Friday 26 August 2011

Come By, Darn, Lay Darn and other stuff!


Hi All You Woofers!

McDaisy & MacHolly here again!

Today has been very sunny here on the Isle of Mull, blue sky with a few fluffy clouds. We went for our normal run in the forest to chase the rabbits and big scary monsters!

Looking down to the trees.
Old Two Legs was more interested in photographing the trees and the plants by the side of the track, 'whatever floats yer boat' as Zoe says!


Bumble Bee
As we were going down the hill, there came three ladies and five doggies running up the hill! The doggies looked OK but the ladies looked as though they were about to collapse!

One dog stopped and said that they do this for 'fun', he said he could have more fun with a good bone!

I'd rather have a bone!
After breakfast of chicken and biscuits we all piled into the car to go to Pennyghael in search of Otters and other sea monsters.

Well that was the plan, we saw a notice by the side of the road, it said 'Sheep Dog Trials' 25th August 10:30 am start!

We had never heard of that dog thing before, so we asked OTL if we could see what it was all about.

He in turn asked The Missus if we could drop in to see what was happening.

OTL never does anything without asking TM first, especially if she in in the car with us!

So, in we went to this big field. There were sheep dogs tied up to the fence under the trees. We had a chat with one and he told us about his work and the problem he has with Sheep Ticks!

Foods OK but the Ticks!
He explained that all he did was chase sheep around when the man gave him instructions. He was going to be in the competition, so we wished him well and went to sit with OTL and TM to watch.

Watching the action!
OTL said that the shepherd was in charge and in the field there was a post with a man standing next to it and that is the shepherd.



Further up the field there were some wooden fence panels made to look like gates, but with no gate, if you understand what I mean!

At the other end of the field four sheep were let loose from their pen and the sheep dog rushed up there and by listening to the man shouting and blowing a whistle, moved left, right, stop and lay down.

What it sounded like was, Awarry, Coomb Bye, Darn, Lay DARN! Then there was tweet, Tweet Tweet, Tweeeeeet!

The sheep dog seemed to know what to do, even if the man was getting it wrong 'cos he couldn't see where the gates were!

Come Bye, Darn, I wish he'd make up his mind!
Finally the man and dog had to get these sheep into a pen, now that was funny! All it took was one sheep with attitude to spoil the whole thing.

We saw one dog go up to the sheep and the sheep just stamped it's feet and then got it's mate to stamp her feet as well. Poor dog wanted to go up and give the sheep a good telling off but the man just told him to Lay DARN!

Sheep with Attitude!
Well, we stayed for some time watching all this, it was a real eye opener on what to do with sheep, a new way of chasing them I suppose!

Holly and I are going to practice on the ducks when we get back home!

After the sheep trials, we went off down to the coast and had a good run on the beach, I even went in swimming, by mistake, after misjudging the depth of the water!

Someone nicked the bottom!

No real problem, I just swam to the shore and shook myself dry, all over OTL and Holly!

That was good fun and by then it was getting late, so OTL never did get to go otter hunting with his camera.

Tomorrow, OTL says we are going to take down the awning and pack up ready for our homeward trip on Saturday. We are staying overnight at Gretna Green, that's where OTL and TM got married, OTL says they got married three times, one real one and twice more over different anvils.

That sounds like serious weddings!

Lets hope the rain stays away so we can get the awning down and packed away in the dry!

See you tomorrow!

Luv,

McDaisy & MacHolly