feb 3 - think it's time to goal set for 2010?

Me too! Last year was a bit of a blur so I could simply repost last years goals but I think instead I'll start over and then look to see what I thought I'd do later on ...

Super Sally
keep training when I can catch a minute
work her perfect downs on tables everywhere
run CPE level 1 and 2 classes as appropriate
run AAC gamblers, snookers and maybe jumpers classes through the spring and summer
add standard and stepplechase as she levels out

Terrific Thea
either enjoy Cpe level 1 whenever possible or put a whole whack of time into training then follow Sally's plan above

Brave Brody
get him fit enough to play - do some drop in training to get him running again
trial one day a month
go to regionals (and qualify for nationals - goal at this point)

hey I was actually pretty reasonable at the beginning of last year - look:
Sally is maturing into a wonderful dog. Maybe she'll more than 1 Q in 2009.
She did - she earned 2 more q's in the only trial she made it to - a wildcard q and a jackpot Q - she makes my heart sing in a way that's hard to describe - it's like working with a real fine wire - when it's right it's sheer poetry!!
Thea needs some work on chutes and teeters - if I can get that done I'd love to take her to regionals.
Now that they've shortened chutes - all is good chute wise - teeters will still need work ... and regionals weren't in the cards for any of us ..
Looking forward to hopefully having Brody at regionals too, and maybe nationals as well if all goes well.
Sad not to be doing CPE this year but I'm going to finish the qualifications for the nationals then move him down a height level anyhow - hopefully he can qualify for 2010
we (being the dream dog Brody and me) did knock off the qualifications easily for Cpe nationals - maybe I should plan on Florida :) he's such a good boy!!

I cannot tell a lie

I am not sorry to say good bye to this year (actually started in the fall of 2008)






One CPE agility trial for ONE day and one day of a judges clinic and that was IT if memory serves me right for agility


Losses like I have never seen - human, cat, dog, rabbit - everytime I turned around someone I loved or cared about was getting slammed in some way ...




I'll do some goal setting soon - but all I can say right now is GOODBYE 2009!!

Brody ...

is aging ...

I can feel his backbone

and after having a year + off agility I worry about bringing him back - I guess all I can do is start slow conditioning and cross my fingers he's fitter and younger feeling than he's looking right now ...

I hate this part of living with, and loving, other species ....

wow - long time no see ...

My fall is always busy but this has been insane

I'm taking a course every other weekend in Kingston ..Saturdays and Sundays and while it's good it's made for a very long three months

we lost Hank, 3 cats (one 12 year old who was born here- 2 fosters - one after about a year with us the other after 2 weeks here) and 2 rabbits. They all died in a very short period of time - and while each death was awful and tragic non was preventable or predicatable.. it was a rough couple of weeks ...

I ended up with more rabbits here - just don't ask ... but I think I'd better get bunny agility going asap ...

we also have a new farm dog - Sampson. He's a young golden retriever .. and while he has some bagage he's a dear fellow and working very hard to learn basic manners ...I feel terrible that life has been so busy lately he's pretty much had to swim with the big dawgs ...
Tom is taking him to class and they are doing great - Sally and I go along for fun and the trainer hasn't figured out yet that Sally already knows everything she is teaching plus a whole lot more - too funny!
My father in law fell last week - he's still in the hospital and Tom and I live closest of all the kids so we are spending a lot of time with him .. never fun ..if it takes awhile to get another update I hope you'll understand why.

another dog who will NEVER do agility ...

This is Kismet

He isn't old but he is "special". He is blind (mostly); he spins in circles; he can't wear a leash; and he is one weird and wonderful litle dude.

He needs to find a new forever home that will love him to pieces and let his real personality shine. He is getting more confident and more affectionate day by day. Sometimes fostering is pretty darn rewarding.

Full circle?

we may have a new dog .. a golden retriever .. did I want a golden? not really but sometimes fates conspire and things just ARE ..
Sampson appears to be a just is

WE have loved sporting dogs as a family for a long time .. our first dog was an irish setter, my aunt and uncles have lived with spaniels and goldens and my first dog as an adult was a golden .. a sporting dog with a love of running and a soft malleable temperment suits us it seems .. smart but not nearly as smart as a herding dog (SALLY!) active but able to relax in the house.. keen but not desperate .. I'm hoping Sampson fits in well for many years

does a golden do agility?
don't know and don't care
Brody is coming up 9 so probably won't play too many more years but Thea at 6 and Sally at three both potentially have lots of years left to train, compete and play .. if Sampson is a good agility dog that's awesome but I'm no rush - I have lots of work left with the three that do have some training ;)

ICE your phone

I've read this many times and thought oh good idea - but today Terri at Clay Hill farm posted the following ... and I'm passing it along ...(and I finally took the time to do it too!)

I was just reminded of this by a friend, so I pulled this explanation from another website. Please ICE your phone today!

Paramedics are asking that everyone add at least one additional entry to their cell phone contacts list. Please add an ICE entry. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. This number should dial the person in your family that can respond to medical decisions if you are injured or incapcitated.

If you are in an accident, paramedics know to check your phone for your emergency contact information. Imagine taking a look and trying to figure out who to call out of the twenty or more numbers on your phone. By adding a contact entry that's designated as an emergency contact number (ICE), you can make their job much easier and possibly save your own life.

So program an ICE entry on your cell phone today, as a matter of fact, pull it out right now as you're reading this article. If you have more than one person the paramedics can contact in case of an emergency, you can add additional ICE numbers to your list. Your primary contact should be listed under ICE, then you can add the other contacts under ICE1, ICE2, ICE3, etc.After you program ICE into your phone, have your spouse, your kids, your parents, and your friends do the same thing. If there are people in your life that you care about, they should all have ICE on their phones.

poor poor dogs

the real world hit us all this week - HARD
back to work - early in the am and meetings after work everyday too - GAH
Sally's allergies are bugging her - and I left her meds in PEC
My dear husband is on a two night business trip - Hank is SAD
There is little sun - Thea is cold
the bunnies are out of sight - Hank is bored
no walks on the beach- everybody (me too) misses them
no playing agility - Sally is sad, Brody is missing treats and Thea just wonders why


poor dogs must wonder what happened

so they sleep and sleep and sleep (and eat!)

Judges clinic number 3

8 judges - 2o some odd dogs - a hot sunny day - lots of laughs and hugs - it was good to be back amoung friends ..

Sally was SILLY - OH my SILLY - missed a dog walk contact, did beautiful teeters and tunnels I have to say - we didn't do weaves at all .. she was fun and not too sniffy mostly

Thea scared me half to death - she did a teeter fly off from the very top of the board .. as I was calling her off - she did great aframes and tunnels and the chute too - YAY

Brody was hot and walked quite lovely courses - he is too funny sometimes
he was under 12 inches at both measuring stations so I am going to have him remeasured ...

lots of fun - made me sad actually - I wish I could figure out a healthy balance of agility and life for us all

for Lucy and Walters Mom and anybody coming to Prince Edward County

I'm revealing a secret here .. a pretty well kept secret so it's a good thing this blog doesn't get a ton of visitors ;) But my dear blog buddy over @ http://muttsandaklutz.blogspot.com/ asked for more info on "my beaches"





These beaches are usually so quiet I can take wildly reactive to dogs Hank with me and let him run off leash ...there are great spots to wade and paddle, and swim and picnic and teach dogs to swim






Its the Point Petre (pronounced Peter) area of the county - right at the south western tip ...




There are paths through woods you can walk on (just listen for the odd atv) and it's just a lovely spot

you drive down 24 (Point Petre Road) past the first land we owned in the county .. and when you some to a possible left turn onto Army Reserve road you have options - you can go straight then hang a right along any of the tracks you see or you can go left then right along any of the tracks you see .. if there are people at the end of the track at the water you can park and say and walk the dogs or you can carry on to another spot

Be careful if it's really wet - you could get stuck and I can't imagine how CAA would ever find you :) Camping is illegal but you may find some folks camping (we never have and I don't recommend it) .. everybody gets along down there - at least when I've been and tries to leave the place a little cleaner than they found it ..