Home At Last

We arrived safely home last night from our trip to Caldwell, ID.

Quite frankly I have been avoiding my blog because the last thing I want to do is sit in a chair for any length of time. My keister is still sore from the long 10 hr drive yesterday. My brain is mush and I just want to hang out with the puppers and chill.

So that is what I am going to do until later. Sorry...

This evening I will get the pictures I shot processed and then have a chance to gather my thoughts and share them in a comprehensible manner.

If you want pictures - check out Jodi's shots from the clinic.

Jodi posted an adorable picture of Brynn in her post here http://hayewe.blogspot.com/2009/05/pepes-new-wife.html

Link to her pictures of the clinic are here Jodi Darling's Pictures of Shannahan Clinic

Pictures of Beth & I begin here at #73 - 102.

We had private lessons with Patrick on Friday. Beth's lesson went very well and within a few minutes Pat helped me clean up the problems with Beth's outrun we have been working on for months. What made a big difference was Patrick's hair sheep. She was working on sheep that were decidedly NOT dog broke and whose 'bubble' was considerably larger than the sheep at Fido's. Later, our session with Bonnie did not go well. She decided within the first few minutes she was terrified of Patrick and started to cower and tried to get out of the round pen, eventually completely shutting down. Her terror overwhelmed any urge to herd. Things did not improve for her until Sunday at the clinic (I will write more about that later) when she finally started to relax.

The clinic was Saturday and Sunday. Rain forced us into Dianne Deal's horse arena for the clinic. Monday we went along to the desert on BLM land - Succor Creek, OR where Dianne & Patrick were practicing for Big Willow SDT next weekend. Dianne spent a considerable amount of time with me and Beth working on various things. I really enjoyed my time with Dianne & in many ways learned more with her on Monday than I did the entire weekend. She has way of putting things that made it click in my brain. THANK YOU Dianne!

We met Ellie & her dog Cedar (the Anti-Barbie Collie) this weekend. She wrote about the clinic and our trip to the desert on Monday here Journeys with Cedar and Moss. She posted some wonderful pictures from Monday.

We also met Ann from Suntrip Samoyeds and a Border Collie. It is truly wonderful to be able to put faces to names!

I will write more about everything later when my mind has a chance to clear a bit.

It is good to be home...