busy!

Gosh! I am so busy! I don't know why, I seems to go in and out and do jobs here and there in the farm ... there's always "something" to do. I am not complaining as I really enjoy my farm life. The country fresh air and all the space the shelties have freedom to run around and I do not have to worry about dogs attacking them.

I am very lucky to have so many people helping me to improve the house/farm all the time. At the moment, I am trying to improve the front garden. It used to look untidy, overgrown grass, weed, stingy nettle everywhere. I spent last week mowing the law, cut in right down and strimming it, it looks so tidy now. Today, I plant some sunflowers and other little plants ... it looks lovely!

My other important project is to build an enclosed garden for the chicken and duck. All the foundation is nearly done and we have some post up ready to put the netting up. The chicken will be very angry once they have their new area but I hate to see my chicken down one by one :(  Hopefully, we will have some Indian Runners soon :) Colin bought me an incubator for birthday, he determined I should hatch my own ducklings :) I hope the boys will enjoy herding them.

All the animals are well, Smasher is looking very handsome with his new summer coat. He is nearly 13 months now. He has a lovely temperament, nothing like what other describe a shetland pony to "shitland". I just loved him. I may be a very lucky person to have such a nice little shetland pony. Funnily enough, he still doesn't like Sipzie though!

Due to the hot weather, Colin is staying in the farm with the dogs and doing a bit of jobs here and there and I took Sizzle and Sonic to compete on the weekend. I've also taken Spie with me to get her to socialise as well. We went to Dawn Weaver's FAB show at Forest Oak Farm on the weekend. I was originally booked in camping but I was too tired to tow, so Christina, Dawn's show secretary kindly arranged a caravan for me and my dogs to stay over. What a FAB service!

I've entered both boys at the IFCS and an extra run for Sonic in the Grand Prix. On Saturday, the weather was pooring, high wind and wet. We have IFCS Agility, IFCS Snooker and Grand Prix. Unfortunately, I slipped and mishandled in my first run with Sonic, poor boy took the wrong jump as I was waving both arm to steady myself not to fell over. He was a wonderful boy to do what I was asking him to do though. Sizzle is an experienced dog, I slipped again in the same place but he save me from taking the correct jump after I screaming my head off :) He was the only clear dog in the Toy and Mini height. It wasn't a terribly difficult course but it definitely involved handling. 

In the IFCS Snooker, both boys were "weaved out!" lol. Because the way the course was set, the quicker and easier way is to do the 12 weave 3 times in the opening and 1 time in the closing. Both Sizzle and Sonic did exactly the same course, and both did very well and Q but I was afraid that they will probably pop out next day as they have been weaving 48 poles in one course!

Sonic won the Grand Prix, he was a very good boy, I am so happy that he's now going on without me, at least we are improving :)

There's no video on Saturday as I was on my own.

On Sunday, we have IFCS Jumping and IFCS Gamblers, I've also entered Sonic in the Grand Prix. Like what I have been worried, Sizzle pop out of the weave in the IFCS Jumping. I think I may have moved too soon but I was expecting him being an experienced dog to stay in :) Oops! Naughty Sizzle needs weave camp :D

This is Sonic running over the same course. It was a pretty shaky run, the straight pipe tunnels and crossing jumps were not pretty but we managed to get a clear and he came 2nd in that round. Phew! Our "ketscheker turn" only got better each time :)

This is Sonic running over Small height on the Grand Prix. I chose to run Small because I think it is better for a smaller medium dog to run on a more comfortable height, this will encourage the speed as well (my personal thought). I managed to cross behind the weave and he stay in all the way that made me very happy. He didn't even twitch or look back for me, I think we have done something good there :) I was worried that he is going to take the AF, so I pulled a bit too much that he missed the tunnel underneath the AF. He listened and responded turning right after the 2nd tunnel. Majority of dogs got eliminated as the dog took the jump in front of the tunnel. I am really happy with this run as we did some very good work.

My Gambling Boy didn't get the Gambler this time. I wasn't expect him to run full power, so I walked the course slightly different to Sonic. As you can see me trying to catch up. I was hoping to do the route I planned for Sonic but the judge was in the way, so I have to play by ear. We were in the wrong place when the whistle blew and I can't get the right position to do the gambler. We only have 12 seconds for the closing, so I was worried that I lost so much time to recover from see-saw to the 1st jump in the Gambler but I was happy that he was fast :)

Sonic did a superb round in this Gambler. I can't run fast enough for him so I have to recall him through the weave after the tunnel and he was great. I was half way in the weave and he stay in and finished the 12 poles both time. I am very very happy! Having problem with him before popping out weave and this really make me feel proud. Although he was twirling before going into the tunnel but he did go into the tunnel. You won't believe he is the dog that dislike tunnel. You can see we have been working hard on our little problems :) Love this boy!

We are off to Landsdown this Saturday, Sizzle is running in the Small Crufts Team with his girl friends @ Little Bitz :) This is Sonic's 3rd KC show this year. I hope he will be a good boy doing the KC medium height. His running DW is still 100%, although I was worried how he will hit the contact zone in the IFCS as the DW will be lower than KC. Is either he will hit it higher or deeper and thank God, he chose to hit it lower :)

This year is the first time I suffered greatly with Hay Fever since I moved to England :( I can't stop rubbing my eyes and I can't stop sneezing too! BooHoo!