The Icelandic Canadian - 01.04.2007, Page 9

Vol. 61 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
7
ers and chose the name “Bolstad
Kennels”after my Icelandic homestead.
At one time we had eleven dogs, two
children , a couple of cats, a barnful of
sheep, and horses. There were more ani-
mals in the house than people, oh well, it’s
a farm, what did you expect!
Here is a family anecdote which I
would like to share:
Lambing season was the most chaotic.
Starting in late December running into
Spring Break (the end of March). Long
days and nights in the barn, children going
to school, both parents working, not
enough sleep, cold nights and days.
However, there never seemed to be enough
entertainment and that could always be
provided by bringing in a newly born lamb
into the house. Wrapped in a couple of
towels the lamb would be hurriedly trans-
ported from barn to house. The instant the
lamb would enter the house, the Iceland
dogs would immediately become mothers.
Yes, surrogate moms, protectors of fleece!
Always on guard, nosing the contents of
the box , and inspecting the towels.
We would only have to say to the dogs
“ Babies” and they understood.
From that moment, the dogs would
never leave their side. They would eagerly
wait for the bleating, and moans of hunger,
always anxious to help in any way. As the
Shessa
lamb became warmer, and well feed, the
lamb would inevitably tumble out of its
box, and onto the hardwood floors. This
would only happen after we fell asleep and
we would waken to heard the tip, tip of a
lamb’s hoof. The Iceland dogs dutifully
following it , round and round from the
kitchen, dining room and living room in a
big circle. The warming of the bottles,
feeding and wrapping of the lamb would
continue through out the night, finally we
would just end up sleeping on the couch in
the living room with a hand in the box, and
the dogs sleeping next to it, with an eye
open just in case.
As the lamb became stronger and more
confident, they tended to roam the house,
nibbling at furniture, the Iceland dogs
would even stand still as the lamb would
attempt to find nourishment and bang their
stomachs again and again. They would
only look up as if to say, “Well we tried.”
Yes these are the Iceland dogs that you
hear about. Their genes speak volumes. It
just comes naturally.
Presently, our girls have been in retire-
ment for a number of years, the animals on
the farm are fewer, and as I write this arti-
cle, the girls are at my side.
Kofinna and Anar
PHOTOS BY TANYA JOHANNSON