Buckle Up!

We have finished our second week here in Buffalo.  The temperatures have moderated a bit, with highs approaching 90 in the afternoon, but cool and delightful in the mornings.  We are encouraged that the news from home is positive.  We have received a half-inch of rain at the farm, and more is predicted this week.  

Both John and I and the dogs are getting in shape.  On our walks, we have a hard time keeping up with our four-legged companions, and I have to resort to “steady” and “wait” commands from time to time so we can catch up.  

Sheep dog work has begun in earnest.  The boys and I have had several sessions with Wendy Auzqui, as well as a practice session at Linda Lulias’ place.  We were all a little rusty at first, but are getting back in sync.  

I met Wendy in 2015 when we first visited Wyoming.  We were staying in Sheridan, and I was looking for someone to help me train Rue in herding.  I have worked with her every summer that we have been in this area.  Wendy is a wonderful resource and I am happy to have her as a friend.  Her good dog, Frank, was helping to set out and hold sheep for us this week.  He has earned numerous awards in both sheep and cattle herding, and is clearly a no-nonsense guy. Frank and Cody share a common bloodline, Juan Reyes' J.R. Red, who gave them their blue eyes and a lot more.

In 2019, Frank and Wendy won the sheepdog competition at the Calgary Stampede.  Then, earlier this year, Wendy again took first place with Quirt, another of her dogs, and she and Frank took home fifth place.  I always enjoy our sessions, and Wendy, Cody and Bo are teaching me a lot.  Technically, we are training dogs, but I think we’re really training the handler.  

Here are some photos of our work this week.

We ended this week on a high note…a really high note!  On Saturday, Cody, Bo and I participated in the Dick Grabow Memorial Sheepdog Trial during the Sheepherders Rendezvous in Glenrock, Wyoming.  The sheep were fresh range ewes, and there were enough so that each sheep ran only one time.  It was a different experience for the dogs and me from the sheep we usually work back home.  These ewes were tough, and a challenge for the dogs to handle.  Both Bo and Cody did very well, though, thanks to practice earlier in the week on similar stock.  The course had a 5 minute time limit, and Bo penned his sheep in less than 4 minutes.  Cody, however, outshined them all.  We completed the course successfully in, I believe, 1 minute, 30 seconds to win the championship. buckle.  

This was Cody’s and my first win, and we placed above 31 other very talented dogs.  Among them were last year’s champions, Linda Lulias and her good dog, Gill, as well as Wendy Auzqui and Quirt, who won the championship at the Calgary Stampede a few weeks ago. It is humbling to be in such good company.

I am grateful not only to my dogs, but to so many people who were a big part of our journey.  First, to John, who has supported me wholeheartedly in my sheepdog obsession, and who loves our pack members as much as I do.  Thanks also to Jo Woodbury, who allowed me to purchase this enthusiastic, hard-working, honest dog three years ago, as well as to Wendy Auzqui who found him for me, and who has been instrumental in helping me to learn how to run him.  I’m also grateful to coaches and mentors Jack Christensen, Michele McGuire and Allen Mills for sharing their wisdom and support, and to Linda Lulias, who has helped me to learn the ins and outs of working these range woolies.  Last, but certainly not least, I’m grateful to Charlie Castelein and the Castelein family and to the Grabow family for allowing me to participate in this trial.  I look forward to returning next year.  John and I also enjoyed meeting many nice folks at this year’s Sheepherders Rendezvous in Glenrock, Wyoming.  We had a great time, and we appreciate the hospitality of the Shoreliner Bar and Grill that treated me to dinner after the trial.  

But Cody wasn't the only winner on Saturday.  Bo worked hard as well, and penned his sheep in a very respectable 3 minutes, 46 seconds.  He is like handling a sports car.  Everything happens in double or triple time.  I have a lot to learn to be able to handle him well, but I look forward to the challenge.  Here are some shots of Bo's run.

I'm so proud of both my boys; they gave me their very best.  It was a great day!  

Buffalo WY Week One

We are back in another of our favorites spots, Buffalo, Wyoming.  We plan for this to be our home until the end of September, so you’ll see lots of local scenery while we’re here.  We are camped again at Deer Park Campground in the long-term parking section.  This means we have a large, grassy lawn with lots of shade and some great neighbors.  

As in years past, one of our first adventures was a walk along Clear Creek up Mosier Gulch west of Buffalo.  "Joe's Trail" winds along the creek for over a mile, providing lots of ups and downs and good shade from the bright Wyoming sun.  We have already walked it three times, and will be regular visitors while we're here.

The dogs are accustomed to their packs, and to the “trail” command that lets them know they are working (carrying our water and a few dog treats) and not free to go hunting for squirrels and chipmunks.  (Well, Rue doesn’t think that rule applies to her, and feels free occasionally to go a few feet off the trail in pursuit of one.  She even convinced us to take off her pack so she could play in the water at the impound.) 

We also explored another nice trail about a half-hour from camp.  The South Piney Creek Trail begins near the small town of Story and runs alongside...you guessed it...Piney Creek.  We only walked a short distance up the trail, but found some lovely pools and more rushing water like we found in Clear Creek.  

We will plan a longer hike in the next few days to see what other sights this trail can provide.  

On Thursday I enjoyed an adventure, sans dogs and John, when I was invited to join Linda Lulias to check cows at her ranch east of Buffalo.  

The ranch is lovely, and the cows are fat and sassy in spite of it being dry this time of year.  They came running when Linda called them for some cubes.

Most of them are sleek and shiny black angus, but there are a few light-colored ones, the descendants of the "old yellow cow" that Linda's dad kept in spite of her color because of the good calves she raised.  

One of them is named Marilyn because she is a beautiful blond.  Marilyn's sister is above, and her good heifer calf is below.  

The grass is high on Linda's place, and the Powder River still flows.

The river provided an interesting introduction when we forded the stream!  This rock is the river level gauge that lets you know when you can cross.  If it is under water, you don't!

The original ranch was larger, but has been divided among several heirs.  Linda inherited her spread from her father, who passed several years ago.  I was able to see the home Linda's grandparents built that is located on an adjacent property.  

It brought back memories of the good times I spent on my grandmother's small dairy farm in Comanche County, Texas. 

Linda has lived in Buffalo most of her life, and shared a wealth of information about the area and her family.  It was a great time with a good friend in a magical place.  `

We arrived in Buffalo just before the beginning of Longmire Days, the (almost) annual celebration of the Longmire books and hit TV series.  This year, Robert Taylor, star of the TV series was on hand for the activities, as was author Craig Johnson who continues to write the Longmire mystery series.  Unfortunately, we didn’t make advance reservations so we haven’t seen either of the celebrities, but many of our friends here have.  We’ll report on any sightings in our next post, so stay tuned.  We will be working sheep this week as well, so watch for pics of Cody and Bo in action.

Custer, SD

Custer, South Dakota has long been one of our favorite places to visit.  We couldn’t travel west without a stop there, even a short one.  This visit was a special one, though.  This year, we returned to our first Custer destination, Broken Arrow Horse and RV Campground.  Broken Arrow brings back so many memories.  On our first visit here, our beautiful Australian shepherd mix, Feathers, lost her three-month battle with Canine Meningitis and Megaesophagus, leaving us with holes in our hearts that remain to this day.  We can’t help but think of her as we walk the trails that she so enjoyed and watch our dogs dive into the weeds in pursuit of small, furry critters as she did.

Broken Arrow is also where, three weeks later, Dakota (aka Kota) joined the Bagley Pack.  Many of you know the story.  When we went to Hot Springs to pick up Feathers’ ashes, the vet asked if we were planning to get another dog.  We said, yes, when we returned to Texas.  However, God apparently didn’t want us to wait that long.  The vet gave our name to a family that needed to rehome a young dog. The woman called us and told us the pup’s story.  The young dog was first owned by a college student.  When the girl changed schools and couldn’t take “Zavada” with her, the dog was given to a farm family.

That seemed like the perfect solution, but it wasn’t.  The pup soon discovered birds, and in three weeks she caught and killed three wild pheasants.  She then decided one of the children’s 4-H chickens looked a lot like a pheasant, and the bird narrowly escaped the same fate.  The woman explained that if she killed a chicken, “Grandpa will take her out and shoot her.”  

We went to meet the dog and soon found ourselves with an exuberant, lovable 10-month old pup we renamed Dakota…for her home state and because it’s one of our favorite places.

Kota is now approaching her 13th birthday, and has been a joy, a delight, a wonderful companion (and some other things we won’t mention).  On September 23 we will celebrate her 12th adoption anniversary, and all the adventures we have enjoyed together. 

  

Our time in Custer this year was filled with fun and friendship.  We reconnected with Lee Ann McCormick, who spends her summers in Custer.  Lee Ann and her late husband, Larry, were part of our Custer summer “family” until Covid stopped our visits a couple of years ago.  We enjoyed a meal and a good visit with Lee Ann at Mt. Rushmore Brewery, and look forward to meeting up again next year.

Our camping companions for a number of years and good friends, Rick and Linda Lorentz, were staying at Broken Arrow  as well…just two sites down from us.  Broken Arrow is a horse camp as well as an RV destination.  I highly recommend it to my friends who travel with their horses.  There are paddocks and covered stalls, plus easy access to many miles of trails in the beautiful Black Hills.

We shared a week’s worth of happy hours, walks on the trails with Rick and Linda, 

drives through Custer State Park and the surrounding beautiful hills, 

an evening at the Black Hills Playhouse 

and some fantastic and not-so-fantastic meals. 

We had to dodge the many motorcycles in town for Sturgis Week, but managed not to run over (or be run over) by any of them.

Rick and Linda will be joining us in Buffalo, Wyoming on the first of September, and we look forward to sharing even more adventures.