Today in the orchard
People and dogs have been living together for the past thirty thousand years—or maybe forty. By the time the first farms appeared ten thousand years ago, dogs were a well-established part of the team. We couldn’t live and farm the way we do without our collies. They live outside 24-7-365 with the occasional night inside for good behavior or when the weather is particularly gross. They bark all night sometimes. (That’s actually a good thing.) They keep the deer and the bear out of the orchards. They occasionally get too close to porcupines. (Ugh) We’ve had seven collies on the farm over the past forty years. Some have “belonged” to us and others to others living on the farm. A number of friends have purchased collies after spending time with ours. They are truly fantastic dogs.
Now we have sad news on the farm. Our wonderful old collie, Radar, died earlier this week. She lived her entire life on the farm. Every day of it. She dutifully protected the gardens and apple trees, and she welcomed hundreds—or maybe even thousands—of friends and visitors with love and affection. She loved to wiggle her way between your legs and snuggled with everyone. If there ever was a loyal creature, the epitome of love, it was her.
We buried Radar under an apple tree in the orchard. It’s a seedling tree with red-fleshed apples that fruited for the first time earlier this month. When we planted it in the orchard years ago, Cammy named the tree Radar Love. Goodbye old dog. We miss you.