Kimberly J Egan
Bio
Welcome to LoupGarou/Conri Terriers and Not 1040 Farm! I try to write about what I know best: my dogs and my homestead. I'm currently working on a series of articles introducing my readers to some of my animals, as well as to my daily life!
Stories (58/0)
Yaddle Goes to Texas!
Showing Yaddle! On April 6, the day of the Longview show, it was almost one hundred years to the day since my beautiful Yaddle went to stay with her Mama Kathleen. Well, four weeks, actually, but I felt her absence strongly--and still do, every day, almost another month later. She's gone to stay with Kathleen before. She was in Texas for a month as a puppy, in 2021, but this visit is an open-ended one and it's gone on far too long already.
By Kimberly J Egan2 months ago in Petlife
Introducing "SCK Red Dawn at LoupGarou!
I saw him for the first time just over a year ago, this tiny mite of a puppy, all red and rust and a funky beige color that had no real name. I had never seen a Miniature American Shepherd who looked quite like him, but I knew that he would be stunning when he grew up. The Australian shepherd breeder for whom I do occasional cleaning and grooming had done a friend a favor by taking in a newly born litter, when her friend had unexpected health problems. I fell in love with Cassidy the moment I saw him and vowed to make him mine. He "helped" me clean the puppy room when he got big enough.
By Kimberly J Egan3 months ago in Petlife
Nope--Still here!
I'm so sorry to have disappeared for a week, but I was hard at work on my Challenge entry--and--inspired to work on the novel that I didn't finish during National Novel Writing Month! YES! I have polished three more chapters and added a significant amount of new content. I am hoping to get the "second act" completed during this month's Camp NaNo. Once the whole novel "completed," I will go back and rework the first book of the series, using information that I learned about the character during this phase and publish them in order. I may try my hand at finishing a third book in this series, because I'm having a terrific time with the characters.
By Kimberly J Egan3 months ago in Petlife
Whispering Woods
Sometimes, I heard the woods whisper. I heard them whisper for the first time two years ago. I was inspecting the bulldozer line for what would be my stock fence, the fence that would keep my herd of goats from going into the woods to eat what they shouldn't. The twigs and unmasked clay crunched beneath my feet as I marched its length. Overturned trees and shrubs laid at all angles, exposed roots grasping at the passing breeze. Crickets chirred, hidden in the greenery. Words came to me, unbidden, from the edges of my perception:
By Kimberly J Egan3 months ago in Fiction
Evaluating the Puppies
I would say that most puppies are adorable to the max and these two are maxxed out on the "adorable" factor. Sadly, there comes a time in all puppies' lives that they need to be evaluated and either placed or sold. In the case of this litter, being only two and being a "special case," we decided that we were going to keep both of them. It was just a matter of which girl was going home with Kathleen and which one was staying home with me. Both of us prefer the white and tan coloration for the breed. It is less prevalent than the white, black, and tan (black tri) coloration, so getting a white and tan female--especially one that meets the standard well enough for breeding and showing--can be difficult. I was expecting for both of us to want Goldberry, aka "Goldie."
By Kimberly J Egan3 months ago in Petlife
Hidden Gems at Crickhollow Farm
My neighbor, friend, and landlord, Dan, is a practical man. He grows food on his organic farm, whether it's obvious (tomatoes, okra, berry bushes, fruit trees, etc.) or whether it's obscure (taro/elephant ears). He has tea camellias and knows how to use yaupon to make a coffee substitute. If it's not grown for food, it's medicinal, can be used as fertilizer, or provides wood for his heater. Even so, there are small finds on his 40 acres that pop out and add beauty, rather than practicality to the place. Some of these things, like the azaleas and the camellias, are hidden in the brush that has grown up alongside them. Others, like the boxwood, are tucked away in their own private nooks, waiting to be discovered.
By Kimberly J Egan4 months ago in Earth
Sunshine!
"Sunshine" is the name of the adorable little doeling that I got from JKL Farms last year. Honestly, I've never been more satisfied with a doe that I've purchased. She's a little irascible, as Nigerian Dwarf goats often seem to be, but she's beautiful and--for the most part--she's gentle. Before she arrived here, she had been to a few goat shows. While she didn't earn legs toward her championship, she was deemed good enough for breeding. I was fortunate to get her.
By Kimberly J Egan4 months ago in Petlife
On Breeding Dogs
Riddle Time! How do you make a small fortune breeding dogs? You start out with a large fortune, naturally! Many people seem to be captivated by the illusion that breeding dogs is fun, easy, and profitable. If you love dogs and like people, there is nothing more satisfying (or sadder!) than seeing a new family drive off with the puppy that you've loved for the past nine weeks. No joke: those puppies are both fun and adorable, even if they do become eating/barking/pooping machines at about six weeks of age.
By Kimberly J Egan4 months ago in Petlife
Adding Another Hen
Rooster Roo starts his approach . . . Look casual . . . Look casual . . . If you've read my story "Looking Back at Our Building Year," then you know that I have a free-range chicken flock. I've had a flock of three for almost a year now. A few days ago, Dan sent me another hen who had stopped laying eggs. The introduction did not go well. Rooster Roo saw her from across the yard. His 100-yard dash toward her sent the poor thing into paroxysms of terror. Finally, she allowed herself to be herded toward the other hens--who then proceeded to beat her up. She eventually took refuge under the hay shed, where she stayed for the rest of the day. Obviously, she didn't roost with the rest of the chickens at dusk. We have foxes, owls, opossums, raccoons, and the occasional coyote that hunts in our area, so I didn't hold out much hope for my new hen.
By Kimberly J Egan4 months ago in Petlife
A Difficult Month
February 13, 2024 February is always a tough month. In SW Mississippi, it almost always brings the coldest temperatures of winter. It's not just cold, but it's also dreary, windy, and either wet or frozen. It's hard on people, plants, and animals, so most often Dan and I stay inside when we can, keeping our dogs close to us. Over the years, if we lose elderly dogs, it's typically in February. Two years ago it was Bowser (17 years), one of Dan's farm dogs. Last year it was Itsy (15 years, Japanese Chin) and Millie (approx. 10+ years, a rescue Dachshund). This year was no exception. Last Tuesday, I lost my precious Little Bit and, just a few minutes ago, my wonderful little Joy breathed her last breaths in my lap.
By Kimberly J Egan4 months ago in Petlife
Just What is a "Training Walk?"
Training walks are not part of every dog trainer's repertoire. In fact, I think that Yaddle and I made them up. The concept is very simple. You take your dog for a walk and train your dog during the walk. The more difficult aspect of the training walk is to make the training invisible to your dog or, if not invisible, fun. I started training walks for Yaddle, because of her stress and her brain injury, but any young, stressed, or anxious dog can benefit from them. Keep a training walk short, no more than 15 minutes or so to keep it fun and interesting. If you're planning to walk longer, incorporate your training walk into the longer walk.
By Kimberly J Egan4 months ago in Petlife
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