Brandy

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RagTagChallenge-Dog

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dog

a domesticated carnivorous mammal that typically has a long snout,
an acute sense of smell, non-retractable claws,
and a barking, howling, or whining voice.
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In December 1988 I was offered

a black and tan kelpie pup.

I knew both its parents and eagerly accepted.

 

Brandy, as he was named, went on

to be my best ever sheep dog.

He would only work for me and he

would wait on my ute until I was ready

to take him on his next adventure.

So I did shed a tear when one Sunday

in September 2001, he died and ended

a thirteen year long partnership.

RagTagChallenge:…Dog

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk334-Glory

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glory

magnificence or great beauty.
 
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This scene stopped me in my tracks

a week or so ago.

 

 

Nearly Sun up

on Corio Bay

Geelong

 

Griffin Gully Seascape

Geelong

 

Griffin Gully Pier Sunrise

Geelong

 

Chobe National Park

Botswana

Sunset over Namibia.

 

Sunset over Barwon Valley

Geelong

 

Autumn Sunset near Geelong

 

South African Sunset

 

December (Early Summer) Sunset

Geelong

 

Setting sun over Namibia

Chobe National Park

Botswana

Le Khubu Island Sunset

Botswana

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge…Wk334-Glory

 

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk333-Waiting

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waiting

the action of staying where one is or delaying action
until a particular time or event.
 
 
 
 
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Two young pups waiting…

 

…or the boss to have her fill.

It didn’t matter what was on my truck,

I knew Brandy would also find room

to sit and wait for me…

 

… to have lunch or a cup of coffee.

He was faithful, and always waiting for me.

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge…Wk333-Waiting

 

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FOWChallenge-Keen

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keen

having or showing eagerness
or enthusiasm
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Only a few weeks after this photo was taken, in February 1988,

Brandy was rounding up sheep and loving it.

 

And when not working he could always be found

waiting on the back of my current farm vehicle.

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Fandango’s One Word Challenge:…Keen

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Word-of-Day-Challenge-Legendary

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described in or based on legends.
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Brandy…

…my $6,000,000 dog/pup.

In February, 1988, little did I know that this tiny pup

would become such a loyal and faithful dog.

 

During Brandy’s life I used several nicknames

when referring to him.

The most complementary being $6m dog.

At the other end of the scale was ‘Buckethead‘.

He had an eye infection,

had to be kept in the dark as much as possible

and was not allowed to scratch his eye.

Hence the bucket and the new name  🙂

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Wits-End-Weekly-Prompt-Four-Legged-Friends

 

My best ever four legged friend…Brandy pup, circa Christmas 1988 / January 1989. 

He wasn’t much older before he began to work sheep for me. 

He worked so well that I called him

my Six Million Dollar Dog…after the television show.

Then he took command of the ute and

would sit and wait for hours.

 

Teaching the new chum how to behave on a  truck!

I think this is Zoe…not brandy’s pup.

He only ever sired one litter and died

about two weeks after they were born.

From that litter I kept Ginger who died,

as suddenly as Brandy did, in 2015

Both Brandy and Ginger would ‘sing’ (howl) on cue,

although Ginger was harder to start and keep going.

She was a little princess.

Father and daughter were around for 26 years combined….

so definitely four-legged friends.

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Wits End Weekly Prompt:  Four-Legged-Friends

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Pic-and-Word-Challenge_Wk109_Steadfast


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Week 109

Steadfast

I Googled the meaning of ‘steadfast’ for inspiration,

and found

resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.

Synonyms:

loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable,

reliable, steady, true, constant, staunch, trusty.

Now at the risk of boring readers all I could think of

was dear old Brandy.

From the day I brought him home…

 until he became the master and was

teaching his apprentice, he was

all of those definitions of steadfast to me.

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Pic and Word Challenge: Steadfast

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Travel Theme-Animal-Companions

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My

Animal Companions

 Travel Theme.

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My companions through the years.

Brandy, December 1988.

Around eight or nine years later

Brandy had an off-sider to train.

Her name was Zoe.

Brandy’s daughter, Ginger, was born early September 2001.

Ginger was one of Brandy’s only litter of pups,

that we know of, and she was born

about three weeks before Brandy died.

 

 Ginger would sing with some persuasion,

just like Brandy.

Well…almost!

 

Ginger became a nervous wreck when she had a bone.

She would spend hours trying to find a safe place to bury it.

All the while Labrador, Maggie,

quietly watched from afar,

and then dug it up when a tired Ginger

decided to have a snooze.

Who would have thought Ginger would be dead

only a matter of days after this shot was taken?

 

Then about 18 months ago, early 2016,

along came Candi,

courtesy Number 2 Son and Daughter-in-law.

 

Candi will never work sheep, however,

she has some other talents I have

never seen in a sheep dog.

She runs with the flight of the rope

and still manages to catch it.

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Where’s My Backpack: Animal-Companions

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DISCOVER CHALLENGE17_0112_Greatest-Workmate-in-the-World

Greatest Workmate in the World

 

In December 1988 a neighbour asked if I wanted a pup.

brandy-pup_1-1The smallest pup in the little came running over,

launched itself onto my boot and remained there.

brandyy-dc_2-3He was named Brandy by MGW.

brandy-pup_1-1

It wasn’t long before Brandy was working a small mob of sheep

and responding very well to training.

brandy-molly

Brandy (left) and Molly

He grew to love the back of my utility and would wait faithfully for me.

He also turned into a ‘one man/person dog’.

One day the rams came into our backyard and MGW

let Brandy off to round them up and  put them

back through the gate, which is just left of shot.

She still tells the story  of how he sat on the back of the ute,

or under a tree watched her huff and puff for the half hour

it took to turn the rams out through this oh so close gate!

He would have had them rounded up

in 30 seconds had I been home…and MGW knew that.

brandy_2001-1

Brandy and a young Zoe

I still call Brandy my $6,000,000 dog.

He would work in the paddocks mustering sheep.

He would work in the yards.

He would also work the woolshed.

I had never had a dog as good as that,

and it is not often dogs are as versatile preferring

one area over the others.

He only ever sired one litter of pups of which Ginger,

who was mentioned frequently on this blog

until her death in October 2015, was one.

Brandy was a couple of months short of his 13th birthday

when he died in 2001.

A true candidate for

Greatest Workmate in the World

title

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DP_Discover Challenge: Greatest-in-the-World