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!!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
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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