When passions collide - of sheep and hay, of dogs and fur trade history, of the Scottish Highlands - and Doris

Haybales in the fall bring back memories of the 10 years I owned sheep in Thunder Bay. I just loved hay day, filling the barn with square bales and standing in the barn afterwards inhaling the sweet smell. It was such a cozy feeling, knowing we were ready for winter. The sheep even celebrated, gathering around the hay trailer like kids in a candy store. This year I live in a small hamlet that is surrounded by huge Alberta fields full of round bales. I took this picture a few weeks ago just west of Penhold, about 5 minutes from where I live!

As the week continues, I am still housebound but feeling so much better. I decided to reorganize bookshelves. Tucked into one of my shelves was an envelope from a friend in Thunder Bay. I realized she sent it to me, returning a book I lent to the "farmer" at Fort William Historical Park, Brendan Grant (note, to purists like me, of the early Fort Days, it is known as OLD FORT WILLIAM).

Brendan borrowed my book The Farmer's Dog by John Holmes. Aside from playing the farmer character, Brendan is also a sheep farmer in Pass Lake, Ontario - located on the Sibley Peninsula that forms the famous "Sleeping Giant" rock formation seen from Thunder Bay. I had never opened the envelope - shame on me. I opened it this afternoon and found that Serena had sent me a copy of Bayview magazine. In the magazine was a feature article about Brendan's "Sleepy G" organic farm. Serena had a post-it note stuck on one page, to point out this picture. On the note she had written "do you recognize these sheep?" I just smiled with delight, because there in the magazine are Doris and Pebbles pictured with Brendan. They were MY sheep! That is Doris pictured at the top of this post, taken at my house a few winters ago...and there she is below...angling for some food -- yup, that's my girl!
What a wonderful treat to find that magazine today! I placed my four older sheep as I needed lighter sheep for Jet and Ted's training. I was so lucky to have connections with the Fort, having worked there myself for ten years. Here are my sheep following me to the trailer that would take them to their new home. They would do anything for corn (makes you wonder sometimes why you really need a dog when you have your own flock that come when you rattle a bucket!)My two darker girls, Hazel and Heather, stayed at the historic farm, because they would produce coloured offspring which was more historically correct for the living history farm. Pebbles and Doris went to live in Pass Lake with Brendan. Below is a picture I copied from their website, where you can see the Great Hall and note that the sheep have run of the reconstructed headquarters of the Northwest Company. My goodness, I spent YEARS sitting at the Main Gate looking at this view when I was a tourguide. Seems like another lifetime ago. Thanks to working there for so long, there is not one fiddle or bagpipe tune I don't know. And now, I live an hour from Rocky Mountain House where David Thompson, my hero, spent many winters...the land of the Hivernants, the Winterers who actually traded goods for furs. Yeah, I know, I still sound like a tourguide...but working there did inspire me to major in Canadian History, and I rarely get to spout this stuff! And there are very interesting historical connections between the NWCo and the history of sheep and sheepdogs, too - read on....

Below, a week after sending them to the Fort, I went to visit them. Here Doris is, kind of looking at me like "do I know you?" Of my four sheep, I sort of favoured Doris who is an Arcotte - Dorset cross. When Tanya Wheeler sold her to me, she said that maybe she would bloom at my place. She was quiet and homely, and came with that name. In all the years I had Doris, I never once heard her "Baaaa." But, we did form a little bond. In the winter when I fed them hay and grain, I would always sneak a handful of corn to her, to make friends. She liked that, and learned to hang back while the others ran to the feeder, because she knew I would have the corn for her. When I worked the dogs, she was the most compliant of the sheep, whereas Heather and Hazel were very stubborn, and Pebbles never acted like a normal sheep - being a bottle fed brat before I got her! I liked Doris the best.

This picture (below) is the last time I saw Doris, before she went to her new home in Pass Lake. They say that sheep are the smartest of the barnyard animals (please take a moment to click and read this)... with long memories and facial recognition. The man who trained the animals for the move Babe wrote a beautiful tribute in a sermon about sheep that is also good reading, called Lambs of God.

People think they are not smart because they run when they are frightened. I hate to tell you this, but people would do the same - as we are much like sheep, without claws or sharp teeth for fighting. There are many good reasons sheep and people are compared in the Bible and I find them positive overall. The shepherd knows his sheep. It is true. I remember every idiosyncracy of my girls, and could pick them out in a flock with no trouble. The sheep know their shepherd. Also true. My sheep used to run to greet me but if I walked up with a stranger to them, they hung back.

There are lots of good reasons why so many Far Side cartoons featured sheep too! I love the ones where the sheep are on their hind legs working out scientific formulas, but when the farmer appears they are on all fours going baaaaa. I think Gary Larson must have had sheep. Most people who work with sheep dogs know how smart and tough sheep can be, often getting the better of dogs.


In Biblical days, and in many places still today, the shepherd walked at the front and sheep followed, because they knew their shepherd. John 10:4 reads: When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. The dogs would hold the sides and bring up the rear, and protect the sheep. This is much like tending, the natural work of German Shepherds. As sheep became commercial, with large flocks displacing Scottish Highland farmers, gathering dogs started to be used to round them up, rather than have people move nomadically from one place to another. That marked a major change in the relationship between sheep and shepherds, and was the beginning of modern, large-scale farming. I find this so interesting, because it also marks a change from tending and protection to gathering and driving, and I have both kinds of dogs with my German Shepherds and my Border Collies. In fact, the Border Collie and the "Rough Collie" later split into two types from one common ancestor simply known as the Collie.

When the Scottish Highlanders were forcibly removed during the Highland Clearances from their farms to make room for large commercial flocks of sheep, many emigrated to Canada. Some of them became famous explorers and founders of the Northwest Company, opening the west by establishing trade routes and laying the foundation for what would become Canada. And hey, that is what I wrote my thesis about, way back in University. All my passions seem to come together with sheep, dogs and history in this post! Including my new passion for local, organic, environmentally friendly food.

Here is a snapshot of the whole article about Sleepy G Farm in Pass Lake. I like to think that on a smaller, organic farm like Brendan's, Doris and Pebbles and the other sheep enjoy a more pastoral life, and are enjoying sunny days and cozy winters back home in Thunder Bay.

Here is the info on Sleepy G Farm:

Sleepy G Farm
Brendan Grant & Marcelle Paulin
RR 1, Pass Lake, ON P7B 5N1
(807) 977-1631
sleepygfarm@gmail.com
Products Available:
Grass Fed Lamb, Farm Gate Eggs, Mixed Vegetables
Where to Buy:
Farm Gate by Appointment, Phone/Email Orders, Silver Islet General Store
Sleepy G Farm is a traditional small-scale farm which produces food in an
ecological manner. By integrating crops and livestock, the farm is managed
as a living entity. We aim to produce the highest quality food while
enhancing the fertility and integrity of the soil

High Hopes and Healthy Changes

Exercise! We can all use more. So...I have decided a treadmill is in order for me and for the dogs. I am so excited about this. I have lost 40 pounds in the past 16 months, and it just stalled, but I am so determined to keep going. Since I work full time, I don't like going out to a gym - I like to be around my "family" of dogs. This will be great for everyone. Why do this? Well we should all be healthier of course. And I want to keep up with my dogs! Having young vibrant dogs is a great motivator too.

Here are Jet and Caden posing on it in my little church basement. So far, I am just treating them for standing on it, as I research how best to introduce dogs to treadmills. I have been spoiled by living in the country in Thunder Bay where I had my own fenced field for the dogs to run, and nice quiet country roads for walks. I moved here late last summer, and found winter here very hard for good quality walks. This area is so ICY! It is because of chinooks, I am told. Warm air flows over the mountains, melting snow, then it refreezes into a dangerous ice layer. It is a scarey thing to walk multiple dogs on ice! Of course, we will still go out, but this treadmill will be a great addition to our physical and mental health with winter coming. You can see the tire of my mountain bike in the bottom corner of the picture - I am going to look into a training stand for that too!

Last spring I went to a fantastic "Hayhouse" conference called "I Can Do I!" The keynote speaker was Dr. Wayne Dyer, who I think is one of the most genuine, loving and positive people on the planet. I love his books. Below is a picture of Dr. Dyer saying hi to the crowd before he spoke. He actually sat on the edge of the stage and chatted, before reappearing for the official presentation. People attended the conference from across Canada and the US, including from Hawaii and a few from Europe. And what is this? More healthy lifestyle plans. Other speakers at the conference talked about diet and lifestyle. It was very motivating. In the same convention centre was a YOGA conference and we all had free passes to check it out. I remember my Mother doing Yoga in the 1970s - she was way ahead of her time! I have done Tai Chi and know it makes you feel very centered and calm. So Yoga and Tai Chi will be added to the winter plans. The dogs already do yoga - haven't you seen how animals stretch themselves? They naturally stay toned this way. By the way, that is my purple yoga mat...yes, I love that colour LOL. Now let's revisit this picture from a few posts ago. I wanted to mention the veggies. These are LOCALLY GROWN veggies that I got from someone I work with. As part of my healthy lifestyle changes, I have dropped meat, dairy and sugar as well as anything white (flour, pasta) following the book The Core Balance Diet. The author, Marcelle Pick, spoke at the conference last spring and the book is amazing. Other books I recommend are Skinny Bitch and The China Study. These will persuade you to live and eat in a more healthy way! On my new "vegetarian" diet I dropped 10 pounds in two weeks. In the Core Balance Diet, it says that your body will be so grateful when you let it detox and give it a break from these foods (dairy, gluten, meat, sugar). And of course, my dogs eat well too (but that is another post).

I am obviously excited, so wanted to share it with everyone! I will be attending another Woman's Retreat in November at Gull Lake being put on by my friend, who also attended the Hayhouse Conference (contact me if you are interested in information).

Now, get off the computer and get moving!

Side note: You might have seen this when you looked at the treadmill picture above. I got this funky orange cabinet for $100 at an antique show. On top, are the urns of my beloved dogs. They came with me to Alberta.
From Right to left, in order of when they passed on, are Hawk - my first tracking dog, with a glove on his urn; Kate the Collie with her purple collar; Robin, my BIS TDX girl, and a couple of her trophies - she lived to be nearly 15; my dear heart-dog Thorn and his favourite kong bone and his collar (in the end, I couldn't put it on Caden); and recently departed Shaman with a collar and toy he won for his herding HIT. These dogs are described more in the sidebar menu. My older dogs are buried at home in Thunder Bay and I have no pictures of their graves, but I carry them in my heart.

Dog Day Sunday

Yesterday for the first time I walked Jet, Ted AND River together around Three Mile Bend, the local dog park. I had been sick for quite a few days and feeling so guilty about not getting out with them!

Usually, I walk Jet and Ted. Then I take River for a walk and to the lagoon for a swim and play. Then I take Caden to a spit that we can have to ourselves for a swim. By the time I get home, I have been on about 4 walks! It was great to walk three out of four together.
River has aged gracefully - she used to be a handful but is really getting "wise" and yesterday I was proud of her with other dogs and people. At first I had her on a long line (loose) but took it off when I realized she was so great under voice control with me. She made me very proud!Three Mile Bend is a 55-hectare dog park in Red Deer along the Red Deer River. I love it there - it is so big with so many trails that I feel I am at a park called Centennial Park back in Thunder Bay. I was too busy monitoring everyone to take photos yesterday, but these ones from past walks give you the idea.
Before taking others for a walk I took Caden to a shopping centre (with a Chapters bookstore of course) and did obedience around the parking lot and sidewalks. He is so friendly and did a great job on heeling and stays / recalls. At the dog park, Caden had a swim on his own - probably the last of the year (the photo above is from July) . Then we went to a local soccer field to play with a ball.
Unfortunately, I thought I was over the flu, but today realized I am still whacked by a bug, so the dogs are in for another boring week.

More Adventures of Ted (and the Giggle Ball)

Yes, that is a potato between Ted's paws. What is Ted thinking! Follow the bouncing Giggle ball to find out.

So here's the context...I have been home with the flu, so don't have much in the way of outdoor activities to blog about, but the dogs provide endless amusement! I took a few pictures earlier this morning with no real plan. A few minutes ago, I turned around to see Ted with the potato...and realized I had a story! This is what life is like around here. I am just the official recorder.
Earlier this morning, I took this picture of River lounging with her Giggle Ball. Honestly, in nine years, she has NEVER taken to a toy like she has with this ball. Note how comfie she looks, while I sit on the less comfie chair, with a bad view of the TV.
Caden flitted about, to see if he could get the ball.
So River had to take it to the bedroom, which she refers to as "the Princess lair." I love the glowing eyes! As you can see, Caden defers to River. She has a lot of presence and he is still such a baby in many ways.
Yes, the ball is under her chin. I asked her to show me.
I took the ball away after hearing too much growling coming from the lair, and put it up on the counter. I "re-enacted" the placement in this photo. Are you with me now? All I can imagine is that sneaky Ted came in and zeroed in on the scent of the ball, and reached up to "steal" a potato from the counter! Ted never steals food by the way (I feel compelled to add this.)

And this is where I started - looking over to see Ted lying so happily on the couch with his prize. When I got the camera, of course he posed. Ted's quirky ways continue. You gotta love that dog. Look at his proud face! "Hey! I have a ball!" Well, it is sort of "ball - like."

PS throughout this entire event, Jet has been outside guarding a new bone. Hence, she is not featured in this story. And she thinks it is a stupid story anyway.

Ted's Karma

I always say that Ted must have been a bird in his previous life. Sometimes he will leap onto the back of the couch when I am watching TV, and literally be perched on my shoulder! He is so compulsive but always full of joy. He just lands and says "hey! it's Ted!"I had further confirmation of my beliefs when Ted and I went to the Post Office the other night. OK, I admit, he was not on a leash, because he walks right beside me (you border collie people understand that)...and it was later in the evening with no one around. He joyfully ran around one side of the building in the parking lot when I told him to go potty. I opened he glass door and called him in, and Ted RAN STRAIGHT INTO THE DOOR.I always have my little camera in my purse because there is a lot of pressure on bloggers to have images to share, so I was able to collect the evidence.
And what does this remind you of? ABOVE: Ted's fur, BELOW: Bird feathers
I take this as proof that Ted was a raptor in a former life, or maybe a parrot. A Budgie? In any case he earned some kind of karma in that bird life to cause his soul to come back as Ted the Border Collie. I wonder what kind of lesson he is here to learn this time? Maybe, not to run or fly into glass!

Here is another thought...the picture of feathers is from Stock Exchange (a free stock website) and it is called "Angel Feathers" so perhaps that is another possiblity and way to think of my loveable Teddy, or as Scott Glen calls him whenever he sees him -- "Theodore" which means Gift from God. It's actually why I didn't change his name!

The journey...comments on River's tracking video

I always say that the time we spend training our dogs is the journey, and these are the hours we will always remember. The tests and titles are just evidence of the hours spent together. Some of my best moments in tracking have been when I am out alone with my dogs. I am hooked on videotaping now, because I get so much out of watching it afterwards. Often when I am following my dog, I get so into the moment that I miss some things that I can see afterwards.

Today I wrote a note to a great tracking friend, and thought it would be worth sharing a bit of it here. I was commenting on the video (in the post below) of River's track. I have edited it a wee bit for clarity here - and because I am a writer I can't help editing myself! Here is what I wrote:

On the video with River's track, I noticed that she stumbled once. I didn't
see it when I was following her. She is showing her age sometimes. She looks
slow, but it is funny because I know she loves to track. Caden did the same
track in less than half the time she took.
One of my SchH training friends commented to me that he feels it
is crucial to keep doing veg tracks so dogs can go back to what they
do easily and are always reminded that tracking is easy. Based on his comments,
I think that in her early training, I have consistently allowed River to *think*
that urban is hard, by letting her cast too much, and even my 'motivational'
tracks for her can be challenging - even if she enjoys it and appears to
have fun solving the scent puzzle.
I have been thinking A LOT about this. It might even explain why dogs seem
to lose their veg nose when we focus on hard surface tracks. It might
be that dogs start believing that tracking is harder, so when they get to veg,
they are approaching it with new behaviours and a different mindset, and it has
nothing to do with their ability. Really good food for thought.

I did a TD track with River a few weeks ago and she just aced it - she
was so full of joy and dead on. This was after spending time on scent pads and
starts with her, and using the footstep tracking methods. I don't expect her to
footstep track, but I am trying to tell her to stay on track and not cast so
much. I think we are having a breakthrough.

On her video, she does small circles at one point. She is not racing by any
means but I tell her 'easy, easy, its ok' to calm her mind. At the MOT
turn just beyond this, she overshoots the turn, looks one way, then makes this
totally decisive turn the right way.
I know you will understand when I say how choked up I was. Especially every
time I see it on video.

Another new tracking friend emailed me these precious words..."Good job with River, you can teach an old dog new tricks. It was great to see the one turn where she just thought, hey, I have to go the other way and off she went."

Thanks so much for saying that! I thought it was a great moment, and I know that people who track understand. I also know that once River and I get over this hump of "re-training" we'll be a better team, for all this hard work!

Enjoy your journey...

Tracking Transitions - soil to grass, soil to pavement

Once again Ted did a great job today at an impromptu tracking session on a warm, humid fall day. He LOVES to find articles, but getting him to TRACK to them has been the trick!

It was warm with high humidity today, bordering on rain, so I went to the College today and on a whim and did some transitions with Caden because I saw this area with fresh dirt around a new building. Caden did awesome on his very first track – usually I do three and he calms down by the 2nd and 3rd LOL. He has been focusing on veg all summer, so this was his first foray onto non-veg in months! The track went from soil to grass, grass to soil, and soil to pavement. You can see where he goes a bit sideways at soil to grass, and from the curb to the parking lot, but overall I was so pleased with how he did. I kicked dirt out onto the pavement, it is a technique to help with the transition. Also, there was a puddle there, so I stepped in it when I laid the track to wet my steps, I thought why not?

Caden's first track; no wind, high humidity; 8C


I would not do this very often with Caden as he has yet to refine his veg skills, but there was so much moisture hanging in the air, it seemed like a fun thing to try. I used a fur saver (long linked choke style collar) rather than a prong on Caden and had a bit less control and at one point I think you can hear me on his 2nd track whispering ‘oh man…” because he pulls so hard!

Caden's second track - rewalked and aged 30 minutes after River ran this one...


I re-walked the track and did it with River but added more non-veg to it. Then, I aged I and after 30 minutes, I ran Caden on it again. He did the track a bit faster, I think he was motivated to smell River on it. He did the non-veg including a turn. I was pretty excited about it. He was not dead on but was within a foot of it. River is doing so much better. Today I was working on technique so I didn’t care if I was using the same track over and over, as long as we were all basically on it – and I rewalked and refreshed it each time then let it age (except for Ted’s track). I have her on a collar today because I simply didn’t have any harnesses in the car – was not expecting to go tracking!

River's track



River is getting the idea to not cast so much and is not shutting down when I restrict her more than usual. Don't get me wrong, River is a great urban tracking dog and UTDX-ready but as she was my first urban dog, I let her cast WAY too much so have decided we can always learn more and do better. I am very impressed that at her age, she is capable of changing her style somewhat. I am sure that if I can convince her not to cast so wide at times, it will help us both! It’s taken two months of tons of food, lots of work on scent pads and starts only and mostly tracking on veg to change her style a bit but it has been worth it for me and a great learning experience. I have never talked so much to her either – I am usually so quiet. From Schutzhund tracking I am learning about the value of a verbal correction followed by praise, and letting the dog know when they are right. I hand it to the old girl (River, but maybe me too LOL). I am still allowing her small circles and I am now keeping a tighter line.

Jet's non-veg portion - ran out of memory before the end!



Jet was much more careful on the non-veg, but is still very visual. You can see her checking out wet spots on the pavement – a downfall of using water on the track? My memory card was full and the taping stopped just as I was correcting her to the track, she finished OK, it was just ahead of her. A very cute lie down at the article. I am hoping that with minor corrections and by using food and hidden articles on the track, I can convince Jet to stop cheating and running up to things she SEES!!

Ted's non-veg, managed to delete some stuff to tape this



My big surprise again today was Ted! I have been training him from scratch using a combination of HITT and footstep style. His non-veg was great! It was a well laid trail by this time, but motivating for him, and probably very clear. I ran him after Caden’s second track, to get the missed bait.

River and Ted goof around when training is done. River gets so upset in the car when other dogs are tracking that I simply have to let her out one last time so that she feels satisfied on the drive home.

Altogether, his represents over two hours of tracking! It was dark when I got home!

And this is what happy, tired tracking dogs look like...

River gives me a kiss to say thanks for taking me tracking today!

Deep Thoughts after watching a Dog Whisperer rerun

This afternoon I watched a rerun episode of Dog Whisperer and it made me think. It was about a "Peke-a-poo" named Chloe. Chloe's owner was trying to be a pack leader with her dog, by being stern and raising her voice. When Cesar watched her, he said that this was not her normal behaviour, as she was a soft-spoken and loving person. He felt that when she acted this way - loud and stern - her dog knew she was faking it, and so it did not work. He suggested that her loud, stern voice was actually creating conflict in little Chloe, and increasing her aggressive response to giving up toys or being groomed.

So, he told the owner to "just be herself" and talk to Chloe the way she always does. It sounded too simple. BUT, when the dog had a nail file in her mouth, the owner knelt down and started to talk to Chloe in a normal, kind voice. She said something like "do you have mommy's nail file? you are not supposed to have that! drop it....drop it..." and she said it all in a very kind soft voice. Her dog literally looked into her eyes, then lowered her head and dropped the nail file into her hand. This was repeated several times and it was a magical moment that showed a lot of insight on Cesar's part, in my opinion. Not everyone has to be loud and aggressive to be a pack leader.
I usually have so much fun with the dogs, we are always laughing together. So why would I suddenly become a different person when I am training them? In this picture, Caden thinks his Giggle Ball needs to be washed with the dishes. In truth, when I am in the kitchen, my dogs try bringing toys to barter for cookies from the cookie jar on the counter!

OK, small little story, but I burst into tears when I watched it. I had to sit back and ask myself why. I think it is because I have been trying to be a pack leader with my dogs in their training and it is working just the same way. My dogs know that this is "not me." I would rather be a pack leader but in my own way, as most of it is energy and consistency, not domineering with sound.

I know that when I work sheep with Jet, I have to stay calm otherwise Jet gets wound up and is more likely to make mistakes. Even though we have not worked sheep much this summer, I have been working on quiet control with her, and on our relationship. I am looking forward to seeing how it carries over when we get back to our training.

Last weekend, the training director at the Calgary SchH Club (Wade) suggested that I start to whisper to Caden, and use a calm voice, because a forceful tone or loud voice simply agitated him. When I watched the Dog Whisperer rerun today, it brought it home, that I should be myself when I train - and why this is important. I never raise my voice to my dogs so I am sure when I do in training they wonder what is up!

All week this week, I have been working on quiet sit and Fuss commands with Caden and he has miraculously been more quiet. When I use a loud voice, he barks and whines back at me in frustration. He was probably saying "why are you yelling! I can hear you! In fact, who ARE you?"

It would be way cool if I could trial him using a soft voice throughout, rather than shouting my commands. And really amazing if I could learn to whistle so I don't have to use my voice much at all with Jet and Ted. Ted and River are my softer, more responsive dogs, and I never have to be forceful with them. Jet and Caden are the more driven pair and I am obviously figuring out the best ways to work WITH them. Time will tell, but it sure was a good show today that hit home. Thanks Cesar!

My Dad's new kittens (plural)

My Dad was here for a few weeks, and as you may recall, the plan was for him to take the little boy kitten home.While he was here, the two kittens totally charmed him. They slept on his bed, and showed off for him. When I was at work, they spent all day with him, and as you can see, they liked hanging out with Dad...He fell in love with the two of them, and we agreed it would be sad to separate them. They play with each other and sleep curled together in a little ball. So the two kittens went for a two-day car trip home to Thunder Bay. River and Ted were great with the kittens...even if the kittens ganged up on River at times, trying to figure out how to get her Giggle Ball!I expected Ted to be a good boy - he loves everyone and everything, he is a terrible schmoozer - check out his face here as he sits with my dad...

Jet was "iffy" and as for Caden, in this picture you can see...

...he found them just a bit too stimulating. Can you see him at the french doors? I didn't know he was there until I downloaded the photos!

They are the most amazing, calm and affectionate cats and I cried when they were leaving, but I know they will be very spoiled and they will bring a lot of love into my dad's life. I feel bad sometimes that I have moved so far away so knowing he has these kittens makes me feel a bit better. I cried when my Dad left too...
Caden just loves my Dad and in this picture, he looks like he wants to go with him too!I am sure I could have made it work over time, but it is nice to be able to walk around the house without worrying about closing doors behind me and between the upstairs and downstairs! Dad to the rescue again! Thanks Dad, and thanks kittens and thanks to Nancy Anstruther (Tallywood Collies) for putting these little kittens into our lives.

My Dad reports that they were great travelers, loved the hotel, and have settled in at home nicely. His place was lonely without his cat Barney, who died of old age last year. I hear the two kittens are sleeping on the bed, and greeting my dad at the door when he comes home. The jury is out on names. They were Hanoi and Haiku, then they were Leo and Haiku. The vet here has them down as Simba and Sassy. But my Dad has been calling them Mutt and Jeff since he got home...well, they are his cats now!