Hello, World.
Life back in Portland is so boring compared to life on the road. I am looking forward to some more road trips and hope they happen soon.
J says that there is one next weekend to a UKC show, but I don't really like shows. Most of the day is spent sitting in crate or pen. You have to stand still for a long time, let strangers poke you, and then trot about in circles. I much prefer coursing & lure practices. Sigh. That's OK, we will probably stay overnight at the "Stetson Inn", aka Lego & Patty's place. Patty is so much fun to play with now that she is half-way grown up. She is as tall as me now.
I did get to go out on one excursion this week, but it was not very exciting. J let me come with them to Luka's appointment for chemotherapy. I am their moral support. The vet tech & receptionist always give us treats, and Luka won't take hers or drops them so I get extras.
Luka's treatment got cancelled again because her white count is still too low. No one is sure why it has not fully bounced back after her last chemo. It has been more than a month now. J is worried both about Luka & about scheduling more appointments. The clinic hours are limited, & J's work schedule is not that flexible. She ends up volunteering to work extra overnight call so that she has the next day off, but this is exhausting and she can't always make schedule changes that work with the available appointments. Anyway, Luka seems to feel OK even if she doesn't play as much as she used to. Besides, when she does play, J stops her from running; she is afraid the bad leg might break.
That's all for now. Hopefully, I 'll have more interesting stuff to report on next week!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Paws Across the Border and other things
This past week was pretty boring compared to our drive across the country & back with Silkenfest in the middle. I know I complained about the long drives being tedious but I was either hanging out with our little pack in Ivan or looking out my window at the changing countryside. Not much happens when I look out the windows at the house. Here I just see the occasional squirrel or mail person. If dogs go by, we make sure to run out & bark at them. That livens things up a bit, but it is still pretty quiet.
It is good to spend time with Luka, our older Greyhound pack member. She is doing great. Had I mentioned she has an osteosarcoma? She is very stoic regarding pain & does not complain about things like that, but she had started limping in February. J & Dr. Swarmer (one of our vets) diagnosed it immediately. Dr. Swarmer thinks J has bad karma or something since Gandhi died of osteosarcoma last year. Anyway, Luka is doing so much better than Gandhi did. His pain got out of control quickly, but Luka's symptoms have responded really well to the treatments. She rarely limps at all anymore & still has a good appetite. It's hard to believe that she is still not expected to live very long.
This weekend J took Mintz, Appley, & I up to a Silken gathering in Washington. Appley is an almost 7 yo Silken; Mintz is a 3 yo Greyhound who has no clue that he is a freakin' giant. He has no sense of personal space, but I guess he is OK. She left Bados at home (yeah!). Bados usually gets to go EVERYWHERE because he shows, races, & courses well (but tediously on task - he does not think about it at all). Anyway, it was fun to leave him behind for a change.
Friday we went as far as Iola's place in WA. The drive was longer than usual because of traffic, but we were still there before dark. Little Patty has grown up a lot; she is almost as tall as me now. We had a blast dashing about the big yard. Mintz & Lego really hit it off, too. They kept surveying the perimeter together. Iola also introduced Sugar Magnolia; she is just 9 wks old. Iola calls her Sugar; but I think she looks like a Maggie, or Magna (like the Magna Charta!).
On Saturday morning we drove up to Jane's property in Monroe, WA. I had to wait in the car, but I hear it is nice. From there we drove to pick up Barb Solga near Sedro Wooley. I had expected her to have Claire with her, but no. Apparently Claire is having her cycle. I am SO glad I was spayed; I'd hate to miss out on the fun because of crap like that. Although I hear some enjoy it, I think having to raise puppies might get tedious, too. Anyway, I was sorry Claire could not come.
From there we went on to Ferndale. Did I mention it had started to rain? At first it was just a sprinkle, but at some point it became full on rain. I don't particularly like the rain, so it was OK with me to wait in Ivan while the people ate some food in the grocery's cafe area.
After the people ate, we went on to Hovander Park (J may have misspelled that). It was raining, but we got to go to a large off-leash area. What fun! Appley looked miserable being wet, but who cares; he won't melt. I toyed with Mintz, who J kept on leash. <evil grin>
There were lots of Silkens to play chase/tag with (Natasha, Charlie, Roman, Patty, Lego, Tootsie, River, D'Artagnan, Kira, Chloe, Gambler, Nessa, Morgan, and ? I am forgetting the names of some dogs. Patty & Peter had brought 2 more dogs (I think) from Corvalis, and Dawn had a dog with her from Canada. One of Nessa's pack mate's was there, too. Am I forgetting anyone else?
We came home last night. Bados pointed out that it had not rained in Portland. God, he can be annoying. Plus today Bados got to go oval racing. What did I say before? He gets to do EVERYTHING. I would love to oval race!!! J won't let me because I ALWAYS get to the lure first. Other dogs just run in a circle. Why? If you cut across to the finish, the lure will pull right to you. Shoot, in a full oval, you can run backwards along the line & get to it even faster. You just need to stay a bit to the outside so that on-coming dogs don't crash into you.
It is good to spend time with Luka, our older Greyhound pack member. She is doing great. Had I mentioned she has an osteosarcoma? She is very stoic regarding pain & does not complain about things like that, but she had started limping in February. J & Dr. Swarmer (one of our vets) diagnosed it immediately. Dr. Swarmer thinks J has bad karma or something since Gandhi died of osteosarcoma last year. Anyway, Luka is doing so much better than Gandhi did. His pain got out of control quickly, but Luka's symptoms have responded really well to the treatments. She rarely limps at all anymore & still has a good appetite. It's hard to believe that she is still not expected to live very long.
This weekend J took Mintz, Appley, & I up to a Silken gathering in Washington. Appley is an almost 7 yo Silken; Mintz is a 3 yo Greyhound who has no clue that he is a freakin' giant. He has no sense of personal space, but I guess he is OK. She left Bados at home (yeah!). Bados usually gets to go EVERYWHERE because he shows, races, & courses well (but tediously on task - he does not think about it at all). Anyway, it was fun to leave him behind for a change.
Friday we went as far as Iola's place in WA. The drive was longer than usual because of traffic, but we were still there before dark. Little Patty has grown up a lot; she is almost as tall as me now. We had a blast dashing about the big yard. Mintz & Lego really hit it off, too. They kept surveying the perimeter together. Iola also introduced Sugar Magnolia; she is just 9 wks old. Iola calls her Sugar; but I think she looks like a Maggie, or Magna (like the Magna Charta!).
On Saturday morning we drove up to Jane's property in Monroe, WA. I had to wait in the car, but I hear it is nice. From there we drove to pick up Barb Solga near Sedro Wooley. I had expected her to have Claire with her, but no. Apparently Claire is having her cycle. I am SO glad I was spayed; I'd hate to miss out on the fun because of crap like that. Although I hear some enjoy it, I think having to raise puppies might get tedious, too. Anyway, I was sorry Claire could not come.
From there we went on to Ferndale. Did I mention it had started to rain? At first it was just a sprinkle, but at some point it became full on rain. I don't particularly like the rain, so it was OK with me to wait in Ivan while the people ate some food in the grocery's cafe area.
After the people ate, we went on to Hovander Park (J may have misspelled that). It was raining, but we got to go to a large off-leash area. What fun! Appley looked miserable being wet, but who cares; he won't melt. I toyed with Mintz, who J kept on leash. <evil grin>
There were lots of Silkens to play chase/tag with (Natasha, Charlie, Roman, Patty, Lego, Tootsie, River, D'Artagnan, Kira, Chloe, Gambler, Nessa, Morgan, and ? I am forgetting the names of some dogs. Patty & Peter had brought 2 more dogs (I think) from Corvalis, and Dawn had a dog with her from Canada. One of Nessa's pack mate's was there, too. Am I forgetting anyone else?
We came home last night. Bados pointed out that it had not rained in Portland. God, he can be annoying. Plus today Bados got to go oval racing. What did I say before? He gets to do EVERYTHING. I would love to oval race!!! J won't let me because I ALWAYS get to the lure first. Other dogs just run in a circle. Why? If you cut across to the finish, the lure will pull right to you. Shoot, in a full oval, you can run backwards along the line & get to it even faster. You just need to stay a bit to the outside so that on-coming dogs don't crash into you.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Last long drive
I did not blog on my birthday. I was 3 yo yesterday. Happy Birthday to my other Starry siblings.
We got an early start to drive from Ogden to Redmond, Oregon.
J got off the interstate shortly after leaving Idaho. This took us through some beautiful landscape via John Day & Dayville by the Fossil Beds. There was no traffic so we made great time and managed to beat Rob in arriving with Luka, Mintz, and Appley from Portland. He had had to work until early afternoon. It was great to see them all, especially Luka. She appears to be doing as well as when we left. There is some fur growing back where she had the radiation burn & her tail looks OK, too. It is just hairless near where they had to amputate the end. Hopefully that hair will grow back as well.
Our friend Lucy & her owner Brian joined us for dinner; they live in Bend.
Today we walked up to 'the pasture' in Eagle Crest Resort where they had had an off leash area, but they have turned this back into a horse pasture. We could not play there. Even better though, J took us to her lot near the Deschuttes River. We always get to play off leash there. Bados & I had a blast rough housing and running up & down the dirt path along the river. Mintz took an inadvertent dip in the water when wading. He hadn't realized it drops off pretty fast. We went down to the ford where there is no drop off. Luka waded in & lay down as usual. It was a good day!
This will conclude my daily travel blog, I think. From now on I will try for weekly blogs on Sunday nights. That way I can report on weekend events.
I'd better remind J to wish my siblings a happy belated birthday on the wind hounds list . . .
We got an early start to drive from Ogden to Redmond, Oregon.
J got off the interstate shortly after leaving Idaho. This took us through some beautiful landscape via John Day & Dayville by the Fossil Beds. There was no traffic so we made great time and managed to beat Rob in arriving with Luka, Mintz, and Appley from Portland. He had had to work until early afternoon. It was great to see them all, especially Luka. She appears to be doing as well as when we left. There is some fur growing back where she had the radiation burn & her tail looks OK, too. It is just hairless near where they had to amputate the end. Hopefully that hair will grow back as well.
Our friend Lucy & her owner Brian joined us for dinner; they live in Bend.
Today we walked up to 'the pasture' in Eagle Crest Resort where they had had an off leash area, but they have turned this back into a horse pasture. We could not play there. Even better though, J took us to her lot near the Deschuttes River. We always get to play off leash there. Bados & I had a blast rough housing and running up & down the dirt path along the river. Mintz took an inadvertent dip in the water when wading. He hadn't realized it drops off pretty fast. We went down to the ford where there is no drop off. Luka waded in & lay down as usual. It was a good day!
This will conclude my daily travel blog, I think. From now on I will try for weekly blogs on Sunday nights. That way I can report on weekend events.
I'd better remind J to wish my siblings a happy belated birthday on the wind hounds list . . .
Thursday, June 7, 2012
So long to friends
The day was a mix of sad and something else, maybe anticipation. We left behind our new pack but will soon be seeing Rob and the rest of our home pack: Luka, Appley, and goofy, enormous Mintz.
First we left Rio & Lydia in Salina. Did I mention Bados is a clumsy dolt? After waking this morning he went to jump off the bed and somehow managed to scratch Lydia's eye, although he swears he did not step on her head. Both he & J hope that he didn't manage to scratch her cornea or something; that usually heals quickly but can be very painful & irritating in the interim & sometimes needs antibiotic ointment. Rio is worried, but Lydia's husband was coming to pick them up, so she won't have to drive. Lydia promised she would see an ophthalmologist if this didn't get better by the time she reached her home town.
From there we drove toward Grand Junction, CO. The only excitement en route was a hail storm outside of Denver. Barb was driving, & Mini felt very stressed. Cars were parked under any overpasses on the interstate. Looking for cover we got off the interstate and tried gas stations, but cars were already huddled under cover around the pumps. The best J & Barb could do was to park very close to a building with a slight overhang. This managed to keep big hail off the windshield. Luckily the bad weather didn't last long. Within about 15 minutes we were on the road again.
After arriving in Grand Junction, Barb picked up a rental at the airport & the humans moved her luggage to that car. Bados & I said good bye to Mini & Gilbert. I don't have to struggle for a good spot by my low window anymore, but the drive is lonelier without them.
We continued on to Ogden, UT. J had hoped but not really expected to get this far. We were in the car almost 16 hours today, but tomorrow it should take us less than 12 hours to get to Redmond where we will meet up with Rob & the pack. I've missed Rob most plus Appley and, of course, Luka. and maybe Mintz, maybe not. He is awfully big and has no since of personal space.
First we left Rio & Lydia in Salina. Did I mention Bados is a clumsy dolt? After waking this morning he went to jump off the bed and somehow managed to scratch Lydia's eye, although he swears he did not step on her head. Both he & J hope that he didn't manage to scratch her cornea or something; that usually heals quickly but can be very painful & irritating in the interim & sometimes needs antibiotic ointment. Rio is worried, but Lydia's husband was coming to pick them up, so she won't have to drive. Lydia promised she would see an ophthalmologist if this didn't get better by the time she reached her home town.
From there we drove toward Grand Junction, CO. The only excitement en route was a hail storm outside of Denver. Barb was driving, & Mini felt very stressed. Cars were parked under any overpasses on the interstate. Looking for cover we got off the interstate and tried gas stations, but cars were already huddled under cover around the pumps. The best J & Barb could do was to park very close to a building with a slight overhang. This managed to keep big hail off the windshield. Luckily the bad weather didn't last long. Within about 15 minutes we were on the road again.
After arriving in Grand Junction, Barb picked up a rental at the airport & the humans moved her luggage to that car. Bados & I said good bye to Mini & Gilbert. I don't have to struggle for a good spot by my low window anymore, but the drive is lonelier without them.
We continued on to Ogden, UT. J had hoped but not really expected to get this far. We were in the car almost 16 hours today, but tomorrow it should take us less than 12 hours to get to Redmond where we will meet up with Rob & the pack. I've missed Rob most plus Appley and, of course, Luka. and maybe Mintz, maybe not. He is awfully big and has no since of personal space.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
So yesterday I failed as a blogger, but this was all J's fault since she left me with Barb & Lydia when she went out with her friends Raj & Robert (and their son Rafael). Earlier in the evening she did take Bados & I to their house which had a nice backyard. We got to stretch our legs & romp, but then she dumped us back at the hotel to be babysat by Barb & Lydia. Fine. I dissed J in the car today & did not sit in her lap when she was in the back seat.
We had started yesterday morning leaving Gettysburg around 0830. Our departure was slightly delayed by a disagreement with the hotel over $100 charges for 3 towels used by Barb & Lydia to dry their dogs (& themselves) after they got muddy in the rain. Geez. This was ridiculous because they had been responsible by washing them outside & not in a hotel tub AND they had gotten rags from housekeeping to wash Rio, Gilbert, & Mini. They had used the towels in question to wash themselves. Ultimately they agreed to refund $50 dollars, but it is still bull poop. Barb plans to continue to fight this, but yesterday morning we just wanted to get moving.
Ivanetta gave us some grief getting onto I-70. She did not direct us the same route as we had come in. Passing through Hagarstown, MD, we kept missing turns because they did not have both highway and local street names posted on the street signs and Ivanetta only gave highway numbers. J was getting testy by the time we hit interstate.
Driving to Louisville was uneventful and the countryside was lovely. The hotel that Raj had recommended was great and had lots of grass for them to walk us. J spent the night at her friend's house & came back for us (and Barb & Lydia) in the morning. The drive to Salina today was also uneventful, but the hotel is a bit shabby. Lydia is watching TV, and Barb is trying to finalize details of her return to Phoenix. Rio, Mini, & Gilbert are sleeping; Bados is fighting sleep as he gazes adoringly at J; he's such a goof.
Well. Internet access sucks here. I need to free up some band-width for Barb. Goodnight!
We had started yesterday morning leaving Gettysburg around 0830. Our departure was slightly delayed by a disagreement with the hotel over $100 charges for 3 towels used by Barb & Lydia to dry their dogs (& themselves) after they got muddy in the rain. Geez. This was ridiculous because they had been responsible by washing them outside & not in a hotel tub AND they had gotten rags from housekeeping to wash Rio, Gilbert, & Mini. They had used the towels in question to wash themselves. Ultimately they agreed to refund $50 dollars, but it is still bull poop. Barb plans to continue to fight this, but yesterday morning we just wanted to get moving.
Ivanetta gave us some grief getting onto I-70. She did not direct us the same route as we had come in. Passing through Hagarstown, MD, we kept missing turns because they did not have both highway and local street names posted on the street signs and Ivanetta only gave highway numbers. J was getting testy by the time we hit interstate.
Driving to Louisville was uneventful and the countryside was lovely. The hotel that Raj had recommended was great and had lots of grass for them to walk us. J spent the night at her friend's house & came back for us (and Barb & Lydia) in the morning. The drive to Salina today was also uneventful, but the hotel is a bit shabby. Lydia is watching TV, and Barb is trying to finalize details of her return to Phoenix. Rio, Mini, & Gilbert are sleeping; Bados is fighting sleep as he gazes adoringly at J; he's such a goof.
Well. Internet access sucks here. I need to free up some band-width for Barb. Goodnight!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
apologies
FYI:
this is J writing, not Gita. Gita insisted that I apologize to her fans for not being available tonight to transcribe for her. I 'abandoned' her at the hotel (with Barb, Lydia, and all the dogs!) while I have gone out with friends in Louisville, KY this evening. My apologies.
this is J writing, not Gita. Gita insisted that I apologize to her fans for not being available tonight to transcribe for her. I 'abandoned' her at the hotel (with Barb, Lydia, and all the dogs!) while I have gone out with friends in Louisville, KY this evening. My apologies.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Racing
J rarely lets me straight race anymore. Although I did DQ in coursing (nothing BAD, just bad enough to get 2 dismissals within 6 trials), I have not been DQ'd from racing. Sigh.
The field was pretty large, 27 dogs. Bados & Gilbert both ran well. Bados finished 8th, and I think Gilbert was 10th. Rio was 18th - which doesn't sound so great until you remember he has been sick recently. Our friend Lego finished 5th! That's super. NW hounds Hillevi, Sky, Nike, Kam, Garis, & Cayman were here, but did not race. Just one practice. They all looked good. Maybe Karen & Jackie felt they were tired after such a busy weekend on top of last weekend.
I got 2 practices. The first felt great; I got to catch the lure at the end, gave it a shake, & started to bring it back. Wahoo Woof! The second time I paused initially to make sure there were no turns or curves as in some other events. Nope. Another dash to the finish! What fun; I wish J would let me try to race again. The last time I raced all I did was air snap when a dog passed me right at the finish line. Wouldn't anyone want to do that?
Athena was there today, too. We met yesterday. We could be sisters, but are not closely related. She is very slightly longer & lighter in color & my head narrower, but the resemblance is strong. Our own owners kept doing a double take. I found the clue resemblance a bit disturbing. Was she really a double agent sent to take my place? Probably not, but you never know. We played a bit, bt then I ran back to Ivan.
This morning many people had been loading cars in the parking lot & checking out of the hotel. They planned to leave directly after today's straight racing; we decided to stay one more night in Gettysburg & leave in the morning. J went to dinner with other lingering Silken fans; then they went on a ghost tour. Sahara got to go with Jolene, but we all had to stay in our room. None of the people saw any ghosts, but Sahara says she did near General Reynold's death house. They also saw a memorial with an Irish Wolfhound statue. Cool.
The computer keeps freezing, & J is tired. I will let her stop transcribing for tonight.
The field was pretty large, 27 dogs. Bados & Gilbert both ran well. Bados finished 8th, and I think Gilbert was 10th. Rio was 18th - which doesn't sound so great until you remember he has been sick recently. Our friend Lego finished 5th! That's super. NW hounds Hillevi, Sky, Nike, Kam, Garis, & Cayman were here, but did not race. Just one practice. They all looked good. Maybe Karen & Jackie felt they were tired after such a busy weekend on top of last weekend.
I got 2 practices. The first felt great; I got to catch the lure at the end, gave it a shake, & started to bring it back. Wahoo Woof! The second time I paused initially to make sure there were no turns or curves as in some other events. Nope. Another dash to the finish! What fun; I wish J would let me try to race again. The last time I raced all I did was air snap when a dog passed me right at the finish line. Wouldn't anyone want to do that?
Athena was there today, too. We met yesterday. We could be sisters, but are not closely related. She is very slightly longer & lighter in color & my head narrower, but the resemblance is strong. Our own owners kept doing a double take. I found the clue resemblance a bit disturbing. Was she really a double agent sent to take my place? Probably not, but you never know. We played a bit, bt then I ran back to Ivan.
This morning many people had been loading cars in the parking lot & checking out of the hotel. They planned to leave directly after today's straight racing; we decided to stay one more night in Gettysburg & leave in the morning. J went to dinner with other lingering Silken fans; then they went on a ghost tour. Sahara got to go with Jolene, but we all had to stay in our room. None of the people saw any ghosts, but Sahara says she did near General Reynold's death house. They also saw a memorial with an Irish Wolfhound statue. Cool.
The computer keeps freezing, & J is tired. I will let her stop transcribing for tonight.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
SF Coursing!
What fun! Today I finally got a chance to show my stuff.
We had to start 1 hour ear;her than originally posted because they 'double-booked' the field with kid's soccer from 1PM. I had never been to a coursing event that managed to end by 1PM; this seemed unlikely with an ISWS record field) of around 50 dogs. I could be wrong on specifics, but there were 13 singles, 3 'flights' of at least 10 dogs in open, 2 Field Champions, and several Veterans. 3 flights! That's a lot of dogs!
I ran Singles. The class is a mix between dogs that course well - but - like to push others for the lure (interference). I think I ran OK. After the prelim, I heard the lure operator complimenting my focus despite my creative approach. I am proud to say I got NBQ - these were judges with an open mind!
One dog certified this morning. Bella. She is Canadian, but she is a speedy, focused girl. She went on to win flight #1 leaving Bados in 2nd place. He had coursed well, but thinks she is too cute for him to worry about not winning.
At some point, think I knew who who had won the other flights, but I have forgotten. After all I was locked in Ivan & his pen. J would not let me watch. Veteran winner was Czar, and FCh winner was Gilbert (Barb F, & Michelle 's dog;- a big improvement over his II performance which had ended in a dismissal.
To top this all off, Gilbert went on to win BoB! WOW, that is huge.
From there we went back to the hotel. We got treated with popcorn & sandwich meats by J's sister, Mom, & nephew. They talked about taking us for a walk, but we ended up stuck in our room. J picked up our ribbons. It was cool to see J's Mom and to meet her sister & nephew. Another walk would have been fun.
There was a performance vet speaking after the awards. J was very impressed; she got references for someone in OR to check out Mintz's foot.
That is all. After winning that big ribbon, I am tired. More to follow . . .
We had to start 1 hour ear;her than originally posted because they 'double-booked' the field with kid's soccer from 1PM. I had never been to a coursing event that managed to end by 1PM; this seemed unlikely with an ISWS record field) of around 50 dogs. I could be wrong on specifics, but there were 13 singles, 3 'flights' of at least 10 dogs in open, 2 Field Champions, and several Veterans. 3 flights! That's a lot of dogs!
I ran Singles. The class is a mix between dogs that course well - but - like to push others for the lure (interference). I think I ran OK. After the prelim, I heard the lure operator complimenting my focus despite my creative approach. I am proud to say I got NBQ - these were judges with an open mind!
One dog certified this morning. Bella. She is Canadian, but she is a speedy, focused girl. She went on to win flight #1 leaving Bados in 2nd place. He had coursed well, but thinks she is too cute for him to worry about not winning.
At some point, think I knew who who had won the other flights, but I have forgotten. After all I was locked in Ivan & his pen. J would not let me watch. Veteran winner was Czar, and FCh winner was Gilbert (Barb F, & Michelle 's dog;- a big improvement over his II performance which had ended in a dismissal.
To top this all off, Gilbert went on to win BoB! WOW, that is huge.
From there we went back to the hotel. We got treated with popcorn & sandwich meats by J's sister, Mom, & nephew. They talked about taking us for a walk, but we ended up stuck in our room. J picked up our ribbons. It was cool to see J's Mom and to meet her sister & nephew. Another walk would have been fun.
There was a performance vet speaking after the awards. J was very impressed; she got references for someone in OR to check out Mintz's foot.
That is all. After winning that big ribbon, I am tired. More to follow . . .
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Silkenfest begins
Today the festivities began.
After taking us for a walk, J moved Ivan in the parking lot so that it was near to the show ring. She put up the awning & X-pens so that we could lounge in style. I think we had the best set up. Another kennel has a Sprinter, but they did not have an awning. Having Ivan is pretty cool. We will get spoiled.
J got distracted by the Longdog Leatherworks vendor. I think Mintz has a pretty snazzy present coming.
The event started with the sweepstakes. Sky (an Allagante girl) swept the puppy sweeps, and my Dad won the veteran's sweeps.
In the regular show, the companion classes were just after the junior handler classes. Erika Lipton's dog Siendo's Copan won best male, and I was against another Lipton pet for best female. I considered air-snapping at the judge when he opened my mouth, poked & prodded me, etc; but I decided to be good . . . I won! Amazing how that works.
The ground was saturated from heavy rains last night and when competing against Copan for Best Companion I got distracted by intriguing aromas in the wet grass and (per J) did not move well with my nose skimming the ground. Oh, well. Best Opposite Sex Companion has a pretty snazzy ribbon & a toy.
Bados was in the Best American Bred Class. He seemed to do OK. No ground sniffing for him, but he only managed 3rd place. He did get a rosette & toy - but mine is bigger.
Later in the show J was chatting with someone along the sidelines, when they started calling Bados's number again. She was confused & asked "49? Really?". Yes, they said, and she ran to get him. J & Bados ran around the ring, & the judge picked somebody else for Reserve Winners Dog.
As it turned out, J was correct & should not have been called, but someone who had been in the class had made some snarky comments to her. J got upset over all this (she hates when dog folk get catty) - not so much by what was said, but that she let it get to her.
Getting upset about being upset creates a vicious cycle. We went for a LONG walk to calm down. This worked until all these nice East Coast Club people kept coming up to make sure she felt OK, & that she did not take it personally. The support made her feel somewhat vindicated, but that does not always help with that whole vicious cycle - upset about being upset in the 1st place. More long walks for us dogs.
With all this walking, unfortunately, we missed the rest of the show. I hear that Tootsie rocked. BoB! Go NW Silkens!
After the show, we were all shut up in our rooms while J, Barb, & Lydia set up the silent auction with the help of anyone else who wandered by. Apparently the auction was an astounding success - like $2500! I am proud of J & Barb for their hard work, and that I agreed to give up some space in Ivan for J to transport auction items.
Lots of awards were given after their dinner, but I didn't get to see any of this. Someone else will have to report for me. J is too tired to give me any details.
On our way out for our night walk, I barked & snarled at a poodle sort of dog, as usual Bados followed my lead. I am not sure why. It startled me, but I guess this was an over reaction. Maybe I was just bored from being in the room for so long. J was irked at us & more embarrassed because her mom & sister have come to see how we do.
Tomorrow the lure coursing time has been moved up due to the large number of dogs entered & a schedule conflict in the afternoon with a soccer match. Hopefully all will go smoothly.
After taking us for a walk, J moved Ivan in the parking lot so that it was near to the show ring. She put up the awning & X-pens so that we could lounge in style. I think we had the best set up. Another kennel has a Sprinter, but they did not have an awning. Having Ivan is pretty cool. We will get spoiled.
J got distracted by the Longdog Leatherworks vendor. I think Mintz has a pretty snazzy present coming.
The event started with the sweepstakes. Sky (an Allagante girl) swept the puppy sweeps, and my Dad won the veteran's sweeps.
In the regular show, the companion classes were just after the junior handler classes. Erika Lipton's dog Siendo's Copan won best male, and I was against another Lipton pet for best female. I considered air-snapping at the judge when he opened my mouth, poked & prodded me, etc; but I decided to be good . . . I won! Amazing how that works.
The ground was saturated from heavy rains last night and when competing against Copan for Best Companion I got distracted by intriguing aromas in the wet grass and (per J) did not move well with my nose skimming the ground. Oh, well. Best Opposite Sex Companion has a pretty snazzy ribbon & a toy.
Bados was in the Best American Bred Class. He seemed to do OK. No ground sniffing for him, but he only managed 3rd place. He did get a rosette & toy - but mine is bigger.
Later in the show J was chatting with someone along the sidelines, when they started calling Bados's number again. She was confused & asked "49? Really?". Yes, they said, and she ran to get him. J & Bados ran around the ring, & the judge picked somebody else for Reserve Winners Dog.
As it turned out, J was correct & should not have been called, but someone who had been in the class had made some snarky comments to her. J got upset over all this (she hates when dog folk get catty) - not so much by what was said, but that she let it get to her.
Getting upset about being upset creates a vicious cycle. We went for a LONG walk to calm down. This worked until all these nice East Coast Club people kept coming up to make sure she felt OK, & that she did not take it personally. The support made her feel somewhat vindicated, but that does not always help with that whole vicious cycle - upset about being upset in the 1st place. More long walks for us dogs.
With all this walking, unfortunately, we missed the rest of the show. I hear that Tootsie rocked. BoB! Go NW Silkens!
After the show, we were all shut up in our rooms while J, Barb, & Lydia set up the silent auction with the help of anyone else who wandered by. Apparently the auction was an astounding success - like $2500! I am proud of J & Barb for their hard work, and that I agreed to give up some space in Ivan for J to transport auction items.
Lots of awards were given after their dinner, but I didn't get to see any of this. Someone else will have to report for me. J is too tired to give me any details.
On our way out for our night walk, I barked & snarled at a poodle sort of dog, as usual Bados followed my lead. I am not sure why. It startled me, but I guess this was an over reaction. Maybe I was just bored from being in the room for so long. J was irked at us & more embarrassed because her mom & sister have come to see how we do.
Tomorrow the lure coursing time has been moved up due to the large number of dogs entered & a schedule conflict in the afternoon with a soccer match. Hopefully all will go smoothly.
Friday, June 1, 2012
A busy day, but not for me
Once again a busy day on our agenda . . . for Bados. It was the usual boring day for me.
It started OK. J took Bados & I for a long walk. We got to see some squirrels & birds. J kept us leashed, but they are longish leashes, and she would run with us so that we could chase them a little. There were frogs, too. At least, J says that is what was making that croaking sound. We went to the side of the pond, but it had disappeared.
When we got back to the room, Bados was forced to take a bath. HAH! It serves him right as he has been having all the fun on this trip. Then he ran around the hotel rooms (through the connecting door to Mini & Gilbert's room with Barb) shaking the water from his coat & leaving wet paw prints on the beds. J had actually toweled him off pretty well, but it was till amusing.
Later I thought we were going on another walk then but J locked me alone in the Sprinter! It wasn't hot, & she did open the vents; but REALLY, that sucked! She said I couldn't stay in the hotel room because the maid service was coming. What were she & Bados doing? They went to a handling class to prepare for the show tomorrow. Geez, I am going to be in the companion class. Doesn't that get any credit?
J came back for me about an hour later; but I drug my feet as she tried to rush me to the other side of the hotel. Why should I make it easier for her? She did sneak me into the very end of the handling class, but I could tell this was just to appease me.
After lunch there was a more advanced handling class. She let me join her & Bados while they watched it, but they did not participate (they had another event on their agenda before it would finish). Cindy Wolpin was sitting near us holding someone's pup who is just over 1 yr. J kept going on about how cute she is. Then the nervous ninny whirled around & bumped into me. I'd had enough & air-snapped at her. J was pissed; she took me back to the room & left me there (cleaning service had been completed). Perhaps I had also snarled slightly. I promise that I did not make any contact. I may be grumpy this week, but I am not mean & blood thirsty.
J took Bados for some health testing sponsored by ISWS. He says they drew blood to check his thyroid, listened to his heart, and looked into his eyes. This confuses me. Our vet listens to our hearts & draws blood from time to time; & he can obviously see well since he courses nicely. I think this is for some registry or something. I guess I don't rate. That's OK - I do not want my blood drawn.
Bados came back to the room after this while J took her video camera to some seminars. She came back before going to dinner to take us for a walk, but it had started raining HARD; so this was not much fun.
I hope things get more interesting tomorrow; I admit to feeling a bit bored & testy.
It started OK. J took Bados & I for a long walk. We got to see some squirrels & birds. J kept us leashed, but they are longish leashes, and she would run with us so that we could chase them a little. There were frogs, too. At least, J says that is what was making that croaking sound. We went to the side of the pond, but it had disappeared.
When we got back to the room, Bados was forced to take a bath. HAH! It serves him right as he has been having all the fun on this trip. Then he ran around the hotel rooms (through the connecting door to Mini & Gilbert's room with Barb) shaking the water from his coat & leaving wet paw prints on the beds. J had actually toweled him off pretty well, but it was till amusing.
Later I thought we were going on another walk then but J locked me alone in the Sprinter! It wasn't hot, & she did open the vents; but REALLY, that sucked! She said I couldn't stay in the hotel room because the maid service was coming. What were she & Bados doing? They went to a handling class to prepare for the show tomorrow. Geez, I am going to be in the companion class. Doesn't that get any credit?
J came back for me about an hour later; but I drug my feet as she tried to rush me to the other side of the hotel. Why should I make it easier for her? She did sneak me into the very end of the handling class, but I could tell this was just to appease me.
After lunch there was a more advanced handling class. She let me join her & Bados while they watched it, but they did not participate (they had another event on their agenda before it would finish). Cindy Wolpin was sitting near us holding someone's pup who is just over 1 yr. J kept going on about how cute she is. Then the nervous ninny whirled around & bumped into me. I'd had enough & air-snapped at her. J was pissed; she took me back to the room & left me there (cleaning service had been completed). Perhaps I had also snarled slightly. I promise that I did not make any contact. I may be grumpy this week, but I am not mean & blood thirsty.
J took Bados for some health testing sponsored by ISWS. He says they drew blood to check his thyroid, listened to his heart, and looked into his eyes. This confuses me. Our vet listens to our hearts & draws blood from time to time; & he can obviously see well since he courses nicely. I think this is for some registry or something. I guess I don't rate. That's OK - I do not want my blood drawn.
Bados came back to the room after this while J took her video camera to some seminars. She came back before going to dinner to take us for a walk, but it had started raining HARD; so this was not much fun.
I hope things get more interesting tomorrow; I admit to feeling a bit bored & testy.
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