Tues. Working Dogs

We had a very good session yesterday with both the young dogs. Owen did well as usual although still showing a certain lack of intensity at times. He works much too carefully for a young dog so I need to remember Peter Gonnet's advice to "work a fast dog slow and a slow dog fast". However I did take the 'magic' tool of a rolled up dog food bag to insist on some more precise lie downs on the fetch. ;-)
But the best news is that Jayne did not bust through! Yay! I really tried to use my voice to 'steady' her up in the places I know she feels pressure and it seemed to work. It may have helped that at the very start, the sheep were grazing and didn't lift their heads even as she came around the top. It was so surprising that Jayne even stopped short and kind of looked at me as if to say "Whaaat?" I gave her a soft flank with a steady and she got round to balance nicely with good pace the rest of the way. I used the magic tool on her stops during the session as well.
Then my friend Ruedi from the Island arrived for dinner and stopover en route to the Canadian Nationals in Alberta this coming weekend. I cooked him roasted turkey thighs, twice baked potatoes & steamed broccoli with a seafood cocktail appy. He supplied the wine for dinner. :-) We had a great visit and talked dogs til past midnight. Ruedi's Teak got to hang out in the house with my dogs too. Her daddy Blair wishes her the best of luck in the upcoming trial; we all think a top 50% would be awesome considering the calibre of competition at this event. Every top handler in Canada plus a few from the US including Bev Lambert in a field of 67 dogs. And on a big course on some challenging sheep hand picked by Louanne. <> Hopefully we will get some of Jenny Glen's great reports on the trial each day.

No work for dogs this week

Wyatt in my truck.(photo by Rose McLeod)

Just a short update: I made it to Van.Island Tues-Thurs this week to help get my Mom moved albeit with a 2 sailing wait = 4 hours sitting in ferry line-up at Horseshoe Bay! Yuck. So the dogs spent 3 hot days mostly in the truck topper. Luckily our motel was close by a good safe place to let them out for a good run each day. But otherwise they suffered some heat in the no shade parking lot at the 'home'. Although Dusty and Wyatt did spend the evening/night with me in the a/c motel room. Needless to say they are very happy to be back home to normal playing in my cool shady yard today. And of course being 'house dogs' last night and again tonite....
I am looking at run orders for Canadians with envy - had hoped to be one of them this year. But family takes precedence & it just didn't work out timing wise. Good luck to everyone going to Zoerbs' trial in Brooks this weekend too. Sounds like everyone had a great time at Lacamas last weekend too.

How to spend a summer day

All done big red! Go get a drink.
My Man.
Susan and Kyu setting up a shed.
Spent all Sat. afternoon hanging out and working dogs at McLeods'. Here is Lynda and young Lark waiting a turn. We worked dogs in the back field for something different. Rose sorted out a group of lambs that were a lot of fun and tricky for the dogs at first. ps; Lynda isn't a bit cranky unlike the expression the camera caught.
My youngest, Owen showing some style.
Dusty settles sheep like nobody can.
Rose's Jana driving in style.
Dusty bringing them up the fenceline.
Young Owen gathering out of a corner.
Cool shot! All photos taken by Rose McLeod.
Blair starts the day off teaching the young lambs that dogs are not scary!
Dust gets down for a big dog and settles sheep with his calm demeanor.
Jana in not impressed with the lambs but will work when asked.
Pretty Meg watches after a working session.
Jana is intent but patient while other dogs work.
Young Lark is also a keener.
Lynda and Lark. Rose gave us a group of lambs that had never seen dogs in with two ewes who don't get worked much but were a steady influence.
Try in figuring out who he can work some more.
I like this shot of Try with his head down.
Lynda's Try again.
Lynda with waiting dogs.
Meg and Kyu.
Susan petting Helen.

I did work Jayne too, but at the end of the day in the front field on the 'working' flock not lambs. Then we went in the house to partake in a DELICIOUS mango/berry mousse cake that Susan brought!

Today was spent in Cloverdale watching some of the Gary Cunningham Memorial Cutting Horse competition next door to Gaby's QBall Agility tournament. Rose was volunteering and working all day while I just went to mostly spectate for a few hours. My dogs all stayed home in their kennels dreaming of the day before. Weather getting hot again after some cooler days and a bit of rain which amazingly greened up my lawn already. Must mow it tomorrow....before I leave.

Then Tues. I head to the Island to help get my 93 yr.old Mom moved into the assisted living home. It will be a boring cooped up couple of days for the dogs as I will be in a motel and they will be in the truck topper most of the time. The movers will pack/load/deliver all in one day, then with help from my cousins and aunt we will get things unpacked and set up hopefully on Wed. So while it meant cancelling my trip to Alberta this summer, it is a huge relief that my Mom will be settled into a much safer and care giving environment. Huge life change for her as she has been living alone in a mobile on part of a rural 25 acre farm surrounded by trees and hay fields with views of Mt.Arrowsmith and the Alberni Valley. Her new place has a balcony with a view at least so that will help a little.

Back to Normal

Meg McLeod driving today.
Owen fetches the flock.
Owen walks up.
Owen hurries to cover.
Jayne flanking.
Jayne walks up.
Photos by Rose McLeod.
20c on my deck today. What a difference! I actually put my slippers on because my feet were cold. Worked Owen and Jayne at McLeods' late morning and it wasn't too hot. Owen did well although I wish I had more of a plan in my head when I go out there with him. I tried to work Jayne calm and loose but she still bust through at the end for no good reason other than the tension I have somehow put into her. :-( Poor little dog.

Ignore anything I have to say

because I among others have succumbed to heat stress. Nothing I say or write should be taken seriously for the next while. We are delirious and out of our heads....stupified. Not a fan nor A/C to be purchased in the Lower Mainland or PNW.

Heat Wave

18 different places broke records in my province yesterday, including the one on my deck at 4:30pm! I've never seen it this hot or for this long. It was already 35c by noon today so will probably be even hotter later.
If you look closely you can find Waldo aka Jayne in the 'den' they've dug under the hedge. It stays shady all day.
4:30pm and kennel runs have been in the shade since 11:00am but still hot. I washed them out mostly to just get the rubber mats coolish. Needless to say, they aren't in them today.
Wyatt is contemplating the pear tree above him to see if anything is ripe yet. Which it isn't but doesn't stop them from eating the hard little pear-babies that fall off.
Dusty ignores the pool but is fascinated by the hose. In the old days(pre Jayne & Owen) he and Wyatt used to get to play and chase the spray from the hose. Too much noise and comotion for that now so he just fixates on the water running out of the hose. Hoping for a miracle that it will suddenly leap into the air so he can chase the water. That'l do Dusty, go lie down in the shade somewhere!
It is rare to catch the whole pack in one picture frame but here they are left to right: Blair, Wyatt, Owen(behind), Jayne and Dusty.
Jayne curious.
In....and out.
Wyatt would like it to fill up faster.
So that he can play submarine!
He would enjoy it more if there were some submerged sticks or toys to dive for, but will make do with this. The hose is staying in the pool because I need to add cold water every couple hours. Otherwise it wouldn't even be refreshing but almost like a hot tub. Plus it needs frequent cleaning when sharing with dogs!

Goodbye big tree

Same angle now with tree gone.
pretty sky not very good picture.
Old view out my front window at sunset in June-July.
Beautiful big old tree with ivy growing up it.
Sun was a huge round globe peeking through a hole in the clouds. I took these shots one evening as it had been cloudy all day and they the sun came out just at sunset around 9:15-9:30 about a month ago. Then the next night it looked like the first couple shots. My neighbor across the street had workmen there all day chopping down this grand old tree. I have no idea why as it was not near their house or in danger of falling on it. Seemed weird and kinda sad. They have had the place up for sale for months and to my mind it was nice added feature. I had actually looked at the place just before I bought my house. Since the tree has been gone for the last few weeks, the sun shines brightly right into my living room for about 20 or 30 minutes right before it sets. Last night I noticed that it doesn't do that now, it goes down behind the other trees. And it is setting just before 9:00p. My favorite month of the year is June when we have the most daylight and can work dogs after supper. I like Sept. and Oct. sometimes too; when the leaves are pretty and there are still some lingering warm sunny days with a hint of the cold coming. But I also feel regret that summer is over and the dark rainy days are coming. I should be a snowbird. Hmmm....a cattledog friend has sheep in AZ. :-) And our weather right now feels like AZ! An entire week of 34-35c degrees - as unheard of as the weeks&weeks of snow we had last winter!
Too hot to work dogs unless we got up at 5am. which I don't think my friends, the McLeods, would be interested in providing sheep at that time. lol My dogs are just laying around panting even in the shade on the 'cool' grass. Except Wyatt who is curled up on a blanket in a soft crate beside me on the deck! Go figure - silly ACD has to be near his Mom. And also silly/stupid is Blair who is panting and drooling on the hot deck beside me as well. Yesterday I made them all take a turn getting wet all over in the pool with me. Last night I took a dip in the pool around 9p too as it was so hot in the house!