Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Calgary Stampede
Stampede is an arena course with a $10,000 payout to first place so needless to say it attracts folks from all over. The dogs move three sheep around a series of barrels, through a chute and then into a pen with a time limit of 4 minutes.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
A whole pile of "firsts"
Incredibly today we got our first pro novice cheque for fourth place out of a field of about 40 competitors. Neither the sheep or the weather was terribly cooperative and we were one of the few lucky ones to make it around the course.
Tomorrow Hope and I are off to run in the Calgary Stampede for the first time - yee haw!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A little loo history
This Porta Potti is a military Sani-Cam built in 1942. While it looks like it has been sitting in the sun too long and is set to explode, it's shaped all wide at the top so that soldiers could use it with their packs on.
The inside?
SPACIOUS!!
Once again, a woman's touch is obvious. Flowers, hand sanitizer, a garbage can, seat covers - it may actually be bigger and with more amenities than my bathroom at home - well done!
As for the trial? My goal was to go down and not embarrass my self completely. I wasn't planning to enter Open at all this year, but a little peer pressure from my friends and the opportunity for a "girls weekend" was a enough to convince me. The field, while not large was tricky with lots of dips and bumps.
That would be me, shaking in my boots at the post.
Not only was the field itself tricky, there were added elements which I hadn't even thought about preparing (or obsessing about - ignorance really is bliss) for, such as a Maltese cross, blind cross drive and a single.
The great news is, we did manage to get around the course both days finishing in the top half on Saturday and close to it on Sunday in a field of 60. I am most proud of Hope on Sunday who, having never trained for a single did a great job of taking my poor set up, turning on to the ewe and really showing that he could hold her.
Congratulations to Jenny who came in 6th on Sunday with Laddie and...drum roll please... Louanne who came in 9th on Saturday and then...1st on Sunday with Isla!
Today we're back at Louanne's unpacking the truck and then packing the trailer so we can head off to today for Ian and Joanne Zoerb's trial tomorrow and Thursday, Wendy and Chris Schmaltz's trial Friday and Saturday and then the Calgary Stampede Sunday and Monday. I'll try to keep you posted.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Head for the hills
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The birds and the bees
and look what Travis found in one of the sheep shelters the other day.

It's nice to see that some of the sheep wool shed out all over our place has been put to good use and has been incorporated into the nursery.
click on the picture for more infoI'll leave them alone for a few days and then check and see what they've had - I'm predicting baby birds.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Kate's first field trip
I've never actually been to these fields before so we drove around till I found the least hilly of the bunch. Then I let the sheep out.
The usual suspects in a deceptively flat looking field.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
The sheep
They also aren't complaining about getting too much work.
They've been kicking up their heels on a daily basis and they love playing King of the Castle.
But they are a wiley bunch.
As soon as I head out to take pictures they go right back to acting like ordinary sheep, standing around, grazing, and chewing cud. I'm forced to take pictures with my little camera from the deck of our house.
Obviously Hope, Kate and I will have to do something about about all this secret frivolity. Sheep - more work for you!