Thursday

What a difference a day makes; back to normal summer weather, tshirts & shorts. Got to McLeods' just after Deb & the JRTs did their duty in the chicken coop; Jacks=3, Ratz=0. lol I let Jayne out of the truck first and Crumbie was delighted by her hippyhop style of running around. So he chased her and amazingly she didn't attack him! ;-)
Margaret & I 'designed' an imaginary 'course' using the obstacles already set up in the field so that we could practice making panels and lines. It was good work to get ready for the trial this weekend. I worked all three trial dogs; Jayne, then Owen, then Blair. For some reason Jayne was slower taking commands than usual but kept her cool and head under some fast & furious flanking. The sheep were being very reactive with her until I sorted out ChocolateChip & Louise, then they settled better.
Owen did very well except he still takes a wrong flank with my come bye whistle at times. I know the first note often sounds just like my lie down whistle but that doesn't explain why he goes come bye instead of lie down. I plan to trust him at the top at this trial even if things look wild&wooly; I'll give him more time to sort it all out. IF he can get the sheep to my feet, the rest could go well.
Blair was his usual wonderdog self so it is as always, just up to me to step up and handle him better. My job is to read the sheep better, see the lines better and communicate better. It will be a small trial with only 22 Open dogs but a pretty big P/N class. There were originally 35 P/N dogs but 5 or so have dropped out. My friend Julie can't come now as 2 of her 3 dogs have injured their pads. So we are changing our Fri. nite dinner plans and instead of meeting Julie & France at our motel to go out for dinner, we are pot lucking with Marg & Tony at the trial field. It will be nice to visit the Cariboo again; it has been quite a few years since I have been up there or driven the pretty Fraser Canyon route. I love that country of sage brush & pine, horses and cattle, cowboys & ranches....much like Alberta but without the attitude. JK AB friends!!! LOL
I am packing my entire closet as the weatherman cannot make up his mind what it's going to do; I check it one day and it says possible rain, check the next day & it is just mixed sun/cloud, check again today and now it is back to possible rain on Sunday. Plus it will be 25c tomorrow and down to 15c on Sat, 13c on Sun. and they don't have a clue what Monday will bring; mixed sun, cloud possible showers = 'we just don't know'. ;-) Glad we are moteling not camping or worrying about getting towed out of mud like at the Westerns.
I WILL take pix this weekend!