Dog Duties

I have new hay hooks. Somehow I keep losing hay hooks. These new ones aren't curved enough, but I figured they'd work anyway. I hooked one around the string of the top bail of hay in my hayport (a canvas carport) and jerked on it. The hook, somehow, unhooked.

The force of my jerk was meant to dislodge the bale of hay, move it against the other bales so I could wrest it out and drop it down. Instead that force propelled me backwards, causing the bales I was standing on to move, and me to fall. I fell slowly enough to choose a landing, ending up on a pallet instead of against the van door or something pointy. I wasn't hurt, but decided I'd just stay there and contemplate the sky, the hay, and gravity for a while.

Lucy, the Border Collie, immediately came running up, wringing her paws, trying to comfort me. She kept squirming against me, licking me, trying to give me some of her energy. Trying to get me to get up and act normal again.

Millie, the Pyr, sauntered over, stuck her head into my face, and asked if I was OK. She decided I was, so she went out about 10 feet and set up a "do not pass" boundary so no one could come bother me while I was down. After a few passes she came back to make sure I really was OK, and see if I needed any further help.

I figured the animals weren't going to get fed if I continued my personal experiments with gravity, so I got up and - much more carefully - moved that bale and loaded up the van. The rest of the time feeding, every time I turned around I'd see Millie, keeping an eye on me.

People worry about me working out on the farm by myself. I'm never alone, and my companions  are quick to come to my aid. And I have this great phone to take pictures with.