A Clock, Some Stock, And A Few Barrels.

Hopefully you know this polka dance tune!

 "Roll out the barrel, let's see a ewe on the run."

 Or something like that. 
The 2013 year for the dogs started this past weekend.  I stopped over at Chris Jobe's and Mildred Barry's on Friday since Chris and I were going to travel together to go to the Clock, Stock and Barrel competition that is held with Aggie Days in Calgary.  After counting Mildred's many lambs (from triplets, quadruplets and would you believe quintuplets? I am sure something is in the water at her place!), Chris and I packed up Dora the Explorer with the dogs - Gin and Floss and three of her tykes (to keep her girlish figure) and Chris's Fly and Jill.  We headed off to stay over at Chris's friends' house (Claire and Chris) outside of Calgary.  While we were visiting, we watched a very interesting show regarding health and fitness.  There is actually research that a person can get fit by doing only three-twenty second "go until you feel like barfing, dying or both" sessions three times a week to become more fit.  I thought I would bust my ass and work a little harder, so I went for 30 seconds before I went to bed that night, and had a restful, post workout sleep.

Chris and I got to the competition the next day, and got to the job at hand - visiting friends, running dogs and having fun.  It had started to look like it was going to be a difficult thing to pen the sheep, but a few got 'r done.  To get to the finals it would be the top two aggregate dogs of two runs, and the top two of each run. Gin and I got a pen the first round (not in the top two), and Floss thought she had to grip to move things along (definitely not in the top two).

As we waited for the second go round, I ran into my nephew Joey - who has become quite a little bronc rider.  The type of hat is very important.

 

His brother Mathew (Sideshow Bob) was on the grounds as well.

 

Sister Hannah was there to cheer on Auntie as well.

 

It was like a family reunion, since their older sister Ashley and her fiance Jason and their friend Melissa (who is also our nephew Jimmy's main squeeze) was in the crowd as well, and also close family friends who are like family (except they don't fight as much) -Jamie Hooper and kids were in tow.

As the next go round was to happen, my BFF Penny was in the crowd with a special young lady Ellen and her mom Liz to cheer us on.  With Ellen's help, Gin was able to close the gate on her ewes - now all that was needed was pixie dust to spray on the rest of the competitors that could kick us out of the top 2 aggregate place.  I guess some was sprinkled onto Floss, since she got a ewe which may have had a touch of Mad Cow disease - and she proceeded to charge at Floss at the pen after a not too bad preamble to that point.  I do believe that some strong pushing exercises will have to be done at home to build some confidence-I wonder what kind of whistle "Fetch 'r Up" is going to sound like?

And, yes Ellen, Floss is alright now.

Pixie dust had ran out, but just barely.  Gin finished third in the second round, and third in the aggregate. We were the crying hole winners.   As they say, better luck next time.

In the end, Tyler Hartig was looking for an ATM to cash his large cheque - about 2 feet x 4 feet in size.  Randy Dye , George Walker,  Kaylene Forsyth, Corey Perry, and Bob Stephens were behind him at the line to the ATM.

A supper was fed to the handlers - and some more visiting was done before Chris and I headed off back east (with one more dog traveller - Ky).  Stormy winter weather once again raised hell as another snow warning was given out. We made it back to Mildred's that night, and in the morning Chris made her way to work, and I made my way back to Saskatchewan, via Shaunavon and Jamie VanRhyn's.  The thought was to possibly train some dogs, but that soon blew out of my mind after a tire on Dora blew.  Nights in shining armor (or at least in blue coveralls) came to my rescue and a tire was changed.  Yet some more visiting was done, and I finally made it home - maybe not at quickly as it could have been since I made a wrong turn, and ended up on a not-to-well-travelled road.  That is probably the only time I will be thankful for stormy winters, since it kept the road frozen enough for me not to dip out of sight in the mud that would surely have been there if the weather was nice.

A few days, and yet another trip will happen - back to Alberta with Chris Jobe to a clinic (first one for me ever - should have done it years ago I guess) at Okotoks.  I do believe there is a threat of nice weather.  I will believe it when I feel it.