Inverness

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Vegging out. Incredibly lazy. That would be us tonight, settled in at Kinkell House in Inverness, and ordering pizza. Delivery pizza. From Domino’s. Cheese and sausage, to be precise, to arrive in about an hour.

Is that sad, or what?

We cannot claim that it was a stressful day. We departed the Creag ne Dav B&B in Ivermoriston after a wonderful breakfast, and drove a leisurely 8 miles to today’s sheepdog trial. Another beautiful course, opening beautifully toward the top, and with a few minor rolls, with fit and lively blackface ewes that were often difficult to spot. The weather was a tad variable, but light rain and fog on the hills prevailed until mid afternoon.

Both Cheryl and I booked in for early runs (yes, I know that it’s generally a better strategy to wait until late morning or early afternoon, but we were pushing the dogs and our…

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On the Road North!

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Just think: five more days until the World Trial starts! And we are on our way toward Tain.

This morning, we took the shortest ferry in Scotland, from the northern most point of Bute to the Scotland mainland. It was a fantastic ferry that was reported to offer free wireless……unfortunately, in the five minute crossing, there was barely time to log on. We can neither confirm nor deny wireless availability.

From there, it was a leisurely drive through the Highlands and, ultimately, to Invermoriston on the edge of Loch Ness. We are at the delightful dog-friendly Craig ne Dav B&B, taking a brief break before an early dinner.

Tomorrow is a tune-up trial a few miles south in Ft. Augustus, the last work for the dogs before the Worlds. Both dogs are in good shape, traveling easily, and running well.

After we run, we are hoping that a Nessie sighting…

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Jim’s Relatives

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One of the joys of visiting Bute (beyond the people and the spectacular scenery, of course) is getting to see many of Jim’s relatives. This trip was no exception.

Jim’s dam, Vicky, is still going strong at age 11. Fit and sound, her face has very little “old age” white – less than Jim, actually. Her work is still excellent, and her movement clean and forward. She and Jim share the same working trot, and both cover the ground with great ease.

Despite Margaret’s insistence (still very strong last time I was here) about “No dogs in the house!’, Vicky has wormed her way into the living room and solarium, and I understand that she often sleeps at Johnny’s feet and uses his foot as a pillow.

I had forgotten how much alike Jim and Vicky look. The forked blaze is Vicky’s, and so are the expressive ears, smooth coat…

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Isle of Bute

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It is Thursday, and we are visiting Jim’s breeder (Johnny Baker), and his daughter Catrina. Catrina is graciously putting us up on her lovely farm, which is right on the ocean (Scalpsy Bay, on the Isle of Bute, for those of you with a map.)

What can I say? Bute feels like home to me, and the Baker’s feel like family. And Bute has to be one of the most restful places I’ve ever had the privilege to visit.

We arrived here on Wednesday on the small ferry from Wemyss Bay, although it wasn’t the first ferry of the day – that was the fast ferry from Larne, Ireland, to Troon, Scotland. THAT was an early start (4am), but we did catch up on our sleep on the water. After meandering around the town we came out to the farm.

As always => oh wow. Beautiful land, beautiful house, right…

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And more photos

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Headed for dinner with Aiden and Pauline Gallagher. (That’s not a switchblade in Joyce’s hand. It’s car keys. Really. We promise.)

The Titanic.

Our faithful chariot. (The dents are on the other side, and we didn’t put them there. S’truth.)

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Photos

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Pictures compliments of Cheryl.

Mondays auction:

Proof that Joyce was at Giants Causeway — in fact, she hasn’t been seen since.

Cheers!

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It must be Tuesday?

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I think that the days are getting ahead of the bloggers. Since we were at the Gypsy Fair and Giants Causeway, it must be Tuesday……but if we were at the sheep auction, it must be Monday.

Oh, wait. The sheep auction was yesterday. Got it. Today is Tuesday.

Sunday – that was the day that the Titanic ruled, Dick went fishing and Cheryl & I worked some very fresh Cheviot x Texel and Scottie x Leicester lambs – seems a long way in the past, and yet it was only two days.

Although the Titanic guest bloggers have yet to write (although they report it was fantastic), it could not have made that much of an impression, since Dick promptly climbed on a boat and went out fishing. Very successfully, we might add – Mondays dinner was fresh mackerel. The fish did have to wait a day; Sunday had already…

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Sunday Morning Lay Back

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It is Sunday morning, and I am having an old-fashioned lie-in at Dark Horse House. It’s quiet; Cheryl, Dick, and Clara are all off to Belfast to the Titanic Museum. I’ve skipped it – simply tired.

Jim is lying at my feet, and I’m studying him. He is my partner, eight years and nine months in the making.

He is no longer the spry three year old that I ran in 2005 at the Worlds in Wales (where he pegged 99/100 on his outwork), or the almost peak six year old that I ran in 2011 at Lowther (where, coming off five weeks of hard work at Lonscale, he pushed the sheep a bit ~too~ much). He isn’t quite the same dog who placed in the Bluegrass double lift and then sixth in the 2013 National Finals, either.

He is older. He can’t quite rely on youthful energy anymore, and…

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Trial in Castlewellan, County Down

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It was a long, busy day with an early and somewhat rocky start. The early part, we nailed; 7:45 departure, which is no mean feat with four people, two bathrooms, and two dogs…….AND a fantastic breakfast whipped up by Clara.

Our rendezvous with Arthur MaWhinney went a bit awry. We had agreed, after working our dogs there on Thursday, to meet him at 8:30 and then follow him to the trial.

Oops, wires crossed. Our on-time arrival was met by an empty driveway. Oh well, GPS to the rescue, and a reasonably uneventful drive through Belfast city and to the trial. Only one scenic detour and only one call to the trial director for directions brought us to a lovely field.

The field was fairly long, with challenging outruns on either side; the sheep were Scottie’s, fit and in good finish; and the competition was good. Clara reports that the…

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Armoy Hills

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Despite popular requests, Fleet and Jim are too tired to write tonight, so it’s back to your regular bloggers. Two works each on hill Scotties seem to have tired them.

Actually, we are all tired. Despite a late morning start, we were out seeing and working dogs for about six hours. A short break for a late lunch in Ballycastle was the only interlude.

And what wonderful dogs we saw! A special treat was watching a hill gather by a dog highly placed in this year’s Irish National. Dick’s comment was, “Seeing this was worth the entire trip!”, and Cheryl’s was simply “Wow!”

They say: We have never seen so many sheep in our entire life…..there are as many sheep as we own, in every field.

The work and work expectations here ARE different from those that most of us hold in the US.

With the sheep and landscape being…

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