Airs Above the Ground

Airs Above the Ground... aka Shedding with Cheviots.

Some days we all feel like that, Nick.

Robin took these yesterday while we were doing a wee bit of shedding. You can see his lip is still wrinkled on this second shot. I had no idea they were taking pictures until the peanut gallery started howling with laughter. She decided to try to bolt about the time I started calling him through. Silly girl to think of such a thing.

Nick was looking good yesterday - having a ball with this shedding thing. Linc looked really good - he's digging this driving thing. I think the practical work of last week was a really good thing for Linc and I - the "we are a team" thing has done wonders for him. For that matter it's done wonders for me too - it helped me to feel like I could relax and trust him more. He got to work his way through gathering a small group of lambs (with one crazy cheviot ewe) up in the woods and deep grass - and we worked together to basically thread them through an opening in the pens that was like threading a needle. Good stuff - it wasn't easy but good experience for us both.

I don't know if dogs (like Nick) get pouty when the human chooses to use another dog instead of them - but the idea is to use Linc for as much practical stuff as I can get for him. Nick's been my right hand since... well... since about the time I got a stop on him. It feels weird to leave him sitting while I pull out Linc - and I'll admit to a tiny bit of guilt. However, he doesn't appear to be offended, so I'm not sure that dogs reason like that.

It's interesting the differences in these dogs. It's a fascinating journey where often I find myself just hanging on by my fingernails at best. I'm sure enjoying the ride though!

Photos by Robin French