What Is a Fynniroo?
Updated: Oct 16
Our Fynniroos don't get enough attention, so I wanted to let you know about them. When you use a soap, don't you need a towel? We figure you do. But we also believe that all of us have more "stuff" than we know what to do with, so we wanted to celebrate the things you love, with practical goods. Fynniroos are named about my Heartdog - Fynn. She was an English shepherd, my first one. She has been a hard act to follow, but I wanted to tell you why. When Fynn came to us from Ohio, she had been traveling for a long time, and was very dirty. I think she and I connected as soon as I opened her crate up and started cleaning her up. That connection remains, and it's been more than twenty years since she's been gone. So what made Fynn so special? I could tell you lots of stories, but I'll stick to just a couple. When we were building the farm, she and our golden retriever, Seeger, got to run loose. Seeger loved water and Fynn loved Seeger, so they went off to play in all the test pits that had been left by developers trying to find suitable house lots. There were many, but only two buildable sites, so it wasn't worth pursuing for the builders. However, it meant Seeger had lots of puddles to play in. Seeger was getting older, and arthritis was setting in. One day, while we were clearing the land, Fynn came back to me without Seeger. I asked where Seeger was and she answered "woof!" In jest I asked her if Seeger fell down a well, and Fynn bounced backwards and barked again. I took that as a sign to follow her, and sure enough she took me to a test pit where an old golden was shivering in a pool of cold water, unable to climb out. English shepherds are also known as "farm collies," and apparently Lassie runs in their genes! My other Fynn story was also when we were just setting up the farm. We had our sheep in a flexible electric fence behind the barn, and Fynn came to tell me that something was wrong. When I checked, I discovered that half the sheep were gone and there was a large hole in the fence. I told Fynn to sit and stay while I went to retrieve the runaways. I put her leash handle around a fence post, and took off to retrieve the sheep, which thankfully had not gone too far. When I came back, Fynn was sitting in the same place, but she was no longer wearing her collar. It was laying on the ground next to her, still attached to the fence post. Fynn had been a natural herder, which I expected from a farm collie. But after that day she would have nothing to do with them. All I can figure is that she got curious about the sheep while I was gone, and her nose got zapped while she was exploring. She then decided that sheep were electric, and would not herd them at all. She would still herd the goats, ducks and chickens, but not sheep. However, our business at that time was bringing animals to schools, and I needed to load Ellie, our Leicester cross ewe, into the trailer for a class visit. I had loaded the rabbit and the tools, so all that was left was moving a 100+ lb. sheep into an cargo trailer. Ellie was not cooperating. So I was left with just one option. Asking Fynn for help. I brought her out of the house and she looked at Ellie and tried to run away. "I really need your help, Fynn. I can't do this by myself. Please help me girl." She hung her head and sat down, with her facing the sheep. From a sitting position, without looking at the sheep, she scooted her butt against the sheep and pushed her up into the trailer! She did it, as long as she didn't have look at it. What a great friend to have! Anyone that has a had a pet knows that kind of connection. If you're lucky enough to have a workmate critter, you know how special it is to see them work with you. I will always remember that day. Four English shepherds later, she hasn't been replaced as a "heart dog." Fynniroo was her "love name," and I thought it would be a great way to perpetuate her contributions. Our Fynniroos allow you to celebrate the animals in your life, or the things that you love, with a simple towel, tote or other practical item.
Losing a pet is heartbreaking, and something that people who don't have pets "get." I wanted to make something that honored those lost animals, or other things that we love, without being maudlin. So, I came up with Fynniroos.. These are ironed on images of dogs, cats, horses, nature, music, books and fantasy. They are available on towels, totes, pillows, even napkins, bookbags and coasters. The coasters are made of cork, and have a different image on each coaster. Why? Because if you love dogs, you love a lot of different dogs. Love mermaids? why have six images of the same mermaid when you can have six different mermaids? Though it's a work in progress, we are setting up the website to allow customers to build a gift set that features the things that are special to you. Do you have a Seeger in your life? We have a beautiful golden retriever towel and a golden retriever soap. Are you into Dungeons and Dragons? Looking for a gift to give your fellow D&D'ers? You can order a whole set of items that celebrate dragons, gnomes, or other fantasy creatures, or combine them with one of our soaps. Do you have a person in your life that needs a housewarming gift? or a party that needs a hostess gift? teacher's gift? Pet sitter? Our Fynniroos and Surfing Goat Soaps are great solutions to the "What Do I Give Them?" quandry.
The variety of Fynniroos is constantly growing, and if we don't have something that you want, just ask and we can fix that. Want a custom made one? We can do that too! We love to fulfill the wishes of our customers. If you are someone who needs an award for a competition, Surfing Goat Soaps and the Fynniroos can provide a great option. When people say "I wouldn't want to use it," about the soap I just answer "Enjoy it with your eyes for awhile. Then let your skin enjoy it, and then, when it's gone, the planet's happy because there is nothing to throw away. If you choose to a Fynniroo, we are working to make them totally biodegradable, but right now the only thing left behind is a tiny bit of flexible plastic. Nothing to hurt anything with. But, as I said, we are working to find fully sustainable options. Check them out on the website, https://www.surfinggoatsoap.net . Check back frequently as we add more images, and celebrate your loved ones/things, with a practical item that reminds you of things you love.
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