Missouri Hospitality

While we are staying a week at the Fleming Farm (Plumb Lucky,) we have been getting some really good work on our dogs.  On Saturday morning, before it got too hot, we went to a cow pasture about 15 minutes from the house to work.  While we were there, the owner of the field stopped by to say HI.  We told him we would be coming back that evening and he said he might stop by and watch us.  That evening, as we drove up to the pasture, we saw a sight.  Not only had the owner, Mike, stopped by to watch us, he brought about 15 friends, neighbors and their kids! 

Our Audience

And they brought a tractor and a flat bed, a dune buggy, a bb-q, (and burgers) a camp fire and various dogs to watch. It was a regular sheepdog training tailgate party! It was a blast!  Scott and I agreed that working dogs had never been so much fun.  The people of Leeton, MO (and the surrounding area) love to come out and support any activity.  They were very excited that the 2013 cattle dog finals was going to be in their town and all evening they continued to come by and hang out and watch.  They only worried that they might be a little loud when we were working.  I assured them that it wouldn't bother the dogs one bit and everyone enjoyed themselves.  Scott and I and Thad Flemming  got quite a bit of work done on our young dog's outruns because the field was flat at the bottom but had some tricky hills to go up. 

Thad gathers sheep to set out with his Nell dog

 There was also a ditch running through the base of the hills with about 4 inches of running water in it, which made it nice for whoever was setting out to cool their dog.  And you couldn't beat the double lift set up!

Scott works Don on a double lift

We stayed until the fireflies came out and the camp fire burned down, said good bye to our new friends, and then gathered the sheep to go home by the light of the super moon.