Oh Yea, Life Goes On.......

It's a JM kind of day...yet I can not imagine "long after the thrill of livin is gone".  I so don't feel that way.  Not one single passe` kind of day goes by in my life.  Yesterday....I finally kicked myself in the rear and, with the help of my eldest son and a few fabulous friends, I got my hay in for the winter!  200 bales all stacked in the hay loft ready to be tarped this morning.  Thank GOD for friends and sons because we did another 90 bales for another friend and I could not seem to lift a single bale above knee level that last load.  Today, I am going to burn and then maybe see about hauling in some big round bales.  Those make feeding the sheep so much easier with the whirlwind of weekend activities coming my way for the remainder of October and November.

I've decided to buy Miss Grace.  I've had a lot of summer fun with this girl and want to spend the winter seeing where we can go, the two of us.  She fits into my little pack nicely and the big bonus is, my husband likes her.  Now the challenge begins of training up litter sisters and remembering they are unique and different...so train each how they need to be trained!  Grace and Gyp had a lesson with Patrick Shannahan last week and it was fun to chat about each afterwards.  Same/different....like Nell/not like Nell.....what I have seen before/what is new to me in a dog......makes for some fabulous over thinking material for the longs drives I have coming my way.

The coming weeks are filled to the brim with my version of Disneyland activities....the FireRidge Sheepdog trail, a visit with Jack Knox, my third shedding clinic with Scott Glen (I will get this...or die trying!) a couple of fun, one day, local winter trials, the release of Patrick Shannahan's second DVD and onward to another on-line project, this time with the Glens.  To keep up-to-date on the exciting, hot off the press training "like" Little Horse Mountain Productions on Facebook or visits http://www.sheepdogtrainingcourses.com/

The excitement continues to mount as we head to the KICK OFF date for the MacRae Way.  October 24th starts this on-line training class...filled to the brim with training and handling from the MacRaes.  After the christening on the 24th of October, people can register at any time, and the class will start for them with that registration.  I would liken it to "pay for view" movies....you buy it and then you can view it.  The class is like that...you sign up and purchase the sessions...and then your classes starts that very day and unfolds as the weeks do......sessions each week allowing plenty of time to watch, learn and assess application.

Instead of a dreary winter....longing for spring, this winter I am excited for all the "training" that will be going on.  I had better keep to the to-do list to prepare for winter.....off to burn, baby!

Seize the Day!

It's HERE.....The MacRae Way

           


This is the dream I have been eluding to for...oh.....the past 9 months!  On line training with the MacRae's!  You can check it out at Sheepdog Training Courses where you can find all the details...including Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ and a syllabus with course descriptions.  Here is how it will eventually work:

Sign up and watch the first session.  You can watch it as many times as you like!  If you have questions about the material presented in the session, you will be able to submit those questions.  Questions and answers will be posted for all the participants to see.  As the week goes on, your homework will be to think about your dog and how/if the training presented might be applied in your training.  At this time, most of the courses have 4 weeks worth of sessions with some time at the end to catch up if sessions were missed or to watch again if that material intrigues and fascinates.  The cost is $99 a month or $237 for three months if you buy them as a package.  The MacRae Way Course kicks off October 24th!

Here is what I LOVE about this program.

* The sessions are filmed with the MacRaes and their very own dogs, or their client's dogs, so these dogs are started with the consistency of the MacRae method of training.
*I can train with the MacRaes from home without having to drive hundreds of miles, stay in a hotel, and eat junk food...which I seem to do when I travel!
*Too hot to work dogs in the afternoon?  No problem...I can watch the lesson for the week and then work my dogs in the early morning cool.  Snow on the pass....no problem because I don't have to travel!

I could go on and on.....but I do have to say, I am very excited about this.  What an amazing opportunity to learn from one of the best and most widely respected trainers and handlers in the world! And how incredibly to share this experience with the world.

http://www.sheepdogtrainingcourses.com/ A dream come true!

Seize the Day!!!!!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things........

        


Seize the Day!!!!

TODAY

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” — Steve Jobs

Today, October 6, 2011, my friend and I meet to put some final touches to a dream.  Yesterday the world lost a vissionary...a man filled with passion, thoughts that no box could contain, and action that would change how our society would function.  His words give me kindling to stoke my inner fire.

Funny how my inbox is filled with "driving onward" sentiments today....  

Danielle LaPorte sends out weekly emails and this one was written just for me:

Dear L, (okay I added this)

"There are soul-justified reasons to cancel. There are times to stop. This isn't one of them. Keep going. Show up. Decide to be one of those people who pull it off."

In the coming days, and maybe as soon as tonight, we will be bringing this dream to the world.....

Seize the Day!

Balance

Now there is a word that has so much depth of meaning.  In working sheepdogs...it is paramount that a dog can find balance.  It is the key to everything......a good fetch, a good drive, a good pen & shed.  Some days it feels so much easier to help a dog find balance than for me to find personal life balance.  I really enjoy reading Pioneer Woman and today's post of "how to draw a balance" was tucked away under her topic of Homeschooling.  I almost did not read the article...for one, why would anyone want to "draw" a balance....me thinking precise weighing with a scale sort of balance.  I don't draw much of anything besides shapes that form letters on a legal pad.  Yet, I did indeed read..and left the blog with a newly stoked fire to find a bit of balance in my new life. 

It is funny, with the boys gone off to college, I envisioned all this "free time".  Lazing around watching afternoon TV...who knew soap operas were off the air replaced by reality TV?  That's okay by me, nothing like a good dose of Celebrity Rehab or on the worst of lazy days maybe even some Jersey Shore Basketball Wives.  And yet that is not at all what my life has turned into....no instead I have an endless list of things to do and can't seem to find its finish line.  Balance.....how does one find balance? Why does the fact that I can do whatever I want leave me thinking I can do it all? BTW I want to stick in here...I am very thankful for my life.  I am blessed beyond measure and am filled with appreciation for all I have. 

I will let you know when I find my balance.  Certainly a quest of major importance. In the Pioneer Woman post OMSH says " And so, each week feels like it is chasing after the next, until September is over, then October, then November, and I wonder…is this how we want to live? Is this how we lose days, weeks, months, and years?" I don't want my life to flow away, lost without seizing some moments, if not days. Balance.  The key to a lot of life!

Now back to that list of things to do cause I absolutely must have hay! 

Seize the Day!

Carnage at RDR

Why did the chickens cross the road? I am not sure, but somehow they did!  It was a very busy road, as in North Jefferson Highway!  One hen and four baby chicks;  frustrating beyond measure, as they tormented their mama by slipping through the 2x4 no-climb five foot fence to hang out by the same busy road they crossed. The owner of said family did not really want to bother with them.  The chicken family appeared delighted by that news and went about moving in, unpacking their bags and pooping everywhere.  A few weeks ago, one baby went missing so I was down to 3 chicks and the hen.  But still a lot of poop.....the kind that Miss Gyp thought needed to be taken home on her neck as a perfume.

In the past month, I've sort of grown fond of them, although they are slated for a trip up north to grace my friend's paddocks.  Yesterday, as I tractor cleaned the sheep sleeping quarters in preparation for winter, the family of four helped loosen two years worth of bedding, feasting on the uncovered treasures.  The young chicks napped in the sun while their mom kept at the work with me. 

Today it happened!  As I drove into the ranch...there lay the remnants of something all covered in yellow jackets (my all time favorite...NOT). As I wondered what the heck it could be, I caught my breath when I saw the gray and orange feathers and tiny body of one of my chicks!  I parked and quickly picked up the leftovers, lest they be ingested by a sneaky border collie, then ran to the barn to find one hen and one hen chick.  Gone....gone, gone are two pesky baby chicks.  I need CSI!  Carnage at Rocking Dog Ranch!  Maybe that stinking neighbor cat, maybe a skunk or quite possibly a raccoon need to have a meeting with my pellet gun.  Darn it.....I had grown to like those chicks in a love/hate sort of way!  I can not believe I spent hours fretting and working out a plan to get those remaining hens to Friday. 

Such is ranch life.  And yet another reason why I really do not want chickens.  Too independent for their own good and they poop everywhere!

Seize the Day!

Welcome to Open, Bella Baby!

I just returned from my first Vashon Sheepdog Trial and all I can say is WOW!  This was one very challenging trial to say the least.  BCxfour shows some pretty nice pictures but still did not capture the huge moundy hills that covered the field and deleted the dog's view of the sheep for massive parts of the outrun either way. And also, frighteningly enough for a control freak.....both dog and sheep were invisible on segments of any of the three drives....unless you were Patrick Shannahan who can obviously see through mountains!  Either that or his dogs can hold lines without his input...hmmm, makes a girl over-think a little.

In the past weeks, we have had some issues with our community well...leaving me with a pack of sick dogs.  At the trail, Sally was, I am hoping, the last victim of this bacterial infestation and ended up too sick to run her open go's.  With the day too full to accommodate all runs that were to happen, Miss Bella's N/C open run was being removed from the schedule.  So I did it....I plugged my nose, closed my eyes and jumped off that very safe pro novice cliff into the wide, crazy, inconsistent world of open with my Bella.  Maybe not the best trial to do it with her....but I have no regrets!  When she needed my help and I could not see her, or she got too far beyond her P/N comfort zone...I walked.  When she fell apart, we were able to get it back together.  She definately got a little rattled but I love the partnership that allowed her to look to me to help. Now to dream of the possibilities.....

I love my Nellie!  The first day, she thought we were in Vegas and was dead sure that the more sheep she could find...the more points.  She finally found a way to weasel herself into the set-out pens and my run ended with a big "that'll do"  Which she took so that was the good of my non-run!  I spent a bunch of time setting sheep, watching lifts from the left of the field, and then walking up to set sheep, yet again, the next morning on the left of the field.  I was talking to a friend last night on the long, dark, rainy drive home and we chewed on the idea if this sort of "stuff" worked.  At the end of the day, I am not sure it could hurt and I was slated to set so why not give it a try.  I am really glad I did.

Nell's second run drew up at a time of day that the sheep were at their worst:  hungry, not wanting to do anything anymore, hard draw back to the set pens. My goal, to get Nell up to the sheep on the side I sent her, which took a few blow-outs but she got it.  Once she actually saw the sheep, she took care of business in the awesome Owen Welsh bred way......did I mention I just love this dog?  I have to confess, this was the most challenging run I have done in my life of working dogs so far.  My Nell gave me everything I asked for and more.  She never once slipped off to catch an eye, she took to a very radical change in handling as I never once asked for a lie down or stop or "pace"...it was all push, baby!  I am so proud of this girl....and want to thank Geri and Lana for all the fine wool sheep work and advice they have given me since that winter trial where we utter failed on Lana's fine wool lambs!  No we did not win the trial...we timed out on the drive, but we were definately big double party winners in my mind. 

Now, of course, I am dreaming of trials to come.  Better than a chocolate shop, winter is filled to the brim with close, easy to drive to, one day trials.  Trails and a shedding clinic......it just keeps getting better and better.

Time to

Seize the Day!