What I did on my summer vacation

Yes I know I have neglected this blog. Facebook has sort of taken the place I think for many of us who started "blogging". No excuse though. I really started this more for myself than anything. Just to go back and see where I was, where I am and where I hope to go. While there really was no vacation to speak of this summer I thought it has been that long if not longer since I have last shared what's up here for anyone who has stuck with my Blog long enough to care.
So what have we been up to?
A little of this

And a little of that

 

I managed to get to a few dog trials as well.

Opal has started her trial career and I am happy with what she is showing me. We even managed a few placements in 40+ dog Pro/Novice class.
Still no Open placements for Rush and Flint. Their work has been good, but just not good enough to compete with the cream of the crop.

I wish it was not so important to me when I go to the trials . It is though just the same and I would not be going if it was not!

making a useful dog

We have had some time off from training due to weather conditions. It is finally melted off enough to get back to it and not have to worry about safety. While I am hoping Opal will be a good dog for me at the trials, I want her first to be a good hand here on the farm. This means I need to challenge her with different tasks needed here on the farm. It is much easier to take the dog that knows the job and depending on time factor that is just what I'll do. But I also need to MAKE time for the young ones to learn the skill needed to take over when the "better" dog is unable. Doing chores also helps a dog to learn different skill than the same old monotony of the training triangle many of us fall trap to. Send out to get the sheep. Fetch straight to us , turn and do the drive triangle and blah blah blah. Allowing them the challenge of thinking how to get the sheep to you when it is not so cut and dry helps them build confidence in themselves and trust in you. So I have given Opal a go at fetching the sheep into as well as out of the overnight pasture. .

Uploaded videos (playlist)

tricky outwork - Opal

Winter Weary

I know I am not alone in saying I am ready for Spring. I was fooled into thinking we were going to have an easy winter this year, like last year. Other than Hurricane Sandy throwing a wrench into the machine we had fairly mild weather up into January. Then Old Man Winter rode in and was here to stay. Bitter cold, howling wind and mostly nuisance snows. We at least were spared when the storm
" Nemo " blew in. Just 8 inches that go instead of several feet that our neighbor states to the East got hit with.

So what's been going on ?
Not a heck of a lot!

Dog training has pretty much screeched to a halt. I just can't handle single digit temps and howling winds. I don't think it a bad thing to take a break .

Sheep are getting heavy with lambs due in April.
Hay put up in the barn has been rapid in it's descent out of loft and into mouths of the livestock.

One new upgrade has been a new Range for the kitchen. We had our old electric one that came with the house replaced with a gas range. I love using gas to cook with. We have a propane tank for our fireplace (that was converted to gas) so it was easy to run a line into the kitchen. 

I





It looks like a Cadillac parked in a Ghetto but I love it none the less!

We also moved the computer into our other spare  bedroom. We put a nice Futon in the bedroom we had the computer in. As you can see the change has been well received.



Jan 17 2013 winter training

Not much going on here. Winter is here and not much consistent training is going on.  Sheep have been cranky as they always seem to get this time of year. Either running full tilt or not wanting to move at all. We started replacing a large bit of fence line in Fall. Winter came and now we'll have to wait to carry on with the project. I took advantage of the missing fence to do some different out work for Rush and Flint. It was fun to set the sheep in the low pasture in back and send dogs from the top of the hay field. Lot's of dips and rock cropping to negotiate. Opal is learning her flanks, off balance and comfortable flanks. She is getting pretty solid to voice but sketchy on her flank whistles. At this point I don't really care too much what the sheep are doing. I just am trying to help Opal learn left and right as well as her listening and taking a flank that may not seem the right thing or comfortable. I do see in this video I am asking too much for a lie down. I also see I am not getting the lie down about 50% of the time. So that is a good thing for me to pay attention to as I go forward.
I apologise for the tiling of the video. I don't know why it is so pixel ed. Annoying to spend a good bit of money on an HD Camcorder and videos don't look that impressive to me.

Other than that I have been busy inside. Have painted the kitchen a new color and I painted the main living room wall a shade darker green than what I have on the other walls. I never really was happy with the green I had used the last time I painted. It just seemed too pale and you really could not see it was green due to the natural lighting in that room. Now with that one long wall a bit darker it has pulled the green out of the other walls and I like the result.

Another thing I am excited about is we are going to replace our range from electric to gas. I hate the stove we have , that came with this house. I love to cook with gas  and we have been eyeing a range that we like and it's on sale. Since we have LP gas for the fireplace it won't be to bad to have our plumber come in and run a line to the kitchen. Can't wait to cook with gas!

on my family front, my brother Michael who lives in Arizona happened to be riding his mountain bike past my parents old house and saw it was for sale. He bid on it and got it! So it's kind of cool he'll be living in our parents house. He plans to rent his to help offset the cost of owning the two homes. I am really excited for him and have always loved our parents house. I am happy he will be living in it.

twas the day before Christmas

The dogs of Swift Star Farm
 

Here we are, the day before Christmas. Hard to believe.  So the world did not come to an end on December 21. We are all still plugging along as best we can.
2012 is circling the drain. It is a time of reflection for many of us.

This time of year is and has been for a long time a difficult time of year for me. My Sister Anne died suddenly at age 24 on November 19 when I was just a few weeks into being 8 years old.

These Holidays, Thanks Giving and Christmas were just never the same in our home after Anne died. Always from that point on, a somber time and a struggle to act "normal".

 It also makes me think of my Swift. She was born Dec. 9 and died Dec.14. Some may think it silly that I still pine over that dog so many years later. But I do. She was so young and in her prime. I loved that dog and had such a wonderful connection to her that I hope to find again with another dog in my lifetime.

My husband has a hard time understanding why I get like this. To be honest I wish more than anything to be able to rid myself of the sad feelings.
He comes from a family of five Children and it's hard for him to grasp my feeling of loss at what should be a happy joyous time of year.

I am able to look at all the wonderful events over this past year and I am very grateful for all the good that has happened. Just this stupid dark cloud hangs over me.

Many I know are suffering with loss they have had this past year, be it human or four legged.
We lost my husbands Father this past spring and it seems empty without him this year.
I have lost a few friends and have had several friends loose a good dog.

Still here I am prepping Christmas Eve dinner. Thankful to have my parents both still alive and living here with us.
The weather forecasts for a white Christmas this year. What a treat! I am looking forward to that and I know the dogs will enjoy snow too.

So lastly I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas if you celebrate it. I want to thank you for reading my blog. I wish you all good things in the coming year 2013!

our Christmas Cactus