Trevor Forever and Christmas

Trevor used to help write the blog here while he was alive…. here is something he wrote years ago…….

 

I am Trevor and I am the Alpha Male here at the Meadow.  I am old, cranky and tired nowadays but the old guy brings me a lot of comfort.

Christmas is a very special time here for me.  You see until I came here I spent the winters in a kennel inside a barn…..  it was okay but nothing like I have now where on Christmas Eve I see the old guy gather his family around and they read the Christmas story about Jesus and I listen and wonder what the Collies in that manger thought when they saw Jesus!!!  Makes me feel warm all over….

I know Christmas is coming for it gets colder and soon up goes the indoor plumbing called a Christmas Tree.  The old guy talks about some brave tough guy named Martin Luther who not only started a reformation of the Church, but he tells about Luther and his Christmas Tree he brought in for the first time.  I asked him if Luther’s collies liked the indoor plumbing and he says Luther was a very smart guy and as he mentioned before on the blog Luther got the Tree watered and saved himself from having to let the collies out at night when he put up that tree…. I think he is telling me a tall tale there…. but with the old guy it is hard to tell.

I also know Christmas is coming when I hear Bing Crosby  singing Christmas music on the stereo.   White Christmas seems to be the old guy’s favorite.  He hugs me a lot as he sits there listening to Bing croon.  I also know it is Christmas time when the Old Guy drinks big mugs of Stout and Porters and sometimes Scotch……  the Scotch makes his face red… he let me sniff it and yuk!  The beer does not smell all that interesting, but he has to keep it away from Laddie who acts like he would like his own mug!!!!

I also know Christmas is coming for the smell of foods cooking is wonderful and I get my favorite food of all, Apple Crisp!  Hams cook, pies and lots of yummy items us collies drool over.  Then we see our collie cousins pictures online with those reindeer horns on their head… we laughed until they tried that here one year.  But, they don’t do it anymore after Lad ripped the antlers to pieces…. good ol’ Lad!!!

The glowing lights, the humming of Christmas songs, the music, the mood all changes.  It is wonderful with the Wreath, the Candles and all that.  I know Christmas Eve has come when the presents come out and I know when they bring out our collie presents for they are all the same size and we can smell those treats!  Christmas Eve is special for late at night when everyone is in bed the old guy gets up and looks out at the stars and he always kneels and prayers and I watch him as tears run down his cheeks as he prays to Jesus and thanks him for saving a wretch like him.  I don;t know about him being a wretch, for he is good to me.  The first time I licked his face as he hugged me during his prayers…..  I know he missed his Niamh badly that year but he seems to be thankful for all of us in his late night Christmas prayers lately.

Christmas morning everyone gets up early and we collies get a special early breakfast and then the presents are opened. As the cats trash the wrapping paper along with the younger collies I lay there appearing uninterested as they open presents. But, I am watching for when they get to our presents.  Then I perk up for we always get treats…. 🙂 Then they go to Church…..

Then they have a big dinner and we get a dish of  food to celebrate with them.  Yummy!  Then I sleep the afternoon away.  Evening comes and another big meal and we get a special supper!  Christmas is wonderful for the food alone to me.  I am warm, well fed and with those who love me instead of in a cold, dark barn……  so special it is to live as I do now.

Then, when everyone goes to sleep I go to the window and look up at the stars.  I, in my own way say hi to my sister Hallie who is with God, say hi to Anya who had my puppies and then thank God for my home, for the old guy who nursed me back to health after my stroke and for the years I have lived here at the Meadow.  But, most of all I am thankful for the love I get here… and the food and the indoor plumbing and… well for everything!

Most of all, this Jesus who died for the sins of humans…. I thank him for his salvation I believe spreads to us also for we ended up dying because of the fall of humans.  If we fell with humans I believe we rise with them also for as God takes care of his humans, humans are to take care of us….  as God put us in the first paradise with humans at Eden, I believe we will be with Humans in Heaven and on the new Earth after end times! 🙂

So, that is my Christmas experience….

God Bless You All!

Trevor 🙂

Looking at the Old Guy….

 

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Santa And Branwen

People ask me what Christmas is like here…. well… here is a story from Branwen’s point of  view… she can be a bit cranky when she is woke up… LOL

'Twas the night before Christmas, Branwen laying under the holly,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a collie;

The stinky stockings were hung way up in the air,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The collies were nestled all snug in their blanket beds,

While visions of dog bones danced in their heads;

And Hallie in her blankie, and Trevor on his master's lap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

Branwen sprang to her feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the window she flew like a flash,

Tore down the drapes and looked out and gasped.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave lustre to Branwen's fur as she looked down below,

When, what to her angry eyes should appear,

But a gaudy sleigh, and eight stinkin reindeer,

With a little fat driver, moving way too quietly and quick,

She knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than horses his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

Branwen licked her chops imagining a reindeer fry,

How good they would taste with bacon on the side,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and that stinking St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, she heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

She then bared her teeth and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his fat head to his foot,

And this slob's clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a thief just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry.... yummy!

His crooked little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the fur on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the stinky smoke it circled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a sloppy fat belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly... yummy.

He was chubby and plump, a evilly happy stinky old elf,

And Branwen growled when she saw him, she wanted to bite this elf;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon Branwen wanted to bite him dead;

she wanted to sleep, but couldn't because of this jerk,

he filled all the stockings; then turned done with his work,

As Branwen bit him on the side of his nose,

screaming out loud, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But Branwen laid down to sleep as he drove out of sight,

That will teach that stupid elf to disturb me at night.
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Santa needs to come in the daytime when I am -
in a better mood!!!

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Extremes!!!

Hi Dad!!!!  Glad to report no one knocked down the tree today!  Look at me… I am a good boy for I would never do that…..

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= I wonder if it is flammable?

-Muwahahahahahahhahahahahah

 

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Should’ve Tied It Down

With Smoke gone we figured it was safe not to tie down the tree… well…..   tiny little Ellie worked with Rutherford to dump it…. They have now colliefied it and made their statement…. LOL….

-I dont know nuthin about it?  Tree? What tree?

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Help Them If You Can

The Advent candles are lit, the collie indoor plumbing unit .. er.. christmas tree is lit, the stockings are hung, snow is coming and we collies are bouncing around gleefully for we know it is the season of giving and we know we are receiving!!!! hehehehehe……

However, we are too aware that there are many animals out there who do not receive and we ask you our friends to bring your animals in from the cold or at least build them a warm shelter.  Keep them fed and watered and perhaps remind your friends to do so also.

IF you see a cold lonely animal perhaps you can slip them some warm food……  feed the birds…… the $%%@#$%@#$% squirrels even… snicker….

It is the season of giving….. please we ask  that you give to all animals and people in some way.  It doesnt have to be much…. or it is the love and thought behind it that will make their lives happier……

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Together we can make a difference for others for when we give personally it means more….

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Um…. if you aint giving me the whole steak I am not interested cheapskate…. and I wont forget when I reach world domination!!! Muwahahahahaha

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Bring in your animals during the cold nights please! 🙂

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We love you all,

The Collies 🙂

 

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Ginger To The Rescue?

We put up the Christmas Tree yesterday and it was a bittersweet moment. It was beautiful but Smoke wasn;t here to do his run behind the tree to make it spin like a top as he had done for years. No Trevor to stand there and grin, no big Hallie to snuggle under it and sleep…. so as we stood there admiring the Collie Indoor Plumbing.. er Christmas Tree I felt a bit sad.

Then, Ginger came to the rescue.   She ran behind it and she sent it spinning, ripped of half the garland and had it tipping in seconds and I told her to stop which meant she had to turn and look at me and mouth off as she backed into it knocking off more ornaments… Lad of course not to be outdone went over and turned to lift his leg and I told him “don’t think about it buddy” and he looked up at me and strutted off grinning (he always threatens when I am standing there just to get a rise out of me)……  in seconds the cat was climbing it and Branwen was barking at the cat…. of course the others joined in and it was deafening… LOL  yeah, it is always an exciting moment when the tree goes up.  The excitement continues to this day…..

_hehehehehehehehe   I had to do something…..

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Trevor’s Story Of The Tree

Trevor wrote this before he passed and we post this now that it is Advent…. 🙂

Hi this is Trevor and today I am writing the blog as dad goes to Church.  It is now Advent and dad loves this religious season most of all.  He told us last night a story about the guy who found the branch of the church Dad attends.  A guy named Martin Luther.  The story he told was very interesting as we collies learned about the Christmas Tree and how the tradition was founded.

It seems, this Martin Luther was one night during the Advent Season  walking outside in the moonlight.  It had lightly snowed that evening and he came upon a bunch of Fir trees with the stars shining in the cold clear sky above, the light snow glowing upon the branches of the Firs, ice hanging down from the limbs and he was deeply inspired by the beauty of God’s creation!  He was so inspired he cut down a Fir Tree and brought it home and put it up with his family.

You see, Luther taught his family the Fir Tree (fir means fire) represents the Holy Spirit (Dad says the Holy Spirit appears as fire in the Bible), the evergreen represents the resurrection of Jesus, the Star on top the Star of Bethlehem, the tree points up to God, and that all creation is represented in the tree.  The Candles or lights represent the coming of Jesus into the world to be our Light!  It was a beautiful tradition that caught on quickly and spread across Europe and eventually the world.

However, while I believe this it true I also know Martin Luther was a very smart, practical man who also was cranky at times and I know he loved Dogs.  So, I Trevor think that instead of getting up on those cold winter nights to let out his Collie, he instead gave it indoor plumbing and the tree got watered at the same time….. good old smart man that Martin Luther was!

So, that is the story Dad told us about Martin Luther and the Tree with my commentary.  I can imagine the collie whining to be let out at 3 am with the fire place just embers, the cold wind blowing  and Luther getting up moaning “Lord have Mercy!”, with Katie Luther sighing “lord Have mercy” as she was awakened from a long winter’s nap and the dog thinking “Lord have Mercy, hurry up I have to go!”  I Trevor think the Lord heard this and had mercy by inspiring Martin Luther to bring indoor plumbing in for the Collie. 🙂  But, what do I know?  After all, I am just a dog…

Luther and his family by the Tree!  I think the Collie is outside and missed out being in the picture!

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Thank you Martin Luther for the tradition of Indoor Plumbing during the cold winter! We also say thank you God for EVERYTHING!!!

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This is where Dad is this morning.  I hope someday he takes me with him…..

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A Time Of Quiet Expectation

The cycle of the year is noticed here at the meadow and sometimes has a bigger impact than just the winter.  On November 30 begins the second most Holy time of the year… Advent.   A time of quiet expectation and waiting, this is the Old Guy’s favorite Church season.   The travelling of Joseph and a expecting Virgin Mary, the birth in the Manger, the appearance of the Angels to the Shepherd (us collies were there ya know!), the wise men, the star…. the Old Guy is in awe of the beauty,simplicity, humbleness yet the power of it all.

For us collies it is a time of joy, love, cuddling, love and wonder at the bringing in of the indoor collie plumbing (dad calls it a Christmas Tree), lots of treats, presents, kindness and then on Christmas eve as the Old Guy reads the story of the birth we collies gather close and listen as we drift off to sleep wondering how our collie ancestors felt seeing those Angels, seeing the birth and all the wonders of the time.

Advent is a nice time here at the Meadow that we collies enjoy. Dad listens to a lot of Bing Crosby, plays with us in the snow and life comes to a standstill at Christmas……  Then after the celebration of HIS birth life picks up steam and joy reigns here and we often see the Old Guy looking up in wonder and even in this time of joy we catch him looking at pictures of those of us no longer here.  He seems to find comfort in this time of year and we simple collies get it…..

 

We pray you all have a Blessed Advent Season and find peace, love and comfort during this Holy season.

While we celebrate collie indoor plumbing even we collies realize the reason for the season….

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Terhune Books We Recommend for Christmas Presents

My Favorite Terhune books;

Oh my,.,,, each of them are gems.  I have come to love the sections of many books where he would write about the collies in his life in just a everyday form instead of story form.  But, here are books I think stand out above the others;

If I have to choose a favorite it would be;

The book of Sunnybank which is republished now as  Sunnybank, Home of Lad.  This is about Sunnybank and many of the collies who lived there.  Also, it covers horses, the house, the “little” people such as Jack the Frog!!  This is probably my favorite!  If you want to learn about Sunnybank and the animals, house and Collies this is the one!

The Lad Books are amongst the best;

Lad, a dog-This is where it all began and it is a classic.

The Further Adventures of Lad or republished as Dog Stories Every Child Should Know (Note-I am not sure which title it is published under now. I have a recent copy with the original title so do check it out!)

Lad Of Sunnybank- Another classic about Lad!

The funniest of them all and another favorite is;

Gray Dawn- This Blue Merle was a character!  He created havoc and mischief everywhere he went.  However, it wasnt because he was a bad dog… he just had the most unbelievable bad luck followed by the most unbelievable good luck combined with his fun loving, curious and innocent ways led him into some of the funniest situations you will ever read about!  I probably laughed out loud at this book more than any other except perhaps a joke book. While Lad is a heroic good vs. evil book, Gray Dawn is just plain fun and I hate to admit it, but a few of these antics my collies, who are descended from him, have done.  You will laugh as Terhune describes Dawn dunking him in the Lake…… but beware.  At the end of the book Gray Dawn, like all good collies passes into the afterlife and I know I sat there with tears running down my cheeks as my heart broke.  But, Dawn was the epitomy of a collie, gleefully going through life and making the most of each moment!

Here is one more book I would recommend;

The Master by Litvag-

This book is about Terhune and unlike most bios today it is not all good or all bad either making him into a saint or a demon.  It is a very balanced book about him showing his wonderfully kind nature with animals and his disdain for many humans.  You will laugh at his younger antics… wince at his battles with people, admire his fighting for animal rights, feel sad at his relationship with his daughter, see him helping people in dire needs yet see him lose his temper sometimes rightfully, sometimes just because people rubbed him he wrong way.  I liked seeing him like this for APT was only a mere human like all of us.  I found myself that I could relate to a lot of how he saw things and could see why he and I loved collies.  However, some of his ways left me scratching my head.  This is a very good book and if you want to learn more about Terhune it is a must.  Between chapters the author relates a winter trip to Sunnybank before it all was torn down….

 

Terhune was a big traveler.  He did so in the winter months and when younger.  He wrote a lot of books and on top of that he wrote prolifically for magazines, radio shows and newspapers.  He spent 8 hours a day, 5 days a week writing.  it was his job he said and he was going to work 40 hours a week at it.  When one sees a list of everything known he wrote for all publications it is amazing!   It is early for a Christmas list but some do like to start early. 🙂

 

-Terhune wrote lovingly about the collies of his life and preserved their memories.. I only hope I can do the same for my collies……

-Trevor and I… I miss you everyday ol’ Boo….. 2 and half years you have been gone…. 😦

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A Terhune Christmas

As Christmas is just a month away   I thought I would begin to post items every so often that you might find interesting for your dog loving friends or that you might like for yourselves and can give out a list to your friends for suggestions to get you when they say “I dont know what to get you!”

Below is a book list of all the books ever written by my favorite Author Albert Payson Terhune.  These make great gifts for kids, for yourself or that dog lover in your life. Not all of his books written were about collies especially his early works.  But, almost everything from Lad on were about collies.  I have 16 of his books and love each of them but some are more favorite than others.  I will cover more about them in the future.
ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE BOOKS

Syria From the Saddle (1896)
Columbia Stories (1897)
How to Box to Win (1900) (Wrote as “Terry McGovern”)
Dr. Dale: A Story Without A Moral (1900) (with Marion Harland)
The New Mayor (1907)
Caleb Conover, Railroader (1907)
The World’s Great Events (1908)
The Fighter (1909)
The Return of Peter Grimm (1912) (he wrote as ”David Belasco”)
The Woman (1912)
Around the World in Thirty Days (1914)
Dad (1914) (written with Sinclair Lewis)
The Story of Damon and Pythias (1915)
Superwomen (1916)
[Republished as: Famous Hussies Of History (1943) ]
Dollars and Cents (1917)
The Years of the Locust (1917)
Fortune (1918)
Wonder Women In History (1918)
Lad : A Dog (1919)
Bruce (1920)
Buff: A Collie (1921)
The Man In the Dark (1921)
His Dog (1922)
Black Gold (1922)
Black Caesar’s Clan (1922)
Further Adventures of Lad (1922)
[Republished as: Dog Stories Every Child Should Know (1941) ]
The Pest (1923)
Lochinvar Luck (1923)
The Amateur Inn (1923)
Treve (1924)
The Tiger’s Claw (1924)
The Heart of a Dog (1924)
Now That I’m Fifty (1925)
The Runaway Bag (1925)
Wolf (1925)
Najib (1925)
Treasure (1926)
[Republished as: The Faith of a Collie (1949) ]
My Friend The Dog (1926)
Gray Dawn (1927)- **THIS ONE WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH!**
The Luck of the Laird (1927)
[Republished as: A Highland Collie (1950) ]
Bumps (1927)
Blundell’s Last Guest (1927)
Water! (1928)
Black Wings (1928)
The Secret of Sea-Dream House (1929)
Lad of Sunnybank (1929)
To The Best Of My Memory (1930)
Diana Thorne’s Dog Basket: A Series of Etchings (1930)
Proving Nothing (1930)
A Dog Named Chips (1931)
The Son Of God (1932)
The Dog Book (1932)
The Way of a Dog (1932)
Letters of Marque (1934)
The Book Of Sunnybank (1934)  **THIS IS EXCELLENT!!!***
[Republished as: Sunnybank: Home of Lad (1953) ]
Real Tales of Real Dogs (1935)
True Dog Stories (1936)
The Critter And Other Dogs (1936)
Unseen! (1937)
The Terhune Omnibus (1937)
[Republished in part as: The Best-Loved Dog Stories Of Albert
Payson Terhune (1954) ]
A Book of Famous Dogs (1937)
[Republished as: Famous Dog Stories Every Child Should Know
(1937) ]
Grudge Mountain (1939)
[Republished as: Dog of the High Sierras (1951) ]
Dogs (1940)
Loot! (1940)
[Republished as:Collie to The Rescue (1952) ]
Across The Line (1945) (With notes and commentary by Anice Terhune)
Wallace: Glasgow’s Immortal Fire Dog (1961)
Great Dog Stories (1994)

This is Albert Payson Terhune with Ch. Sunnybank Thane, his greatest Champion who died tragically and young.

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One of Sunnybank’s Collies jumping ….

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