Archive for the Abigail Category

Next Entries »

An Award and other snippits

Posted in Abigail, Annie, Award, Family, LGD, Me on February 2, 2009 by mudranch

Annie and I have been enjoying the warm weather here, though we don’t exactly need sun in January and February as we’re supposed to have rain and if we don’t have rain then our resevoirs won’t fill up and the salmon will die and the farmers throughout central California won’t have water for the crops and the food will skyrocket in price and we’ll have to import more food which could be dangerous to our health ’cause heavens knows HOW the imported food is grown and kept clean… but enough of that, this is a happy post.

020209_6164

Annie did, however, want to show you all the pretty dress she picked out this morning from the laundry basket full of unfolded clothes that’s sitting on the bathroom floor.  She even picked the bloomers to match, but they’re under the jeans her mother insisted that she wear.

020209_6170

She also wanted to show you all her wonderful Abby whom she loves so very very much.  Abby is the sweetest canine sister any one could want and Annie’s pretty proud to call her her own.

020209_6168

Abby probably weighs 120 lbs. at 16 months old but she sure doesn’t like the big suit she’s been given.  Abby wants to be a lhasa or possibly a maltese or even a chihuahua.  Abby isn’t proud of her height or build, and would much rather be petite, short, and on your lap without inflicting pain.  I have a friend who says she’s 5′12″ and I told her that Abby and she had similar frames of mind, the “Why am I so tall?” frame of mind.  But I love my tall friend and my tall dog just the way they are.

020209_6179

But then I tend to be the type of person who won’t dye my hair because it is the color God wanted me to have… Though I wouldn’t argue if He decided to make me 5′7″ instead of 5′3″.

 

Now on to business… My friend Shannon at Stories from the Farm (Kenleigh Acres) gave me a very nice award today.

fabulousblogaward

Along with this blog award comes the responsibility to list five things I’m addicted to and then pass it on to five people so here goes:

  1. Photoshop- Just like Shannon mentioned, I am addicted to all the neat things Photoshop has to offer.
  2. My Nikon D50- she ain’t new, she ain’t top of the line but I sure like the photos she produces.
  3. Stampin’ Up!-  Too much of my money has funded their operation.
  4. Mochas- especially Peppermint mochas, or the Java Chip Frapuccinos at Starbucks.
  5. Anything that has to do with Jacob Sheep and Kiger Mustangs… I’m a bit of an obsessive person with these two types of creatures. 

I could list more than that but I don’t want you all to know just how addictive of a personality I have… Thankfully it’s never anything harmful.

  1. Linda at the 7MSN, I’m sure she’s received this award as she has so many followers but I wanted her to know how much I appreciate her sense of humor and her photos.
  2. Raising Country Kids, what a fun place to visit.  Another one with excellent photography and a fun sense of humor; but very different to the one above.
  3. Michelle at Boulderneigh, a very informative blog on knitting, fibers, and Shetland sheep!
  4. Lisa at Laughing Orca Ranch, I’m sure she’s probably received this by now but she has a very nice blog where she wears her heart on her sleeve.  A very honest person, loving and fun with neat critters too!
  5. Pony Girl, another popular blog that I really enjoy visiting.  I love all the cowgirl things she shares with us and her trail rides are always fun to go along on.

Thanks again Shannon! :)  

selfportrait-feb09

9 Comments »

Frosty, Cold, Morning

Posted in Abigail, Horses, Jacob Sheep, Me, Nature Photography, Photography on December 5, 2008 by mudranch

120508_5292

Abby was just grateful that the water wasn’t frozen, so was I.  It had to be down in the 20’s this morning, everthing was well frosted though it started to thaw a bit about the time I was able to take pictures in the early early light.  I had woken up at 6:00 (that’s a fairly big deal for me, I’m normally a 7:00′er).  I never was a morning person until I married Hubby who taught me I was wasting the day.  And of course, I had to give birth to an early riser.  But after I drag myself out of bed I actually enjoy the early morning especially when I get all my chores done early and don’t feel rushed the rest of the day.

120508_5294

I love the look of oak leaves with the fringe of frost on them.  It defines the edges so beautifully and just sets me in the mood for the season.

120508_5295

 

120508_5298

One of my favorite things to do in the morning is listen to the animals enjoy their hay.  They are just so satisfied and happy when I feed, if they were cats they’d purr.  The munch munch sound is soothing too, it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing they’re all warm and fuzzy.

120508_5303

Big bad funny Sunnie shares with this silly ewe named Lilly.  Sunnie is our ex-stallion who was a stallion until he was five.  He likes to pretend he is tough but his eyes and actions give him away.  He’s the biggest teddy bear around and has a heart for crazy lilac ewes who aren’t afraid of horses.  Or else she knows a sucker when she sees one, but you’ll always find these two eating together sometimes with a couple more ewes such as Celeste and Nell.

120508_5319

Here is Nell enjoying the hay inbetween Sunnie’s hooves.  Nell and Lilly have the same parent’s but were born a year apart.  Their mama was a crazy ewe named Madge.  She had a bostonian accent and was a pig for hay.  Whenever we’d offer grain, she’d run to the hay piles like a maniac and never did care for grain.  She was also very fat.  We miss Madge Pie as she went to the green pasture in the sky one year ago.

120508_53151

Abby likes to make her rounds in the early fog, barking to make sure that no wiley Coyotes are lurking about, taking advantage of their temporary cover.  I appreciate her checking the pastures just before I let the sheep out and she takes it pretty seriously.  On a frosty, foggy morning, she may have the best camo out there.

120508_5324

She also likes to take extra care of slow moving arthritic old ladies such as Agatha.

120508_5320

While the animals munch, Abby watches over the flock, and Annie sleeps in her crib, I like to take frosty photos.

120508_5327

120508_5332

120508_5334

And last but not least, my first bough of the season, attempting to get my spirits in to the Christmas holiday.

6 Comments »

Good Girl

Posted in Abigail, Annie, Family, LGD, The Dogs on September 9, 2008 by mudranch

I think that I’ve been throwing around the term “Livestock Guard Dog” way too loosely.  I am sure that people who own “LGD’s” in their true state might be offended at me calling Abby an LGD.  Sure, I believe she is, she was definitely raised with sheep in puppy-hood, was born to very serious working dogs on a polypay ranch and we locked her in the pasture with them from ten weeks old to around four months old.  She definitely knows that the sheep are under her watch care and we often drive home to see her out in the pasture counting noses and just hanging out with the sheep.

Abby has the run of the place though, can squeeze between gates to come and go as she likes.  We don’t lock her with the sheep any more as I’d like to have her in our yard if there’s a threat there, or in the pasture if there’s a threat there.  I want more of a “Jack of All Trades, Master of All” kind of dog and that’s really what she’s become.  We certainly haven’t lost any sheep since Abby is on patrol.

Abby has also become a loyal family dog, loving me over Hubby (probably because I feed her and give her all the attention) but most importantly she has taken on Annie has part of her flock.  Abby isn’t quite a year old yet but has proven, since about four months of age, that she is everything we have hoped for and more.  I know that if Annie will toddle off, Abby will be right beside her and protect her with all she has.  That is comforting to know and they’ll have many years of growing together, since they’re twin sisters by different mothers, born the same year.

10 Comments »

Favorites Wednesday — Abby Pup

Posted in Abigail, Favorites Wednesday, LGD, The Dogs on May 28, 2008 by mudranch

I thought Abby would be fitting as a “Favorites Wednesday” subject as she’s a definite favorite around here and we just love that cutie little face of hers… though it’s not that small anymore.  This picture was of this past winter when we kept getting dumped on by snow falls.  We had, at one point, around four feet of snow on the ground and Abby was locked in with the sheep, learning her new responsibility.  It’s hard for a little pup to learn but is so worth it.  She learned that the sheep are under her watch care and she’s pretty diligent about it now.  I often pull in our driveway to see her out counting noses.  What a good girl.

3 Comments »

Not For Sale

Posted in Abigail, Family, LGD, The Dogs with tags , , , , on May 14, 2008 by mudranch

Purchase Price: $200.00

Dog Food Per Month: $30.00

Safe, Loving, Gentle with your Baby: Priceless.

4 Comments »

Next Entries »