Charlie is Tyler’s dog. He came home with Cody a couple Christmas’ ago as a present for Tyler. We really didn’t approve but Cody brought him home anyway. Charlie was partially housebroken. His previous owners couldn’t keep him because they were moving and Cody found out about it. He felt sorry for Charlie. He felt sorry for Tyler because Tyler has a hard time keeping pets. Long story. He’s become a favorite character at the Craft Farm.

Anyway, Cody asked us if he could bring Charlie home for Tyler for Christmas. Of course, we said no. Tyler was going to college, no one would be here to take care of him, we already have a dog…. Of course, Charlie made his way to our house anyway. Big sigh…

Charlie is part german shepherd and part yellow lab. Some days, he seems to be very smart. Other days, he doesn’t have a lick of sense. Some days, he thinks he is a lap dog. Other days, he thinks he is a horse. He is very nosy and he loves to eat anything. And I really mean anything. He will tear into a package left by UPS if he thinks it looks good, like the one that had tractor parts in it. (Ken could be heard growling!) He tried to eat hunters’ shoes when they stayed here. He has eaten frozen dinners and hot dog buns. Some of the ladies bring him treats. He remembers who they are, what they drive, and which pocket they carry the treats in.

His favorite hobby is looking in the window at the ladies in the cropping room. He’ll just sit there with his huge yellow head pushed into the screen until someone pays attention to him. He loves it when people come outside. A couple weeks ago, Lori P with the Church Group tried to sneak around to the front of the house, up onto the porch, to scare her friends and family as a joke. Charlie found her first. He thought she had come out to play with him. The joke was on her!

Charlie loves to farm. He follows Ken around when he’s driving the tractor or combine close to the house. Charlie gets his exercise by checking on the soy beans as he literally leaps over them, row after row after row. He walks the fields, checking on the ground hogs, possums, turkeys, and deer. Our other dog, Roxie, is a lot older now and is not able to keep up with him as much anymore, so he takes her along for a little walk and then carries on by himself when she gets too tired.

To know Charlie is to love Charlie. Some days.