Chance: RIP Hooch

It is me,  the handsome Border Collie.
“Damn Ticks..Damn Ticks.” That could have been the title of this blog post..but it isn’t.

Hooch and me in 2008

Good friends that are dogs only come along a few times in your life. 
Hooch died on Tuesday night from complications due to Anaplasmosis. Anaplasmosis is a disease that the ticks carry.   He got really sick, really fast.  We were just playing ball on Sunday afternoon. We are all sad.

Here are the links to a few of our adventures.
Chance : A Secret  April 06, 2009
Dog Sitting  March 21, 2010

RIP my friend Hooch:)

Dog Sitting

This weekend, we are dog sitting for Hooch and Odda. They are a pair. I had to have a talk with Hooch on Friday. When I went up to let everyone out of their kennels..he went to one of the sheds and would not come out. Little bugger anyway..so we had a talk..I explained that if he came out..he could go home with me. He is a little mad that he was left behind..I brought some of his own food over here to feed him..he gave me a look that said "You have lost your freaking mind." Far Guy mixed some of Chance's food in with it..and he chowed it all down. At night Hooch goes back to his own house to his own bed..he kennels up nicely. This morning..he ran between me and the car..as if to say..I am ready lets go..forget about my sister already.

Now for Hooch's sister..the beautiful Miss Odda. She has an outdoor kennel..she begins to jump as soon as I turn in the yard..just like a doggy jack in the box. She knows she is not to jump on people..and she tries real hard not to. If I holler "Odda sit" she does..right on my feet..to get a good head scratch. She is not yet a year old. She irritates Chance..and Hooch..she submits to both of them..but she goes right back to her antics.

Chance just hates it when she tries to scoot underneath him..or puts a paw on his back. The whole group sounds wild and crazy the first few minutes that they are all together, with the boys snarling and snapping at Miss Odda ..after that they all calm down.


Hooch is real good at our house, he naps on the couch..he helps himself to food and water. Chance is a good host and shares his toys and his balls..letting Hooch catch half of the balls thrown.

Last night when I took Hooch home..I heard a Coyote howling and the Canadian Geese honking up in the corn fields. Hooch went in the pasture..the heifers gave him the what for and chased him back out again. Since they live on the prairie, and we live in the woods..going to their place is always an adventure:)

Adventures With Chance: The Scoop On Poop

Hey! I get to guest blog again today! I am supposed to tell you all about calf poop.... Far Side says I must come clean. I guess every dog has his day.

It all began very innocently, I was visiting Hooch and Odda, they have some new calves in the pasture. Far Side and Jo were looking at flowers, so Far Side was occupied and not watching me as closely as she should have been. I wandered into the pasture..

I spied this.. and proceeded to have the time of my life rolling in calf pies...what fun..nose to the ground..first to the left then to the right..I did a really good job. I was so happy and great smelling, I ran to show Far Side but forgot about my big ole bushy tail that I wave like a flag. Then something strange happened..I was zapped..I yelped..that got Far Sides attention. I ran to the car...she said "Oh Chance, you are a mess." Then she laughed right out loud, "Got zapped by the electric fence..good enough, maybe that will teach you." I got no sympathy from her. I wanted to go home right then, but she grabbed me by the highly perfumed scruff of my neck and proceeded to walk me toward one of the barns with a hose. Steve came out and laughed..he asked what happened? Far Side said "He rolled in hog shit." Steve said "That is not hog shit, that is calf shit..there is a difference." Far Side said "Really?"

Far Side has lots of rules about poop, no rolling in deer poop..I have that rule down pat and I avoid deer poop every day. I am supposed to poop at the edge of the woods or in the woods..check. She even made Far Guy mow an area deep in the trees for me to fertilize to my hearts content...she calls it the pooping area. She has never ever mentioned calf poop before. How was I to know?

I had to endure a cold water wash, before I was allowed in the car..Odda was quite sympathetic..Jo and Steve were laughing..I think Hooch was hiding. Far Side handed her camera over to Jo..good thing too because as she sprayed me off..she got some calf poop on her too. She smelled wonderful! When we got home, I ran immediately to Far Guy..with my ears down but still wagging my big fluffy tail..he said "Oh my, what did you get into?" Far Side told on me..Far Guy said " Why weren't you watching him closer?" Yah.. why wasn't she watching me the entire time? It is all her fault. I got a double bath..that would be a shampooing twice. The next time I went up to the farm, I stayed in the car even though the car door was open. Yesterday when Far Side went up there, I stayed right by her side..she did a really good job of watching me, the sights and smells of the farm are so delicious..but I just looked at those calves..and I stayed away from their wicked zappy fence and their beautiful smelling calf pies:)

Chance and Hooch on August 01, 2009

A New Friend

We have a new friend, she lives down the road at Hooch's house. She is eight weeks old. Her name is Odda 2, she is a Bernese Mountain Dog. Odda 1 died when she was just sixteen weeks old, she had a defective heart. ( It was very sad) This new pup was supposed to be called Bella..but everyone kept calling her Odda instead of Bella..so Odda 2 is her name! We have visited twice in a week, she has no manners..yet, and her little teeth are like razor blades. Hooch is teaching her some manners, he is a tough teacher, and made her cry yesterday. It sounded terrible, and Hooch was in big trouble... Hooch may be in for a big surprise when she gets bigger...and bigger she will be! Chance did really good with the new pup, of course she thought seeing someone the color of her Mother was pretty interesting. He just moved out of her way, when she got too "nosy."

All tails are up! Hooch, Chance and Odda 2
Chance and Odda 2

Run Odda 2 Run

She is pretty cute!

I think it is wonderful that I can live vicariously through my neighbors new puppy, I can visit, and play, and go home. Kinda like being a Grandma! No whining at night, no accidents during potty training, no new puppy smells ( Gosh I love the smell of a new puppy.) Sometimes I would like to have my very own dog. Chance loves me, but he is devoted to Far Guy. They are best buddies, and sometimes it is down right nauseating the interaction between my husband and his best friend. The other evening I was busy with something, and they were having a "talk"..it went like this. "Well, buddy, I guess it is time to cook something for supper, you are getting hungry aren't you dude?" grr..grr.. "Nope, she doesn't cook anymore." grr.. grr.. "I guess thirty- five years of cooking almost every night burned her out, so now it is our turn" grr.. grr.. pathetic arn't they? :)

Chance : A Secret

Hey! It is I ..Chance the wonder blogging dog. Far Side says today is MY day! Finally my turn to tell you about...

My friend Hooch and the secret he told me.

It went down like this: ARF ARF K-I-T-T-Y GRR GRR C-A-T That was way last November when he shared his secret. Half the winter I have wondered about his C-A -T. Every time I have seen him it has been so fricking cold that even the snowmen want to come in to warm up. After we have our OUTSIDE pissing contests, taking turns yellowing the snow as two property neutered male dogs do it is time to go in and warm up and play ball games and king of the mountain on the couch. Just so you know Far Side says pissing contests are fine as long as they are outside..she says if one ever occurs in the house she will build me a dog house outside..and I wouldn't like that so much..so I follow the rules. Anyways back to the secret..Hooch and I have not had time to go exploring together until now.

Hooch found the elusive K-I-T-T-Y GRR GRR C-A-T

Too bad he ain't taller.

You gofer it Hooch..I'll stand watch. Just in case he makes a runfer it.

Good Idea Hooch..try a sneak attack with the old doggie in the window trick. This is why we are friends..Hooch is so smart!

I got your back Hooch..after all what are friends for?
No kitty cats were harmed or even found..Hooch may have been telling a tall tail:)

Frosty Roses

Frost was on the roses this morning. Guess they are kaput till next spring. I wandered around in the yard for awhile early this morning trying to get some good frosty photographs to share with y'all. I got a few. Chance is always good company, except when I am on the ground..then he must investigate.. me and the camera. Well I nearly froze to death. (23 degrees F) Far Guy said "Are you an idiot?" Maybe..I am not a morning person..but everyone should spend some time outside really early as the sun is just coming up. It was so quiet, I could actually hear the leaves as they became dislodged from the trees when the wind picked up. The sound of fluttering leaves filled the air this morning. Not that we have that many leaves left..but on the east side of the house there is a huge "Aspen" that was making it's own music..almost as if it were serenading the forest. One last song to be heard only by those who are up early. Maybe leaves in the death throws of autumn are only appreciated by those who fear the approaching winter.

My Grandpa Y always said "You have to get up early to breathe the really good air before it's all gone." It was one of his favorite sayings. then again he always went to bed at 7pm..which is just the beginning of the evening for me, I might be thinking about getting some supper on the table by then..or just waiting for Far Guy to get hungry so he will cook.

Yesterday a long time friend confided in me, she said "I slept til 10 this morning." How Shocking! I just said "Isn't it great to sleep in!' her husband has a different opinion...they are newly retired. When you are newly retired and spend 24/7 together for the first time in your lives..small little things like sleeping habits can become an issue. She has been a morning person for years, and so has he. He still is..and she isn't. Sooner or later they will find their retired pace. They are so funny, he irritates her, she irritates him. They visited last evening and brought Hooch along..so Chance was very occupied..nothing like a Border Collie and a Jack Russell Terrier running around the house to liven things up a bit! Good friends that we can share laughter and old stories with is a good thing, that they also have a dog is an added bonus..they accept us..just like we are..I don't have to straighten up..I don't have to make Far Guy change his "church" jeans...dust or even do the dishes before they come over..I can just be me:)