Kate

Last Christmas about this time our house was filled with sweet, bouncing puppy love. Jeremy had a heck of a working dog named Fly. He could stand on the front porch and send her out across the creek and send the cows back over the hill with her. All he had to do was whistle. I even used her one day, a huge no no, to use a cowboys dog. Well, that cowboy was out playing (roping) at the Tejon while I am home with the wayward cattle and the kids. So me and my trusty Jeep Liberty go trekking across the pasture, kids in carseats and Fly in the middle boucing all over the car. We had about 25 head on the wrong side of a fence and it was getting close to dark. Cattle on the wrong side of the fence can usually be traced back to where some dirtbikers have cut a fence because they either want in or need to get out. I knew Jeremy (why does everyone give their spouse and kids code names in blogland?) was on his way home but I did not want to wait for him so I pull Fly out of the car with the kids directing me from the car. Hearing Sage say "that'll do" is hilarious by the way! Fly was such a darn good dog. I don't know the signals to work a dog. I know I should know but I rely on Jeremy (I really need to think of a cool code name for him! I think that would be funny!) to work the dog if we are out working. So I know "away to me" but I don't know which direction it sends her. So here we are in the pasture and I figure I had better get this figured out in a hurry if I want to get this bunch back through the tiny hole I just cut to put them back. I yell to her "go by!" just to see which way she goes. I still can't remember which way that means but at the time I made a mental note. The rest came pretty easy since I know "down" to stop her, I paid that much attention thank goodness! Long story short, since this was supposed to be about Kate, we got them put away just as Thor........(just kidding!) Jeremy comes flying up the road with his horse in the trailer. I was just putting the finishing touches on the fence repair using pretty red and blue bailing twine when he got there an said "wow, how did ya get em in?". "Fly and me did it" I proudly say, hoping he wasn't mad I used his dog................"oh and you will have to come back tomorrow and fix the fence better" I say. He must have been glad it all went well and I wasn't going to strangle him for not being here cause all he said was "it looks good, I'll bring some better wire tomorrow though". Anyhow, she was a great dog. And she is no longer with us. So last year about this time of year I wind up on a website with some pups for sale..............in Oklahoma. Jeremy fell in love with the one they had named Kate. So me and Mom fly back there in the middle of December to pick her up. She was six weeks old when I picked her up and we flew home on the plane together. I thought there couldn't be another great dog..............