Was a Farmer Had a Dog....

and Bingo was her name -O!

Do you remember that song? When my kids were babies and toddlers we had two major events going on in our life-- besides babies and toddlers which is enough all by itself! We bought an old century farmhouse on 80 acres. The house and farm was in various stages of disrepair but it sat on 80 acres down a long lane at the end of a dead end road. My husband and I had been looking for a farm for quite some time in that area but most farms were being divided up for development. The developers were not as interested in this one because the land did not have much frontage but the privacy and location were perfect for what we wanted, a family farm and a place for our kids to run, play and learn.

Along with the farm, the repairs, the toddlers and the baby we got a puppy. A puppy that would grow up to be our 'farm dog'. I picked out an Australian shepherd pup that was a fuzzy, chubby little ball of fur. The kids named her Bingo, as in There was a farmer, had a dog and Bingo was his name O! B I N G O.

I am thinking of Bingo today remembering how she filled her role beautifully as the Farm Dog. She kept the ground hogs at bay and on my front porch as presents. She helped bring in the cows and sheep. She protected us always. She was never aggressive but watchful and always ready to put herself in between her family and danger. She did exactly that when my husband had to go out into the pasture to check on a Scottish Highlander calf and a not very happy momma! She also had an uncanny ability to sense what was young and weak and stay close by to 'protect'. Over the years we had lambs and kid goats, calves, kittens, chicks and she watched over all. She would pounce on a barn cat but let the kittens go where they wanted. She even knew when our banty hen left her clutch of eggs to go over with her nose to cover the eggs with straw. I noticed she was the nest and expected to see her eating the eggs but was amazed a dog could know an egg was a baby and protect it!

I am thinking of Bingo today because now almost 14 yrs later she needs to be put down. Today is the day and while I don't want her to hurt I will miss her. I took her for a walk yesterday in the early fall sunshine. She was limping and huffing and puffing so I walked slowly so she could enjoy it. And she did. It was the least I could do after she had done so much!

Thank you Bingo for being the very best Farm Dog !