It was very cool on the farm at 5:00 AM as my sore feet hit the floor. I took a deep breath, hesitated and plunged into the day! Imagine the rush one feels as you plunge from a high diving board into the pool of cool water below! “That” is what my whole day felt like!
So we had coffee and apple cake for breakfast and off to the sheep pens we went!
There was some organizing and directions given to all the Good people that were there to help! Laree (who keeps things focused) and Sheree, Michael and Jan, and at that moment in time it all felt like I was in a swirl of activity. (Kinda hard to remember it all correctly)
Michael was here to help with Justus and they handled the sheep pens and alley way for us most of the day. Drover and I took care of the ducks . Kynsay and Ashlyn my “Duck Wranglers ” were at school … so “I” was all the help I had! Man did I miss those two!
Our clinic was a total of 21 dogs (22 if you count Drover) . Mary Peaslee from Oregon and an AHBA Judge and English Shepherd Owner, Breeder, and All Round Good Person! Was our Clinician. She started at 9:00 AM and never let up until around 5:30 PM!!!!!!! She worked every dog and helped every owner work their own dog! I have no ideal how she did all that ! And was still standing ! She had a broke ankle back a few months ago! She was clearly enjoying the work I could see that! When I had time to look up!
Ducks require a lot of downward looks! They are sort of like catching lightening bugs! It requires concentration and a knack for it! Or like hitting a base ball you have to keep your eye on the duck!
So we weaved our way through one of the Best days of Herding we have ever had here on the farm! It was so good to see so many people out having a good time with their English Shepherds and Herding!
Sometime in the morning Les came home from work. I was so happy to see him and then I looked down and thought oh my goodness I am muddy and and I smell bad to boot! (Ducks are known for all that!) He did not seem to mind !
Carolyn Christman and Sandy Greene were here most of the day as they were not able to attend the Gathering on Saturday and I did get to have a short but good visit with Carolyn… They did not bring dogs but were here to visit and watch the clinic.
I was working in the duck arena being some one’s dog…Let me explain that! We start people out on ducks that have never been around stock. The ducks are easy to move not big and you can learn much about flight zones without having wrecks! So we do “Dog less” Herding. That is where In this case Patrick was the handler and I was the dog. We were showing someone that had never done it how to….I noticed some commotion in the round pen where the sheep were being worked. I saw one of the Drover/Abilene puppies in a full lope on a long line. Then the long line come around Mary”s legs (I think) and Mary was doing that bird on a wire thing (yes trying to stay on both feet) about that time I saw the owner go forward onto the ground and her knees, Mary stayed up and the owner was back up as quickly as she had went down! All was well and no one hurt!!! I was in a full trot to go help out as was Michael! By the time we got there it was all under control. Boy these young dogs have some power!!!! We all had a good laugh and went on with the training!
As the sun set low over the mountains I was coming across the field in the Gator and I was above all the dogs and people in the clinic. I looked out at the green green grass just mowed, the trees lightly turning colors, the golden rays of Autumn . I could smell the freshness of the evening air. And I thought about my Grandpa and the times I had helped him in this field. How we both loved our dogs and I wondered what he would have thought of all this!
Oh it was a glorious, wonderful day!
