Rain! etc.

Wow, it's pouring here today! We were getting extremely dry and my pasture was turning to dust so this is very welcome. It's been a good rain with nice soaking showers to begin and then this morning's deluge. I sure hope some of it makes it into my pond as it's looking awfully pitiful.

I thought i'd just do a quick update as it's been a bit since my last post --

Preparations are continuing for the upcoming Novice trial. We have about 30 runs so far and i'll take up to 40. If we don't get any more, we'll do fun runs or possibly re-run the classes, depending on how the day goes. Either way, it should be fun and we'll have raised a nice bit of money for Joan's Ovarian Cancer Walk team. A gang of us are getting together Monday (Labor Day) to worm the sheep and run them through in groups of 3 or 4 so they'll be a little nicer for the novice teams at the trial - hopefully! That's the plan anyway. There are still a few things to be done around the farm before the 20th but it should be all done in time.

The dogs are hanging in there. Zac is doing well with his rehab at Vethab. I sat down with Dr Sherman on Monday and he gave me more information on the theory behind his treatment plan and the shockwave treatment, and i'm feeling confident i'll get my Zac back on the trial field on 4 legs again. I've started conditioning the other dogs for the fall trial season. I don't know who i'll end up trialing yet, but i'm working out Spottie and Jet for sure, with Fat Gael and puppy Bill along for the run. I haven't been working anyone on sheep much but plan to get back to that soon, probably in the next week. I'm still trying to give Bill some more growing up time though i'm sure he could take training now. I get him out about once a week and he's running out pretty well, doing a little driving, seems to know his flanks, comes through the large group on a shed, mostly does about anything i throw at him, so i don't see a reason to push him along any faster. He's still only 13 months old. We'll have a lot of fun together this winter, i'm sure. Bart is about to go stir crazy. He was officially diagnosed with OCD a couple of weeks ago, after me being suspicious about it for awhile now. We're trying Adequan injections and strict crate rest to see if possibly the OCD lesion will heal up without surgery. Poor guy is about to explode he's so bored and full of pent up energy. His breeder very generously offered to take him back to do the surgery and/or rehab, and after all i've had going with the dogs in the last couple of months, i decided to take her up on it. He'll be heading back to South Dakota next week. I'll miss him but it seems to be for the best. It will be very odd (but very nice!) to be down to only 5 dogs with fall and winter coming on. I'm sure my "homework" with Zac's rehab will be increasing soon and it will be nice to have the time to devote to that and also to bringing Billy along for the spring trials.

Otherwise, things are just clipping along. Lessons are picking up a bit, which is a good thing. I enjoy doing them and meeting the new people and dogs that come out. The sheep are fat and happy, though wishing there was more grass to eat. Things are relatively quiet for the moment. It would be nice if it would stay that way for a little break before the busy fall season gets here.

ETA: I just got email that there's a FLOOD WATCH in Granville County. How awesome is that?! Rain, rain, rain, don't go away! Not for a day or two anyway. :-)