Farm Dogs & Harvest

I mentioned in a tweet that my grandma’s dog had puppies and that I didn’t even know that she had a dog in the first place. I think it was in late spring when her dog, Tracee disappeared. She had gotten broken away with her chain. A gas station attendant said that she saw someone pick up a dog that still had her chain attached. Although I wouldn’t say it to her face, I pretty much figured that Tracee was a gonner. She had tags on. So whoever picked her up knew that she was owned and where to bring her back.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when my dad said that Grandma’s dog just had some puppies. I was confused. 1.) Grandma lost her dog. 2.) Even if Tracee came back, she was already spayed. 3.) When did she get a new dog? After asking my dad to explain, it turns out that a friend at the market said that he had found a stray. When he heard that Grandma lost her dog, he offered to give her the stray. It was a beagle mix. Grandma agreed to take her in and named her Trixie. (Hmmm. Trina, Tracee, and Trixie. I’m beginning to think that my grandma has a fondness for dog names beginning with T-R.) One day my dad asked her, “Does that dog look like it’s getting fat?”
A couple days ago my dad said that someone had found Tracee and that he would be returning her to Grandma. I would learn latter that this person claimed that Tracee was living over by the Walmart, less than a mile away from the winter home that she escaped from.

So yesterday I went to the farm to pick up my dad and while I was there, I took the opportunity to check out this new dog and her pups. When I drove up to the farm house, there was a dog that looked like Tracee. I wasn’t 100% sure it was her but as soon as I saw her collapse for a rest in the middle of the yard, I knew it was her. Tracee is wildish dog. She hunts at night and she sleeps where she darn pleases, which does not always mean her dog house. But I did check out Trixie which to me, looks like the larger size of beagle. She’s a bit thin but I guess when she has 8 pups feeding from her, I can imagine that she would be looking a little drained.

They don’t know what breed sired the pups but to me, they look bulldoggish. They’re really cute and I kind of want to keep one. I better watch my mouth more often because I have been “volunteered” to take care of these dogs (all ten) while Grandma and my parents take a trip to Disney World for Christmas. Yup I will be spending Christmas alone this year with another person’s dogs. FML.
The farm is pulling in the last of the harvest. Although the farm doesn’t officially close until the snow comes, Grandma is expecting to pack up and move back to the winter home in about four weeks. Here’s a couple pictures of the last of the winter squash, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and walnuts.