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["Jeanne Driese" <jeanne13 AT earthlink.net>]

Gene,
A touching tribute to a great friend and worker.  Losing an animal companion 
is not easy.
Sincerely,
Jeanne
tnhillwoman
North East TN zone 6
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gene GeRue 
  To: Homestead 
  Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 9:28 AM
  Subject: [Homestead] An ideal homestead dog


  AN IDEAL HOMESTEAD DOG: Benny: 4/30/96-7/30/09
  Benny is now in the ground, next to his buddy, Dax, up under the  
  dogwood trees by the old log barn. He was an ideal homestead dog, from  
  parents who were working dogs on a ranch of cattle and sheep. We never  
  allowed him to fulfill his potential as we do not raise large  
  livestock. He did keep an eye on the chickens, though, as well as us  
  and the garden and the full clearing. In all ways he performed as a  
  competent and trusted homestead worker.
  We were directed to find him in a barn; his mother had chosen a horse  
  stall and he was infested with ticks and fleas and filthy with manure.  
  He was the runt of his litter but we selected him because of his  
  energy and his promise of great beauty. A classic blue merle  
  Australian Shepherd, with one blue and one brown eye, he fulfilled his  
  promise as a joy to the eye.
  He required little training. Beyond normal obedience instruction about  
  all he got was observation of his master walking and peeing along the  
  perimeter of the homestead clearing, denoting the area to protect.  
  Protect it he did.
  He never took a sick day in his thirteen years and three months. What  
  finally brought him down were hips that could only with great effort  
  get him up to a standing position.
  He pleased us in myriad ways. It was a special delight upon retuning  
  from town trips to see the blue merle of happiness bouncing out to  
  greet us.
  And the beat goes on.
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