It all started Sat morning like any Sat morning. I awoke before 5 am and started scrubbing my house from ceiling to floor, and then went grocery shopping for enough to fill my refrigerator and cupboards. All’s well. But when I get home…. low and behold I have visitors! Who could it be I think; I’m not expecting anyone! OMG its Jeanne and Jodi!!! Awesome! Awesome!
Then it started. My mind remembers well.
Right first off we had a grizzly bear incident…. well with a trap anyway, but it smelled of grizzly and it definitely still had the aura of its presence…. The dogs knew the full story, they could see what we couldn’t … and ask them, it was scary.
So we decided to chill on the back porch with a beer and spotting scope. Bad idea. The spotting scope identified a blue heron ghost residing on the shoreline of the lake. Every time you looked, it was there. Like perhaps I had accidentally killed or injured a baby bird… and it had come to haunt me. It just sat there, always. Right in the direct view of the lake, unflinching, straight and solid as a stump, accusing.
Despite all this, I think we all slept very soundly that night. The next morning things seemed normal again. We awoke with the sunrise, at 4:30 like always. We followed our plans to head to BCWMA for a bike ride and bird watching without thought of yesterday. But apparently our bad karma was not through with us yet. We were simply enjoying a beautiful day, although admittedly huffing and struggling to bike around the WMA. Apparently the birds thought to capitalize on our weakening state. They all obviously had a bone to pick with us. Or at least it felt like that’s what they were after, picking our bones. They swarmed. They screeched and followed us …all of them. At least ten vultures, ten red-tailed hawks, and probably that many bald eagles! Jodi had a really close call with a redtail!! She must be the weakest.
The next day we went out on the lake in the boat. We were enjoying the peace. Until our engine died and suspiciously the flocks of coots defiantly remained around us, refusing to flush off the lake like any normal bird. Ohh no, and there is the bald eagle again. We restarted the engine and skillfully navigated our way back to what we thought was the safety of the boat launch. But little did we know that evil was lurking on that boat launch. Our approach was met with a scurry of activity, out right fleeing and peeling tires. Made me return to wonder what possibly could have caused our boat engine to die? The answer now seemed obvious. The IDFG presence in the parking lot and a visit from the Conservation Officer were no deterrent for these cunning criminals. We released the hounds in hopes of finding clues. But they were not acting like dogs at all! They were mesmerized by swimming for tennis balls and chasing water (like a creepy reverse universe) for hours and neglected their investigative duties. Even the puppy was included. How could this be?? Did someone get to them while we were on the lake?
Later that night we sat around the fire enjoying smores. But something insidious was lurking in the darkness! Echo went berserk!! Flung herself into the darkness without thought of herself, only in protecting us from the evil that lay beyond. Something with all sharp teeth I am sure! Or perhaps Sasquatch? I couldn’t see it, but if I could I would be the one to identify it. Cause I have seen it before… and have a picture to prove it. Later Roy disappeared. I worried frantically where he could be! I had visions of carcasses, many. I only hoped that Roy’s viciousness would be the victor in an encounter with Sasquatch. At 1 am I realized that to be true. Roy stood at the porch steps, viscously but victoriously barking into the darkness at what mutst have been Sasquatch. He had prevailed and made it home safely! He smelled of death, which told of the trials he had been through to protect us all. When we would get whiffs of that smell the following day, we all thanked Roy for his courage and gallantry in protecting us.
On the last day God shined upon us for the fortitude to weather the storm and challenge evil in the darkness. He led us through tribulations and rough roads to place us as victors above the land. The seas and forests spread out below us. The view was AMAZING! He led us cautiously down from the mountain to an oasis of food and spirits to nourish our weary souls. We gathered with all those under the love of God and had nothing to fear in all our nakedness. Glory be to CDA. THE END
P.S. Did I forget to mention that this all started with an anonamous phone message.... "Who Cooks for You All". The spooky owl tried to disguise his voice but being a very smart biologist I had him figured out!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Hells Canyon
Some more photos from our employee tour jet boat tour of Hells Canyon.
Nice huh.
Aren't these amazing pictographs! Aliens?
Wild bighorn sheep
With babies.
Hello Oregon! Incase you just happen upon this sign.
Check out that view!
Check out that view!
Nice huh.
Aren't these amazing pictographs! Aliens?
Wild bighorn sheep
With babies.
Silly pic but I like it.
Monday, May 11, 2009
grizzly
Here's photos from the grizzly research center. Penned but cool huh. They had some big horn sheep also. We later saw wild big horn in Hells Canyon. I was told there was a wild grizzly hanging out near Preist Lake but didn't have time to drive up there this weekend. But I've been told I am garunteed to see a grizzly at some point. Especially since they hang out at Boundary Creek Wildife Management Area every year. Okay off to bed.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Ponderay ...or something
On out last week of new employee training we had some great field trips. We went out on a fisheries boat on Lake Pend Oreille, stopped by a grizzly bear research center, and boated the Snake River in Hells Canyon We saw mountain goats on Lake Pend Oreille and big horn sheep in Hells Canyon....I love Idaho!
I'm sad our training tour is over. I know I have a job to do instead of running around Idaho, but it is nice to get to know other employees, even if they live all over the state and I may not have much contact with them in the future, but living up here and working out of my house is a bit lonely..:(
Just posting a few pictures of Lake Pend Oreille tonight before I go to bed. The lake is the 5th deepest lake in the US and has a Navy submarine research station on it; it is 1,158 feet deep. The lake is 43 miles long and has 111 miles of shoreline....getting up there almost as big as one of Michigan's Great Lakes.
All aboard.
We saw mountain goats on this cliff face.
We only boated 4 miles on the tiny south bay of the Big ol' lake. I have alot of exploring to do up here!
I'm sad our training tour is over. I know I have a job to do instead of running around Idaho, but it is nice to get to know other employees, even if they live all over the state and I may not have much contact with them in the future, but living up here and working out of my house is a bit lonely..:(
Just posting a few pictures of Lake Pend Oreille tonight before I go to bed. The lake is the 5th deepest lake in the US and has a Navy submarine research station on it; it is 1,158 feet deep. The lake is 43 miles long and has 111 miles of shoreline....getting up there almost as big as one of Michigan's Great Lakes.
All aboard.
We saw mountain goats on this cliff face.
We only boated 4 miles on the tiny south bay of the Big ol' lake. I have alot of exploring to do up here!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Uhmm... herding I think its called
Today I am going to blog about herding! Amazing huh! I originally had intentions of blogging about Reena's herding progress here (hence the name, that never fit the topic). However, I had a lesson with Lynn Leach yesterday so today I have something herding to drone on about. It may be boring as it's mostly ideas for me to remember in the future as there is always something to forget in herding. But perhaps it will remind others too, so its a blog.
Lesson 1, first we worked on getting square flanks. Instead of trying to push Reena out every time I sent her (which ultimately leaves the responsibility on me to make her do it), we just stopped her every time she started the flank with her eyes on the sheep. Beginning dogs will keep their eye on the sheep the entire time as they go out and around which puts pressure on the sheep from the beginning and makes the sheep move before the dog gets to the correct spot where you want them to start pushing. We wanted Reena to go out and around the sheep while looking away from the sheep, until she is where I want her to be (the top if it's an outrun) and then to turn into the sheep to start working them. Just the idea of where she is looking changes her movements entirely. When she would turn her head away from the sheep at the start, she automatically turned her body sideways to the sheep and she automatically hugged the fence line until she was behind the sheep. It was night and day.
The neat thing about it was how we got her to understand this. Every time I sent her and she looked at the sheep, I blocked her, said no, and stopped her. After stopping her, I would send her again. It is important to stop her so she knows it is a second try at what I want, not just a correction on the first command. The message is 'No you are wrong, try again'. She knows the command and the direction and is trying to figure out why I am stopping her. So she has to try something different until she finds something that she does that works, ie., I let her continue. Eventually she takes the command with her eyes averted from the sheep and I let her continue and get the sheep. The wide outrun comes naturally if she is looking away. This way she learns 'OK, this is what works and it's this way or nothing', instead of 'I go in and my mom pushes me out until she is happy with it'.
Lesson 2. We worked on off balance and inside flanks. Lynn said it is important that the dog learns this before starting to drive. The most important idea here is that she realizes, 'Oh! "go bye" and "away" are just directions, not solely a direction to go when fetching the sheep'. Then when the dog starts to learn driving they will trust that you can tell them where they are taking the sheep. If they don't understand this concept yet, the only direction they know is a fetch to you. So when they are asked to drive the sheep away from you, they don't believe you can tell them where to take the sheep and they feel they have no control where the sheep are going.
To get the off balance and inside flanks is hard to explain without a diagram and droning on some more. And I'm pretty droned out by now. But I'll try tomorrow or something. Gotta go mow the lawn and enjoy the beautiful Sat. Hope you all are too.
Lesson 1, first we worked on getting square flanks. Instead of trying to push Reena out every time I sent her (which ultimately leaves the responsibility on me to make her do it), we just stopped her every time she started the flank with her eyes on the sheep. Beginning dogs will keep their eye on the sheep the entire time as they go out and around which puts pressure on the sheep from the beginning and makes the sheep move before the dog gets to the correct spot where you want them to start pushing. We wanted Reena to go out and around the sheep while looking away from the sheep, until she is where I want her to be (the top if it's an outrun) and then to turn into the sheep to start working them. Just the idea of where she is looking changes her movements entirely. When she would turn her head away from the sheep at the start, she automatically turned her body sideways to the sheep and she automatically hugged the fence line until she was behind the sheep. It was night and day.
The neat thing about it was how we got her to understand this. Every time I sent her and she looked at the sheep, I blocked her, said no, and stopped her. After stopping her, I would send her again. It is important to stop her so she knows it is a second try at what I want, not just a correction on the first command. The message is 'No you are wrong, try again'. She knows the command and the direction and is trying to figure out why I am stopping her. So she has to try something different until she finds something that she does that works, ie., I let her continue. Eventually she takes the command with her eyes averted from the sheep and I let her continue and get the sheep. The wide outrun comes naturally if she is looking away. This way she learns 'OK, this is what works and it's this way or nothing', instead of 'I go in and my mom pushes me out until she is happy with it'.
Lesson 2. We worked on off balance and inside flanks. Lynn said it is important that the dog learns this before starting to drive. The most important idea here is that she realizes, 'Oh! "go bye" and "away" are just directions, not solely a direction to go when fetching the sheep'. Then when the dog starts to learn driving they will trust that you can tell them where they are taking the sheep. If they don't understand this concept yet, the only direction they know is a fetch to you. So when they are asked to drive the sheep away from you, they don't believe you can tell them where to take the sheep and they feel they have no control where the sheep are going.
To get the off balance and inside flanks is hard to explain without a diagram and droning on some more. And I'm pretty droned out by now. But I'll try tomorrow or something. Gotta go mow the lawn and enjoy the beautiful Sat. Hope you all are too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
