We couldn't have asked for a better dog

We came to the end of an era on our farm.  Bailey, our old faithful dog, passed away after over 12 1/2 years of companionship.  We got her as a wedding gift from one of my sisters and she has been a special part of our family and farm ever since.

Ice, Rain and Snow Oh My!

Ironically my last blog post was about how beautiful winter is in Iowa.  Now, for the last few days we've been having the exact weather that people dread during winter...

It all started with an ice storm on Sunday and Monday, along with heavy fog all day Monday.

Look how weighed down one of our lilac bushes is due to the ice
and how low the neighboring trees branches are hanging to the ground

Ice was coating everything - trees, bushes, grass, vehicles, the house, etc.
See how foggy it is, at the bottom of the photo you can kind of see the ground through the fog

Thunderstorms and rain Monday night and Tuesday.

The thunderstorm and rain left everything very wet

We usually have puddles like this in April, not January...

And now this morning we wake up to snow, with wind to pick up later today.

Our dog Bailey taking a mid-morning nap in the snow
I don't know why,
but she'd rather sleep in the flower box next the the house, rather  than her doghouse

Bailey back on duty protecting the farm, she'd never want us to see her sleeping on the job!

I guess the only type of weather we're missing now is sunshine!  I just have to laugh and smile and say, this is winter in Iowa!  I'm just happy that we've been getting precipitation!  After the 2012 drought, I'm concerned with what sub-soil moisture we have left and what conditions our 2013 crops will have to try to grow in.  So bring on the moisture, in whatever form it comes!

Hope you all are taking care in whatever weather conditions come your way!

RIP The Best Farm Dog A Family Could Ask For

I feel like farmers don't like to admit how attached they get to their farm dogs - after all  they're suppose to just be helpers on the farm, right?  But like probably your dogs at home, they become members of the family.  Yesterday morning, my family felt the loss of our dog, Dolly Freckles Krumm.

Dolly September 2008

Dolly passed away yesterday morning at the age of 18 and a few months - which I figured out to be probably about 129 years old in dog years.

Dolly and I November 2003

Seventeen years ago my family adopted Dolly, as she was a rescue dog and spent the first year of her life starved with no shelter and chained up.  Technically Dolly was my youngest sister's dog, but she became the family's dog at the same time.

Dolly and my youngest sister August 1995

Dolly and my youngest sister November 2009

Over the last day my whole family has been thinking of many memories we all have of Dolly and we all figure she just must have lived for so long because of all the love she gave us and we gave her.

Dolly playing on top of a snow drift January 2001

Eighteen years is an unbelievable amount of time for any dog to live, but especially one whose first year of life was so horrible.  Think about that, eighteen years old.  That's like you getting a puppy when your child is first born and for them living through their senior year in high school!  Or for me, it was the summer after 3rd grade through me getting married and having a little boy who loved Dolly as much as I did.

Dolly sleeping on Christmas Day (inside the house!) December 2009
(I guess you could say we all got a little soft and let her in the house the older she got...)

LP petting Dolly in one of her favorite sleeping spots November 2011

I wanted to conclude with a poem my youngest sister wrote yesterday in memory of Dolly:

You were there for me since I was eight,
When I first met you I knew it was fate.
A second life I was determined to give you,
And through these 18 years both of us grew.
From playing sports, hunting and playing dress-up,
You were always such an amazing pup!
Such great memories with you I can't pick just one,
We always had so much fun!
You will always be close and dear to my heart,
I'll never truly feel like we are apart.
I'll meet you again someday in heaven,
You can wait for me chasing bunnies and eating bacon.
I'm very sad to see you go but know life must come to an end, 
Your time here on earth you were my best friend.

Dolly with my sisters and I on the trampoline Summer 1996

Dolly with my sisters and I on Christmas Day 2004

Dolly and all the "kids" at Christmas 2007

My youngest sister with Dolly and
me with our dog Bailey when she was a puppy May 2008

My Mom, Sisters and I with Dolly November 2009

My youngest sister with Dolly and her other dog Lobo May 2012

Bailey, the best farm dog

I believe a must-have asset to every farm is a good farm dog and on our farm we have a four year old golden retriever named Bailey.

Now Bailey might not be a "working" dog, but she does give our entire family companionship, entertainment and constant love.  She is a self-reliant, loving dog who loves to hunt around and protect her farm.  I found out that today is "Love Your Pet Day," so I figured I had to dedicate a post to Bailey.  In honor of Bailey, here is the top three reasons to have a farm dog:

#3:  No matter what they look like, they will always make you smile.  Dogs are a lot of fun and are entertaining.  (Bailey has been covered in mud, dead animal, skunk spray, and you can only guess what over the years...)

#2:  They always make you feel important and wanted.  (Bailey sits by the mailbox and waits for us to come home when we are gone.  Once she sees us pull in the drive, she races to the garage, that way when you open the door you can pet her.)



#1:  They are 24/7 guardians.  (Bailey is always watching out and over our entire family.  I love to see Bailey with LP.)