in like a lion,out like a lamb...not so much.

The weather has been unpredictable this March. Heavy snow at the start, lot's of chilly windy days. Rain more than not...and the sun, has been absent most of the month. Has it taken vacation ? 

Today is more of the same. Windy , chilly, drizzle or rain showers. We did have a stretch of really beautiful days Mid month. A teaser of what is soon to come. I have gotten both of my ponies feet trimmed and they look so much better. My poor pony Nugget who has bouts with Laminitis had grown out so long since the last time I had trimmed her a few months ago. Her feet really should be cared for at least every four weeks but it was so darn cold and her hooves were like granite. I had attempted to trim them in Feb.but I just could not get the nippers to even get a bite on her hooves.

The lambs are all doing well from the first born to the last (I think the last ! ) and I took a few photo's of them the other day when the sun was out and the sky blue.

Even  the triplets are doing okay but I am still a little worried for the smallest of the three. She is so tiny and frail.

On walks with the dogs I have been hoisting stones back up onto the walls that deer must have knocked off over the winter. You would think I would know better to wear gloves. I never remember till after the fact that Poision Ivy and I are not friendy. My hands are covered with boils and rash. I just never remember until I get my first rash of the season. I'll be more careful here on out.

Finally managed to get pups out on the sheep yesterday after about a months break. I don't think it is a bad thing at the age they are at to have time off. They are still growing and I really feel that to grind a dog at this age with lot's time on sheep just can't be good down the road. I see too many promising young dogs having lameness issues at too young and age. I guess this goes back to my working with horses and seeing the toll too much work can do to both body and soul of the young ones.

Flint was awesome. I can't think of a bad thing to say. He picked up where we had left off. He let me go to him, call him off and resend. He was hitting the deck when asked on a fetch and oh he just has such a nice cool forward way on his sheep. Natural but biddable. I was able to send him from my feet about 100 yards to gather. He was just so nice at the top. I saw him try to pull his little wide away flank to avoid me taking him off the sheep but he was so much better than he has been and gave up on that after two foiled attempts.

Rush was a bit of a different story. Not horrible , but more typical of what you expect of a ten month old pup who has been on sheep less than 20 times. Fast is the best way to explain what I saw. She was a rocket without thought for the first part of the session. On a fetch she wanted the sheep moving faster to me and would barrel into the rears. I was working to get her to settle but she really was not wanting to play the game with me or my way. In the end we did come to an understanding. I did put more pressure on her that I had been and she handled it well. I think she should be fine. It is just that after the wonderful work session I had with Flint, Rush looked like a loose cannon next to him. Must not pit the two againt each other. I think Rush will be a good dog, maybe needing more handle than Flint . I  think Flint has just a bit more eye than Rush and this makes him be able to rate his sheep better. Rush I think will be a high maintenance type . Time will tell and both are too young to make any real thoughts on what they will be in the end.