Rainbows

Look at that cute little Gulmoget....

I like rainbows. Rainbows of colors. Looking at a flock of Shetland sheep, I enjoy the rainbow of colors out there. I like spots and flecks and caps and socks and tails that flash a different color. Light colored bodies and dark faces and legs, or dark colored bodies and light colored faces and legs...

doesn't matter, give me a painter's pallet of colors and markings and spots and splashes....

my arm has been twisted.....we hope to be flying up an Ag Gulmoget.

Gray body, brown legs, belly, and up the chest under the chin.. colors fade on a gray or grey, but that's ok, he'll throw a few Gulmoget marked lambs someday. Bred to a Gul ewe someday will help solidify the pattern. Whenever we find one to bring up.

A rainbow of colors......who'd want just plain white sheep anyways? Especially in snow country - blech!

Oh, but Blanche, my white girl, is special so she doesn't count in the blech category, I just don't want a whole flock of white sheep. Hehehe.....

Oh, did I say the lamb is scurred? Carrying the poll gene. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll have polled boys so that us herding folks don't have to have horns jabbing our legs out there when we're training! Scurred or hornless rams have a place here.....but back to the Rainbow thoughts, I'm a sucker for huge curling massive horns on my boys like Topple has. Just that I also accept there's room for one of every kind....

Some of the Dogs I've had the joy of training and trialing!

I am truly blessed.....I have had the pleasure and joy of training and handling the dogs below for qualifying scores and titles....this is just some of the photos I've come across in my files, and I'm sure there's others I have yet to find. Most of these are from the last 3 years...remember, this is only some of them and none are in any particular order. I'm not that good at uploading photos so it's a hit or miss process for me....enjoy!!

Aggie, my beloved shadow - ASCA High In Trial , one of at last count 13 HIT's she's earned. An amazing girl and the foundation to my kennel.

Another of my favorite and well-loved dogs, Jake, finishing his PT title...my first home bred conformation champion too.

Kissy, a GSD, finishing her AKC HSAs....
Caya, a Rottie, with my dear friend and her owner, Linda, getting her AKC PT title...

Dusty, Anna at Emberglo's Belgian Tervuren boy, finishing his AKC title.....
Shadow, owned by Julie, taking Reserve High in Trial and her HSAs title.....
Tango, owned by Sharon, and her AKC High in Trial winnings...this dog was amazing and fun!! Yeah, ok Sharon, she was brilliant and also full of herself too....a great dog.

Bear, finishing his PT title, even tho sheep are ho-hum compared to cattle.....
Another Dusty photo, he is an awesome dog to work with a real stockdog brain that I love...and here he's taking High in Trial in AKC HSAs work....
One of my favorite dogs to work, my Betty who has incredible natural talent, taking Reserve High in Trial for her HSAs....

I'll find more pics....

Another herding photo

Another photo - here Anna and I are doing a parallel drive going into the Z chute...the Y chute from the photo on the posting below is just out of the picture to the left. The sheep have a harder time going into the Z chute as they see a panel directly in front of them and may think it's a closed pen rather than a place to walk through, so may decline entering. The dog must push them into and through this obstacle too.

Herding with dogs

Herding is an interesting leaning curve. Using a dog to take 3 head of Shetland sheep through various obstacles at different designated angles is always different each and every time. Here is a photo from our 4th of July AKC trials. This is Anna putting 3 head easily into the opening of the Y chute. She is allowed to follow/push them through the obstacle but me the handler is not allowed to go into the obstacle to lead the sheep through. This is a very nice clean entrance with no points lost.

Flowers

Lovely flowers.......I grow a number of flowers in pots on my deck each summer...

the rose is Strike It Rich, from Jackson and Perkins, and is a Grandiflora...be sure to click on the photo for a close up!

This of course is Calendula.....click on it for a close up!

Awt and whites....

I took a bunch of photos today...and it's raining out now and I have my chores done so I can sit and blog a bit...

Awt is interesting....genetically it can enhance other colors. Now, Blanche is out of an Awt ewe by a Musket ram. As Blanche gets older, she's expressing more of her "Musket" side....

the first photo below is a group of lambs and one ewe. At the bottom right is Princess...flecket, yuglet...but look how white and bright her fleece is compared to Blanche's creamy colored fleece... click on the photo and you'll see it in a larger version....

Now look at Blanche in these photos below - click on them to enlarge.....

Color genetics are very interesting. Look at Blanche's legs and nose...as she gets older, I'm seeing more 'color' showing up. Perhaps she carries a modifier...perhaps she's a brighter, whiter Musket....we'll know more this winter, stay tuned....hehehehehe.............

Next, Barbados's son out of Domonique

Domonique's ram lamb...sired by Barbados. Only 2 months old, we're seeing plenty of good things here so far....good wool on the poll, good direction of horn growth, and a gorgeous tail and wide leg stance. He has a white Krunet, and carries spots. Also, his fleece is a nice rich Moorit with even crimp distribution. Not bad for a young boy.....