeling. I was also very worried about Gabi. I hadn't seen her since she had gone tearing for the pond. I feared that Gabi had listened to her collie side and was herding cows, perhaps being knocked senseless in the process. Thankfully, once I drove the van to the far side of the field she came running out of a tall clump of grass, ever so happy and looking quite pleased with herself (I have no clue what she was doing with the cows).

Do you think this city girl needs to go back to the city?

Mastercard

You know those Mastercard commercials:


Sometimes, my life feels like that:

whippet puppy -- a few hundred dollars ($$)

(Mati as a baby puppy)

Muzzle for whippet $12 ($)

Set of racing jackets for whippet: $50 ($)

Van to take whippet(s) to races: $25,000 ($$)



Home on 5 acres so that whippets have a large backyard for running.....more than the van ($$$$$).





Sixty-five acres so that I can set up my own whippet ranch.....more than I EVER thought that I would spend on some dogs.... ($$$$$)

The sight of the whippets enjoying the whippet ranch -- PRICELESS.Whippets running around like bunnies

The grass was Hudi height. I don't have many pictures of her. She kept getting lost.

Super Gabi to the rescue!

Gabi telling Charlie, "Really, the water feels good and you won't get muddy at ALL!"

Running through the water plants (I think the pond needs aqua Round Up)

Reilly, who seizes every opportunity to get dirty!


I didn't think Gabi's tongue was THAT big!

The Whippet Ranch is going to take a lot of work, but I am looking forward to that. In the mean time, it's fun to just let the dogs run around. Of course, if the grass gets too much higher, I may loose the whippets..... After the expedition to the ranch this morning, I went out to a colleagues land to look at his barn. Whodda thunk that I would be barn shopping?