Amanda: report on Butternut Creek SDT 2009

The dog swim pools have been put away.The water wagons are empty.The garbage is out and the rest of it is burned.The judge and his pal are back across the Atlantic ocean.The runners are home with the exception of Don Whittington (not Dick) who always seems to conjure up a reason to stay in Kingston, either before or after trials.This time, it is something about his trailer axel.   He must like it.I put him to work.

Bev Lambert and Mirk won over all, so Bev got the good haflinger sheep slippers.Anne Wheatley broke her finger riding my young black cob, Sambo.(Lucky she is not American– lawsuits).The sheep were almost too good with very few questions asked of dogs, and mostly problem free penning.The drive was difficult for those who had to keep an eye on their dogs, for while the sheep were visible, the dogs were not in plain view.More than one hand stepped down during the cross drive.Bobby Dalziel insisted upon sheds held for light years, and he loved half points, where nothing was not enough and one too much.I beat Bev by a point and half one day.It is usually the other way around, even after I wear her out in personal slavery all week precedent.Dang!

The weather discussed rain all the time but never really produced except on Friday night while we were not trialling.   

The food was Ok.  Heather drove to Kingston each morning for fresh Pan Chancho croissants, pain au chocolate, scones and muffins.Mish made squash leek soup on Friday.I made Friday night supper–pork loin stuffed with apple raisin dressing, blue Hubbard squash, Desiree potatoes roasted, and steamed kale–garden fest.  Susan Dell made Saturday's Chili.  I made Sunday's.A troupe went to the George Jones concert in Kingston on Saturday but some pooped out, with no stamina for hanging in.   George Jones is, well, George Jones."He stopped loving her today."

The Ontario Border Collie Club conspired with their diverse talent to form the management of the trial.Viki Kidd led the charge.We have a great home gang which one imagines is the envy of the visiting sheep dog world.  Everybody (well, almost everybody) helped, with the adage "many hands making light work", never truer.  OBCC rules.