neglect

I know it has been ages since I have added to my blog. Truth is I have just not had much to say that would be positive , uplifting or worth sharing.
You see several months ago my Mom suffered a stroke. It has been a challenge to deal with her and all the daily things that have to be done here.
Just into day three of lambing I checked on my Mom as I do every morning. Maybe a little later than normal because of checking on ewes and caring for mothers with lambs. When I went in her home she said that she was fine when she woke but something happened while she was having breakfast and reading the paper. She was unable to figure out how to use the phone to call me. So I quickly got her in the car and off to the hospital. She had had a stroke. It was located in the right frontal lobe about 3 cm x 7 cm. She was lucky in that she had no real debilitating after effect but it caused her to have no real short term memory as well as some optic nerve damage. When we brought her home she had no recall of her own home. She went from a completely independent 91 year old to someone needing care. This in it's self did not sit well with her as well as her being unable to have recall of simple task such as turning on / off a water faucet, using the phone , using a microwave, opening the refrigerator door, remembering where anything such as clothing, hair brush, dishes were located .
So I helped as best I could. She got better, but she was not happy that she did not wake up each morning and be as she was. Then on Mothers Day she had a severe attack of vertigo . Again off to the hospital . My Mom was getting pretty down about what was happening to her. I sure could not blame her. Also it seemed her hearing had really taken a nose dive after the stroke so communication was getting difficult.
Fast forward and she has been slowly making headway in her recovery. We finally got her hearing aids. She was balking on getting them since the Fall  but she finally realized she needed them.

This has been a challenge for me.
I knew when my parents moved here with us almost 6 years ago that this would be what I signed on for. My Dad died suddenly late summer last year and I know my Mom has been struggling in her own way with his passing.
 But now, my day is filled with taking her to doctor appointments, Physical Therapy sessions, hairdresser, food shopping.....I need to be more attentive and check in on her more than before her stroke. Many times throughout the day. She is doing much better .

Training dogs , sheepdog trials. HA! Well I have made it to a few, but have not had any time to really train dogs other than just trying to keep them correct in the sheep chores. Not the same type of schooling though to keep them crisp enough for trials.

It is the way things go. When you are an only child or are the only sibling close enough to your parents you take it on. You just do it. It is you duty. Your parents did it for you when you needed it. You owe it to them. Some children do not feel this commitment to their parents and I can't understand it.
There sure are days I am frustrated, overwhelmed, depressed . But there will be a day where all I will have left is my memories , photographs of them . At the very least I will have peace of mind that I was there for them when they needed me the most and that they will leave me knowing how deeply I loved them.

It is the first day of Spring but it sure has not "sprung"

It's the first day of spring! Better than it's been the past months but still cold. Well below averages for this time of year. Long range is indicating April is looking to be "colder than normal" as well. April starts our Lambing season here so really hoping not too cold. Finally had some melt off and things are looking promising to get back to toning up the dogs and getting some training done. In the mean time I put a video together of Flint.

waiting for a sign

Have not written on here lately. Not really much to write about since Winter made a visit and has well overstayed it's welcome. Relentless cold, ice storms, snow storms, wind, endless days over overcast sky. What can I say other than this Winter is really getting on my nerves. Waiting and hoping for a sign Spring will kick Winters ass to the curb and we can get on with it!

April starts my Lambing season and I would really like the weather to throw me a bone next month.

I'd like to get back to working my dogs and enjoying being outside rather than dreading it and managing my endurance for frozen digits. 

I did just have a week reprieve from the bitter cold and visited my family in southern Arizona. Went on a few good long hikes and enjoyed wearing just a T shirt and jeans for the most part.

Managed to look for the best of winter through my camera and captured some decent photographs.

winter at Swift Star Farm

Rush of Swift Star Farm (+playlist)

Made a Video of Rush the other day. Weather has been all over the place and picked a miserable day outside to make this inside :)

Merry Christmas

Wishing the few people who are faithful to my Blog a
Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful Healthy Happy New Year.

the fruit does not fall far from the tree

Through out Opal's training I could not help but notice how much like her mother Bracken, she is.
I recently thought it would be a good test for Opal to push the flock down off the hill where they had camped out since the recent snow. We had cumulative amounts in the one foot range give or take. At any rate it was chest deep to dogs and the sheep were happy just to loaf in one spot and have hay to eat. They had no interest in leaving that hilltop and had no reason other than a dog to convince them otherwise. It was also good for Opal to help keep sheep away from me while I supplement round bale feed with smaller square bales. We were in a cold deep dive. Temperatures averaging in the teens and low 20's during the day and single digits at night (though as I write this we are in an unusual warm snap, 60 today and in the 50's as I write this).
So after working Opal and videoing it I though "wouldn't it be neat to work Bracken and splice the works together to see how close they work alike" . I brought Bracken out and ran her through the pace.
She was happy to oblige . She still is pretty fit for an aged dog. A bit slower on outwork, maybe cutting the top off a bit at times. Her eyesight maybe not as sharp as in her younger years but still good enough. She loves farm work and it has been hard not to use her or my other two reliable workers, Spirit or Dream for sorting  out for breeding, ear tagging, worming, foot trimming or all the other tasks involved managing 100 + sheep.
I have been giving this work to Rush, Flint and recently most often to Opal.

So anyway here is the Video I put together of Opal and Bracken. I really was amazed when putting this together they work even more alike than I had imagined !