Last spring, Chuck came to live with us at the age of 13 weeks. He had just been taken away from his mama, put into a dog crate, and hauled in a car for a couple of hours to get to his new home. He was not impressed with all of the changes, his new home, or us! Jordan is telling him that we really are okay, but Chuck is not easily convinced and pouted for nearly a week.
Once Chuck recovered from the tauma of moving to a new home, he warmed up to all of us and found a best friend in Roxy. She tried to teach him important things like barking at coyotes, swimming in the river, and hunting mice. He understands about keeping coyotes and bad guys away, has learned to splash around in the river and tries to imitate hunting mice, but really wonders what all the fuss is about - those little mice don't even count as a snack . . .
We lost Roxy to an unfortunate accident and buried her on the hill behind the house on Thanksgiving morning. Chuck was very bewildered and did not understand why his lively friend would not get up and play with him. He became so upset when we wrapped her in her favorite blanket that he had to be held back as he was pawing and unwrapping her faster than we could get her covered, even after we had allowed him quite a lot of time with her body. His grief was so great that he continued to dig on her grave for several weeks and has now taken to spending a lot of his day laying up on the hill near her gravesite.
Chuck looks so regal laying in the golden leaves by the river, but in reality is eating a dead fish. He has even been known to eat dead dried up snakes he has found in the road.
Chuck finds great delight in the snow, running, playing, chasing, and rolling in it. He really is well suited to cold weather and stays so much cleaner with all the sparkly stuff on the ground!
So, from afar, we can pretend Chuck is a regal, dignified protector, but close up he is just a goof. Whenever he is out with the livestock, or on a walk wandering the pastures and woods with any of his people, he is actually quite serious, but when he is around the house, he is always up for a bit of fun. With lambing season yet to come, we will see if he can keep the coyotes and cougars away, but we have not had coyotes close in by the house and barns as we've had in the past and have lost no chickens to predators since Chuck has come to live with us. His grandparents are proven cougar killers, so maybe his family's reputation has gotten around and the local thugs have moved on to safer neighborhoods.
Until next time, may you be blessed with a diligent and loyal protector . . .
Another sad event took place a couple of weeks ago when one of Jordan's fair lambs, Jumper, died of pregancy complications. 
After having his feet trimmed recently, Roland, KP's little mustang went down in the barn and may have died if Jordan had not gone out to check on the horses when he did. I beleive he pulled back and went down, tightening the rope further, flipped to his back, then was unable to right himself as the halter and rope held tight. He is such a good common-sense horse it surprises me he let himself get into such a predicament, but am so grateful the outcome was positive. While he was a bit shaky afterward, he seems to have no lasting ill effects and is back to his old self.
Amongst these highlights, both sad and glad, are the usual happenings of new kittens, baby calves and the never-ending hunt for the hen's newest hiding places for their precious eggs!