When B.B. and Bismarck died we had moved to a farm. It was thirty seven acres of woods and pasture with a two hundred year old stone farmhouse. We loved the place!

I taught third grade while we lived there. Our children each had a horse. We also had three cows and raised hay for the animals. After several years, my husband was transferred. Well! That was a bummer!  We put the farm on the market, but it was the wrong time of year. So there were several months that he came home on weekends.

He didn’t like the fact that we were alone, without protection. So he searched for shepherd. He found out that the owner of a shepherd was going into elderly housing so she couldn’t take her dog. So my husband made arrangements to get acquainted with Butch. This probably took about a month before they thought that the dog was ready to leave with him. Then he had to get acquainted with the family.

Time went on and Butch became totally acclimated to his new home and family.

We had invited my husband’s cousin and his wife to visit us. My husband came home late afternoon on Fridays. Well, as things turned out, my husband was later than usual, so our guests arrived before he did.

There was no problem when his cousin arrived. However, Butch would not allow his cousin to come in any further than the center hall. His wife had no problem going anywhere in the house, but not her husband!  I thought, ‘What kind of a weekend is this going to be?  Will they have to leave tonight?’  His cousin could sit on the steps while Butch slept about three feet away. Every time that his cousin thought he could move because Butch was sleeping, Butch lifted his head to look at him.

After about an hour of this my husband finally arrived. As soon as greetings were completed, Butch left and went into the kitchen where he was close to those wonderful aromas.

Well, it seemed that Butch sensed that a man might not be without evil motives. But when HIS MAN came home, all was well!