Tuesday

A shock to the system today; record breaking rainfall for August. We got more rain today than we've had ALL summer. Otherwise the driest summer on record. I dug out my winter coat and rain gear to go to McLeods' & phoned Margaret before I left to make sure she wasn't backing out. We got there within a few mins. of each other, Rose brought us coffee, we sat in the garage aka 'family room' watching it rain harder & harder. Then Margaret offered to buy us lunch - Rose & I leaped at the chance. So we piled into my truck much to Wyatt's delight(at sharing his back seat with someone who gave him a treat) & headed off to the WhiteSpot in Aldergrove. I guess a lot of others had the same idea because it was packed. The waitress seated us, informing us that she would 'try' to find us knives but they were experiencing a shortage! LOL
We got back to McLeods' but decided to give the sheep a break and not pull them out of the barn to work in the pouring rain. In other words, we wussed out. ;-) So another day of no pix. The weather is supposed to improve tomorrow and be back to normal for Thurs. So we WILL work dogs that day for sure. Then off to the SandHill trial on Fri.

Sunday

Pam hauled her sheep to 192 St. today. Just Bill, Lynda & myself were there so we got lots of time to work our dogs. I did a couple outruns with Blair; he was sticky on releasing the pressure to flank and hold the line of the fetch so we spent some time working on that. Jayne worked like a dream; her usual great outruns, decent lifts, not bad pace on the fetch and held the line like a magnet. Did some driving later too and she handled that well also. Hope this 'nice' works holds out next weekend at the SandHill trial. ;-) Owen faltered on his outrun; stopped to check out the 'doggy' soccer ball that was left out on the field but took the redirect. His lift and pace is too pushy at this bigger distance. Like his daddy at his age, he is burning to get them back to his comfort zone before he will take a lie down. So lots to work on there. He did some good driving also with very nice pace.
Lynda did some very good driving work with both Try & Lark. They are both outrunning nice and listening on the fetch. We both still have the picture of Alastair's P/N fetch and try to keep his distance off the sheep in our minds....
No pix but you can always just go back in the archives to see this big field. It was a beautiful day with mixed sun & cloud plus a nice breeze to keep it warm but not too hot. The field was mowed awhile back and is very burnt, dry yellow. We enjoyed a beer at the end while watching Pam driving with her young dogs on the whole group of sheep.

Lacamas

These are all 'scenic' shots so don't expect much. This is looking from where our pals are camping towards the rest of the camping area and the trial field beyond. Shows all the room to run dogs in the middle.
Pretty sunset on Thurs nite. Same direction as previous pic but later at nite.

Looking back east from the P/N field to the Open field with Mt.Hood in the distance.
The Open field from the P/N

the P/N judges' tent and exhaust by that tree.
just a pic of us parked out at P/N. We parked up on the hill overlooking the field & were able to catch a bit more breeze.
Looking down at the P/N campers
Wyatt was tied out for awhile.....
Our campsite beside Marroni's
Next door neighbors...Rob & Mary
Bri & Celeste getting set up; took them awhile to find a level spot that was shady...

Our evening hang out
apres trial; our motel and parking spot with nice field to run dogs
shhhhhhsssssssssssssssgodoggssss
Lynda loading

Heat Wave last week

Some backyard/deck pix from the heat wave last weekend....

Metshosin SDT more

dogs getting a run at the beach
Susan, Kyu and Tru at the beach
Julie & Tee at the post early in the morning
Tee on the course; ended up 2nd to her littermate, Tessa in ProNov on Sun.
Lynda about to send Try
Jana watching and waiting up at set out shift
Lani & Jayne walking up to the pen
early morning view from the spectator-handler area
Jayne is all attentive to me before our run, not looking up the field or at anything but ME
Dusty on the other hand, can`t watch anything but the field and the sheep
more `MainlandMafia`dogs at the beach(just for David)
Poster shot of Charmaine & Rio up at the top doing set out.the Buchanon flock grazing during lunch break.
Wow, thanks to Susan Taylor, there are a ton more great pix of this beautiful trial.

Metchosin SDT 2010

Dawn`s girl, Mari with Corrine Berg`s pup....just doesn`t get any cuter.
Metchosin judge, Cyril Roberts from Wales with scribe Betty Donaldson from the MSDT committee watching an early morning run. The weather was perfect for dogs and sheep but a tad cold for handlers and spectators in the early part of the day in the shade of the ancient Garry Oak trees between course and ocean beach.
All of these pix were taken by Susan Taylor. This one says 'Go Ceit go!'
This one is 'Lie down Ceit' by handler and BCSDA president, Charmaine Henderson.
hmmm....no caption required I guess.
This is the poster boy of the trial; Dawn Pucci's Nursery dog, Bran.
He was stunning to watch on & off the field. Awesome partnership developing with his handler, Dawn who is SO deserving and ready for a new trial dog. She devotes her time/energy into organizing the very fun Mt.Vernon Highland Games trial we had a couple weeks ago. Plus raising a family.
LOL Funny pic Susan!! This is me & Owen standing in the early morning shadows waiting for sheep for the very first run of the trial at 7:30am....some slight delays with the flock getting out into the woods meant we had to wait for about an hour for our sheep to appear. Being Owen's only second time to the post, being up first was his un-doing and inability to take charge at the top, so we retired quickly. However I did set out with him for two shifts later in the day and was very pleased with his work to save sets a couple times. Good boy young Owen!
Here is my sweet Wonderdog....I have no idea where on the course Susan caught these shots, but it shows the BTW/PTTF attitude of my 'senior' 8 yr.old boy.
Yup we don't know slow....
Good boy pulled out a 5th place in the money on Sat. with one of the few runs to complete a pen & time out at the shedding ring. Sun. we were no where near so shiney out in the field and had a tough group to pen which ended with a grip due to my frustration/lack of intensity/finish.

My good friend, Julie Carter at the pen in P/N with Rachel's Mirk. Who is sired by Peter's Moss, half bro. to Blair & Jayne.
Here is Mirk walking up but staying way off at the pen. This run won P/N on Sat.

What a good boy Mirk, after his run! I have a soft spot for Mirk as he spent a few days with me en route from Sask. to Vanc. Island a couple years ago. He is one happy-go-lucky playful pup who turns that keenness on sheep as well. Julie has done an incredible job of shaping that into a pretty biddable young boy. They are a team to look out for in future.
Rose McLeod's nice dog, Jana starts the drive.
Jana makes a cutting horse turn to save the day.
Weekend was SO much FUN! Looking forward to another in Arlington next.



Jayne waiting at the post for the sheep to come down the field on Sunday am. I never worry about her finding sheep; she is such a good 'looker' as soon as we walk on the course.
Jayne's nice fetch. Sheep come down the hill fast naturally and will book it to the right unless dogs hold that line. I was thrilled with how Jayne handled them. We ended up with a grip after some circles at the pen, but I was ready to bite a leg myself! lol VERY happy with the Jayne girl.....still proving why she didn't want to be sold down the road.
Early morning sunrise looking through the Garry Oak trees behind the spectator area to the ocean.
Later in the day, this area is filled with spectators who cheer and clap loudly whenever a dog/sheep makes it through the panels on the course. This trial has more spectators from the local Metchosin community and elsewhere than any other trial in BC.