Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Windy blues

The weather has been so hostile and uncooperative - days of continuous Arctic winds yet still muddy underfoot - that I give up and go indoors immediately after checking livestock, walking dogs, and breaking open frozen water troughs. Over the past few days, I've managed to knit a pair of summer weight socks as an excuse to stay put in front of the wood stove, while still feigning productivity-


I guess that knitting summer socks means I'm optimistic that we're going to get a summer this year.

For those of you also troubled by bad weather, let me leave you with a few cute puppy photos to cheer you up. Underkeeper Ian has adopted his first working dog. This is Scrumpy -


She's a seven week old Jack Russell terrier, and still small enough to fit inside Dakota's dinner bowl.


She's cute now, but I dread the underkeepers' terrier phases. Or rather, my chickens dread the terrier phase. Each successive terrier has at least one chicken death under its belt...er.. collar. There's a reason we nickname this breed the Jack Russell Terrorist. 

I'm sure Ian will train her well, and she will grow up to be a personable and valuable member of the team. 
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7 comments:

  1. Hazel12 March 2013 at 09:19

    That's one cute Terrorist! (And nice socks. Teaching myself to knit socks is STILL on my to-d0 list...)

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    1. Jennifer Montero13 March 2013 at 10:29

      Hazel - Soooo easy (especially with YouTube to show you how to turn a heel) and slightly addictive. I've been knitting top down, but I'm tempted by the toe-up, two-at-a-time method.

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  2. Seester12 March 2013 at 12:41

    What would happen if you put him in with an angry cockerel or big mean hen? Would he learn not to mess with the chickens?

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    1. Jennifer Montero12 March 2013 at 14:09

      These dogs will go to ground to pick a fight with cornered badger in a dark hole, so there's no chicken tough enough to teach them a lesson. Terriers are a lotta dog.

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  3. Unknown13 March 2013 at 05:45

    My somethin-somethin is an Airedale Terrorist and she's sweet as can be until she hears a squirrel. Then she's off like a rocket, pointing and staring back at Daddy saying, "Kill it! KILL it!!" When he does she retrieves it and flings it about with glee. I totally agree w Jen's assessment.

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    1. Jennifer Montero13 March 2013 at 10:26

      There you go, folks - straight from an actual terrier owner. Janice, I think squirrels are God's dog toys (perhaps not from the squirrels' point of view...) My own shepherd spends most of our walks staring up into the trees.

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  4. Unknown14 March 2013 at 07:56

    Pesky varmints... Then when she tires of the fun, we throw the dead s-word on the roof of the gas shed for the ravens, oblige and carry them away. She's sound asleep but if is actually said "squirrel" she'd be down the stairs, barking and pointing. That's alot of dog, alright. Good luck to Ian and his new boss.

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