Friday, June 22, 2012

Ranch Ramblings in Raven

Home On The Range 


A few pastoral pics of our relatively calm and serene week on the ranch. I had only one repair to attend to this week when the electric fencing on the east side of the quarter went down and three cows were grazing in the "off limits to Beef" section. I took Rook out to drive the girls out of the area so I could fix the fencing. 


The Lulu B's and Bulls are settling in well on their Raven homestead and are getting acclimatized to the presence of me and the crew. When I call out to the "Bovine Brigade" they now come up to the fence so I can have a chat and check them out. One heifer "Lulu B. Bovine Number 4" seems to be particularly fascinated with me. When I call out to the herd she is is the first to stop by and strike and pose.

Our beautiful sunrise at 5am
sunrise semester over the range
Rook drives the three hefs away from the "off limit zone" so I can repair the electric fencing on the east side. Thanks buddy!
The girls gather at the watering hole

The Lulu B's are starting to come visit me at the fencing close to the home when I call out "Lulu B's, Lulu B's!" My friend Denise took this photo on her visit out o the ranch. Thanks Denise! 

Miss "Lulu B. Bovine Number 4"

One of our gentleman "Bull-Jolais"

Miss Ash keeps an eye on the herd from her post

Ash calmly watching over the Lulu B's

Master Rook and the herd going about their business. Rook is also a great rodent hunter like his gal-pals Cybelle and Ash

My Canaan Crew seldom plays with toys so whenever they pick one from the outdoor toy box I have to try and capture the moment:-) 

Ash holding on to her toy as she watches the herd in the distance

Ash says "Even a working girl has to take time off to show off her  playful side!"

We have had so many coyotes lately - Master Rook Tells the predators that this is his territory!"

Rook says "did I do good boss?" Yes you did Rookie Roo!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Tracking Along With “Ash” & Her Comrades - "Searching For The Pot of Gold"


This past Saturday we met our tracking comrades, Lynn, Lorrie and Kristine at Red Deer College for another group training session. The field and weather conditions were the best we have had in  all the months of training. We have tracked in snow and ice, difficult terrain, chilly temps and fields full  of sloughs  with an assortment of critters and their droppings. Tracking in harsher conditions seems to be paying off when working our dogs on an ideal day which is seldom and few in between -  especially in Alberta when the weather can change every five minutes!

After a brief rainfall in the morning, the sun awoke and burst through the ocean-wide skies. She presented us with a field moist and lush with veg and embraced us with perfect temperatures for the day.  

Once the blind tracks were plotted ( we did 2 tracks per team with 3 to five corners), each track- layer followed behind the dog/handler team to watch and record mental thoughts as they ran their tracks. Since these are “training” sessions, the track-layer has to be prepared to assist the team with any difficulties – like all venues of training, one needs to concentrate on setting up you and your dog for success, and give guidance on working out any obstacles. The tracking comrades continue to offer each other support as we track along with our wonderful working dogs. Even on a perfect day with ideal weather conditions the dog has to work with distractions - traffic in the distance, scenting along sheds and fencing, sirens, transitioning up and over hills, and one gopher for Ash who did one pounce then got immediately back to work.

It certainly was a great sight to see each dog team dedicated to their tracks, working smoothly with  their corners, and scenting for the ultimate “pot of gold” at the end – “the stranger’s missing article.

Since it was a beautiful day, we decided to “top it off” at Starbucks in Red Deer for a cold coffee beverage. It was nice to have Lorrie join us since she could not make it to our last group session on my ranch.


Below is a collective effort from all the comrades of some favourite pics from our session. We even had time to assist Lynn in some SAR (Search & Rescue) training with her golden girl “Quila” after a successful day of tracking. 


Ash finds the  "pot of gold"  (Kristine's missing mitten ) at the end of her track laid by Kristine
Ash  moves smoothly and thoughtfully along her second track of the day
Kristine and her rottie gal "Teah" track up and over hills 
Lorrie & her GSD "Zevah" keep dedicated to the track with lots of  traffic distractions
Lorrie and her afghan boy "Shamar" concentrating on his blind track laid by Lynn
Lynn and "Quila" dedicated to their blind track laid by Lorrie
Lynn praises her girl after a successful search and rescue session 
The Tracking Comrades enjoying their cold beverages at Starbucks 
Lynn introduces me to the Vanilla Bean Frappacino and apparently seems to be quite proud of that:-)

My "easy, breezy cover girl" Ash at home on the range after a great day of tracking with her comrades

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Bull's Eye! The Crew's Bulls Arrive!

The Lulu B's two handsome gentlemen have arrived on our ranch. Meet "Bull-Jolais" & "Pendelton". My friend Denise who has been a cattle rancher with Black Angus for more than 15 years helped name my two arrivals to complete the herd. Since the heifers were coined after a hardy and full-bodied wine on the market "Lulu B", Denise and I agreed that the bulls should be aptly named after some fine beverages:) Denise will be meeting my herd in person soon - don't forget to bring your new SLR Canon camera with you rancher woman! 


The Crew and I took some pics in the early morning as the mist from the lakes highlighted our Black Angus bulls in action.

"Bull-Jolais" & "Pendelton"
Rook and his herd
Ash with her herd
Cybelle with her herd

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Rook's Ranch Chores

Silent, Strong, Solid & Savvy!


My youngest Crew member has inherited his sire "Maccabee's" silent and strong work ethic. Although he is only one- and -half -year's old, this "Rookie" can get the job done in a quick and clean fasion. Just like his pop, Rook  uses a "no-bark" policy when managing his stock. This silent work ethic is an added bonus since it lessens the stress  when gathering and moving the stock for the rancher.


Yesterday morning I had to take some salt blocks out for our "Lulu B. Bovines". I always take a crew member with me because some of the Lulu's can be a bit aggressive since they are still getting acquainted with my presence. I still need to get a new battery for my quad, so I walked the mile with my wheel barrow to select a spot for the blocks. The Lulu B's curiosity was peaked as they peered through the poplars and began to move out and head for the hillside. As Rook inspected the blocks, I noticed one of the head Lulu's pawing at the ground. Not wanting any conflict between human and "beef",I made a B-line for the electric fence to the north and rolled under to avoid the bovine brigrade charging my way. Safe behind my barrior I prepared Rook for his first task of the day. "No worries boss", he said as I sent him out to gather and hold the stock in place so I could finish the rest of my chores. As most of you know, I am usually never without my SLR Canon camera.


Below are some snapshots of my Rookie boy at work - Thanks buddy! Your pop would be proud!

Rook in the salt mines

The Lulu B Brigade

Charging
Rook takes his "Get Out" command

outrun
gather
gather
Border Control
Border Control
Border Control
Border Control
Keeping Watch

That'll do boy!


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