Whidbey Island

The view from my 'camp' looking up to Susan's adobe house.
My toy; I go to the trial early to help out by doing some mowing around where handlers will camp.
This year I got to stay in Susan's big 5th wheel trailer.

Sadly I did not take any pictures during the trial, just ones beforehand. Lynda came down on Sat. and we stayed through til the following Thurs. It was here that I fell & broke my arm. Thank goodness Lynda was there to pack up my truck and follow me home to Canada....and then take me to EM.

Owen and Jayne last Thurs.

Margaret took some nice shots of Owen and Jayne working at McLeods' last Thurs. I finally got them uploaded.
Owen is super biddable and has nice feel.

My freckle face boy.

Jayne
Jayne had a very short session as she dove in & gripped when I was trying to set up a shed. She hasn't done that in a long time. Not sure what I am doing wrong that is creating this tension in her.

Sweet Mar.20

Oh my goodness did we ever luck out with the best warm sunny weather to kick off spring and work dogs at Brookswood today. Here are some of the girls that allowed us to enjoy the day.
I realized that I don't have many close up shots of Jayne so I concentrated on her today. I took pix of her in action after sheep were to my feet and asking her to walk up or flank. She worked really really well today in all respects. I left her on her own at the top and first part of the fetch in some big(for us - 250yd.) outruns.
Enzo would dearly love to chase those sheep! He was out later when we finished and ran free with the other two dozen or so dogs......bad boy would not come back to me when called. Good thing his '2nd fav.person(Lynda) was there and he came when called to her. Little shit failed on his first time running free...won't happen again.
Getting a shot of Jayne walking up.
Wanted to show how big an outrun we were doing....Jayne on a big come by outrun.
Same session: Jayne fetching and holding them off the pressure to the left...she did this with no commands from me. Sweet natural feel with this girl....just need to get a hold of her.
trying to get a close up flank shot
end of the fetch and asking for a flank to get a good pic.
Jayne
Lynda working Try
Try driving
still more of Try working
Pam and her pack
Once we are done & sheep loaded up, all the dogs get to run and play.
This doesn't capture all of them....LOL

Tuesday

My pal, Pat from Francois Lk, BC stayed over an extra day en route to pick up Rhaq from Martha in Metchosin. We spent the afternoon working dogs at McLeods' as usual on a Tuesday. Since Kim couldn't come today, Pat got to have some fun working Dusty.
He loved it and so did she I think. We planned to go out for dinner but when we got home we found out that they are predicting a huge wind storm tomo. which will cancel ferry sailings to the Island. So she had to pack up and rush to catch a ferry while they are still sailing tonite. So we shall postpone my bday dinner until next Monday when she heads back home and stops over on the way. She lives about 12-13 hours north from here on 100 acres with a dozen or so sheep so far(and a very nice hubby, 3 geriatric dogs & 1 not-so dependable BC) Thus the need to buy a well trained BC - Rhaq.
photos by Rose.

Good Day

Spent the morning working my dogs and doing demo's at the big field with Pam. No one else made it. It was trying to snow and chilly but otherwise a great time.
http://www.arocha.org/ca-en/index.html 'A Rocha' people are managing & living at the farm now. They had arranged for some groups of inner-city & refugee kids to come out for a day learning about farm life and wool in particular. Some of them were from Biafra via Burma and have only been in Canada for a year & a half, having lived their entire lives in refugee camps in Burma. Some of them were terrified of dogs Others were thrilled and were playing soccer for awhile out in the field with Pam's half dozen BCs plus a couple of mine. When I worked my dogs, Pam gave commentary but there were lots of questions to answer when I came off the field.
Afterward I did some shopping for the curling party tomo. but got home in time to see the end of the semi-final. Team Saskatchewan won over Ontario & will meet Team Canada in the final at 3:30p Sunday. Yay! I am cheering for Sask.
Then got to watch the news televising the Liberal Party leader election. Christy Clark won which I am very glad of. She is the first politician I have ever heard who made any sense. Then I flipped to see the Alberta women's hockey team win over Ontario(always nice to see) at the Canada Winter Games.
The snow they predicted hasn't amounted to anything unless it dumps overnight. Supposed to rain on Monday so winter will be back to normal.

Frigid Thursday

Here is a picture of where my friends, Martha & Jeff are working their dogs this week; at Bill Berhow's in Calif.
Meanwhile we are:
Another clear blue sunny sky today for working dogs at McLeods'. -2c however the wind chill was close to -10c which was COLD COLD COLD. Not that the dogs or sheep noticed. Owen got some good work in the alley and middle field; one ewe had been left in the back when Nancy & Rain brought the little working flock out to the front. So I used to Owen to let a couple go back to join up with the single. Then I sent him on his own & out of sight to bring the three to the front field. He was a little pushy but I think the sheep were also galloping on their own to rejoin the front group. I also worked Jayne. We had coffee in the house and didn't spend much time in the 'family room'. I don't mind this cold weather as the dogs stay clean & dry in the backyard. We are supposed to go to the big field on Sat. but they are calling for snow so we shall see. Then warming up and rain come Monday.

Snowy Tuesday

Handlers hanging out in the sunshine today in between coffee and working dogs. It snowed last night around 4pm just enough to make rush hour treacherous this morning. But by mid-day the McLeods' field was clear enough to work dogs.
Darlene's Piper getting a pat from Margaret while Merry flirts. I can never remember Maureen's 2 dogs; Merry & Pippin - which is which. She is a huge Lord of the Rings fan so her other younger boy is named Aro aka Arogon. Cattledog people... tsk tsk what can one say. lol
Maureen working her ACD.
Whoa baby! Run for your lives sheep, there is an ACD in the field.
Enjoying the sunshine. But just an hour or so later, a big cloud came over and the temp. dropped a couple degrees. Very chilly(for us).
Owen at work.
Owen pushing sheep in the sunshine.
Fetching to set up for a shed.
Ready to come in. Just make a little hole, Mom.... Owen is my best shedding dog; he gets the idea that he is to 'hold' the sheep once they are split and he thinks it is FUN.
Marg sets Paige up for a little gather. Half the field still had snow as it is shaded by the big trees along the fenceline. Which also keeps it nice and cool in the summer.
Paige brings the sheep to Marg's feet.
Then some driving.
My Jayne doing as deep as she can on a little outrun. Sheep co-operating by grazing and allowing her to get behind before they head up the field.
Jayne pacing herself nicely on the fetch.
Jayne doing some work in a tight corner.....her nemesis but she is slowly coming along and keeping her cool.
Home and another little snowstorm at 4pm today. This is looking out my front driveway. It was coming down much harder than this pic shows even while the sun was still shining. Wacky weather day. They are predicting more snow tomorrow.....I'll believe it when I see it. Plus they say -7c by Friday which is FRIGID for us. We shall see, it is colder tonite than it has been all winter; my backyard is crunchy. Pam is taking sheep to the big field on Sat. and there is some sort of 'open house' for the farm so hopefully the weather will be ok for that. It is fun doing demo's for the public plus getting to work dogs in the bigger space of course.