DeltaBluez Stockdogs

Caption Contest- DeltaBluez Anson aka Goose

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Time for another Caption Contest. Post your captions in the comments section. As usual, Tess will do the selection. I will write the captions down on paper, toss them on the ground and Tess will fetch one for me. Very scientific and unbiased. I will not put a beef flavored treats in my favorite caption paper bundle, really! This contest runs for two weeks.

This is Deborah and Goose (DeltaBluez Anson). Deb is learning to handle Goose and is very close to Novice level. Goose is a full brother to Rainey. He was my pick of the litter and he went to them. They are a great home for Goose and love him dearly. He is also the 2011 fastest flyball Border Collie. This photos is from one of our snow days when Deb came out for a lesson. As you can see, it was snowing.

Wayne Seward took this photo with my camera. I handed him my camera and he took some very nice shots that day. I like this photo as it shows Deborah and Goose working as a team. I really love his tongue hanging out.

Some contest rules.

1. No naughty captions

2. You can enter as many captions as you like, but you only get one entry

3. Cherrie , the artist will ship you the nightlight. She did the design and donated it for this contest.

4. Winner will be drawn by Tess on Feb 22, 2012

5. Winner will be announced on that day and has one week to respond. If not, then the backup winner will be announced.

6. Open to USA and Canada for the nightlight. If you are out of the USA and Canada you can enter your caption but your entry will not be part of the pick, due to postage rates.

The winner will get a ultra cool gift. This is a HANDMADE Nightlight with sheep on it., Cherrie made this exclusively for this contest. The is the sheep part. It also comes with the plug in.

Since Cherrie was kind enough to donate this cool sheep nightlight, I am going to do a plug for her. She makes these from scratch and you can order one. She has generously going to give $10 of each sale to help with Gloria Atwater's Nick Vet bill.

From Cherrie: (You will have to mention that you were referred from my blog for the discount)

Scott Glen second penning lesson

2012-02-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

Many handlers think it is tough to pen sheep. Scott Glen is here to show you how, with good basic skills and a comprehensive strategy, can make penning successful and fun! Click the link below to continue on your journey to penning.

Sign up to receive this fabulous three-week penning course with Scott Glen by registering at www.sheepdogtrainingcourses.com

Be sure to sign up for the course when they offer it in March. I look forward to that series. The bright side for Scott is that, he doesn't have to answer my endless questions. Wait, you can ask questions after each section. I can't wait.

I watched this session. All I can say, it is awesome. Scott breaks it down into tiny steps so even the penning impaired can pen with ease. You will enjoy it and love it. I am really impressed.

As I watcehd this and wen Scott was giving commands, Tess, Rainey and Maid jumped up and began to look around. Tess went back to sleep but Rain and Maid ran into the kitchen looking for Scott and the sheep.

Sheep Dip Whiskey

2012-02-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

Sheep Dip is a blended malt, introduced in 1974 by Gloucestershire gentleman farmer MJ Dowdeswell, who also owned a pub in Oldbury-on-Severn. Sheep Dip takes its name from the English farming term for an insecticide once used on British sheep farms. There was a time when the farmers would distill their own whiskies and store them in barrels marked "SD" to avoid expensive distilling taxes, thus the term "Sheep Dip" became slang for whiskey in the region.

"Eccentrically named, yet of an unsurpassed quality, Sheep Dip was once (back in the 80's) the best selling whisky in Harrods. A whisky whose distinctively full-bodied flavour is only reached through weaving together sixteen different single malt whiskies, aged between eight and twenty years, in specially selected first-fill oak casks.

Jim Murray describes the award-winning Sheep Dip in his 2006 Whisky Bible as "Young and sprightly like a new-born lamb a fresh, mouthwatering grassy style with a touch of spice. Maligned by some, but to me a clever accomplished vatting of alluring complexity."

Blind Trust at Jan 14 trial

2012-02-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

This trial was allowed only two dogs per handler so I made the decision to run Maid and Nan in Open and leave Rainey and Sava back home. Hope and Ron came over and they had dogs in ProNovice, Nursery and Open. The first class to run was Novice, then followed by the other class. So again, we woke up in darkness, stumbled down to the van, loaded dogs and hit the road. It was extremely cold and very humid and by the time we had reached the trial field, the scar on my sternum from the heart operations was acting up. It was as if a hot knife was buried in my chest and I could hardly function. This was not a good way to start the day. I took a pain pill but it had no effect so I stayed in the van or in Judy’s RV. The cold really set it off so by staying warm, it did ease the pain. I didn’t watch a lot of runs and didn’t even pull out my camera to take any photos. It got very windy that it blew over the canopy and sent items flying all over. It got colder, windier and the sky began to darken. Rain blasted us from the sky as we scurried for cover. I retreated to Judy’s RV and hunkered down to watch the run. I had the lovely company of Judy, Nora and Cindy. I was warm, had hot coffee and wait for my turn.

I ran Maid first and she went out wide on the away side. She came in hard and the sheep bolted but one ornery ewe stood her ground. It was the same ewe that stood off all the other runs that she was a part of the group. I whistled to Maid to ease up but she had the fire in her ear and the ear muffs on. She marched the ewe down the field. Backwards, one step at a time until she was off the course and were called off.

I retreated back to the RV as it got colder and the sky got darker. Nan was one of the last dogs to run. By this time it was late in the afternoon and the sun had began to set. The wind snuck it's icy fingers into our souls and began to slowly such what warmth we had left, leaving us a empty hollow shell of a snow crystal. Then it was my turn.

As I walked to the post with the happy, bouncing Nan, I could see off in the distance the frosty clouds rolling in like a herd of angry horses. They billowed fast and furious. I shivered as I sent Nan. She ran deep and crisply to the sheep. Then the world went white for me.

The blizzard hit us, full force and almost knocked me off the stand. I braced and the cold froze my lips. My whistle was hard in my mouth and it was an effort to make a sound. Words were useless and the wind picked them up and flung them back into my face. I could only stand and try to help Nan. She lifted the sheep and began to bring them down and I could see dark shadows flickering in snow. The storm hit the setout and began to chase the sheep down the field. She had a nice line and turn at the post.

As you can see in the video, it began to snow heavily on her drive as the snow storm rolled in. Ron zoomed up so you could see the run but where I was, I couldn't hardly see most of the drive. At this point, Nan and I were running on blind trust. The sheep wanted to get out of the storm, Nan was running on blind trust and I was trusting her to do the right thing. At this point, I really felt a closeness to Nan, a real feeling of partnership, of trust and of being as one. I stayed focused and didn't let the snowstorm kick me out of the game. As i have said many times, "In the moment, you must focus" and I ignored all save but my dog, the sheep and the work.

A we got to the first of the three sets of drive panels, it was pretty much a white out at that are and I could see bits and pieces of the run. I blew walks up, steady and at the second panel, had to make a quick adjustment to make it. I didn't have a lot of time as it was white, white, a sheep, then white, white, then sheep, so during the white I replied on Nan to hold the line. The sheep wanted to hunker out of the storm and had no desire to part of the course.

Nan made the second panel and then we had to march them for the crossdrive up the field into the teeth of the storm. It was totally white and I could see Nan's black shadow in pieces and she was holding the line. At the third panel, I had the sheep line up and flanked up and hope she put them through. I think we made it but it was totally white so I don't know if we did or not but it was a gallant effort on Nan's part. At the turn, the sheep spotted the exhaust and made a break for it and I saw them dashing out of the whiteness and flanked Nan to cover them. We were a bit off for that and she swung them to the pen.

I had a hard time seeing the pen and we were requited to stay at the post. The pen was three sided and she tucked them in, so I thought but since I was having a hard time seeing the pen, two had slipped to one side. we made the attempt again but ran out of time. The missing of the pen cost us first place so it put us in sixth place. But Nan ran her heart for me and I was on cloud nine. Even though couldn't see most of the run, it was running on blind trust. She trusted me in the face of adversary and I trusted she could do right. In my mind, she won and she did, she won my respect as believing in me and I believed her.

It was a moment that we all desire and it happened on the snowy day.

Note: Ron had the camcorder on max zoom.

Good dog, Nan. I am so proud of you!! I love you!

Sheep Cyclone

2012-02-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

A video of a farmer's car becoming surrounded by a 'cyclone of sheep' has become the latest viral sensation.

The 30-second clip, filmed on a camera phone in the Caucausus region of southern Russia, has notched up 650,000 hits on YouTube.

It shows a flock of sheep running frantically round and round the car as it tries to edge its way along a country lane.

Famous Border Collies

2012-02-03T06:00:00.001-08:00

Who are these famous old Sheepdogs? Bonus points if you can also give their ISDS numbers. You get extra bonus points for some history on them! Post your answers in the comments section.

Border Collie "A"

Border Collie "B"

Red, blue, green and other colored sheep!

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

These sheep were,painted in the colors of the Rugby World Cup participating nations on September11, 2011 in New Zealand. So how well do you know the nations and flags?

Put in the comments section the answers for each....what nation or flag? Also who won? Bonus points if you can identify the breed of sheep.

Scott Glen's sheepdog training course

2012-02-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that Scott is my trainer. He has lead me astray...oops, I meant trained me for over 12.5 years...it's hard to believe it has been that long. He first saw Tess as a 11 month old and gave me a lesson and the rest was history. (Although I am sure he remembers our first meeting as the clueless gal with the talented Border Collie....I remember it as the time of 'presenting' a talented dog to Scott, nevermind the handler!)

Now you can have the opportunity to learn from Scott via online training course. Sign up as it will be a great chance to learn from the master. The first lessons are FREE and are on penning.

http://www.sheepdogtrainingcourses.com/

Sign up and you will discover how to become a better handler and the best of all, your dog will really appreciate it!

My new dog

2012-01-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

I am thinking of getting this dog. He has a nice outrun. I am not too sure about the lack of tail, though.

What do you think?

Is he worth a bag of carrots?

Dog balancing on a chain

2012-01-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

An amazing video of a dog balancing on a chain is being tipped to go viral.

The acrobatic pet and its owner were spotted by a woman passer-by who asked if it was on YouTube.

When the owner replied that he had no computer and didn't think the trick was "anything special" the woman filmed it on her mobile phone.

The dog is initially seen using all four paws to balance on the thin chain, which marks the perimeter of a carpark.

Incredibly, it then stands up on just its hind legs without falling off the chain.

The clip has so far attracted 8,000 hits in two days but is being tipped to notch up many more.

Six Legged Lamb

2012-01-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

A Georgian farmer has proudly showed off the latest addition to his livestock - a hermaphrodite lamb with six legs.

The tiny brown and white lamb can be seen nursing from its mother and wandering happily around its stable in Velistsikhe, Georgia.

The lamb appears to be quite tame as it is hoisted up and around by farmer Abadzhanov Albert, who beams from ear to ear throughout a video. He said: "I have been asking the other shepherds, but none of them remember such case.

"There were three-legged lambs, one-eyed, but not six-legged, bisexual one. The lamb eats well, but moves with difficulty."

A special kind of love

2012-01-28T22:14:00.000-08:00

As nearly anyone who has adopted a dog or cat from a shelter can attest, there’s something special about a rescued pet; it’s as if the animal senses he’s been given a second chance at life. That’s certainly the case with Juno, a Belgian Malinois who was rescued from a shelter just days before she was to be euthanized. But since coming to live with her family in Alcoa, Tenn., Juno has taken on the role of rescuer to four-year-old Lucas Hembree.

Lucas suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, an inherited, metabolic disease caused by the absence or malfunctioning of an enzyme needed to break down long sugar molecules. As the disease progresses, children lose the ability to speak, walk and eat. The disease also causes severe neurological damage that leads to aggressive behavior, hyperactivity and seizures.

“The most catastrophic thing parents hear when they learn their child has this disease is that there’s no cure or treatment available,” says Lucas’ father, Chester. Unless that changes, Lucas isn’t expected to live past the age of 15 and may be in a vegetative state by the time he is eight. Realizing that every moment is extra precious, Chester and his wife, Jennifer, want their son to experience as much as he can while he still has the capacity to enjoy it.

So when the disease started to take a toll on Lucas’ joints, Chester looked into getting a service dog to keep Lucas steady when he walked. “I was told that a service dog would cost at least $15,000, and that Lucas wasn’t a good candidate because of his deteriorating abilities and his behavior,” Chester says. “I refused to accept this answer.”

A combination of prayer and persistence led Chester to Juno. “I came across a posting about her on a rescue group’s website,” he says. “I had the feeling in my gut that I had to go see this dog.”

The whole family made the two-hour trip to meet Juno, who was being held at an east Tennessee shelter. “She was emaciated, and was days away from being euthanized,” Chester says. “She had been surrendered to the shelter because her previous owners didn’t understand the Belgian Malinois.”

Chester Hembree training Juno to bark on command. He said Juno was "phenomenal" and "exceeded all expectations" during the training. She picked everything up very quickly. Fortunately, Chester did. He’d gotten to know and love the breed while working as a law enforcement officer years earlier.

“I used to help with the training of police K-9s, and our dogs were Belgian Malinoises,” he says. “I loved their desire to work and their ‘never quit’ attitude.” In addition to being a popular choice for police dogs, the breed is often used in combat. In fact, it’s believed that the dog that helped Navy SEALs take down Osama bin Laden was a Belgian Malinois. But while the breed has proven its prowess on patrol and in combat, Chester needed to be sure Juno would be a suitable service dog for his little boy. “I put her on a loose leash and she walked with me and never pulled,” Chester says. “Next came the Lucas test. They took to each other immediately, like kindred spirits.”

The Hembrees brought Juno home and showered her with love and affection.

“I wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to adjust to the family before I started the formal training,” Chester says. Yet, from the beginning there seemed to be something instinctive about their relationship. One day, Chester noticed Juno circling Lucas while he was in his wheelchair. “She was whining and nudging him with her nose,” Chester says. “I checked his oxygen levels and they were very low.” After giving him oxygen, Lucas returned to normal and Juno greeted him with licks and affection.

“That’s when I knew she had the ability to pick up on his neurological changes,” Chester says. “Now she alerts us when Lucas is about to have a seizure or if his oxygen levels drop really low. She has saved him several times."

Juno has become a literal shoulder for Lucas to lean on when walking, and a calming influence when he’s agitated. And while Chester makes sure that Juno gets time off, he says that it’s hard to get Juno to leave Lucas’ side. “You don’t see one without the other close by,” he says. “It really feels like it was meant to be.”

Link to the Article

Italian Lamb Stew

2012-01-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

8 slices bacon
¾ cup flour
1 ts salt
2 -3 lbs cubed lamb stew meat,
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large chopped white onion
2 tb chopped garlic
2 stalks chopped celery
2 chopped carrots
1 cup red wine
One can of crushed tomatoes (If you have fresh, chop up about 3 cups)
2 sprigs rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 chopped potatoes
1/4 ts freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Fry bacon until crisp, drain, and chop in large pieces and put in slow cooker.
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, add the lamb, several pieces at a time, and coat well
Heat the oil and brown the lamb in batches on all sides. Put lamb in the slow cooker.
Add the onion and saute, stir until lightly browned. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes and garlic and cook until softened.
Add the wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits.
Add the onion mixture, bacon, , bay leaf and rosemary to the lamb in the slow cooker and mix well. Add water to cover.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the meat is very tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and discard the rosemary and bay leaf.

Border Collie cartoons

2012-01-26T22:37:00.000-08:00

Hey, he can stack sheep up nicely. I can't even stack my folded towels up that nice!

A few beers and all is forgiven

I need to bring my Border Collie to a few parties as they are like this!

Snow Dog Nana

2012-01-25T15:55:00.000-08:00

Did you know that L&M Nana was named after the female dog "Nana" in the "SNOW DOGS" movie? I didn't know that until recently. She also has several other nicknames such as Nana-Banana and Beautiful. The nickname that she will leap out of her dog bed is "Treat" or "Cookie. Come to think of it, all of the girls have that same response!

Nan was the last dog that I took photos in the snow. By this time, the light had disappeared and it was not very good for photos. They all came out dark so I did some touch up but they are not my best.

It was snowing quite heavily so it was hard to focus.

Nan give me her all when she works. I love her for it.

The innocent sheep enjoying the hay.

Nan comes up hard and strong, with her teeth clacking so the sheep really respond to that.

I love working Nan. She keeps me on my toes. She wears her heart on her sleeve for me. She is talented and quick to learn. Plus she has a super goofy side to her when off the stock. She loves to play and jump about. We have come a long way in the 4.5 years that I have owned her. Ironically, she is the first dog to bark if a stranger comes to the house. When I was recovering from the heart surgery, she stepped into the role of protector. She is very brave on chasing the bunnies off the front lawn. After she chases the bunnies off, she comes back to me, eyes happy, tailed wagging and with a big grin, glad that she protected me so well. I praise her and she is ecstatic.

She takes her role as my Open dog very seriously and I enjoy running her. She is like a fast, souped up race car so I have to apply the brakes and maneuver with finesse. Sometimes I over steer and it is painfully obviously. Now once, I get her on the line to drive, I keep my mouth shut so I don't over steer and it has paid off.

I enjoyed working her in the snow and after it was done, she got a raw beef bones for her efforts. She was quite pleased with that and I was quite pleased with her big heart.

Old Film of sheepdog trials in the UK from 1920 and on

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Old Videos from the 1920 and on of sheepdog trials. Click on the text and it will display the videos.

SHEEP DOG TRIALS

L/S of rolling countryside, in a field is a large square enclosure, spectators crowd around the perimeter to watch horse riding trials. C/U of a Collie dog herding three sheep around an obstacle

INTERNATIONAL SHEEP-DOG TRIALS

Group of shepherds and their sheep dogs - border collies. There is one woman shepherdess. Hyde Park, London.

CLEVER ANIMALS

Panning shot along a row of men, one woman and a young boy, they all have their Collie dogs sitting obediantly at their sides. M/S of a group of men; some sit, others stand, a couple of Collie dogs sit in front - they look like they are posing for a group photograph. C/U of a little boy holding the leads of two Terrier-type dogs.

L/S of a Collie dog herding a small flock of sheep around a field. M/S of a crowd of spectators in a field, in the foreground a farmer holds the collar of a dog; he loosens his grip and the dog races off. Various shots of the dog crawling close to the ground, chasing the sheep around a field, nearby the farmer gives instructions and points his walking stick at the dog.

INTERNATIONAL SHEEP DOG TRIALS

Sheep Dog Trials in Cardiff, Wales.

C/Us of people watching competition, some look through binoculars and eat or smoke pipes while they watch. C/U of sheep dog watching from stand with men. General view of small crowd in stand.

C/U of sheepdog on field. M/Ss of dogs with their masters, sniffing out each other (the dogs, not the masters). Several shots of men and their sheep dogs in action, with men whistling and dogs encouraging sheep into pens. Good studies of sheep dogs in action during the trials, although most shots are quite light and L/S.

C/U as Ivor Jones pats his two dogs. L/S as master and dog encourage sheep into pen - successful master pats the dog. L/S as the trials continue.

Stella, the newest addition.

2012-01-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Stella. She is the newest addition to the farm. She is 3/4 Anatolian and 1/4 Great Pyr. Her parents are LGD on a goat and sheep farm. She is six months old. We are VERY impressed on how fast she bonded with her sheep as well that she sticks close to them.

She really has an active interest in what is happening in her pasture. She goes on full alert mode quickly.

She has a kind face and a very sweet personality.

Keeping an eye on the Border Collie that is working her sheep.

Still worried.

Nan is like, "Don't bug me, kid. I have work to do." Stella was checking Nan out as she was working her flock

I really like her. She is very attentive to her sheep and is found usually in the middle of them. The flock took to her rather quickly and they all snuggled with each other. She saw a Bald Eagle and kept a close eye on him. Then saw a coyote in the field next to her flock and went between her sheep and the coyote. She still is young but has all the good qualities that I like. We need a couple of LGD to protect our sheep. Kodi is 11.5 years old and retired and Glock is taking his place. Stella rounds out the LGD team and we are very thankful to Josh Farmer for this exception dog. He still has two of her sisters available and If I didn't have Kodi and Glock, I would snatch one of her sisters. If you are interested in one, please email me.

The Old in the Snow

2012-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was working Maid and heard a screaming banshee and then realized it was Tess. She was running up and down the fence line, shrieking and then tried to jump the gate. Finally, I relented and took her in for some winter herding. First thing she did was an out trot, then brought the sheep down at a a dead run, not listening to my downs. It felt like old times. She finally stopped when she realized that I was close enough to re-enforce it! This really reminded me of the old times.

She had to wear her winter coat. She doesn't care for it and made ugly faces when I first put it on. She probably doesn't really need it as she is no longer the lean, mean fighting machine but the food enhanced babe!

The old and wise face. Hard to believe she is 13.5 years old.

She got to drive. Amazingly, she took every command, aside from her downs, which meant to her, barely slow down, then speed up again! She was having fun so I let her. It was good to see her smile again!

Whew, let's get the ewes moving now.

She got out of the out-trot to a full run.

Look, she stopped.

I just like this photos....it touches me.

One last run before quitting time. However, she had to work on the second sessions later in the afternoon, and after it was all done, she settled on the couch for a quick afternoon snooze. It was a great winter day in the snow for the old dog.

Winter NOT Wonderland

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we got hit with with a heavy snow storm (for us) and had over 8 inches. That was that bad in itself but the ice storm that followed on the heels was the troublemaker. It rained and it was two inches thick. Trees snapped like toothpicks. Our willow tree fell down and took out the pond pasture fence and missed the hay shed. Numerous other trees snapped and were all over our driveway, like broken soldiers after a battle. The little hill out of our driveway was coated with a thick sheet of ice as the creek over flowed the ban and poured down the driveway making it a slick ice rink.

Over 300,000 people lost power and we lost power on Thursday night and we are still out of power. They say it should be back on next week. We hooked up the generator (we have two) and can watch TV, check our email, have the fridge and freezer still on. For heat, the propane fireplace is working overtime. We are lucky we have heat and generator power. Our propane stove works so we can have hot meals. We are out of water also.

I do remember one outage when the propane fireplace did not work and we had no generator. It was quite awful, cold and just miserable. The next week, Getty got a big generator. I also have my smaller generator from the trailer as back up. We are lucky in that regards. We are good with food and certainly haven't missed a meal. The roads to town has been a nightmare and it finally is drivable. Of course, Getty "got volunteered" to take the truck so the horses in the other field would get fed. He can drive in the snow, while I flounder like a beached whale. He also cut up the downed trees so the road is drivable.

The power is out in town and they were told next week. The town is a small town with five restaurants, one gas station, one grocery store and hardware storm. The restaurants are using generators to run so they are offering the basics for food. Getty and his band were suppose to play at Pete's but had to cancel,

The snow is hard and crusty and your foot breaks through and you have to tug to get it out. The sheep are huddled in the barn and the LGDs are curled in little balls of fur. The Border Collie run merrily and bark in happiness. I toss them snowballs and they are having a grand time. Emmy, the older Arab, got her new Christmas blanket and is quite happy., She normally manages to remove her blanket with 12 hours but she must be cold as she is not making any effort to rub it off. She is happy to have it on, I believe. even the standoffish llamas welcome me as I tote them their grain and alfalfa. Stella, the new LGD pup, has settled in quite well with her flock and is accepted as part of them. A few of the older ewes lay next to her and I remember when they were lambs and Kodi nurtured them and let them sleep on his back.

Emmy and her new blanket. She is 27 years old and needs a little help.

After the snow melts, we are expecting major flooding. We can handle that as we have a canoe, fishing poles and life vests. You have to find some humor in something!

People have asked how we are faring and aside from power being out and not able to take a shower for two days, we are fine. we will have to fix fence, cut more trees but so far, no major damage. If anything else changes, I will post it. Other folks are less fortunate than we are and I hope their lives get back to normal soon.

Tess, Nan, Maid and Rainey are really enjoying the cuddle time on the couch and bed. Having them on the bed sure keeps it warmer and Rainey snuggles next to me so I am warm. She also claims part of the pillow for her head so I guess that is a fair trade. Maid keeps my feet warm when I am on the couch so no frosty toes for me Again, I am going to credit her tow-warming training to Scott. I didn't know Maid was to talented.

NOTE: As of noon, the power came back on. We are experiencing severe windstorms now.

A Leopard was after my sheep

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

I saw a leopard going after my sheep and I had to take photos. Then I discovered it was just Rainey wearing a leopard coat. I was so relieved! We have had cougars going after our lambs this year so when I spied this "Leopard" I was really worried.

Of course, you have to be the fashion plate in a leopard coat.

And you have to be cute, too!!

You want to strike fear in the hearts of the sheep.

It didn't work as the sheep laughed at her.

So poor Rainey had to show them she was the boss leopard.

They got the hint.

Suddenly, Rainey did the leopard charge!

The sheep began to listen to her.

Some believed more than the others!

And that is the story of the Leopard who was after my sheep.

Snow Maid

2012-01-19T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well it snowed and then snowed some more. I took this time to take some pixs of the dogs in the snow. The lighting was horrible so this is the best that I could do. We had fun working the sheep. Tess, Nan, Rainey and Maid got two turns. The youg pups will get a shot at it soon as I was froze by the time I got done with the trial dogs.

Maid waiting...I love the bird dog pose.

Go....and so she did!

Working and I have trying to keep her off the butts of the sheep, hence only one pix of her and the sheep up close. She did great on listenning.

All four off the floor.

Look Scott and Jen, I got her to walk up. Like slowly!

Bird dog pose, again.

Serious working dog.

Stella, the new LGD and Maid met for the first time

Maid is not too sure about her.

But soon warmed up.

Working LGD for sale

2012-01-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

Over one year old intact LGD male. Working with sheep. Glock is a good guardian against eagles, coyotes and cougars. He is Maremma/Tatra and /Spanish Mastiff mix. He is leash trained and is gentle. He is up to date on shots.

He was born in December 2009. He comes from Paul and Kathy Lewis in Oregon. Pickup in Carnation. Will not ship. $1500

Sheep Shearing at the Olympics

2012-01-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

A New Zealand farm lobby group says sheep shearing has the potential to become an Olympic demonstration sport. Just don't count on seeing it at London next summer or Rio in 2016.

The "time has come to elevate shearing's sporting status to the ultimate world stage," the New Zealand Federated Farmers said in a statement Monday, adding that the world's top shearers are "athletes who take it to another level."

While shearing is a sport, its chances of becoming an Olympic event - even a demonstration one - are slim.

The Olympic sports program is decided a minimum of six years in advance of a scheduled games through a complicated process that includes strict criteria including global participation by male and female athletes. For example, baseball and softball were cut from the Olympic program for 2012 and 2016 because they aren't played in enough countries.

New Zealand produces some of the world's best shearers and its national championship, the Golden Shears, receives substantial media coverage in the country. Other shearing countries include Ireland and Australia. New Zealand will host the world shearing championships in March, and Federated Farmers Meat and Fiber chairwoman Jeannette Maxwell said it was an appropriate time for the sport to press for wider international recognition.

"One way would be to make shearing a demonstration sport at a Commonwealth Games, if not, the Olympics itself," she said. Maxwell said men's and women's world record-holders, Ivan Scott of Ireland and Kerri-Jo Te Huia of New Zealand, showed the athleticism necessary to reach the top of world shearing.

"Ivan regained his world eight-hour solo lamb title by shearing 749 lambs, seven more than the previous world record," she said.

"Kerri-Jo smashed the women's eight-hour solo lamb shearing world record by shearing 507 lambs, 37 more than the previous record."

To be accepted on the Olympic program, a sport first must be recognized by the International Olympic Committee by being widely practiced around the world and administered by an international federation that ensures that the sport's activities follow the Olympic Charter.

Dance sport, squash and 10-pin bowling have lobbied unsuccessfully for many years to be accepted as Olympic sports. Maxwell said New Zealand's government sports funding agency Sparc recognized shearing as a sport and Australia had previously pressed for its inclusion in the Commonwealth Games.

LINK

Short Film from 1930, "IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING"

2012-01-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

Description: Crofters are seen gathering and then "rooing" sheep, carding and spinning the wool to make jumpers.

One of a group of films about Shetland Island made by Jenny Brown and purchased by John Grierson for the GPO Film Library in the 1930s

http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=1129&search_term=sheep&search_join_type=AND&search_fuzzy=yes

You might have to cut/paste the link.

Crofters are seen gathering and then "rooing" sheep, carding and spinning the wool to make jumpers.

This is how I feel today...

2012-01-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

We got snow today. I am ready for it to go away now.