article by Callum from Lanark

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Jim

Jim was a sheep dog, and a top dog at that!   He saved my father a lot of hard work.  He could cut out cattle from a herd or split the herd - whatever my father happened to need.  He was good with sheep too.  He would help in the training of younger dogs.  He would not have volunteered but he had no choice, he just put up with it.

Jim had a mind of his own.   He had some funny ways and habits. After he had been round the stock in the fields and my father went in for his break, Jim would go to visit his friend down the drive, who was Mr Russell’s donkey.

He had another funny habit of picking up hedgehogs and bringing them back to the house.  Why he did this nobody knows.

He slept in the stables on a bed of straw.  He also helped train Kim, a highland collie.  My father would put a string tied to each dog’s collar and Jim would be in charge.  My father would shout out to Jim, who would do whatever he had been told, and Kim would be pulled along by Jim.  After a little time, my father would take the string off the two dogs and Kim would then run along beside Jim. Later on Jim was put on a lead and Kim got the work.   Kim turned out to be very good with sheep but was not keen on cattle at all, which I am quite sure would have suited Jim fine.

He loved his work - the weather did not make one bit of difference to old Jim.   He would take it in his stride - one field at a time, sometimes cattle and sheep in the same field, it did not bother him at all.  One thing that did bother Jim, though, was thunder - he did not like thunder at all.  He could sense thunder. My father said that about two hours before it started Jim would get jumpy until he could not stand it any longer and headed back to his bed in the stables.  That would be him till it passed over.

One other thing he did not like was my fathers gun, just to see it was enough and Jim would be off to bed in the stables.

                                                                                              Callum Cairns

Webmaster replies

Thanks Callum.  

I don't know if you meant it, but I liked the way you eventually referred to Jim as 'Old Jim' just as you talked about the weather not bothering him.

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