Chugging Along!

 Things are chugging along on the homestead!

The snow is melting quickly now, and I'm starting to think about all the spring projects I can work on as the white stuff disappears. 😝 The two top projects include putting up more fencing (which also involves lots of clearing) and just getting my property tidied up. I'm not very organized as I build, so there are little piles of scrap lumber and supplies here, there and everywhere. 

I'd also like to get siding up on the cottage and figure out what I'm doing about a porch.

On the dog front, Hazel not only has very bad hips, she also developed pyometra, a dangerous uterine infection, around 2 weeks ago. She's doing quite well on antibiotics, but will be spayed on the 12th as pyometra often comes back after the next heat cycle. I'm not sure yet if/when I'll be getting another breeding girl, and whether it'll be another Collie or if I want to go another direction.

I definitely tend to want to spend more time outdoors as the weather gets warmer, and we're in an awesome phase right now where the warm days and cold nights mean a crust forms on top of the snow. I can walk on it for a few hours in the morning before it gets too soft. Today I took advantage of that and brought the dogs on a walk, which I don't do nearly as often as I should.

Here they are ignoring me because THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO SNIFF!!!

Sniffing one of the aforementioned sniffable objects. Coyote scat, probably.

Purrcy followed us the whole way! I kept a close eye on him to make sure he was sticking close - don't know if he could've found his way home from the back of my property. 😂

He started panting toward the end, and flopped down to rest more than once.

I even carried him for a minute. 😂

Back to the road - home is in sight!!

One of my eventual goals is to clear little walking trails around the property. There are skid trails left over from when they logged, but most of them are uneven, full of debris and brush, and quite prone to puddles (one of which I fell into today and soaked my right pant leg up to the knee).

Lots to do!! I hope everyone is having a great spring so far. 😊

Change of Plans!!

 It's been a tough dog year so far. Between the loss of Breeze and some other stuff that has come up, my breeding program is officially on hold for an indefinite period of time. 

I still have Thane and Hazel... Hazel will probably get spayed at some point and both dogs will stay here as beloved pets. 

Maybe eventually I'll get a Breeze granddaughter and start over, but for now I'm taking the obstacles in my life as an indication that perhaps God wants me to focus on other things for a couple years.

I have plenty of projects - the Franken-barn needs a lot more work. The house needs siding, a porch, and lots of interior finish work. I have tons of clearing and fencing to do.  The dog fence needs to be re-done, and the driveway probably should probably be improved so it doesn't turn into a giant mud pit every spring.

I also need to make decisions on livestock - for instance, do I really need 5 dairy goats? I love them, but hay is expensive!! 😝 And is this the year I should add a couple pigs? And should I try selling some hatching eggs? 

I'll admit that I haven't necessarily gone through this with grace - I have grieved the loss of "the way I thought things were going to go" deeply. But I'm working on trusting that if this isn't God's plan, then He must have something better. ❤️

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Hey, Hay!!

 This past Friday, just before the cold snap really got intense, I bought 60 more bales of hay. I didn't have time to bring it down the hill into the Franken-barn before work, so my hay guy helped me stack it on pallets at the top of the driveway. 

Today I'm working on moving it. Once I took a few bales away so that there were varying levels in the stack, Purrcy and Clawdia determined that its primary purpose was clearly to be a kitty playground. 

Here are some pictures of them having fun. Happy Monday!

Puppy Updates

It's great to have all 12 puppies from the two litters in their new homes and doing well!  Here's the rundown on where everyone ended up.

Hazel's puppies:

Peanut is now Sunny and lives in South Carolina. If she matures well, she will have puppies of her own someday!

Murray lives in NH with his half sister Maisie from the 2021 litter. Technically his litter name was Black Walnut, but since he was reserved almost from birth, I never really called him anything other than Murray. 😝 

Chestnut just went home Sunday. She lives in Massachusetts and is now called Noreshi or Nory. She has already visited the beach! She's an absolute sweetheart and a very easy pup, and I enjoyed having her stay on longer.

Acorn lives a couple hours further up in Maine. She kept her name, but had "Holly" added to the name.

Cashew is now Shepherd, and lives on a farm in Missouri. He too will hopefully be a breeding prospect when he is mature.

Breeze's puppies:

Fritter is now Fritz and lives in Maine. Fun fact - his owner has a female dog who is Hazel's aunt! He is very loved, and his owner posts the cutest pictures of him. 🥰

Cider lives about an hour south of me in Maine. I haven't heard whether he has a new name, but I did hear that he is already very spoiled, sleeping in the owner's bed. 😂 He has big paws to fill - his owners have previously had Collies that lived to be 15 and 16 years old. ❤️

Betty is now Betsy and also lives in South Carolina with Sunny. She too will be a breeding prospect, and will learn to herd. I may buy a puppy back from her someday - she was my favorite, and looks a lot like Breeze. 

Streusel is now Myles, and lives with a family in southern NH. I greatly enjoy hearing about him - sounds like even at a very young age, he is showing discernment and plays more gently with the smallest child than with the older kids. He will stay intact and I may even breed Hazel to him when he is old enough.

Candy is now Willow and lives just a few minutes away from me in Maine. Sounds like she will help preside over a roadside flower stand this summer. ❤️

Crisp is now Freya and lives about an hour away in Maine. She is a little princess and is pretty sure she rules the roost. 😂 

Cobbler is now Abraham and lives a couple hours further up in Maine. He's still a pistol, but even though he was a bit of an impulse purchase, God sent exactly the right people for him and he's doing very well. 

It's always really neat to see how God provides such perfect homes for every puppy. These two litters bring the total number of Butterscotch Farm puppies up to 30, distributed among 28 different homes. That's mind blowing!! 

As of right now, my plan is to wait to breed again until spring 2024, as I have oodles of other projects that need to get done. 

I also want to thank everyone so much for reaching out and supporting me with the untimely loss of Breeze... you are all a blessing and an encouragement. I'm doing okay. I just try not to let my mind dwell on the subject for too long. But please know that your words of love and support mean SO much to me. ❤️ 

Because it's not a blog post without a couple pictures, here are a couple pictures of the puppies growing up:

Freya

Myles

Nory (with Hazel) before going home 

Heartbreak

 This one's tough to write, but I want to get it off my chest.

Breeze died yesterday.

I had planned for a while to place her in a retirement home at some point. A part of me really wanted to keep her, but there were the beginnings of signs that she and Hazel might be starting to debate who the queen bee was, so I decided that I'd send Breeze off to her well-deserved retirement now rather than wait and see whether things would escalate.

I'd had a lady from Ohio who had been very interested in her for a while. We coordinated schedules and met in western Massachusetts yesterday afternoon. 

A little while after the handoff, though, I got frantic calls and messages from the new owner... Breeze had slipped her collar at a rest area and was running loose.

This is not uncommon - from now on I will always send adult dogs with a slip lead just in case. And often loose dogs go into panic mode and just run. 

I turned around and started booking it in their direction, but I was already an hour and 20 minutes away. When I was 40 minutes out, I got the word - Breeze had been hit on the highway and was gone. 

So I turned around once more and started back east, dropping Nory/Chestnut off with her person along the way. God gave me the grace to keep it together and stay safe on the road. I got home about 11pm and then hugged my dogs and cried.

Today has been a sad day. I'm just taking it slow and going through a lot of tissues. A lot of my grief centers around the poor lady who wanted Breeze - I hate to think of the stress and fear she felt when Breeze escaped and the pain of learning that she didn't make it. I'm grieving the loss of potential, too - Breeze was not even 5 yet. I'm sad that her new person won't get to learn her funny quirks...or see how excited she got when you would pick up her leash...or hear her funny little howl. 

I'm working to trust God, and I know He'll heal the hurt in time. I'm grateful for the 3 years I had with Breeze. And I'm grateful that her legacy lives on in the 18 beautiful puppies she gave me (plus 7 she had before she came to me). 

But wow, this is hard! Many thanks to those who have heard this already and have been praying for me and for Breeze's new person. I really appreciate you all. ❤️

LH's Cool Summer Breeze

April 3, 2018 - January 29, 2023

More Puppy Pictures!!

 Lol, I promise someday I'll have something other than just puppy pictures to post on here. Hopefully most people are enjoying them in the meantime. :P

I brought each of Breeze's puppies outside for a few minutes for the first time yesterday. Fritter enjoyed himself. Most everyone else was kind of intrigued by how much there was to sniff, but not super thrilled at how cold and windy it was. Crisp was NOT impressed in the slightest! As a result, it was quite difficult to get halfway decent pictures, but I tried. :P 

Here's Breeze's crew at just shy of 7 weeks.

Fritter: RESERVED. Fritter is a fun, playful boy. He has a wide independent streak - he's able to keep himself entertained well. However, he also enjoys human interaction and absolutely melts for tummy rubs.

Cider: AVAILABLE. Cider is super, super sweet and happy. He is very playful and has a moderately high energy level. I think he will be a vibrant, red-gold in color, possibly with black shading over the base color. He may be a touch dominant and should possibly be the only male dog in the home.

Betty: AVAILABLE. Betty is sweet with moderately high energy and drive, and has good attention to her person. I think she would probably enjoy a fairly active home, and might even be a good candidate for agility, other dog sports, or working on a farm. She certainly would make a great pet, but may need a bit more exercise and mental stimulation than the average Collie. I think she will be fairly compact in build. 

Streusel: RESERVED.  You'll notice that Streusel's picture is different...he wouldn't stop following at my heels, so I couldn't get a good distance picture of him. :P I finally gave up and just captured his sweet little teddy bear face! He is turning into the absolute sweetest pup who will spend good portions of his play session with his siblings begging for me to pick him up and snuggle him. He is going to a family with 4 young kids, and I think he is going to be their best buddy. <3

Candy: AVAILABLE. Candy is as sweet as her name, and still gives the best puppy kisses of anyone. She seems to be moderate in energy and drive and while she can play hard like any puppy, she just loves to be loved like her mama Breeze. I could see her thriving in a fairly low-key pet home.

Crisp: RESERVED. This little princess makes me laugh. She is tiny, but is by far the fluffiest puppy, and she just struts around like she owns the place. She's a touch independent but also enjoys a good snuggle. I think she's going to continue to win hearts her whole life long.

Cobbler: AVAILABLE. Cobbler is such a sweetheart, but he can be a little challenging to interact with because he likes to show his affection with his teeth. 😂 He is a big, sturdy tank of a boy who is active and adventurous. I could see him being a spectacular hiking buddy.

And Hazel's crew. They turn 9 weeks today! Murray and Acorn are doing great in their new homes. Cashew/Shepherd and Chestnut head home in early January. Peanut is still AVAILABLE.

I got a couple really nice portrait style pictures of Shep and Chestnut; the rest are just a fun photo dump of the "kiddos" playing. 

Here's Shep looking all noble like daddy Thane:

And Chestnut. It's always interesting to see how personalities develop...she used to be a lot more "forward" and bossy, but has become much more "middle of the pack" and is not at all pushy or demanding toward people. I think she'll really thrive once she's away from her siblings and getting regular attention and training.

And here's the photo dump!!

Hazel with her only toy that didn't get lost in the snow:

Shep, ears bouncing as he runs:

Peanut:

Peanut:

Hazel and her favorite "toy," Shep:

Peanut and Chestnut, digging:

Peanut and Chestnut:

Chestnut:

Peanut, looking like a little fox in her lair:

And I saved the best for last. Hazel and poor Cashew/Shep. 😂😂😂 Couldn't capture this one again if I tried!! Feel free to save this photo to your computer or phone and pull it up whenever you need a good laugh. :P

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is looking forward to the New Year!

Feel free to reach out about puppies...remember that I'm doing a transport run and could possibly deliver. I'll probably be going east along the top of NY to MO, then scooping down through TN to SC and then back up to Maine. You can email me at dracaena at live dot com (just change the words to standard email formatting). 

Happy Tuesday!!

Time Flies!!

 Time flies so quickly - Hazel's puppies start going home TOMORROW!! Isn't that crazy??

Acorn will be staying in Maine, but a couple hours further in. She's a sweet girl, possibly lower in the pack ranking. She likes to explore.

Murray will be going about an hour from me in NH, and will be joining his big sister Maisie from the Thane x Breeze 2021 litter. He's a HAPPY, HAPPY boy!! He's difficult to photograph with my phone because as soon as you get close, he's literally bouncing over to say hi. :P

Chestnut is likely going to a breeder friend of mine in South Carolina. The current plan is for me to deliver her and Cashew/Shepherd myself after Breeze's puppies go home in early January. Chestnut is happy, sweet, sturdy and athletic. She is a little bossy toward her siblings occasionally, but is great with people and the adult dogs. I think she'll look a fair bit like Mama Hazel.

Cashew is now Shepherd, and will be going to hopefully sire some pups himself eventually in Missouri! I think he's going to be a really cool dog - he's very responsive to training, and is happy and energetic. He's also very BIG, at nearly 14 pounds!! I'm wondering if he'll take after Grandpa Henry and be 65-70lbs when mature.

I didn't get any individual pictures of Peanut, but here she is chasing Acorn, lol. Sweet, sassy, and rather bossy, Peanut is AVAILABLE. She's got so much potential - she has fabulous eye contact, is very responsive to training, and is brave and outgoing. I personally think she's something special, and a part of me wishes I could keep her, but I really can't. 

Lol, here's one more picture of Murray just being sassy. I think he was chewing on a twig. :P

As for Breeze's crew, they can start going home in just over two weeks. I need to get updated photos, but here's the current rundown on availability. Note that all reservations are pending further observation of temperament - I try very hard to work with future owners to make sure that the puppy is a good fit for them.

Fritter: loosely reserved for the Leonard family

Cider: likely available

Betty: available

Streusel: loosely reserved for the Trumbull family

Candy: available

Crisp: reserved by the stud owner

Cobbler: available

Cider has been feeling a little unwell, so I'm hesitant to say much about his temperament, but so far he seems like a very sweet and happy boy. Betty is moderately high energy and drive; she may be smaller and probably should have a job. Candy is sweetness incarnate, and has a lower to moderate energy level. Cobbler is very "busy" and drivey; I'm trying to decide whether he's actually high energy, or if he is just energetic in short bursts. :P 

And yes, I'm exhausted. 😂😂😂 I'm grateful that God has given me good health and enough energy throughout this, that He has kept the puppies safe, and that He gave me kind, helpful family members and the flexibility at work to do some odd shifts. This has been an adventure...and I don't plan on repeating it for a good long time. I'm probably not breeding again until at least the spring of 2024. :P

Anyway....

Happy Monday!!!