The Expatriate

Today I was a Norwegian. I found myself surrounded on three sides by Norwegians in the stands watching the semi finals. There were no competitors left standing from the USA or Canada and the Norwegians had four competitors in the semis. Their enthusiasm was infectious so I decided to root for the Norwegians. They even provided me a Norwegian flag. If you want to have fun, spend time with the Norwegians. Apparently there are a lot of sheep in Norway. Also wolves, lynx, wolverines and bears.


Photo by Ester Nordby

It was not all play today. I studied how handlers managed the sorting on the marked sheds. I have some work to do. New skills for me and my dogs to learn and improving communications. I also saw at least one top handler unable to sort a collared single to either end to take. That makes me feel a bit better.

It was cold and damp sitting in the stands. The running was long and I was cold and hungry. Okay I am always hungry. I was extremely hungry today. I decided to leave before the last four runners. A Scot on the row above told me I would miss the winning run. Sure that he knew one of the upcoming teams was particularly skilled I turned to ask him which. His grin and laugh gave him away.

Bats

This afternoon we left the trial and drove a few miles to Nigg for a walk on the beach. Song has spent a lot of time in a crate and needed some freedom both physically and mentally. She is a very curious dog and loves to explore new places.

Nigg Beach

Nigg Beach

We got back in time to see a lovely run by Gene Sheninger and Sweet, just a point from qualifying for the semis.

I did some late shopping, meat for Song and a nice Scottish steak for me. I cooked it up and settled for the first delicious bite when I noticed a bat flying around the kitchen with me. They are protected in Scotland, a high fine for injuring or killing one. Though there is no rabies here as a member of our local board of health I am aware of a rabid bat in my home town that bit someone. This little guy made me uneasy. I was able to get him out to the sun porch by flapping a towel (as he swooped towards me). I opened the door to the outside so hopefully he has found his way out by morning.

Semi finals tomorrow. Sadly there will be no handlers from USA or Canada. I will watch and learn.

Anticipation

There is a risky joy in anticipation. We await great events in our lives, savoring the possibilities, seasoned with optimism and imagination. Reality is hard pressed to compare.

Today began with the chance at the semi finals and then the finals. Dreams of seamless runs. I sent Song and her outrun was closer than usual, lacking the expected flare out near the top. My sheep had decided to quit the setout area at all costs and Song was trying to get there to catch them. Two sheep were bolting for the side of the field. She caught those, brought them to the ones bolting straight down, and somehow made the fetch panels. I was of no help as she decided to forego my advice until she had the situation under control. I attempted to regain radio contact after the fetch panels when I heard a voice right behind me "Don't panic. You are getting a rerun." I waited a run to allow Song to catch her breath and allow my dreams to come out from hiding.

Second time her outrun was flawless, leaving my side to angle out and up, adjusting out further as she watched her sheep at the top. Her lift was clean and accurate. The top of the fetch I felt like I was hanging on by my fingertips. She still had the bit in her teeth. We got things settled for a solid drive, good split, very good pen, then could not get the single. We had almost two minutes but I could not sort a collared ewe into position on either end.

Now I adjust to reality as my new starting point, planning to improve my skills, improve my execution of the job. In no time I will add the spice of optimism to the main dish of practice and preparation and hard work. I will again savor the risky joy of anticipation.

Song was the first pup born in the first litter I bred. Born, raised and trained in my house. I am proud of her.

More Trials

This video is from a short walk with Song at dawn. I am not sure exactly where we were. I pulled in at a B&B in the evening on my way from the Westruther trial on Saturday afternoon, headed to Lockerbie for another trial Sunday. The birdsong is somewhat lost in the video. This was beautiful country, with hills dropping to lakes and fields, laced with stone walls and clusters of old stone buildings on the farms.
Sunday Morning Walk

Ran in two more trials today, both on mules. I was the second runner at Lockerbie this morning. A lovely site with the post at the top of a hill. Not a brilliant run but we finished.

Exhaust pen at Lockerbie

Lockerbie trial looking out over the field

 

Scotland is surrounding me with breathtaking beauty. I did not have time to stop for pictures on my travels this weekend, and how could I have decided which beautiful landscapes to record as every turn brought another. I needed to put a go pro camera on the roof of the car.

Then I drove up to the Glendevon trial, another beautiful site on a hill. A cool sunny afternoon watching dogs among like minded people. Song and I had a very good run. I left soon after to drive down to visit a friend in north Wales. I picked up my email tonight to find we were second place. At least 70 dogs ran.

Glendevon Trial Field
 

Glendevon "Scotloo"

Geraldine GPS continues to prattle on about imaginary roundabouts. I am learning to parse the reality from her ramblings.

Let the trials begin

Loch Ness on my way to the Fort Augustus trial early Saturday morning. It is a very long lake, rimmed by hills and cliffs. The setting feels primitive, as if mankind is merely a visitor trespassing on nature's secret garden.

Loch Ness

Today we went to two trials. The first in Fort Augustus had a flock of very spirited blackface. I ran fifth. I watched my sheep plunging wildly back and forth across the top of the field while the competitor before me attempted to finish the course. My girls tried every option to avoid being set, dashing each direction, splitting in various configurations and dashing different directions, but in the end were briefly stabilized in the intended zone. Song tends to lift with more deference from a left hand gather but the girls looked more fragile on the right so I sent right. Sure enough, ready or not here I come Song came up over the rise with more force than I felt the situation called for. Overriding my opinion she declined to stop. And the setout dog refused to let the sheep go. And Song was going to bring me sheep. All this provocative action is Song's excuse for blowing off all stop whistles until the fetch panels which by some miracle we made. Now for the turn. The four blackies decided I was Satan. This would have been flattering if they had conferred me some of the powers of Satan, something I might be able to use to pull a reasonable run out of the hat. Instead they just crossed themselves and said three Hail Marys as they dove away from me. Song did manage to settle them somewhat once away from me on the drive. Our lines were not horrible but we missed both panels. Now for the chute. I could not get far enough away from these girls holding the rope. Song did some excellent work holding them in the working area but I did not see success as a likely outcome. We retired to let the next victim go to the post. Already I saw a fresh packet darting across the top.

I did not stay long after my run, heading four hours southeast to another trial in Westruther. I am getting pretty handy with friendly Fred the rental car. On this next leg I discovered he manages the windshield wipers for me, turning them on and off and adjusting the speed as needed. Geraldine GPS, on the other hand, can be very annoying. A protracted incident that began with an imaginary roundabout had me ready to toss her out the window near Edinburgh. The drives have been lovely but now I have a schedule so no time to stop for photos.

The Westruther sheep were mules. Light but reasonable. Song's sheep broke hard to the other side as she ran out. I could not see her from the post to see if she had caused this but when she came into view again she was running wide off them still. She worked quite well with decent lines but my failings lost us both drive panels. She was great at the pen and I handled it well too. The split was easy.

Now I am in bed at a B&B somewhere on route to the next trial. Poor Song is spending the night in the car.

Travelling the Highlands

This cairn was more interesting than the castle. Double stone walls with earth between, strong and insulated.

Castles get boring. Somehow water tumbling over the stones in a lush gorge never does. This needed sound so I chose video.
 Big Burn Falls, Golspie, Scotland (Video)

Song did not want to keep in her crate in our room. She kept trying for the little sofa. We compromised.


I really enjoyed the tour of the whiskey distillery. Cardu was founded by a woman. She distilled illegally when she began. When the law came to her kitchen distillery she would put dough on the table and dust her apron with flour to disguise the smell of yeast. Then she would excuse herself and duck out back to run a red flag up the pole. This warned others that the law was about. Regardless she was caught several times, with her farmer husband going to jail for her. They did not send women to jail.

The stills were beautiful, the process fascinating. The tour started by testing our noses on scents that can be found in the mature spirits and ended with sampling and trying to identify the scents. At the outset they listed the ingredients and I realized I would not be able to enjoy the samples as there would be gluten. They suggested I just sniff them. So I bought a bottle of the one I enjoyed most while sniffing.
About 2% of the whiskey evaporates every year it matures in the casks. They call this "the angels' share".

Castle

Did the mandatory castle tour today. I was looking for moats and drawbridges, dungeons, towers and crenelated walls with walkways I could follow while imagining pouring boiling oil on the enemy hordes below. This castle was a letdown. Very pretty and it did have a drawbridge. Most of the tour featured the living spaces with ancient finery. The gardens were lovely though I don't see who would want a 7 foot tall thistle variety in their garden. Walking through these gardens did make me see that adding an 8 foot tall stone wall surrounding the entire space would add much charm to my gardens.