Tia on the naughty step

So it was a gorgeous, peaceful morning....

and then just after this photo was taken, Tia darted off across the field.... there was nothing to chase.. but in the distance I could make out the sheep in the fog... and Tia was heading straight for them.... as she got close, the poor resting sheep, jumped up and ran.... I was running after her, but obviously she is pretty damn quick when she wants to be.. she was like inches from the rear sheep's back end... but she ran passed it and kept running.

I couldn't see her any more so I stopped running to see if I could see a clue as to where she was and if she was attacking a sheep (she normally ignores sheep, obviously if they are close by I put her on the lead, but in the distance even on a clear day, she doesn't pay them any attention).  I was panicking thinking she would probably be shot if the farmer was around (not that the farmer in that field is ever around, his poor sheep are left out in all weathers, even lambing in snow.. anyway I digress....), but the sheep had all stopped running and were just standing around calmly.... then I heard a train..

Tia is never off the lead when I hear a train unless the river is in between her and the track, because she likes to chase them, normally as soon as I hear a train approaching I call her and put her lead on.. but of course she's not normally half a mile away and out of sight!  So between her and the train line there was two tiny fields.. I hoped, I wasn't sure if she was already in these fields.. the train went passed... the sheep were still loitering... nothing, no Tia... then she started barking her head off, Tia never barks... so I was certain she had trapped a sheep and was barking at it because she couldn't get it, but at least I could work out where she was.

I carried on running to far side of field next to the river, there was a fence there, but plenty of gaps for her to get through and I still couldn't see her..... but she was still barking.. so not dead from train then!  I got to the fence and she was the other side barking up a tree.. probably the wrong tree since there was nothing up it!

Not a clue what made her run off, she only ever runs off when something interesting to chase... squirrels & pheasants being the main thing... she crawled back through the fence when I got there with sheepish (no pun intended) look on her face... so glad she never ate a sheep.. also glad that she still hasn't made the connection between roast lamb and sheep!!!