Working Dog Diary
about me: my name is Kay Spencer, I live in the Monterey Bay area of California, and I am the proprietor of Working Aussie Source. Working Dog Diary is my continuing series of essays about my journey with my working Aussies.

Previous chapters are located at the bottom of this page:
through 2006      2007      2008     2009

Chapter 154: Leaving Home


To change ideas about what land is for is to change ideas about what anything is for.
—Aldo Leopold


Well, I'm off. In two days I will be gone, driving north to Alberta, Canada for the Betty Williams cattle clinic, then three weeks of hiking in the Canadian Rockies with my family. End of June, I'll be putting them on a plane back home and continuing on east to Saskatchewan with Ty, to spend the next two months living in a tent and tending sheep at Dog Tale Ranch, culminating in a five day sheep camp at the end of August.


Leaving home for three months when I've hardly been away for more than a few days for the past twenty-seven years is more than a little strange. The preparations have been vast and complex. At this point my whole family is anxious and tired and it's hard to believe we'll ever get out of here. But we will.


When I tell people what I'm doing with my summer, the most common reaction is "what a big adventure!" Subtext: one I myself would never consider for a minute.


Much rarer, but more gratifying, and entirely from stockdog folks: "I am so envious. You better write about this." (like I could stop myself)


And then there are always those who are honestly bewildered. Wouldn't you rather do something more explicable and normal? Say, a Carribbean cruise? To these I say "I guess I'm just crazy," accompanied by a hapless grinning shrug.


There are various real reasons, of course. I think I have an unusually talented dog, and I know the only way he will be able to develop those talents is through long miles of work accompanied by long miles of wise training, opportunities I just don't have here. And, I long for the kind of renewing solitude that only seems accessible to me via a wide horizon. I want to test myself against my dreams and see if we fit together. So many people dream, but are afraid to give up the known to find that out. Me too! But not so afraid that I'm not going to take the opportunity when it arises.


One thing I will most likely have is limited access to is the internet. Will I be able to upload Diary essays this summer? I don't know. I don't even know if I'll be able to read my email. I've become as addicted as anyone to checking my messages multiple times a day, googling everything, reading yahoo boards, watching clips on youtube, and of course, constantly updating my website. Technology always changes the way you think and feel, and not being able to lean on computers to solve my problems, most especially those of boredom and inner restlessness, will probably involve some inner strife of some kind.


I am packing some old-fashioned tools to address the vexing question of what to do with my mind without an electronic umbilical cord to the universe: a bound journal, a fountain pen, a portable Thoreau, a set of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies (always meant to read those), and a Bible. I'm also packing some lighter reading, including Winterdance, Gary Paulsen's account of his first Iditarod, which is one of those books you should never read on public transportation because you will disturb the other passengers with your uncontrollable howls of laughter.


More than anything else, I am looking forward to reinvesting myself bodily in the land—the living home of the animals and plants that sustain us all. I've always been ambivalent about reality—knowing what it is has always seemed like a good idea, but hard to put into practice. Nothing I've ever tried has a stronger resemblance to reality than tending livestock on grassland with dogs. How long have humans been doing this? Ten thousand years? I believe that healing our relationship with the land is the same thing as healing ourselves.


Humans are so adaptable they can even live entirely within the circumference of their own minds. I'm particularly good at that, myself. I feel quite safe there. But that is not my aim in life. I'm heading outdoors.


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Archives Through 2006

Ch 1: That'll Do Ch 28: Pigs With Feathers
Ch 2: The Good Shepherd Ch 29: Stockdog Book of Virtues, Part 1
Ch 3: The Original Aussie Ch 30: Stockdog Book of Virtues, Part 2
Ch 4: Finding Bonnie Ch 31: Perseverance Furthers
Ch 5: Grit Ch 32: Duck Wars
Ch 6: The Border Collie Snob Ch 33: Baby Driver
Ch 7: Of Hobby Herders Ch 34: What Is A Breed?
Ch 8: Sherry Ch 35: Getting My Goats
Ch 9: On The Road Ch 36: Tule, Melba, and Snowdie
Ch 10: Green Dog, Green Handler Ch 37: One Morning
Ch 11: Out of the Playpen Ch 38: Quiet and Slow
Ch 12: Cows Ch 39: Hard Times
Ch 13: Trial Watching Ch 40: Rethinkings
Ch 14: Other People's Sheep Ch 41: The Not Boring Day
Ch 15: Taking To the Hills Ch 42: Being There
Ch 16: When Show Dogs Herd Ch 43: The Fate of the Farmdog
Ch 17: Back With The Cowboys Again Ch 44: Further Adventures With Goats
Ch 18: Bonnie Gets A Job Offer, Part 1 Ch 45: The Wasps
Ch 19: Bonnie Gets A Job Offer, Part 2 Ch 46: Taking Time
Ch 20: The Joy of Panels Ch 47: Sheep Shopping
Ch 21: Circles Ch 48: Me and Time Magazine
Ch 22: Ad Astra Ch 49: Trust
Ch 23: Sheep Church Ch 50: Bonnie Gets Another Job Offer
Ch 24: Be Prepared Ch 51: Fourth Clinic
Ch 25: The Point Ch 52: Right Dog, Wrong Dog
Ch 26: Ranchette Blues Ch 53: Winter
Ch 27: Post Mortem Ch 54: Versatility


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Archives 2007

Ch 55: Wool Ch 79: The Glorious Unknown
Ch 56: Hot Fences, Steep Pastures Ch 80: The Good Breeder
Ch 57: Reading Stock Ch 81: Something Comes In A Box
Ch 58: The Black Day Ch 82: L Bar J Oya Ty
Ch 59: Goatwifery Ch 83: Center Pen Novice
Ch 60: In Search Of Ch 84: More About the Boy
Ch 61: Mediocrity and Its Discontents Ch 85: Limiting Factors
Ch 62: Gambling Ch 86: The Tale of Tails
Ch 63: Lent Ch 87: More Fun With Livestock
Ch 64: Conservation Ch 88: The Tortoise
Ch 65: Ranch Trial Ch 89: Adventures With Ty
Ch 66: If Wishes Were Horses Ch 90: Center Pen Tantrums
Ch 67: The Holy Quest Ch 91: Learning the World
Ch 68: A Sea Change Ch 92: Homeliness
Ch 69: Long and Winding Road Ch 93: New Pasture
Ch 70: First Do No Harm Ch 94: Dog Games And Choke Chains
Ch 71: The Silver Bullet Ch 95: Cat Tails
Ch 72: Getting Serious Ch 96: Coyotes And Decisions
Ch 73: The Superior Horse Ch 97: Oor Bob
Ch 74: What's In A Name? Ch 98: Ty Goes To Kindergarten
Ch 75: The Grindstone Ch 99: A Little Help
Ch 76: We Head North Ch 100: Pygmalion
Ch 77: Olympia Trial Day One Ch 101: Healing
Ch 78: Bonnie Wins A Big Ribbon

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Archives 2008


Ch 102: New Year's Resolutions Ch 119: Rehab
Ch 103: Stepping Out Ch 120: Freedom
Ch 104: Stormy Weather Ch 121: Goats and Wildfire
Ch 105: Sacrament Ch 122: Ty's Progress
Ch 106: Stop and Stop Ch 123: Kelley of the Triune
Ch 107: Living In The Past Ch 124: Timing
Ch 108: Sheep At Last Ch 125: Gratefulness
Ch 109: The Five Stooges Ch 126: Cool Stuff
Ch 110: Greener Pastures Ch 127: Helper Dog
Ch 111: A Day Out Ch 128: Goose Wrangler
Ch 112: A Peaceful Heart Ch 129: Partnership
Ch 113: Teen Angel Ch 130: Teachers
Ch 114: First Kids Ch 131: Courage
Ch 115: Disaster Ch 132: Our Cougar
Ch 116: Nervous Nanny Ch 133: Widening the Circle
Ch 117: Pushing BackCh 134: My Posture Improves
Ch 118: Milk and EggsCh 135: The Seeds

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Archives 2009

Ch 136: Intention
Ch 137: Following Fear
Ch 138: Ty Junior
Ch 139: Being Nice
Ch 140: Don't Shoot
Ch 141: Carpe Diem
Ch 142: Chore Dog
Ch 143: Dream of Green
Ch 144: Ashes and Grace
Ch 145: Carter Clinic, part one
Ch 146: Carter Clinic, part two
Ch 147: God Talks About Wool
Ch 148: Sour Milk
Ch 149: They're All Collies
Ch 150: O Canada
Ch 151: My Sad Happy Hat
Ch 152: The Lovely Bonnie
Ch 153: Romantics With A Cause

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