Life in a day of my Patou

It was a sad day today on the blog. I popped on the blog to keep up with everyone and was just starting to get into the other blogs and trying to learn all the other bloggers and dogs and pawparents on the forums, and much to my dismay I discovered the sad news about Fortis. I had JUST read pretty much his whole blog the previous evening. Brett and Pattie are SO bonded to that handsome fella, and I really enjoyed and had a few good laughs with some of the blogs too. It makes me SO sad to hear of his passing. I could feel the love that Brett and Pattie have for Fortis. Such a strong unbreakable bond. I left the house this morning feeling guilty because I tried to get Patou to move into the back sheep lot where the water in the 50 gallon tank was not frozen due to the tank heater, but he fell trying to get to the back door on the slick kitchen linoleum. (I have rugs down for him but he still slipped)  I felt SO bad and was worried that he may have strained his only back leg. I begrudgingly put him out front on the front porch hoping that the water in the heated dog dish (that does not work) would not totally freeze today, and worried that he did not do any serious damage to his back leg. I noticed that the sun was out today so that helps. I just can’t seem to shake the guilt. I’m not sure what I should be guilty about, but perhaps it’s one of the ways that I can deal with things. After the news and sharing in the sadness with Brett and Pattie, it makes you turn inward and wonder about your own dilemma. I know my brain tells me to deal with things and be grateful for the time you DO have left with your special friend but my heart aches because you know your time is limited. Everytime I leave for a whole day, it means one less day that I get to spend with my friend. Winter is a hard time, (especially on three legs!!) to spend time outside. I can’t count the times that myself and Patou have headed over to the sheep pasture to check on our sheep. I would wander up the hills watching and checking with my shepherd’s crook in hand thinking of how many ancient Shepherd’s have done the same thing. It takes you back to really Biblical times and you can see why David, the soft-hearted Shepherd boy wrote such beautiful Psalms. All the while Patou is never far away watching my every move. (mostly because he didnt want me to leave without him!) And I know from the breed history that these dogs or others native to the region, were there also with David. They kept those Shepherd’s and their flocks safe and sound and also provided the companionship that those lonely Shepherd’s desparately needed. It’s nice to trudge around in the deep snow amongst the sheep, but spring is the time when everything come to life, literally! Patou has always loved the coming of the babies.. no matter what kind. I caught a few videos last spring on my cell phone, and it’s amazing even from those small short videos, the peace that is so evident out there on the hillside with those mamma sheep and their long tailed, baaing babies. Patou and I can be out there for hours with them and just watch.  I’m going to take a better camera along this spring for videos when the babies come. My babies will be early this year, as I have already had one mid-December. (the fricking coldest day of the month no less!!!) I could barely cope with it as I had just found out about my Patou’s diagnosis only less than a week before. That day it seemed a large part of my world came crashing down around me. Somehow I could not summon the thrill of finding out that I had a new lamb, not with thinking that I would not have Patou to help me through this new lambing season. Patou is always there for the lambing season. He’s at my side, when I am trying to catch the little buggers for their shots, and tail banding. He is right there if I have a ewe that won’t accept a twin for whatever reason. It’s amazing how those little lambs just walk right up to Patou and touch noses with him. He is so careful not to make any sudden moves. He lets the lambs approach him and does not threaten them in any way. He’s had his close calls with my Ram Cosmo  when he avoided some head butts when the Ram did not like Patou being so close to his girls. It was interesting to watch Patou just side step out of his reach when the Ram would go after him. It was like watching some bull fight, where the bullfighter barely avoids the charge of the bull by just stepping out of the bulls way! It’s amazing how these dogs are so non-threatening even when they are being threatend by their own charges. True gentle Giants, that’s exactly what they are. I am hoping that we will have an amazing spring,  Patou and I, and I will have my camera ready for that. I want to capture every moment of Patou and his lambs and sheep. I want it burned into my memory so I can never forget it. OH, and don’t forget shearing day in the spring. I have a  professional shearer that comes once a year and he shears my whole flock.Patou is always there watching every move he makes to be sure that he handles the ewes with the utmost care. Actually my shearer reminds me of a Pyrenees. He’s big and  quiet, and moves among the sheep slowly and patiently and handles them with such care and such a light hand. He’s fast and efficient, all the while keeping those sheep between his legs while he works his electric shears.  I keep the wool and each fleece is placed in it’s own bag and then the spring washing of the wool begins. I LOVE wool washing days in the spring. When I have my fleeces all washed and layed out on their tables in the sun in front of my house, the cars slow and wonder just what the heck I am doing. The fleeces are then sent to Canada where they are made into beaufiful wool blankets. This year I might have to have some of Patou’s winter coat  mixed in with some of my wool to be made into something spectacular.  That is called Chiengora. The use of dog hair to make woolen items. Chien meaning dog in French. My dogs are not only my companions, but they are my work-mates as well.  Patou has protected me many times from the charge of my own Ram all the while keeping himself between him and me and stepping in to take the charges from the Ram himself. I always try to stay alert when I am in the presence of my Rams, but sometimes it’s just not always possible especially if I am trying to work with the baby lambs. I’m not sure another Pyr would do that for me. As I said, my Pyr Lucy protects the sheep and Patou protects me. I can’t hardly stand the thought of losing him. That will be the saddest day of my life.

janet and Patou

I will try to attach some shearing pics just to amuse you all!!!