A Dog's Love

A Dog's Love

A dog's love
seems to have no end
When humans want to hate
a dog, simply wants to mend

A dog's love
is expressed each time
Where as humans seem
to leave their feelings behind

A dog's love
is always the same
When humans love
some play a game

A dog's love
we may never understand
For they love completely
that seems lost in man

A dog's love
can only be known
By one who loved a dog
and dog moments they own

Dog moments are special
only way I can explain
They are when a dog affects
both your heart and your brain

-Terry Mar

Giving Thanks

How quickly does time pass?  One can almost fail to notice as the days begin to get shorter and and extra sweater is needed to abate a chill.  Just last week I checked my calendar for some sort of appointment and noticed that it was almost Max's 4th birthday.  Wait, four?  How can this be?  Suddenly I felt a pang perhaps similar to the one I've seen and heard from my family and friends as their children grow.  Stop growing, I thought.  Please stay this way forever.

On the flip side, it is so nice to have Max at 4 and Bella at almost 2.5.  They have chilled out from puppy craziness to wonderful sidekicks and companions who know the "rules" and usually follow them.  My Braque du Bourbonnais certainly live up to the breed description.

At this time of year a moment of reflection - I'm thankful for the joy that all three of my dogs bring and I feel lucky to have these pups!

Summertime at Sugar Pea Farm

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” 
― Josh Billings

Another Spring has come and gone with Summer more than half over.  Our beautiful Braque du Bourbonnais have enjoyed every bit of this extremely mild weather for this year in Tennessee.

In early Spring we welcomed two calves to the menagerie but have kept the pups separated since we're just not sure how they would get along and a 45 pound dog isn't much match for a several hundred pound bovine!

However, the dogs enjoyed their Spring and Summer very much!

And of course, Max is never to be outdone!

And of course, sweet Sully - always willing to share with Bella....

Just doesn't always work out well for him!!

Doggie Heaven

"If you don't mind throwing tennis balls for eternity, I do have an opening in doggie heaven."

- unsourced quote about dogs

Bella

Bella

Max and Sully

Max

Sully

Max

Sweet Baby Bella

In honor of our Rufnit Bella's soon upcoming birthday - on July 4th no less, here is a smattering of photos over her first year.  Sweet and quite spunky, this little girl is a wonderful addition to our Rufnit Ulysses (aka Max).  Love these dogs!

At airport pickup

Just a little pup

Bella and Max

Baby Bella on bed

Big Bella on bed

10 Months

11 Months Run!

11 Months 

Finally - a new post!

A long time since the last post - but here is spring at Sugar Pea Farm!  Obviously, we love our Braque du Bourbonnais and our working farm collie.  Not to mention 9 hens and 1 roo!  Soon will quickly come a small slew of cattle!  And of course, our garden grows!  More garden shots to follow....

And the stockings were hung.....

October Fun

Three lucky dogs enjoying the fall weather in Tennessee.

Brother from another mother

For some time I've been researching livestock dogs and I finally decided that I wanted an old-fashioned farmcollie or working farmcollie as they are also known.  This is a heritage collie breed that hasn't had their natural instincts bred out in favor of solely show attributes or to meet the demand caused by the huge increase in popularity as a family, non-farm dog after the tv series, Lassie.  So this is Sully, Max's new little brother.  Well on his way to being house-broken but a puppy nonetheless.  A different personality than Max that I believe will compliment each other nicely when they are both a bit older.  For now it's fun to watch.  Sully thinks he is as big as Max when he actually weighs about three pounds and Max thinks Sully is a new toy.  


A vaguely humorous video of a meeting at the fence.  I have to hand it to Max for tolerating a lot of Sully's puppy behavior - what a big boy he is - and a good big brother.  

We're still looking forward to getting another BdB from Rufnit Kennels when the right one comes along.  And another farmcollie.  The more the merrier!  So now Sugar Pea Farm is home to 13 quail, 10 chickens, 2 dogs, 2 people and lots of deer, rabbits, foxes and a flock of turkeys.  One turkey lives indoors and uses the plumbing.

Bird Flush

When Maxie heads out for his first morning run, he first flushes all of the birds out of the bushes.  He tears around the yard several times until he's found them all!

The official logo of the new farm. The three of us cannot wait to get settled in! Hopefully it is just around the corner! We've met lots of our new neighbors are are ready to settle in to a rural lifestyle.