Zinnia has found a way to play with Fate that Fate seems to enjoy. Fate is more tolerant of Zinnia these days, and Zinnia never stops trying to win her over. Once or twice a day Maria or I go out into the side pasture and fling the slingshot ball we got for our border collies.
Fate runs like a cheetah and is almost impossible to wear out. Zinnia gamely chases after her and doesn’t seem to mind that Fate can outrun her easily.
Border collies like Fate – she is from Wales – are astonishing athletes, they are built to run, low and thin with long legs like rabbits. Fate has been clocked at 50 miles an hour.
Working dogs need activity, stimulation, and exercise. I hate seeing enormous Labs, grown soft and lazy from having nothing to do but sit in backyards and basements. They are genial creatures, but they also need to work.
We are lucky to live in the country, where dogs can run in fields and woods. For me, watching dogs run is like a meditation, it is both grounding and calming.
Come and see.
The fasted greyhound in history ran 45 miles an hour, so probably your clocking of Fate was a bit off!
I can’t say I really care, Ellen, to be honest, but why couldn’t Fate be faster than the fastest greyhound in history, perhaps whoever clocked him or her was a little bit off…(does this matter in our world today?)
Because it’s absurd, and accuracy matters more than ever in the world today. Greyhounds are much faster than border collies, and the fastest greyhound in the world is much faster than Fate—your clocker wasn’t just “a little bit off.” When you cite facts that aren’t true, you’re contributing to the dismissal of science and evidence that got us to where we are now.
Wow, I’m glad the Nurenberg trials aren’t still going on…what do you do when you come across a real crime?
Some guy with a stopwatch pulled over one morning and watched Fate and took out a stopwatch and told me she was doing 50 p.m.h. I don’t have a stopwatch and don’t care much how fast she runs, but I’ll be happy to take your word for it since it seems to be so important to you. I prefer to be accurate, given the chance. Given what’s going on in the world, I take your point but your tone feels overblown and a bit self-righteous to me. Tying this to the virus is over the top, I think. My wish for you is to lighten up and get some perspective. This isn’t Watergate. I worry about you when you get to something important – like our lives right now. Best j (I don’t think you’ll like it here, Ellen, I think I’d drive you bonkers..)
Not really.
Great post, Jon! “Cheetah” is exactly the word I use to describe my granddog, Peach… she can turn on a dime and just never wears out. My Jack, a red and white, is built square and low to the ground, and really struggles to keep up with her. I never understood why until you mentioned (in a book) that one of your dogs was like that (Orson?). Sometime, tell us how you adopted Fate from Wales. It’s my favorite spot! xx
My Boston Willow is like lightning but she can’t sustain it. Never get tired of watching my dog’s run. Now my Cocker Spaniel runs like a muppet. Feet and ears going in all directions. Lol