Boys behaving badly

Some boys (who shall remain nameless) just can't help themselves. I am sure his wife would be so proud of him.

USBCHA National finals webcast

Most of you already know that this year for the first time ever the National finals will be broadcast live via the Internet. Starting with Saturday,September 25th's semi finals followed by Sunday's double lift. For those of you interested I have added a link on the right side of my blog. As much as I would love to be there I am stuck at home in my trailer and enjoying the rain. I will be there in spirit cheering my friends on. Lisa and I may watch together via telephone and getting all the juicy details from Jenny via text messages.

The thing that haunts me most

We currently live in about 350 square feet and are often tripping over one another. One would think you would do what you could to make each other happier. Nah!! not my frat house boys. I am continually being stalked by the same thing. It haunts my dreams and shows up in the craziest places. Any ideas what this could be? I bet you have some but you are probably wrong.

Dental floss. How hard is it to put your dental floss in the garbage can. I find it everywhere. He claims he puts it in the garbage but I still continue to find it on the floor.

Milestone

This week marks a big milestone in our family. Justice entered grade 12 the beginning of the end of school.  Some parents take pictures of their kids on the first day of kindergarten not me I prefer to remember the first day of his last year.

last hurrah

Grab a coffee or something stronger this is setting up to be a long post. Just home form the last big trip of our dog trailing season here in western Canada since I am not going to any of the big trials down south this fall. This was the last time till next year I will see some of my trailing friends. In October we have the Alberta field finals but then mostly nothing.
Started this trip out at the EID Classic in Brooks expertly run by JoAnn and Ian Zoerb. I didn't take any pictures do to the disastrous way my dogs were running and the copious amounts of Sangria I was consuming. The field at EID is challenging and scenic. The bad thing about terrain is it makes wide running dogs run wider therefore Isla had no chance. The first day she had a not bad run and even got the shed (she hates to shed) but timed out just as I got to the pen mostly because of her 5 minute long outrun. The second day she got lost on her out run and almost ran right back to me. So I call her off. Rob had a major brain meltdown on this trip and hardly listened to me at all. I retired at the drive away gates both days due to him circling the sheep wildly numerous times. Jerry did an awesome handlers dinner for us. Unfortunately he has now ruined us for handlers dinners to come in the future. Double lift winner was George Stambulic and Kate.
Packed up Sunday and headed the Chris Jobe's place to works some dogs and send Lisa's husband to town to get much needed supplies (Sangria ingredients)
That afternoon we headed east to Jamie VanRayhn's trial in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. This field was totally flat. Still no pictures same excuses. Rob continues to fail me this time just attacking sheep down the fetch line. Just to mix it up a little for a change. Sheep were tough and not sure the hearing was so good. A lot of dogs just wouldn't cover their side and ended up off course all the way to the exhaust. Isla fell into that category the fist day. The sheep got slightly better the second day. Isla did slightly better and got a score something in the 60's I think she timed out at the pen. By this time I could make my Sangria blind folded. And I was starting to divvy up my stuff for my pending suicide if my dogs didn't start running better.
After Jamie's were we off to Maple Creek for the Western Canadian Championships. When we arrived at the trial field the temperature was 36 Celsius and blowing fine dust everywhere. That fine dust would turn out to be our undoing on Sunday. First thing we notice was the absents of level camping spaces. Things were about to get very cozy. We ran a different course each day. Sort of on the flat the first day and up the hill the second day. First day Rob was an ass so I pulled him for the second day. Isla ran pretty good but no single or pen. She scored 68 the first day. Second day I finally pulled out my camera.

Lisa and Hope at the post

Setting up the single

George reliving his youth

Day two Isla had a fabulous run scoring an 84. She even did her single without a blink of an eye. I was very happy with her it has been a long time since she has giving me a good run. Our two runs combined was good enough to get us into the Double Lift final on Sunday. Our very first double lift. Scary for me because I had not practiced a look back in a year. I use it at home all the time. She also hates shedding. Fortunately I had packed a nice shirt in case this exact thing happened. But we woke up to this....................

So my double lift out fit consisted of borrowed rain pants ( thanks Chris) and a faded brown Carhart Jacket. Really did nothing for my figure

funny doesn't look miserable

Scott would have been proud I totally had a plan. Notice the four collared sheep at the front. Isla was right with me but alas my inexperience got the best of us and I never finished the shed. I was very happy just to get in and have my dog work with me. In the end we scored 93 out of 170 and finished seventh out of ten in the double lift. 

Sunday also consisted of each handler getting pulled out of the camping spots with a tractor. 

We waited till Monday to get pulled out

See ya next year sheep