Spring and Bella

It never fails to amaze me what a couple of weeks of warm weather can do.  This picture was taken today in my field.  If you scroll to the bottom of this post you can find a picture taken in the same field at virtually the same spot - not even two weeks ago.

Bella is still on her tire treatment, with increasing breaks off of it.  I'm standing firm and keeping her on it, simply because I'd be traumatized if she got run over when it's completely preventable.  Here's a picture of her greeting one of the sheep.

I must admit I love it when she gives her doggy grin.  She has such large teeth but is so good natured, the contrast always makes me smile.  She looks so happy.

Here's the picture of the field during the first week of April.  Astounding isn't it?

Clearance!

Woot!  Woot!  Today, I danced out of my physiotherapy clinic.  You see after being heckled by my best friend, "Did you tell your physio that your goal is to rope again?!?"  I gathered up my courage and told them of my crazy love affair with the rope.  After much shoulder manipulation I received the cautious - if you gradually increase and have a slow return to training I see no reason why you couldn't rope.

Em, em, chucka, em, em!  Visualize if you will me dancing, ermh, gyrating madly around.  I was positively terrified I'd hear a negative response that I didn't dare dream.  Well kids, I'm dreaming now, literally chomping at the bit, wild with yearning.  Because I can rope again!  Well, one day, in the distant future...  woot, woot!

Life is good!

Gotta Go

Warning: This post may contain material that pushes the bounds of good taste.

Enjoying the spring like weather I've been running virtually every day with the dogs.  During my holiday, I would run with them at my convenience, but now, back at work I'm running immediately upon my return home.  Tessa, an old running campaigner has all kinds of training and runs off leash in the ditch.  Reba, the young sprout, who still feels compelled to try to chase the odd vehicle runs on leash beside me.

Tessa generally runs in front of me, pushing the limits until I ask her to wait for us.  Yesterday we had just started, having covered about a 1/4 mile when Tessa looks behind her, and begins her poop stance.  Now, with a normal dog, stopping to take a crap while on a walk or run wouldn't be a big deal.  But this is Tessa we're talking about.  Tessa, with her abdominal issues needs to crab walk.  And crab walk some more.  I'm watching her crab walk as we close the gap.  Still crab walking Reba and I begin to pass her.  Tessa, mid-turd jumps up and begins to run.  She wasn't finished!  Jaw hanging open I watch in astonishment as she squeezes a poop out while running!  

I must admit this is a doggy first for me.  I have had dog's stop mid way, but never finish while on the run.  I'm not talking kinda squatting.  She was in a full up right running position.  Only Tessa.

Life Unexpected

While driving down the highway on my way home from checking out one of the stallions on my list, I was feeling bad for myself.  You see, this stallion, while a very nice stallion is not the stallion for my Whiskey's first baby.  I quite liked him and would buy one of his babies in a heartbeat but know in my heart of hearts that breeding him to her would not produce the cross I'm looking for.  

I had pulled into a gas station to rehydrate and post a poster of Ken's Clinic, which made me feel doubly bad because the station didn't have a poster board.  Really, what country service doesn't have a message board?  This one apparently.  Back on the road a good 1.5 hours from home I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye.  Whaaaat?  I thought that sign just said tack shop.  Cutting across the lanes of traffic and flipping a u-turn at one of those connect the highway things I went back to investigate.

What I discovered was a silver lining to my day.  One of those wonderful hole-in-the-wall tack and feed stores.  Once in the store I posted Ken's Clinic poster and browsed through only to find a selection of western bridles all for under $50.  Understand these bridles are not of a superior quality but who really cares if all you're using them for is training?  So I bought two of them.  And yes I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Feeling perky I stopped at one of the large western wear stores in the city (which I rarely go to) and bought two pairs of jeans (one Wrangler and one Cinch) to wear around the farm and riding.  I've been wearing my town jeans (Gap and Lucky) and the farm is starting to beat them up, so I felt it was time to purchase some farm worthy jeans.  This is not to say I don't own multiple pairs of Wranglers - I just don't fit into them anymore.  (The chemo killed my metabolism.)  Any excuse to shop...

I guess when life gives you lemons you just gotta make some lemonade.

Tied Down

When faced with the challenge of teaching your adolescent livestock guardian dog what it needs to be doing there are a limited number of strategies you can use.  Most people have more than one guardian dog and depend on the older dog to teach the younger dog its manners so to speak.  Some people choose to keep their young guardians in kennels located in the stock pens.  Other use the time honored tradition of the tire.  The dog is tied to a tire in the pen with the stock to literally slow it down.  It serves as a reminder to the dog as to where it is supposed to be and limits the amount of trouble it can get into.

Because of Bella's teen aged bad behavior she is the unhappy recipient of the tire treatment.  Under no circumstances will she go into a kennel and I don't have an older dog so my options were restricted.  Poor Bella has hurt feelings.  She is an unhappy puppy right now.  Before you start thinking I'm abusive and cruel, you need to understand that Bella's job in life is to prevent my sheep from being ate by predators.  Well Bella has recently taken to doing things like hanging out by the road and chasing trucks.  She has also decided the flower beds, you know the ones surrounding the house (as in not the corrals), make a great bed.  From where she barks madly even when no coyotes are howling.  This makes for an interrupted sleep for me as I repeatedly get out of bed, go to the door and shout at her to "get back to your sheep!"

Let us all hope for my sanity and Bella's safety the tire trick proves effective.

Spring Herding Fun

Grrr!  Some days Blogger really annoys me!  So here's the deal:  the first time I loaded my pictures, Blogger put them on my blog in reverse order.  So I loaded them again, only this time in the opposite order, and what does Blogger do?  They load them in the order I loaded them!  Grrr!  It really messed up the story I had planned in my head.  So the story is out of order and not really complete.  Sigh.

Reba's turn:  Tessa "I've got your back, Reebs!"  Reba: "I'm gonna get me some sheep."

Reba: "Go sheep go!  I said move it!"

Bella: "Hey guys, what's going on?"

Tessa: "Belle you better move because I'm coming."

Bella: "Whoa!  Slow down you guys, what's the rush?!"

Bella: "That really wasn't called for.  There's no need to run me down!"

Just some spring herding fun today.  Imagine if they really could talk what they'd be saying...

Dinner Time

Tessa has the funniest meal routine I've ever encountered.  Generally, she won't eat unless I'm either present or in a nearby room.  She begins with bringing one or two of her favorite toys to her food.  Next she'll lay down with both toys conveniently located by her front paws.  Whining, squeaking, and making "erhnh, erhnh" sounds she alternates between the toys.  

After she feels sufficient time has passed she carries one of her toys to her dishes, where she continues to make her moaning sounds.  Eventually she'll take a bite of her food, mouth and moan with her toy, before taking another bite.  Next she'll have a drink of water and gradually finish her dinner.  The whole process can take upwards of fifteen minutes.  

Some days I wonder if she feels the need to tell me how wonderful her dinner is.  If dogs could talk...