Spy vs Spy (4)

J & Rob brought us to Central Oregon for Xmas.  I like it here.  There's lots of open space, it rarely rains, there's a nip in the air (it's COLD), but the air smells of Juniper & there is a dusting of snow on the ground.  Merry Christmas!  . . . or not . . .
Enough pleasantries, let's get serious.  Santa is bullshit.  There may have been pig ears, cow trachea, and treats both from Zuke's and Stella & Chewy's.  But I do not believe in Santa, and I do not believe in playing dress up.
WTF - jingle bells & Santa suits?  Are you kidding me?

Plus the brat didn't have to wear a Santa suit.  Yeah, they gave him an elf hat & bells, but no Santa or elf coat.  The indignity of it.  I may look like the Grinch's dog, but I feel more like the Grinch.  Bah Humbug!

Not to mention the little so-called Spy blew it.  He made it through the mountains without puking; he managed not to pee in the car even though it was a long trip due to slow going over the snowy pass; but once at the house he pooped in the living room.  What kind of spy does that?  Please . . . 

Spy vs Spy (3)

Well, what do you know . . . Conner did something clever.  This was after having done something stupid, of course.

J took him to Allagante for an Xmas party.  Thank goodness she did not make me go (-Opa! told me the details-).  It was pouring rain so the ground & grass would have been wet (ick); plus there'd have been lots of strange dogs milling about.  Opa! enjoys that - but I often find it tedious, especially if adolescent boys get too sniffy.  The Sanders do leave out a box of treats - free for the taking - but still . . . there's a lot to put up with.
Of course, when we get to go play outside, it's a completely different story.  I get to chase the lure.  Some people, who know me only for my brains, are surprised to see how fast I am.  My early speed out of the box is impressive, but J won't let me race because I sometimes get irritated if some dog even faster catches me from behind.
Sorry, I got off track.

Anyway, J drove out with Opa!, and my Rob brought Conner out later.  Conner puked in the car (snort).  Rob had had him in his lap & had to dry off with a hair dryer.  It serves him right, the traitor.  I'm usually the only dog Rob lets ride in his Mini.
Everyone ooh'd & ahh'd about how cute Conner is (big deal, all puppies look cute even if annoying).  Then he started running about & paused to pee on the entry mat.  HAH!!
J put him in one of 2 runs off the covered patio while she went in to clean off the mat.  That's when he did something clever.  The 2 runs are separated by a shed with 2 interior compartments, and somehow he got from one side to the other.  Apparently this has not happened before.  J peered into the shed from both sides, but she could not see where he went through.

Very interesting.  There may be some hope for this wannabe spy.  I'll have to check out that shed next time I am there.

Spy vs Spy (2)

I'm still having trouble with the spy references.  SummersSpiritInPhenite 007, really?  At least she shortened the call name from Sean Connery to just Conner.  That way this spy BS is not flagged in my face every time they call him.

He is not so bright.  Yeah, he's very athletic & good at escaping pens when athleticism is what's required.  (I don't think J can get the video to work. grr)

but being a climber is not all it takes.

Just last night he failed to escape from his puppy prison (after earlier escapes, it's got a roof over most of it now) - but when J went to release him, I could see that she had forgotten actually to latch the gate.  He could have pawed it open.  What a dope.  He just sat in there & whined after he'd finished eating.

How can he be a future spy & live up to his name sake, Sean Connery?  Sean Connery could climb a fence without becoming ruffled & with no smudge on his tuxedo, but he was also smart enough to use a gate when available.

Spy vs Spy (1)

WTF:

It's a puppy.  He arrived just a few days before Thanksgiving.  Well, Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.

What is J thinking?  Didn't she just bring that irritating gnat-brained Greyhound puppy home in March?  Must we do this again?

and the WORST thing is he thinks he's a spy.  Please.  I am the spy.  Agent Gita: SuperSpy & SmartAss Bitch.  That's me.  Who does he think he is?  Sean Connery?  Well he is SummersSpiritInPhenite OOSeven.  They're calling him Conner - shortened from Sean Connery.  

I'll keep you updated as the 'game' unfolds.

Lone Star Classic Report (InPhenite shit only)

Well, I went to Texas this weekend.

Honestly it was stressful . . . the only time I'd ever flown was flying from Firebird to InPhenite as a wee pup.  J had also been to Kansas City to pick up the Greyhound puppies as their breeder would not ship them cargo - but that was IT for InPhenite's experience with air travel.

Plus, Opa! does not like to travel.  All the other dogs & I clamor to join J when she leaves (well, not for work in the mornings - 0630?  That's too early- but other times . . .  But, Opa! stays in the next room if she thinks J may take a dog with her.   Opa! has never puked & enjoys nonvet/nonshow excursions - but she is worried until she arrive at events.

J drove up to stay the night with Iola on Thursday so that we could fly direct from Seattle (Iola & Jane - Winsome Hounds- came to TX, too).  Traveling with that experienced crew helped with our stress.  BUT after that the TX show got off to a bad start- J had worn a necklace with glass charms that include her Grey's & Bados' ashes - Phoenix & Luka's charms broke off friday night (but were not lost).  Anyway, this made J more ANXIOUS.

J had brought me down explicitly for competition in the UKC Altered Ch class (with 3+ Ch dogs competing) - but I was getting no love from the judges.  Nothing on Saturday.  Opa! 'won' her age group with no competition but that was it - I thought she was showing well - but she did not advance from there.

Sunday started better for me - I won Best Companion in the Silken Specialty (beating Rio - one time BISS Silkenfest winner - as well as Bados' sister (Breezy) & her handsome son, Ziggy).  Not to be snooty, but ALL those guys had been 'rated' SHOW as puppies but are now altered for a variety of reasons.   I was labeled "pet" as a child.  Whatever.  I BEAT THEM ALL.  That was good.  (yeah!)

FYI:  For all "pet" puppies out there - don't let that "label" get you down - you are no less than "show" pups.  Even if you do not mature as beautiful as I did.  There are many routes to SuperStar status - admittedly - you may not turn out as 'pretty' - but as a Silken, there are UNLIMITED venues where you can excel.  Moving on . . . 

Opa!?  Nothing on Saturday in UKC or Sweeps, nothing in the specialty show on Sunday.  Less than nothing.  She would not stack & kept trying to leave the ring.  No points there.

Then with the UKC shows. . . I don't know what happened.  I did not manage to beat Ziggy in the ALCh class, but I did get Reserve (a 1st for the weekend).

Opa!? Perhaps it was the grooming suggestions Jane made regarding Opa!'s crazy curls . . . who knows? Anyway, Opa! decided stacking was not so bad.  In her age class, which she won by default - she would not "down&back" toward the judge; he made her try twice - but no.  She did keep moving - just sideways.  J was feeling a bit hopeless - but Opa! did move better in the Winner's Bitch class . . . actually she WON Winner's Bitch!!!!!!  What???!!!!!

Then in the final UKC show . . . perhaps Opa! gave up her resistance in disgust . . . but she won Winners Bitch AND Best of Winners!!!!!!!!

OMG!  J was on cloud nine, Opa! was clueless.  Unfortunately . . . J had to be at work before 0700 this AM  . . . we had to catch a plane.  DAMN IT!!!!!! I did not even get to show in the final ALCh class.

J helped the Walls showing a beautiful girl in the CH class - but then we had to zoom off to the airport.

Sigh.

Oh, well.  Don't expect more posts until another inspiring event - my typist (J) can be hard to motivate & claws don't mix well with keyboards.

Gramma Genia's Visit

I know it is too early to start blogging for Silkenfest 2015 in FL, but J's mom is in town, & she REALLY wants me to blog about our activities.  I'm not sure why I'm caving in to pressure from a human - and not even the human that prepares my meals - but Gramma Genia (GG) does sneak me treats off her plate.  I guess that deserves a bit of deference.  Don't get too excited; I've only agreed to one blog.

GG came on the last day of July.  The next day she & J hosted a party.  They spent all day cooking & were too careful in the kitchen for me to do any taste testing.  That sucked, but lots of people wanted to pet me when they came, & a few let me taste their dinners (when they were not paying attention.)
One of her partners also brought their dog, Sammy.  Sammy was definitely not a Sighthound; he's not really anything specific - a "Melange", shall we say.  Anyway, he made a good bunny.  Sometimes J thought Mintz or I got carried away, but Sammy never even squealed or anything.  He was a good sport.

That 1st weekend J & GG took us to a dog show in Chehalis.  I won't go into details because I know J posted on some lists.  You know that some idiot judge placed Appley 1st over me in one Altered show; she kept going on & on about how amazing he looked for 9yo.  Well, yeah; but this was not the veteran's class.  Grumph.  She gave him AL BIS for that show.
After that J entered him in the Veteran's class, too.  That's not right.  That gives him 2 chances to win BOB, etc in each show.  Until they have a SmartAss class, I can only enter 1 class & have 1 chance.  Fine.  Be that way.  
In summary, all BIS winners went into Best of the Weekend.  Appley won BOTH Best of the Weekend Altered & Veterans!  Whatever.
I had beat Appley in all 3 of the other Silken Altered Ch classes BTW.

This weekend that new group, SWEPT, hosted LGRA racing at Allagante.  J took me, Opa!, and the 2 Greyhound puppies (Wicka & Wye - who is co-owned by J & is visiting).  Each of us got 2 run twice on both days.  I tell J that she should enter me, but she won't.  She's afraid I would get snarky with someone trying to pass. Whatever.  It's just trash talking; I've never bitten anyone.  Plus - no one might be able to pass me; so no problem, if you ask me.  People usually ask her why I am not entered when they see me practice.  What can I say . . . I look good.  Gramma Genia was very impressed.

Wicka & Wye are both lure crazy fools, and Wicka is already running out of the boxes at 8.5 mo old. She's faster than me, but I corner MUCH better when we play.

Opa! ran.  That's amazing.  The little curly girly has been acting like a fragile diva for the past month & has not been interested in running.  "Opalopa" was OpaDopa.   She thought she was pregnant.  I told her this was NOT possible - despite Appley's attentions.  No way.  Her first run got hesitant at the end, but she 'killed' the lure at the end.  Not as much style as me - but it's a start.  All of her other runs were even more focused.  She even ran the last one through an open box without troubles.

I hope this means all her DRAMA is past.  Tell me humans:  Is this OpaDopa shit going to happen EVERY time she goes through a heat cycle?  Geez, I hope not.  I don't think I can stand the foolishness.

That's all folks.  Wye is being picked up by her co-owners tomorrow, & GG leaves for Tennessee on Tuesday.  Life returns to our usual routine . . . I don't think there are more events for AGES.  Sigh.

SF officially over until 2015

Yesterday marked the end of Silkenfest for 2014.

I think everyone had a good time, and we got to meet Silkens & people from all over the country as well as a few Brits & Canadians.  Next year Silkenfest will be in Florida.  I've never been there, but I hear that the beaches are long, the water is warm, and the sand is white.
Hopefully, J is keeping her eye on the calendar.  It would be a long drive, but I'll try to talk her into it.  I doubt she'd take me if flying.  Bitch.  Of course, by that comment I just mean she'd take the intact bitch if only taking one dog (ignore the slight snarl in my tone), and just one dog would be likely if flying.

Sigh.  What can you do?  I won more than Opa! at this SF.

J does really want to go to SF in 2015.  The actual bronze BadAss Trophy should be completed in a couple weeks, and she wants to be there to present it.

Maybe Opa! will get her act together & win it - but I doubt it.  Just look at her:  lying on the sofa like a limp noodle or rag doll.  Oh, poor Opa!.  It's so hard to be her.  Yada, yada, yada.
How long does this heat thing go on? (I am spayed & don't remember).  It's only day one, & she is already on my nerves.

Anyway - I guess this wraps up my blog for 2014.  I tried to blog weekly between the past Silkenfests, but my heart just wasn't into it.  Maybe I'll change my mind once the lure coursing season picks up if J drives up to interesting places.

Oval Racing to end SF

Today was the last day of SF2014.  Sigh.  That means we get to go home, which is good . . . but that Greyhound puppy can be SO annoying.  Staying at the hotel has been very relaxing - and J has a small grass area x-penned off from the sliding door.  It's small but works; at least as long as we get out to race or lure course during the day.  I guess I'd get bored with the traveling life.

I do not get to oval race.  Officials are not amused when I cut across field or run backwards from the finish.  they lack imagination.  However, today J & Aaron (the lure Op) just let me run.  I heard J tell Aaron just to run it around - no matter what I did.  J said that has given up on "training runs" & said she just wanted me to burn off some energy.  Smart girl, that J.

I started to run around, then stopped & ducked under the tape -- despite J's comments, Aaron tried to lure me forward - but I just cut into mid field.  I tossed in a few stalks & downs for the crowd & then chased the lure home (from mid-field).  FUN.
They let Opa! run, too.  She just ran in an oval.  Boring.

Oh.  You want to know the results?  Garis won: what else is new? hah.  Opa!'s bro got Best FTE - but I think he was the  only one.  Whatever

and that wrapped up SF2014 - it was a bit of an anticlimax.  J did a count & gave the remaining Orca toys to as many dogs that finished as she had Orcas remaining.  That was nice.  Yesterday, I let her give mine to Aaron.  He does a nice job with the controls; it keeps things interesting.

This should be my last post, but we'll see.  There will be at least ONE more.

Racing (a day late) & Awards

I must apologize to all my fans for not posting last night.  Sunday was SO busy, and J was tense all day (because of the presentation about Bados) - just to complicate things.
J generally does not enter me at races but just lets me do practice sprints.  From time to time I get a tad annoyed if someone tries to pass me & let them know this.  I don't bite anyone - (cooties, ick) - but I might growl & air snap.  OK, once upon a time, I did body slam Cayman during a lure course - but there was no biting involved, & he did a good job ignoring me.

Anyway - there was some miscommunication about people wanting more entries and, when J offered to enter me, she was told that another person would scratch all her dogs if I were entered - also miscommunication.  People have been a bit sleep deprived in the PNW leading up to SF, I guess, because this created a domino effect of tears, and then hugs & apologies once all the confusion was sorted out.  Oh, the DRAMA.  Sometimes humans just need to 'get a grip'.
In the end, I was not entered - which is the norm.  I still got to practice, as did Opa!, the Greyhound puppy, Wye (co-owned by J), and a bunch of other Silkens.

For those who do not know:  Logan won, Teddie was 2nd, and Pagani was 3rd.

Our vet, Sherri, came up for the day - actually she had been there on show day, too.  Bados & I have convinced her that Silkens are pretty cool.  She had been planning to come up for the banquet where Bados will be honored & decided to come for both the show & racing as well.   She wanted to stay for lure coursing, but had to work today (damn, jobs).  J was happy that she came.
While Sherri was here, Appley had an acupuncture treatment; it helped him relax & helped with some trigger points.

That evening, J left us in the room while they went to the banquet - you may wonder how I know some of these details . . . I have my ways.
One of the first announcements was about the BadAss Trophy.  I think J did a pretty good job on that; she actually shed fewer tears than I expected during the presentation.  It's a combo award for top lure courser that is also an ISWS CH (or UKC ALCh).  Amusingly, Bados won for this past year - even though he died in October.  J thinks that's awkward, but what can you do?  He really was both a pretty boy & a BadAss lure courser.
Other awards for the past year were announced.  I got Top Singles in Lure Coursing again, of course.  Apparently Bados had earned an LCM 2 before he died; J had had no idea.  Not surprisingly this got more tears from her.

I should probably wrap up todays events as well.  This was Lure Coursing day.  Yeah.  That's my favorite.  J ran both Opa! & I in Singles (I always run in Singles . . . no one else quite does what I do).  Opa! rocked on the prelims (150pts & tied for 1st).  I did my usual thing, the coursing/stalking combo - it's fun to lay in wait for approaching prey. LOL.
The finals surprised everyone - Opa! was feeling just too tired & overwhelmed by all the excitement.   Her brother, Smoky, was here competing, too.  It was all too much.  Opa! stopped part way through, but she did keep her eyes on the lure the whole time; then she ran back & attacked once it approached the finish.  I think she'll do fine next time.  Her 1st run was SO good, she still managed to earn 3rd place; not bad.
Aaron, the lure operator, kept the lure pretty close to me & I never found a good spot to stalk.  Damn it, if he didn't manage to get me to run the whole way.  Touché, human!  We'll see what happens next time we compete. vbg.  Oh, I got 2nd place.  Echo won (he's one of Claire's puppies that still lives with her & Barb).

Cartier won the whole shebang.  She & her sister, Rosie are zippy little things.
Tomorrow is Oval racing.  I don't do that.  It's stupid to race in a circle - I mean, we all KNOW exactly where it's going, right?

Showtime!

Today was the BIG day for the Silkenfest Beauty Pageant.  Everyone had baths & looked spiffy; even the humans.   Of course, I realize that you want to know all the winners, but I am not a reporter.  I will leave that to one of the humans who actually care about such things.  I will only comment on the Companion Classes (which usually get the short shrift), and Opa!'s ridiculous performance - because I enjoy giving her grief.
I do have to laugh; J dutifully wrote all the placements into her catalogue - in case I might want to comment, I suppose; but then she left it in the ballroom when packing up our supplies.  ROFL.

In Companion Dog, Appley surprised both J & I by placing 2nd!  My pal, Moto, won (as usual) - but I have no idea how Appley managed to beat Dove & Semi.  He is such a timid goofball when 'on display' - but he did manage to pull himself together well enough to move nicely when asked.  I'm shocked; he usually keeps looking back at the dogs behind him or on the sidelines which interferes with his stride.

As usual, I won Best Companion Bitch.  I confess to being less confident about this today because I had not competed against Lexi before.  She is a lithe little thing, but I pulled it off.  In the Best Companion competition, I got distracted by my show color itching & kept trying to scratch.  What can I say?  Moto won Best Companion - leaving me as Best Opposite.  That's OK; we tend to alternate this title.  It was probably his turn anyway.

Opa!?  She did nicely in Puppy Sweeps placing a strong 2nd.  A few people gave J a few handling tips so she was feeling good about the actual show class.  Unfortunately, Opa! was not so sure about the judge.  She looked great up to the "down & back" . . . but basically she only did the "down".  She would NOT come any further than 1/2 way back towards the judge.  Perhaps she hadn't liked that the judge examined her teeth so studiously.  J tried several times to get her moving, but she put on the brakes every time.  How juvenile.  Obviously she did not win.

Oh, well.  That's all for now.  We are both exhausted & must get ready for tomorrow's event.
Until next time! And i hope the human reporters post the full results soon!

SF Begins

SF begins - but I would not say with a bang.  From my perspective its more off with a whimper, but that's just me.
After a quick walk this morning, J left us back in the hotel room.  She had to man the Hospitality Table for people arriving & collecting their welcome bags.  They also displayed the poster about the BadAss Trophy & the pottery for the raffles.  (or so I am told).
Simultaneously the obedience & rally competitions were happening in the ballroom, but we did not get to watch this.  We only got to watch the pool man skimming the pool that is outside our window.  BORING.
From boring things moved to unpleasant, J returned to the room & dashed us across to the 'torture chamber' in the suite with the Silken Store.  Appley's breeder, Alison was there.  They poked me Opa! & I with needles to draw blood (Thyroid tests, or so they say).  In any case, Opa! was a quivering mess, but I stared down them down & revealed NO secrets.
Did J reward us then?  No.  Back to the room for Appley & I, and Opa! was taken for water torture.  Appley & I were bathed a few days ago, and J decided this was adequate, but poor Opa! was not so lucky.  She got all soaped up, rinsed, and dried.  She looks like a silly fluff ball now.

Opa! went with J to a lecture on reproduction.  I guess J thought it was good for her to learn about this stuff as Opa! is intact.  I didn't have to go since parenthood is not in my future.
After the lecture J set up our crates & x-pens in the conformation ballroom. Apparently human snacks are available as well; J made dinner of it & socialized while we continued to be bored to tears in the hotel room.
Later we did get to send some time with Shelby, Mocha, & Cartier at their room; and then too a walk around the hotel grounds to chat with other Silkenfolk.  That was fun - but it took  along time for us to get there.
J is falling to sleep with the laptop in her lap.  I guess I should let her go . . .

To Silkenfest

Today InPhenite journeyed from Oregon to Olympia, WA.  Appley & Opa! are with me; J is our chauffeur.  It was not a long drive ~2 hours; but we had to hang out in the car & later on our too while J helped stuff welcome bags & put in some social time for herself; that was OK.

I think that I have determined the cause of our security breech & blog 'block'.  J sent the wrong link to one of the windhound lists that receives my blogs.  This was to my 'work page' not the  'published' page.  Sometimes I think I should hire a better typist/soft ware tech . . . but J's services are free, and she is a loyal supplicant.

MANY of our pals are here, and J is excited to see some of her friends as well.  There are people from all over the US - CA, AZ, CO, TX, NY, and more.  We also have British Commonwealth representatives in attendance.  I'll practice my bark accents while here.

Sigh.

I feel like I should have more happy, excited news about Silkenfest, but - honestly -  I am sad today.  I learned of the death of one of my friends from OFC.  Ivy.  She was quite the live coursing superstar.  We had competed together on several occasions.  If SmartAss bitches can have a role model - she was one for me.  She had a leiomyosarcoma - very rare & with no symptoms until very advanced.  Too sad, I will snuggle close to J tonight, but I'll also send healing vibes to Joyce, Ivy's human.

God speed.

Cold War tactics with SF days away????

Fans, I have grave news.
There may be a Double Agent in our midst!  2 of our number - perhaps  more - have had my blog blocked!  I'd suspect CATZ, but I know that there are no felines at Starfyre . . . perhaps at Renaissance?

J has made no changes in the blog format; but she reviewed her settings & cannot find anything that might explain this breakdown in communication.  She cannot investigate more thoroughly as she is busy packing Ivan the InPhenite Van for Silkenfest (and, of course, typing the blog for me as directed - she is more pliable when not sleep deprived).

One cannot help but be concerned that some plot is underway to disrupt Silkenfest.  I promise to be on my guard.  It is unfortunate that neither Rio the WonderDog nor Phoebe the Nose will be joining us.  They are both so good at sniffing out clues.  Perhaps I will discover some new recruits to assist in safe-guarding all the SF fun & games.

Opa!, Appley, and I leave in the morning for the short drive north.  I promise to keep a close look out, but will stay undercover if needed.

Boring . . .

Honestly, I want to post daily with SF approaching so rapidly, but I have nothing to report.  Today was bone chillingly DULL.  We did nothing.  Boring.

J claims she was busy with Silkenfest stuff.  Most of this was 'personal' prep time.  She heard some people were making banners or signs with kennel names -- like hers.  Hers?  What are they talking about?  For our 1st SF, she got a little legal size, laminated sign with our names & pictures on it . . . but that's it.  Well, once she told me about this, I said "where's my sign? That's all I get; other less famous bitches might have better signs? That's not right."   To be fair, I actually just grunted & growled such statements . . . but J understands me.

In addition to InPhenite stuff, J had to work on the Allagante Windspirit Barbados Memorial Trophy. Sadly, the fancy trophy she has ordered is not yet completed at the foundry where it is being cast.  Yes, cast.  This BadAss Trophy will be bronze.
That sounds great, but it is not so grand when it is not here.  This got her even more distracted.  She had to develop a poster for the trophy presentation.  People should be able to see what the 'grand prize' is.  How else would we motivate people to participate for next year?

To bed with me, this stuff is exhausting.  Tomorrow J picks up her 'quick' sign & drives back to home base in Portland.  From there we travel to Olympia on Thursday morning.  The countdown to SF2014 is on . . .

Hike & Horror

Yesterday, we went for a 5+ mile hike not far from the Hoodoo Ski Resort in Oregon.  FUN!!  With the exception of Wye who lives with friends near Olympia, all of the InPhenite Hounds were there (Opa!, Appley, & yours truly plus the Greyhounds, Mintz, & the annoying puppy, Wicka).  Our friends Max, Bert, and Lucy joined us with their people.  Bert is a Black Lab; Max & Lucy are "All-American" mixes.

The weather was mild & bugs are minimal at that elevation this time of year, and at the end was at one of the Patjen Lakes for a splashing -- or swimming if you are into that sort of thing.  Perfect!

Once we were far from the campground all (except for Max who had a surgery recently) got to be off leash for much of the time.  There was much zooming - especially between Opa! & Wicka.  When at the lake and among all the trees, this made J a bit queasy.  Wicka is a yelper & screeched a couple times stepping on branches or when darting through rough underbrush - but there were no collisions.

I don't think Lucy actually has any water dog or retriever in her mix, but she is crazy about sticks & is an avid swimmer - as long as a stick is involved.  Her person would throw big sticks into the lake for her.  As Lucy leapt into the lake, Opa! & Wicka would bound after her.  Every time, Wicka would bound after her until the water was over her head & then turn to swim back in . . . every time.  You think she's learn where that 'cut-off' was; Opa! did.   After her one & only inadvertent swim, Opa! would dart into the shallow water to a log that was partially submerged & then tightrope walk along this further out.  Perhaps, she is a SmartAss bitch in training after all.

The initial thought had been to walk to the further Patjen Lakes, but J put the kibosh on that.  Mintz had been limping slightly (old recurrent injury), & she thought that would be too far for both him & Appley who was not doing any zooming.  Fine.

Unfortunately, yesterday's joy led to today's ORDEAL.  Yes, we got to do our usual river walk near where J has a lot (a future InPhenite home), but then it was time for "Spa Day" at Grooming by Cherie (that is Silken Dove's mom).

HAH.  This is not a spa . . . she says "Spa" but we all know she means "bath" . . . and this is not Bath, like the spa town in England.  It means sprayed water & soap suds, then rinsing, and blow drying (the horror).  OK, I kind of like the blow drying behind my ears, it tickles; but I HATE it when they blow dry my toes.  You should have heard Wicka (only 6 months old & a Greyhound) screeching again.  You would have thought they were doing a Poodle cut - but they were just trying to get out all the debris from her wild shenanigans at the lake.
Then they trimmed our toenails -- ugh.  No one likes that.

Now we are resting back at the "Greyhaven" as J likes to call it, or the "Big Cock Ranch", as Rob likes to call it.  There is a lot of rooster folk art (J insists I point out that much of the rooster stuff was here when she bought the place; Rob "embraced" the rooster theme.  J poopoos it, but she has added rooster additional imagery.
Whatever . . . I point out both that this is not a Ranch & that the InPhenite Hounds are no longer all Greyhounds.  The complaint falls on deaf ears, but as I lie in the sun looking at mountain views from the patio J has enclosed with x-pens, I think I can cope with such inconsistencies.

Bend it like Beckham

OK, not really.  None of us play soccer.  But we are practicing for our sports of choice & aspiring to great highs - like the students in that movie.  Of course, Garis may already be the Beckham of Silken Oval racing, but "Bend it like Garis" does not have the same alliterative zing for a title.

Our story starred the InPhenite Hounds, that's me, Opa!, & Appley plus Mintz the Greyhound & Wicka, the Greyhound puppy.  Our co-stars were Garis, Kam, Shiner, & Cayman (Jackie's pack), Dove (Cherie's Silken), and a cameo appearance by a terrier puppy named Bunny (I missed his owner's name).  Bunny certainly enjoyed chasing the bunny once properly introduced. LOL.

As usual, Garis was a speedster & 'won' his practices with Cayman, but on their 2nd run Cayman got a quick start and initially had the lead.  Garis caught him, but it was close.  Nice job Cayman.
Kam ran with Shiner, who will still be too young to race at SF.  Although Kam 'won' Shiner is focused & shows a lot of promise.  I think he'll be super fast like his dad, Garis.

Cherie let Opa! run with Dove.  J released Opa! slightly late, & the run looked good for both.  In their 2nd run, they started pretty close together, & she bumped right after the start.  I think it was intentional, but Opa! denies it.  Like a good trainer, Dove ignored it & zoomed ahead.  (Opa! is a skinny little thing - he probably didn't notice.)  Anyway, she was not far behind at the end of the run, but did not run into him them.

Appley ran 1/2 lengths with the Grey puppy, Wicka.  She is almost his height now.  What can I say . . .  she smoked him.  Admittedly, Appley is not a fast or enthusiastic runner, but Wicka is only 6 months old!  She's going to be a wicked runner (pun intended).

Mintz & I each ran our 1st runs alone, but J decided to pair us at the end.  (We were late for some human 'playdate'. )  Now, Mintz is an enormous Greyhound, & I am a mere 21".   They expected him to smoke me, and wondered if I might stop part way in disgust.  That was a valid option; I mean, how fair is that: running little me with a Greyhound.   J did start him a bit further back from the lure (his initial strides & speed are CRAZY long & fast) - but I was NOT going to be smoked.  Yes, he caught me quickly, but everyone was shocked how close on his tail I was able to stay.  I may even have been gaining some ground right at the end.
Hmph.  Because I do not always RUN, some people are surprised when they see me go into top gear. In fact, I can run quite well; I just do not always choose to do this.

To bed now . . . I will dream of Silkenfest 2014; it's less than one week away!

Sorry for the delay . . .

Can you say friday?  My last post was Saturday.  That's a week.  I try to be a good blogger, but it's not like I have thumbs or ever had the luxury of a typing class.
I must rely on my typist/publicist when dictating my blog.  I tell her (J) . . . "What kind of blogger am I supposed to be?" "How can I build an audience if you won't type for me when asked?"
Hrumph . . . and she calls me "Bitch".  Well, I guess J is more of a whiner that a bitch.  She whines that she had to work overnight both Monday & Thursday, and that both were very busy nights; she got less about 2 1/2 hours sleep both nights.  She still has "compliance training" due for her employer.  Yada, Yada, Yada.  Talk to the paw, I say.

Doesn't she realize Silkenfest is one week away?  People are getting excited & want to know the scoop (not to mention if they need rain gear; I hate going out in the rain, too).  Sigh.

At least she is typing now, but she is fading.  I see the glazed look in her eyes, and she keeps having to correct her typing.  Autocorrect isn't even good enough for her errors.

Quickly, I can say that all of us drove over to Central Oregon today for Memorial Day weekend.  I would have liked to go to the Northwest Versatility Weekend (This is a weekend of straight/oval/lure as well as a conformation "fun match".   One of the local Whippet clubs puts on that event.  It actually is going to be at the same field where the SF performance events are happening.

I'd love to compete, but J points out that bitches who lure course in Singles can't win the versatility prize, nor can bitches who cut across the oval track or duck behind the boxes to get to the finish line first.  Fine.
At least we'll get to practice with our friends Kam, Cayman, and Shiner again tomorrow.

Practice makes perfect

Hi, fans.
This weekend we have travelled to central Oregon for fun in the sun.  J's significant other wanted to ride a bike up MacKenzie Pass before the road opens to traffic.  Instead of joining him, J met up with our Silken friends to run some practices.
The Silkens we practiced with were Kamiah & Cayman (Bados' dada & brother) plus Garis (oval racing superstar) and his son, Shiner.  Shiner is one month younger than Opa!.  He is pretty cute for a silly, adolescent boy.  He's also tall, focused, and speedy.  All 4 ran well.

I must confess that I got confused on my 1st practice run.  It's embarrassing, but shit happens.   I was early in the rotation & not sure if this was straight racing or lure coursing practice.  I held up waiting to see if it would turn . . . . then they stopped it to 'lure' me forward - but that's such an obvious ploy.  I don't fall for that one (OK, I should have this time).  Anyway, once I heard J running up behind me, I realized my mistake & took off.  Zoom!  It always surprises people when they see my speed.  On my second run, I knew the routine for the day.  No problem.

J did not let Mintz, the big Greyhound, run.  He was not limping today, but he had been recently.  His back is bothering him - or so he says.  I think he just wants a massage & to go back to PT where they give him lots of treats & laser therapy.  If it was a ploy, it cost him because she did not give him a turn on the lure.  The dope kept biting his crate trying to get out & run.
Appley did not run either, but that was fine with him.  He was happy just to wander & pee on some trees when J got him out of the van.  Speed is not his "thing".

Opa! was weird.  Her 1st run was super, but the 2nd time she stopped halfway & looked back to J.  She started again but half-heartedly.  It's possible her foot was bothering her, she had hit it jumping back into the van after her 1st run, screeched like a baby, then pretended she was broken for life - but then she was not limping when she got back out of the van later.
Opa! was probably trying to earn her own SmartAss Bitch title - but I don't think she's got what it takes, not if she screeches like that over nothing.  What a sissy.

They let Opa! run one last time with Shiner.  J had to release them both so they were super close when released.  Shiner swung right initially - (probably because the 2 were so close, I'd veer away from Opa!)  but Opa! started veering that way as well.  Of course, Shiner corrected himself & turned back, so then Opa! ran into him, more of a side-swipe really.  Anyway, after that both corrected themselves, & they focused back on the lure.  Everyone expected Shiner to smoke her, but she actually kept up pretty well.

Oh, Wicka ran.  She's such an annoying little witch.  Since she is taller than Opa! & I, it's hard to remember she's not quite 6 months old (a Greyhound).  Perhaps I should give her more slack?   No, I think not.  She is already super focused & speedy.  I need to keep her in her "place" while she is small enough to dominate.

Who am I?

Hi, fans.

J says I should let new Silken families know more about me, and why they should care that I blog.  I kind of wonder "why?".  I am who I am, and my fans know me.  BUT . . . I should be open to having new fans as well.  It is not the fault of these people that they only recently joined the Silken world.

OK.  Why am I Agent Gita, SuperSpy & SmartAss Bitch.  Those are lofty titles.  I was also the 1st Silken bitch to earn a UKC Altered Championship, but whatever.  At western ISWS shows, I tend to swap Best Companion awards with my pal, Moto.  He's alright, I guess.

Why am I "SmartAss Bitch".   That's kind of obvious isn't it?
Why am I a SuperSpy?  Well, obviously I am not REALLY a Secret Agent, or J just blew my cover.  But I COULD be.  Actually, J used a Bond theme with an early video of mine, and this just kind of stuck.
I am kind of smart.  My K9Q (canIneQ?) is up there.  Not like a Lab or Retriever is smart ... it's important to decide if you want to follow some random command.  It's not like a Border Collie is smart either . . . I mean, sometimes it's important to NOT do things (even if you can) & conserve energy.
How can I say I'm smart if I do not consistently follow commands?  Well . . Zippers? No problem.  Child Proof caps?  Check!  String Theory? I've got that down.  Do you?
If you don't believe me, search youtube for Agent Gita, Silken Windhound.  Here are 2 examples - (but you might need to cut & paste them, my blog is only as high tech as my scribe):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwP7p905UfE&list=UUwoUTsh0QzoxapApAmkavuA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qf_c-ZMFMM&list=UUwoUTsh0QzoxapApAmkavuA

Gita rising . . .

Hello, fans.
I apologize for my extended hiatus.  True - I never blogged much between our annual trips to Silkenfest . . . but with the big party being planned so close by, I had hoped to get an early start & rev up the enthusiasm.  This did not happen, but it's not too late to start.

I have been in a bit of a funk this year.  I did not like the last 6 months of 2013 & 2014 has only been slightly better.

First, J brought home that annoying, little bitch late last summer.  Opa!.  What kind of goofy name is that?  . . . with an exclamation point & all?  That's as bad as dotting your i's with a heart.  She was just 8 weeks old and everyone thought she was so cute, especially Mintz.  Ugh.  You should have seen that huge Greyhound following her around, playing tug-o-war with her & letting her win, etc.  What a dope.  Opa! is almost 1 yo now, but she is too thin IMHO and has all kinds of dippy-do curls.  I bet she puts rollers in her tail after I go to bed at night . . .

The last bit of 2013 was overshadowed by what happened to Bados, of course, but I don't want to write about that.

Now there is ANOTHER puppy.  Even worse, this one is a GREYHOUND.  Who ever heard of getting a Greyhound puppy?  Aren't they supposed to be retired like Mintz?  Well, this one was almost as tall as me before she even arrived.  She's a monster.  She has a puppy brain in a grown-up size body (grown-up size for a Silken anyway).  At least Opa! gets the brunt of her energy, but there is spill over.  Mintz even gets annoyed by her (more than he did with Opa!).

OK, enough of the bad stuff.  2014 is going to take a turn for the better.  I can feel it.
This weekend got the 2nd quarter of 2014 off to a good start.  J took me lure coursing.  This is my forte - even if judges tend to disagree.  I say that but this weekend they actually gave me good scores - not just "qualifying" scores.  I brought home some ribbons.  Whatever . . .  J is very happy.

J is less happy that Opa! was not able to certify for LC.  The judges thought she was coursing her by-dog, Sand.  Really, she was just keeping an eye on him (he's imposing) - but I wasn't going to correct them on this.  J let her run a practice run on her own; I admit she looked pretty good.

I guess that's enough for today.  How often should I write?  Previously I have blogged while driving cross country - but this year it's just a 2 hour drive.  (I'll miss the Grand Carpool).  I doubt there is enough daily stuff to blab about.
Twice a week?  Then daily for SF itself?  I'll tell J to post my plans & if they change.