Sunday, January 03, 2010

oh Camille....



We have had a sad start to the new year... one of my little silkie hens passed away, I'm not too sure what was "wrong" with her, I think she might have been chilled with this cold weather. I found her a few days ago huddled near the door of the chicken pen (and not in one of the nesting boxes) her "sister" was standing guard over her, so I moved her to a small pen and brought her into the tack room, which is heated. I thought that even if she didn't pull thru, I would rather she pass in comfort and not be attacked by the other birds. Camille was with me when we made this move and she was very concern about this little bird. I let her sniff her all over and do some "mothering" and then tucked her away. The next day I was quite sure we would find her "gone".. but surprisingly she was still with us, and had even moved around some. I had left water and food and it looked like she had eaten some.. though now I really don't think she did. Camille was so worried and jumped up on a tack trunk so she could check out her little friend. She whined and fussed so much, that I ended up taking the chicken out just so she could see her better. Everytime we went to the barn, Camille ran into the tack room and checked, it was very endearing. When our little birdie passed, Camille knew it right away, we walked into the tack room and Camille picked up her head, sniffed the air, and really began to whine. As I took the little chicken from the pen and placed her in a bag, Camille was visibly upset, and afterwards, she ran to the chicken pen as though she were checking on all the others. I don't know if I was sad to loose one of my little chickens, or for Camille who "lost one of her chickens".






She such a funny dog, and I often wished I had bred her, she would have been the perfect mother. She "mothers" everything!!! I love watching her with Abbie.. not one peep can be made and Camille isn't there to make sure that we have everything in order. In puppy class, she will either be a gentle guiding soul, or the one that rules the roost.. she knows what to do.






And she certainly has been hard at work, helping me thru the loss of Moxie, she can sense in a moment when I am having a "Moxie meltdown" and just appears .. getting as close as she can to say that she is there and understands. She is totally insulted when - on a very rare occasion - she can't go with me in the truck, the moment I am at the door, she is on my heels, and more than once, she has dashed out the door as though to say "I don't care what you say, I am going"... which has often worked, because I change my mind and say that she can come.






She has been a little insulted to see Chester going places with me that she can't go.. I can almost hear her saying "I'd be good in Walmart"... but, I usually can make up for that and besides Chester is on a different mission.






so Camille, a blog to you... you're a very good girl... I love you!!!!