Well, Our People were so busy early this year with their own adventures that they completely forgot to tell you what WE have been doing! So as pack leader, I guess I'll have to do it.
First, Kota, Colt and I had a lovely vacation in January. While Our People were far away having fun and eating lots of good food, we three visited our collie friends at Shertom Kennels. It was great! We had our own run, and a large play yard. There were lots of sheep really close, so Colt and I could smell and see them. (Kota doesn't care a thing about sheep.) And we got to go out with our Collie friends for long romps in the woods and see squirrels and other critters. Sheryl and Tom were really nice to us, too. It was FUN! We hope we get to go back again soon.
Right after Our People got back, Mom and I went to our first herding trial at Destiny Farms in Bertram. It was an American Herding Breeds Association (AHBA) event put on by the Texas Herding Association, and there were a lot of sheep there, too. On Friday, we competed in Ranch Large Flock 1 (that's for beginners) and I got First Place and was awarded Reserve High in Trial. I was very proud! On Saturday, I competed in Herding Ranch Dog 1 (again for beginners) and got Second Place. It was a great weekend!
Then in April, Mom and I went to another herding trial. This time it was an AKC event, and I competed in A Course Started Sheep and B Course Started Sheep. I got First Place in both my events and was awarded Reserve High in Trial. It was really fun, and Mom was very proud of me. (Sheryl was proud, too. She's our herding coach.) I'm sure I looked really good at both trials, and wish I had pictures for you, but Mom was in the trial ring with me and couldn't take any. Maybe Dad can come to our next trial and take pictures.
However, Mom did take a good picture of me with this fine, fat bunny I caught. As you can see, Kota is following closely. She was very jealous, so to make her feel better I let her have half of it for supper. I'm nice that way. It was really yummy.
Dakota:
Well, Nickie may have all kinds of ribbons and prizes, but there's one thing she hasn't done.....she hasn't killed a TURKEY, but I HAVE! None of them know how I did it (and I'm not telling), but a few weeks ago I battled an 18-pound turkey tom to the finish, and I won! It was quite a fight. Turkeys can run fast and they can fly, but they can't outsmart Kota! This big gobbler was a formidable opponent, though. The battlefield was a sea of feathers, and by the time Mom tricked me into showing her where the battle took place, it was all over. Our People were very proud and even let us have turkey for supper. Here are a couple of pictures of me with that magnificent bird. (You can see how jealous Nickie is.)
That wasn't the end of it, though, I ate so much turkey that I had to go to the vet and spend the night to get over my terrible bellyache. It was worth it, though. It was even better than those three wild pheasant I killed before I was adopted and came to Texas.
It's been a good spring, though. We had lots of fun at the farm with our cousin, Molly, and with Gabby and Cocoa Hardaway who also came to visit with their mom. Here is a picture of us with Molly. We tried to get Gabby and Cocoa to pose, too, but they were too busy having fun.
I also went to my first (and maybe last) agility trial. Mom knows how much I like to run and jump and go through tunnels and over obstacles, and thought I might like to do agility. I did have fun, but there were so many new smells and so many things I had never seen before that I didn't pay much attention to the course. Mom says maybe we'll try again next fall.
Colt:
Well, Nickie and Kota didn't tell you about the best part. When we got back from our vacation and went to the farm, there were all these brand-new baby calves. I'm really excited, because when they're a little older I can help herd them. Right now, they're not at all afraid of me and will come right up and sniff me. I'm being really nice to them, but when they're a little older I'll show them who's boss.....just like I've done with their mothers and daddy. Sheep are fun, but there's nothing like the challenge of moving an 1800 pound bull!
Nickie:
Well, Kota never does tell the whole story. She wasn't the only one who got to go to the vet. First, I cut my paw digging that bunny out of a brush pile and had to have stitches. Then, I got a speargrass in my side and had to have surgery to remove it. I have a really long scar, but the vet was thoughtful and put it right where the black and white come together so now that it's healed, it really doesn't show. I'll bet Kota is jealous because she doesn't have a scar.
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