Day: June 23, 2012

In the morning, I get up early. I take Red across the street to the meadow. Inside the gate, he waits for me. When I am in the pasture, I walk ahead fifteen feet or so. I whisper softly and once, “come bye” and Red rockets off on a spectacular outrun around the sheep.

When I say “there” he turns inward, moving towards the flock. I say “steady,” sometimes lie down to slow him and get the sheep moving. He is so sensitive to commands that I now whisper most of them, and he responds instantly. We move the sheep down to the lower end of the pasture. I am slowing it down, taking more time, maneuvering more. Today, for the first time with me, Red moved the sheep from the other end of the meadow into the barn shelter.

We are learning more about one another every day. He has reawakened my love of working with border collies and sheep. Tomorrow morning, we will be out at dawn practicing working slowly, settling in.

A lot of people found it hard to believe that Red was so at  home walking through crowds of people all day. He greeted countless people, was sweet, calm and appropriate. He followed me everywhere and worked the sheep several times. Karen Thompson said the thing she most loved about Red was his generous heart despite having good reasons to fear and dislike human beings. I am beginning to understand what happened to him and was slow to grasp it.

Red has an intensity that is breathtaking and inspires me to be focused and determined in my own life. He also has a huge heart and a great love for people and a profoundly trusting nature. This morning, I went up in the pasture with him and lay down in front of him with the sheep behind me. I understand what it might meant to be a sheep looking back at Red.

The Pig Barn Art Gallery show “Anointing The Goddess” kicked off at ll. Four or five hundred people came through before a series of thunderstorms and squalls send everyone running for cover. We moved the artist’s reception and talk into the Big Barn, where Maria and I got married, as it rained and thundered outside. Then we did a herding demo with Red and the sheep in the rain. Very Wales. Tomorrow the forecast is clear and sunny and comfortable for day two of the art show.

Sunday herding demo scheduled for 2 p.m. The one today was great. Red has come a long way with this recalcitrant sheep. It was wonderful to see so many people come from so many distant places – Ohio, Michigan, Canada, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia and Texas, among others. Scores of people got to meet Simon and the donkeys, and Lenore and Red did the greeting, wandering through the crowds,saying hello. Red is making up for his work-focused life in spades. He is a lady killer. I am honestly too tired to write more tonight – rare for me. We’ll do it again tomorrow.

It seems I have a Wolfdog. If Frieda’s work is guarding us, and Lenore’s is loving us – this is why I love working dogs – then Red’s plan is to watch over us, be close to us,  and do his work. Like Rose, he supports my life and helps make it possible.  When he approaches the sheep, he almost becomes a different animal. Like Lon Chaney in “The Wolfman,” Red morphs into another thing. His and stand, even his size, seems to change. His eyes focus, his ears go up, his feet go wide, and he is rigid,alert, prepared.

Border collies are most genetically linked dogs to wolves of any breed and you can see it in Red. Breeding has altered his genetic make-up. His prey drive is only focused on stock. He loves people and enjoys their attention. But when he goes out to work, he almost literally becomes a different animal, transforms before my eyes into a wolf of sorts. He has great power and intensity. Work and love.

He inspires me to be focused, to do my work, to move forward, to get done what I want to get done and need to get done. I am learning from him every day. I believe in focus. He is focused.

The chickens play a big artistic role at the farm, their synchronistic food ballet inspiring and uplifting. Strut has emerged as a major presence on the farm, a pompous and officious but gentle and protective creature. I have several chicken photos in the art show.