Father of the Year

It is I, Sushi, the small but mighty Cairn Terrier.Do you have a Father of the Year?

June is the month we celebrate our Fathers. You know “Fathers Day” really is not just one day or one month out of the year. Fathers are a life time thing – or should be. My Father use to say to me “I will be your Father until the day I die and beyond that too! So don’t mess up because I will be watching you!” and boy did he mean it.

You know, today there is a lot expected of a man. We are suppose to be sensitive yet at the same time beat the bezeebers out of anything dangerous that might cross our family. We need to provide a home, hunt and nourish, love and be loved. Sometimes by the time I am done with the nourishing and hunting I just want to go to my den and be left well enough alone. You know – like alright – already! Get my drift? Okay, enough about me.

Fathers are special and very much needed. Men are just different from women. There just is no arguing that one. I see it every day on the farm. Let me share with you one very special Father here at Fields of Athenry.

It was just about this time in late spring, Mr. and Mrs. Zaza were honking to anyone that would listen, that their five new Sabastapole babies were about to hatch. Everyone in the barn yard was thrilled. You see, Sabastapole geese are very rare. To have a whole group of eggs successfully hatch is something to honk about! All the barn yard animals gathered round quietly, gently peering in at Mrs. Zaza looking so glamorous on her nest and of course not a feather was out of place. She made motherhood look – well – so peaceful and easy. One by one a little chirp could be heard under Mrs. Zaza’s long curly white feathers. Mr. Zaza waddled so proudly back and forth, back and forth around the barn yards “Quackery Pond.”

Quackery Pound is surrounded by beautiful large box wood bushes some 40 years old. It is also surrounded by wire meshed gates and electric wire! In spite of the Gestapo type fencing, it really is a cozy little area. Mrs. B. built it especially for Old Gnarly Gander and the Goose Gang’s safety down by the barn yard. During the day when the visitors come to Fields of Athenry Farm, Mrs. B. turns the electric fence off so all the little children can come observe the animals without getting electric stim!

Get the picture? Well, Mrs. B. must have forgotten to turn the electric fence back on!

It was early before sunrise, on a late spring morning. Mr. Zaza was making another nervous fatherly lap around Quackery Pound. I, the brave and mighty Cairn Terrier was in a sound sleep, from a hard nights work patrolling the forbidden woods. I started getting tingles up my spine. I sat straight up from my nap on the farm house porch. Sniffing, sniffing, sniffing, there it was, that musty odor – a smell all its own, unmistakably the Sly One.

Before I could leap off the porch I heard honking and screeching – the scream for life. As I raced as fast as my strong but short little Cairn Terrier legs could carry me, I heard behind me the thundering of LuluBells long and mighty Bullmastiff paws. Neither one of us could get to the Quackery quick enough.

Mr. Zaza fought to his death defending poor Mrs. Zaza and their new born babies.

Old Gnarly Gander came from behind the barn; wings stretched high and wide, swinging his deadly weapon of a goose neck. Powerful, powerful arching and swinging Gnarly held back the Sly One, from killing the baby Sabastapole geese and Mrs. Zaza. I took a short cut behind the barn in Gnarly’s direction. LuluBell and I teamed against the Sly One just in the nick of time to save the rest of the Goose Gang and the babies. The Sly One bolted off toward the forbidden woods to his foxy den.

Old Gnarly, awkwardly yet kindly, inspected Mrs. Zaza and the babies, counting each one. Carefully stretching his neck hovering over the “Zaza Family” he paid his condolences to Mrs. Zaza over Mr. Zaza’s death to save his precious loved ones. Then quietly and respectfully, Gnarly carefully backed away, lowering and bowing his long goose neck in clear pain for Mrs. Zaza’s anguish.

Mrs. Zaza immediately ruffled and puffed her feathers as she pulled her babies in close to her heart. Tucking her head deep into her wings, she cried and cooed to her little ones.

Old Gnarly Gander arched his long neck and bowed his head in grateful gratitude for our team efforts. From that day forth he stood his guard over the Quackery, never straying very far.

Old Gnarly looked toward LuluBell and I as if to say “Until death do I part I will honor and defend my dear friends family. I will be these goslings father to the best I can. I will teach them respect and love for one another but mostly for their mother and their father. For it is in giving that we receive. It is learning to respect, love and cherish, that we become one.”

So you see my friends, this is why I have so much respect for old crotchety Gnarly Gander and why I think he is the Father of the Year! I hope you treat your fathers well this June and bring them out to the farm for a very special treat we have planned for the fathers we love the most (see my note, above)!

Sincerely and with Love – Sushi