Welcome Cousin Annie

What a great morning!  Cousin Kathy joined us for an early walk, and the Bagley Pack got to meet their new cousin, Annie Cash-Vanderbeck.  

A good time was had by all, with lots of running, swimming, sniffing, and of course, treats.  

Welcome, Annie, we look forward to many more good times together, and can’t wait for you to get acquainted with the rest of your dog cousins.

SeptemberFest

 

Saturday was SeptemberFest in Cranfills Gap.  Last year’s occasion was canceled due to Covid, so the community was especially thankful to be able to enjoy today’s festivities.

A parade kicked off the celebration.  (Thanks to John and several friends who took and shared photos and videos!)  As a member of the newly-organized Bosque County Stick Horse Riding Club, I met with the group to get ready for our parade performance.  Our ponies were in their “barn.”

The riders were getting ready to mount up.

First came the flag bearers.

There were other attractions, as well, including cheerleaders; 

the football team;

church groups; 

4-H and FFA floats;

and the Old Mares’ Uber which was there in case someone needed a ride.

Then, soon after, we mounted up and joined the parade.

Our repertoire included figure eights and the “wagon wheel.”  

(My parade pony was an appaloosa.)

And, if you haven’t seen enough by now, here is a video of part of our performance.  It’s not our full repertoire; I was afraid you couldn't stand the excitement.  If it's too intense, just fast-forward through it.!  

Following the parade, there were booths in the park, a car show and a BBQ cook-off.

John and I were too hungry to wait for BBQ, so we opted for burgers at the Horny Toad Bar and Grill.

Saturday, September 11, was a day filled with fun as well as painful memories.  Before the fun started, I was reliving that bright, clear morning twenty years ago when the unthinkable happened.  Four aircraft hijacked from our nation’s airports by Islamic extremists were used to murder thousands of innocent individuals.  The victims were of every race, creed and nationality, but they were murdered on American soil.  That day will, in my memory, eclipse the Day of Infamy for my parents’ generation, Pearl Harbor.  My thoughts are with all those with whom I shared that terrible day.  We are forever bound together by the experience,

Our small community of Cranfills Gap, Texas, marked the solemn occasion with a ceremony in Veterans’ Plaza alongside State Highway 22.  No, we will never forget.  And, God Bless the USA.

Running with the Cool Dogs

What a great weekend it was!  Cody and I were at the Bell County Expo arena in Belton for the Central Texas State Fair and Rodeo Sheep Dog Trial, sponsored by the Texas Sheepdog Association.  

The Expo Center is a great venue; it is air conditioned, so we stayed cool as we worked our sheep and watched our friends work their dogs.  Most stock dog trials are outdoor affairs, so the weather can be anything... blistering hot, gale-force winds, rain, snow and ice (sometimes all in the same weekend), so it was a real treat to be inside.  I have fond memories of this facility from my days doing agility trials with Nickie, our first border collie, before we began herding sheep.  

And speaking of border collies…I can’t say enough good things about Cody.  He has an incredible work ethic, and gives 100% any and every time I ask.  I couldn’t ask for a better partner.  Here are a few photos pulled from videos my friends took of our runs.  (Thanks so much, Lindsey Williams and Kathy Mazzola.  Having video to watch really helps to see what needs correcting.)

Cody and I often do open field trials, where it is important to finish in the allotted time, but more important to move the stock calmly and precisely though the course.  This one was what is called a time trial.   You get no points for style; the fastest time on a completed course is what counts.  It is good practice, though, because often the best time is for 

the most technically precise run. That is what we strive for...and a good pen, like this one! 

We had four trials this weekend.  Our first effort was dismal and Saturday morning’s run was a huge disappointment.  I was late with my commands except when I was giving Cody the wrong ones.  The sheep were cranky and Cody was in overdrive, which made stopping on command a challenge.  (Cody and I did have a frank discussion after the trial about the importance of lying down when told, and will be working on that this week!)  We did, however improve our times with each run, and finished fourth in our last trial.  Cody, of course, wasn’t keeping time or score; he was just having a grand time and I was so proud of him.  

Dogs and sheep weren’t the only livestock present, though.  There was other livestock in the adjacent buildings competing for ribbons and prizes.  While we were stretching our legs outside, we met these guys exercising their pigs in the cool grass.  

Our friendly companion both days in a stall just outside the arena was Oliver the seventeen-year-old Watusi steer.  His horns would be the envy of Bevo and all the "pasture art" longhorn steers we see along the road.  

Oliver isn’t just exceptional for the size of his horns, he is also a riding steer and quite the conversation piece as he strolls around the Fair.

It was a great weekend, and I’m so grateful to Lindsey and Toby Williams for hosting the trial, and to all the folks who helped out.  I also appreciate the generous support of my fellow dog handlers.  It’s a wonderful group of people; they love each other and their dogs and I’m so happy I get to hang out with them.

Remembering Kaia

There is no sadness like the loss of a friend, and it hurts even when the friend is a companion with four legs.  We had a sadness last week when our family lost Kathy and Eric’s Kaia.  

Kaia came into our lives in 2014 as an exuberant year-old pup.  She had a large personality in a medium-size body.  She was one of the few dogs I have ever seen climb a tree just for the fun of it. 

 

When she and Cousin Clover were pups, they had a grand time running with the rest of the Bagley Pack and swimming in the stock tanks. The older dogs had a hard time keeping up. 

   

Kaia was a champion stick-fetcher and a staunch guardian of her home and her people.  

I understand that she also reduced the squirrel population at the Micro Farm, and recently gave a largish raccoon quite a battle.  Kaia enjoyed life and was a devoted companion not only to Kathy and Eric, but also to Little B, the newest member of the Cash-Vanderbeck family.  She was his playmate as well as his protector.  Little B’s lineage, like Kaia’s, was mixed, but their appearance was striking similar.  Both had glossy black-and-white coats; Kaia was just bigger, with much longer legs.  

Kaia’s passing leaves a big hole to be filled in Kathy and Eric’s hearts.  We will all miss her big pit smile, her saucy sauntering gait, and that coffee-table-clearing tail.  

R.I.P. Sweet Kaia, you had a big heart to match your personality and when you crossed the Rainbow Bridge we all lost a friend.