Life is good, y’all.
Even in the midst of the “weirdest year ever”, every time someone asks me how I’m doing, that’s the only answer I can give. 2020 has been a year for serious reflection, for slowing down, for learning to manage new or heightened emotions of stress/uncertainty/anxiety. Somehow, some way, the world still spins.
It feels almost selfish to write this, but Stark Farms had its best year ever in 2020. We don’t measure the greatness of our lives by the numbers on our monthly spreadsheets. If we did, this would be pretty close to the bottom. No, this year we found a type of richness that the spreadsheets can’t measure.
This year alone, we’ve spent more time in the garden, the kitchen, a hammock, a tent, than we ever have in all our adult years combined. This summer, I learned how to make homemade salsa and pressure can fresh vegetables from our gardens. I learned to fully operate a sewing machine and make pillow covers. The best part of social distancing? The significant amount of time we were able to spend with the dogs.
Keira and Lexa are one of the best parts of our life. This spring- despite my fear that “children” outnumber grownups- we added a miniature poodle to the bunch. Nina Poppyseed came running full-steam into our lives at 2.4 pounds at 2 months old. Now, she’s a little older and a little (read: barely) heavier, and the absolute best decision we made in 2020. I was curious if having a small dog would be like having permanent puppy or a permanent teddy bear. It’s proving to be somewhere in-between.
Speaking of puppies, we made a big decision this year. Keira is going to have a third and final litter of babies. Over the summer, our vet gave her a sparkling clean bill of health and claims she’s just now hitting the prime of her life. She’s four years old. Many people breed their dogs until they’re six, but this will be Keira’s last litter. She’s brought 20 absolutely perfect puppies into this world. We’ll add a few more to that number and spay her in the spring.
It’s not an easy decision, but it’s the best one for our farm & family. There is only one unspayed female from Keira’s puppies, our sweet baby goose- Lexa. Lexa is from Keira’s first litter with a wonderful sire named “Clay”. Clay is a great dog. He’s athletic. Attentive. Medically sound. Cream in color. All of these traits, Lexa carries. In the next year or two, she may be a mother of her own.
With our last litter, we decided to breed for slightly taller, thicker dogs that carry more of the Golden Retriever body shape. For that reason, we chose Sam to be the next sire. It doesn’t hurt that Sam is the most gorgeous color of silky red I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s close to perfect, just like all ten of his children with Keira. Those puppies, the Mississippi themed litter, vary in sizes and colors, but they all have Sam’s sweet Golden Doodle personality with a teddy bear face. Last year, we made the hard decision to not keep a puppy. Two of his sons are pending medical clearance to be sires, but they are in private homes. All of the girls were placed in homes and spayed.
After seeing those puppies grow up and become WONDERFUL family pets, we want one of those red doodles for ourselves. We have friends and family members who want one. Our vet even wants one. I’ll be working from home and have the opportunity to work with the puppies extensively. Everything just makes sense and is falling into place.
Keira is set to be bred this Friday. Puppies are usually born within 60-63 days, so we are looking at potential New Years babies!!! Keira loves her babies so much, and we look forward to watching her be a mother once more. It’s such a gift to watch life unfold in our living room and then fill the lives of the families who receive her puppies. We owe Keira so much. So, in 2021, she’ll be spayed & retired to our couch for the rest of her days. We have our fingers crossed for the perfect puppy in her next litter to carry on her & Sam’s legacy.
