TMT 2012 #9

Yeah - a free for all edition of TMT - I can hardly wait to read what everyone puts down!!!

Random thoughts - sometimes I have them - but maybe I think too highly of myself - I think my thoughts are concrete and very constructive!!! lol Hubby tells me that my 400 HP brain functions way too much!!!

But I do have new pictures - not of Tate, though, just of Pete,  Liesl, and Bess.

Pete will 7 months old tomorrow! He has sure grown - check out his puppy picture in the side bar!

Isn't he a handsome fellow - all you girls dogs are droolin' I know!!!!

I know these aren't the best pictures, but it does show Liesl working goats. She is doing fairly well in her training. She and I still have our "alpha female" moments, but she does love to work!!

And here are some awesome still shots of Bess. She is about 10 1/2 months old and is coming along fine in her training. She is so biddable and INTENSE!!! We still have a long way to go, cause we're still in the round pen, but I'm in no hurry and I want to do things for her benefit!

And finally here is a very, very short (don't blink you might miss the action - but you won't be bored!) video clip of Bess working goats.

P.S. The chicken in the video is for your benefit Laura!!! LOL

Disclaimer: No chickens were injured or killED in this filming - just a few ruffled feathers!!

HAPPY TRAILS TO YA'LL !!!

Tell Me Thursday 2012 #8

Missed you last week, but alas the time flew by for me and didn't get around to catching up. Glad the Crazy Mobile is functional!! I hope you get ever mile you need out of her!!

1. What blogging tip would you give other dog bloggers? 

Enjoy commenting on each others blogs! When I comment and get a response, I always learn something I didn't know!!

2. If you were stranded on a deserted island, and could have five things with you (aside from the clothes on your back) what would they be?

 I chose "things" but I would also really like have with me:

My Sweet Cowboy!

3. How much pain are you willing to endure in the name of physical appearance? 

I shave my legs - sometimes I cut myself!!

Do you have painful things done to enhance beauty? 

Nope - I'm beyond hope in that department! What you see is what you get! Besides I'm kinda cheap and lazy.

4. Speed limits...how fast do you drive. Do you drive Miss Daisy? Do you do the Indy 500 to work? 

I drive this:

It is a 2000 model 1 ton FWD Power Stroke Diesel Ford. It gets about 16 mpg, diesel costs $3.89 (last time I fueled up). So..... I drive SLOW!!!!

5.  What trial (that you go to) is your favorite and why? 

The Armadillo SDT in Fredrickburg, Texas hosted by John and Kathy Lewis. They were some of the first people I met when I started trialing and they have become good friends. John always encourages me! He puts on a good trial - I like the field - though sometimes his sheep are a little wacko. We eat lunch on the grounds. We help out - set up pens, scribe, etc. It is in October, so it usually isn't too hot and it is only about 1 1/2 hour drive away. And I usually do pretty well there!!

Thanks Laura for another thought provoking installment of TMT 2012!

Until Next Time - Happy Trails to You!!

TMT 2012 #7

Wow, #7 already!! Where does the time go?!!

1. Jorgan would like to know: what skill would you like to have that you currently don't have?

Play the violin. I love violin music, and to be able to produce that music would be awesome!

Dog training skill: Teach the "stand" command to Tate.

2. If someone was going to play you in a movie, who do you think it would be?

Meryl Streep - she played Margaret Thatcher and remember I would have made a great Prime Minister!!

 or Glenn Close. She played in the "Sarah Plain and Tall" series and that character is almost me. Besides they are both blonde (I'm blonde but not a ditsy blonde, nor are they), they are close to my age (some older though) and I consider them real classy ladies!

3. Kelsey wants to know what is a quality in a dog that you admire but would never fit with you?

That's a tough one - I'm pretty new to the trialing training, but have been around dogs all my life. I have four BCs right now, all of whom are different in several areas. I focus on the strong points of each dog and work accordingly. There are times I wish Tate was stronger, or that Liesl wasn't quite so independent, but I think I could work with almost any dog in any situation. Maybe I admire a dog with a lot of bite, but don't want to always have to be getting after them.

4. If you had enough money to pay someone to do just one chore, what would it be?

Ironing. I loved clothes that are ironed, but don't really like to iron. I like it when I am done!

5.  Are you a procrastinator, a doitnower, or somewhere in between?

Ironing - definitely a procrastinator. Most everything else I'm a doitnower, My motto is "eat the pie crust first, then you have the filling to finish up with".  I loved my paternal grandmother very much, but she made the very worst pie crust, but had the absolutely best cherry pie filling. I was raised in the era "if you put it on your plate, you better eat it!!" So, every Thanksgiving I ate the pie crust first and finished up with the cherries!! (I still eat all pie that way today, and I make awesome pie crust and love it!) That's how I approach getting things done. Do the things you don't like first, and then the things you like to do will be last!

Thanks Laura, for another great session!!

TMT Addendum - On Saturday

Okay, had to address Laura's TMT question about power tools - found a new one that I LOVE to use!!! Talk about controlled power!!

IMPACT WRENCH

+

AIR COMPRESSOR 

And I put 16 lug nuts on in record time!!!

I think I could give Tim Allen a run for his money and start my own TOOL TIME!!!!!
Especially if Laura Carson has her comedy show right before!!!

TMT 2012 #6 with Laura

1. Robin wants to know what you ideal number of dogs is?

I have six on the place right now and that is my absolute max. One of those is my youngest daughter's dog that we are keeping until she gets out of college (just got her, as my daughter has to move out of the place where she could keep a dog). One other dog is our Pyrenees, Sonya, and she is must have, as she is my "compound guard dog". She keeps the varmints away from the critters we keep around the house. We have two 20 acre traps, and we kid out there. Plus I have chickens, so Sonya's presence keeps foxes, coons, and possums away. Last year she killed 7 possums and 2 coons that came too close. Right now we have 60 head of nannies in the traps in the midst of kidding, so she keeps the bobcats, foxes, and coyotes away while the kids are young. When they can travel good and keep up with mom and the herd they will get turned back out in the pasture. So that's two dogs!! The other four are Border Collies, and that is my max for training/working. Tate has had a very busy spring helping move goats and sheep around and I couldn't do that job without him. He's good with the baby kids and listens so well and is "soft" with the nannies. The other 3 BCs are young and in training, but I'm looking forward to when they can "work" full time, too.

Sorry about the long dissertation on dog numbers, but I'm in a talkative mood! Here's a couple of pictures of the baby kids - just because I like pictures!!

2. Lora wants to know if you find your dogs are better or worse with time off from training?

Tate really does the best if we work at least 4 or 5 days a week, by work I mean on stock, taking commands, being what he was made to do! If he doesn't, he gets to "sky bugging". (and then I am not a happy camper). We don't always accomplish that, but that is my goal.

Liesl really needs to work every day, but only in small segments. She is an extremely strong dog, and has been slow to train. One thing that I want to start doing with her is taking her when I go horseback, and just put some conditioning miles on her. One of our mottos when training (we've trained ranch horses for years) is that every young horse needs lots of "wet saddle blankets". Liesl needs to get tired before she wants to settle into working sheep correctly.

Bess, I try to work on sheep 3 days a week. I love to do other things with her every day, and she thrives on the attention. She's okay with time off, though, as she learns quickly and never forgets.

One thing I try to do, is change up things in my training program, so the sessions build on each other, but I try to keep it fresh to keep all of us interested. So sometimes, if I'm not "into it mentally" we do take time off.

3. What is your favorite power tool? What power tool do you wish you had?

I have three favorites:

I like to build rustic furniture from salvaged lumber, and I can build anything with these three tools!

I wish I had a lathe. I think I would like to learn to do more detailed work.


4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A veterinarian. No doubt, I thought that is what I would be. But, got to college and walked on the Varsity Women's Basketball Team and played for four years (Colorado State University). So changed my major (twice) and ended up having a degree in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Physical Education and Biology.
But, I've always lived on a ranch and had animals, so I've "doctored" critters all my life. Hubby calls me "Dr. Doniene"!!! LOL

5. How many of your friends are not dog people?

About half and half. Some of my best friends are people that I have met trialing - we think alike!!! LOL

But I have other friends that don't get it so I don't talk dogs with them! But I have many diverse interests and have people that I consider friends in those other activities. i.e. quilters, ranchers, church friends etc. But if someone will listen, I WILL TALK about my dogs!!!

That's me on the right "talking" to a willing listener!! 

Really, she talked too as she has a young BC and we were sharing experiences!!

TMT #5 2012

1. Julie wants to know one frugal tip this week. 

Cook from scratch, and then freeze meals to warm up later. Now that it is just hubby and I at home (minus 4 kids) it works well for us and is healthier than quick, premade meals.

2. What are you reading this week? 

A set of "sappy" Christian love stories set in the 1880's by Diann Mills. It's mindless and wonderful!!

3. Barbara wants to know: do you hit the snooze button on the alarm clock and if so how many times?

 I used to be a notorious snooze button hitter!!!! Maybe up to an hour, grab the clock, hold it in you hand, hold it under the pillow and "muscle memory in the ole index finger" let me sleep a whole hour!!! The I conditioned myself to get out of bed, hit the off button, punch the coffee, and get up. Now, I sleep until I wake up - which is about 6:00 - 6:30, get up and get a cup of coffee (hubby has already punched the button - yeah) and start my day!

4. If you had to travel in a sedan (or if you already drive a sedan) and you have five or six dogs, how would you handle it? 

Get a window put in between the front seat and the back seat, put wire screens over the back windows, throw the dogs all in the back seat and drive down the back roads so no one could see me. !!!!!! But:

Bess would definitely want to ride shotgun!!!

Pete would want to hang his head out the window!!

Sonya would be incensed!!

Tate would be a perfect gentleman!!

And Liesl would refuse to ride inside!!

5. How much do you filter what you put on your own blog? 

Not sure how much I filter - I have three separate blogs and try to keep the topic on each confined to that area. I'm honest about where my weaknesses and strengths lie and am quick to show/tell my faults especially about my dog training/working. I enjoy the same in others blogs.

Have a Great Weekend !!

Friday Confessional

 Okay, this is Laura's fault - I decided to participate. So here goes!

I Confess - That when I first started blogging, I gauged my success on how many followers I had!! But when I got over that....well...

I Confess -  the friends I've made in blog land are amazing and I've enjoyed every minute of getting to know each and every one of you!

I Confess - keeping up with three blogs gets to me sometime, but hey I'm a person with many interests and don't want to bore one group with my thoughts on every subject.

I Confess - it use to hurt my feelings when my quilt blog friends didn't give a hoot about how great an out run Tate had!! and that my dog buddies thought I was nuts when I told them about winning some quilt blocks in a drawing!! Hence - separate blogs!!! 

I Confess - confession IS GOOD for my soul!! Thanks!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!