Simple Hobby Homesteading

Move over Fuzzy Bear, there’s a new kid on the block… Echo (aka Echo Bug, Bug, Echo Doodle) is reporting for duty as contributing writer for “Fridays on the Farm!”

Quick introduction… I am beautiful, plush, impervious to the cold, a husky by genetics… squirrel by nature, youngest of seven here on the farm, and pretty much the undisputed favorite.

Let me tell you about my week… oh what a week it was! Where do I begin? Well first of all, I have found that the farmer lady and her mate do not mind me jumping up on their bed in the morning. I found this out quite by accident one morning as I simply thrust my front paws up on the bed to let them know it was time to be awake… my back end just followed my front end quite unexpectadly. Before I knew it my front end, back end, and everything in between was up on the bed slightly on top of a lump of a human! There was giggling from farmer lady as I spun myself into a tizzy on top of the human who wasn’t laughing… he’s my favorite because he gives me the best pets, lets me jump on him, and shares my black, white, and gray hair coloring. We’re like twinsies.  I call him “Bearded Fellow.”

Anyways, to my surprise I was NOT pushed off the bed nor was I given any indication that I was to remove myself from the bed. We all snuggled in for another 5 minutes of sleep before I announced that it was SERIOUSLY time for us to get up and take me out to potty. So yes, I have been doing this whole bed thing every morning since then without an end in sight, it’s great fun!

Monday was sooooo exciting because I got to be outside in my big enclosure ALL DAY. first thing in the morning I had been released to “run with the big dogs” (my favorite) and “get soe energy out.” I did that and then found the most amazing patch of dirt that a couple cats had decided to mark excessively. It was some sort of match… I can’t seem to remember what Farmer Lady called it… a peeing match… no, that wasn’t exactly what she said… it will come to me, just give me a minute. Anyways… I rubbed one side of my face and neck and then the other. It was GLORIOUS! I rubbed again… and again… and again. Farmer Lady would be so proud when she came back with the clean water buckets and saw how fragrant and beautiful I had made myself. I was more brown than white at this point and I think it looked great. Farmer Lady disagreed. Apparently they were heading on some day trip and I was “supoosed to” hang out inside with the young men of the farm. Did I miss a memo? I thought I’d be able to run with the big dogs all day. Besides, why couldn’t I go inside? Surely the house could use my new smell to cover over that crazy “calming” essential oil concoction Farmer Lady insists on diffusing into the air.

I was informed I would be needing to stay outside in my big enclosure. Ummmm… OK, sounds great! The temps were low and I was in husky heaven… best day ever! Just a few hours into my best day ever the one young man of the farm returned home from work, said he missed me, and brought me inside to the hot calm smelling house. UGH! That’s ok, I WAS kinda tired so it wasn’t too bad curling up and napping for the entire rest of the day. Don’t worry, he texted Farmer Lady and let her know that he had brought me in… she didn’t seem pleased by the tone of her text but it was too late, I was in!

When Farmer Lady got home she announced I would be getting a bath. I told her, “No thanks, I ‘ll pass.” Not the answer she was looking for… to say the least. The bath wasn’t bad, just demoralizing. I just don’t look cute when I’m all wet sitting in a bathtub. It’s one thing to be soaking wet bounding through ocean waves or jumping off docks into the lake… it’s quite another to be sitting in a tub like a drowned rat. Ugh. Now I am clean and smell all “calm.” Not a fan. I think Farmer Lady is compensating for a deeper issue with all this “calming” essential oil nonsense.

Tuesday was quite boring… we went on our typical looooooooooong walk to allegedly “wear me out” and I didn’t even get to go smell the pigs. Usually Farmer Lady lets the pigs out during one of our long walks so I can go over and smell them up one side and down the other… head to tail. I warn you though, stay clear of the gray one with black spots… he’s cranky. But Sir Francis, Mister Big, and Petunia smell so intoxicating and they let me sniff them as long as I want…. all over even! They don’t like to be jumped on though so I recommend you don’t jump on pigs. It is so hard not to pounce on them because I just get so excited when I start smelling them and then I just want to jump all over them and play play play but they really don’t play much. Maybe it’s because they are so fat… like they are really fat. I wonder why Farmer Lady doesn’t put them on a diet… they are really fat!

Oh and then on Wednesday Nala (German Shepherd) and Fuzzy (you know her… Great Pyreneese) brought the MOST AMAZING treasure home for all of us to share. It was the carcass of some mammal… farmer lady says she thinks sheep but really didn’t investigate too closely because all our farm animals were accounted for, there was an apparent “stink” (I fiercely disagree… it smelled wonderful!), and she seemed to be in some sort of rush to remove it from our investigative noses. I later chatted with Nala and Fuzzy who filled me in on the details. Apparently there are creek gypsies who deliver these types of treasures when the creek waters get flooded from rains or melting snow. In this case it was massive amounts of rain that engorged the creek and brought this particular treasure to us from some distant farm. I was enthralled and hung on every word as they described all the incredible gifts the creek gypsies and brought over the years (perfect fetching sticks, huge fish, ducks to chase, a spare tire to chew on, and even a turtle shell!). Oh and an added bonus… we’re all going snipe hunting the next time Farmer Lady lets me loose to “run with the big dogs”… probably tomorrow if the it’s not too muddy! Nala and Fuzzy assure me it will be the best time of my life! Have any of you snipe hunted?

Thursday I went on the best field trip ever to Tractor Supply Company to submit my employment application.

I don’t think I’ll have any problem getting hired on as they always seem to be hiring team members and I have an “in” with the oldest young man of the farm working there. In fact, it will work out PERFECTLY because he is my emotional support human so they can just schedule us for the same shifts… win win! I expect a call for the final interview (just a formality I assume) any day now!

Oh, and further proof that I am the favorite… I have now ridden INSIDE the truck TWICE while none of the other dogs of the farm have EVER ridden inside the truck. The first time I went off on a fast paced jog to explore the land and play hide-n-seek (Farmer Lady calls this “running away) and when Farmer Lady FINALLY found where I was hiding (she is NOT good at hide-n-seek) she was in the truck without the kennel in back so I got to ride shotgun. This time we were on our way to drop off my application at TSC and it was raining so I got to ride shotgun again. Now her truck is adorned with the most beautiful white hair… you’re welcome Farmer Lady!

Then we come to Friday… it’s today! I like Fridays but nothing special happened today. The younger of the young men on the farm did not leave the ends of his hot dog buns on his desk for me to jump up and eat this morning so that was a disappointment. Every other morning this week I have been able to run into the living room ahead of Farmer Lady, jump up onto the couch then onto his desk, and eat the ends of the hot dog buns left over from his 1:00am hot dog snack (he’s a night owl… and lover of hot dogs lately.) I’ll have to have a talk with him tonight and ask why he left me hangin’ this morning.

Well folks, that was my week… it wasn’t much out of the ordinary but it’s what we do here on the farm. Until next week, apparently you are to do what you can with all you have, wherever you are and rub in some great smelling dirt!

~Echo