Mum's red and white bitch Ruby whelped three weeks ago, producing five black and white dogs and one red and white bitch.

With eyes wide open the pups, by Kevin Evans' Mirk, are now exploring their surroundings and chomping on each other's tails.

Now the fun really begins.

Who needs TV when you've got puppies around? I could sit and watch them all day.

I love puppies -­ whatever breed they are -­ they're so warm and cuddly and cute.

Lee's been threatening to search me every time we leave mum's, just in case I've smuggled one into my pockets. That would be far too obvious a hiding place though.

Maybe I have a cunning plan...

And this isn't doing me, or my dog, any good. I think we may both be going a little stir crazy.

With the Nationals, August has been and gone with lots to keep me busy on the k9tales site.

Unfortunately, being at the Welsh and Irish Nationals meant no trials for Corrie and I.

Then I had a date with Bono for the U2 gig at Cardiff, so that was another weekend missed.

So last weekend I was really looking forward to walking to the post, with lots of trials to choose from.

Only problem was I caught a cold and spent two days under a blanket on the sofa, surrounded by tissues and Sudafed.

My nan called it a ‘summer cold'. I'm not sure where she's been but I'm still waiting to see any sign of summer. I'm thinking about taking a boat with me to the International in Cumbria next week, just in case.

Bank holiday shifts in the office don't help either.

Work does tend to get in the way of pleasure during the summer months. Next year I'm going to try to take the whole of August off.

August, as well as being inundated with trials dates, also happens to be my newspaper's busiest month of the year - our county show week (feared even more than Christmas week), exam results, carnivals, summer guides etc etc.

August, one of the busiest sheepdog trialling months, already seems to be flying by. The 2009 Irish National is over and I've returned home after a tiring and busy, but very enjoyable trip to Co. Tipperary.

The Scottish National is now in full swing and next week will be the turn of the Welsh. The final National will be the English, from August 21st-23rd, being held in north Devon.

Leading the home nations was Ireland. After a four-hour ferry trip at some ungodly hour and a two-and-a-half hour car journey, we arrived a little blurry-eyed at Burncourt for the first day of competition.

The field was set in beautiful surroundings, although they were not always visible thanks to a good dose of the Irish wet stuff - rain, not Guinness unfortunately. Beyond the field spectators could admire the mountain where Brian Casey's flock had been gathered to run at the trials.

Over the three days the standard of running was high and was reflected in

the marks. The cut-off point for the team was 188 points and Simon Mosse, of Co. Kilkenny, won on 204 points. It looks as if Ireland is determined to retain the team shield they won last year.

The plan had been to update the k9tales site as the trial progressed ­ but internet access was a bit patchy and the updates were more intermittent than I would have liked.

So, possibly in a moment of madness, I decided this week to buy a shiny new iPhone which is due to be delivered at the weekend.

Apparently Britons are still happy to spend money on gadgets, despite the recession (see the BBC news story Technology, Twitter and the Downturn at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8187809.stm). Hard times are forcing us to cut back on holidays and eating out but when it comes to technology we just can't get enough.

I could argue that the iPhone will be an essential tool to keep me ahead of the field of sheepdog trials websites, but I love Apple products, and to be honest, I just really wanted one full stop.

Many of the sheepdog trials fields on the South Wales circuit are held in quiet, rural locations, where the decibels rarely rise above that of the surrounding birdsong or a passing tractor - until someone starts having a bad run that is.

Mynyddislwyn trial field sits next to a pretty church and a shooting range. Out of the two you'd expect the disruption to come from the shooting range but this wasn't the case last weekend.

The trial, with its full national course, had been running smoothly all morning but as it approached midday a great peal of bells rang out and continued for some minutes.

The dog on the course visibly had trouble hearing its handler's whistles above the bells.

It was as if Quasimodo himself was swinging from the ropes.

After a brief break they started again for what must have been the weekly bell practice.

Nearly an hour later the bells sounded for the last time and all returned to normal.

It's a sign of a border collie's natural working instinct and determination to please that those run during the ding-dong continued to work the sheep - even though at times they obviously couldn't hear their commands.

And it's good to see (or hear) that other traditional skills are being kept alive, not just sheepdog trialling with its flock of followers.

For more pictures from Mynyddislwyn trial, visit the gallery.

A grand day out in north Wales...

This year I've joined the North Wales Sheepdog Society for the first time.

Having thought about it and calculated that the distance we travel to some south Wales trials is just as far, I decided we might as well head north too.

Last weekend we ventured to the hills to compete at our first trials there.

If I'd looked at the map before we set off I probably would have thought twice about it, but I'd left the route planning to mum.

So, it was off to the beautiful Lleyn peninsular to compete at Sarn and Abersoch trials.

The Lleyn peninsular is one of those places in Wales that you have to make an effort to go to. It's not as if it's on the way to anywhere. However, it's well worth a visit and next time I plan to stay for at least a night and take the time to savour its delights.

As soon as fellow triallers discovered we were from Pembrokeshire they couldn't believe we were driving there and back in a day. Yes, we must be mad.

Travelling through the stunning countryside it almost felt as if we were on holiday, with unfamiliar roads, towns and seaside villages ­ and once the mist had dispersed ­ great sunny weather.

It wasn't just the new scenery that felt different to south Wales trials.

The general atmosphere seemed far more laid back and relaxed. Usually if we'd arrived at a trial at 9.30am we'd be waiting all day to run our dogs.

The field was fairly full of vehicles, but there were plenty of gaps in the running order. However, the hesitation to walk to the post may have had more to do with the sheep. They weren't what you'd describe as easy. Maybe they would come good much later in the day. We couldn't wait all day to test that theory ­- at least not if we wanted to return home before midnight.

Either way, it was a grand day out. Corrie and I didn't have the best of runs but Corrie enjoyed it. I'd have been happier if she'd stopped a bit more on the fetch at Sarn and if we'd caught the gates at Abersoch, but that's trials life for you.

It was good to catch up with some handlers and to meet new people. Driving home I realised it wasn't that different to a normal Saturday ­- the whole day had been spent watching and talking dogs, sheep and trials.

It doesn't seem a minute since the start of the 2009 trialling season in Wales and already plans are being made for this year's South Wales nursery final in December.

Before we know it, the Nationals will be here and then we'll all be heading to the 2009 International in Cumbria.

Is it me or is the trialling season flying by?

Life in the k9tales office has been hectic too.

Feedback from you, the readers, has been great - thanks to everyone for logging on and sending your comments. If there are any changes or anything you'd like to see on the site, feel free to contact us.

It's great to know that people from around the globe are logging on with an interest in sheepdogs and sheepdog trialling. The future of the sport looks very healthy if this response is anything to go by.

Plans are also in hand for a new k9tales section to appear soon. Due to demand a new Dogs For Sale page will be launched. If you are interested in advertising your dogs or puppies on the site get in touch to take advantage of special rates for the first month.

There are also lots of new features on the way as well as all the latest sheepdog news and trials picture galleries.

Many excuses can be heard being muttered on the trials field after a bad run, so I thought I'd add a new one to the mix.

Having got up even earlier than usual to travel to Felindre and Dolfor  sheepdog trials last weekend, I was left very disappointed after a disastrous run in the morning at Felindre.

Corrie went up the hill and picked up her sheep well, but as she brought them down the field they drifted offline to the left. So, naturally, I gave her an away whistle - but there was no reaction. So I tried again, but still nothing. It was as if she'd never heard the away command - either that or she'd gone temporarily deaf. After repeated voice and whistle commands we were getting nowhere, so I had to walk off hanging my head in shame, with a sore throat and dented pride.

Was it really worth getting up at 4am and driving for two-and-a-half hours for that sorry effort?

I couldn't think of any explanation for what she had - or rather hadn't - done. Admittedly my training has been lacking , to say the least, but there really couldn't be an excuse or could there?

It was only later in the day that I heard a bit of folklore while chatting to trials secretary Mark Bufton.

Local legend has it that the large stone lying in the field on the fetch was thrown by the devil in an attempt to destroy the nearby church. Fortunately the stone missed the church, but if anyone tries to move it a thunderous storm gathers and lightning strikes.

So there you have it - it was the devil at work.

PS As further evidence, once we'd escaped the grasp of the stone and arrived at Dolfor, I ran Corrie where she took every command I gave her.

It may sound a little self-indulgent, but seeing the photograph of my working sheepdog Corrie on the cover of the latest edition of Pembrokeshire County Living magazine gives me great pleasure.

Not so long ago she was enduring intensive chemotherapy treatment for canine lymphoma, with a bleak outlook for the future.

All the expense, stress and heartache was worth it, to see her in the photograph I took on the Pembrokeshire coast path, near Porthgain, while writing a feature about top dog walks on a beautiful sunny day.

She is still in remission and enjoying life as much as she always did before the diagnosis. She is particularly enjoying competing at sheepdog trials again.

Fourth place in a novice class may not be a big deal to many, but returning to the field at this year's Coedkernew trial and having a half-decent run did feel like an achievement. And it could have been a lot better if she'd taken her away whistles on the fetch!

We've been to a couple more trials since then and she's been working well, so it's fingers crossed for some open points this year.

During her treatment she hardly saw sheep, let alone work them. After her chemo I was almost too scared to start working her, in case something happened to make her ill again. Unfortunately there's also been a distinct lack of training since I moved house. A town environment doesn't lend itself to easy training sessions and I need to come up with a plan to rectify this.

Corrie spends most of her time living at mum's (which I hate, but town life is not for her, especially when I'm out at work all day) and now that the trials are back in full swing, our weekends are hopefully going to be spent competing.

Plan A is to win the lottery, buy a smallholding, bring Corrie and my ponies to live with us, borrow some of mum's Kerry Hill sheep to train with and live happily ever after.

I'm still working on Plan B.

This year, for the first time ever, I've had very little involvement in the lambing of mum's Willowbrook flock of Kerry Hill sheep.

This is mainly because I now live in a town away from home and also due to my lack of transport (see Back on the road to trialling). As well as staying up for the night shifts, checking on any imminent arrivals, I usually take a week's holiday from work to give mum a helping hand, and I feel I've really missed out this year.

Corrie always loves lambing time too. When we were both starting our training, lambing time gave me a real sense of achievement when we could both prove our working worth. Corrie particularly enjoys shedding off ewes and their newborns to bring them in at night to their cosy pens, out of harm's way from the many foxes and badgers we have on the prowl.

Last week, the final ewe gave birth to twins. Unfortunately one was born very weak. In spite of mum rigging up the heat lamp and tubing her, she didn't get any stronger. One morning she was very cold, so as a last resort she was put in a box and transferred to the bottom oven of the Rayburn.

Rayburns are wonderful things with an infinite amount of uses that go far beyond cooking the perfect Sunday roast.

Living in a town with mains gas and central heating, I often yearn for mum's solid fuel Rayburn in her Pembrokeshire cottage.

While it's much easier to have heat in every room at the flick of a switch and lots of people mutter about how much work solid fuel stoves are, or the amount of dust they create, I think they emanate a warm, comforting welcome to any home that has one.

One of my early childhood memories is of my younger brother and I coming in from a day playing in the snow, clothes drenched and freezing cold, and shoving our feet into the bottom oven to thaw.

It was always good for helping to produce winning conkers too.

A little warmth goes a long way, and it's not just lambs and feet that have been revived in the bottom oven. Injured birds have also been brought back to life. The trick is to take them out before they get too lively.

So, in the ewe lamb went, closely guarded by Corrie. So intent on her protective duties was she, that she wouldn't let anyone else near and sat glued to the spot until the lamb was taken back out.

In spite of mum's best efforts the lamb died a few days later.

Overall this year's lambing has been a success with the majority growing well and enjoying life. Nothing is standing out as a show prospect yet, but there's still time for them to develop and catch the eye.

At last I'm back on the road with a new car - mobile and independent once again - after more than five months.
It's a long story but the condensed version goes like this...
Last November I had a fall at work and damaged the nerves in my elbow,
making it impossible to make a cup of tea let alone drive.
Unfortunately this meant I missed the last couple of Pembrokeshire nursery
sheepdog trials. I had been running Corrie in the sweepstake classes and it
was doing us both good to be competing again.
Then in December, on the way to Gatwick airport to jet off for a snowy
holiday, my fiance and I were involved in a car crash. I wasn't driving - my
arm still wasn't up to it - so Lee was at the wheel of my car.
A bit of advice for everyone -­ try to avoid mad Land Rover drivers who pull
out in front of you on a dual carriageway when you're travelling at speed.
It isn't a nice experience.
So, basically I've been without a car since then.
Living in a rural county like Pembrokeshire, people rely on their vehicles
and I have been lost without one.
I have been able to use my fiance's car at weekends, but being a cabriolet
it's not exactly practical for sheepdogs or travelling to sheepdog trials.
Happily I picked up my shiny new car this week and it has ample room for the
dogs, my wellies, waterproofs and crook.
Now I just need to get back in training with Corrrie and hopefully we'll
both be back up to speed.