What? A tsunami?

Wednesday I walked twelve dogs. My legs felt like lead by the last dog, which thankfully was an old little guy who creeps along at a snail's pace. I then had agility class and pushed my legs even harder. Earlier in the week I was determined to get on the tread mill again. I see all these people out running on the roads, but something about being out on the roads all day, then going BACK out to run doesn't appeal to me. The roads are gross right now. Dirty, gritty and bumpy and I am happy to be done my walks and don't want to head out on them again. So, it's the treadmill or nothing. And my legs are feeling it this week. MUST GET IN BETTER SHAPE!! In case I have to outrun a tsunami.

Wednesday I didn't need the treadmill. My legs were jello just from the day! But, I am TOTALLY thankful I have that much work. It feels good to be busy and successful. My own dogs even had a nice, long farm walk that morning. The snow was firm enough for us all to walk on top of it and it was nice to get them out. Because you never know when we will be swept away by a tsunami.

We are all out of shape. The dogs are slightly plump, which I hate, but it is SO hard getting them out to exercise. This morning they got blueberries, non-fat yogurt and green beans for breakfast.

The landscape changes every day. Today it's grey and the snow is too soft for a farm walk, but after today we may have bare ground!!!! I wish I had time to get to the beach. We don't have much time left to be allowed on the beach!!!! I won't get there today, rain arriving this afternoon in buckets they say. But, hopefully we won't get a tsunami.

I haven't ridden little Jewel in ages. The footing simply sucks. I have read many books. That I love, but I am SO ready for spring to arrive, better footing to appear and all of us to get into better condition. This winter has tested my patience. I tried to embrace it and take all the shoveling as good work/exercise, but my elbow started hurting, my back got sore, it all got weary. Yet, I am thankful we will not be affected by a tsunami.

Now I am busy washing windows again. I hate washing windows, but I REALLY, REALLY love to see out a nice, clean window!! I looked out my windows on Wednesday from the kitchen (that was the last sunny day) and could barely SEE out the window next to the one I had just cleaned. That motivated me to clean two more yesterday!!!! I must at least clean the windows in the kitchen that I look out of every day, all day long. Those MUST be cleaned. Two more left to do.

Yesterday I drove the truck to the wood pile (today I would sink in the mud) and brought in a small load of wood. The next few days are damp and dark, so I will have the woodstove going. I think it's the woodstove soot that sticks to the windows and makes the sponge all black when I am washing them. Ick. But, I love the woodstove heat!!! And the Pin Heads think it is divine!!!! It will be a treadmill day.

And I will be thinking of all the people across the globe worrying about when the tsunami will hit. And all those people in Japan, devastated by the biggest earth quake in 140 years. So must destruction, so much pain and suffering. My thoughts go out to all those affected. Very sad.........very scary.....it makes my own little grey world today seem a little bit brighter. It is a brighter world here than in Japan or where ever anyone is worrying about a tsunami. MY world is quiet and calm. I am thankful.

So, I decided to write a book

A book about Roscoe. My publisher friend, Cheryl, has been bugging me for a while saying she really would like the book written while he is still alive. She doesn't like reading about dogs and then their death is always the last chapter. So, what the hell, I decided to do it.

I have twenty five pages!! I am actually amazed at how easy it is. The words just flow, my memory of him is strong. I got to the part about his first obedience trial and just writing about it made my heart pound!!!!

It seems interesting to me, but honestly with SO many books about dogs out there right now who is THAT interested in Roscoe? But, what the hell. It's more fun than I thought, so I am charging ahead. Once the weather improves I may lose my momentum, but right now I seem to manage about a page/day or more.

Spur, party of one!

This is what he does when I am preparing dinner. Roscoe whines and Spur plays with his toys. It's a little nutty, but whatevahhhhhhh.....

Weekend happenings!

Busy weekend!!

First - Friday afternoon at the Collie Club trial we BOMBED!!! Got a 79, worst score EVER!!! Why? Well, I failed to do the second halt at the "Halt. Step 90 degrees to the right, call to heel. Halt". Ack!! 10 points off for that. Then I step on him on the "Three Steps Back". Only 1 point off there, which was remarkable, because it sucked. Then he was all worked up and bouncy after I stepped on him, poor guy, but he finished pretty nicely. Then he broke his sit stay. Got up and repositioned just a TINY bit. The steward tried to say that to the judge,......."He moved his butt just a TINY bit". But, 10 points off. So, ultimately had I done the sign right and he kept his tiny butt on the ground we would have had a 99, but we DIDN'T. We sucked!!


Here is most of the routine -


Then last night was my sister's 50th birthday party here. My mom came and brought her adorable dog, Joe who gets along really well with Spur. They had fun as we got ready for the party. We decided to see if they could hang out once everyone arrived. Colby always does and ends up being passed around in people's arms, spoiled brat! Everyone loves her and obliges her.

Spur and Joe did great!!!! They didn't freak or get scared or stepped on. They did awesome!! Spur is a party animal!! He likes chaos. Nearly midnight and most people had left, but a few stragglers. I let Roscoe out of his crate "jail" upstairs and had him and Spur do some of their trick routine. Roscoe did his bat against the wall and Spur brought me a kleenex for sneezing. Then they both climbed into the suitcase. Spur was adorable, letting the cover close right on him. Everyone thought that one was really cute!! And Spur LOVED to perform!!!! He puts on a show, that is for sure!!!

Heard back from Silvia!

I finally got all my videos edited and together to send to her for critique. Here is her reply -

"Anyway, first: very good job so far! So sorry to hear about everything that happened to Spur, it seems all the bad things always happen to sensitive dogs that take the longest to recover... But he sure looks completely recovered on your videos! I can imagine new dog-walks can be a problem for him, but only experience can help with that, so just try to get him used to as many different dog-walks as possible.

From the videos you sent, I have a feeling that his only problem is that his natural striding is a little too short to do two hits on a down ramp only, but it still sometimes takes him that deep that it's impossible for him to do the third one and then he is too high. But he seems to have good understanding of his job and he will sometimes even shorten one stride before the last one a little bit in order to be able to fit in another one. It is sometimes hard though, that's why I think he sometimes has hind feet together. It looks like two hits only won't take him far enough though, even when he is running full speed, he is too high with two hits. Meaning that you should just go with the three hits.

For three hits, you don't want to extend his stride any more, so at this point, you're actually making it harder for him by throwing a ball - so it's especially good that he has such a good successful rate even with added excitement of the ball that makes it harder for him to do those three steps. Meaning that you're pretty much finished with your project. Try to simply include dog-walks in normal sequences now and run it as any other obstacle. You can still throw a ball in advance here and there, but, even though it's so much fun to train the dog-walk, I think yours is pretty much finished. Now I think it's fast enough and it's reliable enough, especially because I believe it will be even more reliable without the thrown toy. Try and let me know.

bye, silvia"

Wow, not exactly what I had expected. She sure has a good eye. I know he has more speed at two strides on the down, but she is sure right that then he hits higher. I agree with her that he seems to know his job. I really do believe that. Since doing this work he has not missed a contact, yet, at a trial. Good boy!!!


Today we are throwing a party for my sister's 50th. I am putting together a photo board and came across this photo of me and her.........

Collie Club trial today at the Marriott!

I first have to walk six dogs and hope I can make it over there by 3:00. Then decide if I scratch Colby, or not. She still doesn't seem quite right and I didn't take her to class last night. Her poops are better, but she just seems off. I know, a simply Rally-O routine isn't a big deal, but not if she isn't feeling great.

Roscoe, he was awesome last night!!! He's ready and I can only hope he can hold it together. Last year he was SO high in that room. I don't know why, but he was NUTTY!! I am happy that he gets happy doing Rally, but really some self control and calmness is good, too. He is entertaining and we entertain everyone, but calm and cool is OK, too. We shall see. Lots of friends entered, so it should be really fun!!!

The only glitch in our training is I realized last night he doesn't really know "moving stand". That might come up today. We worked on it last night and since he is brilliant he got it no trouble so long as I say STAND STAY. But, it isn't something I have trained, for some stupid reason. He didn't continue the regular obedience work into Utility like Colby did, where that is a regular part of the Utility routine. So, for some stupid reason I haven't trained that with him. Maybe it won't be there today. It sure isn't solid.

Colby gave me another scare!

She started squinting that eye. The sclera was red, it looked swollen and definitely not right. Again, they got all freaky on me at the eye doctors and made us rush her down there. Rich took the duty again, good guy! Her pressure was fine, thank goodness, but she definitely had uveitis going on. He thinks we stopped the metacam too early. So, he now wants us to finish the bottle.

She felt crappy all day. She had the runs that seemed to go along with this issue. But, the vet thinks it is OK and the metacam will keep helping. So, we opted to have a nice long beach walk. Sad for her though, because the sun was pretty well right in her face on our way out. The boys had a BALL, but she seemed down and unhappy. Feeling crappy. I carried her some. On the way back she seemed better with the sun behind her.

Poor thing, on the way home she whined. I yelled at her to STOP IT, she does that at times, whines to get home faster which isn't anything I can do. I yelled at her again. Finally, almost home I look at her kind of shaking there next to me and wondered if maybe she had to poop. Poor thing, gets out of the car and has a very runny poo right there in the driveway. She felt crappy. Not the best day for her, but at least she still has the eye. That's my biggest worry. This eye will some day have to come out and her sight is limited already. So, she has the eye and this morning seems to be feeling better.

I apologized for yelling at her, but then told her she has "cried wolf" too many times before, so how was I to know it was real this time!!!!