Hi All, well the next meeting is on Sunday and we can not make it.It would of been our first one as new members Stupid partners family has arranged a family holiday this weekend. Sounds like fun (not) So not only am I missing the meeting but herding at Elmore too (One of my fav things to do now!!!) Lucky my Dad is a softy and will be taking my 2 girls with his dogs and they will all be going to herding together (Dad, Mum and the 7 dogs!!! lol). So seeing how I can not make it to the meeting I thought (as I am really bored at work) I would introduce myself and my family. Hold on cos you may get a little confused, I always do!!!! So my name is Rachelle (pronounced Ra-Shell, thank my mother for that one) but will answer to Racheal or Michelle (you get use to it after 22 years of having a stupid name) I live with my partner Nick and we have 2 Koolie X babies, Kelli (4yo too smart for her own good) and Libby (Not a lover of other dogs!!,nicknamed Cherryl the Ferral, My Kelli x Dad's dog Tim) My Parents also have some dogs (and have just become members of KCA). They (Ken & Donna) and my brother (Keith) live in Werribee not far from us. They have 5 dogs Mum and Dad are the proud owners of Tim (BCxKoolie), Kathleen (ACD X, Mum's show pony dog) and Merlin (My Kelli x Dad's Tim). Still there? I am not finished yet!!!! My Brother (who still lives at home) is Daddy to Charli (a girl BCxLabXPom poor thing, lad body on pom legs!!!) and Penni (Dad's Tim x My Kelli). I generally go to dog events with my parents as Nick is off 4x4ing, besides Dad has a company truck thingy that has been made into a dog transportation vehcile. So that is my family. We have a weird and wonderful bunch of dogs, but they are all our babies. They sleep inside and run the show most of the time! So I am sorry to bore you all but now you know my story what is yours?

Thanks heaps

Rachelle (kelli & libby)
(Note: I forgot to memtion that Kelli, Tim, Kathleen and Charli are all named after the people in the kids show Hi-5 LOL silly I know!!!)

Hi Rachelle

Just becuase I am at work and bored too I thought I would give you a shortened version of my life with dogs. (which you probably have read smippets of over the forum)

I am also recently new to the Koolie Forum. I have been a member of the KCA for a little while I have seven dogs and like with you they are spoilt rotten. I live in North Queensland at a place called Butchers Creek on 150 acres of rainforest in a converted shed house. I work at the Council in Atherton as a PA Assistant type person (do a bit of everything). I have 1 blue cattle dog called Mikki, 2 red cattle dogs called Yardi and Abbey, 4 koolies called Poppie, Pixie (sisters), Harley and Smithy ... but wait there's more, my partner has 1 red cattle called of all things Red, 1 blue cattle called Lou Lou and 1 dingo/red cattle x called Holly now thats the dogs. I also have 4 horses as well.

Becuase I live soooo far away, there is not much hope of me getting to the meetings down there so I keep in touch with the Koolie clan by email and forum and so on!! Perhaps next year when we are on holidays we may take a trek down to Victoria to check things out.

I do dog obedience with all of my dogs (the majority have reached level five and should be competting but lack of time and so on and I have started agility with the girls. Dog activities up here are a bit scarce and involves lots of travel. So basically they are just part of the family and we take them riding and camping and basically most places that we go.

HI Jackie,
Nice to meet you. I forgot to meantion that we have joint custody of Nick's 12 year old Norweigan Elkhound (When he moved out his mum would not let him take her) She is a great old dog, will never be as good as a koolie but pretty cool for an old dog that will not listen (and age has nothing to do with that) and thinks it is great fun to run off on you at the park while everyone is watching the cute fluffy dog. It would be great to meet you and your clan if you get a chance to come to Vic. It must be something about being a PA thingy. I am also I PA thingy that does a bit of everything else. Glad it is not just me.!!!!!!!

Yeh!! must be a PA thingy.... I get bored and just flick across to the internet to the Koolie Forum and check out if there is anything new.

I lived in SA and VIC for about 7 years until 94 (Adelaide, Ballarat and Bendigo) working on a horse transport and then again for another 3 years in SA 97 to 2000 before I came back up here to live. I just love it down there and wish family committments were different and I would move back (except for the cold). Thats where I fell in love with Koolies (my friend had one at the time)although I have always had Kelpies and ACD's.

When I lost my Kelpie last year I took it as an opportunity to get a Koolie. There are none up this way and no one seems to know anything about them (unless they migrated from down south) so surfing the internet I went and ended up with not one but three!!!

OOOPs, Guess who missed the meeting AGAIN? No excuses, it was on the calender

Hey we missed you and those kids of yours, catch you next time round.
Sheep dog training on Saturday was terrific and we had ten participants, Kelly worked a treat rachellbuck and your dad was really happy with his blue dog that went in last, I don't think he wanted to leave.
Thank him from us for paying the extra fee for your dog to work, we told him it was the handler who paid but he wouldn't have it.
It is wonderful that those who come to the work out are so considerate not just of the fees but time spent in the yards, we who have a lot of dogs to get through could hoard a yard and stop others from training, but I haven't seen it happen, those who only have one dog get lots of goes and go home very satisfied.
And the consideration and support for handlers who have strong independent dogs that make work a struggle of wills at times is great.
We just need to remember we all may train differently and our approaches may not be the same, what works for one doesn't always work for all, so feel your way, ask lots of questions and respect each other as we have been doing.
At last there will rules displayed at the site just to give everyone a clear understanding of what's expected from us by the Elmore field days Committee who so kindly allow us to use their grounds and sheep.
The Koolie Club Committee have also adopted a fee rise for non members to help cover rising insurance costs, fees for members will remain the same, because their membership helps to pay for our insurance, but non members will need to pay an extra $5 to be covered by the koolie clubs insurance.
This will also happen with workshops where non members will need to pay an extra $10 for the weekend.
I apologies for any inconvenience this may cause but the insurance is there for everyone and must be covered by everyone.

Lawson....we are getting a complex.....

Mea culpa, mea culpa TK and Sil and everyone. You do not miss my kids , you miss the cake and laughing at Lawson charging about like a Stealth fighter jet. We are the comedy act
I am thinking about dong ONE day at Elmore, is that allowed, TK? And yes, I will bake a cake

Cake ooooooooh
I don't take bribes.
Is it Chocolate?
You know that you are more than welcomed.