American Way Farm: Meet Dexter!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Meet Dexter!

Dexter is an English Shepherd puppy and a Christmas present for my 11-year-old grandson, Austin. But until Christmas morning, Dexter is staying with us.

Pray for us.

Now meet the lamp. Or at least, what’s left of the lamp. You see, Dexter decided that this innocent little table lamp, just minding its own business, living a peaceful existence on the end table, was clearly a threat to national security.

So naturally, he launched a surprise attack.
Dexter: 1. Lamp: 0, not even in the game anymore.

So hey Santa—while you’re hauling toys and joy and Christmas spirit this year, would you mind tossing a new lamp in the sleigh? Preferably one made of concrete and reinforced steel?

At this rate, we may need a full remodel by New Year’s.

Please leave a comment. I love hearing from you.

3 comments:

Delirious said...: What a cutie! What a mischievious cutie. :); December 7, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Shelley said...: Dexter is adorable! No way you can get upset w/ that face! :-); December 7, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Andrea said...: What a sweet present. Perfect for an 11 year old. They be best friends I'll bet.; December 10, 2009 at 2:45 PM

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When my husband, Jim, and I moved from southern New Hampshire to way, way up north in the fall of 2001, we thought we were just “getting away from it all.” You know—peace, quiet, maybe a moose sighting or two. We weren’t planning a major lifestyle change. We certainly didn’t think we’d be trading paved driveways for muck boots and birthing kits. But life (and nature) had other plans. The thing about the North Country is that it’s very good at growing trees. Tall ones. Fast ones. Persistent ones. Left unchecked, they’ll take over faster than a toddler with a jar of peanut butter. We were starting to lose our view—and not just a “I think the horizon looks a little hazy” kind of loss. I mean, we were being reabsorbed by the forest. So we came up with a brilliant plan: let animals do the work! We figured a couple of pigs and sheep would chew down the underbrush, fertilize the land, and maybe keep us entertained along the way. A few goats joined the team, because apparently we thought chaos was missing. Chickens showed up next, mostly for fly control—but also because they’re hilarious, not to mention that farm eggs are the best. And then, of course, a dog. You need a dog to guard the animals from the coyotes and the goats from each other. Before long, we had an entire ecosystem going. And then the questions started rolling in. “Hey, could you raise a pig for us?” “Do you sell your lamb?” “Got any extra eggs?” “Do you actually drink the goat milk?” And just like that… we were farmers. Not the bib-overalls, pitchfork-wielding kind (well, okay, maybe on Mondays), but full-on livestock-managing, early-rising, hay-in-our-hair kind of farmers. And honestly? We’re loving every minute of it—yes, even the goat-wrangling, fence-mending, rooster-escapes-at-5AM parts. We never saw it coming. But sometimes the best things in life are the ones that sneak up on you—preferably not in the form of a loose pig, but you get the idea.