Last Weekend of the Year

Ready or not, new year here we come. Time to reflect and reorganize, clear out for the new year. The weather has been so uncooperative for working dogs on the sheep, for what seems like weeks and weeks.  We have had a ton of rain. Compared to last year when at this time they were talking drought, it feels like we need to build an Ark! Actually it has been a combination of the weather, the short days, and the holidays that has kept us from working with the dogs and sheep. Soon I hope we are going to be back working more often.

The days will only be getting longer, from here on out for a few months anyway.
Saturday brought some drying out, finally...and a chance to work dogs. The dogs were happy; the sheep maybe not so much so...but they survived. 

Ryme has been a bit lame again, not severely, but enough for him to have a layoff. He got to work and he listened well. But he does listen well close at hand. It's when we get at a distance or at an unfamiliar place, where Ryme has problems.

In 2013 I will be looking for ways for Ryme to fit in and do the work he loves, accepting him for what he is.

Coal is now at that mature age of six where we know each other pretty well. And what I know about Coal is that if he is not tuned up on a regular basis, he will get very sloppy. He will not take his proper flanks, he won't stop, and he won't come through on his sheds. We will be tuning this all back up in the coming weeks, because he and I have not done anything with a purpose since the Dunnigan trial.

 

Setting up the shed with Coal

And Coal takes the split two sheep away.

 

Ryme cools off.

Isn't this a sad face? Please can't we work again? I promise I will stop this time... 

 

I had a great dinner and get-together with old friends this weekend. Many laughs where shared. It's so good to get together. The Christmas decorations are going to get put away and the spaces cleared for the new year. A new journal notebook for 2013 needs to be purchased today or tomorrow!

 

 The weather forecast even looks clear for a few days; that means some cold nights but some chances to dry out a little bit and regroup. We can get back out with the dogs without worrying so much about slipping in the mud. Maybe some more regular blog posts will even re-appear!

 

Happy New Year to All!