Trusty Sidekick

Growing up on a farm, I was fortunate to be surrounded by animals. I loved them all, but the horses and dogs were my favorites. Saddling up the slightly plump and eternally sassy Katy-B for rides around our property was a blast for me, but my best memories are of wandering those 40 acres with my trusty sidekick, Mort. Mort was the unwanted member of litter of registered springer spaniels and we were gifted him by a friend of my dad’s. I don’t know all the reasons why the uppity spaniel buyers didn’t want him, but I can tell you they missed out on a gem of a dog! Mort (officially Lord Morton of Sharnakim Acres – you’re welcome AKC!) was smart as a whip, easy to train, loyal to a fault and had more emotional IQ than many humans! So many times, I would lace up my running shoes, head out the back door, call “let’s go” and he’d happily bounce around me ready to explore. He never needed a leash and would run along with me, his big ears flopping up and down, tongue lolling out of his mouth, and a happy grin on his face. Sometimes, he’d wander off a little ways leaving me alone and then come racing back.  We’d go for miles and then find a nice, quiet place to sit and enjoy the beauty.  He’d lay with his head in my lap and be still when I needed stillness or cock his ears and look up at me mournfully if I needed to pour out my teenage angst. He always seemed to know what I needed. Mort is long gone but about 30 something years ago I found a new partner for my adventures. This one is also smart, loyal to a fault and always seems to know what I need but he’s a two-legged version and wasn’t easy to train😊! Whether we’re strolling along easy paths or struggling through difficult terrain, my husband Rob is my constant—happy to let me run on my own but close enough to be at my side in an instant, up for any adventure (“what’s the worst that can happen?”) and smart enough to know when to sit with me in stillness, absorb my emotions or offer advice. Starting Straw Hat Flower Farm has been full of questions, obstacles, decisions and doubt for me and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have come this far without Rob’s encouragement and support. So cheers to this new adventure and to my trusty sidekick!

Rob and I adventuring in northern Michigan