January 14, 2011: If this is Friday, What Happened to Monday, Tuesday, etc

Crikey, what happened to the beginning of the week? It's Friday already...not that I am complaining. Actually, I rarely know which day of the week it is as everyday seems like Saturday...well, except for the dearth of trials at this time of the year.

All I can say about the week is that it's been WET! And I mean REALLY wet. As I look out the window, our stream is whizzing down at a great rate and the bridge is almost completely covered. Our rebuilt culvert is working beautifully. The training field has a river flowing through the middle, although it is somewhat down today! The floods here pale in comparison to Brazil and Australia, but it's still hellishly wet. Good Welsh weather! Yesterday I was training in thick fog. I sent Meg on a look back for one ewe and I felt for sure she would never get it as I had no idea where it had wandered too. I need not have worried because out of the fog came one reluctant ewe and an ever keen dog quietly in behind. At lunch time I took all the dogs for a whirl around the top fields. Not such a smart idea as the fog was even thicker up there with perhaps 15 metres visibility at the best of times. Luckily I told the dogs to all "get in behind" and they behaved themselves nicely with just the occassional rush of blood to their heads for a wee sprint in front of me.

I think I've decided I'm a "fair-weather" runner. Not exactly the right attitude when one lives in Wales. I was out running in the forest with Sioux, Meg, Bee and Jamie the other day and was dodging puddles as best I could. Then it happened. I misjudged a leap and landed right in the middle of a great big puddle. Feet soaking wet. I think it is the first instant you realize that puddles are cold and you feel the coldness seeping into your socks that I hate the most! Once the deed was done, though, I was resigned to the fact my feet were soggy and enjoyed the rest of the run ...splashing through every puddle. Perhaps I need to splash through the very first puddle I see and get it over and done with, rather than look like a 'girl' trying to dodge the puddles. Why delay the inevitable?

Oddly enough, I like training in the rain! Weird! I did miss a couple of days of training this week as it was so wet and cold that making the sheep run around getting hot and then cooling down was not fair on the girls. They got some hay, some feed blocks and a couple of days of peace and quiet. We had another 10 sheep arrive on Sunday. What perky little treats they are. Now I have a nice group of lambs to practice international shedding. So that is exactly what I did on Tuesday...and I only needed a 15 acre shedding ring to get the job done :-( Oh boy, do I need help! I wonder if I will ever 'get it.' I seem to be able to separate sheep...but to do so within the confines of a shedding ring whilst keeping sheep in the ring, well, that's my problem! I haven't got this figured out yet but I'm working on it.

Kelvin arrived home last night to tell me we are having 12 Indonesian guests (plus a few Welshies) for dinner in February. For all who know my cookery skills, you can imagine how I think they might like to eat out! Kelvin softened the blow by telling me we'd be doing a 'sheepdog demo' - oh, now that part I like...but cooking, I guess I'll be learning how to actually read, and follow, a recipe. I was going to google Indonesian food, but who goes to the other side of the world to eat food you have at home? (and knowing me, home cooking they would prefer). No, it's got to be something 'Welsh' but perhaps with some 'spice' to it. Anyone got any ideas? Welsh lamb satay with coconut rice? Now that I could probably do!

There really isn't much 'news' other than Bailey being very sick and lame and we're not quite sure why. I've also been working on a new book - no, not a 'herding' book - and that should be ready for the printer perhaps as early as March or April. Now that we are in 2011, there is work to be done on the World Trial website and I've been enlisted to help on a really exciting project measuring the intelligence of border collies. Now that project is a big one. How cool is it to actually try to measure intelligence of a sheepdog? Wonder how my dogs will fare? Be warned, my friends, I'll be looking for dog volunteers!

Well, that's it as I head off into the wet yonder with a young dog in tow. We're off to find some sheep.