Thursday morning, I went to the barn to feed the animals. I was supposed to teach a spin class at the gym, so I was in a hurry. My dog, Tibby was waiting for a run, but I knew I wouldn't have time. I decided to let her off the chain to just run, figuring she would come back to the barn by noon because it was cold and raining. She ran straight for the woods, chasing a flock of turkeys. I went to work, feeding the chickens, pigs and sheep.
My rooster had been missing for 2 days. I was actually kind of glad. He is mean and threatens me all the time. Sometimes he even runs right at me. I don't like him. I was hoping a coyote got him. As I fed the chickens, I heard a very faint "cock-a-doodle-doo". At first I thought it was coming from the neighbors place, but when I heard it again, I realized the it was my rooster and we was close by. "What the heck?" I thought. "Where is he?" About 20 feet from the chicken house is a very large stack of round bales. They weigh 750 lbs each and are stacked pyramid style. The rooster sound was coming from there. I looked under the tarps. No rooster. I looked down between bales. No rooster. And no way he could've squeezed between the bales... or so I thought. I called Troy. "The rooster has returned from the dead, but now he's buried in the stack of round bales. I can't move them, they are too heavy. Probably, he's going to die in there and you're going to have a stinky, dead, rotting rooster in your hay."
I resumed my farm chores, when a voice spoke clearly. "Go rescue your rooster." I knew it was the Holy Ghost and my first thought was "How?" I'd already looked and couldn't see where he was. If I moved a round bale, the whole pyramid would topple. And I didn't know if I could really move 750 pounds anyway. I felt inspired to trust the voice. (Probably because I was teaching a lesson the next Sunday on personal revelation and inspiration). If Heavenly Father wanted me to rescue the rooster, He would provide a way. I asked Heavenly Father to have the rooster crow again, so that I could pinpoint where exactly he was. I heard him clucking. Somehow, he was buried in the hay. I started wiggling a round bale, trying to open up a space. I still couldn't see the rooster. After working for about 5 minutes, I opened up a 6" gap around a round bale. I stepped back. Still no rooster. I pondered for a few minute, trying to think what my next move should be. Suddenly the rooster came walking out of the hay. Very much alive. Ready to eat me.
My dog? That's a really sad story. About 15 minutes after she took off, I heard a shotgun blast. I immediately knew that she'd been shot, before she even started yelping. "Someone just shot my dog," I thought. That shot was followed by two more. She stopped crying. I knew that she was dead. What kind of person shoots a dog? I heard one of my neighbors yelling at the shooter. "This is private property. You cannot shoot up here, you blankety blank!!" I drove up to his house to see if he'd seen my dog. I told him I was certain she'd been shot. He hadn't seen her. He and his wife walked all over their property but didn't see her. I went to visit Goat Guy (the farmer down the road). Maybe she'd gotten into his goats and he had shot her. I didn't think it was too likely, because Goat Guy knows her and knows me... He was milking his goats and hadn't seen her. Although he did hear the shots.
I spent the next 2 hours walking through brush and trees and up and down the road, searching for Tibby. Hoping that she was still alive, just injured, but knowing that she was more likely dead. It was pouring rain and cold. Eventually, I had to go home.
When Troy came home, he resumed the search. He found her around 6 pm, lying 6 feet from a deer who'd also been shot. The poacher (because he was NOT a hunter) had abandoned them both. Why? Well, hunting was closed for the week, signs were posted everywhere, "No Hunting" "No Trespassing", and the neighbor had yelled. He probably hightailed it to is truck and got out of there. He knew that not only had he killed a deer, but he had killed someone's dog. I can't make sense of it, so I let it go. I like to think the first shot was an accident. He didn't know he was shooting a dog. I hope the next two shots were truly to put her out of her misery, not to shut up her cries. I don't know what to think. I miss that dog.
Getting run over by the truck? Well, that happened late that night. Troy found Tibby. He and Jordon put her in the truck and brought her to the farm. They dug a hole, put her in and buried her. The hole was only a foot or two deep, so I dragged a pallet over to put on top to discourage wild animals from digging her up. I was right next to the truck on the side, with the pallet leaning against my legs. The truck backed straight up. I could see that I wouldn't need to move. Then I saw the wheels turn slightly. But I was in such a stupor over losing my dog and all that had happened, that I couldn't think clearly. The truck won't hit me, I thought, just as the truck wheels ran over the pallet, pushing and crushing the pallet into my legs. I have 4 large bruises on my legs.
Yeah, that was the worst day. But I loved the whispers of inspiration that came throughout the day. Heavenly Father loved me enough to let us find the dog so that we didn't have to worry. He gave me the courage to find the dumb rooster. He helped me understand revelation and inspiration a little better so that I could better teach a lesson. I haven't replaced Cadie's shoes yet. I haven't replaced the dog yet. I would like the rooster to be gone. Maybe we'll replace the truck... probably not. And the next day was a little better. Smile.
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