Tuesday brought a full day of this type of work....true confession......there was good work and not-so-good work....but it was work! Gathering a field of 400 near term ewes then moving on to gather yet another field of 600 or so of the same. The second field had a couple ewes with lambs at their side, complicating the gather, along with a lot of terrain. I feared after the not-so-good, I would never be called again....and yet the rain made for necessity and ewes and lambs requiring evacuation...beggars can't be choosers thank goodness.
I followed the sheep guys with the trailer to the field sending the SOS. We drove through about three of these, each time me cursing the lead truck. They assured me later that, since there was little current....we were safe!
It was a very eerie feeling driving through the lake....water everywhere. Needless to say, once the ewes and new born lambs were gathered.......I took a different route home!
Today, I sent the old year out with yet again more dog work.
Nell is really starting to shine working for me. She is trusting me and I her. This morning, amidst a bit of fog, we gathered a field and then drove them on to a beautiful new growth grass field.
Watching the ewes as they drifted out onto the new field was just darn right breath taking.
Bella had a go with some ewes back at the main ranch. She has been loosing her head and choosing not to be a team player a little on the big flock work so I was glad to be able to get a hold of her with the flatter field.
The last of the work did not bode so well for me today. I was to help gather about 350 lambs and push them across a little creek, then over a road into a new grazing field. The gather went splendid but the lambs would not cross the creek. Nor would they cross the dropped electric fence. I ended up working Bella and Nell together trying to create more push and well, it got very exciting. We called uncle and I learned a really good lesson today.....just as with trialing, real work does not always go as planned! The sheep foreman started telling me stories of other days that had not gone well, and, it felt good to laugh...even the best sheep men need to "know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em"
One of my goals for 2012 is to learn a little bit more about sheep. I am thankful to these sheep guys for giving me that opportunity to learn! I hear their lambing barn calling my name and am hoping for some time to go give an obstetric hand in the coming weeks.
I gave hubby Grace for Christmas. He loves her so....and she him. She gets all goo goo eyed and whiny when he walks in the door every single night. He is training her to go mountain biking with him and she seems to be loving it. He did whisper in her ear that she could continue her sheepdogging....but only when he did not need her. A boy and his dog......
As the final sentences are added to the very last page of 2011.......I continue to listen to the lessons learned and reflect on all the blessings that came my way. Tomorrow starts the new book of 2012....the clean, bright page ready to begin to capture the latest adventures in a life well lived. Happy New Year everyone!
Seize the Day!
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