February 17, 2009: The life and times of little Cian, and a Farewell to Danny
I finally did it! This morning I took all 14 dogs for a walk, together! I was inspired by Jenny from Australia who has 31 dogs (!) and often takes them all for a walk at once. She sent me photos and surprisingly it was not bedlam reflected in the lens. So, if Jenny can do it, I can too, or so I thought.

With five 3 month old pups, three 6 month old pups, and six older dogs (ranging from 2 to 5 years), I wondered if I was stark raving mad. Ah well, it was early, no-one was around, there was no traffic on the road (traffic on our road being incredibly rare unless sat. nav. has taken people astray (and it can)) and most of the sheep are in the sheds now ready to lamb. Should be smooth sailing. And it was - for the most part. They all seemed to be on their best behaviour, not too many disagreements over ownership of a piece of moss, a stick, or a prized rabbit poop. The pups love jumping the ditch, running up on the side of the road, and squeezing under gates to see if there are sheep in the fields.

All was going well until...Cian, Jenna and Mike went under the gate to the training field where the training sheep just happened to be right by the road. Darn! Jenna and Mike were distracted by some fresh sheep dung but not Cian. Off he went around the sheep as fast as his little legs could take him. He wasn't silly about it. He simply went around them and started bringing them to me...and the 13 eager faces waiting by the gate hoping to get their turn. Thankfully the sheep spied me and the 26 eyes on them and darted down the field, Cian in pursuit. Finally I managed to call him away from the sheep and he started back to me...but just as quickly turned and went around the sheep again and out of sight. Now I knew I was in trouble. One last pleading recall whistle to Cian did the trick. Over the hill he came just as pleased as he could be. Despite having to hold my breath for a moment wondering how the heck I was going to get him back, I was quite pleased with what I saw in this young pup. Now that he knows the sheep are in that field, he's going to be on a line from now on.

It's one thing to take 14 dogs for a walk, quite another to get them back in their kennels. Bee and Jasper made a run for their kennels as they get fed in the morning so they know the sooner they get in, the quicker they get fed. Swift has figured that out too so she was waiting by the door to go inside. Four younger pups ran for their bowls too although Cian took his obligatory look at the cows first. Steffi decided she wanted to try to get into the hen house so she did not come down the hill with the other dogs but had to be caught after all the other dogs had been put in their kennels. Luckily for the chickens, the door to the henhouse was still closed!

We did lose one of our chickens this week. She had to be humanely destroyed after she put her head through the door of a dog's kennel to swipe some food and the dog caught her by the neck. She lived to tell the tale but was obviously in pain so we had to put her down. The chickens have been tormenting the westies for weeks so this was the revenge of the westies!

As sad as we are to lose one of our chickens, we are sadder to have lost a friend, Danny Hughes, this week. Danny was the President of the World Mountain Running Association and has been involved as either Secretary or President of the Association since inception. A nuclear engineer by profession, Danny dedicated 25 years to the WMRA and the 25th Anniversary Celebrations will be a somber affair without him. Danny helped Kelvin and I set up the Canadian Mountain Running Association while we lived in Canada, and opened all the doors we needed to be able to select and send Canadian teams to the World Mountain Running Championships. Danny was vibrant, energetic, full of smiles, always ready to help, and he never had a bad word to say about anyone. Refreshing! We, and the world of mountain runners, are saddened by his death. His funeral is today in Cumbria and Kelvin has joined mountain runners from around the World to celebrate Danny's life, and say goodbye.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.
And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.