Hi,

Sorry about yesterday - couldn't even pretend I was ok.

Oh well, 24 hours later & all looks rosier.

I want to share a real belly laugh I had today.

Chris's dog Don was given to him in exchange for a pump & it seems the bloke with the pump got the best deal. Up until recently, Don spent all day chained up & was only let off for an hour or so a day to have a run. I asked Chris why & he explained he was scared of everything, (Don, not Chris) ran away from the stock he was supposed to work & generally a liability.

I asked Chris if I could let him off to accompany me on my feeding rounds.
The idea was to get him used to staying with someone & also used to the stock.

That was a couple of weeks ago & altho he is very spooky & even legged it when a neddy snorted it him the other day, he has improved hugely.

The 1st sign of any talent for working came on Monday evening.

I was feeding the mares & not taking any notice of Don when I suddenly noticed a mob of about 30 sheep standing in a perfect clump staring at something. Not only were they packed altogether & motionless but Don, whilst my back was turned had herded them, without instruction into the dressage arena !

Chris seemed a bit sceptical when I told him but I knew what I had seen.

Our chance came today when Mal came & asked for some help rounding up some
loose sheep which had escaped onto a neighbour's land. Mike & his dogs would normally do this type of work but he was still on his way to the farm. Mal said 'Bring the little dog - the sight of him might just frighten the sheep back to where they are meant to go. Better keep him on a lead though - just in case ' When we got there Don & I were only just over the fence (I had to lift him over - Mike's can leap 10 feet or more from a standing start) when the sheep spied us & made a beeline back into their rightful paddock.

Still untested.

However, Mike arived shortly afterwards & upon seeing Don, told me there were 4 stray sheep a couple of paddocks away which needed re-uniting with their mob. Did I fancy trying to work Don ?

To understand how silly this question sounded to me you have to understand some points.

1) Mike is a very good herdsman & his dogs are good too.

2) Dogs will very seldom work for anyone other than their owner.

3) Don knows b***** all about working sheep.

4) I know even less.

5) 4 sheep are usually harder to herd than 400 - the less sheep, the more scared &
unpredictable their behaviour.

So - obviously I said yes please.

Mal stood near the gate with his truck.

Mike parked further back with his dog 'Chew' on lookout, ready to salvage the situation.

I went to get Don out of the truck.

Don essentially had a support-crew of 2 men & one dog & that's why I have so much time for these guys. Even on a working farm & with Mike's own sheep & time at stake, they are happy to indulge a Pommie girls whim to try 'One Briggsy & her dog'

We didn't get off to an auspicious start - I showed him the sheep & he ran back to the truck.

We tried again & because I don't know any of the whistles (& can't whistle very loudly anyway) I resorted to pointing & my one utility whistle which means everything ie

'Get in behind'
'Go right/left'
'Stop that'
'Don't sniff there'
'Put that down'
'Stop rolling in dead thing'

Would you believe me if I told you that on Don's 2nd attempt he zeroed in on the sheep, went high & right behind them & started pushing them gently towards the gate ?

No Mother watching their toddler take it's 1st steps could have been prouder.

Unfortunately, the sheep overshot the gate & ran into a gully but Don persisted & eventually with some back up from Chew, the pair of them squeezed them through the gate.

Mal, Mike & I were all smiles, just like one of those sickly American movies.

Until, that is, we realised that Don had just noticed the 200 or so other sheep awaiting him in the paddock. Rather than run away, he decided they needed herding too & with many a shout from the three of us we piled into the trucks & had to go persuade him to desist.

We arrived in the next paddock full of steers to help where Mike putting up a temporary fence. I didn't want Don loose with the cattle because they are potentially much more dangerous than sheep so I made sure my door on the truck was safely shut.

Mal did not.

It was only as I drew level with Mike on foot that I was aware of Don who had run the 1/4 mile or so to join me. On his tail was a very excitable-looking Hereford steer. Don did not look happy about being chased but he had the nerve to turn & face the cow & front it out. It was at the point that the 29 or so other cows crested the hill & joined their mate at a gallop that Don decided to turn tail & run.

I would have given any money for a cam-corder at this point.

The 3 of us watched, bent double with laughter, as this poor dog, full of his earlier success ran full tilt across the paddock with 30 enraged, galloping beasts in hot pursuit.

We expected him to run all the way home & cause carnage by leading the cattle through all the paddocks back to the house. In fact, he was smart enough to jump into the cab of the truck. Mike said he was probably trying to hotwire it to escape. We ran to the truck, still laughing to find it completely engulfed by cattle & a very sad & humble Don squashed into the deepest corner he could find. The nearest steer's nose must only have been 3' feet from him.

Mike said it took his dogs some months to be brave enough to work cattle after being used to sheep so goodness only knows what that will have done for Don's confidence.

Still, he accompanied me on my rounds as usual this evening & I think I detected a slight swagger to his walk.

Dear Jim,

Can you fix it for me to be a shepherd ?

STOP PRESS

Barley now has an arrival date, it is the 16th July.

It is horrendously expensive, more than twice as much than for my ticket & I have ummed & aahed about whether it is really worth it. In the end tho, sentiment won out. That & the fact that I really do think she will have a terrific time here. Won't stop me counting down the hours during her plane journey though.

Wonder if they will offer her hot, lemon-scented towelettes ?

I think what sold me finally, was looking at the huge, filthy, muddy pool in one of the paddocks. What more could a Spangle ask for ?

Can't wait to take my 1st fotos of my mucker in Zeeland.

Wonder if Don will teach her sheep & she will teach Don tennis balls ?

Time for bed now, v.tired.

Pls bear with me (or 'bare with me' as a good friend of mine would say) if I owe you an e-mail reply. Too knackered tonight.

We went to see the kids school production this evening.

It was a hugely entertaining affair. You know the kind of thing, kids forgetting their lines & being pushed onto the stage by unseen 'helpers' in the wings.

At one point, we were watching the Owl & the Pussycat & it was at the part where they get married. The pussycat was wearing a floor-length leather dress, the turkey played with her face so much that her mask fell off, the boy making 'the sea' waved his blue silk sheet so vigorously it was seriously in danger of tearing & the pig seemed very enamoured with holding his own parts. They then, for reasons best known to the teacher who directed it, broke into the Charlston.

I leaned over to Trish & asked 'Do you think this is how it feels when you are on drugs ?'

'No - drugs are more fun' she replied.

Night-night.

Cx