Sue: Day Six

Today we caught the ferry from Berneray at 7:15 to Leverbourough on South Harris. The ride was about an hour. The last 30 minutes the ferry threaded its way through shoals, ledges, and small islands via a well-marked narrow channel. Betty Levin bareboated these islands in the sixties with a crew of her family. What an undertaking that would have been; the waters look like they could be treacherous.



On to Scarista on the west coast of Harris. Steep rocky green hillsides line the coast road ending in broad flat shallow bays and gorgeous sandy beaches rivaling those in central California but with no development. To my mind as gorgeous as a seacoast could be. The water was about as cold as on the coast of Maine. Maybe a swim if the sun comes out and stays out.

And it was a lovely day. The field is flat, five hundred yards and full of buttercups. About 150 blakface ewes were driven up the field at the trial start.

To the right of the field are dunes and a cut through onto one of the most beautiful sand beaches you could imagine, with turquoise waves rolling in along the sand.

Happily Flo enthusiastically spotted her sheep and with minimal assistance completed her outrun. A definitive lift and good start to her fetch, but her enthusiasm continued in a manner objectionable to the sheep. In her defense Flo was in good company in having sheep spilt and escape on the fetch.

The running was dicey. Many sheep split, dove for the set out, or balked at coming down the field. Some dodged in amongst the cars at the turn. If you made the turn the rest of the run was not as difficult as the fetch. I was pleased with Flo’s initiative on the outrun.

Peat ran later. Great outrun in his normal style. He came across the water today. Fetch was not perfection and we missed fetch gates, but he was listening, stopping, and flanking. I’ll take credit for the missed fetch. We also missed the second drive gate. Penned and were called to a 21 pt standard. But Peat ran well for me. Was flexible responsive and relaxed.

We stayed for prizes and drove north to Loch Erisort where we stay for three nights.

The drive is fantastic. Hilly rocky barren hills and windy roads. Jim Cropper says it’s like the surface of the moon. Never been there but I know what he means.

This dog trialing is hard work. We have six more trials to go. Fantastic. And the next at Shawbost is another different venue. Different sheep.

Meeting people every day who are kind, helpful, funny, and welcoming

Did not object to Bev driving today. The windy roads make her feel like James Bond and I get to gape at the scenery.

Such team work.