No Pix & not much new

Ok I have not pix and no reason to post. Worked my dogs today and last Tues and last Thurs. Switched out between my 3 trial dogs: Blair, Jayne and Owen. And not much else to say.......same old same old..............sheep were wicked flighty on Tues. in the wind but much more settled today. But I tried to create some distance by working them from the front yard instead of inside the field. Our friend Pam is going to haul sheep to the big field this Sat. which will be awesome. Might try for some pix............but will still be same/old/same/old.

Snow Week

Looking out my front room window. Notice the unbroken snow in my driveway. I hadn't left the house since Thurs. until after the photo shoot.
Collies ready to play! This is the area they have packed down. It is much deeper along the tree line.
Enzo ventures into the deeper stuff. It was pretty cold for him to be without his sweater and down jacket but we weren't out for long.
Jayne always has eyes on me. Owen is watching what Dusty is doing, who is watching what Blair is doing. Collies....always someone working someone.
Enzo is chasing Owen who ignores him now. Jayne is playing soccer with one of her balls. Dusty would like to play or take it away or...he just isn't sure but it is very exciting.
Enzo still chasing Owen. Dusty still chasing Jayne. Blair wishing he could get the toy that Dusty has.
Looking to the back of the house. I have this gate up as a cross-fence to help protect the grass from getting churned into mud during our normal winter weather conditions.
Enzo has gone back up onto the deck. Watching the collies, but has had enough of the cold snow on his tender little paws. "Time to go back inside, Mom!"
First photo shoot with no Wyatt to take shots of. Shed a tear or two.

Bluespirit Wyatt Earp 081601-010612

thank you Rose mcLeod for this cool shot of Wyatt watching me work a BC.
Wyatt second from the left.
one of the only baby pix b4 I bought him sight unseen from Ontario.
with his beloved Auntie Cajun
baffed out

how much do I love this puppy?
Much later in life - beside Owen, who he decided to have nothing to do with. poor Owen has suffered since.

back in the early days, 'someone' thought she could teach flank commands with a water hose.

likes the new red puppy
Oh F#@k why do I allow this.....
working cows at Downriver

photo credit Jeff Jaquish

loving Lynn Leach


heading a cone

King of the castle

oh good grief

frog legs
I can sleep in the sun


but water I cannot

heat wave


after chasing ball in Arlington


end of day at herding clinic Downriver

MY apple

air time for apples

or just climb into plum tree

my last day at home

lil Enzo

Thursday

Just another day like Tuesday; sunny but quite cool. I had the farm pretty much to myself as Nancy had already left when I got there. Rose served me a coffee & then had to leave for her physio. appointment. Her knee is coming along pretty good; yesterday we met at Costco after her specialist appointment where she was told to get rid of the heavy-duty brace.
I picked up 3 very nice crate pads for $15/ea. - they are bathtub mats with memory foam. 100% perfect fit for Blair's wire crate in the living room and although a tad wide for the topper holes for Dusty & Owen. They will make be cozy & give nice cushion for riding in the truck. As well, the tight fit will hopefully prevent the boys from mussing them up. Dusty will still have his 'chew' blankie to relieve his anxiety/stress when I am working the other dogs.....and keeping fingers crossed that he doesn't ever ingest enough to cause a blockage.
I worked Blair again today and he was pretty good. I know I should have cleaned up his flanking a bit but....I am very lame at that. Then I brought Jayne out and took my lawn chair into the field. I hung onto Blair's collar and worked her a bit. Had her push them into a corner and then lie down in the pressure of close quarters. Then called her off and had both her & Blair just hang out by my chair with sheep in the field. They rarely get that kind of exposure so I took advantage of no one else there to work sheep. I should also mention about how much I like working Jayne these days too. Big brother Blair will always be my 'heart' dog but Jayne is probably the better dog. She hasn't had the same opportunities, varied exposure, big spaces many more trial miles but...I think I am a bit better handler now than with Blair's first years and Jayne is a bit better dog. Her feel and ability to hold a line is nicer. Blair was all about 'pedal to the metal' and I never have been able to get a really good pace out of him; he had it but I lost it. When I have a hold on Jayne, she is pretty awesome.
Maureen stopped by on her way home to loan me a pass to the BIG(biggest in Canada) dog show at the Tradex this weekend; Lynn has a booth for her Downriver Herding Facility and some other friends will be competing in obedience & rally. As well as checking out the Barbie Collies in conformation....;-) And maybe picking up a few deals from the vendors. And does this 'support' of the Kennel Club corporate business make me uneasy...yes.
My lower back is feeling a bit sore tonite. I stopped on the way home to load up a few buckets of gravel at Karen's(thank you very much). Spread it behind my kennels and then laid my rubber perforated mats on top - hoping to prevent some of the worst mud & lawn chewing up as the dogs run off the deck each morning this rainy season. I had a hell of a time yanking up the mats from where the grass/weeds had grown thru them all summer....grrrr....which is probably what strained my back.

Tues. at McLeods'

sorry no pix again. We had a beautiful sunny but cool day to work dogs. The perfection of Oct. fall weather in BC. To be enjoyed while it lasts. I worked Blair again to tune him up a little and keep him in shape for the trial in Arlington next month. He is still my beautiful 'wonder dog' that is such a joy to work. I am paying special attention to every opportunity to work with him as, at age 10, our trial days are numbered. So I am still thrilled by him and loving him to death. I don't care what he does on the trial field any more at this point, he has earned & proved everything he needs to; took me as a green newbie to Open in a very short time with some bits of success but only held back by my dreadful handling. My younger dogs are teaching me much & a fun challenge but neither has the special 'something' that Blair has had. He will always be my 'one in a life time dog'. Which is added by the fact that he has the sweetest temperament along with everything else. Also cool that he has sired some exceptional pups in Ruedi's Teak & Celeste's Maggie who have also taken their relatively newish handlers to much success in Open. Plus my own, Owen of course. Although he is a bit more of a challenge, mostly due to our limited training opportunities. Which I am sure you are all tired of hearing about...... Whatever, today was about The Wonder Dog and how he still is the most incredible dog I have the pleasure to work with.

Sunday in Arlington

It was a gorgeous day, I should have taken my camera. Sunny but cool with many trees changing color. Lynda & I took a scenic drive down I5 to Arlington to work sheep at the Co-op of Erin, Lynne & Lorri. Same field we had a lesson on last month. It was super great to work these nice sheep, thank you Erin for allowing us to come. Lynda worked Try & I worked Owen first. We did a couple outruns, setting for each other then a bit of driving. When I was working Owen, Lynda walked over to the middle of the field, between a couple of trees. Owen was down near the bottom of the field, but when he spotted her, he spooked! He didn't recognize her or something and ran all the way around the perimeter back to me. She even spoke his name and called him....he was still scared until he got near me. Then he was happy enough to go up to her to get a pat. What a silly dog! God help me on the trial field if someone steps on the course. LOL
Then we worked Jayne & Lark. Both girls did well. Jayne was awesome on these sheep - lifted nicely and fetched with decent pace. She also did a big drive fairly nice. I tried to cross-drive but she kept wanting to turn it into a fetch so I had to keep flanking her to hold the line half ass. Looking forward to the upcoming trial at this field next month. It is not huge but has many obstacles in uneven terraine, a little ditch, trees dotting here & there. Woods lining one side pose a draw & if you lose the sheep in there, you're toast. :-)

Big Field Sunday

No pictures - just a little update. Surprisingly the weather was quite nice today; the rain held off and there was a bit of sun but not too hot. Pam hauled her sheep to Brooksdale now operating under the name of A Rocha(http://www.arocha.org/int-en/index.html). Their pigs have grown HUGE since we were last there and were quite curious about the dogs & sheep. :-) Their gardens have also thrived this summer. The field was leased to the cattle only for a short time this spring so the grass is still quite high & with a lot of seed. Which is not great for the dogs so I checked them very carefully when we were done.
Lynda worked Lark on some balancing drills at first as she thinks she has lost it a bit from a lot of driving work lately. Then I took Owen out and we did stretched them with some bigger outruns. The sheep were not visible because of the high grass so Owen went out a bit straight. But as soon as he saw them, he kicked out beautifully. I left him along at the top to see if he would handle it on his own and I figured he might not hear me anyway in the grass. He hit the top nice and lifted ok then was a bit charging down the fetch but not real bad. The sheep were loping not running for their lives so I didn't get on him too much. Afterward I did some driving and he was being very stubborn about taking an inside come bye flank & holding it. I had to really get after him about that. He has been doing that a bit at times at McLeods' too. So I need some advice on that. Lynda & I went to Arlington for a lesson with Lorri Schubert last month & plan to go again so I should work Owen with her.
Next we worked Jayne & Try. There was no way that Jayne could see the sheep but she went out to the fenceline and kept on going until she found them. I left her alone at the top as well because I couldn't see her anyway. lol She did fine I guess as the sheep lifted nicely and came down the fetch at a decent pace. Poor Try was at a loss not being able to see the sheep. Lynda had to come a good way up the field to help him. He also saw the pigs in their little field beside us & wanted to go to them.....hairless white sheep he thought. lol But eventually we got him around the right group of sheep.
I took a detour on the way home to sightsee the new 'High Point' equestrian development in south Langley. It is adjoining Campbell Valley Park which already has a nice 2 hour trail. There is a huge fancy equestrian complex of barns & indoor arena/country club house/fitness center plus trails leading everywhere. The subdivision offers everything from 1/2 acre - 8 acre lots to build your dream home. It has a lot of green space and groomed bridal paths winding around the homes. Wow is all one can say! http://www.highpointestates.ca/
Then a stop at the Co-op for groceries and home to catch the last couple innings of an exciting Yankee-Tiger game. Bottom of the 9th. and holy cow! Raining hard. Tigers survive to even the series 1-1 but Yanks almost came back.