Deep Roots

Minor Minor Roof Leaks? Roof Leaks? CALL US! CALL US!

No farm is complete without having putting away his horse and was going to weight has never fluctuated in the seven years we owned a good farm dog at one point or bring Sugar home when an unrecognized have owned her. vehicle stopped, scooped up Sugar and took off. After much looking, we never saw her again. I hope she is happy, wherever she calls home. Following Sugar we got another pair of Rat Terriers, Hank and Rhonda. Hank picked up right where Sugar left off and I have not seen a rat on our place in years. Hank is not nearly as particular about where he places his prey and as of late, it’s just a mouse here and there. Although, he has brought his more significant kills to the house — like the time he stunned three opossums who played possum and scared me half to death! Rhonda is the loyal guard dog. She always lets us know when we have visitors or mail. Her nighttime bark keeps the coyotes away as well. She has gotten herself into a few fights with unknown opponents, another. Ours is no exception. In fact, we have had the opportunity to own many farm dogs and each one holds a special place in my heart. Just recently, on a car ride, we conversed about every dog we have ever owned. What a trip down memory lane that was! Cassie, an English Setter, was Karl’s and my first dog. We had her before we had any human children. She was a beautiful white with rusty orange colored spots, which became darker and more numerous as she aged. As a pup, Cassie lived with us in our townhouse, where she barked the neighbors crazy. When we moved to the farm, she loved the freedom — sometimes a little too much! I remember a time or two getting calls from neighbors a few miles away that Cassie had come for a visit. DEEP ROOTS By Whitney Nesse During Hank and Rhonda’s last vet check, I was told that they will begin aging a little more rapidly now and we should consider feeding them senior dog food. At seven years old, I do not see Hank and Rhonda as senior citizens; but maybe it is because I know that as they approach their senior years, their time with us is waning. We have owned two other dogs on the farm, both tragically lost much too soon. I still have a difficult time talking about them; but I know that with the passage of time, it will get easier. I also believe that I will see each one of our dogs again. I believe that if the God of the universe cares enough to count each hair on our heads and keep each tear that we cry in a bottle, he also cares about the dogs that we have loved in the past and the dogs that we will love in the future. That is a reunion that I especially look forward to. Cassie loved people and was so patient with kids. One time she was laying on the floor in the house and my niece, who was a baby at the time, shoved her chubby little fingers up Cassie’s nose and Cassie but every so often she’ll show up with what appears to be a bite wound. Rhonda is by far, the most athletic dog we have ever owned. She can run nearly 25 miles per hour, she loves the water and her Whitney Nesse is a sixth-generation livestock farmer who is deeply rooted in her faith and family. She writes from her central Minnesota farm. v just laid there, looking at her! Cassie was also a born and bred bird dog. Karl spent many hours honing her natural pointing WCROC has new director of operations instincts and hunting pheasants with her. She was a pleasure to hunt with. MORRIS, Minn. — After serving as the director of operations at the University of Minnesota’s West Mike Reese, who has served as the center’s renewable energy program director since 2001, assumed

As she aged, she developed arthritis and after a Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris for WCROC’s leadership role as the new director of run in with a steer, it was time to say goodbye. She the last 12 and a half years, Professor Lee Johnston operations effective Aug. 8. was a dog who loved well and was well loved. I sure do miss her. Then came Sugar. Sugar was a little Rat Terrier returned fully to his research work in the U of M’s Department of Animal Science. Lee will continue to base his research out of the WCROC. This article was submitted by the University of Minnesota. v with spunk! She had some very unique compulsions. I remember one occasion when we first moved onto my Grandpa’s farm place. At that time, there was a major rat infestation in the barn. As Karl and I began remodeling things to work better for us, we were removing old self feeders. With the picking up of each feeder, rats scurried in every direction. It felt like a scene from the Disney movie Ratatouille! Sugar was right there, nabbing rats. She would give each rat one, fatal shake, set it down and go after another! At the end of that particular day, she had nine rats, all in a single file line at the top of the hill where I had perched, watching from a distance. She was so proud of herself, and rightfully so!

Another time, Sugar and I were out doing chores in the middle of winter. I suddenly heard her yelping in pain so I ran around the corner to see what happened. As I rounded the corner, I saw Sugar with a rat who had sunk its teeth into her lip, and there it hung! She finally shook the little demon off and he ran, but he was not fast enough to escape her. Sugar had the last laugh that day and laid the mouthy little fella on top of the hill, where she placed every one of the rats she slayed.

One day Sugar followed our neighbor, who was out with his horse and cart, home. Our neighbor was