Fate and Zip are the most fascinating animals I’ve encountered on the farm. Like Red and Bud,  Zinnia is not complicated; they are straightforward, quiet, and obedient. I wouldn’t call either one of them – or the donkeys, for that matter – strange.

Fate and Zip are not simple and uncomplicated; they are unpredictable and strange. Fate is the weirdest dog I’ve encountered yet.

Fate does not like Zip and is never happy to see him. She doesn’t love the other dogs either. She loves things that bring her to sheep, period.

She is not an aggressive dog, so apart from occasional and almost laughable stalking (Zip usually pays no attention to her), they have nothing to do with one another. Fate is the only animal on the farm who pays no attention to Zip and who he hasn’t charmed or manipulated.

I’ve lived with Zip for over a year, and I can see he could charm the Sox off an animal rights fanatic in a second.

I noticed the other day that Zip and Fate slept next to one another by the chairs in the backyard. However, he is too cautious and intelligent to do that if there is a chance of harm.

Zip loves to play with Zinnia and even some of the sheep. He likes to swat them as they go bye and then play hide-and-seek before they can get to her. He is careful to have a hiding spot nearby – in this case, the animal feeder, which the dogs can’t reach.

When Fate goes tearing past Zip to run around the sheep, he often takes a swipe at her, sometimes getting her backside. She pretends not to notice and keeps moving; she never turns on him, growls at him, or chases him away. When she stalks him, he practically laughs out loud and enjoys it.

This morning, Maria captured Zip’s newest scheme to annoy Fate safely. He hops into the feeder (Fate always races past it), leans down, and takes a swipe. This fails three times to catch her attention—he loves it when she gets rattled, startled, or annoyed by his ambushes. He has this great “what me?” look.

I feel that they are at heart okay with one another, although each one is too proud to admit it. You will never catch Fate doing what Zinnia does: great Zip with a lick first thing in the morning. Fate usually runs off, as she does when sheep come at  her.

I love Maria’s photo; it captures two of the oddest and most fascinating animals on the farm.