Finals Day Two and Three

Sorry I didn't blog last night. We went to my favorite Black Bear Diner in Klamath. Discovered on the fateful 2001 trip with my best friend Melissa, I loved it and needed to go back for good luck.
OK. River and I were up early on the nursery field and I sent him to the left. He had a good outrun but when he got behind the sheep they took off to the right. The set out person is standing on the draw side with their dog uselessly to on the other side (I'm sure they have a good reason for that) so if the sheep want to run, they practically knock them over to get by. River was always right there but not quite fast enough to stop them and they split up way over to my right on the fence with one sheep running back to set out. Obviously, I had to retire.
I'm sure some of you have already heard that Maid had a rerun yesterday. Her first set left just as she was passing 3 o'clock on her outrun. They tore back to set out (which is quite a ways back from where they are being set) and Maid tore after them and got them stopped but they were way off line. She did, however, get them under control and start taking them to the fetch panels but the judges didn't have enough worth judging so they gave them a rerun. However, Maid never got her rerun sheep broke like she did the first set and the run was very very fast. When they got to the shedding ring they still had over 7 minutes! (13 minute course time) I'm thinking she needs to go to the Calgary Stampede next year! The shed was tense and I was afraid Maid might be hungry after all that running but she kept her mouth shut and got the shed and then got a pen. They got a 153 (two judges) and it looks like it will be a good shot for the semi's on Saturday.
We went to the nursery field right after that to watch Scott run Sleat. Scott sent her to the left and she crossed over on her outrun despite Scott's whistles to the contrary.

Scott and Sleat just before the crossover!

After that she had a good fetch and drive away but typical to Sleat, she will tend to have a bad crossdrive if she has a crossover. It's just a young dog's indication that her mind isn't where it should be and sure enough, she took a wrong flank and messed it up. Scott got it back under control and got a pen to finish it off.

Scott and Sleat getting a pen

She only got a 65 and it looks like it won't be good enough to get her a second run.
Today I ran Lad 6th up. It was a great time to run because it has been cool at night, in the 40s but very hot during the day, getting up to 88F. It has also been very dusty here. It's like flour and it gets very bad during the day. There is also a couple of fires burning in Southern Oregon and they have made today very smokey. At the time Lad ran, the smoke was bad but not as dry in the cool morning. Lad went out to the right on his outrun and passed the normal place where the other dogs curled in, he went way out wide to my right and into the uncultivated native grass. I would have panicked, but Louanne's Isla did the same thing and although not ideal, I knew that there was a chance that the lay of the land would bring him in around 2 0'clock and it did. If he had passed that point he would have got behind a fence that wouldn't have allowed him to get back on the field. He came down to his sheep and I gave him one short blow away and then had him lift. No problem. In fact, Lad's whole run was no problem for him. He moved the sheep easily. Me on the other hand, I was a frazzled mess and got panel panic. I missed the drive away panels even tho the sheep were walking nicely towards it, they dashed around at the last minute. I did make the other panels and with Scott's advice about the shedding ring (don't use yourself much, make the dog do it or let it happen) and the luck that I remembered to set my watch, I knew I had enough time to get it done. The pen was pretty easy and the sheep went right in. I was proud of my boy but disappointed in my agitation around the course. However, the score was a 152 and might allow us to play again on Saturday's semi's.
Scott ran Donnie in the nursery after that and laid one down!

Donnie on the fetch in the smokey sunshine

So smooth and made every panel. He's in second place right now and will definitely do a second run on Friday (top 40% do a second run). The good thing is he is one point behind the leader and nursery is a cumulative win.

Scott and Donnie at the pen

Lucy ran when it was very hot out. The usually biddable red dog was kinda crazy today. She had plenty of heart but unwound her flanks alot and I had to watch her closely and not watch my sheep or lines. We did make all the panels but didn't have straight lines getting there. The shed was difficult and we lost them out of the ring once with a grip. We ran out of time on the pen. Lucy scored a 118- respectable but not a contender for the semi's.
Tuque. Short and sweet? She spotted something off to my left in an uncut alfalfa field (Scott thought it was a tractor) and would not be persuaded from a crossover. I never got her back to the sheep. Sorry David and Susan!
Scott runs Drift tomorrow. Fingers crossed.