Wrapping it Up

As we wrap up 2020, my first thought is,”Good Riddance! I’m glad to see you go.”  Oh, this year started out well.  We celebrated Kota’s 10th birthday, conducted several prescribed burns at the farm, 

painted rocks to hide 

and took our bull for a mani-pedi.  Cody and I also participated in herding trials in Bertram and Crawford, and I took photos and scribed at Brent Swindall’s trial in Gatesville. 

Cousin Rosie, Allan and Jef’s Brittany spaniel, grew from a puppy into a terrible teenager, wiping out everything in her path and keeping us all in stitches.  

On one occasion, after being body-slammed for more times than he could tolerate, when he saw her coming Cody responded with his fiercest bark.  It got Rosie's attention...at least for a moment!

But then, in March everything changed.  COVID-19 came to the US and to Texas, and sent us all scurrying for masks and hand sanitizer, trying all the while to keep the recommended six feet from anyone but immediate family.  We took the advice of experts and began self-quarantining at the farm, only returning to the city to check on our home in Volente every few weeks.

Besides the virus, there were other unfortunate events that we don’t want to see repeated.  We lost two family members and several others and good friends experienced serious medical issues.  Lots of stuff broke, like the pump for our well in Volente.  And, the septic system that backed up at a most inconvenient time, to mention a couple.  But we got through them, and those we love have mostly recovered from their health issues.  So, even though I don't want a repeat of 2020, there have been some good things to remember about it.  The coronavirus may have kept us from traditional gatherings at Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving, and prevented our annual RV trip in the summer, but in many ways it has still been a good year.   

The bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, orange milkweed and many other wildflowers put on a show at the farm.

Baby calves arrived on schedule, or sometimes not, but all have been healthy and strong.

The golden-cheeked warblers, American kestrels and Mississippi kites returned on schedule.

Cody enjoyed his first full year as a member of the Bagley Pack, and all three dogs have been healthy and happy.  

Well, mostly.  Kota did have a mast cell tumor removed from her left foreleg.  The surgery went well, but the recovery was slowed when she tumbled out of the gator and ripped some stitches.  

Once we had gained a better understanding of the virus, its lethal nature and how best to keep from being exposed to it, we began to enjoy, albeit in a different way, some of the things that are special to us.  We spent time with our Cash-Vanderbeck cousins, and got to know the Tigners, our neighbors who live a mile down the road from us at the farm.

Cody and I have also spent a lot of time 30 minutes north of here at Jack and Vivian Christensen’s place outside Meridian.  They have been most generous with their time and their sheep, and have helped us to become a better team.  And, when we were in Volente, we also made frequent trips to Elgin to work with Michele McGuire, further improving our skills.

A few herding trials were held in the fall, including the trials in Bertram, Hillsboro and the Texas Sheep Dog Association Finals.  We enjoyed seeing friends and working our dogs.

The quarantine time at the farm also allowed us to enjoy beautiful sunrises, like this one on Easter Morning,

and spectacular sunsets.  

Christmas found us back in Volente sharing time with Brian, Debi, Mallory, Myles and Gage.  Beautiful weather allowed us to gather outside rather than inside to protect each other from any COVID exposure.  We have had many happy gatherings in this backyard, including graduation parties for Gage and Mallory that will always make it special to us.

  

Although we didn't put up a tree this year, I do cherish the photos of our Christmas decorations.  

Those include several very special nativity scenes.  The first was my mother's, and the second has been in John's family since the early 1900s.  

And, of course, we couldn't forget the annual Bagley Pack Christmas photo in front of the fireplace.

Oh, and did I mention that our months of self-quarantine at the farm convinced us that we should make our home here full-time?  Well, God used that time of isolation and reflection to help us finally to make the decision that has been in the back of our minds and in the corner of our hearts for some time.  And so here we are, about to move into 2021, Lord willing, when we will complete the transition from our home in Volente to our home at Goat Hill Farm.  We will keep you posted, and wish you a very happy New Year!  

Hugs and Blessings, Michal and John.

Remembering Coco

Saying goodbye to a friend is always hard, especially one you have known almost her entire life.  I first met Coco as a gangly pup some 11 years ago.  Full of wiggles and licks, she was rescued by my dear friend from a situation no dog should be forced to endure.  Once she was no longer a cute, cuddly puppy, her owners went to work and school each day, leaving her in a small backyard with no shelter and often no food or water.  And she did what you would expect, she barked…and barked…and barked.  

No longer able to stand her pitiful cries, my friend began tending to her needs, bringing her water and providing pats and hugs.  After several months, my friend and her husband convinced Coco’s owners to allow her to come and live with them.  And, for the next 10+ years, she was privileged to enjoy affection, comfort and companionship in a loving family with daily walks and good dog friends.  

My dogs and I were frequent companions as well, as we took long, off-leash walks in greenbelts and dog parks.  Coco was never the brightest dog in the pack, but she was certainly the most enthusiastic.  When we heard her coming (a 100-pound Labrador retriever is hard to ignore), we quickly stepped aside.  To fail to do so was to risk having our feet taken out from under us by her charging shoulder or by one of the large sticks she was fond of carrying.  

Coco always had a smile on her face and she loved to be loved.  She gave that love back every day and she will be missed. Rest in peace, Sweet Girl.  I know you will be waiting by the rainbow bridge with lolling tongue and wagging tail, happy to see us.

Trials, Tribulations and Sheepdog Finals

A couple of weeks ago, Cody and I were able to participate in the culminating sheep trial of the 2020 trial season. The season was abbreviated due to COVID, but the finals were able to be held as scheduled in Bowie, Texas, on November 12-15.  We traveled to Bowie on the 11th in the fifth wheel, and had a great time watching the dogs and their handlers compete.  We almost didn’t make it, though.  Our floor-refinishing project at the farm took a week-and-a-half instead of the expected 3-4 days, leaving us just one day to pack and load the RV.  Then, when we got back to Volente from the farm, we found that our water well wasn’t working.  As it turned out, some wiring problem had caused a short and tripped the breaker.  John got that fixed, and we were ready to load and pull out.

Not so fast!  On Wednesday morning with a 5+ hour drive ahead of us, we backed the truck under the fiver and prepared to hook up.  Not!  The right front leveler on the trailer refused to budge, leaving us no way to raise the trailer to engage the hitch.  John put in a panicked call to our wonderful truck and trailer mechanic, Steve Richter.  Steve is one of the most knowledgeable, as well as the nicest people we know.  He has many times moved heaven and earth, both in person and by phone, to get us on or off the road.  We can’t thank him enough!  Steve rushed over to help.  It took several hours of trying everything before finally the leveler moved and we could hook up and be on our way.  Over five hours and only one stop later, at full dark, we pulled into camp and were grateful to have made it.  Our Volvo headlights are old and dim, and we never willingly drive after sundown.  (New ones are on the way!) Thankfully, the rest of the trip was trouble-free and we returned to Volente at mid-afternoon on Monday, with plenty of light to park.  

As you can see from some of the photos that follow, the weather during the trial was “typical Texas,” with everything from blazing sunshine and short sleeves to howling winds and the requisite cold snap that had us all in hats, coats and gloves.

 

The sheep, which had hardly seen a dog before the trial, were a challenge.  Some ran as soon as the dog appeared, 

but most elected to stand and fight…or at least challenge the dog and refuse to budge. 

Sometimes, the dog fought back...unfortunately! 

Cody’s sheep were mainly the stand and challenge kind.  He competed for the first time in the “open ranch” category, which is next to the most experienced level.  In his first run, he completed a decent outrun, lift and fetch, but after turning the post we were unable to get the sheep through the first set of panels before time ran out.  

In our second attempt, we managed to get the sheep around the course.  It wasn’t pretty, but we did get them to the pen only again to need more than the allotted 8 minutes.  I was so proud of him, though!  My goal for the trial was for us to get numbers instead of letters for our attempts, and we succeeded.  That is, we received a numerical score for each run instead of the dreaded DQ when the judge says, “Thank you,” before the end of the run,  or the RT signifying that we had given up and retired.  Our scores were nothing to write home about, but Cody finished 10th overall out of some 47 dogs entered and I’m so happy with our effort.  

Here are some more photos I took at the trial.  As you can see, there was plenty of visiting and everyone had a good time no matter how their dogs finished. 

Pups don't compete, but they are very popular with everyone.

Can I lick your whistle for good luck?

The peanut gallery.  The little guy isn't competing...just giving encouragement to Mazie.  The border collie on the right, as well as the beautiful red one below are related to Cody.  His sire is their grandsire.

Most of my time was spent on the lower course where Cody and I competed.  We did, however, watch a number of runs on the "open" course where the most advanced dogs worked.  Here are a few shots from the "double-lift" finals where the top 15 teams from the first two open runs matched up to see which would take top honors.  The double-lift really challenges both dog and handler because the dog has to fetch a group of 10 or more sheep from about 350-400 years away halfway back to the handler, then on command leave those sheep and go back for another similar group.  After putting all the sheep together, the dog must take them through the course, all while the handler remains at the post. Then, the dog and handler must "shed" all the unmarked sheep and drive them away, leaving only 5 marked sheep which are then penned.  It's quite a challenge for both dog and handler, and not all teams were able to finish all elements of the course.  

Mattie, shown in the above sequence, was competing in the double-lift finals for the first time.  She ran at least half the course limping badly, with a sticker embedded in her foot.  She never quit, though, and will no doubt be back for another try next year.  And Cody and I hope to be back next year as well...not in the double-lift finals, but maybe soon.  Stay tuned.

Happy Thanksgiving!

  Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

As we remember past holidays with family and friends gathered around our table, we are missing you more than you know. Be safe and well and know that we are thinking of you. We hope your day is filled with God's blessings, peace and joy. 

We aren't having a turkey this year, but we are thankful that we have our good dog friends, including Kota, who several years ago "harvested" this turkey tom for our enjoyment. I know she would like to do so again...perhaps for Christmas

We are grateful for our cows, who are enjoying a Thanksgiving bale of hay, and for our dogs, who are doing what they love best (almost), watching their cows.

I am also grateful that I was able to make Thanksgiving special for two little dogs that appear to have been dumped on our county road.  

Yesterday I was able to put them in the car and deliver them to BARK (Bosque Animal Rescue Kennels) in Clifton. Bark is a no-kill shelter, and if these two sweet dogs aren't claimed, they will be available for adoption. We hope they find forever homes, and are thankful we could help them.  

Hugs and Blessings,

Michal and John