I am alive, yes, I can tell, because my animals are all fed, sheep have water and minerals, and there is no funeral in my honor, at this time. But barely. Things energy wise have gotten to the point where I went to the Dr. (finally).

When I met with the Dr, I explained that I am too tired to function, sleeping 16 hours a day, and cannot continue, as I am becoming one with my bed. So, I said "in regard to blood work, I want the WORKS". I want to be tested for ANYTHING it could be. So, she wrote up the blood work order, and included just about everything that you can be tested for, and set up an appointment to meet with me for a complete physical, and EKG.

So, I went in on Saturday for my blood work. There was a giant line of people waiting in line. I had an appointment, so it did not take long to go in. After trying both arms, she finally hit pay dirt on my hand. Very nice girl, very gentle.

I then headed up to check the sheep and walk the dogs. Dan started with horrible diarrhea on Friday. I had dropped off a sample at the vet thinking it could be Giardia again. Got a call on Sat that the sample was negative. Danny's diarrhea was BAD Friday and Sat, and I was up both Fri/Sat night letting him out every couple hours.

I think he's finally better today. He and I slept all night. Still, though, he only got rice this morning. Need to slowly get him back up to snuff.

This week will not have much going on. Just getting sick of heat and humidity. Call me when fall is coming, OR when we finally get some good rain and the humidity drops!

It's Sunday morning and well, it's nice and quiet. Yesterday, I worked Dan, and my plan was to work on left flanks, as he can still be tense with them, and fetching sheep as they ran to the gate. This could have gone better. I realized when I was done I was way to tense. Dan does not deserve this. Sheep don't make him really tense; I do. I felt bad after working him. I resolved to make some substantial changes in my affect next time I worked him.

Today, I got up early, with a massive headache. I was supposed to go work dogs with my friend, but had to cancel. I went up to the farm, did short work with Dan, with a much improved attitude (mine), and voila, Danny was very very good. It would appear that if I say nothing, and just make clear what I want, he is very very calm. Even sending him into the small pen to get sheep, and then hold them, he was good. We ended by a bit of driving. I have been putting in a few of the young lambs with the adult Border Leicesters to break them a bit. The influence of the BLs is good, as it slows the Cheviots down. I like both these breeds for working dogs, though the Cheviot is hardier.

Heat wave this week; that's what they are forecasting anyway. I doubt much sheep work, as I am busy at work all week, and by the time I get to the farm, it will be HOT. Neither the sheep, nor Danny and I can handle high heat/humidity.

I think I may have found a ram for John and I to use. We will go see him in a couple of weeks. I have made more contacts for Registered Cheviot sheep, so this is great too!

My birthday is Tues, and no plans whatsoever, maybe I will buy myself a nice birthday cake.

So, that's it for now. I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Slept in this morning. Needed to. So so tired. Going to make an appointment for blood work this morning. Would be happy to sleep 16 hours a day. And, my old kitty does not help that; she's such a good sleeping buddy ;)

SO nice and cool this morning, would be good to work dogs, but alas, work must be done. Mad River Valley trials are this weekend; sort of wish I had entered, but then, where would I get the $$? Am looking at bringing home more sheep in the next few months. Would like to lamb out at least 20. The Border Leicesters may or may not actually lamb, as they are older.

I moved the sheep to their original pasture yesterday. They ran up and immediately stopped and started grazing. They were extremely happy to be in new grass. It was not too tall, but definitely thick. The seed I put in was expensive, but has lots of good legumes/grasses; the clover is so wonderful. So, there they will stay for another month, so the other pasture can rest. This will work out nicely. If we can get the third pasture set, then we will be in very good shape. Sheep are all looking very good.

Tomorrow, I am taking the day off to work dogs with a friend and then we will go to John's and she will pick up some sheep she is buying off of John. Oh, before I forget, I would love to use names of friends, but since the two malcontents won't go away, and like to be nosey and create drama, well, I have to keep that sort of info to myself. Sad, but I have learned the hard way.... We will work dogs, and have breakfast and then load up the sheep.

Would love to go to her place again this weekend, but I don't really want to use the gas. Oh, and I love my new vehicle. It has great pick up and has mileage is good, and now I will have 4 wheel drive in the winter! Love the color too; metallic blue.

Danny has been very energetic lately. I don't know what's gotten into him. He's just busy at home. Maybe because I can't work him that much due to the heat... Yesterday, we worked the flock and did some pulling off of fences, covering exercises. Lucy really is much better at cover, I think because she is SUCH a header. But, Danny excels at listening and driving. They are all different....

Well, that's it for now...

Since this is my blog, I guess I feel en-franchised to do as I wish, and maybe I am just really sick of those people, just two really, who have been horrible to me, dislike me, but yet still plague my life. But, at my age, I really should let that go. Been keeping this blog going for so long, it seems a shame to deride the pleasure I, and other decent people get from it, just because of two sad, lonely malcontents. To those malcontents, please, seriously, go away. Okay? Go and do whatever it is that makes you happy, if there is anything, and get your own life. Mine's taken, thank you very much.

On another note, weather is cooling down a bit and I hope to work the dogs today. Danny is needing more work than he used to. He's a working fool. Lucy needs more too. She's feeling better, but vomited this morning, so I don't know what's up.

I think today I will make a steak for dinner. I need more iron/protein. I need something, as I feel like sleeping for hours on end. Again. It gets tiresome... no pun intended ;)

That's it for now.

Lucy was indeed sullen. When I got home from work yesterday, she had been sick in the living room; several times. I did not feed her dinner. She was quite uncomfortable- getting up a lot, looking at her stomach. I gave her a Pepcid and that seemed to help for a while. Then, last night I let she and Kylie out a few times. She feels better this morning. I wonder if she got into something..........

On the way home from work, I all of a sudden started feeling like the right side of my face was drooping, and very weak- I looked for a place to pull over, but found none, so I went home. The whole rest of the evening, I was weak. This morning I was still weak. Man, I gotta figure out what the heck all of this is. I do believe it's a combo of anemia/low B12, and a slow heart rate- all three make it hard for you to function. I worry about, well, crashing my car. I suppose I need a Dr. visit, though, I am loathe to go, because I just hate wasting every one's time.

Tonight after work, John and I are going to go look at a Cheviot ram to replace his. Maybe we can do a trade with the other farmer.

No sheep work again today for the dogs; it's way to hot. Tomorrow....

Well, that's it for now!

Weekend went fast! Sunday I headed out to a friend's place to work Danny. I had never been there, and oh, what a beautiful place. Danny was stupid when I first sent him out there, and the sheep took off along the fence- and Danny zipped them. This shows me I have to work a LOT on calmly getting them off the fence. After that one thing, he was absolutely fine. Lucy used to be the same, but for some reason, it irritates me more now ;) He was very good walking straight into the sheep who were a bit heavier than he is used to.

When I got home, which was still relatively early, I started to clean the house and kept right on chugging- lots of laundry done, vacuumed, bathroom done, etc. Even Ginger's bed got washed.

Slept well last night, which is the third? night in a row? WOW, that's very good for me.

The forecast is for very hot/humid days today/tomorrow. This means a walk for the dogs, but that's it.

Lucy was sullen today when I was leaving. I did not bring her with me yesterday, but she seemed fine... This morning she ate her breakfast, but would not eat her biscuit when I crated everyone and would not eat the cat treats- that is very odd. I give her and Mr kitty cat treats when I leave...... I need to get a barrier or something so that she can ride safely in the car and not jump all over the seats. I also need some sort of cargo/seat cover the dogs don't trash the inside of the car....

Momma Parakeet is definitely sitting on eggs- she is staying in there all the time, and dad is feeding her.

So, that's it for now. Can't wait to go work the dogs (will bring Lucy too) at my friend's place again, and have her come to my place too!

A week. Let's see. The trial was Mon/Tues, and nothing really to write home about. Danny did something really weird at the top on his first run- he put his nose down and smelled something and I screamed his name, and then, well, after a good fetch, he zipped a sheep at the post and we were thanked. I was more upset about the sniffing thing.. So, the next run I vowed to just let him work- no whistling. And OMG, the best outrun/lift I have ever seen, or among the best! He came in nice and deep and floated in to those sheep. Of course then he would not take a flank on his left so we missed the fetch panels, and then, for the drive, it was a fight. Danny needs pace on his driving and he needs to stop over flanking- it irritates sheep. We got them as close as we could to the gates and then penned. I was happy with our run, because the worst part was where Danny just needs more training... Which we will address later this month at sheep camp!

The trip for the trial was quite nice; I roomed with a friend and we did some sight seeing; something I never take the time to do. We stopped by an old cemetery and saw a headstone of a man who was in the Revolutionary war. I took several pictures there, and then we stopped by an ice cream place after dinner. Tuesday morning we hit an old diner with only 6 booths and it was so friendly and nice in there. I felt right at home. Dinner both nights was at Applebees, and the food was great. It was just a nice time!

My new car is going well, although this IS a weird noise when the a/c is on, not sure what it is but will get it checked out.

Going over to a friend's place tomorrow to work Danny on new sheep/field. Going at the crack of dawn because it is so hot.

Farm plans are growing. Since my income at my job is what it is, I need to grow where I can, and that is at the farm. Plan is to start growing other animals- pigs are one, and perhaps Turkeys. Basically, every last part of this farm needs to make money in some way. That way, I can continue my true love, sheep, and be able to pay the bills with animals that DON'T require hay in the winter!

Made a nice steak yesterday- first time in months, and today, will be left over steak and corn on the cob. Looking forward to it. Oh, and momma Parakeet is getting interested in her nesting box, and I think they are breeding...

So, that's it these days. The rest of the summer consists of sheep camp, another trial, a clinic, and then my sheep/dog handling clinic. Then, the fall, which is when I want to get a lot done, as the heat is not an issue.

Well, that's it for now....

So, how is everyone? Things are cool here. Farm is looking better every day; my brother brush hogged in front of the pond, where the dogs dive in after working, and it's also a great fishing pond, so now more people can get up there to fish.

Sheep are fine. I tell you, the Cheviots are just a better breed for me; the Border Leicesters are past their prime, and so framey, I just don't like their looks- they are more ribby, whereas I cannot feel any bones in the Cheviots. Soon, it will be time to separate out the ram lambs. I dread it, but I don't want January lambs. I am breeding all the ewes (with the exception of the ewe lambs) to a Cheviot ram this fall. I plan to keep the lambs, if we get any out of the Border Leicester ewes, and keep some mules. I will also keep a group of pure Cheviots, but I am interested to see the increase in frame size of the BL/Cheviot cross.

I think Danny may have Giardia again.. He's lost weight, and his stool was like it was when he had it last year. Have to get a sample into the vet on Tuesday. Been working he and Lucy and things are going well. Danny is ready to do all the sorting work with me now too.

Oh, I got a car.... Will post pics when I get home. Oh, we are leaving today to head to the Fetch Gate trial in Cortland NY. My sister will take care of my animals at home and brother will keep an eye on the sheep for me. We will return on Tuesday, and then no more trials until August. I may end up doing the sheepdog demos at the fair after all- we will see.

There are a few more clinics/camps I am going to do with Dan- want to get him shedding, and doing more natural lifts, and that sort of thing.

So, that's it. I have some running around to do before I leave, around noon today, but not too much. I am sort of slow today. Any sort of change for me is hard, like a new car for instance ;)

So, that's it for now!