Animal stories will continue and evolve – there seem to be a lot of them.  We have Rambo and Shabbon and hundreds of chickens, more horses, more goats, a pig, a slaughter house, another slaughter house – lamb and hay and sheep.  The day Sam discovered we were a “Pozer” farm.   Embellishment is never really needed when it comes to a farm.

This is instigated by two German Shepherds  –  “Aja and Izzy”  – Currently we have no animals for the first time ever – as with everything in life it is a double edged sword – easier for us to roam without time constraints, but you come home to a quiet house.

I am pet sitting …  not really  …   Aja and Izzys father just feels a little sorry for me.

Pets – we have had many.   As an adult, it was one of my first, “5 big moves”.  Apollo was his name.  He was a shelter dog, who looked a little on the tough on the outside but was a softy on the inside.  But a great watchdog and hunter.

My wife and very best friend, Shelley, is the real animal hero.  Animals, dogs and cats et al, were part of her everyday life, literally for over 50 years.  There were so many animals, she needs paper and a pen to do the math and the names.  Her father Bob, when he was a child had a pet goat, when he passed away, he also had a pet goat, named Charlie.  Charlie lived with us for a handful more years and became a fixture at 2 houses. His photograph is on wall, he made it into a home video and was solid entertainment for many people young and old.  His best trick was rearing up on his hind legs like he was going to send you flying, you only had to say no and he stopped. On the other hand there were 3 people who may have been nudged around by Charlie, Chris, Derek and Mike.  They had to build him his enclosures, or move him and very often deal with him, those three were teenagers and I am quite sure the harassment was a 2 way street.

We have had Roosters, there are 2 great rooster stories, one early on and the rooster debacle of 2011.  Back around 1990, the olden days, a nephew, James would visit.  A somewhat durable and strong-willed kid, maybe -5 or 6 yrs old.  He and his sisters would visit due to the abundance of horses that were around.  One year we raised meat chickens, birds for slaughter.  My dinner.  They were delicious.  In the 125 birds was a rooster, that we kept, it was great … he was handsome and proud, he would visit the laying hens outside their enclosure and he most importantly he would always “cock-a-doodle do” every once in awhile helping make the farm even more charming than it already was.   Back to James. James would visit ducks and geese, feed chickens and sheep, play with dogs etc … The only animal that could not be won over was that rooster.  The rooster would chase that child through fences, across the lawn into the barn.  James was the smallest child, the rooster just was going to let him know who was boss.  Eventually the rooster met a new boss, her name was Shelley.  If I remember correctly, that bird began to  harass bigger kids and then snuck up on Shelley one-too-many times.  He was dispatched rapidly, and given to the coyotes for dessert.

The 2011 story is very short – he came to the house as a partial rescue and probable final resting place.  Already grown and harassing every one, including the dogs, at his old house, he came to visit.  I did not build any pens, nor put up any fences – he knew every trick.   I gave him water and food in one barn, but he liked sleeping in the barn closest to the house.   At the time we had Flubber the pig, a Vietnamese pot bellied pig who may have been smarter than many of our dogs.  We thought the two of them might work out.  But no.  The rooster was bossy and the pig could not always get back into its little pig house, (actually a veal calf shed).

I get up very early, actually earlier than a rooster.  That rooster now had a bigger problem, it wasn’t  the crowing, or the pig-unfriendliness or the barn switching it was the “Anderson Sliding glass door dilemma”.  He would go to that door and fight with his reflection, hence, he would peck scratch and claw.

It was an Andersen slider, anyone who knows me, doors and screens are not to be messed with.  It was always early, the fighting, the crowing, he saw the lights were on, smelled coffee, he could not help himself..  etc ..   The first time it was amusing, the second day I ignored him, the third day I shooed him away, the fourth day it was over.   4am, a shotgun blast –   Anderson, the sliding glass door, won.  Sorry to all the animal lovers.