The year started out heading us into our 4th year of drought and spirits couldn't get lower. But all things changed as we went along. First up due to financial pressures my trialing year was cut very short and with no money in the area Steve's fencing lightened off dramatically. When the local boarding kennels came up for sale we decided we had to try something and we bought them, relocated them to Spring Plains and with plenty of help started them back up. I also had the idea of starting a dog school here, one that could be run cheaply every 2 weeks in town for the many handlers that didn't have access to sheep. So plans were made and a date to start set which was after my last trial in Longreach. Off I went trialing with only 2 dogs and apart from having a wonderful time with friends enjoyed one of the best results. Angel won her first Improver then backed it up to win the Open, WOW what a feeling that was, one I will never forget. I also managed enough places with Karma and Angel to again win the Novice handler of the Year. Feeling just a tad proud of my dogs right now. When I returned home it was into my first of many schools. Nervous was an understatement, that first one was frightening but all went well. I had wonderful students that had a go at something they knew nothing about. I was taken back but their courage and how much they wanted to learn, we had some fun. Now coming to the end of our schools I am looking to expand into Kaden's Outback Obedience and Fun Agility School next year. I have been madly doing a certificate course in Obedience Trainer and studying as much as I can on Agility. Out of the drought has come something I have grown to love and look forward to expanding.
My dogs are all going well with a few new members. Karma has just been mated to Keeper and hopefully I will mate Wakanda to Keeper later this year. I have another sire on order which I am very keen on..More on him when he is born. I am still chasing better genetics every chance I can get. My young ones are coming along with Angel's first and only pup, Saffron doing very well. She is a bold pup with plenty of personality, she works well for a youngster and will start proper training next month. 
Family are all well, my daughter Becky her husband John and the kids came to longreach for our annual Cystic Fibrosis walk. My little grandson has CF and off we went in support of a cure. We walked 11klm and loved the whole day. The girls aged 7 and 5 ride their bikes all the way. Shane made a surprise visit home for a week and was lovely to catch up. Him and Lou are doing really well and have some fantastic plans for the future. Kate is nearly ready to leave for University but before she goes she want us all to go to Thailand, well you never know.
Finally rain has come, it broke in the winter which is odd for up here but we have had some pretty handy rain. We are still destocked   but our paddocks are green, mostly weed and herbage but that is fine, it is green. All signs are good for this years wet and just maybe I will get that holiday and just maybe our sheep will come home. I guess I will end this post feeling very hopeful for the coming year.

I ended my last post you would hear more from Kaden's and then nothing for 12 months. Well I must apoligize, what a year yes still droughted. We are now going into our 4th year and things couldn't get tougher. Our sheep are hanging on and we have just got some adjistment and hope to move them in a month. So it was a year of watching gardens die, saving water and feeding stock. Tensions were tight right through the community. A break surely will come soon.

As for Kaden's there is so much news. Our new imports arrived. Keeper and Lark stayed here for training for approx 5 months. Lark then went to live at Allison's while Keeper made his home here. It has been exciting times, watching them learn and looking forward to the first litter of puppies. It wasn't long before we got them. Bonnie Lass delivered 7 to Keeper followed by 5 from Karma and 8 from Dark Angel. We now have some progeny on which we can follow and see how he has breed on. Keeper is a lovely natured dog with some very handy work in him. He will add a something special to the Kaden line. Lark is a beautiful lady, soft on the ground with lovely footwork but fast. She will go to Keeper in Aptil for a much anticipated litter.

Trialling went very well last year. Love the social I think more than anything. Great to relax, have a drink with good people and of course work your dog. I had some success with Angel placing in serval finals and getting equal 1st in the improver at Cunnamulla. I was very honoured to recieve Novice Handler of the Year which just topped off a wonderful trialling year. Now see if I can do better this year.

Kaden's is also expanding. We have bought the Longreach Boarding Kennels and hope to have them up and running by Easter. I am also starting training schools which is something I have been interested in for some time now. Could keep me busy and out of mischief for a while I think.

The family are all going well with Kate finishing school with a OP of 11 and acceptence into Uni. She is home at the moment enjoying a gap year in which she tends to do a road trip down to Melbourne. Becky is helping set up the new businesses and I don't know what I would do without her. Nicole is settled in down in NSW and by the sounds all is going well while Shane is still in Cairns.

Well lets hope this is not my last post for the year but as always times are busy and amazing at Kaden's, never a dull moment.

Trials have come and gone for another year. Angel was my star while her mum Bonnie Lass won at Tara for Kate. I finally did more then 3 trials and wow what an experience it was. I found and learnt it is human to show emotion, get disappointed be overwhelmed and also excited about what you have achieved. I had some (in the words of my good friend Julie) WTF runs and then some amazing ones. I listened to advice from many old handlers and had more than a few laughs on the way. The main lesson I learnt is not to take it so serious, the world isn't going to end if u have a bad run or the sheep are not good, after all it is about being part of it, enjoying the friends u have and making new ones. Lucky for me I have a wonderful group of friends I adore.

On the home front no peace from the drought and we had to destock all the cattle. This meant Ace and Jack did very little trialling as their services were needed on the home front. Ace is an amazing dog, I think I have said that a few times now but he is. I am always astounded by how much work he has in him. He goes all day with very little need for water or rest, he gives his all and with each year is just getting smarter in his work. My heart is in my mouth some times as I see him take chase and put himself in font of running cattle trying with all his heart to pull them up. I have seen more blood flow from this dog then any I have own. Hopefully one day he will never have to handle rogue cows again. The sheep will b e staying on and we are watching our dams closely in an effort not to sell them. Steve is away fencing so it left up to me and the dogs to keep things running for a while. We are lamb marking in 2 weeks so that is always a great time as my lambs look good and I love my sheep. Karma will be part of the mustering team and I am sure she will not let me down.

On the Family side my sister's boy is getting married which is always good news to get. The wedding is in December and will be a perfect time to catch up with both my sister's children. Although I lost both Lyn and Joanne just over a year ago I love seeing their kids grow and do them proud. Gosh they did a good job! Now for my crew, Kate is busy at school in Cairns, her brother Shane doing a great job looking after his younger sister and learning all about teenagers as I am sure he forgot what he was like. Kate is due home soon for holidays and Shane and his partner Lou is also visiting in August. Must get that job list made for him! Becky and John's 3rd baby is due in July and I look forward to visiting and catching up with the 2 terrors Karli and Bree. Not really terrors they are just beautiful girls that are growing so fast. Nicole is travelling over to Burma to visit a friend in 2 weeks and is going to stop off in Brisbane to catch a horse race on the way, not a bad life is it! Her children, Dylan is playing football and Ebony is enjoying a very full social life ( taking after mum I think).

Now for Kaden's  HUGE EXCITING news. We have a new arrival in Feb 2015 a female pup by the name of Lark. She was bred by Sheperds Own in Germany and will be around 10months old by the time we get her. I have imported this girl with my good friend Allison Britton. She is a agility worker who also does sporting and herding. Allison has some beautiful dogs and is a very professional  handler of her crew. I believe this partnership will give both of us  a perfect opportunity to improve our genetics and also branch our dogs out through both stockwork and agility, a perfect partnership. Very exciting times for our kennels. Criaglea Pilot is coming of age with some nice work, I am hoping this little fellow will play a part in my future litters as well as Kaden's Raine and Karma who are all showing me some wonderful work.

Well it keeps shinning here at Spring Plains and although drought is hard to cope with family, friends and my dogs make life good so until next time, smile and take care.

The drought has continued and Spring Plains has never looked so bad. waters are crucial and a new bore had to be put in. Most dams went dry and our house dam is holding 2m of water. We may have to start carting from the bore to keep the sheep and house going. Much rain has fallen but we have not been lucky. Our fingers are crossed and lets hope Santa will bring us some. December is here and our cruise is just days a way. At this time we thought we shouldn't leave the place but it is a case of we shouldn't stay either, we need this break and we need to forget the worries for a short time. Becky is on her way to care take and she will get the place jazzed up for Christmas, Although showers will be closely watched I think the annual water fight will go ahead and 40+ never cancels our cricket game out. Grandkids are growing up and can hit a fair ball now. Best feeling of all the Christmas family get together, can't beat it.
The dogs are on their well earn rest. Georgie's pups are ready to leave, they have been the most contented gang I have had. Now to look forward to hearing how they go, it is exciting waiting for news and such a thrill when you hear about how your pup grew and ended up a very handy worker. Karma, Ace and Soulja are loving the time off to play ball, they are so athletic. Bonnie and Jack just loved to rest! Faith and Georgie spend their days chasing each other, hard to catch that Faith she flies over the ground. They all are looking great but are looking forward to their dam (pictured above) to fill so swimming is back on.
I have been fortunate to have the pleasure of some visitors during the last couple of months. One was Allison who brought her beautiful group of dogs and we enjoyed a couple of days training. The day were hot but it didn't stop us. I was very impressed with this lady and the way she handles her dogs. Much care is obvious, I also got a visit from Stephen Frazer from Frazier Working Dogs, Again enjoyed meeting and working dogs with this man, another good handler. It is nice to see the future of the Border Collie is looking better with people interested in not just the looks but the structure, the mind, the ability, the whole package is needed for success. I just read an article by a UK man who has competed on the ISDS courses and been a Shepard for 50 years. They have the same problem as us with softer dogs becoming more sought after and bred. He had a very interesting comment to make, he blames the fact the shepherds are gone and the sheep are not handled as much and are much lighter, so I think he is saying it is not our Aussie trials or the ISDS course that ruin dogs it is the fact the sheep are so much lighter and less handled that they suit the softer dog, If we use well handled sheep the dog have to lift them, also more  points need to be on the working of the sheep not out of lines so more will be deducted for weakness.  It is an interesting theory and I guess many will have a opinion, personally for me a soft or weak dog is not the answer for any purpose.
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Summer has already started and on the top of a dry year Spring Plains is feeling the pinch of the drought. Like many other places water has become an issue but lucky for us we are still holding were many have already started the long task of carting water to stock as well as feeding. Our sheep are doing really well but the wet cows suffered bad so we weaned every thing young and sold off all the fat lambs and cows. We also locked the rams away very early so the sheep are dry. Fingers crossed these early measures we took will help us hold till rain.
As usual the dogs always bring about a welcome distraction when things are tough. Once I hit the training ground I hardly think of anything and when it comes to play they always put a smile on my face. My beautiful Ace ran into trouble and ripped his side and underbelly open in the pulled timber. He is doing very well now but had to undergo two operations to get it right. Then it was no movement at all for 3 weeks. he was a fantastic patient which I must admit took me by surprise as he is such a playful dog. Ace is all mended and it is great to have him back on deck. Georgie Girl has been out as well but for a completely different reason, she has been busy looking after 8 of the most gorgeous pups she had by Ace. She is a great mum and my services are hardly needed. There is 6 boys and 2 girls. The biggest surprise was 2 white and black pups which I have never had. The main thing was their little faces and eyes were fully black as I prefer to try and get as much colour on my pups for the Australian conditions. They are doing very well.
The young ones Karma and Soulja both had a chance in different musters to see bigger mobs. Karma helped or tried to help bring in a group of 300 plus ewes and she got an A for enthusiasm. Karma casted very nice around the mob that was being brought up by Ace and Bonnie then it took some time to understand the amount as she often found herself in the middle, lucky the mob was quiet and it wasn't long before she had it down pat. Soulja had  a look at cattle while working beside Ace and Jack. He is only young so he was put in no danger but I was surprised how well he handled it with even a attempt at a nose bite to show his strength. Soulja has won the heart of my husband Steve so I think you will be hearing a lot more about him. We have also said goodbye to a few of our dogs that have moved on to other homes. When breeding you always are looking to get better and better so sometimes some have to go through no fault of their own so we said goodbye to Charlie Mouse, Jay, Miss Bling and Pippa. All going to excellent homes and I look forward to hearing how they go.
Summer here is a time to rest for the dogs with temperatures hitting 40 most days so I have planned a trip to visit my daughter Becky and grandkids Karli and Bree soon. Then it is off cruising up the coast with my kids for 7 wonderful days to return to Spring Plains for Christmas. So much to look forward to!!!!   

We have all been guilty of not really appreciating what we have and over the last couple of weeks I realised how fortunate I am. My family came to the rescue when my tired old Queenslander needed a makeover. Lead by my son Shane they did the kitchen, veranda, moved the laundry, replaced a front door and built me a fantastic 6 cage dog crate for my ute to go trialling. Even the grandkids as young as 4 had paintbrushes in their hands. It was a fantastic time and I am very grateful so kids if I didn't say it I love you all and thank you, don't forget the floors have to be done!!!
In the kennel news my young ones are moving along nicely. Karma is outside working a few sheep and so much like her father Ace. She has such a strong mind and plenty of push. I love the way she doesn't think twice about pushing between the fence and the sheep. I am working on a stop and just getting her to settle now with the sheep, she loves to see them on the move most of the time. Georgie is working a few quiet cattle on her own and has been on 1 real muster with good success. Her confidence is growing every time I take her to stock and really tries hard. Georgie has just come on season so she will be joined to Ace. Talking Ace he is just amazing, he is settling with the cattle as he tended to be fairly strong on them but found it hard to then relax when there wasn't anything to do. The amazing thing with this dog is one day he will be blocking cows, biting, getting kicked and generally working extremely hard  and then the next he will be so calm and controlled and move 3 sheep around a course showing great distance. I taped this as I think most wouldn't believe me. He has become a very valuable asset to Kaden's Collies and my mate! The Getitdun puppies are growing fast and Soulja is proving to be a nice style of dog. His sister Miss Bling gave me some grief to start with but is working very well and I do like her. All in all the young ones are getting useful and it won't be long before they will be on the back of a quad going to work.
Even though trialling is over for the year for me I am hoping to get to the Australian Supreme in Cobar as a good friend from here, Michael Rigby and his dog Barcoo Ernie is representing Queensland for the first time. I used Ernie as a sire over Bonnie and kept a female call Kaden's Dark Angel. I picked Ernie because I felt he was a real all-round dog, He worked all  stock, worked in the yards and trialled. It was great to hear Michael had made the team as he is the quiet achiever and is going so well with his dogs, I will hopefully be there to cheer him on.  Another one of our locals who also made the team was Jim O'Connell and with a few other friends I am heading up there on Friday for a training day. Love these days as it is a time to get the young ones out and give them a look at different stock and surroundings. I also enjoy having a look at what everyone else has and getting some much needed advice.
The weather here at Spring Plains is beautiful for winter but still no rain and the drought hangs on. I guess we will be destocking a few more when Steve returns in a couple of weeks. Good for the dogs I guess. Rain will come it always does, right now I have dogs to train so it is not all bad. Until next post Take Care.

Trialling is over for me for another year and as usual I learnt much, achieved a few results and had some bad runs like most. 3 Sheep Trialling would have to be the most frustrating sport I have ever tried. You can train all year and go out thinking you are so prepared for it to all go pear shaped in about 5 minutes. Everything has to working for you, your mental game, you dog, the sheep  even the environment around you. Amazing sport! I was very pleased with new comers Ace and Angel as well as my old timers like Bonnie Lass. Talking old timers Kate's first dog Gleeson had his last trial this year and is now retired. He has been a wonderful dog for Kate to start in this sport. He has also been a real asset out in the paddock. Now with his hearing failing and his eyesight not the best it is time for this old fellow to relax. From Kate and I we would like to say thank you! Now it is time to train a new batch with Ohutu Faith and Munn's Georgie Girl to make their debut next year. I attended a training day at Mick Rigby's and took the young ones. Although frustrating at times it is the best thing to do. They get exposure to  different people, sheep and outside dogs. I liked Karma and Charlie who showed enough for me to get keen to continue. Karma could win you over on looks alone.
My training is continually changing with the more I learn. I am happy with starting a pup at a older age and also have found the calmer approach gives far better results. Always remember if it is going wrong stop, put the pup away and try again tomorrow! I now have a very strong mixture of UK and Australian lines in my breeding program which often leads to the obvious question asked by many, Do these lines suit the Australian way of working and trialling. I have heard over the past year some interesting points of view. When it comes to what sort of dogs you have I think this is a very personal decision that means you must have the dogs that suit you not others. I now have seen many UK lines in Australia and it is a shame so many breeders now are trying to cash in on it and are breeding from average dogs. UK and imported doesn't mean they are better and it doesn't mean they are worse. There is good and bad just like the Australian lines. I bought mine to add new blood, to keep the border collies strong in mind and to improve certain traits. I found many Australian Border collies were flooded with the same lines and the inbreeding percentage was getting quite high.  For me the UK inclusion in my bloodlines is proving to be a good decision and I am looking forward to more litter that will include the best of the Australian lines added with the best imported blood.  Ace is proving invaluable in the paddock and I love his strength of mind.
Outside of dog matters the property is still in drought and life is tricky at the moment. We have put in place all the measure needed to get us through. It is a tough time for many and I hope we can get some relief soon. The kids are all due in the end of June and I am very excited about the visit. We are marking our lambs and selling off quite a few cattle as well as doing a bit of work on the house. We also have a small amount of branding needed. Great time to get the young dogs going. Winter has finally hit and it is time to put on the woollies and rug up and of course perfect weather to be watching the footy on the weekends. Look out for the next blog, I am hoping to be reporting on some the pups that should be doing great things by then. Stay safe and warm.