Moment of Pride

I haven't forgotten my pledge to show you the finished carrots; and I need to share a couple of bits of information with respect to growing and preserving....

But I simply could not resist sharing my joy with you this morning!

It was a BIG challenge, facing the little dog.  This morning, the fog was dense, there was not one shred of visible cow anywhere.  But it was Cade's turn to "go find" and bring back two cows and one bull.  The pasture is 3/4 of a mile LONG, most of it out of sight from where we milk.

"O.K., Cade....it's up to you...GO FIND!"

And off she raced.  Around the locust hollow and out of sight, as I proceeded to organize my milking tools, assemble those pumps and occasionally holler "Steady On!"  "Fetch 'em!" 

Perhaps five minutes went by.  I'm thinking, "Maybe it was too much to expect...."

Tick, tick, tick........

Then, out of the thick, white murk, three bovines emerged, bouncing along at a pretty good clip, and there behind them a little black and white dog following right on their heels, getting in a nip here and there, and occasionally punching the front and then the back, of the mini-herd. 

I am ecstatic!  I holler, "GOOD JOB, Cade!"  She acknowledges my voice,  wags her tail just slightly, but returns to her job immediately, and brings them all--including a slightly cantankerous bull, right up to the gate of the milking stall, and asks (looking at me), "was that good?  Or what.....???"

"GOOD GIRL!!" 

 She's looking at me, tongue lolling...she's laughing!  "Yeah, mama...I can do it!"

Oh, my!  I've trained her from the time she was 6 weeks old.  She'll be three next June.  And now?  She's a REAL dog!  A real STOCK dog.  I can send her on any mission and she'll think her way through it.  She'll do the best she can for whatever task you set her on. 

My Cade's graduated and "mama" is proud!