Summer Days

It isn't getting any cooler any time soon. The fires in BC are still burning in places but are under control for now. Let's hope it stays that way. Long range is for the same hot weather and no rain.
I hauled in the round bales out of the grass field today and Kit was very happy to have somewhere to play King (Queen) of the Castle.



I told Len last year we needed to have a water tank in case of spot fires. Something I could throw in the back of my pickup.....so this is what he brought home. Bigger is better...and try and get the old farm truck started when I need it :)



Decided to do something with the dogs. Will and Cole wanted to take the bike but since neither can drive or find the key we went for a walk.



Took the dogs for a walk in the dust....



Then they all had to have a big drink....



Cole who belongs to Norm Sommer is here for a month or so for "manners" training. Here he is doing his version of Lie down and having a drink at the same time....

Should've had a camera

Well the oddest thing happened the other day...and me without my camera. I was grazing sheep and one of the Maremmas (Livestock Guardian Dogs)started screaming, yes it was a scream. When I went running to Georgia, she was holding her foot up so I thought she had been stung. Lo and behold, there was a vole (field mouse) hanging onto her foot. She is the great white hunter and probably stepped on it to catch her prey and it got her. Talk about your elephant and the mouse story. No fairy tale ending here, Georgia ate her attacker.
I am sure we have all complained in the Okanagan about the heat and dry pastures enough, but we aren't done yet. Most devasating are the fires that come with this. Not a good thing. Still remember evacuating sheep in 2003 when we were on alert. Chris and Terri Hanson with stock trailers at 2AM trying to load 200 sheep and lambs. Jill Brodie was here helping. Jill and Lynne Schweb and I had gone to the Kimberley Sheep Dog Trial and ended up racing for home. Best excuse I ever had for a bad run. Lynne had already been evacuated and we were on stand-by. Friends are so great when we need them! We should appreciate each other more some days!

Hot Summer Days

Hot summer days...reminds me of Meatloaf's song...It was a hot summer night....that is really dating me isn't it? So back to the present and some new pictures.

Sonny is growing in leaps and bounds. He is as big as the Border Collies now and knows the command "Go to your sheep". He hangs his head and slowly trudges out to his flock. Makes you feel like the mean one of the century but they need to learn. Ahhh tough love. He got brushed today and loved all the attention. He looks very handsome now.




So not much was done this weekend because of the heat. We put out some electric fence up so the sheep can graze the short barley before it burns off. It is dry again even after all the rain.



The tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse are doing fine though.

Hilltop Trial

Well after along day of doing nothing, not that I had nothing to do, I decided to at least catch my blog up. Had a great time at Wendy and Chris Schmaltz's Hilltop Trial on Friday and Saturday. Drove down on Thursday to a field on Hwy 21 in Alberta about 20 minutes north of Strathmore.

Stayed with Lee in her new trailer..a 29'footer that is awesome inside. Brought Rosie and Kit for their travelling experience and Will and Mirk were entered.

The sheep were tough but interesting to work. Friday I was very happy with the boys handling of the sheep even if we weren't in the money. Saturday, well that makes one go home and work on a few things. Mind you the wind howling at 90 MPH is not a fixable thing and anything weather wise can happen at a trial.

It was great to see everyone and have just have fun!!!

Since I forgot the camera (what else is new??)Bev Sommer took some pictures and sent them to me. Here is Mirk and I on Friday...

Just workin' Dogs

What a great day to work dogs, warm but a nice breeze so we didn't bake. Lee and Lynne came out and we took turns setting and working. Had coffee and muffins before we started and lunch afterwards.

My Jen and Lee's Shae were setters and supervisors:



Lee and Chica:



Lynne and Dex....a far away shot:



My Will and Lynne's Dex sharing the water tub:



We had some great progress with the dogs, didn't get a chance to get any of the younger dogs...next time!

Off to Alberta on Thursday so will post after the Trial at Irricana.

Grazing

Today I decided to graze the top area by the barley field. So armed with my dog, my book, reading glasses, water and a chair we went out for our 3 hour stint.
This is where I wanted the sheep to graze:



This is where they thought they wanted to go. The barbless barley with a bit of alfalfa left over from the last planting.



It was a nice day, warm but with a gentle wind. My mini vacation was being able to read a book. Jen the BC hung out with me. She is a great dog to graze with, not afraid to get into the bush, has a wide outrun so that helps when the sheep are spread out and will hang out for hours just watching.



Here are some pictures of our morning:

Yes, that is the fence to the barley but the Border Collie is there!

A Sunny Day on the Mountain

Woke up to birds singing and then the noises of the crusher down in the government pit. Oh well, the things that go with getting the roads fixed. The sheep are out grazing with Len keeping a close eye that they don't hit the barley field this morning.

When I went down to shut the bottom gate, the Border Collies came for a run and a quick swim. Here is Will after his swim and then a major excavation for a mouse!



Sat on the deck and had coffee before cooking breakfast and the view was nice...



So have a great day where ever you are....and here's a flower for you.