Yesterday, it was pretty warm and muggy by the time I got to the farm.  I usually walk Joe first, but I wanted to work Dan as early as possible, as Dan and hot temps don't really work well.  So, I had Dan fetch the sheep from the other field, brought them into the working field, and got them in the barn, where they all promptly jammed into a corner in the big room- not the room where I wanted them to go.  Of course the ram was there, and Dan you could see was a little concerned, but not bad.  So, I had him go around and he did, but then they kept swinging back..  So, I went with Dan and of course the ram who thinks he is all that, put his head down, until Dan came at him.  Good boy Dan! We finally got them in the other room and I separated out a few to work (one mother and two yearlings).  My third yearling has a cut foot and cannot be worked.  While I had said cut foot yearling in a room, I checked her foot and though still sore, it is healing.  I put more hoof and heal on it, and then Dan and I went to work the chosen girls.

From the outset, I could see the mother ewe I chose was not going to be great.  She split from the other two, but once I got Dan driving they stuck together, albeit it sort of running.  Every time I had him turn them toward me (and the barn) mother ewe would take off and run to the barn.  I have a that wimpy fence I put up and..........  well, she made it and ran straight into it and got through it.  So, Dan had to go in there and get her.  She did some extremely quick side stepping with both feet, but Dan covered every single movement exactly. I think he actually enjoyed it.  Then, she backed up a bit and she started to get crabby- stomped at him made moves to do something and at one point Dan barked and I told him to grip, and he ran up, nipped her, and she turned side ways, and he covered.  Then, she decided coming back to the work field with the other sheep was a good plan.  I had to keep Dan off her heels, as just like Lucy, after single work like that, most dogs like to drive the message home ;)  So, we got her back and finished working.  Dan was really hot.  He jumped in a water tub on the way out of the field.  Then, I told him to get in the pond and he did.  Ran right over, jumped in and swam.  What a good boy.

After that, I took Joe for a walk (Lucy missed out, because I could not keep going after one walk- too hot), and then we headed toward home.  I stopped by John's and he mentioned Billy, the ram he bought last year but did not use, did not seem well, so we hopped in the Gator and looked for him- he was with the flock in the barn yard, so he's okay for now,  I hope.  I will check on him this weekend, as John is going away.  When we got back from looking for the ram, a guy who wants to buy the three bull calves from John showed up to see them.  We had them follow us in the truck to the back field and warned them that they would run.  After a while, they came back, and said "we couldn't get within a football field of them".  Yep.  That's them.  He still wanted them, so he said he would come back with some panels and set them up where we could feed them.  We shall see how that goes....


After that, I picked up some dog food and headed home.  Had no real energy to do anything last night.

Today, busy day at work and then, I have to do errands I forgot to do yesterday, and then I may go watch the sheepdog trial.