Here We Go Again

I see I've written nothing since May 21. There's a good reason for that. Somewhere. I just can't think of it right now.

At last, the long-errant dog-walkers' questionnaire has been returned. Actually, I had to go pick it up, and even then, Mary was hiding in her cellar filling it out when I arrived. But who am I to complain? She walked my dogs twice while I was away. This woman can shred my stupid questionnaire and feed it to llamas, I'm that grateful to her.

Sadly, I've not yet had time to code the results and run them through my computer so as to obtain an analysis of significant deviations. Or insignificant ones. So I'm afraid the waiting must continue for those of you who give a you-know-what.

Our Stick Farm universe seems to have reached the outer limit of its expansion, in terms of number of creatures harbored, and is starting its shrink cycle. First to go was our buff cochin hen, whose body I discovered in the horse corral with her head squashed in. I can't say for sure, but it looks like a horse stepped on her.

The second casualty was one of our two guinea fowl. I found him lying in front of my wagon without a scratch on him, still warm, apparently with a broken neck. I surmise he flew into something -- possibly the wagon -- and killed himself, kamikaze style. His friend, also a boy, was hanging around the body. The friend was upset. He looked like he couldn't understand why his buddy didn't get up and run around like he used to.

I was sad about that until a few days later, when this remaining guinea apparently decided I had something to do with his friend's death and started stalking and attacking me. It only took one gash on the side of my leg and that guinea was posted in the "free" section of craigslist. He was gone a couple days later, which is how long it took me to catch him. I wonder how he's doing, but I'm thinking maybe I really don't want to know! Can somebody sue me for giving them a vicious guinea hen?

We're down to one horse -- Kimi -- on the farm. Mellie left to take up residence with nicer people, a nicer companion horse and much, much nicer fields. Socks is free-leased to a woman in Standish. I tried to talk her out of taking him, but she was quite sure he was the horse for her. I'm very curious to see how he does as an only horse. Kimi seems content to have our place all to herself. She's getting a lot more human attention and does not have to watch her back (literally) all the time. It's so peaceful around here, it's almost boring!

Meanwhile, I'm trying to sell one adult shih tzu and soon I'll be trying to sell our five new shih tzu puppies, born on the Fourth of July. Once that is accomplished, I am OUT of the dog breeding business.

NEXT POST: The Story of Alan Cannizzaro

See you then!

Debbi
(NOT Kayti)