Sled-dogs, Ukrainian Dance and sheep

Some weekends are so busy, you need the entire week to recuperate.
This was one of them.

It started off with 4-H District Communications.
Roy had won the Sr Presentations category so qualified to go to Districts.
That meant early rising, preparing a potluck meal, feeding animals and getting morning chores done before 8:30 am.
Then a quick shower and on to Districts.
Roy did his presentations and tanks, and was a little nervous this time around.
He did well, but not well enough to qualify to Regional Communications.
It was amazing to listen to the quality of speeches and presentations from the kids!

After the communications, it was go go go, no time for coffee as I had to go and take some pictures of Sam Snow and her sled-dogs.
We had to first go and find them out on the frozen lake, traipsing first through the cattails to get out on the lake.
Sam, is a little unique as many of her sled dogs are rescue dogs. She is a self taught musher.
She invited me to hop on her sled, and go for a ride so that I can get the photo's we needed.
Wow, what an exhilarating feeling, totally awesome.
The trail was very hard for the dogs as the snow was in some places ( in the cattails) non-existent.

Here is a glimpse of the afternoon:

Thank you Sam, Sky and Marie and of course the dogs!

Here is a short clip on how it feels behind the dogs, it starts off sideways, but I soon get it straightened out..

As we were in our next time crunch, we were on our way to the local Ukrainian supper and dance.
The food was amazing, the dancing spectacular.

We came home and I slipped into a much needed sleep.

Sunday started bright and early, some house work and then time for some sheep work.
The January born lambs were vaccinated and de-wormed. I had great help in Roy and our neighbor girl, Ramona. Ramona is becoming quite the shepherd. She is in for anything and is really proficient at vaccinating and de-worming. Within an hour we had the lambs done. Unfortunately, she had to leave to her other paying job.

Roy and I then hustled the next group of ewes and replacement lambs into the barn to start vaccination them. This was a bigger job, but had it done in a few hours.
While we were doing this, Eric was out feeding bales, feeding grain, feeding dogs and ensuring all the stock had water.

Lunch time rolled around, we had visitors who came to see the sarplaninacs. It was good visiting with them and talking dogs.
After they left, it was back to the grind,
the barn needed preparing for the next lambing group, panels moved in, and a new pen built in anticipation for the next lambing group.
The cows start calving at the end of the month, the ewes start lambing in a few weeks and the ewes who had lambed already need to move out and make space for the newborns.

It is now 9pm and I am ready for bed.
Hope you had a good weekend.
I had a blast.