Focusing Forward

Winter paid us a visit yesterday. We have had an incredibly mild winter in New Hampshire-watching the east coast further south, get slammed with a blizzard, while we had nothing. Mother Nature likes to play jokes!

The blessing of no constant snow like in previous years, is that we don't have to plan life around it. SO much more freedom, especially as it pertains to training the dogs. Working sheep and goats in a big field outdoors, in the end of January into February-amazing for NH.

WE had close to 55F in this area for a few days, global warming yes-but still kindly amazing. Milder winter has made our therapy dog visits more possible also, as you never know when planning ahead if a storm may hit. Ffire lives for these, the most recent one a different mode/schedule for us both-she adjusted instantly.


So, the "dusting" I guess we were supposed to get yesterday turned into a "snow event" as they like to call it up here. I should have watched the news, took me by surprise. I was actually feeling kind of badly for the weather forecasters, with the milder weather-they get so excited with predicting the path of huge storms and are usually

pretty right-at least the WMUR crew. I don't even waste time with the Massachusetts stations, they don't seem to have a clue what to do with our lakes, mountains  and valleys and alleys of weather that will do what it wants to.

Winter means can I get down my hill safely, without sliding into the small country highway I live on? So, even though work has also been busier with no real winter rest, I was luckily and safely able to work from home during the storm. With my old good dog not feeling well, that was a non-question anyway.
At the end of the storm there was an amazing golden light-it tipped the trees along my back field, like a horizontal rainbow. Just beautiful as the dark line of the storm was still there in the clouds, but the sun was making an appearance and then after the gold, it all turned pink, with the setting sun. I have seen this often, but never thought about what it was called-I learned something new yesterday. One of the beauties of living in mountains and NH, is the sheer amazing access to the sky.

We are not Montana or the wide west, but NH is so close to perfect when to comes to gorgeous vistas.
(Borrowed these two glow photos from Martha F and Sandy C, mine weren't as good. )

al·pen·glow

/ˈalpənˌɡlō/

noun

1. the rosy light of the setting or rising sun seen on high mountains.

So, tomorrow I head out for a long day for more herding training for the dogs. Am I a little nuts to travel so far? Maybe, but to receive perfection in instruction outweighs time. I have been having so much fun, three weekends in a row devoted to sheep-dogging (& goat-dogging).

Suede and Kestrel are both coming along, both doing so well. I am so excited what this year will bring for both of them. Suede is a different cowdog brain, and I am so happy to have someone that not only gets him, but embraces him. He does have a pretty nice rate on sheep though too, not one of those stereotyped, grippy/bitey dogs. He is kind to his stock, at 8 1/2 months-I think he is brilliant. 

Not only has he learned to calmly hang out tethered for the first time, while waiting for his turn, but also did his first close pen-work. For a baby dog, that could be brain-exploding...he is so cool, handles it all like the smooth operator he is. The livestock show just how relaxed he is, he doesn't lack power, but no cheap shots or unnecessary craziness on his part.

The speckly dude is a whole different brain too, some life skills desperately needed-oi!! My dogs live in the house-you will NOT pee on my leather couch. We will work on civilizing him, a merry little Elf, Suede and he are buddies already. He was confused by wood piles preventing visual access to the sheep in my small winter pen-but has some nice intent there. Seems to ask for permission a bit too much, need to loosen him up, get a natural flow back into him. Sooooo much to look forward to, as the weather warms up, so much to do!