The Ranch Collection

Our extended family of pets have always brought a great deal of joy and happiness throughout the years to our family and is an integral part of our life. We are blessed with their unconditional love and companionship along with their unique personalities which always (uh ok most of the time) brings a big smile to us. I have pictured our pets below along with some short stories

Weasel: was a very special cat. He ended up drinking antifreeze and almost died except for some excellent advice from our Vet, prayer and a lot of hard work feeding him Gatorade and pureed Tuna fish. Once he recovered he never forgot that we saved him and was always appreciative and was a very loving throughout the remainder of his years. He lived for 23 years and he missed greatly everyday.	Domino, Was a beautiful dog a Belgium Shepard and a Border Collie who lived to be 16 years old. She was one of the smartest dogs we have ever had. She used to snatch treats out of the air as fast as you could toss them to her, until one day Jim slung her a slice of tomato of a hamburger (he always spoils them, sometimes I think he just walks around with bacon in his pocket) after that she would let everything drop on the ground and smell it first ...guess she didn't like vegetables =) She is missed greatly!
Astro, was another great pet who used to follow Colt around when he was young just fretting over him to make sure he was always ok. Atsro lived to be 17 years old and was a lifetime partner of Domino. When Domino passed away Astro turned gray overnight, you could just tell he missed her greatly When Astro was young he jumped into our pool after Jim when we were playing around. Imagine the shock to have a 60 lb dog go head first into the pool after you. Astro was one of the best pets we ever had in our family and he is missed greatly.	Nash, (aka Nashty Dog) Nash just recently passed away and it was one of the toughest days our family has had in a long time losing such a wonderful companion. Nash was our best alert dog and you could always know when someone was near our yard just by his bark. Nash was one of the most loving dogs I have ever known. He was a dog biscuit junkie though and would always work you for another treat. For such a big dog he was very stealthy and an excellent hunter. I d never could figure how that dog could catch rabbits and birds but he would always show up at the door showing off his most recent prize!
Chance, is our only horse and has been a part of my life for a long time.	Copper, was rescued off the trail a skinny runt of a dog (if you can believe that) who was struggling to survive. Of course Jim has done everything he could to fatten this tootsie roll of a dog up to the point where I have had to get him on a diet. Copper is like a Will Rogers dog, he has never met a stranger in his entire doggie life and probably never will. He has a great personality and is a charmer.
Dobe, another rescue dog who got her name from looking a little goofy when we first brought her home, but has turned into one of the smartest dogs we have had. She has a strong maternal instinct and is the Alpha female of the pack (besides me) and has brought a lot of smiles and laughs in our life with her curious facial expressions and character. She was a loud and obnoxious puppy and still has some of that in her now. She has a ton of "Babies" (play toys) which she nurtures for a little while prior to ripping off their legs and pulling the stuffing out of them =)	Sparta, an absolutely gorgeous dog but definitely the quintessential Blonde. She was another rescue dog who actually got her name from the cage number she was being held in.. Jim had just finished watching the move "300" about the Spartans battling the Persians and it just so happened she was in cage #300 This is unbelievably ironic as she is a real scardey cat when it comes to almost anything. I would not really rely on her to save us from any monsters that might be around as she would probably just be hiding under the deck trying to look pretty.