Trip Back To Alberta

After coming back from the North Dakota trials, we stopped briefly back home.  I had half expected the garden that I put in would be well on it's way - all Chris had to do was make sure things got watered.  I better watch out for the cops, since it appears that the only thing I can grow is weed.  We may have a few meals on spuds in the future, it looks like there may be some lettuce and radishes in the making, and onions that wintered over from last year is ready to be harvested.  I did notice some foot prints in the garden - the very wary and rarely seen doggin sheep are on the lam again - they were to be loaded up and sent to pasture, but once again they had other plans.  I may have to find a tracker to find them.  Daft buggers. 

Chris was able to get some seeding started - it had been quite wet for some time.  He started well, and then ended up getting stuck...not once, but twice.  Lovely way to spend time with your spouse.

Dogs were loaded, and we made our way to Drayton Valley, stopping over in Rumsey, Alberta to stay with Jill Brodie.  A little polishing on the dogs were done, and I was feeling good about things. Then my travelling gods laughed upon me as I went to close the door on the dog trailer and the hinge broke.  Yup, it wouldn't be a trip unless something buggered up.  I phoned to get things lined up with a welder in Drayton Valley in the morning thanks to Corey Perry. After another quick lesson on Mitch and Floss, I borrowed a rope from Jill and tied the door up.  I had to go to Stettler to pick up a pup (who is known as Nan) and after a few stops to retie the door, I knew I was in for a long haul.  Thankfully, the person who I picked Nan up from was able to weld the hinge - and it was better than ever!  Two hours later we made it to Drayton Valley, and the dog trial began.  Something happened on that two hour trip - Mitch had no idea what his flanks were.  Ah, the fun in running a nursery dog.  The sheep were a little difficult to pen, and got lucky to pen with Gin.  I guess the gods gave me a break, since we got a good set of sheep for Floss - so good that she got first in the go round.  Whoa, that means points for the USBCHA!  Old friends Michelle, Christine and their kids came out to watch, and we got caught up with news.  That evening, a quick vet call was done - I sewed up a ewe's udder after calling my old stomping grounds at Rocky Rapids Vet Clinic and getting sewing supplies-man the mileage is going to kill the sheep committee!  After piecing her back together, the night ended with a really good steak at the Three Knight's Inn with Louanne Twa, Lisa Wright and Holly Brunner (okay Three Knight's, I expect a free meal with this plug I gave you the next time I am in Drayton).  I stayed over at old friend Christine's place that night, and talked into the wee hours.  Back to the trial in the morning, and back to yelling at Mitch to remember his flanks - I may have to get some anti-ulcer medication before the season is over.  All I had to get was another pen with the girls to get into the finals - Floss drew a black face ewe that scared the crap out of her - a lesson in biting will have to happen in the near future.  I was able to get a pen with Gin, and that allowed us to be one of the seven in the sudden death finals.  I was second up, and made a blistering time of 1:38, but Carol Nelson shattered my dreams by clocking in at 1:22!  Corey Perry and his crew outdid themselves, and certainly hope they continue with this trial for next year.  Trial over, it was time to head back...but the travel gods had something left in their sleeve.  I had locked the door with the keys in Dora, but having a keyless entry, it was not to be a problem...unless the battery died of course.  A call to AMA, and a toothless fellow came out to save my hide - he mentioned he had got hit by a vehicle while boosting another vehicle and broke his arm - probably explained his dental situation as well.  A quick meal with Leanne Huber, Billie Richardson and Milton Scott was had, and I was on the road again - stopping at the Do Drop Inn - innkeepers Randy and Val Dye once again opened their home up for this trialing nomad.  The next day Randy and Abe Marshall and myself took some dogs and did some training in the field....funny, Mitch seemed to know his flanks.  Maybe arena trials are not his forte.  A good day was had, and then made my way to Nanton, where the next week would be working at a clinic.  A quick stop was done to drop off Dozer, the amazing disappearing dog - he should really go on Canada's Got Talent.  The week should fly by quite quickly, before I have to fly once again to Saskatchewan.  Maybe the carrots will be up by then...and maybe the doggin sheep will resurface.

The Lengths One Will Travel

So the trial expedition in North Dakota started at the Slash J Trial.  Trial hostess with the mostest Joni Swanke had a great group of sheep and a great looonnnnnggggg outrun for the dogs.

It was time to meet up with new and old friends.

If you look far away, you can see the horse on the horizon - this is where the sheep were set.  For the first day, only about 1/2 of the dogs got to the sheep.   Gin did get up to the sheep, but surprisingly let them get back to the set out - resulting in our first RT of our holiday

 Some of us consoled us when our dogs didn't get out to the sheep - Tommy Wilson brought Janet Harvey a tissue to wipe away her tears.

 Janet returned the favor when Tommy's run with Roy went south.

 We didn't send out Stormy's dog Maggie - I bet she would have found them.

 Mike and Stephanie Goracke were the judges for the open ranch and nursery classes.

 As the trial went along, it started some of us to drink.

I even through Floss into the deep end and put her in the open - she got the sheep and we ended up even finishing the course.  She even beat Gin!  Gin was the RT queen, and if I had thought Floss would have done half well, I would have let her run in both open runs - who knows she may have gotten into the double lift.

 But alas, we were to be the set out crew for the double lift.  In the morning we lifted the sheep into the setout pen.

 By the end of the trial, the sheep would be glad to see the backsides of us.

 Dorrance helped at the pen - he was the professional spray painter.

 I set out the first lot for everyone - all the 15 finalists got their first lot.

 As it had to be 5 o'clock somewhere, we had a few refreshments at the end.

 In North Dakota they made big beer coasters.

 Notice the fine workmanship of the coaster.

 After the Slash J - in which Tommy Wilson and Sly won, we headed off to the Big One put on by Rene LaBree.  Gin and I was to be first up.

This was the one and only run Gin would have -she did get her sheep 800 yards away. We got done this course with a screaming score of 53 - yes, I felt like screaming. 

 Hopefully Becca, who seemed to study the course, will have no trouble when she is sent out in a few years.

 There were a few wrecks when sheep would hightail it to the hills.  We all helped to get the wreck fixed up.

 On the last day the wind blew, and the big hats were worn at the Big One.

 The weather was pretty good for the first day, but a gale was blowing in our face the next day.  Only dogs who could do a silent gather had a hope in hell.  Gin did not have a hope in hell - apparently she has forgotten what a silent gather is all about.  Floss on the other hand did quite well.  However, she was quite speedy and the sheep do not like speed.  At least she made her outruns - next year will be much better I have promised her .

 Sue Shoen was the farthest traveller - her first trip out and she has vowed to come out again.

 It has been noted that even the dogs are driven to drink because of these trials.

I guess my dogs and I will have to go to Alcoholics Anonymous now.

Could It Be Any Better Than This?

Well, in an answer, yes.  I had awoken with great intentions today, today would be the day that my dogs would shine  - it was all or nothing.  The first open run Gin had let the sheep run back to the set out after crossing over - a lovely RT.  She had a day to think about things, since the nursery and open ranch dogs got to run yesterday - synopsis - Floss bad, Mitch very bad.  I had not put Floss in the first open run, thinking it was over her head - let's face it, a 700 yard outrun is not for the weak of heart.  But what the hell, we will throw her in the second open run and see her hopefully swim.  Dog paddle Floss, dog paddle!  Well, she was the first one to run this morning, and was pleasantly pleased that she got to her sheep, with no cross-overs and no extra whistles.  Okay, she may have come down like a freight train, but surely that can be fixed in the next month or two.  Perhaps I should work on opening up on her flanks as well - ahh, the fun in training the next open dog to run.  In the end, as the drive was completed, I asked the judge if we could shave down the time since I had about 6 minutes left to shed and pen.  The shed was done (yet another thing to work on), and the pen was finished.  I was in the top 5!  Okay, at least until the 6th dog ran that is.  A score of 59 for Floss!  Heck, I was just happy she found her sheep, since there were a few dogs that couldn't.
Gin's run was to be in the afternoon - but I had a little job that had to be done - Dora was to be fitted with a pair of new tires.  Lovely shiny ones were put on, and by the time I got back, I had missed my run, and I was to run dead last.  It appeared that the time to run would have been in the morning - by the afternoon, the sheep had one thing on their mind - that was to run like the wind to the exhaust pen.  I sat with Gin waiting for our turn, and saw some runs, and I sat and planned my attack.  Slow and steady- seemed to have worked for that turtle that time.  My turn came after a few unfortunate runs - sheep tripping down the field, dogs visiting the set out pen, sheep attacking dogs - oh how I looked forward to my turn (this is sarcasm if you couldn't tell).  I went to the post, thinking - okay, go for a 100 point run (that is what you have to do you see).  I sent out Gin - fantastic, she did a great outrun, she got to the top, and the sheep started moving.  Heck, they were even moving down the pipe!  Some whistles blown, and things were slowed down, and they made the fetch panels in the center, and the girls were coming down like jersey milk cows.  Then they came to the post - I was going to go slow and steady and things would be fine.  I started them around the post, and they took off like bats out of hell towards the exhaust pen, and Gin sort of looked at me half hearted and said "You have to be kidding!"  Well, she didn't get her sheep, and they beat her to the exhaust pen, and our run was over.  Yup, we had 7 points off to the post at that point - perhaps it would have went to hell in a hand basket (what does that mean anyways?) if we could have kept things on the course, but it had started promising at any point.  I think Gin knew I wasn't all that impressed - she took her sweet time coming back from the exhaust pen - but cripes, it is only a dog trial isn't it?  No cars to be won - just a really nice engraved sheep bell that would have looked nice on the mantle, and a sweatshirt that has nice engraving on it - and some payback money-but no cars.  So, Slash J will conclude with this crew being much less than stellar.  We will be delegated in setting for the lucky 15 who have dogs that deserve to play another day - perhaps our day will come in the near future-the next trial is The Big One (700 yards to small for you, let's try 900 yards), and after that a trip to Drayton Valley for an arena trial - but today we will consume another piece of Humble Pie.  I am pretty sure that is not good for my diet.

Slash J Trial - We Got Slashed

Moving to Saskatchewan allowed me to be in the backyard of the Slash J Trial and the Big One -I packed up the dogs - lucky 13 - or so I thought.  I had packed up and slipped into town, removing the 50 pounds of mud off of Dora and the trailer, planning to go on the highway to get to the border.  I luckily was reminded that a passport was required to cross the border, so back I went back home and dug out my pass into the great U.S. of A. - and then proceeded on the gravel roads to build up another 50 pounds of mud on my unit.  I removed the mud before I crossed the border, and lo and behold, the let me in (I guess all the warnings did not get to them in time).  I rolled into Joni's about 7 hours later, and caught up with some old friends.  The last to arrive was Amanda Milliken and Sue Shoen - who were to be my bunk mates for the night.  I hoped I would not keep them up with my snoring - but they beat me to the punch - it was like the dueling banjos between the two of them.  Morning came early, and Ron Enzeroth was to be the illustrious judge of the hour - or should I say hours.  I had only Gin to run, and I was glad to say she was on the top half - the top half of those who didn't get a score.  She thought she would cross over, and then when she did get to the right spot, the ewes hightailed it back to the set out pen.  Oh trialling can be very humbling at times.  Please trial gods, I have been humbled a lot in the last year - I am an expert on it.
I noticed I was having a slight air problem with one of my tires, so I ran in to get it checked out.  Good news - I got into town before getting a flat. Bad news - I will be the owner of two new tires by the end of the weekend.  Then I noticed that a cap off of my dog trailer tire decided to leave - and having had this happen before, I have made arrangements for that to be dealt with before my tire leaves my dog trailer, or wrecks my axle.
The first day of the trial was good for some - most notably Amanda and Monty, and Joni and Possum.  Tomorrow will be the young dog's turn - Mitch and Floss.  I have a feeling that I will have donated a lot of money this weekend - but can you really have a price on fun?  Well yes, about $800 or so!