Seems like a long time ago (October 2003)
I was surprised to see that it was January that I last wrote in
my news letter page. That seems like a long time ago!
In April I managed to finish the International Sheep Dog Society,
World Trial video, which was held in Bala, North Wales. When I was
recently in Scotland at the ISDS International finals many people
came over to compliment me on this video. That was just great!
The production of this video however, was submerged with
disasters and problems which started off with my new DV camera
packing up the day before the trial started!! Fortunately I managed
to rent a similar camera from Welsh TV, but it was in the PAL system
and so I arrived back in Canada with 15 hours of PAL footage and no
means of viewing it. To cut a long and boring story short, I ended
up having to buy a new editing computer and a new editing program
etc, etc, to complete the project.
So it was late April before the program was finished, but as the
next World Trial isn't scheduled to take place until 2005, I hope
that this will be time for you all to indulge yourselves by ordering
up the Bala tape.
And so along came the summer and with it, the BSE crisis that has
hit Canada, all because of one cow!! The drought and billions of
grasshoppers.
On the positive side, Jane and I traveled to Wisconsin in June,
to produce a program on the Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living
Fair, the largest event of its kind in the world. This whole
experience and the enthusiasm of the folk involved with the Midwest
Renewable Energy Association, (MREA), made for a truly interesting
and educational experience. The video is now complete and finished
up being a full two hours demonstrating the many different ways that
we can reconsider our use of fossil fuels and live a more
sustainable lifestyle.
At the beginning of September I went to Stranraer, Scotland to
shoot the footage for the 2003 International Sheepdog Championship.
Scotland was typically wet, windy, misty and sunny all on the same
day, for the three days!!
I returned back to Canada for one day and then drove to South
Dakota, for the U.S Finals at Sturgis. Once I have completed the
International Championships from Scotland, which will have to be in
the next few days, I will then start working on the video for the
U.S. finals.
A video program that I began in January this year, and that I am
producing in partnership with the well known U.S. handler, Kent
Kuykendall, is all about understanding the judging and scoring of a
sheepdog trial. During this coming winter, Kent and I will complete
this program.
So for all of you that are living in a balmier climate, the
ground outside my editing studio is white with snow and the winter's
chores with our livestock have now begun. As the season to be merry
will soon be upon us, I'll take this opportunity to say, " have a
good one!"
Many Thanks, Martin Penfold
Rural Route Videos News Archives
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