"Out to Pasture" Day 1, Morning

Hi!  I'm April, Swifty's border collie alter-ego, and Impy's little sister.  It's my first time watching over the flocks by myself as Impy has gone away with the Master to something called "Furry Fiesta."

The Master has a flock of thirty-six wooly white sheepies, nine lambs, and five black sheep…the Ninja sheepies.  If you don't belong on the farm, you gotta watch out for them cuz they'll find ya before Impy or I will. *chuckles* Most varmints are pretty glad to see us after the ninja sheepies have incapacitated them…until they realize we've brought the Master with us.

So…my first night was pretty uneventful.  Heard the howl of a coyote off in the distance, and the black lab two farms over was yipping about a fox in his hen house among other random chatter on the moonlight bark.  This morning I made my count and the flock was all present at feeding time.  Even the ninja sheepies, but they never miss a meal.

The Girl gave me some attention this morning.  I can chase that ball and bring it back to her nearly all day if my duties to the flock didn't come first.  The big road beast stopped in front of the home and took her away again.  It was already full to bursting with other children.  I'll be waiting for her later this afternoon when it returns to spit her back out.  Hopefully we'll be able to play some more. *wag, wags*

The Mistress gave me a full bowl of kibble and water and now I am full and content, lying in the shade beneath the tree, where Impy and I normally watch over the flock.  They are milling about in the pasture again.  Every so often I spy one of the ninja sheep, but mostly they stay out of sight as ninjas are want to do.  Most of the flock is staying in a nice cluster where I can watch…

Wait!  A lamb is straying on the far side of the flock.  Time to stop blogging, get up and encourage it back into the fold again. 

Byee!

April 

"Out to Pasture" Day 1, Afternoon

Hi, hi everyone in journal land! *wags*

April here again, as if it would be anyone else. *giggles*  Well, okay, it could have been Swifty, but no it's me, the cute lil border collie, on guard and ever vigi…vigi…ever watchful.

The lamb this morning gave me no trouble at all.  He's a sweety and his mamma was very thankful of course.   I had to move around a bit as the flock kinda moved around the pasture but I expect to have ta do that.

I tool a little nap too, but I kept my ears up and was always listening for strange noises.

A few of you came by to say hello and that was really exciting. *wag, wags* Special hellos to Miss Narumi, I hope you took my advice and didn't get caught by the ninja sheepies.  If you did, hopefully I'll find you and let you loose before too long.  

Apologies to Miss NatashaSoftpaw for not being able to talk more.  The moment you showed up, the flock went nuts crying wolf so I had to check it out.  When I came back, you had left.  

Oh and to JRSpaniel…it was you I heard on the moonlight bark last night.  We'll have to talk more tonight.  Arf, arroo, roo, ruff!  *smiles*

Mister Fen Ra was a little cuckoo in the head I finally realized and well I don't want what he has, nor do I want the sheepies to get it either, so I'm sorry I can't talk to you any mores.

Oh and I forgot to mention I saw my friend Mister Benji this morning delivering milk to the Mistress and Girl. Milk is a nummy special treat I get sometimes when I'm extra special good. Maybe I'll get some with dinner? *slurps* Mister Benji lives on a farm down the road.

The big road beast came by a little while ago and spit my Girl back out and I ran down to her and jumped up around her barking my happy hellos to her and acting, as Impy would say, like a total goof.  Dat's alright, I watch him do it around the Master so I learned it from da best. (Nyah when you read this big brodder.) :P

My Girl and I played chase and then she picked up my favorite ball and we played catch and fetch until it was too slimy for her to hold it anymore. *grins*  She went inside after that cause I heard the Mistress callin her, so I drank some water to wash the little bits of dirt out of my muzzle.

"Aprilll?"

*ear perks*

"April girlll?"

Sorry friends.  I have to wrap this up.  I lost track of time and I've got to run and help herd the sheepies back into their pens.  Wish me luck!

Byee!

April

"Out to Pasture" Day 2, Morning…

Oh m’gosh!  Oh m’gosh!  Oh m’gosh!

I don’t know how it happened but this morning…I was one sheepie short!  I mean they were all penned…no way they could have gotten out but when I counted them as the Mistress and I let them out, I counted one short.  The Mistress didn’t act worried, but I sure was.  Impy made it really easy to remember.  All I need do was count down the odd numbers.  NINE lambs; thirty-SEVEN sheepies; FIVE ninja sheepies; THREE primary predators, wolf, coyote and cougar; and ONE sheep dog…dat’s me.

This morning I only had THIRTY-SIX sheepies!!

I’ve looked all over, but the missing sheepie is nowhere to be found!  

I know, I know, I shouldn’t be wasting my time blogging about it, but I don’t know what else to do. *whimpers*  Even the sheepies don’t know but the ninja sheepies is helping.

Impy’s going to be sooo disappointed.  My Girl is kinda sad too as I’m too worried to play.  Oh…I try to play.  I manage two good rounds of fetch, but that third time she throws my ball, I ignore it and run off again looking for the lost sheepie.    

I’m so worried I can’t even eat.

Oh…what am I gonna do?  *sigh*

Guess I better go back to looking again.  I’ll try and let you know if I find the sheepie this afternoon.

Byee!

April

"Out to Pasture" Day 2, Afternoon

I’m such a silly nilly.  I got myself all in a fuss this morning all over nuthin’.  I’m only supposed to have thirty-SIX sheepies in the flock.   So my reminder thingie was broke and full of fail.

Thanks Miss Narumi and JRSpaniel for keeping an eye out for me.  I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.  Spiders kinda creep me out Mister Blazer Coon, so I don’t think I’d visit Serta’s web even if I could get another sheepie.  Oh and hi again Mister Fen Ra.  The best bleat detectors I can find are the two mounted on either side of my head.  I guess they’re working fine since there wasn’t a sheepie missing.   To Mister Firewolf, you better not know of any missing sheepies or you’ll find yourself at the mercy of the ninja sheepies dat’s fer sure.

So, after runnin’ around worried all morning, I finally got ‘round ta eatin’ my kibble and having a drink of water before I crashed pretty hard under the shady tree through the warm part of the afternoon.  ‘Course my “bleat detectors” were always on.

I made my Girl happy before it was time to drive the flock back into their pen for the evening.  The Girl delights in throwing my ball and I delight in chasing it and brining it back to her.  Her laugh is like music to my ears…I love it sooo much and will do anything to hear it again.

So all the sheepies are accounted for; NINE lambs, thirty-SIX sheepies, FIVE ninja sheepies.

I think I’ll pass on the moonlight bark tonight unless something juicy is passed along.  I’m just gunna finish up my bloggin’ an’ call it a night.  Phew…I’m beat.  This herdin’ sheepies can be real hard work.

Be good everyone an’ thankies again for your help and support!

Byee!

April

"Out to Pasture" Day 3, Morning…

*Yawns and stretches*

It started raining last night.  The gentle pitter patter of drops against the roof of my house and against the dry earth made for a soothing night’s sleep.  My fur is a little damp and frizzy though. 

Still rainin’ this mornin’ too.  The Mistress and Girl fed me and the sheepies out in the barn.  I didn’t want to leave my dry house to scamper across the now muddy wet ground, but the stomach is a great motivator.

Spent the morning lounging in the hay on the floor of the barn and talking with the ninja sheepies.  They said they spied a wolf by the fence last night and were keeping an eye on it in case it got stupid.  We definitely don’t want to really lose a sheepie dis close to Impy and the Master coming home from their Fiesta thingie.

The whole flock is accounted for which is as it should be. *wag, wags*

The Girl came out to sit with me for a little while.  It must have been after breakfast cuz she smelled like bacon.  I helped her out by licking her face clean of a few crumbs and bits of bacon grease still around her muzzle and cheeks.  It made her laugh which just encouraged me on.  *smiles and wags*

She sat and talked…about what I don’t really know.  She said my name a few times; I heard “good dog” and “good girl” once or twice which made my heart skip a beat.  But mostly she held me in her lap and scratched my head, back and belly.  I haven’t been so content since I was a pup lying against my mamma’s chest. *churrr*

The rain is slowing and there’s warmth on the humid breeze.  This will probably pass in another hour or two and the sun will come back out.  When that happens, the Mistress and Girl will let the sheepies out to pasture to get some rain fresh greens and I’ll have to trot across the wet earth and do my job.

My only worry is that it’s gonna mean I’ll need a bath again. :P

I think I might take another little nap while I can before the rains clear. *yawns*
See ya again this afternoon everyone in Blog-land!

Byee!

April

"Out to Pasture" Day 3, Afternoon…

Hi Blogger-land!  April is not a happy lil collie right now.  I just got back to my house and kicked the lappy out of sleep mode to make a plea for help!

“Aprilll?”

The Mistress and I drove the sheepies back into the pen after letting them out when the rains stopped.  The sheepies were happy to stretch their legs, get out of their pens and eat some rain drenched grass.   Me?  Not so happy.

“April girll?”

Blech!  My tummy fur is all dirty.  Everything from the shoulders down is drenched and my white tummy fur is all gray and caked with muck. *whines*

“April.  Come on girl.  Let’s get you all cleaned up.”

She’s getting closer.  Now my Girl wants ta give me a bath. *ear wilts* Somebody save me!  She was so nice this morning, I knew this was gunna happen. *frowns*

“April!  Come!”

“Yipe!” *scramble, scramble, scramble*

She has me by my collar.  I don’t have much time now.  Mussst…

hit…

send… 

*scramble, scramble…click*

"Out to Pasture" Day 4, Morning…

Hi, hi friends!

One nice thing about getting' a baff, if there IS a nice thing about getting' a baff, is that I get to stay inside for the night so I dry out proper.  I guess that is a fair trade for having to put up with getting soaked down, lathered up, dried and then brushed.  Not even the soothing words could comfort me. *ear wilts.*

I couldn't get back to Impy's lappy last night to post a follow up since I left that in my home.   I could listen real well to the moonlight bark either.  So I slept, curled up on the floor, at the end of my Girl's bed.  
The sheepies were quiet.  Nothing disturbed them in the night which would have had me up an' barking at the door, waking the Mistress and the Girl an' alerting them to the danger.

There was a light dew on the grass this morning, but the ground was mostly dry yesterday.  The Girl fed me and then left me to help the Mistress feed the sheepies.  When all was done I ran out to help herd the flock out into the fields.  Thirty-six sheepies, nine lambs, five ninja sheepies and me; all present. *sits proudly*

The Girl and I didn't have time to play this morning before the big road beast stopped in front of the home and took her away again.  I did get some kind words and gentle head scritches this morning when she woke up and found me curled up on the floor by her bed. *wags* I'll be watching for the beast to come by again later in the day and spit her back out.

Impy and the Master should be home today sometime.  I so miss my big brodder an' I'm lookin' forward to hearing all about their trip to the Fiesta place.  I've got lots to tell him too, but I think I'll leave out the parts where I thought we had thirty-seven sheepies, or the odd discussion the ninja sheepies were having about voting him off the island, whatever that means.

Well bloggerz, my fur is brilliant white and shiny black in the morning sun as I sit here in it's warm rays.  The sheepies are all out in the pastures and I've gotta get back to watchin them.

Talk with ya laters!

Byee!

April

"Out to Pasture" Day 4, Afternoon…

Learned an important lesson today.

The rams get very angry, very quickly when energetic little border collies decide to play chasies with the lambies. *licks her sore haunches.*  Big brodder failed to mention that.

The ewes calmed the rams down before dey tried again, and the ninja sheepies made a circle 'round me an' helped me retreat a safe distance away.  I kept my distance from then on and nursed my sore hip.  *whines*

Impy and the Master still haven't returned yet, but like clockwork the big road beast stopped in front of the farm and spit my Girl out and into my happy midst.  I even forgot about the ouchies in my leg and I jumped and barked around at her legs.  She ran ahead and I chased her.  Then she turned and chased me around some.  We played chase back and forth lots of times until the Mistress called for her.  Out of breath, she scratched me behind the ears, said I was a good girl and went inside. *wags*

I heard a far off bark from Mister Kai Tokuro who's been reading my blogs and thinks I'm cute. *blushes some more* Thankies!  I'm not sure where everyone else has gone though.  Maybe it is one of those holiday things I've heard about.  My Girl gets them from time to time.  Sometimes she spends the whole day with me; other times lotsa peoples come over and I have to stay outside. *ear wilts*

Well, soon the Mistress will be wanting to bring the flock back into the pens.  I hope the rams has had time to calm down and forget about my chasing the lambies 'round.  I dun want any trouble.

Then it'll be time to eat again.  I do home Impy comes back before dinner or he'll be hungry all night and his tummy makes an awful racket when he misses a meal. *giggles*

"Aprill?"

*ear perks* Dat's the Mistress callin'.  Well, this may be my last chance to blog with all of you.  Depends on if Impy lets me borrow his lappy from time to time to check in and write stuff.  If not, it's been really nice to bark with you all!  You've made my first days watchin' the flock lots more fun. *wag, wag, wags*

Byee!

April

"Out to Pasture" Day 5, Morning…

Whee!  I get to blog more! *wag, wags*

I wandered out to the fence line and had a very nice talk with Miss Natasha yesterday around dusk.  She gived me a pretty flower that I still has in my collar where she put it.  On the way back to my house, I met Akirashima the cat.  After a little misunderstanding, he told me he wasn't a threat and I let him go his way.   I realized afterward, I should has asked him if he knowed a green eyed human.  *shrugs* Oh well.

Impy an' the Master got home late, late, late las'night.  I was napping, listening idly to the moonlight bark, but mostly dreaming about running around with my Girl.  I woke up when Impy came back, and we talked a little.  Well okay, I talked a lot and he grunted tiredly.  I giggled and told him I'd take the morning shift so he could sleep in and all he did was nod and disappear into his house.

He didn't ask for the lappy back so I still has it. *wags*

So this morning after my meal and a little water I helped the Master move the flock back out into the pasture.  They was all present; thirty-six sheepies, nine lambs, the five ninja sheepies an' me.  *sits proudly*

My haunches are feeling better so I had a little play time with my Girl before the road beast swallowed her back up again and took her away.  Mister Benji stopped by with his Master and we greeted each other while the humans talked.  Nice seeing you again Benji.  *snuffles*

Since then, I've been out here sitting in the warm sun standin' watch over the sheepies.  Impy is snorin' in his house. *giggles and wags* I'm so glad he back an' I can't wait ta tell him all about my weekend and hear how his was.  *bounces in anticipation*

Oh!  Yesterday when I signed off, I forgot to thank Swifty for letting me blog in his account.  Thank you foxie! *happy tail wags* It's been so much fun, I think I should get my own account if I can figure out how to do dat.

Time ta get back ta work.

Byee!

April