Reflection on my 2012 vision board

Vision Board 2012

As I am looking at my vision board I see a whole host of accomplishments that I achieved.   Some tangible, a few emotional and a smattering on self-improvement. A number of them have a very deep rooted meaning now within me.  This is the first time I’ve put together a vision board of this nature and size.  I am so thankful that I did. 

Tangibles

The picture of a handler at the post running their dog is of special meaning to me as I ran my new dog Sally this year.  I had no intention of running her at a trial only after adding her to our home after 4-5 short months.  My focus & commitment was on building our relationship.  That’s it.  Much to my surprise we did extremely well as far as placement goes, more importantly I got to feel for the first time what it was like when a dog gets a hold of her sheep and I also learned there is still a plenty of road for me to travel training-wise too.  I still get a very warm fuzzy feeling when I think about that day.

Zeke and Tweed made huge strides in their herding training as well.  I am very thankful for them.  There were days that I wasn’t sure who had more patience….Me teaching them or them teaching me.  Thankfully I am getting better too or I am pretty sure the lot of them would have made me wear a t-shirt that says….  “Handler, free to good home”

Several pictures of food are placed on my vision board as well.  This year was very kind to me as far as time goes.  I found quite a bit more time to sit and write recipes, test them and of course enjoy the fruits of my labor. 

Frog Cupcake I created for a baby shower

Numerous word phrases are scattered throughout my board.  I put them there as I wanted to focus on some self- improvement.  I felt like I was the end of the yarn ball,  a little frayed when I finally did sit down to create my 2012 vision board.  So….what better than to put what you want to focus on up on the board.

I am relaxed – This one I tend to be…..searching for the right words here….passive/aggressive maybe…...  Getting too relaxed then getting angry for letting things get too relaxed.  Still playing with being relaxed, but not letting it all hang out either.  This one will be a carry over to 2013

I am blessed & I am thankful – A not so subtle reminder that I have a ton of blessings to be thankful for.  A loving & patient husband, my family and friends who love and support me, fabulous dogs, a welcoming home, my farm critters & my creativity.  Just to name a few. 

I trust myself – This one meant NO SECOND guessing my decision.  I’m gonna leave that one right there.

I am happy – This one is in a similar vein as I am blessed.  Whenever I wasn’t happy I asked why?  Then how did I get to that unhappy place.  Did I allow someone else to take me there?  Usually it wasn’t long before I had my answer.

I am focused & I am committed – This meant giving up a few responsibilities and focusing on what I am already doing so not to spread myself too thin.  Also after the devasting loss of 5 of my lambs this year to a coyote hit I realized that I need to be more focused on making sure my flock has a protector.  I committed to finding out my what my choices were for flock guardianship and with the help and guidance from close friends/fellow shepherdesses I selected a llama.  It truly has been a gift that keeps on giving.  Not a day goes by that Talja doesn’t give me a story or a chuckle with her antics.  I truly believe she has come home to our farm.   

I know as I continue to sit and write out my 2013 vision board and goals I will remember other things that I should include, I am good with this.  That’ll do

There are more pictures and sayings....the one that roots beneath all that I experienced this year is….. 

 Inspiration can be found in the most unlikely places

Through inspiration from those most unlikely places….. I have dared greatly like never before.  You know what is really exciting?  It’s that I know in my heart this is only the beginning. 

2013, I hope you are ready for me

Meet Fred and Ginger

It was time to add a few more Call Ducks.  Meet Fred & Ginger, they are Blue Fawn in variety.  They aren't quite used to our place yet.  In time I'm sure they will love it here. 

Fall at the Farm

I had started a "couch to 5k" running program and was at week three when low and behold fall had started to take hold. The Fall season brings a whole host of tasks that need to be completed. So the couch to 5k has now turned into a farm to 5k program as the following tasks are completed.  Thankfully I didn't have to do this all on my own.  Several friends offered to experience my "farm exercise" program. 

• 20 sheep needed to be shorn
• Sheep hooves need trimming
• 2.5 tons of hay put up for the winter
• barn needed to be shoveled
• Hen house cleaned out and prepped for winter
• Pick up apples from neighboring orchard to feed to the sheep

All this is keeping up with the "couch to 5K" I was doing.  I can now say all is done and now its back to the couch to 5K.


 

Tweed after a day of farm work


Oregon Flock and Fiber Fun!

While making our way to Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival (OFFF), one of our most favorite wool and fiber shows we thought we stop and say hello to the fine folks at Les Scwhab. Well, really I ran over a nail and needed my tire fixed. Nonetheless when this bored dog owner is left to her own devices for entertainment, what does she do????  Why yes, she turns to her dogs. Zeke would absolutely have nothing to do with wearing sun glasses he actually moved all the way to the end of his leash so I couldn't reach him!! My Sally girl though was all about it!! Posing for the customers as they came and went. Very cute!!  Oh Sally, you ARE a little diva!!!
























My ducks and are part of the "flock" of Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. Every year, for the past few, we have entertained the crowd with some pretty funny herding demos. Much to everyone's surprise we herd ducks instead of sheep! Not all go as planned but all certainly aim to please and definitely give all spectators a great chuckle. This year was no exception as both dogs earned giggles and applause from the crowd. Zeke and Sally did well, it's a bit of pressure working in a small space and in a different environment. What it did show me is they certainly will and can work under rather different if not silly situations.  I can't tell you the last time I put my sheep through an agility tunnel!!  My desire is to put on a demonstration that is not only fun to watch but also educational.  My hope is that people see how valuable it is to a shepherd to have dogs that efficiently and effectively move stock. 

If you go to http://countrytraveleronline.com/2012/09/25/herding-ducks/ you can see a delightful articule written about our duck herding demo.  THANK YOU JAN for the great articule!!!!

This year was a little different as we did not show sheep, but we did sell our shetland sheep wool in roving and yarn.  The response from the customers was overwhelming and very validating that we are on the right track with combining fibers to make one heck a great yarn.  Who could say no to a chocolately brown shetland fleece from Bridget when she is blended with alpaca and silk? Certainly not me.  It's a good thing they grow more as this blend I was particularly fond of.  Now its time to contemplate next years blends, oh the possibilities!!! 

Here is a little ram lamb that we wil be watching as he grows up.  He lives at Nutshell Farm, here's hoping he will come visit our farm next year.  I love that cream colored bib


Ahhhh life

False starts, restarts, the thoughts that I should be there not here or the "oh heck, you better scrap it and start overs", yeah, I've had my fair share lately.   Two of my very dear friends have told me I am right where I am supposed to be.... that can be very frustrating to this "recipe follower" mentality I have. .....Life's not recipe, it looks silly to me to have written it because I know that, but yet, I somehow expect life to be a recipe.... some sort of funky formulary that when you pull it out of the oven it is a delectable masterpiece.....I've been thinking alot about that lately....Because I am still ruminating on this I am going to interupt this post and share an experience that means a tremendous amount to me....It's a glimpse back in the not so distant past of where I've been, what I've learned and how I am choosing to pay it forward......Below is a note (slightly adjusted for posting) I wrote to a young lady that I certainly hope I get to spend more time with in the near future. 

 After reading your note I very much feel for you and understand your frustrations and disappointment with your horse and his choice of not so fabulous and not safe behaviors. I am hoping I can offer a different thought process/resource to you two. I believe animals are brought into our lives for a reason. We may not know why at first. That's our journey. Sometimes they are only here for a short while and others stay longer. 

I am sharing my experience with the thought that you might find it helpful. My hope is that you may be able to get some "good nuggets" from what I share..... "Sift and sort the info and options".... "find what works for you." That is a nugget I cherish that I got from my trainer that continues to help me along my journey to this day.

No, I haven't trained horses but I've trained a few sheepdogs that didn't fit the "normal" training methodology. A little over 4 years ago I bought a dog that wanted to bite and take down sheep like an alligator.  I was mortified!!!It forced me to do some out of the box thinking and I'd best do that fast or I wouldn't be welcome at other people's farms. I needed options and I did not think that was going to be easy to find. The other obvious option that was zooming through my head was for me to move the dog on to someone else with the hopes that they would understand the situation better than I.   Considering I was Zeke's 4th home before the time he was 2, I sensed he was put in my care for me to help him. To be honest, I felt he was begging me to help him.  I didn't have a clue on how I was going to do that, just knew I had to. I'd received all sorts of input on what I should do from seasoned trainers (25 yrs plus) that just didn't resonnate with me.  Lucky for me a trainer reached out to me and offered her help (she is now one of my best friends).  Open minded solutions and a let's figure him out attitude that weren't "forcing him" are what she offered... We have done what I consider miracles with Zeke.  He is nothing like the dog I got 4 years ago.  It was an open mind and a willingness to read the dog and interpret what he needs that has got him to where he is today. 

I'm not saying this is the same situation for you, maybe you have Luna to help get him to his next home. I don't know, that is where I think Kate (animal trainer/communitcator) maybe able to assist you in learning more about Luna and what he needs....and just maybe Luna will learn what you need from him.

If there is anything I've learned in this journey of handling/ learning to train sheepdogs and owning sheep it's that there is always another way to gain understanding if the one you are using isn't working. Find new tools to add to your tool box. Some have said I took the weird way, or the long way to get there...well, it has paid off for me in spades, I call it, "doing it my way".  Having done that now it's been the best thing I could ever have done for my dogs and I. Call me weird any day of the week. I'll take that relationship that I've built with Zeke over anybody elses dog out there.... he gives me his heart.  Zeke is the dog I've turned to when I gotta get the hard chores done home.

I hope this is helpful to you and that you are able to find your own answers that best suits the two of you. 

C

Cause for Pause....or is it Paws...or is it both

A cause for pause…. or is it paws….. or both?

It was time to push the “reset” button for me.  I enjoyed a mini sheepdog vacation in early July.

I treated Sally, Zeke and I to a sheepdog shedding clinic. Lots of information to sift, sort and process as I look at how I will train and communicate, the inner workings of learning to shed.  The value of understanding and clear communication with your dog is imperative in herding but it is especially important when it comes to shedding.  One paw, foot or even one of  you leaning in the wrong direction puts unwanted pressure on the sheep and you are starting this “dance” over.  We've given the shedding a go at home and we've got work ahead of us, well let's be honest, I'VE got some homework to do.  Sally definitely gets the task at hand as she has been here, done that, before.  Then there is Zeke.  I’d like to say he gets the very start of the concept but we’ve obviously got work to do.  As an extra bonus the handler needs to do her homework too, she has her fair share of learning as well.  Big grin.  Thankfully my dogs are patient with me.  I getting the concept.  Just gotta practice to get the basics down then, I can get to those nuances and finer points,  It's quite enjoyable when it comes together… what a great feeling of partnership with your dog

I went to the annual Sheep Thrillz sheepdog trial in Scio.  Phew, yikes, smiles and a sigh. That was a brainful of opportunities for learning and challenge.  This is my third trial at the pro-novice level.   I roll my eyes now because what I thought I walked on to the trial field in knowledge with each dog was clearly not the case.  I shed some tears, but not because I was upset with Zeke, but disappointed with myself for thinking I had more understanding between the two of us about the task at hand than what showed up on the field.  I retired him mid-run for both of our goes, it was just not going well.  He bumped the sheep at the top and never got a hold of them to say the least.  This handler felt she was drowning at the post, not knowing how to help or handle him.  I just felt blank.  Lots of replaying the situation in my head, reviewing the video of my run, thinking how I could have handled it different and discussing with those I admire and deeply respect  have given me ideas on how I can improve and learn from this opportunity.   So…. Mr. Zekie, off we go to further our understanding and practice more.

Sally had an opportunity for challenge, she had me for a handler  J  It’s all good, as I learned so much from that little girl that I am still processing, even over a month later.  I’m seeing what I can take and move to increase Zeke’s understanding as well as my own.  Sal is a gold mine of information and I know she is here to help deepen our understanding.  My goal for this trial with Sally was very very basic.  Get a hold of her at the top,  get her on a line and don’t mess with it, even if it means missing our panels.  Without boring you with the details, I didn’t get a hold her at the top and because of that it didn't look nice and tidy as I think it should have.  We or should I say I…. definately missed our panels and I’m certain we looked more novice than pro.  I will tell you what I am most proud/excited is that I finally got to feel what it’s like when a dog “gets a hold” of the sheep.  I describe it like a ‘tractor beam", you know, like the one from your favorite sci-fi movies.  We got to the pen and we started the dance to pen our sheep.  All at once I felt Sally lock in and tell those sheep…. no, you’re not going anywhere but in that pen.  I actually said it to Sal, "We are getting those sheep in the pen.  WE can do this girlfriend."  Magic I tell you, it felt like magic!

This is an amazing feeling when your dog “has” her sheep.  I felt on top of the world but so grounded and connected to my dog at the same time.  Knowing that we did this together, in harmony is an exhilarating feeling.  It's the partnership that I've been hearing about for years from other sheepdog handlers.  I honestly didn't understand what they where talking about, I didn’t know it was possible for me to acheive this.  How does it get better than that?

Friday found us at Kenleigh Acres taking a nuno felting class.  We made wool and silk tank tops, what an incredible process.  Very fun and very labor intensive.  I think I will stick to scarves for now as I hone my skills at this wet felting process.  My top didn’t quite turn out ready to wear so I will be making some alterations.  Once complete, I’ll post it up here. Lots of laughter, jokes and fun.  What an inspiring day with an absolutely great group of ladies!!!  I'm ready to have more fun!!!

 

Remember

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.

Heather Cortez