I call Fate “Demento,” especially when her tongue is hanging down, her blue eye starting at me, so eager to chase after the sheep but not bother them much or ask them to do anything.

But now, the sheep have her number, they used to chase her away, they no longer bother. She is just that strange dog who loves to run circles around them, but like  Ferdinand the Bull, doesn’t want to push any living thing around. I  kind of love her for that.

Fate is a wild thing, it was 19 degrees this morning when we went out, and she ran around and couldn’t wait to jump into the very cold rushing stream down behind the pasture.

My wonderful friend breeder Karen Thompson thinks I somehow messed up the training of Fate, she is, after all, from Wales and a very strong herding line. It could well be true. Fate was too much dog for me in a way, I could never quite control or channel her explosive energy by the conventional training methods I knew.

I think I freed her of that, she mushroomed into a happy, lively, loving creature, although somewhat useless on a farm. I am glad I released her to be herself, she never did seem to have the heart for challenging the sheep too much, all she ever asked was to run around them a lot. That she does, several times a day.

Fate is a lover of life. She loves to go anywhere and do just about anything – ride in the car, walk in the woods, chase sheep, chase balls, sit in Maria’s  studio, sit in mine. And run. She loves to run.

I have never had a happier dog. She loves her live and lives it to the fullest. I think “Demento” is a good name for her.