Category: Ranch Life

Motherhood, Ranch Life

I’d Rather Clean the Barn

dirtroadsleadmehome

DSC_9263p

It is no surprise to friends and family that house keeping is not my favorite activity. I look over at the toys strewn across the floor, which seem to have multiplied over the course of the day. The floor is like a mine field that with one wrong step will result in a broken ankle. The wash machine, a relic Craigslist find, is chugging along doing its best to keep up with the constant work requested of it today. I have unenthusiastically did dishes, laundry, scrubbed floors, tidied, sorted, repeated. My dream in life is a housekeeper but our location prevents that.

DSC_9268p

I would rather clean the barn and always have. In my college years, I worked at my university’s sheep unit. During my freshmen year, there were big changes and big emotions as there are for many of the fledgling birds leaving the nest. It was my place to find “home” and myself. I’d return from the barn aglow, eyes bright, and cheeks with pink flush brighter than any strawberry hued blush would provide. I loved the barn, being with the animals, the fresh clean air awakening me, my breath faster and harder, and my muscle feeling the burn of a day’s labor.

DSC_8306p

There is an appreciation for your efforts. As I spread the new straw the lambs investigate, sniff and chomp, their mamas looking on content to chew their cud. They buck, kick, and frolic thru the new golden straw more grateful than any of my kiddos are with fresh underwear or a clean plate.

DSC_9221p

DSC_8365p

And so it continues that my house is rarely BH&G ready and I need at least 24 hours notice before visits- unless you are in my inner circle of friends or family.  I would rather spend all day, any day cleaning the barn. You are invited to my barn any time!

-Jessie

 

Pet Care, Ranch Life

How to Name a Puppy

dirtroadsleadmehome
Ripp 1

As a veterinarian, I meet a lot of pets and so have lots of inspiration for naming…simple names, complicated names, funny names, names with sentiment.

There are the pet’s names inspired by looks…the Cocoas, Shadows, Reds.  Then the classics…Buddy, Max, Rover. Cats seem to demand the most creative names, maybe because they demand a title not a meager simple name so we see Prince Meowiwether the Third or Professor Snitchy. Owners seem to find inspiration from pop culture or Disney very commonly. You can tell when a Disney movie was popular based on the age of the 100s of pets named after the main characters. We might still see the rare geriatric Simba but we meet plenty of Elsas.

When we acquired our new little working Australian Shepherd puppy the task of finding a suitable name came front and center. Some families know the name of their new creature long before he comes home (as was the case for our human boy’s names) but in our house we must get to know the little furry creature- know his quirks, character, his purpose in this new life. We have a menagerie so naming is a common task. The job of naming of our most recent cats fell to a toddler learning his colors so we have “Black Cat/Penelope”, “Gray”, “Orange Cat”. We went thru a time of naming pets after up and coming children’s names. When we changed Roscoe’s name from Worthy, we departed that path as I felt no mother I knew would name their child Roscoe.

Ripp 3

Now naming a cow dog has its own rules. One syllable is best and it has to be a strong name. It is a “Call Name” and when it erupts from one’s lips it will elicit this little bundle of fur to fly across the barn or pasture, tongue flopping, eager to please his master’s next request. When this name is said everyone must know that this isn’t the name of a lap dog or mere bird dog, but the name of a cow/sheep working dog. His vocation will be know with the simple utterance of his name.

Ripp 4.jpg

So began the list of names and the requests for input. Many fine and suitable names came forth. For the first 24 hours, the little puppy was known as Jett. But his master didn’t feel this name was strong enough or suitable. Ripp was deemed a more suitable name for the little fluffy dog. But not to be said as “R-ip” but strongly and with intention “Ri-hipp”.

Jacob has struggled with the pronunciation of “Rs” so for the first part of the day it was “W-hip” and for myself I can’t stop singing “Rip, Rip It Off” to the annoyance of the master who found the most perfect name.

So meet Ripp, the 10 week old Australian Shepherd working dog, with a strong and suitable cow dog name!

Ripp (rip):

Noun: Old English: topographic name for someone who lived by a strip of woodland.

Verb:

  1. Move forcefully and rapidly
  2. Tear or pull quickly or forcibly away from someone or something.

 

Ripp 2