Blog Blahs

Since losing Jag, I'm having a hard time writing. I am not sure why. I hope it passes. So here's a post -- a bit forced -- but a post all the same.

What have I been up to? Not much, really. Mitch and I broke up over "shorts" v. "cutoffs" ... something very substantial. Mature, isn't it? Please don't ever tell him he's wearing shorts. He'll have another heart attack.

I am going to be meeting "Clifford" this week or next or something. Cliff is a Great Pyr from the Idaho Falls shelter. He's 5 years old, and if he works out with guarding my sheep, he'll stay here. Keeping my fingers crossed. The Border Collies here are kind of lost without Jag ... who apparently was their leader of sorts. Zip, Echo and Reese ... do not bark ... at much of anything. Even when they're supposed to. They don't. It's unnerving.

I picked up a ton of my T-posts yesterday and put them out in the pasture. Took a big long roll of fencing and laid it out. I am going to line the while vinyl fence with pasture fence, but the weeds are SO bad along the white fencing, I'm going to have to wait a few days to put the fence up. My neighbor came by and sprayed the fenceline for me, so I will be able to get this taken care of. I know there are some judgmental people out there who feel I should have done this a long time ago, and who feel if it was up to them, they would have done it ten times by now ... and to them, I say, good for you. Everyone wishes they could be perfect like you.

The irrigation ... where the water comes across the foot of my driveway ... that's an interesting process. There are concrete blocks buried in the ground side by side by side, which forms a "pipe" of sorts underground right there. The problem is ... there's dirt packed firmly in there, along with roots and rocks and stuff. I've had to dig all of those concrete blocks up, line them out and spray them clean so I can put them back in and hopefully get the water flowing properly. I bought some welded wire mesh stuff to make a screen to put on either side. I imagine it will take some practice to get all this running correctly, and that's ok. The main goal for this year is getting the entire place fenced and irrigated. Yeah, that's it. That's all measley old me can do. I know there's other women out there that could have run circles around me, and would have had a full blown garden in, all pasture grass planted and probably even put in an escalator to go from the bottom of the driveway to the top, but not me. It's going to take some time, unfortunately. I wish I could be a superhero, but for now, I'll have to just live vicariously through others.

Went on a date Thursday night. Gorgeous guy, perfect gentleman ... hoping I get to see him again.

I miss Jag.

Something awful.

The dogs are all doing well, despite losing their nerve to bark. Yesterday, I took all three of them out to the irrigation canal. I started just grabbing Reese by the scruff, and making no bones about it, throwing her in the canal. It was warm enough out that if something went wrong, I had no problem jumping in and saving her. But I need to know that if she falls in, she'll be ok. And she is. Couple of times I threw her in, so went completely under water, came up without freaking out, swam to the side, got out, shook off, and continued about her way. I love this dog. So, I was hoping that some day she would just jump in after her mother or something.  Here's the VIDEO.

Hee hee ... go Reese!

Oh, I almost forgot to blog about my big trial this weekend!  Whew!  The trial at the Canyon County Fair ... it's in a huge arena ... it's got to be oh, at least 2 1/2 feet long and about 12 inches wide.  Something like that.  The sheep were like 150 years old and quite cooperative.  The course ... outrun, lift, fetch, around the post, drive, crossdrive and pen. Time and points.  The judge was one of Couch's boys.  It was nice to see everyone ... all six handlers.  Drank beer, ran dogs, in the blazing heat, then went to the Keith Anderson concert.  A fun time was had by all.  I could have done without the heat, though.  Really.  It's old now.

I'll try to post more ... and more often.  It's therapeutic in a way.

Jodi