Since we have moved out here we have a new Thanksgiving tradition at our house. Each Thanksgiving our son and his family make a trip to San Diego for a family Thanksgiving with his wife’s family at her grandmother’s home. A week in a sunny place is a pleasant break from a place that sees a lot of rain in November and our grandchildren having a relationship with their great grandmother is a special bonus for everyone. Our Thanksgiving tradition includes caring for their place while they are gone.

Our son and daughter in law have a small acreage with a few animals, so there are daily chores. This year there are four cows, so I toss a few bales of hay, add a few scoops of grain, and make sure that the water trough in the barn is full each day. The cows have access to the pasture, but when it rains they tend to spend most of the time in the barn.

There are also chickens, which are easy. They are fed a mixture of grain and pellets and they need fresh water each day as well. In November, egg production slacks, and this year the chickens are mostly pullets so there are only one or two eggs a day to gather. I can complete the chores at the farm in a half hour.

Then there is the added chore this year of providing care for their puppy. She is just six months old, so still needs training. We have a fully fenced back yard, so we bring her to our house when they are gone. She has been trained with a crate since she was weaned, so we have a secure place to leave her if we need to be away from the house and we keep her downstairs so she doesn’t have access to the bedrooms. Of course she needs time each day at the farm so that she continues her training with the other animals. I take her to the farm when I do chores and let her run and play and make sure that she behaves around the chickens. That involves training her about loading and unloading from my pickup, which is higher than their car and a bit of a challenge for her. She’s still a puppy after all. And she needs to have chew toys constantly available. If she finds a bit of paper or a napkin on the floor or if someone forgets and leaves the bathroom door open so she can get to the toilet paper, she can make a big mess quickly. When she stays at our house I make a daily trip to the back yard with a shovel and rake to clean up her messes. And, as a puppy, she thinks she is always hungry. We feed her while we eat breakfast and dinner, but she goes after her food so aggressively that she is done by the time we get seated for our meal and begs for more. We feed her out on our deck, so she has to wait while we eat and sometimes whines at the door interrupting our meal. We take her on our walks with us each day so that she gets some leash training and learns to behave when she meets another dog being walked. So it is a bit extra work, but all in all not bad duty.

I enjoy the farm chores. We had chickens and other animals when I was a child, so I’m used to having the chores and I worked on my cousin’s cattle ranch as a teen, so I’m at home with the cows. It is kind of fun to have a dog in my pickup as I head to and from the farm each day. Both of us like to drive with the windows down and a bit of fresh air in the truck
I guess I should mention that the puppy is a Newfoundland dog. The name of the breed comes from the Dominion of Newfoundland before it became part of the confederation of Canada. They are known to be sweet-tempered, gentle, and fairly easy to train. Originally bred to assist fishermen, they have been essential to water rescue operations for hundreds of years. They are excellent swimmers with partially webbed feet. Their heavy fur is oiled so they dry quickly and retain their body heat even when the water is cold. They have a reputation as excellent “nanny” dogs, capable of watching over young children. Our son’s two year old is particularly attached to the dog who allows him to climb on her, nestle in her fur and even sleep next to her. In years past black and black and white or Landseer dogs were favored. Our son’s family’s dog is mostly black with a white bib under her chin. She is female, so won’t get quite as big as a male, which can grow to 180 pounds. When fully grown sh’ll probably be 120 to 140 pounds. Right now she is about 85 pounds and tall enough to rest her head on the dining room table when standing. When she accidentally steps on my foot, I know she’s there. And when we go for a walk, I get a real workout.

Yesterday, I found myself breathing heavily as she strained against the leash when she wanted to run to play with other dogs or when she smelled something interesting to her as we walked. She has no trouble keeping up with my pace of walking, but there are times when she would prefer a faster pace than my gait. And she can pull on that leash. I’ll be getting a bit of extra workout from my daily walks this week. And lifting an 85-pound dog into my pickup is no small task. I guess it is good training for slinging hay bales in the barn.

We will have a big dinner on Thanksgiving day. I’ll bake buns and Susan will make a cherry pie. We’ve got a turkey breast and sweet potatoes and there’ll be stuffing and special salads. And this year, and probably for years to come, I’ll feel like I’ve earned my big dinner by working out at the farm and playing with the puppy.