A week of anticipation

I'm just on the edge of my seat this week. Maybe its the smoke in the air, maybe its starting work next Monday, maybe its just hormones.

I've been hitting Murtagh, cramming on hypertension and girly bits and rashes, in a feeble attempt to ease the sheer terror of having to see my first patients on my own next Monday. Its not really working. I feel like I have a huge exam coming up, and have done absolutely no study.

I am also inexplicably excited about the State Agility trial this weekend. Dunno why. I've done absolutely no practice for it, so as far as I know my dogs are still completely untrained, but then I'm not expecting to do well. I'm even hoping we don't- the last thing I want is for my boys to progress towards Excellent, its much more fun here in Novice. A repeat of our Western Classic runs would be lovely, fast, fun, enthusiastic dogs, with one minor hiccup here and there, and Diva winning stuff ;)

At the WC Michelle and someone else (?Jules) were talking about how much more fun agility was back in the days of our first Novice dog. No expectations, no involvement in the politics or competitiveness of the higher levels, just out there having fun with our dog and hoping, maybe, for a clear round once or twice.

I guess I'm back there now, and it really is fun. It doesn't have the terror factor of sheepdog trialling (I'm pretty sure no-one will die in the agility ring, and there is no equivalent "walk of shame"), yet I'm still a nobody, with no pressure on me or the dogs. No-one stops to watch our runs, we have no chance of being in the prizes, and I don't care if we mess up. Its just a fun weekend away with the boys.

Its stubble burning time- cropping is on its way. R has buggered his knee climbing in + out of the ute. The air is heavy with smoke and the evenings are a spectacle of glowing treestumps against blackened paddocks and violet skies with a burgundy sun. I should get out the camera.

Here's the kelpie pups (mum Sally is Capree bred, dad is Badgingarra Jake):

Blue (the boy), Betty, Bindi and Buggles (I think...)

Tig pups

The Torbay Terrors have arrived.
We went down to Kronkup on Saturday to have a look at Fred's latest litter, from Mike and Glen Scott's imported Welsh bitch, Torbay Tig. Tig and Mike were running in ISDS trials in England before they came out to WA, and are now trialling in 3sheep trials here. It must be like another planet for them, especially considering that Mike preferred the big course trials in the UK, but they are being very sporting about it.

So... Tig had pups to Fred, and they are 5 adorable little tricolour things (to be expected, since Tig's also tri). One hairy boy (Tom), and 4 girls- Taff and Tess are hairy, like their mum, and Trim and Badger are smooth.

Mike had been oscillating between pups for weeks, and when we arrived he had decided to keep Trim, but at the very last minute switched to Badger. R was pleased, because Trim was the pup that had caught his eye on arrival- he thought there was something Fred-ish about her. They are a very even litter, but Mike did say that if he were going to take any pup, he'd keep Tom, because there is something calm and sort of knowing about him. But with two girls already (Tig and the elderly Nighean), they thought it better to stick with girls.

There really was something about Tom: apart from being the biggest pup, he's also the one who "works" your feet as you walk along. So R had his own minute of indecision, before deciding on Trim- and then, as we went to the car, his willpower collapsed and he decided to take Tom too, and we'll see how they turn out.

Tom:

















Trim:


















Trim and a sister:















Badger:














Taff:














Taff and Tom:















Tess:













The Torbay Terrors, having some downtime:













And the Little Prince shows his displeasure at being usurped as the cutest critter on the place:

Perspectives on yardwork

Today J and I went to "help" R drench a few lambs. Since I'm usually superfluous and even burdensome, I decided to get in the way more than usual by getting a few photos of the dogs at work from some different perspectives. I even tried out the manual functions on the camera- next thing you know I'll be reading the manual!

 
 













Charlie and Baby J discuss the game plan:
 













Bill in the big yard:
 












Jake on the ute:
 














Baby J directing the action:
 












and doing a bit of classing:
 













Young Jessie (Jake x Diva) getting her first yard experience:
 

 












Charlie:
 
 
 
 
 












Muddy backing- he was quite enthusiastic, I'm wondering if I might enter Tarwonga after all:
 












Pendalup Tess, R's recent acquisition, came from Peter Gorman (and was quite a successful 3 sheep dog for him), just needs lots and lots of work:
 












Jim (Fly's brother, UK dog), getting down and dusty:
 












R and Tama (NZHDxcollie)- R likes this photo, so I've dutifully included it. Tama may be making his debut in the yards at Tarwonga soon:
 













Bella and Jessie, holding in the force:
 












Jim and Jess in the stubble:
 










Muddy and Bill, on their way to the dam for a swim: