Fly's day off

[Donald McCaig]

So ok, a day off from traveling and trialing. Yesterday Fly and I were in Montana where a guide took us to the confluence of the Missouri and Mussellshell rivers where, in 1877. Nelson Miles crossed and recrossed the river in pursuit of the NezPerce. It's rough country and roads are often impassable but not that day and my guide was a local historian who told stories I hadn't heard.

 

We forgot Fly was behind the seat for five hours. Then 4 hours driving back to Buffalo Wyoming. She was grateful to be back in a motel she recognized. We've been traveling/trialing/researching since mid-May and we're both homesick. It doesn't help that 5am, the morning we were to leave home my economical, fast, luxurious 89 station wagon wouldn't start so we've been traveling in the farm truck.

 

Two more trials, Saturday and Sunday and we can start the 27 hour drive from Wyoming to Virginia. Today is a day off: don my last clean clothes and hit the laundromat. Change the truck oil.

 

Afterwards Fly and I drive into the Bighorn National Forest which is snow covered mountains, pines and aspens and we get to 8400 feet without me gasping or coughing. Hmmm. Maybe my bad lungs would tolerate Meeker after all.

 

Back in town before noon. I'm a Nervous Nelly and hate to start for a new trial at crack of dawn without knowing exactly where it is. According to the entry, the Clear Creek trial is between Ucross and Gillette Wyoming which are 78 miles apart. It advises to watch for signs.

 

Ok- but since I've nothing else to do today, why not find the trial and watch a couple young dogs run?

 

It's a clear hot day and not many cars on US 14 which wanders through a lush ranch valley beside Clear Creek.

 

Sure enough; maybe 20 miles from UCross I spot a sign: CCSDT 2m. Directly I see the RV's and park the pickup. Might as well watch a couple runs and get tomorrow's running order. Sunday, after I run, I'll drive to Rapid City which is only 3 hours (I can do 12 on the way to a trial but no more than 4 after ).

 

As I'm ambling up the hill, I meet Bud Boudreau who asks me why I scratched.

 

"Huh?"

 

Turns out there's been a change in plans and they're running Open dogs today and tomorrow instead of tomorrow and the day after.

 

Ooops. Well, I speak to Katie Fennema, the trial host, who apologizes for not letting me know and yes I can run. Two dogs from now.

 

Ok. I'm wearing my "laundromat clothes", heavy pants and a heavy flannel shirt and it's oh, 85 degrees, so I dive into the laundry bag for a light shirt and slip behind the truck so I don't scare the 4-h kids.

 

I tie Fly to the hub of the judge's flatbed and ask handlers: Shed or split? Shed then pen? Left hand drive? Eleven minutes? Regather in the ring? Leave the post when the first sheep is in the ring?

 

On the course four yearling range ewes are unintimidated by the handlers lined along the ridgetop just above and behind the handler's post. One breaks one way, another two try a different escape and Barb Ross - the handler - is very busy.

 

I've got an inhaler that gives me 15% more lung capacity but it's back in the motel. Just another Geezer Problem and the hell with it!

 

As we walk out, Fly sniffs here and there and doesn't look at the sheep maybe 400 yards below us in the mouth of a draw. Might be a fence somewhere between us and those buttes on the horizon.

 

Fly's been running like sheepdog trials are for dogs who enjoy them who apparently aren't Fly.

 

So I set her up on my right side and send her and she zips off 90 degrees (45 is what one expects) and then I spot the big flock, maybe three miles away behind the ridge she disappears over.

 

Nothing to do but scan the horizons and wait. She has worked a Scottish hill lambing and knows how to find sheep. She's out there somewhere in this huge unfenced Wyoming landscape.

 

There she is: maybe half a mile to the right of the sheep dippping in and out of a brushy coulee. I guess she remembers where the trial sheep are - certainly she can't see them - because she ends just where she should be and I blow a "Down" so she remembers there's two of us out here today. Hope springs eternal. When they lift, they bolt and she can't catch or turn them - her humungous outrun took the steam out of her. But she gets them to me somehow and they bolt up the hill behind the post and one here! Another there! Two trying their luck! but Fly catches them and starts the drive and there is absolutely no way Fly is going to lose control again - okay for her but I can't steer too good when the wheel is locked.

 

So, with cajoling and commands, she makes it around to the shedding ring. She draws confidence from me inbye and isn't the same dog who locked up on the drive. Quick 2/2 shed on the head and the judge calls it. I don't know which part of the pen is the gate but get it open while she's regathering and we have them in the mouth and pennable when time is called.

 

So. One more trial Saturday and we start home: Rapid City, Red Wing, Indianapolis and Virginia. Fly and I have done poorly on this trip except for bright moments when we've been right as rain and when like todays crazy humungous outrun Fly's been beautiful.

 

The last time I had Elk steak was in a tiny camper below Montana's Gravely Range with a rancher and a Peruvian sheepherder who didn't speak english. I cooked the steaks that night and they were fine. The restaurant elk steak I ordered was overcooked, tough and expensive but Fly thought it was just fine.

 

Donald McCaig

[Cindy Evans]

Love your writing. Sounds like you've had a great time!

[Sue R]

Thank you, Donald. Thanks, too, to Fly.

[Tea]

Great Story Sheepdogging Geezer! Thank you!!!

[gcv-border]

Love to hear of your travels. Thank you for posting.

 

The only other time I have heard of Ucross, Wyoming (population 25) is as the residence of Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire series (which I read).

 

Jovi

[Petes Mom]

89!! I thought my '96 was old!