Herding, with Pictures

Lowri - I finally got to go HERDING again today!  TM brought up the big mamas and put them in the duck arena for me.  I got to chase...er, herd them all around.  TM was still making me stay out and insisting on wide flanks.  I was just thrilled to be out working again.

MC and Miss Dinah came up to herd too.  While TM was waiting for them, I got to put the big mamas in the small pen and THEN I got to go herd CHICKENS!  What a HOOT!!  TM sent me down to the far end of the field.  They were hiding in the shade.  I actually did a pretty good job of herding.  I didn't try to catch and eat any of them.   When MC got here, she said she would have loved to get some pictures of that.

Dinah did a really nice job of herding.  She hasn't been on stock since April, when she got her HT title and caused TM to get a bad knee.  Fortunately, TM's knee is doing fine now.  Dinah was very, very good.  She listened to TM and was very responsive.  TM finished the lesson by having Dinah help her pen the ewes.  Dinah even flanked the right directions!  TM gave her heaps of praise AND scritched her belly. 

I got to work again afterwards.  TM was hopeful that there would be a couple of good pictures.  MC said it was not looking good.  The grass is so long, all you could see was my back and ears.  She is going to send some to TM to check out.  I will have her post them later.

Moving my sheep.

Where we going, TM?

More Stuff from Yesterday

Lowri - I totally forgot to tell everyone that I had my hot oil bath yesterday.  I got massaged and shampooed.  Then TM took me out on the back porch and set up my table.  I got blown dry.  TM didn't care so much about getting me dry.  She was more interested in blowing out the old, dead coat.  I thought it felt great!

I am just about done with my shedding.  TM will be very glad when I stop.  She says she has groomed two dogs' worth of hair out of me.  She figures that I should be in heat in about six weeks. 

She is now thinking about doing pedicures for all of us.  We get them done every week.  It is my least favorite thing.  Couldn't I just get my hot oil bath without the pedicure?

Farm Fresh

Lowri - We are finally back at the farm.  It rained today.  That made it a bit foggy here.  That seemed odd.  But, oh well.  As soon as I got out of the car, I dashed off to see my bunnies.  They were all there and still in their cages, so I couldn't get too them - darn it!  I have checked on them every time I have been let out tonight.

TM raced the rain this morning.  We went for our walk and then hurried home.  TM decided to see if she could mow the lawn before the rain got here.  Turned out that a bunch of her neighbors had the same thought.  They were all waving at each other as they dashed around with their mowers.  I think all the people won.  Then the rain poured! 

We didn't come to the farm until really late tonight.  TM had to go offer support to some friends in the early evening.  They have all been friends for a long time, but haven't seen as much of each other in the last couple of years because the lady's husband wasn't healthy.  He crossed the Bridge this week and got to see Kearney.  TM said he was a nice man and gave Kearney a bunch of pats for us.  TM and MC both went to the service.  There was lots of hugging going on.  TM said the service was very nice.

Happy, Happy!

Lowri - Tonight, Mama Cheryl came to visit.  She got to come with us on our walk.  I got to show her my power trotting.  It was great.  Then we went to the field that is bigger than the group place.  There were BUNNIES!  That just fried every one of my brain cells.  MC said it was kind of like waving ice cream in front of her (and TM).  They would have melted circuits too.

I didn't do as well with my power trotting on the grass because of the bunnies.  But I did do a little bit.  MC was able to see the potential I have in moving on grass.  Then we went back to the house and got a drink.  We all had our tongues hanging out!

TM brought out my table and MC practiced stacking me.  TM took some pictures.  Here is one that we all liked.  TM is sorry she didn't get all of MC.  She said "whoops."  On the other hand, I haven't been groomed in over a week!

MC is holding some chicken TM cooked tonight.  It was really, really good!

Helping

Lowri - This has been a hard weekend.  I haven't been allowed to help TM build fence.  She said it took about four days to get all the burrs out of my coat last time and she really didn't want to do it again.  I tried to tell her that it would be weeks before our next show.  She didn't care.

I wanted to help doctor the cows, but I wasn't allowed near them.  TM and PR put the cows in the small pen and ran them through the chute.  They were using the headgate to catch the cows so they could worm them and give them shots.  They managed to get everyone except Gracie.  She decided she really didn't want to play.  She reared up and crashed down on the cattle panel.  It was amazing, the thick steel wire panel just bent under her weight.  She escaped.  PR and TM decided to get her next week.  You should have seen TM work trying to straighten out the panel.  It will never be the same.

I wanted to help with chickens, but TM has them trained to come when she calls.  I wanted to help with the garden, but TM wouldn't let me come inside the fence.  I especially wanted to help with the bunnies, but TM didn't need my help feeding and watering them.  I offered to use them as a self-feeder, but TM said No.  I wanted to help with the air flow in the house, but PR wouldn't let me lay on the air conditioner vent. 

It was a tough weekend, when all I wanted to do is help.

Farm Babies

Lowri - TM took bunches of pictures of our farm animals.  Here are our babies...

This is the new bunny hutch.  We have four bunnies in the three cages.

This is one of our girl bunnies.

Here are my seven new baby ducks.  PR's pheasant is standing behind them.

Thor is standing behind Sif.  She is growing so big!

This is my calf, Abby.  Her name was Junior until TM got a good look at her.

Baby Ducks and Bunnies

Lowri - We have baby duckies!  Right now there are seven.  We have two more eggs that we hope will hatch.  Our mama duck is so good.  She is busy taking really good care of them.  I am so happy.  These babies are going to replace the ducks that DAISY ate!  Yes, that's right, The Pekinese! ate my ducks last fall!  She left us one female and three males.  TM has hoped and hoped the duck would decide to hatch eggs.  She did and they hatched today!  TM will get pictures tomorrow.

Now the important stuff.  Our bunnies!  They are growing and are VERY cute!  TM and PR put a fence around the hutch tonight.  I, of course, figured out right away how to get under the fence.  TM was not very happy with me.  I am just trying to point out the holes in the fence.  I am HELPING!  TM will get pictures of the bunnies tomorrow too.