Spring is Just Around the Corner...

Entries open by postmark tomorrow for both the Sonoma Wine Country Sheepdog Trial and the Zamora Hills Sheepdog Trial. Whoa. That is a lot to say in one sentence.

This is what we did last year at the Sonoma Wine Country Sheepdog Trial:

While I am hoping for more rain in our area this winter, we really would not like to repeat the experience of clearing Calistoga Road of fallen trees early on a Sunday morning so that the "show (trial) can go on..."...

It is exciting to think that spring is just around the corner, however, and dropping those entries into the mailbox has become an annual ritual for me. I have spectated, volunteered, and/or handled (or a combination of the three) at all of the Sonoma Wine Country trials since I have been out here in California since spring of 1997 (with the exception of the one year it went on hiatus during that time). It was a personal goal achieved to send in my first entry, with Bid, for Pro-Novice. It was another huge goal achieved, to enter with Coal last year in Open. It was a huge goal achieved to get a score- not a big one - but to get a score - in 2011! Woohoo! Here we are (below) at the pen on the hill course. My goodness -- we made it to the pen. Yowzer!

Coal and moi on the hill course Sunday, 2011 Sonoma Wine Country Sheepdog Trial

We also got scores at Zamora Hills. I was so excited that my little black dog was bringing me the sheep from that huge outrun on the hills that I nearly forgot to handle the fetch and post turn. From there on it was just gravy. This year I hope to have more of my wits about me. Bring it on! ;-)

Here's hoping the weekends surrounding St Patrick's Day will be the best yet!