Month: January 2022

We said goodbye to our sweet baby dog, Faruk, today. The cancer moved quickly and he was euthanized here on the ranch with us by his side. He now rests next to Ayla on the hill looking over our old house, his first home.

The guy was a lover, a most handsome dog, and had the softest ears. He would have been seven next week. Much too soon … this was the dog that was so strong and healthy we thought he’d live to be fourteen.

Here are some photos from his short time with us.

RIP, baby dog.

… two days later … I am slow to process emotions like this. This morning, as I settled into my meditation space, I could see this sweet, big handsome dog running toward me in the pasture as he happily did when I called him … but this time, instead of stopping and leaning into me, he just kept on running, and running, up some invisible incline and off into the mist without turning back. Big, sweet, beautiful Faruk, only with us for a short while, has gone to soon.

Zaman exhibits extreme patience with the puppy. Today I got a couple videos of them playing on goat beach, and one great photo (all below).

In one of the videos, Ayi is in the water trough playing before she attempts to bury her wet self under Zaman. Zaman sits there patiently with his paws crossed.

01/15/2022 Update: Faruk has at last started to move around and eat a little. Until this afternoon, he wouldn’t eat or drink or leave his hut. We brought him home Thursday morning. So good to see him want to do something. Vets said the prednisone will help him for a while. We just don’t know how long “a while” is. One day at a time.

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Today we were told this beautiful, strong dog has aggressive, large-cell lymphoma. It is terminal.

He is currently at UC Davis Vet Hospital, and we will bring him home tomorrow with a short-term plan.

We will help him transition peacefully when it is time.

Our sweet Belle left for a new home today.

That was hard.

Heather was here with us. Heather was here when Belle was born, so it helped us close the circle.

Before she left, Belle and new puppy Ayi had some sweet moments today and here are a few in video and pictures.

Belle’s new home is up by the Oregon border not far from the Pacific Ocean. She had a long, six-to-seven hour journey ahead of her, but arrived safely. The new owners are getting a special heifer. They called her a “love bug”. Yes she is.

We bred and raised a real gem with her. Of course Lucy did the work of a champion.

We are hoping to AI Lucy again later this month with the same bull.

The New Year holiday was filled with reunion of friends and of course, puppy antics.

Former WWOOFer Chris and his girlfriend Jo came from Brooklyn by way of Portland on their way to Berkeley. Longtime friend Matt took the train/bus up from San Francisco. Brenda and Holly joined in for the New Year’s Day feast. David smoked a turkey, and accompanied it with beans and potato salad. I fixed the spoon rolls. David made a New York style cheesecake for desert. Of course, almost all the food on the table, plus the wine, was grown or made here.

Matt and Brenda hadn’t seen each other in over 30 years — so joyous to see them with each other again.

It was also really fun to watch Chris and Jo, and Matt, spend so much time with the animals, to hang out with them, and to play a few games of 42. Looking forward to a repeat some day!

This house-full of guests often joined to watch 5:00 a.m. chores, as well has accompany dogs and goats to upper pasture. Lots of laughs on those hikes!

Here is a picture of feast day, and a couple videos of the dogs: