Sleep Deprivation Study 2012

Lambing is all over and now the calves have started to come. The month of April contained very little sleep for us. I was going to keep my sleep deprivation weirdness to my self but alas too many people witnessed my craziness. Also not really sure what i was thinking when I entered two trials during lambing.
Even though I had the midnight and 7:00 Am lamb checks it sure messed up my thinking process. Plus Kyle was working at the office most days so I was on my own.
The following is some of the things I did.
- Failure to complete sentences
- went to Costco jumped out of the truck and went inside only to stop and think 20 minutes later "did I shut off the truck" I did not. Kyle said at least I didn't leave the door open.
- My students really suffered. My lack of thought process did not help at all. I would say things like "what you should have done there was ............... " Oh forget just keep working.
- My favorite. I put my sock on my foot then put the shoe on the other foot. That classic was witnessed by Lisa and Naomi.

Not only has lambing affected me it also has had an impact on Meg. She has been my lambing dog. Mainly she is the only trained dog I have that will work a single or lambs. The young dogs would but are just not patient enough. Isla refuses to see anything other than a whole flock.
I took Meg to a one day arena trial and she was super pushy and not listening. People were asking me what was up with Meg. She also gripped off one round. That being said the ewe deserved to be gripped.
Last weekend we headed out to BC for Lee Lumb's expertly run trial. I was tried and still not thinking right. Something the rest of the team thought was very amusing. They even tried to ambush me at a Tim Horton's being guarded by some ravens. I am terrified of birds. Naomi had her camera in hand ready for that viral You Tube moment. I can just see the title "Girl attacked by birds while friends laugh hysterically" That's fine Naomi has two kids to put through college might as well make some money from You Tube. As long as I get to Meet Matt Lauer when we go viral.
At Lee's trial I did something I have never done while running a dog. I turned the post the wrong way. I was so busy fighting with Meg on the dog leg fetch that I forgot we changed the course. She turned the sheep around the post and I looked up and saw the drive panels facing the wrong way. "For Fucks Sakes" (that ones for you Debbie) Then I just turned thanked the judge and walked off. No point in carrying on since runs were scoring in the 90's and my fetch was way off line.

I believe I am all rested up now. Just in time for another trial next week.

Well this is a new one

We have one of "Those neighbors". If it's not his long horn cattle busting through our fence to eat the grass then it's their pig chasing my sheep. He also has a long list of dogs that roam the country side and chase cars. When we first moved here we befriended them. We sold them hay for their animals. Which we never did get paid for.

This morning this motley crue showed up for coffee.

No doubt they were just looking for food.

No wonder my dogs were losing their minds in the middle of the night. 

Learning the ropes

Bear is learning what the lambs are all about.
Guardian dogs don't just know what to do they have to learn the rules.

Head down but still a little to forward for mom's liking

Really avoidance is the best policy.

He is only aloud with the new lambs when we are out there.

Now that he knows what is going on he sits by the gate waiting for us to let him in.

Is that Placenta in your hair

Yes, folks it is that time again. Lambing is upon us. Time to wonder if you washed your hands after picking up the latest born. Then remember you tried to get that hair out of your mouth with your hands. But hey I hear that people in LA and New York pay good money to put placenta creme on their face. If that is the case then my hands are going to be baby soft.  Yesterday started with a bang. Twins born as the southern Alberta wind started blowing and a dumb mother who failed to dry off her babies. Twins were brought into the house and put under the watchful eyes of our Chi Joe. Of course my camera died yesterday so I only have a bad cell phone pic of the cuteness. At the end of yesterday we had a total of 17 lambs. Nice start. Now we are on a roll nothing came last night or this morning. Boring.
The camera has new batteries now so cute pics to come.

Father, Son, Grandmother

Donnie 4 months old

Gus 4 months

And Grandmother Star

Photo by Christine Koval

A sunny March afternoon

The ladies enjoying the afternoon

Craig update nine months and counting

I really think Facebook has ruined me as a blogger. I post little things here and there on Facebook and then forget all about my blog followers. One of those being my mom and her co workers. Although my mom has stepped into the current century and purchased her very first computer and wait for it "got the internet". Way to go mom.
We are moving into month number 10 since Craig broke his leg. It has been a long and expensive haul. As of mid January Craig was discharged from Physiotherapy and from the care of the orthopedic surgeon. His radius is fully healed thanks to the bone graph. However his ulna is still broken and hopefully in time will heal it's self. Now it is up to me to recondition him and try to bring him back to where he was. Craig goes for weekly underwater treadmill appointments and goes swimming as well. He is by no means sound. He has a pronounced limp. I am hoping in time the limp will go away.

This video is from his first time.

I have also started to take him on free runs by himself. We only go for about 15 minutes but in that time he is aloud to run as much and as fast as he wants. It is very hard for me not to tell him to slow down. After nine plus months of telling him to take it easy.