Show Quality German Shepherds for Family Protection, Personal Security, Schutzhund, Search & Rescue, Guard Dogs, Seeing Eye Dogs, Professional Dog Training, Stud Service and Pet Quality K-9 friends from Montana at affordable prices.

OMEGA SHEPHERDS
Adventures on the Ranch

 

What A Spring !

 

 

----It was a great spring here on the ranch. All the baby colts were born and are getting big, lots of puppies born, and lots of baby wildlife around. One day this spring I was out behind the house where I normally run the dogs. It was late evening - around 9:00 and just starting to get dark. I had 2 dogs loose - Reba and Celina and a 4 month old pup on a lead. I was walking along in the tall grass on a trail where I always walk. All of a sudden Reba started intensely sniffing something in the grass and Celina ran over - I didn't know what it was but I told them to get away and come! I was afraid it was something harmful like a porcupine but I didn't see anything move. I grabbed Celina by the collar and called Reba who was still sniffing what ever it was. I walked by the spot and saw Reba standing over a very young fawn just lying there in the grass. She didn't hurt it at all she was just sniffing it and looking at it! I was so afraid if it moved though that the dogs would chase it so I kept moving past it and Reba came right along with me. I ran to the house - put the dogs up - told my mom - grabbed the camera and headed back out there to try to take a picture of it. I walked back to where it was but it was gone. So we started walking around through the tall grass, weeds, undergrowth and logs. Finally we found it curled up next to a log - it was so still and blended in perfectly with the log it is amazing we even found it. Camera in hand I turned it on to take a picture --- and OH NO ! The camera disc was FULL. AHHHH.... my mom stayed there so that it wouldn't move again and I ran all the way back to the house trying to hurry before it got to dark to take a picture. I grabbed a brand NEW disc and ran back out, and this time got several great photos of it - as you can see! It didn't move at all even though my hand was just inches away. I think it was less than 24 hours old because it wasn't even filled out yet - new born babies aren't hydrated but get more filled out after a day or so. In any case it was so neat to see it ! Since I got the picture we left it and walked back to the house.
-----Now once a week or so we see the mom and fawn walking through the pasture in front of our house. No wonder these deer are so "tame" - they grow up around people and dogs and no one ever hurts or scares them. They aren't afraid of much!
-----We are getting our hay in now for this winter which is such a relief as this is supposed to be a really bad year for getting hay because of all the rain wrecking peoples crops. But we are getting ours delivered up here and it looks great! Yesterday I was walking down to the haystack by the arena. I was walking through the aspen trees, which are HUGE for aspens. And right in front of me this little gray thing runs by -- I thought it was a mouse but looked and saw it was a baby blue bird! (How could I tell it was a "Blue Bird" if it was gray you ask --- well at the very base of its feathers there was a little blue) At first I thought it might have fallen out of its nest - but I saw a little farther away there was another baby. They didn't seem to be able to fly yet - but since there were two of them there I guess mom said it was "Out of the nest!" day and out they went!! But I didn't want to interfere with nature and the babies growing up so I just left them and pretty soon the mom was flying down to the ground and back up to the nest. She did that about 8 times. When I walked through there about 10 minutes later I didn't see the babies anywhere. So I don't know where they went -- but it is just amazing living in the mountains like this. You can just walk out your back (or front) door and see baby wildlife. And you never know when it is going to pop up!
----- Now, spring is pretty well past and we are in the middle of summer heat - it's been up around 95 this past week! That's not hot if you're in Arizona or Texas - but for us poor Montana's that's a heat wave! But one really neat thing about where we live, and where our house is - we don't need air conditioning and the house stays really cool. Especially downstairs - it can be so hot outside but if your downstairs it can actually be so cool you can get cold! So in the middle of the afternoon it's not unusual to find everybody and many of the dogs hanging out and keeping cool downstairs.
-----Well, I guess I should bring this to a close for now. Be sure to check back in a week or so for an updated article on one amazing 4th of July horse show.
----Till next time,
----Leah and Everyone at Omega Shepherds

 

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