Spur's running contacts!

His speed is definitely improving. Now, though, I am seeing some stride adjustment as he looks for me to toss the ball in advance. Way less stride adjustments on the down ramp, but now just as he reaches the top he adjusts and if you look closely on some runs he turns his head ever so slightly to watch me toss the ball. I'll have to ask Silvia about that. I may have to vary more when I toss the ball.

This session had an 80 percent success rate. I'll take that since the two jumps were probably more to do with bad throws. With gloves on the ball was sticking just a little and my throws were horrible. One, you can see, ends up under the dog walk. Doi!! That's the one where he stops dead at the end.

I love action photos!

I wish I was better at them.

This is little Fergie, my newest mid-day dog walk charge. She is now 8 months old and SO sweet!!!

She is learning to catch a frisbee!!!

She looks SO grown up from the first time I met her. They grow up FAST!!!!

It comes and goes

I made it through the night with the help of a Cepacol throat spray and nighttime NyQuil. Ick! That stuff is GROSS! Slept pretty well, though.

Made it to the grocery store and bought bags of throat lozenges. Now I have to brush my teeth all the time.

First walk was FREAKIN' cold. It felt cold. Little Max seemed happy as could be, not cold for little Max. Max never complains. I wore my new Sahelia winter pants. Fleece inside, smooth outer. SO cozy and warm. And hair doesn't STICK TO THEM!!!!! Sorry winter fleece, you have been outdone! Love my new winter pants!!!!

By walk number four I was dragging. I tried to stand tall, good posture helps, and walk briskly. I mean, that's what I get paid for. I felt my shoulders sag and then............oh no.........I coughed..........OUCH! That SO hurts my throat. Stood tall, walked briskly. I did it, really, I did!

Had lunch, drank "gallons", headed back out. Feeling pretty good! I took one Excedrin Migraine. Those are GREAT! Actually, it's just some acetaminophen/caffiene/aspirin. And one did the trick. I felt energized and managed my afternoon walks and a couple kitty visits feeling pretty chipper. Got home and thought .....wow....I feel pretty good doggies, let's go for a farm walk!!!

They were PUMPED, since they didn't get their morning walk. OK, I felt it coming...........I got colder and colder and my shoulders started to sag.......got all the way to the farthest away and the WIND hit me as I turned back for home. DAMN IT!!!! I started coughing - OUCH. My eyes watered. I tried to call the dogs back to me and could barely squeak out words, my voice is GONE! I just hoped there were no foxes around for them to chase and me to have to yell to recall them. That would not have happened. No voice. No foxes, thankfully, and I managed a weak recall and kept them close to me the rest of the way home.

Now I am drinking tea and contemplating if I have energy for a hot shower. What WAS I thinking???? Supposed to go shopping with Cin tonight. Not sure I can summon the energy. Already told her she might not want to be infected. Maybe that hot shower will re-energize me.

Clean dogs and a sore throat

Colby, drying by the wood stove yesterday. I kept it going all day today, too. It's just grey and cold. I don't think it ever got over 35 degrees here! No sun, grey sky, it's cold.

Fluffy Spur! Look at his pearly white mane. Or is it a beard? And his sparkling white toes!! This photo just doesn't show how fluffy he is. He wouldn't stand still to show his full body and crazy, fluffy fur. Can you see the focus on his face? I made the mistake of holding a ball to get his attention. He started barking and bowing and backing up and every other trick he could think of to get me to toss that ball!!
Roscoe, snoozing on his bed in his bathrobe. He gets such a chill, but Colby had already taken the warm bricks. You might think there was enough to share, but that is rare. One usually gets grumpy with the other, so they agree not to share. I guess. That's their business. I don't get involved unless they start fighting.

Oh, yeah, and that sore throat. Um, what's up with that????? I am SO not used to being sick I don't even know what to do. Drink tea with honey, right? Rest. Hmmm, not sure what that is, either. I did try taking it easy this morning, but ended up doing some decorating and printing of photos to make a plaque for my mom. But, seriously Muffin Heads, who gave me this cold???? And what do I do about it? I can't think of the last time I got a cold. I think I actually DO get one every year, but they are so mild I hardly notice. This time...........I noticed. I noticed it last night as I kept waking up with in coughing fit. I noticed it all day today as I coughed and gagged everytime I tried to make a return phone call. Sadly, each call ended up with an answering machine and I had to apologize for my gagging fits. OK, that's NOT professional.

What is up with that? I can't even leave a short message on a machine without a major gagging fit??

If I had a parrot like my friend Laura it would start mimicking me!! Did I tell you that? She thought her parrot was sick and took her to the vet. Vet asked if she, Laura had been sick recently. She had, some minor flu like symptoms. Hah!!! The parrot was simply mimicking Laura and was perfectly healthy!!! How funny is that????

Tomorrow, some sun to brighten my day would be nice. Thank you very much.

Trying to get in the spirit

Went shopping at 9:00 this morning to beat the crowds. Claustrophobia isn't good for Christmas shopping and I do most of it on line now - LOVE that. But, I needed some craft supplies and some pet supplies. I managed to combine the pet store and craft store in nearly one stop. Phew! Somehow I dropped nearly $200 and I am not really sure how? Between the $24 dog toy I bought my friend Laura to celebrate her dog's ADCH and the nice ribbon I like for wrapping gifts, plus.....um, shit,.........what else added up to nearly $200??? I'll have to look through my bags. Shit!

That didn't leave me much for the open house at my friend Lydia's craft shop. Oi! Ate too much chocolate at Lydia's.......oink, oink.

Thought about finding a poinsettia and decided I didn't need one. Really, I don't. My house is festive and bright anyway because I love colors and Rich bought a garland I will put up in the kitchen later and, besides, I bought some paper whites. Those always add holiday cheer and a strange smell. OK, so some of them are going to my friend Laura to celebrate her ADCH. But, some are for here!

Took the dogs on a muddy farm walk and decided it might be a good day for baths. I don't bathe them all that often, but Colby sheds like you wouldn't believe for a little MinPin and it helps to really loosen up the dead hair follicles on occasion with a good scrubbing. And they are all a little itchy right now. I think the mold has many dogs with skin issues right now, so a good selsun blue bath would do them good. Spur looks so soft and fluffy!!!!

I stoked the woodstove for them to dry near. It's about 75 degrees in here, but they are lovin' it! I'll try to get some photos.

Professional or kind of home made?

I am SO far behind. I just realised I have no Christmas cards, I have no photo for Christmas cards. ACK! The thing is, ordering them now means then arrive in a few weeks. Um......Christmas isn't that much farther than a few weeks. OI!!

I ordered them anyway. I used this photo from last year. I cropped the top so you can't really tell there is a huge tree knot coming out of my head. Roscoe looks cold. -

My friend Helen took photos this summer, but none of them are just right. I need to try again next year. It's hard to get one where all four of us are looking good. Especially now that Colby squints all the time. Poor girlie.

I decided to only order 20 cards. I'll use the professionally done ones for my mid-day clients and vet clinics and pet stores who refer folks to me. All my other clients will get cards I will have to go buy and I'll print out the photo on our printer and glue it inside. So there. That's my decision and I'm stickin' to it!!

I mean, here it is December first and I haven't done......oh wait......it's the second isn't it?................... I haven't done ANY Christmas shopping. WAaaaaaaaa.............

I promised my Mom a painting of her dog, Joe. Damn, I better get on THAT!!!

Still trying to climb out of the ditch of despair

slowly and methodically. Lo and I are writing back and forth. She is so nice about trying very hard to help us. She is always telling me Spur will make me a better handler. Sometimes I agree with her, Sunday I felt like he was making me a terrible handler. I told her Spur and I would make her a better coach. Hahahaha! It is definitely a learning experience for everyone. Except maybe for the others in the seminar. For them, it just sucked bad, too. Watching us spiral to mush wasn't fun for them, either. Oi!

Took the dogs for a nice walk on the beach yesterday. Cleared the fog some.
Played ball with Spur. One of his favorite things to do. He loves his ball. I am always losing his ball. The other day I don't know where it went? Usually when we lose it I find it outside the fence. Nope, couldn't find it. Gave up and grabbed another. We have a good selection. It's necessary to always have a ball. He will get a stocking full of balls for Christmas.

My windows are in bad need of washing. I just never seem to have time lately. But, yesterday I spotted his ball out the window!!! Can you spot it? It's about four feet above the bird house stuck in a branch -

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!