Thing 1 & Thing 2

Last week (or was it the week before?) we had a huge snow storm here, dumped over 2 feet of heavy wet stuff on us in under a day.  A few days later, rain, and flooding.

The Old Man

Farm Dog

Somewhere in the midst of all that yucky, cold, wet, weather Farmdog, the border collie was barking at something late at night.  I let him out, no big deal who knows what he saw I thought probably a fairy.  But then I heard responsive barking just feet from the house.  I looked out and sw 3 black dogs, I thought it was a pack of pitbulls.  I called Farmdog in, he didn't respond, I went out and shouted at them, 1 ran away.  I went inside and got TheOldMan, a guard dog that retired to the farm three years ago to die, that doesn;t look anywhere near deaths door these days...  He thought they were great playmates and ran off to play.  In the cold and rain.  My Oldest suggested getting a gun, a .22 to frighten them away, I was all for it, but that was not an option.  So I went after them with a flashlight, I managed to frighten one away while the other just cowered down as I approached.

Once I got near, my heart broke for the little fella, he was soaking wet and shivering, He was skin and bones and afraid i was going to beat him.  I stopped trying to chase him away.  I went inside and got him some food and tried to convince him to eat.  He didn't, but slowly left.  I went back inside feeling awful for how I had treated the 2 pups.  And I remembered a chapter in the book The farmer boy by Laura Ingalls wilder about a stray dog, and thought maybe they were sent by a higher power.

When they reappeared the next day I was ready, i had food and brought it out to him, he ate wagged his tail and was a grateful little guy.  A few days later he returned with his friend.  Both were still super skittish, but decided this is where they belonged.  Ever since that day (the 3rd dog made a brief appearance, but didn't stay or come near, it was just to afraid of either people or the house to come near) they have acted as if they belong here, at night curling up against the front door together guarding us from the night.

I contacted the shelter, the SPCA, I contacted the animal control officer, I have placed a found ad online.  No one has claimed them, someone wanted to adopt them, but I think they have adopted us.  They are great around the kids, don't mess with the cats,  are cautious around the cattle and sheep (bordering on scared), and play well with the other dogs.  I am going to take them to get scanned for microchips, and if they don't have any I am letting them stay.  Thing 2 even helped FarmDog and me bring in the cattle over the weekend.  Oh, and they are not pitbulls, one is some kind of hound mix and the other may have some pit in him, but not the body type or the lockjaw.

Thing 1

Thing 2