Long Day

Lowri - Whew, we had a long day today.  TM took our four big lambs to market.  Unfortunately, market is over south of Nashville.  It took all day to take the lambs there and come home.

I got to help TM load the lambs.  She liked my help in putting the lambs in the small pen.  She liked my help loading the first two lambs.  But she did NOT appreciate my help with loading the last two.  It might have been because I was a bit too enthusiastic with my help.

To load a lamb, TM catches it in the small pen.  I help by standing at the gate to keep them in the corner.  Once she has caught it, she puts a leather collar on the lamb.  With the thick cotton lead rope, she moves the uncooperative lamb to the pen on the trailer.  I help by encouraging said lamb to move forward.  By the third lamb, I was fully enthusiastic.  TM started yelling at me to make me back off.   I didn't listen very well.  TM got run over a couple of times.   Oops...

When we went into the pen for the last lamb, I did not stay at the gate.  I forgot that TM has to catch the lamb before I can encourage it to move.  The lamb blasted through TM,  out the gate and then out the main gate into the open field.  TM said some blistering things to me.  She even said she was going to trade me in on a Border Collie.  I think she MEANT it!  TM finally got the lamb back in the arena and used grain (and me on a strategic sit/stay) to get him back into the little pen.  Whew, we finally got him loaded on the trailer.  I had NO idea we had such a long trip ahead of us.

TM drove and drove.  We finally got to the market place.  TM off-loaded the lambs (two guys helped her- as I was stuck in my crate).  She parked the rig so she could potty Kevin and me.  Boy, were there ever some interesting smells!  They have lots of livestock come through their market.  I wonder if they need a baddog Cardigan to help them?  I might have to look for a new job.

Kevin - I got to go too.  When we got home, I got my supper.  Then I went and bounced on the door.  To make sure TM understood, I sat and stared at the door.  It worked!  TM let us out so I could go play some more.  Life is good.