Now that's the way to spend Labor Day! Trading off working dogs, and helping get ready for the trial to benefit our friend who is suffering from ovarian cancer.

By the way, if you've ever dreamed of running in a "Border Collie" or USBCHA-style trial, you can enter ANY dog "in spirit". Your name and your dog's name will appear in the class running order and the proceeds go to Joan Stoat-Knight's team walking in the Gail Parkins Memorial Ovarian Cancer Awareness Walk. Ovines against Ovarian Cancer!

It's only fifteen dollars per dog. It would be fantastic to get ODOers from all over the country! Your dog does not have to be any kind of herding breed, or in fact alive, or real. You can enter a cat or pig (baa ram ewe!).

Just download the form linked below, fill it out, and follow the directions. I'll make sure you get a running order in return!

Whistle for a Cure Entry Form

Anyway, Ted and I ran the trial course almost for real several times today, and penned some not-very-cooperative sheep twice. It felt awfully good to get into the swing of things and Ted is really making my heart sing. The only sort of not-quite-ready-for-primetime part of him is his outrun - the part where he's supposed to run and get the sheep. He still wants to go really tight. But once he gets behind them, he's so easy.

Julie and Laura did a bang up job setting out some gnarly sheep and holding them for us so we could work on the outrun difficulties we were having. We couldn't have done it without them. Really, it's tremendous to get a good set of people to equalize challenging sheep so Ted's confidence can get a boost. This was only the second time Ted's work with someone holding sheep for him up top. I was so impressed with Nick!

Laura gets the "Going first with class" award. I told her we were going to make her very own, harder course when we did the real trial. And "special" sheep. Led by the spotty wether who went for a swim when Patrick ran Gus. Laura did such a terrific job handling a couple of tricky situations, and of course Nick is the bomb.

DH, Patrick, went next. He's finally agreed to go for it with Gus - he was kind of discouraged for a while as his previous dog had some serious issues and he sort of got dumped by his trainer (and the person he got the dog from). Patrick's got a lot of potential so it make me unhappy that he had a nice dog and wasn't doing much with him. He and Gus are best buds, but he's been sort of burnt out on the sheepdogging thing and only used Gus for the most basic chores most of the time.

So I was pleased that he had a pretty good time today. As I said, he had one sheep choose to go for a swim, but that one had a strange affinity for the water - Gus didn't push him in, he could hardly keep up with the sheep!

Gus had such a good time that when we stopped to pick up a toy the kids left in the barn, he thought I was going to where the sheep were and hopped out of the window when no one was looking. We actually went down the road, stopped and watched some guinea fowl, then proceeded another couple of miles, stopped and watched some geese, then went another several miles talking about the geese and whatnot, then stopped and watched some deer - and then I realized Gus was NOT in the truck (he usually hunkers way down on the floorboards because he hates car rides - I thought he was in the "way back").



So a not-so-terrific end to a great day. Gus was fine of course, though very glad to see me! Patrick was highly traumatized - he's not quite speaking to me at the moment.

I got to see all of Julie's dogs (that are currently running) go again, which is always a treat. Julie's such a versatile handler that it's like a lesson just sitting and watching her. All the Twist youngsters are so different and cool.

I figured out how to upgrade the resolution and fps on my camera's video taking function, so I filled the card with just two of Ted's runs and one run of my husband. Next time I'll have the card empty, and I'll bump down the quality a smidge so I can record a little of everyone and post pics too.

That sounds like a great way to spend Labour Day! Poor Gus; glad he was ok.

Color me jealous! That sounds like a *blast*! Are you and Ted going to run in Robin's trial?

Yup, we are entered. And Patrick and Gus are entered too. I can't wait now. I knew I had missed it a lot but how much wasn't clear until I was standing there at the pen. I am really into the team aspect of it. Ted has never until that time even been asked to pen, and these sheep weren't super easy penners. We got them lined up several times, and I was trying to make sure I was praising Ted and giving off happy calm feelings every time it "looked right" - sheep turned around, calmly aiming at the hinge. He's so awesome - he really understood, I think, what I was asking, and even when it got hairy stayed calm and focused on the big picture.

It was indeed a majorly fun way to spend the day. I'm beat today, but Twist shows no signs of any lameness or stiffness--Hooray!--so I think it's time for me to stop worrying and just decide that she is finally back to being 100 percent herself, fit and ready to work. If ever a day would have turned up any lingering problems, yesterday would have been it!

To everyone: This trial is being held for a very good cause: the Gail Parkins Memorial Ovarian Cancer Awareness Walk. If you live near enough to come spectate, please do. The person who is providing the food concessions is a chef extraordinaire, so even if you don't have a dog to run, you can be guaranteed some good eats and a great time!

And if you don't live nearby but want to support a very good cause, pleae follow Becca's link and consider an in spirit entry or donation.

From the National Cancer Institute:


According the the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, ovarian cancer is the 8th most common cancer among women (2004) and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women since 1999. Unlike with breast cancer or other cancers that affect primarily women, ovarian cancer survival rates have not improved significantly in the past 30 years.

J.

Good for you and Patrick, Becca! How fun.

I sent in mine and Jack's 'in spirit' entry. It'll be the closest we ever get.

Thank you so much, Paula! That's awesome. And who knows, girl.

It was a lovely way to spend the day. Noodleman and I are also tired, but good. Thank you for the kind words Becca - it was our pleasure. Nick and I had a blast up there. I couldn't always see very well what all was going on down at the bottom, but yeah, that wether was having himself a grand old time!

You so funny!

Oh, and tell Robin I wish I could've sent more. I spent a LOT of money on gas Sunday driving that rescue dog across the state.