Thistledog's Farm

The little farmhouse has been abuzz with visiting friends and family this month.

Bear made his annual escape from San Diego to relax a bit and catch up on equipment projects; my barn-building sister drove out from Colorado with her husband and their dog Tinka to help kick-start the hay shelter construction, and our good friend Liz and her new hubby, both now retired from the Navy and setting up their homestead in Illinois, stopped by on their way to a family Thanksgiving gathering further east.

Skeet the Collie, elder of the Bear and Thistle dog pack, was glad to have another girl dog to share pee duty with, and despite a minor mealtime scuffle (orchestrated unwittingly by the two dog mums who put their food bowls down too close together) she enjoyed cousin Tinka’s visit enormously and welcomes her back any time.  Aunt Linda is one hell of a ball and stick thrower, so it goes without saying (just look at that picture above) that Skeet was a happy girl.

Bandit nearly wriggled out of his dog skin when his favorite guy Bear walked in the back door.  I wish I’d have captured that greeting on video, it was amazing.  Tears me up just thinking about it: imagine the happiness of a dog seeing their favorite someone after a year apart – and of course the dog doesn’t realize his person is coming back – so he was absolutely thunderstruck and obviously very happy.  A wonderful thing to witness.

As for me, I am delighted to have such excellent company after so many months alone; especially glad for the company of these close friends, and my husband, who is my closest friend.