nancy

Early in this thread, Julie wrote - about July 18: On first reading, my brain told me that Julie was having puppies.

I suspect the dogs will appreciate cooler weather. I know I will. So the grandgirls and I can go find curtain material next Saturday. Who knows. Maybe in the fall, I can bring the grandgirls, my daughter, and their "rotweiller-lab mix" - who sure looks and sounds like a genuine long-legged hound.

Fergie isn't usually crazy about swimming, but she can swim. She loves to ride in the canoe. I'm in the front, Chuck's in the back, and Ferg's in the middle. She's quite good about sitting still, although she does change position on a long paddle. We have some quiet areas on Jordan Lake that we like. No Wake zones and places where big motor boats and jet skis aren't allowed. We have also taken her on the river by Beaufort, NC, and out to carrot Island. And we've taken the canoe & kayak "trail" from Hammock's Beach State Park (NC) out across the Intercoastal Waterway to Bear Island. All these, many times. As much as she's fascinated by deer and other woodland animals - and as much as he jumps up and barks whenever we pass horses on a drive, she has sat quietly while we've paddled past deer, herons, cormorants, beaver - and the wild horses on Carrot Island. Her only problem is getting in and out of the canoe. She won't do it from a dock - has to be on the edge of the shore. We only wish she could handle a paddle. After all, she is a border collie. Big caveat: We do not do anything even remotely related to white water canoing. Nice quiet water.

So, have we moved the date for the NC BC picnic? If not, I have to plan to cook. If so, I can plan to take the grandgirls to pick out curtain materials for their rooms at Eno River State Park.

So, how many of us can make it? Maybe we should postpone it a bit - after Julie's Chris has the puppies. I can arrange to come about any time. Benefit of no job and no farm.

OK. I was not responding because I had nothing to add. I thought it was an interesting post. But I own a spayed female who loves every dog she meets. Of course, she especially loves neutered males who defer to her. I guess I had best add at least a token response to every interesting post. Usually, I read most everything and post only when I have something that I, at least, think is worth posting. If the title of a post offends me - or if it looks like I'll end up crying and feeling unable to help - I don't read the post or the thread. If any hint of anything now called "gay" bothers you, that is your problem. It is not the problem of the rest of us on the board. I am as straight and monogamous as is possible - one heterosexual relationship from the time I was 19 until now, aged 62. It works for me. But I don't insist it is what is right for anyone else. Gee whiz, I understand most religions now accept gays who are celibate. And these dogs are. GET A GRIP, Montana.

I certainly wouldn't mind moving it to Sunday the 19th. I go to the 8 o'clock service - have since I was about 8.

If our NC picnic is in two weeks, what planning do we need? I can bring spinach ricotta pie (if you aren't tired of that) and whities for dessert. Or I can make something else. Heck, look at our family cookbook and see what I know how to do. What time should we arrive? And where is the new farm? If it's just further down the road, put something on the mailbox - a lamb? - to let us know where.

Our first picnic was started by a woman from Texas. So "Y'all come down!" You westerners would just love the humidity. I want to swim in that lake. It's both blue and warm. The blue lakes I know (in New England and Yorkshire) are anything but warm. And the warm lakes down here are both brown and opaque.

That sure isn't "Central NC"!

Dare I do spinach-ricotta pie again? I do know how to make other stuff.

Laura, while the 18th sounds fine, I don't think that cool would be the right term! I'm rather hoping that the pond at the new place is people-friendly. Fergie & I are old ladies these days. I could also make the 25th. But I'd have to watch the time. Our step-granddaughter is in a production of Midsummer Night's Dream this summer, and that is the evening when the whole family is going. This is a really impressive group out of Carborro, performing on the UNC campus. All actors are under 18 - and you'd swear they were pros.

Has a date been set for the annual NC BC Picnic at Becca's? I think we'd mentioned the end of July, but nothing was definite.

I'm one of the 180 who didn't vote. Because I don't have a preference in microchips. I have what the vets involved used. Neither the dog nor the cat has ever been missing - touch wood - so far. So I have no data by which to have a preference. Maybe a lot of people are reading this thread to make a decision. They, also, would not have a preference. Also, the chip in my cat is not even one of the choices. Perhaps a better question would have been chips vs tattoos? Or a general question about experiences with whaterver chips and tattoos?

Fergie is chipped through HomeAgain because that is what her vet did. Maggie (the cat) is chipped through 24PetWatch because that is what the rescue used. I prefer the chip to a tattoo because it seems less painful. But that's just my gut feeling - having had neither done to me. And thanks for starting this thread. It made me realize I have to contact both agencies and change some of the information. My daughter, our local alternate contact, has just moved from Umstead State Park to Eno River State Park where her husband is the new superintendent. So, everyone in the area, please go to the Festival for the Eno next week-end. And go play in the park!

Fergie and I can uncross our eyes now. I have been so afraid to look at the Sam threads. But I'm glad I did. Wonderful news. Hope the little guy enjoyed his big adventure. I know that you didn't.

I hope things settle down with your poor pup. And that, having gone through this with Rhea, you at least know what to do for Gunnar.

I'm confused. That first link was to a list with the latest info's being from 2007. The second one was a month old with more questions than info. Is there anything new going on?

So we were right. Each shepherd collect the seep he or she can find. And they get sorted out later. I knew about the color blocks on the tups. But that's to say when a ewe was mated so they know when she's due. And, in this movie, the shepherd marks them for each thing he does, to know who's still waiting for worming or whatever. Looks to me - and does when I'm there - that there are so many different colors on each sheep that they could join the parade at Mardi Gras.

We just watched the DVD. Fantastic! Question: In this, only this one shepherd has his sheep out on those moors and all. But, when we go to Yorkshire, lots of farmers have their sheep loose all over the North Yorkshire Dales. Sheep strolled across the road from Hawes to Keld and Thwaite, up past Buttertubs to Tan Hill, and down to Reeth. So how does a given farmer ever find his own sheep? My only idea is that they each take their dogs up, collect whatever sheep they can find, and get them all into some pen. When all the sheep are collected, the farmers go around and get theirs from each and every pen.

And that's not out on the prairie or wilderness. That's a rather densely populated part of eastern Massachusetts! We used to have packs of feral dogs in the area when we lived near the Hudson River. People would come for the summer, from NYC, and get a "dog for the kids". But they didn't want to take said dog home to the city. So they'd leave it, happily assuming that the dog would be fine on it's own, based on the idea that dogs are really animals that we take care of for a while. Lovely people. Kids got intimidated and even attacked waiting for the school bus. But it was clear that these were different types of dogs. If they all look alike, you kind of assume it's a different situation.

The site Chuck uses is www.thebox.bz You get credits for uploading stuff you download. Evidently there are some downloads that he gets "free" so he downloads and uploads them to get the points for what he really wants. There are rules about it all. And sometimes you need an invitation from someone already doing it to get started. I'm sure he'll invite you if that's necessary. Go to Yorkshire just before Easter next spring. There will be ewes in the village fields with brand-new lambs. And the dogs will be moving sheep in and out between the villages and the moors. There will be coal fires and dark ales in the pubs.

The site Chuck uses is www.thebox.bz You get credits for uploading stuff you download. Evidently there are some downloads that he gets "free" so he downloads and uploads them to get the points for what he really wants. There are rules about it all. And sometimes you need an invitation from someone already doing it to get started. I'm sure he'll invite you if that's necessary. Go to Yorkshire just before Easter next spring. There will be ewes in the village fields with brand-new lambs. And the dogs will be moving sheep in and out between the villages and the moors. There will be coal fires and dark ales in the pubs.

DH has been downloading episodes of a series called Come Bye. It seems to be the sheepdog trials in England, Ireland, Wales, & Scotland. They seem to lead up to the UK championships. I think the ones we have are 2008. But the dogs are fantastic!

I think he gets most from www.thebox.bz There seem to be all kinds of rules about upload and download rations. I don't understand any of it. But he will download something he doesn't care about but that lots of folks want. Then he can get credit for uploading it so he can download things few of us want. I sit back and crochet and watch all the neat stuff.