New camera!

OK, so I know I promised a more extensive trial report, but really what more is there to say? It was three long, hot, dusty days and Spur did great!!! Would I do it again? Hmmmmmm, at THAT trial site??? Hmmmmm............in JULY???.........Hmmmmm........I really doubt it. I mean, there were some fun times. We had a great tent site ringside, next to Andy Hartman, King of USDAA agility. He was filming for the life feed and was SO nice and pleasant and he really liked Spur. He is from Texas. It wasn't even that hot to him!!!! I wish I had taken more photos. I only brought my iPad and only took a few. Maybe I can load them later. I think I have an app for that from going to TN. The trial did have some cooling ideas...........they set up two cooling tents side by side. Basically, a hose with misters attached to the tents so you could stand there and get misted. Awesome!!! And one misting machine. Awesome!!! It was like a stand alone unit that you plug in and attach a hose to. It blows air and mist. Awesome!!! Spur got used to being misted. A beagle was taught to target the mister. Hahahaha, funny little dog got it in no time! Heck, target a misting machine when it is nearly 100 degrees, no problem said the beagle. My biggest complain was the lack of shade. This side was inside the race track of a fairground. There are no trees inside a race track at a fairground. And cars had to drive over the dry, dusty track. That meant, well......DUST. I actually spent ALL DAY on Monday cleaning the dust out of the inside of my car. It was EVERYWHERE. All the crates had to be hosed, the bedding all washed. All my spare clothes that I always have in my car, washed. My chair, hosed. I used the shop vac, then the house vac with it's brush head to get into the crevices. Then I washed the inside of the windows, the dash, anywhere that could be washed, I washed. All day I cleaned my car. Yeah, not much fun each night trying to shower off after a long day of dog agility, layers of sunscreen, dust, dog hair and saliva, more dust, dried grass the dog's paws left on me, more sunscreen........get it? Not much fun. But, did I mention Spur ran great!!! OK, so that's it, no more about the trial. Now to my new camera!!!! I spent yesterday, all day, learning it. I really want to figure this one out and get the most out of it. All day, taking photos using different settings and STILL I haven't learned all it can do. It can be set to click when someone smiles. Or winks. Yep, you read that right, it has a "face detect" and a "wink" setting!!! The wink setting even says "wink harder" if it doesn't work at first. OMG!!!!! Anyway, here is a sample of some photos.

As usual, I should have gotten more video and photos

But, the New England USDAA Regionals this past weekend in Greenfield, MA were SO busy, over 1300 runs each day and in 90+ degrees, HIGH humidity and VERY dry, hard, dusty conditions made it tough. Everyone was so busy just staying cool, tending to their dogs, managing their many runs and what ring they should be in. Very hard to just grab someone to video as it seems that you are always needed somewhere, either to manage your dogs comfort or to walk a course or run a course or help at a course. Busy, busy days.

Friday went on after dark, I believe! We managed to get back to the hotel around 8:30 to shower off the LAYERS of dust and sunscreen only to collapse in bed with the A/C on and then up at 6 AM to do it all over again!!!

I will give more of a report later, but I know many of you want to know how it went and ultimately it was a rugged weekend for ME, but little Spur did GREAT!!!!! We finished the weekend securing 2nd place in PSJ finals about 4:00 Sunday. The dogs were all so tired, but good little Spur seemed to be just fine!! I made sure Saturday afternoon to get back to the hotel as soon as I could and not stay to socialize, so he was well rested and pretty fresh on Sunday! I can't say that about many people, who stayed at the site and did BBQ's and drinking and partying. Honestly, how DI D they do that??? It was miserable conditions, if you ask me and I am used to hot and dry having spent years doing horse clinics in dust and heat. But, I stopped doing those because the heat and dust was making me sick and was just TOO miserable. There were many tired and weary dogs running finals, but good dogs all of them for pulling it together and there were some AMAZING runs!! Spur is hardly a speedy, fast dog, but he made it to 2nd place because some of the faster dogs knocked bars or went off course. I think some of the dogs were just plain tired and bars came down because of it. The footing didn't help, it was SO dry, the ground was hard and slippery and even some handlers fell. Tough conditions, for sure. You can see how dry it was in this video. Good Little Monkey Pants!!!! -

More proof that on line dog classes are the BOMB!!

My friend Kelly and her lab Pruli just finished the puppy class. GREAT fun stuff!!! 

It has been a very nice day so far!!

Our morning walk was LOVELY, after we ran through the woods to get away from the deer flies. It's THAT time of year, we run through the woods. The open fields were SO pretty, the sky so blue, the hay freshly cut and smelled great!! Good hay making weather!!! Perfect, really!!! 

I even went for a ........jog today. I just can't say a run, I seriously do not run when the stupid, idiot chick with the baby stroller can pass me. I jog. It is all I can muster. I am not and have never been a RUNNER. I LOVE running agility and can run fast, faster at times then any of my dogs like, but run several miles down the road, nahhhhhhh.

We saw our resident hawk this morning. Beautiful animal!!!!

 Then Rich took me camera shopping. I know have a new Canon camera that should be able to take THIS photo and in focus!!! They didn't have one in stock, so it will arrive next week, but I am PUMPED. I love my little pocket camera, but sometimes it just doesn't take good photos.

 As much as I love my iPad for video and making quick movies, one can not zoom in. I want a better video camera, too. So, I am pretty pumped for my new camera. It is not a pocket camera, but whatever, the pocket cameras don't do it for me. They are too hard to change the settings and just don't take good enough photos. I know they now have some that can take great photos, but changing the settings on the little computer program is not easy, even for those who are computer handy. I want a KNOB to change. I need that.

Yep, it's that time. Happy Birthday to me. No big party, I am actually off to dog class tonight. Who wants to celebrate 50???? Really??? Are you THAT happy to be 50???? Were YOU happy to get the AARP letter? Seriously????? I didn't mind 40, actually LOVED turning 40 except for the new hairs that needed tending to on my chin, but I felt great at 40. 50? I can not say I feel great. I feel, just OK. Some days I feel like crap.  Some days I feel great, like today. I felt great today! The day I turn 50. Half a century old. I even did my jog in the middle of the day, just so I could say I did it in the heat of the day, a 50 year old. I DID IT!!!! It wasn't really THAT hot, when you think of other areas around the country. 108, now that's hot. Today, barely 80 and a nice breeze and low humidity. I am STILL very pleased I did my jog in the middle of the day and survived. :D
Especially, since I am now ...........  gasp  ...........50!!! Damn it!
(I honestly don't know why I am impressed with my little jog, all of one mile, when Rich's dad hiked Sugarloaf last year........he was 78) 

My two weeks vacation started yesterday!! YAY!!

We rearranged our patio furniture some. The early morning sun was beating on the table. But, I like the new configuration! It looks so "conversational". The table is now off to the right, shaded in the morning, so we can have our coffee and paper out there, if we want.

 I think I am going to have to kick Rich out of MY...........errrrrr............Roscoe's chaise!!!!

 Huh, Spur seems to be enjoying the chaise!!!

 Yes, I made the Pin Heads pose together.

 It has been very hot lately. Not like the rest of the country, over 100, ICK, but certainly hot for us. George enjoys a little "Hippo time". We say George acts like a hippo in the stream.

 He just sinks down and soaks. Ahhhhhhhh.....................

 He stole some peas the other day. I caught him on film. Evidence!

 Thief!!!

Huh, guess I have evidence of another thief..........

 The guys just stood there and watched. Those are guy feet you see. MY feet are freshly pedicured with a gold polish. Bold and different, not my usual maroon or deep red. Had a luxurious, full pedicure today. What a luxury!!! What a pampering!! What a way to start off my vacation!!!! I love a good foot massage almost as much as food. And I sure like food.

 George and Nate head off into the sunset. See George's little head looking out of the side of the golf cart? SO cute!!!

YAY!! JUST in time our shade sail has arrived and been installed!

Our house is passive solar. Which means HOT in the summer. We end up having to draw all the blinds and shut windows to keep the heat out. The patio BAKES and holds the heat. Our little table umbrella just wasn't doing it for us and we often would not hang out there if it was really sunny. How sad was that, it is our most lovely summer spot!! For years we discussed a retractable awning. They are EXPENSIVE and would not have covered all that much area as they only extend so far. 

Benefit to the retractable? It retracts. And rain doesn't come through it. Instead, we got a shade sail!!! It is mesh so air flows through it, but so does rain. Not a huge deal, but removing the cushions is always a hassle. I may get a cover for the chaise and see if I can just pack them all under that. For now I make two trips to the basement.

However, as much as that is a pain we LOVE our new shade sail. Always anxious about such a thing if we will like it or be disappointed or whatever. So far, I can only say it is PERFECT!!! I was worried it would cut out too much light on a cloudy day from the kitchen, but it doesn't. Yesterday morning we had lots of clouds and plenty of light still in the kitchen. We have SO many southern windows it didn't matter at all.

 We even had a major thunderstorm last night and it didn't rip off the house. Another concern. We get some HIGH winds here. Our umbrella table has blown over several times even with the umbrella rolled up! :D We have no trees around our house and are up on a tiny knoll, so the wind whips through here. I'll be curious how it flaps in the wind during the night and if that wakes me. No wind over night last night, so I never heard anything.

 It also looks nice. Nicer than an retractable awning, I think. Those are ugly. This is sort of cool and unique!!!

 The view from the kitchen. The sun was out, so the inside looks so dark only because the outside is so light. The kitchen still has plenty of light. I just wanted to show another thing that concerned us........would it block our view of the field/marsh. Nope, the only thing we can't see are the tree tops and sky, but all we have to do is walk to the living room and look out those windows if we need to check the sky.

We LOVE it!!!! It feels very cozy and protected and COOLER. Before I so often felt like I was going to BAKE out there on a sunny day. We would hover together on one side of the patio table in the only spot shaded by the umbrella. Now we can enjoy lots of shaded areas!!!! Whoooooooooohooooooooooo!!! Poorly sighted Colby is learning to navigate the rearranged furniture, but we are keeping her "runway" clear. Straight ahead from the steps will always be clear for her.

Put Roscoe back on his happy pills

Yeah, it has been about 8 months now and I just feel like his "edge" is there without the meds. It isn't a miracle drug, but the buspirone just takes the edge off a tiny bit and lately with the crazy weather we are having I think he needs some help. I simply would not want to live in his "world". His anxious little mind must make him crazy, because it sure makes US crazy, LOL!!! I wish he could just tell me what feels best. 

For me, I am considering a happy pill. Next week I turn 50 and my hormones are wacky and it SUCKS!! NO way am I doing a big party celebration like we did for Rich's 50th. HE might be enjoying this age, but for me there are too many health quirks that are NOT enjoyable. It is like a cruel joke. Life is good, settled and patterned and comfortable and suddenly we get thrown hormone changes that FUCKING SUCK! There, I said it. :P

OK, enough bitching. I have nothing to bitch about. Life is good, the weather right now is FABULOUS, my world is charmed and beautiful. Surrounded by amazing flowers everywhere I go. And being a dog walker I go lots of places. So, I have a TON of flower photos today to share. And one chicken in a cage. The Strawberry festival dinner was last Friday night. They had a silent auction. Someone donated 6 chickens. The display was..........well..........a chicken. LOL!! Hahaha, that little hen sure had an interesting evening! Got fed lots of tidbits and saw a lot of activity!! Someone ended up taking her home, along with five others. :D

 I had to look up this flower. It is a giardiania (sp?). Might have to get me one of those!!! Very pretty.

 The beach debris pile is growing. Some of that wood would make nice displays in a garden. It is lovely and bleached and preserved by the ocean!

 I don't know what this plant is, but it grows wild. Reminds me of fireworks. I bet many fireworks are made to resemble flowers.

 The rosa regosa is pale and pretty these days.

 The morning glories take over and are basically choking weeds, but SO pretty!!

 Sweet peas!!!!

 A salvia?

 Nothing says summer like shasta daisies.

 Another flower that looks like a firework display!!! Bee balm?

 What is this?

 This cute little butterfly flitters around the streams. It is very cool looking!!!

Love hydrangeas!!