It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!!
What a way to ring out 2009 but with two clean runs!!
With Blyss's standard run yesterday, I didn't realize it but....Blyss titled in Open Standard!!! And today she titled in Open Jumpers!! Yee-Haaaaaa!
I shall ring in 2010 by running my very first Excellent A courses!
We had beautiful runs today. I do want to work on off course temptations...
It's New Year's Eve and we are going to be partying like it's 1999... by feeding the pups, feeding us, watching a touch of tv and hitting the sack.
Check in tomorrow is at 6:30am... UGH! Can you believe, Blyss is in Excellent A and still has only one official measure?!?!?! What's up with that?!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Palmetto Day 1 - 0 for 2
Oh, oh, oh for two! Thou shalt not work and run agility simultaneously! I had a 1:30 conference call for work that lasted an hour. Open Standard ran after Excellent Standard. Excellent Standard finished at 1:30. So... stupid, stupid, stupid. I decided to try to make it if I could. I got to the ring as the 8" dogs were running (small to big). And, well, thought, I'll try to run this course without having walked it! Actually, it wasn't too bad! I got all the way through to the end where I had to send Blyss into the chute and pull her around a pinwheel. Well... I didn't call her name soon enough and we missed the pinwheel!
Other than that it really wasn't too bad. We nailed the lead out, nailed the front cross into the weaves... another lesson learned!
It has warmed up nicely but come sunset it is going to get chilly again!
That's it for day 2... oh and the satellite isn't working... I think the world will keep revolving!
Other than that it really wasn't too bad. We nailed the lead out, nailed the front cross into the weaves... another lesson learned!
It has warmed up nicely but come sunset it is going to get chilly again!
That's it for day 2... oh and the satellite isn't working... I think the world will keep revolving!
Palmetto Open JWW
Well, not too shabby... I've been working on my running (instead of hopping)... Like John says, I run like a girl... gee, I AM a girl!! So, Eric gave me some exercises which I have done as much as possible with my bum hip.
We NQ'd but Blyss ran fast and I think my running has improved. We have a long wait now for Standard. There are like 177 some dogs in Excellent Standard! They started at 8am... it is now 10:30 and the big dogs still have not walked!
We NQ'd but Blyss ran fast and I think my running has improved. We have a long wait now for Standard. There are like 177 some dogs in Excellent Standard! They started at 8am... it is now 10:30 and the big dogs still have not walked!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Manatee Fairgrounds Palmetto/Sunshine Pembroke Corgi Club & Dog Training Club of St. Petersburg
Yeah, we are on our way to a 5 day trial... yes, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 whole days! It's an AKC trial so Blyss and I can work on her final Open legs... hopefully, we'll be running Excellent A (could we hope for B) before the weekend is done.
Facilities: There are water and electric hookups, no sewer, however, there is a dump station on site. Parking is on grass, depending on where you park you can be very close to the ring or a short walkaway. You can also go farther out and get more privacy.
Rings: Here we run on covered dirt. There is a huge cement slab on one side, bleachers on the other and enough room between the rings for a walk way.
Blyss, Kayla and Skah will be running this week. It's going to be crazy since it was in the 30's this morning when we woke... running temps should be in the 60's to low 70's... YEAH!!!
The drive is kind of busy. There is a ton of traffic on the road for a Tuesday morning... mustbe because it's the week between Christmas and New Year's.
*************************************************************************************
Well, we arrived at about 2pm and got one of the last 50 amp RV slots. There were a ton of RVs already here. Apparently, people came yesterday just to get RV slots! We aren't too terribly far from the rings. In fact, it's a pretty sweet spot, there is plenty of room to set up the x-pen.
I'm excited! 5 whole days! It will be fun to see if our homework will pay off!
Facilities: There are water and electric hookups, no sewer, however, there is a dump station on site. Parking is on grass, depending on where you park you can be very close to the ring or a short walkaway. You can also go farther out and get more privacy.
Rings: Here we run on covered dirt. There is a huge cement slab on one side, bleachers on the other and enough room between the rings for a walk way.
Blyss, Kayla and Skah will be running this week. It's going to be crazy since it was in the 30's this morning when we woke... running temps should be in the 60's to low 70's... YEAH!!!
The drive is kind of busy. There is a ton of traffic on the road for a Tuesday morning... mustbe because it's the week between Christmas and New Year's.
*************************************************************************************
Well, we arrived at about 2pm and got one of the last 50 amp RV slots. There were a ton of RVs already here. Apparently, people came yesterday just to get RV slots! We aren't too terribly far from the rings. In fact, it's a pretty sweet spot, there is plenty of room to set up the x-pen.
I'm excited! 5 whole days! It will be fun to see if our homework will pay off!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sunday heading home!
It was actually a pretty incredible weekend! Blyss ran clean 5 out of 6 runs! The only Q she didn’t make was steeplechase and she would have had that except I didn’t support the broad jump enough and she sliced it! Otherwise, we would have Q’d!
Beautiful Blyss earned 2 titles this weekend! Her Advanced Jumpers and her Advanced Standard! We now get to play with the big dogs!
Skah took 4th place in Steeplechase! Yeah, Olaf can buy lunch!
Thea did really, really well. Olaf walked her around a bit during quite times and today I put her on leash in the middle of the day and walked the perimeter of the grounds. Her tail actually came out from between her legs and she was wagging it! She still has yet to potty on leash… all good things in time.
Beautiful Blyss earned 2 titles this weekend! Her Advanced Jumpers and her Advanced Standard! We now get to play with the big dogs!
Skah took 4th place in Steeplechase! Yeah, Olaf can buy lunch!
Thea did really, really well. Olaf walked her around a bit during quite times and today I put her on leash in the middle of the day and walked the perimeter of the grounds. Her tail actually came out from between her legs and she was wagging it! She still has yet to potty on leash… all good things in time.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Pals and Paws-St. Johns Fairgrounds-USDAA
Great Friday!
The facilities are very nice... covered, dirt, aisle between the rings. Bathrooms are very close. Parking is almost at ringside.
RV facilities are equally as nice. The RVs are close, or you can park farther away. There is electricity & water but no sewer... no big deal. It's quiet.
There is an area which is fenced off where you can run your dog.
The club is very efficient, there weren't many volunteers but that's ok, we got it done. I really hope to title here because the title ribbons are awesome pretty.
Olaf and Skah ran with Keith and Scout in Teams. They did an incredible job. Olaf had 4 out of 5 runs clean and they took 1st place as a team! They each got a "gold" medal and a lapel pin... oh and bragging rights.
Blyss had a great jumpers run. There were 3 serpentines in the course and she nailed all 3. I worked on running (instead of prancing) through my run. We got our 2nd Q in Advanced Jumpers and took a Blue Ribbon!!!
It was a good day
The facilities are very nice... covered, dirt, aisle between the rings. Bathrooms are very close. Parking is almost at ringside.
RV facilities are equally as nice. The RVs are close, or you can park farther away. There is electricity & water but no sewer... no big deal. It's quiet.
There is an area which is fenced off where you can run your dog.
The club is very efficient, there weren't many volunteers but that's ok, we got it done. I really hope to title here because the title ribbons are awesome pretty.
Olaf and Skah ran with Keith and Scout in Teams. They did an incredible job. Olaf had 4 out of 5 runs clean and they took 1st place as a team! They each got a "gold" medal and a lapel pin... oh and bragging rights.
Blyss had a great jumpers run. There were 3 serpentines in the course and she nailed all 3. I worked on running (instead of prancing) through my run. We got our 2nd Q in Advanced Jumpers and took a Blue Ribbon!!!
It was a good day
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!!
What I am thankful for...? My health... my husband... Kito, Kayla, Skah, Blyss, Trik, Prix & Thea who give my life meaning... Aja, Mojo & Blu who I put up with!
I'm also thankful to be able to break away from family today (not that I'm not thankful for my family but...) and be able to go play agility!
On to Elkton!
I'm also thankful to be able to break away from family today (not that I'm not thankful for my family but...) and be able to go play agility!
On to Elkton!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
IRDTC Vero Fairgrounds
On familiar grounds here.
The RV area was almost full when we got here at about 6 o'clock pm but we were able to find a space. The x-pens are set up in a dog run instead of anything even remotely resembling a circle because we are so close to the RV next door. That's ok, as long as the kids can get out.
The dogs should be running full tilt this weekend because the weather is beautifully cool! It was 60 degrees when we left home. It is so crisp. It is only the 2nd cool spell we've had this year. I hope it lasts throughout the weekend.
The new RV is so much more comfortable. It's QUIET!!! No rumbling and grumbling. The stablizers work great. I sure hope sleep comes easily and we aren't rocking all night. There is a ton more space... it's amazing what 2 slide outs and 2 extra feel will do for the space. We aren't stumbling all over each other, there is room to actually move around. I could fix all 7 dog bowls on the counter!!! YEAH!!
Thea is doing great. The ride was easier on her than the x-pen is. She seemed almost comfortable on the trip, laid with Prix most of the way and stood with her feet on the couch, no crouching, no hiding. She didn't even want to get into her crate. Now that we are stopped she wants to stay in her crate. We have to carry her out to the x-pen because she just can't handle getting down the steps and into the x-pen on her own. She will come around. This is probably very good for her.
Well, this is it for the evening. Wish me luck!!
Tomorrow we trial!
The RV area was almost full when we got here at about 6 o'clock pm but we were able to find a space. The x-pens are set up in a dog run instead of anything even remotely resembling a circle because we are so close to the RV next door. That's ok, as long as the kids can get out.
The dogs should be running full tilt this weekend because the weather is beautifully cool! It was 60 degrees when we left home. It is so crisp. It is only the 2nd cool spell we've had this year. I hope it lasts throughout the weekend.
The new RV is so much more comfortable. It's QUIET!!! No rumbling and grumbling. The stablizers work great. I sure hope sleep comes easily and we aren't rocking all night. There is a ton more space... it's amazing what 2 slide outs and 2 extra feel will do for the space. We aren't stumbling all over each other, there is room to actually move around. I could fix all 7 dog bowls on the counter!!! YEAH!!
Thea is doing great. The ride was easier on her than the x-pen is. She seemed almost comfortable on the trip, laid with Prix most of the way and stood with her feet on the couch, no crouching, no hiding. She didn't even want to get into her crate. Now that we are stopped she wants to stay in her crate. We have to carry her out to the x-pen because she just can't handle getting down the steps and into the x-pen on her own. She will come around. This is probably very good for her.
Well, this is it for the evening. Wish me luck!!
Tomorrow we trial!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Mid Florida Golden Retriever Club Part II
Awesome day. The facilities here are great. There is a Men's and Women's room with showers plus a laundry room. The RV slots are far enough away from each other that you don't feel like you are sitting in each others laps. The rings aren't too terribly far away. The crating area is all along the tree line surrounding the rings.
Lots of good stuff today. Carol titled, Olaf double Q'd TWICE! It was Christine's birthday (shhh, don't tell her, we are getting a cake for tomorrow). Poor Carole Beth is sick so she couldn't make it.
Blyss took first in Standard! Yeah, my big girl! Her Jumpers run was incredible! We dropped the 2nd bar (oops) but after that she had steam and sailed through the course. It was pretty tricky too. I gotta say, we handled it like champs!!
Let's see what tomorrow will bring....
Lots of good stuff today. Carol titled, Olaf double Q'd TWICE! It was Christine's birthday (shhh, don't tell her, we are getting a cake for tomorrow). Poor Carole Beth is sick so she couldn't make it.
Blyss took first in Standard! Yeah, my big girl! Her Jumpers run was incredible! We dropped the 2nd bar (oops) but after that she had steam and sailed through the course. It was pretty tricky too. I gotta say, we handled it like champs!!
Let's see what tomorrow will bring....
Friday, October 23, 2009
Mid Florida Golden Retriever Club
On to another trial… this time in Orlando. I just got back from a brutal conference there this week for my “real” job. Standing 8-10 hours a day and chatting up prospects and clients… This was Monday through Thursday. Home late Thursday night, on the road again Friday afternoon.
It is sure to be a great time because I will have two classmates who will be there this weekend. It will be nice to discuss courses and plot together and see if we can remember what we have been taught and see if we are skilled enough to apply it!
This weekend is hosted by Mid Florida Golden Retriever Club. The trial is outdoors, no cover. We have only a 20% chance of rain but we are supposed to have record breaking heat… YEAH! Hey, at least we won’t be shivering…
What will also make it an interesting weekend is that because I haven’t been home, I haven’t been able to work with Blyss all week. I’m hoping she remembers the high we were on when we left the last trial … after her AMAZING jumpers run. Of all the runs to NOT get on tape… :-( Oh, well… that’s what the memory banks are for.
It is sure to be a great time because I will have two classmates who will be there this weekend. It will be nice to discuss courses and plot together and see if we can remember what we have been taught and see if we are skilled enough to apply it!
This weekend is hosted by Mid Florida Golden Retriever Club. The trial is outdoors, no cover. We have only a 20% chance of rain but we are supposed to have record breaking heat… YEAH! Hey, at least we won’t be shivering…
What will also make it an interesting weekend is that because I haven’t been home, I haven’t been able to work with Blyss all week. I’m hoping she remembers the high we were on when we left the last trial … after her AMAZING jumpers run. Of all the runs to NOT get on tape… :-( Oh, well… that’s what the memory banks are for.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday at Tailwagger
Great day! The cold front finally arrived Saturday night making it waaaaay chilly in the morning which fired up the dogs... BIG TIME! They were running like the breeze. So much energy, you could tell they were feeling fine!
Congrats to Lisa who tore up the Jumpers course with Trigger.
Blyss also had a great jumpers run. I have never seen her so fast. She was nailing it and it felt so smooth. It gave me the adrenalin rush I get when John lets me run Hellion. She was sooooo impressive. We really feel like a team.
We are well into Advance and on our way to Masters! *Now if I could just figure out Snooker and Gamblers ;-)
Olaf did really well. Came in 3rd and 4th with Kito and Skah in Steeplechase!
We finished up early and got home before dark!
Now I'm off to Orlando for a conference... ugh, work! Then next weekend we will be in Orlando for an AKC Trial.
Congrats to Lisa who tore up the Jumpers course with Trigger.
Blyss also had a great jumpers run. I have never seen her so fast. She was nailing it and it felt so smooth. It gave me the adrenalin rush I get when John lets me run Hellion. She was sooooo impressive. We really feel like a team.
We are well into Advance and on our way to Masters! *Now if I could just figure out Snooker and Gamblers ;-)
Olaf did really well. Came in 3rd and 4th with Kito and Skah in Steeplechase!
We finished up early and got home before dark!
Now I'm off to Orlando for a conference... ugh, work! Then next weekend we will be in Orlando for an AKC Trial.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Saturday at Tailwaggers
Last night was wonderful, great dinner with greater friends. The steak was melt in your mouth delicious!
Then things turned ugly. When we got ring side this morning we found out the place had been vandalized. Someone came in over night and took all sorts of stuff... from dog treats to cell phones to canvas bags to money to knee braces!
Olaf had left his knee brace on one of the crates and it was gone... $1600.00 down the drain.
But, things got better as Saturday got going. Olaf and I ran 2 sets of pairs... Blyss & Kito and Kayla & Skah... It was mighty fun... My run with Blyss was very nice. My run with Kayla, well, I was LAAAAAAAAATE. Oh, well. Lesson learned. We still took 2nd and 3rd!
My standard run with Blyss kind of all fell apart. First, I changed my mind on how I was going to lead out... Mistake with a capital M. Then I let her off the A-Frame early then I didn't get my front cross in after the weaves. However, her down on the table was good.
Tonight is Spaghetti night with, well, yeah, spaghetti and spaghetti squash and salad... One more day of fun to go!
Then things turned ugly. When we got ring side this morning we found out the place had been vandalized. Someone came in over night and took all sorts of stuff... from dog treats to cell phones to canvas bags to money to knee braces!
Olaf had left his knee brace on one of the crates and it was gone... $1600.00 down the drain.
But, things got better as Saturday got going. Olaf and I ran 2 sets of pairs... Blyss & Kito and Kayla & Skah... It was mighty fun... My run with Blyss was very nice. My run with Kayla, well, I was LAAAAAAAAATE. Oh, well. Lesson learned. We still took 2nd and 3rd!
My standard run with Blyss kind of all fell apart. First, I changed my mind on how I was going to lead out... Mistake with a capital M. Then I let her off the A-Frame early then I didn't get my front cross in after the weaves. However, her down on the table was good.
Tonight is Spaghetti night with, well, yeah, spaghetti and spaghetti squash and salad... One more day of fun to go!
Friday, October 16, 2009
West Palm Tailwaggers USDAA Trial
West Palm Beach - Tailwaggers and it is HOT HOT HOT! I'm just hoping the cold front is going to come through tonight. Today was a good day. We had 2 clean runs! Blyss missed a Q in Grand Prix by 1.4 seconds!! She took 4th place though and I am sooooo proud of her.
Our Standard run was picture perfect but she just ran a little slow, she's just a baby.
There are lots of good people here. Mary brought one of the new rescues, Shay... she is so special and beautiful.
Trik was reunited with one of his litter mates. Pilot looks like a Border Collie... all long legs and everything. But I think Trik is still tougher!!
One more Q in Standard and Blyss will be able to advance to Masters!
The facilities here are very nice... outdoor under a gigantic cover. RV is dry camping but it is very close to the rings. The restrooms are very clean.
Crossing fingers for tomorrow!
Our Standard run was picture perfect but she just ran a little slow, she's just a baby.
There are lots of good people here. Mary brought one of the new rescues, Shay... she is so special and beautiful.
Trik was reunited with one of his litter mates. Pilot looks like a Border Collie... all long legs and everything. But I think Trik is still tougher!!
One more Q in Standard and Blyss will be able to advance to Masters!
The facilities here are very nice... outdoor under a gigantic cover. RV is dry camping but it is very close to the rings. The restrooms are very clean.
Crossing fingers for tomorrow!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Lets end it with a BANG
Let’s end it with a BANG! Today out of 3 runs we got a 3rd place and no Q’s! Ugh, um, oh well.
Our judge, Eric Quiroet, showed up this morning with a No Whining button on his shirt. I had almost worn my No Whining shirt and ½ way through the day I changed into it! He will be one of the judges at our PBAC USDAA trial next year and he has requested a 3X shirt!! He said with the club logo please! It didn’t do me any good with getting Q’s though… he was still fair… darn it!! :-)
Gamblers this morning was great fun, we didn’t get the gamble but we had enough points to take 3rd place. The gamble was from a jump into a tunnel, which was placed under the A-frame (not fair – no whining), then over another jump. Well, Blyss took the A-frame instead of the tunnel which totally surprised me! So, take nothing for granted while running a course.
Our standard run was also surprising. Blyss hasn’t jumped off the table but she did today. She wouldn’t down, which we’ve been working on, then when I told her down she got off!! Oh, well, she then dropped a bar. We have our homework!!
Since yesterday I’ve been having trouble keeping Blyss’s focus so on the jumpers course this afternoon I decided that I don’t care if she takes wrong jumps or misses jumps or drops bars I just wanted speed out of her. Well, I got it! She took 2 off course tunnels but she was flying! I’m good with that. Now I need to work on getting my signals to her faster.
All in all, out of 13 runs we placed 8 times and Q’d 7 times so I guess we did ok.
Now we are on our way home. We’ve made it to I10. We left at 3pm and it’s now about 6:30. I’d like to get as far as possible tonight so we have a short second leg of the trip in the morning.
It was a great weekend. We got to meet some new people and play with our pups… what more can you ask for?
Oh, by the way, Trik is now giving me left and right high fives!! Teri gave me some pointers on getting high ten out of him!!! Through the raindrops we drive, getting closer and closer to home.
I would highly recommend Hattiesburg and Dog Gone Fun if you want a USDAA trial!!
Our judge, Eric Quiroet, showed up this morning with a No Whining button on his shirt. I had almost worn my No Whining shirt and ½ way through the day I changed into it! He will be one of the judges at our PBAC USDAA trial next year and he has requested a 3X shirt!! He said with the club logo please! It didn’t do me any good with getting Q’s though… he was still fair… darn it!! :-)
Gamblers this morning was great fun, we didn’t get the gamble but we had enough points to take 3rd place. The gamble was from a jump into a tunnel, which was placed under the A-frame (not fair – no whining), then over another jump. Well, Blyss took the A-frame instead of the tunnel which totally surprised me! So, take nothing for granted while running a course.
Our standard run was also surprising. Blyss hasn’t jumped off the table but she did today. She wouldn’t down, which we’ve been working on, then when I told her down she got off!! Oh, well, she then dropped a bar. We have our homework!!
Since yesterday I’ve been having trouble keeping Blyss’s focus so on the jumpers course this afternoon I decided that I don’t care if she takes wrong jumps or misses jumps or drops bars I just wanted speed out of her. Well, I got it! She took 2 off course tunnels but she was flying! I’m good with that. Now I need to work on getting my signals to her faster.
All in all, out of 13 runs we placed 8 times and Q’d 7 times so I guess we did ok.
Now we are on our way home. We’ve made it to I10. We left at 3pm and it’s now about 6:30. I’d like to get as far as possible tonight so we have a short second leg of the trip in the morning.
It was a great weekend. We got to meet some new people and play with our pups… what more can you ask for?
Oh, by the way, Trik is now giving me left and right high fives!! Teri gave me some pointers on getting high ten out of him!!! Through the raindrops we drive, getting closer and closer to home.
I would highly recommend Hattiesburg and Dog Gone Fun if you want a USDAA trial!!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Well, well… the day started out (kind of) great and got more and more interesting as the day wore on. Blyss Q’d her Jumpers and took 3rd place! Our Gamblers fell to pieces when I sent Blyss over the wrong jump and didn’t think quickly enough that it was 6b and I needed to grab 6a to not get a whistle… UGH.
But then, we got to pairs, which was so awesome. Blyss and Kayla ran together. Blyss ran first because I wasn’t sure that I would be able to keep her attention while her arch-enemy ran! The girls took 1st place! Holy cow! Kito and Skah ran together and Q’d!
Standard was ok but I pulled Blyss too far into me on a 180 so we got a refusal.
Snooker was the comedy show of the trial. Blyss was at the start line looking cool as a cucumber, I released her and she ran over to the Judge to say… “Buddy, what are you doing in my ring???”. I was able to get her back but she was in a world all her own. I finally gave up and we joyfully ran out of the ring singing as if we had just won a jackpot in Vegas!
I believe I have learned my lesson. Not only is it absolutely exhausting for me but also for Blyss. She just could not handle as many runs as she had today. She was so exhausted that she just shut down. This is why I tried to make leaving the ring as much fun as I could so come tomorrow she will want to get back in.
After we were done trialing we took all 5 kids out to the lake here. We let them off leash and let them play in the water with the Frisbee. It was a much deserved reward for a job well done.
Trik is sleeping on his back with his arms stretched over his head. He had a full day, too. We worked more on his clicker training and I’ve added some “High Five” stuff to his repertoire.
Tomorrow is our last day and even though I don’t want the vacation to end, I’m almost ready to be back home!
Oh, Blyss titled in Jumpers!!! YAY!
Friday, July 24, 2009
4Q
Four Q or Fork You... HA! We ended the day on a beautiful note... Olaf and I ended up with a Q for each dog in Starters Jumpers. Very Cool!
Snooker for the first time was great. Debbie helped me with a plan and wow, it came together. Blyss took 3rd and Q'd, we accomplished our plan exactly as, well, planned :-)
Standard this morning kind of fell apart a little. Blyss pulled out of the weaves at the last pole then dropped a bar but she is running FAST!!!
Trik had a play date with Seven, Kellie Hayes's 15 week old Blue Aussie. He also had his nails done by Teri. Everyone just loves the little one and everyone has an opinion on what is in him!
Couple of quick notes. Here at the Hattiesburg grounds they will sell you bags of ice for $2.00 each... not a bad deal. Also, I've heard that if you stay at the Motel 6 you are taking your life into your own hands.... It is recommended you stay at the Ramada and dicker for the $25.00 per stay pet fee because it isn't published that it is $25.00 per day.
More tomorrow...
Snooker for the first time was great. Debbie helped me with a plan and wow, it came together. Blyss took 3rd and Q'd, we accomplished our plan exactly as, well, planned :-)
Standard this morning kind of fell apart a little. Blyss pulled out of the weaves at the last pole then dropped a bar but she is running FAST!!!
Trik had a play date with Seven, Kellie Hayes's 15 week old Blue Aussie. He also had his nails done by Teri. Everyone just loves the little one and everyone has an opinion on what is in him!
Couple of quick notes. Here at the Hattiesburg grounds they will sell you bags of ice for $2.00 each... not a bad deal. Also, I've heard that if you stay at the Motel 6 you are taking your life into your own hands.... It is recommended you stay at the Ramada and dicker for the $25.00 per stay pet fee because it isn't published that it is $25.00 per day.
More tomorrow...
Thursday, July 23, 2009
No Dogs Allowed!
What a great day! First of all, when you walk up to the building where they are hosting a Canine Agility Trial the doors are plastered with the sign -> HA! Too funny. The facility itself is great, they graded the dirt last night and rolled it so it is firm but not too hard packed. There is plenty of room around the outside of the rings, in fact they could have had two rings with a walk way between them.
I started out with Jumpers which started out beautifully (except that she dropped a bar… first one ever!) until I got to a pinwheel where I didn’t support a jump enough and pulled Blyss in to me… UGH! Oh, well, by the time she got me straightened out and we finished the course… we were WAY over time and NQ’d.
Gamblers was a bit better. The only problem I had was I brought her too close to me at the teeter so we lost a bit of time because we had to go back. She still took 2nd place and earned a Q.
Now Jumpers was really nice. I don’t think I ran as fast as I should have and I didn’t “trust my dog”. She took 1st place and earned a Q.
Funny, I was talking with a woman today about Trik and she said… and I quote, “Gee, maybe he has Bassett Hound in him.)! Ok, ok, so maybe he does. I’ve also heard Beagle but his front legs aren’t looking like a Beagle.
Off for some much needed rest… my poor feets are tired, and so are the pups!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Ok, Let's hear about some Dog Stuff...
But first...Things to do on Hwy 65 and 98 on your way to Hattiesburg… Church spotting. I’ve heard it said that a community’s sinner ratio is directly correlated to the number of Churches in that community, if the number of Churches is high, the number of sinners is high. If that is true then Alabama and Mississippi have some repenting to do! There are so many Churches… colossal brick structures with schools attached competing with the gigantic white Church across the street… there are small windowless Chapels and even Churches in trailers (or should I say, Mobile Homes). There are even signs for Churches that are off the beaten path… big professional signs and small hand painted on plywood signs. I thought of counting them on the way back home but then I thought that would just push my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder into overdrive!
Anyway, about dog stuff: It was a brilliant idea to take a long road trip with a 15 week old puppy. This has helped to reinforce in Trik that going outside on a leash is when he should be pottying. He never missed a beat. No accidents in the RV and every time we stopped he did his business outside! YAY! Now, let’s see if that translates to home!
And Blyss kind of scared me when we first started out. She didn’t want to even get into the RV, let alone ride for 12 hours. When we stopped for gas I was able to get her to tug and sit and tug and sit. She is much more comfortable now… in fact, she is appearing to feel downright at-home.
More about gas prices. There is a WalMart/Murphy station as soon as you get onto I98 from I65 that had the cheapest gas we found… keep any eye out for that one, it can save $$$ for more entry fees.
So far, at 3:30pm there are only about 6 or 7 RVs parked. The place is beautiful. Just behind us is a gorgeous lake. It is chained closed except for Thursday and Fridays. There is a fishing pier jutting out into the lake… maybe I’ll sneak over tomorrow after the day is done.
The facility is beautiful. It’s a bit of a hike from the RVs but the place huge! We were up there right after we parked and so far nothing was set up... we're going to hike up there in a bit to see what's happening now.
More later….
Pensacola
Pensacola is kind of cool, there are a bunch of tributes to the Blue Angels... everywhere you look is another Blue Airplane!Gas $$$$
Just west of Tallahasee we found the gas prices to be the lowest - about 20cents cheaper than anywhere else we saw.... so far.
HOW far to Pensacola???
Oh, and the signs continue. You can’t really tell by the photo but this big (at least 30 foot) neon sign advertising “Restaurant” is pointing directly to the ground. I thought it quite funny, what, are we underground dining now?
And, in case you’d like to know… “Marion County has a leash law and pets are not allowed to roam freely”. This is on a Billboard on the side of the Florida State Turnpike at about mile marker 344.2. Yes, mile markers are to the 10th of a mile up here. I suppose Marion County takes their leash law very seriously! Good to know…
Olaf was just telling me that he saw today for sale a hybrid bicycle for $449.00, hmmm, I’ll have to think about that one!!!
We filled up the gas tank at Love’s where we put in 60 gallons at Odometer reading 61818. The sunset was gorgeous over the rolling hills dotted with rolls of hay. (Sometimes I wax poetic but it doesn’t last long!). You just have to love the landscape of northern Florida. We’ve been on the road for over 5 hours and we’ll probably go another few hours before we pull in for the night. The kids are still riding beautifully, couldn’t ask for better than they are…especially when they can’t run and be free like they can before bed at home.
Wednesday Morning: We decided to pull off at the rest stop that John recommended. It was neat driving the winding little road back to the rest area and not having to sleep right there at the side of the highway. The sky was incredibly clear and the stars sparkled brightly in the sky but the noise was unbearable. Didn’t get much sleep but, today is a free day for us.
It seems Pensacola has been about 100 miles away FOREVER. Are we there yet? Olaf got up at 5am, got the kids out and we were on the road again by about 5:30. According to the GPS we should be in Hattiesburg by about 10:15. We only have 203 miles to go!
The sunrise in the rearview mirror was beautiful. I tried to get a photo of it but the focus just wasn’t picking up the horizon and I didn’t want to mess with manual focus… not on no sleep so… sorry, no sunrise this morning.
On the way toward the Georgia border there were many signs touting Pecans… on long trips your mind tends to wander… mine took me to: is it Pecan or Pecan… the pronunciations of Pecan like you are stuttering (p’con) or Pecan as in the convict in cellblock P (p-con). I realized that when I refer to the pie I say “p-con pie” and when I refer to the nut itself I say “a bag of p’cons”. So, this is where the mind wanders during long drives, kinda’ scary. Of course, I can’t say these things out loud… it would make for a very long trip for Olaf!
AH, we just passed a sign that indicates Pensacola is only 47 miles away… FINALLY!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Signs along the way
We are on our... hmmm, I-95, 528, Turnpike... 3rd highway and we'll be here for a bit. Anyway, we stopped for a potty break at Okahumpka Plaza... I think I spotted a whale. Okahumpka Back Whale sighting! Think I've been on the road too long already? Hmmm
So far so good!
Wow, so far the trip is going great… of course we are only an hour into it! First thing out of the gate I lost the lens cap to my camera which is to be expected. Somewhere near the center of the earth is a huge collection of missing socks from the dryer and all the lens caps I’ve lost in my photographic career!
I couldn’t ask for better traveling companions. Kito is sleeping behind dad’s seat. Skah is nodding off then coming awake to see where we are then nodding off again. Kayla is just busy watching the world go by. Trik, bless his stubby little soul, is contentedly dozing in his crate. And Blyss is in her crate looking at me as if to say, “Are we there yet, huh, hmm, are we there yet??”.
The gadget John lent us for directions is incredible. (Thanks John, you ARE the best.) I figured out how to view exactly where we are on our route. The only thing that bothers me is that I can see we have 617 miles to go. (Ugh, that is six hundred seventeen miles… did I say Ugh?). If we were to drive straight through we’d arrive in Hattiesburg at 3:59am… we’ve shaved 6 minutes off our arrival time already. This gadget even tells us when we can expect to stop for gas and gives us gas stations to select from! Right now we are going 71 miles per hour and are traveling west… is there anything this thing won’t do??? How about brew some coffee, bet it can’t do that now, huh??? My only complaint is that it shows us as being a red sedan when we are traveling in a blue RV (at first I was looking around to see who that red car was, HA).
So anyway, we are on our 3rd highway. In the distance I see the snow covered mountains rising out of the dusty plains… oh, wait, that is in my dreams. So far we are in such familiar territory that I’m not excited about the scenery, unless you count the Mercedes and BMWs we’ve passed. Once we get to northern Florida and we have rolling hills I’ll get more excited.
The kids obviously understand we are headed to a trial, that’s what riding in the RV means. They just don’t know how long it will be before we park this thing.
Not only am I excited about being able to trial in a new location and seeing if all my hard work with Blyss is sinking in (that’s into my brain even more than hers!!) but I’m excited to work with Trik in a new environment. His clicker training is progressing faster than I ever imagined. I can’t believe how quickly they pick up the clicker and how easy it makes it to help them learn. (Even when I have a BC/Bassett Hound).
*for those who don’t know… I adopted a baby from Starfish Border Collie Rescue. He and his littermates were dropped off at 3 weeks old, dehydrated and obviously not doing too well. Mary nursed and cared for them back to health and I fell in love with #5 from a picture on a poster at a trial. He was destined to be mine because he would be our #5 dog. After meeting him in person I made the mistake of picking him up and holding him… then, as they say, the rest is history. He had been called iPod but as I am technologically challenged (shhh, don’t tell my boss at the software company where I work) we renamed him Trik (as in Trick). He has been an absolute blessing. At 15 weeks he is giving me sits, downs, nose touches, 2on/2offs, even find the “jump” (with the jumps on the ground). I can’t wait to see what he turns into. It’s pretty obvious he isn’t pure BC, he’s a bit short for that. I’m thinking he might be part Corgi. Anyway he turns out is ok with me. I’m just glad he has been given a chance at a decent life. Of course, his new siblings might care to differ on that opinion!
Well, that’s it for now… more later.
I couldn’t ask for better traveling companions. Kito is sleeping behind dad’s seat. Skah is nodding off then coming awake to see where we are then nodding off again. Kayla is just busy watching the world go by. Trik, bless his stubby little soul, is contentedly dozing in his crate. And Blyss is in her crate looking at me as if to say, “Are we there yet, huh, hmm, are we there yet??”.
The gadget John lent us for directions is incredible. (Thanks John, you ARE the best.) I figured out how to view exactly where we are on our route. The only thing that bothers me is that I can see we have 617 miles to go. (Ugh, that is six hundred seventeen miles… did I say Ugh?). If we were to drive straight through we’d arrive in Hattiesburg at 3:59am… we’ve shaved 6 minutes off our arrival time already. This gadget even tells us when we can expect to stop for gas and gives us gas stations to select from! Right now we are going 71 miles per hour and are traveling west… is there anything this thing won’t do??? How about brew some coffee, bet it can’t do that now, huh??? My only complaint is that it shows us as being a red sedan when we are traveling in a blue RV (at first I was looking around to see who that red car was, HA).
So anyway, we are on our 3rd highway. In the distance I see the snow covered mountains rising out of the dusty plains… oh, wait, that is in my dreams. So far we are in such familiar territory that I’m not excited about the scenery, unless you count the Mercedes and BMWs we’ve passed. Once we get to northern Florida and we have rolling hills I’ll get more excited.
The kids obviously understand we are headed to a trial, that’s what riding in the RV means. They just don’t know how long it will be before we park this thing.
Not only am I excited about being able to trial in a new location and seeing if all my hard work with Blyss is sinking in (that’s into my brain even more than hers!!) but I’m excited to work with Trik in a new environment. His clicker training is progressing faster than I ever imagined. I can’t believe how quickly they pick up the clicker and how easy it makes it to help them learn. (Even when I have a BC/Bassett Hound).
*for those who don’t know… I adopted a baby from Starfish Border Collie Rescue. He and his littermates were dropped off at 3 weeks old, dehydrated and obviously not doing too well. Mary nursed and cared for them back to health and I fell in love with #5 from a picture on a poster at a trial. He was destined to be mine because he would be our #5 dog. After meeting him in person I made the mistake of picking him up and holding him… then, as they say, the rest is history. He had been called iPod but as I am technologically challenged (shhh, don’t tell my boss at the software company where I work) we renamed him Trik (as in Trick). He has been an absolute blessing. At 15 weeks he is giving me sits, downs, nose touches, 2on/2offs, even find the “jump” (with the jumps on the ground). I can’t wait to see what he turns into. It’s pretty obvious he isn’t pure BC, he’s a bit short for that. I’m thinking he might be part Corgi. Anyway he turns out is ok with me. I’m just glad he has been given a chance at a decent life. Of course, his new siblings might care to differ on that opinion!
Well, that’s it for now… more later.
One more hour and we'll be....
On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is making music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again
And I can't wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again
And I can't wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends
Insisting that the world keep turning our way
Monday, July 20, 2009
T -24 hours and counting!!!
Only 24 hours to go and we'll be on our way. A 12 hour ride in a 31' RV with 5 border collies... what... am I crazy??? Oh my. It will be a blast. I've told Olaf that at every cool thing I see *like giant neon cowboys advertising restaurants* I will beg him to stop so I can take photos!
The kids travel well so they shouldn't be a problem. The baby will probably sleep the entire way and Blyss will undoubtedly want to sleep on the dash!
We are going to try to make it to Pensacola before we stop for rest. UGH.
I'm just getting so, so excited for the break.
Off and counting!
The kids travel well so they shouldn't be a problem. The baby will probably sleep the entire way and Blyss will undoubtedly want to sleep on the dash!
We are going to try to make it to Pensacola before we stop for rest. UGH.
I'm just getting so, so excited for the break.
Off and counting!
One more day until Hattiesburg
One more day and we leave for Hattiesburg. I can't wait! Road Trip! We'll leave right after work tomorrow for a 12 hour drive to Hattiesburg. There we will have 4 great days of Agility. Olaf got the RV ready and was busy working on the battery, the fridge and cleaning this weekend.
The kids are ready to get out of dodge and so am I!!
I'm a bit worried about Blyss, she has had trouble with her right front paw. Her pad peeled and she was not able to work all week. Tonight we'll head to John's for practice and see how she does on it. We have 17 runs planned over the course of 4 days so she needs to be healthy.
I'll be updating through-out the trip. 33 1/2 hours and counting! YAY!
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