Finn has Fallen in Lurve!

We all know it will happen eventually. Every young dog will someday realize that there is a world beyond his Kongs and tennis balls. Of course we all just hope that it will happen later, rather than sooner, so we can keep our puppy a puppy for just a bit longer. Well, Finn is discovering the big wide world - and he likes it.

What happened? Well, it all started when I ordered some raw fleece from Homestead Wool and Gift Farm. They are a neat little farm in Wisconson that takes in sheep past their prime, or needing extra attention who wouldn't usually be able to find a home on a traditional farm. The sheep will be able to live out their lives at Homestead, playing happily with the other sheep and doing sheepy things. Its really a great idea and I love that sheep can have a place to go when they retire. Anyway, the sheep aren't coated, and from the looks of the fleece they do have lots of fun. (I'm not saying the fleece is filthy, but there is some dirt and VM that you don't see in a coated fleece. A year ago I couldn't tell you the difference between a coated fleece and an uncoated fleece - see, I'm learning!)

So anyway, I ordered 3# of Targhee and 3# of Polypay. I had decided to wash it myself, dye it, and then send it off to be turned into roving for spinning. Well, when I opened the box, I found not only 6# of raw fleece, but a lovely barnyarn smell. Ramius even woke up to check out my new barn in a box. After sorting through the Targhee and dividing it into washing bags, I carried it back downstairs to the laundry room. This is when Finn saw/smelled it for the first time. He inhaled deeply, his eyes glazed over, and a look of pure doggy euphoria came over his face. I put the washing bags in a laundry basket while I filled the washing machine with water and Finn shoved his head and upper body deep into the sheepy goodness. His tail was going 90 mph. He tried to gently kiss it through the washing bags. I asked him to leave it, imagining explaining to the vet why my city dog has a weird sheep disease. (I later realized that there are actual "sheep dogs" who play with sheep all day and presumably, they don't get weird sheep diseases.) He quit trying to kiss it so much, but he continued to try to climb in the basket and roll in it. I waited for the water to fill in the washer. He knew he wasn't supposed to roll in it, but he tried to roll sneakily, with just his head (imagine a big dog rolling his head around in washing bags filled with aromatic wool in a stealthy manner). I rolled my eyes and waited for the water to fill. When it finally filled all the way, I lifted Finn's head out of the basket, grabbed a bag of fleece and dropped it into the hot, soapy water. Then, I lifted Finn's head out of the basket, grabbed another bag of fleece and dropped it into the hot, soapy water. Then, I lifted - well, you get the point. He stood up and looked into the washer when I finally had the wool in there, watched me poke the bags gently under the water and went to have a lie down. Of course as soon as it was time to spin the wool out and change the water, he was right beside me, helping. Yes, Finn has fallen head over heels in love - with a barnyard.