Invaluable Farm Team and Treasures...

The rain and thunders storms rolled in and out all day.

We had uninvited visitors.

Not ours!

Why do ours stay in but we can't keep these out?

Lizzy and Junior

Squiggs, Junior and Ki

Add Border Collie Diamond Lil 

and you have an unbeatable team to move cattle.

To see stock dogs work is a thing of beauty.  Each dog is trained by the one above them.  Lil is a head dog, the smaller ones are heelers and movers.  

When the strangers arrive Marcy can clap her hands, I yell "Yhaw!" and the team moves like a well-oiled machine.  Itty-bitty Lizzy and Squiggy gets them moving, Ki and Junior separate the strangers from our cattle and Lil takes the head. 

I've never had the herds completely blended until today.  Squiggs (not twelve pounds) cut out our cattle and headed them back to their spot while Junior, Ki and Lizzy curved the strange bunch back out of our pasture.  It was simply amazing. I face an oncoming wave of half grown calves.  For a second, just a second, I doubted the power of my team.  I raised my arm and I pointed.  The dogs take our cattle one way and the strange ones are herded the other. As they hit the divide, Lil picks up the chase and takes them totally into their home pasture.

Pure dance and art when they work.  A motley crew of Border Collies, a tiny Cairn mix, a Jack/ Rat Terrier,  my hot pepper Ki-Anne of unknown origin and her son Junior moved together like a well choreographed Broadway musical.  

I am proud of our little pack.  All were throw aways except for Lil.  They fit perfectly together and make a fantastic irreplaceable farm team. Not only with herding but also on protection and patrol detail.

Between rains I took a short walk and discovered a few treasures the farm had to offer for my pleasure and enjoyment.