The dogs are getting quite an education, as are we. We've gone from Welsh Mountain sheep, to Welsh mules to Scottish Blackface, with a mish-mash of other breeds thrown in. From small paddocks to 700 yard outruns, clean groomed fields to hilly tussocks and rough ground, sheep in view to sheep out of sight three fields away with various gates to be negotiated, groups of sheep as small as 3 and as big as 150, it is an accelerated program. It could take you several years and thousands upon thousands of driving miles to get the same experience in North America.
We are visiting Denis Birchall in Ireland, a man who's energy level, if tapped, could power the entire Eastern seaboard of North America.
The dogs have worked everyday, and yesterday we took a bit of a break to go to some of the local sights. The Curragh is a spectacular expanse of grass plains in County Kildare where several massive flocks of sheep graze, and is also used as a common green space, where joggers and hikers can mingle with the sheep over almost 5000 thousand acres. Regular roads weave through the Curragh, and drivers must watch for sheep. 'You hit a sheep, you buy it' is the policy.
Our walk on the Curragh was cut short when huge black clouds appeared that Linda declared looked like Armageddon. We got back to the mini-van just as the rain started, and decided to do some shopping in the near-by equestrian superstore. After doing some serious damage to our credit cards by buying Dubarry boots (Irish Gortex leather boots, we can justify buying anything when we are together as a group), we went to the Hollywood Inn for a Guinness (Guinness is a must-have experience when in Ireland). If you recall, the Hollywood Inn was the crime scene from last year where Mary Lou threw a beer over a local passerby when she was stung by a bee.
We returned for dinner, worked the dogs some more, finished the day with tea and biscuits while laughing hysterically at pictures of the Birchall family over the years. You know you are becoming fast friends when people are willing to show you pictures of themselves from the 1980's!
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Sounds like an awesome time! Glad you are getting lots of laughs along with all the play time!
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