Gorgeous Day!!!!!

OK...warning: HUGE INFLUX OF HERDING PICTURES :) Like 41...yeah I know, it's bad.

The husband took all of these, I just gave him the camera and said "start shootin'!"...after I realized he was taking 500 black pictures as I forgot to take the camera off manual and put it on automatic, we got some :)

Some are blurry...but whatever. I am learning, as a photographer, it help to know the movements of the dogs and sheep...the husband doesn't as he isn't into the whole herding thing (though loves watching the dogs work)...so he doesn't know that the dog is gonna zig and he zags with the camera :) So please excuse the blurry ones :) I was happy he was willing to take on the challenge regardless :)

Day 188: First up Spot & Donna

I love having Spot so close :) He's in the big field with no issues. We are lengthening his outrun and just keeping Donna moving correctly. Spot has great feel for his sheep. It's really fun to watch the two of them :)

He's REALLY maturing :) I love it. And he has started some gripping--very appropriate though...which I told Donna I would throw a stick at her if she corrected him for that :)

Happy, happy boy :)

YAY Donna!! :)

This one is one of my favorites of him :) He reminds me so much of his sire.

Is this what they do in the breed ring? Trot them around? ;-)

Spot had a blast and Donna did too :) They both are really becoming a team :)

Next up...Even Steven :)

The husband and I were just talking about how, this time last year, I was heading to Baltimore to fix her. My how time flies. Since her surgery there have been NO issues. She is completely sound, and is a dog ;) I am so grateful for that opportunity now. Really taught me so much.

And she is a fun little dog :) She is really getting the idea of pushing now...she did have a bit of an issue with wanting to down...but she rarely does that now, I will keep her pushing and being naughty for a good long time to help that develop...and there is PLENTY of that there :) But I don't like dogs that what to down all the time. And if I asked her to down she would for sure turn into one of those.

She has great feel and is so damn smart...reads pressure from me and the sheep and if she gets herself in trouble, will IMMEDIATELY apply it.

And yet looks like this sometimes... :)

There is no longer any hesitation on her one side...she flies out there to her sheep and NEVER misses the balance point...just lovely.

Just a very fun little dog! And super cute on top of it! :)

My Even, what a big TONGUE you have!

And last but not least, Miss Lynn :)

Have I ever told you how much I love this dog?

She is also maturing at a VERY fast rate right now...and with that maturity, her mother is OOZING out of every pore.

She is becoming a bit of a hellion...can be a tad bit grippy when things don't go her way.

And REALLY likes to push...

And REALLY hates to lie down (so completely opposite of her sister and a carbon COPY of Zip)

She's a tough little dog...really reminds me of Klinker a bit too :)

I've never had such a change in a dog as I have seen in Lynn...she acted just like her sire for the first 18 months of her life? Now? She is a carbon copy of her mother...

Just a VERY drastic change...very interesting to see.

She's going to be so much fun to train up...I'm really excited about it.

I think she's brilliant...but of course I think they are ALL brilliant :)

Even if they have some of the dumbest looks on their faces at times :)

Day 189: Best Thing Ever :)

My favorite picture of Lynn and I...she reminds me SOOOO much of her sire in this pic. It's sad that he's gone now...but I'm very happy I have 3 of his pups.

Lynn is one happy girl...and I'm just as happy to have her :)

I also worked Klink...Klink is just like driving a fine sports car...we are really a team now. And it's a lot of fun having a dog that you are that connected with that she knows what you are thinking...and vice versa. It's so much fun!!!

Day 190: Border Collie Bokeh :)

I don't think there IS a better way to spend a Saturday!

Woke up this morning to, what felt like Missouri in the summer! HUMID!!!! OMG! It actually felt nice to me :)

Zip said I couldn't leave her out of the blog post...so here's a short vid of her moving sheep from pasture to pasture :) The camera lens had some issues in the middle due to the humidity...but you can still see she's being a good dog :)