AKC Herding Trial!
We competed in an AKC herding trial at the end of June! I also helped set up and run the trial, and Zip and I helped set the sheep up for each run for the classes we weren't in.I entered Zip in the B course class long before the trial, and two weeks before showtime I realized we had never actually done the B course. I didn't even know how? With two weeks of practice we somehow managed to get first place on our first ever B course run.
Zip brought home a first place, second place, third place, and fourth place from the trial. She is very, very talented.
Godzilla earned qualifying scores in both of her A course runs, to the great surprise of nearly everyone watching that remembered her being excused from the ring for excessive sheep biting last time we trialed. She earned her Started A herding title, which is somehow more impressive than Zip's ribbon collection.One Year Without Brisbane
I lost my beautiful and beloved Brisbane on August 6th of last year. He was the dog that changed everything, and I'm still adjusting to life without him. I miss his giant fluffy ear, his long silky tail, and the way he could read the tiniest cues and figure out exactly what I wanted him to do.
I will have dogs that are better bred, better built, and better raised than Brisbane, but I don't think any dog will ever influence me as a person they way that he did.
The Great American Eclipse
The dogs and I drove up with some friends to Idaho to see the 2017 eclipse in its totality. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen, and well worth the 14-hour drive. The dogs got to swim in the Boise River, and visit with some of their favorite people.
On the way home we decided to drive through Yosemite just to appreciate the scenery. Dogs aren't allowed anywhere but the parking lots, but we did get to see the Bridal Veil Falls!
