We've got friends taking care of the animals for a few days next week.  Needless to say I've been busy getting things ready so that it's easier for everyone, writing notes and labeling things. 

Today, I may have taken the "labelling" too far. My rationale for labelling the dog runs? If you open the correct door, and say the right name - a dog will magically throw itself into the run and wait for you to close the door. Pretty handy trick, if I do say so myself. 

I felt that the labels should reflect the each dog's personality.

 

Ben's first winter

He's taking to it like a duck to water.

Hope's second run at Farmfair

It was nice to have friends Jennifer and Susi in the stands watching this year and lucky me - Jen video'd our runs.

If you happened to hear the announcer mention that I didn't close the gate the day before....let's just say that I COULD show that video, where the gate does obviously close, but hey - judging is a thankless task at best - and this was the faster run any way. 

Thanks for the great video Jen! Next we need to get you and Susi out to a field trial. :-)

That's a wrap

Time to put the buckle away for another year.

 and not a moment too soon...

There are sheep in this picture

honestly.

Our last trial of the season was Farmfair in Edmonton. Kate reminded me that she's young and needs more experience, and Hope reminded me how much we've gelled this year by doing well both days and finishing up with a 3rd place and go around money on day two. 

We finished the year on a real high note and it leaves me really looking forward to next season.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Seems like it's been ages since I blogged about trialling dogs. Well, today I've got a good one.

We took the whole family out to Lloydminster yesterday for the Stockade Roundup trial, where we met up with a good chunk of Travis's family (he's yet another Saskatchewan expat). I threw Kate in for kicks to see what she'd think of arena trials.  The arena was small and the courses complicated - the first one looked like cat's cradle...and there were no retries...and there was a judged pen...what the heck? Not exactly what I had thought Kate's first arena trial would be like at all but she surprised me by handling it like a pro, laying down two very solid runs, suffering from handler error on the first run and a ewe that really insisted that she shouldn't be penned on the second (Kate insisted that she WOULD BE penned and the ewe finally admitted defeat).

Hope and I were first to the post and the guinea pigs for the crazy courses. I managed to lose a few points on the first go around trying to make up my mind which way we were supposed to take the sheep around the second barrel  -leftorrightleftorrightleftorightcraplefttoolate-but beyond that we had two nice rounds and made it to the finals.  Hope and I had the good fortune to go first and run a clean round with a time of 1:14.  Congratulations to the other finalists Peter Gonnet in second, Jamie VanRhyn in third, Jeff DMarni in fourth, and Judy Finseth in fifth.

Along with a swishy new collar and the usual pay out Hope won us our first calcutta - the good people of Lloydminster like to gamble! Atta boy Hopey for bringing home the kibble!

We're taking a couple of days off to hang out with Travis's family in Saskatchewan and then we'll be off to Farmfair in Edmonton for more fun.

With a real sense of loss

I lay these socks to rest.

These WERE my "new favourite pair".  A pair I had just recently purchased and only worn twice. Barely broken in. Merino socks. Purple. Merino. Socks. 

He's all broken up about it - can't even sleep.