Cowgirl Up ✔️

Chapter Sixty-Seven

It was a sunny day again and it was Friday the twenty seventh of May.
The chickens hopped around the farm yard clucking occasionally and fervently digging into the dirt trying to find bugs.
And Zuke was terrified of the basketball sized feather balls!
The puppy started off jig-jogging a few feet to my left.
Then he spotted a chicken by Grandpa's parked up Ute.
Zuke startled and came scampering back my way, his tail between his legs and the whites of his eyes showing.
He hid behind my legs and finally got the courage to peek out and see if the 'monster' was still there.
Being the torturous Mum that I am, I began walking again, because well I had jobs to get done.
Zuke scrambled after me, but crab walked to the right, his eyes large and on the chattering now pair of brown hen's who were making their way through a small patch of weeds.
Smiling, I shook my head.
I hope Blayze didn't buy him thinking he'll become a sheep or cattle dog...
A slight breeze was in the air, but not enough to make the late Autumn day feel cold.
Today I was in a faded blue R.M. Williams t-shirt and a pair of Ariat jeans.
There was a spring in my step, even though I was headed to the equipment shed to grab a wheelbarrow and pooper scooper again.
The joys of having horses in yards...
Shortly after my chat with Blayze last night, I took a nice warm shower, washed my hair and collapsed into bed, falling asleep within minutes.
And I didn't wake up until my alarm went off at 6AM.
It's nearing seven thirty and I haven't been sick once today!
Hallelujah it's about bloody time!
A neigh rang out to me and I looked to the row of horse yards to see River standing at his gate, with his now slightly creamy coloured head held high and his black tipped ears pricked.
Paint too was stood at his neighbouring gate, his eyes on me too and he let loose with a whinny.
Tango, who was Paint's neighbour to the left, trotted toward his gate from his feed bin, his chestnut ears pricked and uttering a wickering sound.
I couldn't help but smile.
"Good morning you three!"
I called.
A neigh that doubled River's in volume and was all too familiar to my ears, floated across the yard.
"Hi Phoenix!"
I yelled toward the Working Horse paddock, a wide grin splitting my face.
Today is a good day!
A whining noise and an incessant scraping at my jeans made me stop.
I looked down to see Zuke practically trying to climb up my leg.
Laughter bubbled within me and spilled from my lips before I could stop it.
And that was because I noticed the trio of hen's coming our way.
Dolly, the brown with the white necklace line of feathers, Pippa the white hen with a black necklace of feathers and Zahla, the black hen with a white necklace of feather's.
Those three hen's are the 'restarting' of our chook programme.
They're four years old and we had to incubate them inside, because their mother was killed, along with the eight other chooks and two Rooster's we'd had, when a band of four wild pigs broke into the yard.
Grandma was devastated.
From the poultry to her fruit and veggie gardens, she has it all worked out.
She has a roster for who is used for breeding and who is used for food production along with who will wind up on our dinner plates over the course of the year.
It was all wiped out except for three eggs we found hidden beneath some of the smashed up rubble.
Grandpa relented and let Lukas and Blayze buy the first pigging dog, Buzz.
He's dark brown and white and my brother's named him, as well as taught him the finer points of also being a family dog, by pulling his ears, lips and tail and climbing all over him.
Buzz was a well trusted family animal until his hunting gear was put on.
Then it was good luck to the pigs and roo's.
Once Buzz had some of the basics mastered as a one year old, Blayze brought Zeus.
Once Buzz was competent as a two year old and Zeus had mastered the basics at one year old, Uncle Lukas brought home Woody (well, he was named once Talon and my brother's got a hold of him).
Since Buzz was a year old, we've not lost any farm yard stock to pigs again.
You can almost guarantee that when Buzz, Zeus and Woody get back from a hunting mission, Grandpa will have a juicy bone waiting for each of them.
"Awe are the brook brook's scary Zukey boy?"
I asked, grinning down at my puppy.
He glanced over his shoulder at the slowly approaching hen's and then turned back to me, attempting to climb my leg with renewed vigour.
Out the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar figure moving.
I looked up to see Azlan walking toward the open door of the big feed shed.
Zuke gave a yelp like bark.
"Azlan!"
I called the right year old Kelpie.
He stopped and looked over his shoulder.
I whistled for him.
He glanced toward the open shed doorway, then popped into a run toward me, not sprinting but just casual.
"Good boy."
I gave him a pat when he came to a skidding stop in front of me.
Zuke ran around to try and hide behind his canine friend, seeing as apparently I wasn't helping him.
Or at least that's what I assumed him to be thinking.
I straightened and pointed toward the hen's who were still approaching, giving low questioning cluck's and tipping their head side to side.
"Round em up."
I urged Azlan.
He sprang into action, his brown eyes glowing with the eagerness of having a job to do.
He sprinted for the hen's, who were now about twelve feet away from us.
The girl's flapped and squawked as the dog swooped in on them, attempting to run, but somewhat fly away.
Azlan yapped and darted around the other side of the hen's, pushing them back.
Zuke yapped several times and bounded forward, head and tail in the air.
"See they're not scary."
I explained, getting down into a squat as Azlan 'escorted' the three hen's back to their open door chook pen.
Telling Azlan to round up the girl's, I'd known he'd take them 'home', so I gave Zuke a pat and pushed back to my feet, heading for the chook pen to 'finish' the chore for Azlan by closing the door.
Little did he know, once he wandered off, I'd let the hen's out again, because they still had hours yet to safely roam the yard.
Azlan knew his job well by now.
He sat by the doorway, on the opposite side to where the gate was swung open.
"Good job Az."
I praised, leaning down to give his head a pat as I passed to grab the gate.
He wagged his tail at me, his mouth open in a wide doggy grin as I dragged the gate over.
"All done."
I told him with a grin.
He glanced to the gate then back up to me and yapped, actually making me jump a little because he doesn't normally bark at people...
"What?"
I asked with a frown.
Azlan got to his feet and barked again.
Oh my god-!
"Ya didn't do the bolt."
I spun on my heel, Blayze's voice startling me.
My heart beat a little faster in my chest as I took in his sudden arrival and his lightly dust smeared dark blue jeans and faded green Bullzye t-shirt, along with the scratched and scuffed toes of his light brown boots.
A wet dog nose on my hand made me pull my focus back and look down at Azlan who'd nosed my hand.
"He knows the job's only finished when that bolt's done."
Blayze explained.
Bloody Kelpie...
With a roll of my eyes, I reached out to slide the bolt latch into place.
So much for just doing this exercise to show Zuke the chicken's aren't scary!
"Happy now?"
I asked Azlan, raising my hands.
He danced backward, his tail wagging and his brown eyes alight.
"All done Az."
I turned around quickly to find I wasn't imagining that Blayze's voice was coming closer.
He was now standing barely a foot from me.
Which meant I had him in front of me, close, and the wire cage of the chook pen about six inches from my back.
I was effectively trapped.
Of course I've seen Blayze already this morning, but that was at breakfast with everybody else floating about too.
"Umm... Zuke was terrified of the chook's so Azlan was just helping me show him they're not actually scary."
I explained, shooting a quick glance down at the dog's who were now sitting alongside each other on the dirt.
"Uh huh."
I quickly looked back up to Blayze's face.
"It's true!"
A smile twitched at his lips and his eyes danced.
"I believe ya. Six weeks of ownership and you're already turnin' him into a sook."
Yeah well-
His words hit me.
I felt my eyes widen.
"Hey!"
Laughter shook Blayze's shoulders and he ducked his head, kicking at a loose stone with the toe of his boot.
Silence enveloped us.
It was so quiet in fact, that I managed to hear a squeaky yawn from Zuke, the chicken's clicking a soft, muttering protests at being confined again and a few bird's warbling off in the nearest tree's.
"I'd better um... get these yards done."
There's no rest for the wicked.
"What are your plans for the weekend?"
Blayze asked, lifting his gaze to meet mine again.
The brim of his white Rough Rider shaded his face a bit, but I could still see his deep, beautiful eyes.
"Nothing..."
I said slowly, my brain trying to work out where he was going with this.
I should really contact Hayley and Noah and catch up with them again...
Plus Joel did say Kristen would like to catch up now that we're part of some 'pregnant people club' together...
But no, as it stands it's Friday morning and I've got not one plan for the weekend.
A smile graced Blayze's lips.
"Okay well that's good. I've gotta head out to the North paddocks and work a couple horses. But be ready for midday coz I want us to be out of here by lunch time."
Hold on...
"Who's us and where's the destination?"
I asked, totally confused.
Blayze grinned as he stepped back, clearly enjoying my bewilderment.
"Us is you and me and the 'destination' is a surprise."
What the?
"Do I get a hint?"
I asked, stepping forward.
He took two steps backward to my one forward, keeping out of reach.
Smart man.
"Nope!"
He said, popping the 'P' and turned on his heel to head for his car.
"Oh!"
He turned back around a few paces away.
"The plan is we'll be gone until Sunday arvo, so ya may wanna get a ride in with Phoenix."
Ride Phoenix again?
Hell yeah!
My heart sunk a little.
The yard seems practically empty and he too is about to head out to the outlying acres.
"Then I guess you're gonna have to trust me to go it alone seeing as everybody seems to have disappeared."
"Heath's on standby ya just gotta call him if ya can't find him around here."
Blayze said and turned on his heel to keep going.