Where have all the grasshoppers gone?

August and September usually bring big fat juicy grasshoppers. They fly, some, they get Colby into prey drive and hunt mode and I would even say they end up a pretty good part of her diet this time of year. But, they have been few and far between lately. Some years we could take a walk and she might catch and eat 5-10!! Not this year. If she gets one/week lately I would say that's all. So, what does she do? Find another bug to eat. Unfortunately, that would be a dragonfly. Damn!! I tried telling her we LIKE dragonflies they eat mosquitoes, but she just munched away. Grasshoppers just eat grass.

Did you know dragonflies can bite? Each year we get a few that trap themselves in our lean-to for the horses. One section has clear plastic along the top and they get stuck up there. I "rescue" them sometimes climbing a ladder, getting it to climb on my finger and releasing it. One time I felt a prick and looked at my finger tip and a tiny blood drop appeared??? WHAT?? Dragonflies bite??? Yep, they can!

Apparently, Colby thinks they are pretty tasty! She isn't keen on the wings and sometimes removes the wings first. I don't think they are as tasty as grasshoppers, since she eats the grasshoppers pretty much right away. Dragonflies have to be carried around for a while first.
You should see George, the border terrier, watch Colby catching and eating bugs. He is interested, but usually loses interest pretty quickly. I mean, really, what's a dragonfly when there are ground hogs to be had????

Last night at agility class Roscoe was NUTS!!! Just absolutely NUTS!!! As I put him back in the truck I asked him where was THAT Roscoe last weekend at the trial? Why does that Roscoe only come out at class? Spur was great again!! He did have one quick flinch at the teeter as it recoiled, but his second run he never looked back! He did miss one contact, but I tried to pull off. I can't do that, yet. Or maybe ever, really. I may have to manage those contacts for a good long time. I keep thinking I can teach a dog to "be a bat", but I can't teach a dog to run a 3 foot contact area? Although, when I think of how long it took me to teach Roscoe to hold a dumbbell for obedience, I guess if it takes me years to teach a solid running contact, I guess that's OK. It just seems like I should be able to get that going a little better???? I know, I know, very few people have really great running contacts, so that should make me feel better? It doesn't. I taught a dog to "be a bat" for crying out loud!!! Jess brought me a Kleenex when I sneezed! Come ON! HIT that contact, Spur! Heck, the struggles I have had with Spur make it OK that I might have to manage contacts, I guess. He is liking agility and doing his teeter and running fast, all things I wasn't so sure we would have a few months ago, so if managing contacts has to be done I should be happy.

I am happy, Spur is happy doing agility, he wants to do it. That's a really good thing!

Colby doesn't play at Light Night. Anne's field is lighted with big flood lights now that it is dark by 6:00. Class for us starts at 7:00. It's a little hard for ME to see and I have glasses that help me see. Her eyesight is weakening, so putting her in that situation could be dangerous. The last thing I want is a crash or fall or something. She just can't see well in that setting, so Roscoe now takes her spot. She's not too happy about it, but she comes out and does tricks and hangs out saying HI to her friends. That's OK with her. She can play at Tree Frog on Wednesdays at 4:00 when the light is still good!!!