OH my gosh, what do I do????

Spur and I have just been asked to team with a very competitive team. Like I was shocked she asked ME....and SPUR. I know he has been doing well, but really, just recently. He's still quite a work in progress. There are a lot of more consistent and competitive teams out there. This is a young dog, but the handler is VERY experienced and this dog is well trained. Super fast. I don't know what to do.

Here's the deal. It means about 10 days away from home because it is a five day even with two days of travel each way. It's in Louisville KY!!! I have a ride and room to share with my good friend, so that's not an issue. Rich is supportive, so that's all cool. He would have to tend to the Pin Heads and horses. He's never had to do that for that long, but he's totally capable.

Probably my biggest hesitation is the dust (and two days travel - think numb butt/leg....ugh!). I heard the dust was pretty bad last year. I get headaches in dusty arenas. But, I can probably deal. Spur is probably ready although not a lot of experience on dirt. What do I DO?????

There is also the issue of covering for my dog walks. But, I have to take time off and people have to deal. It's tough, though, getting all that figured out.

Young hawk!

Hangs around the compost pile. Peeps for it's parent to feed it. The parent is significantly smaller. Any ideas what kind of hawk? It's pretty big, like over a foot from head to tip of tail.Happy Flowers!!! Makes you smile!

Spur's very first double Q and a nice one at that!

Did another AKC trial, just the one day. GREAT trial, they run it SO well. Do all the Excellent runs first, starting with Jumpers, then Standard. So, we are done before noon!!! FREAKIN' awesome! Spur's Jumpers was fine, not super fast, but clean. His first run of the day is never his fastest. That's why USDAA suits him so well, the more runs the better he gets! But, it was still good enough for a fourth place from a very large 12" class. Largest class of the trial. And he was the ONLY mixed breed dog there! He ROCKED it!!!

His Standard was SMOKIN' for a third place and only by hundreds of a second! :D Good Little Monkey Pants!!! The crowd went nuts!! He has SUCH a big fan club! Just getting to the line is fun. He greats all his fans and they all pump him up. GREAT fun!!!! His dog walk hit was a little high because he did a 2-3-2 stride, but he got it. Barely. :P I really must instruct my people to zoom.



Was home by 2:00 and had a nice long farm walk. Just a perfect way to have a trial!

Saturday we worked on turns after the DW. Silvia wants front feet hits only now, so they land with hind feet to make a tight turn. Spur is hitting with both front and back, but always landing front first. I think his turns look fine, though, and to be pickier seems unnecessary. I sent her this video for review.

Progressive flowers!

**First, Colby's vet report -
Sore lower back. She totally reacted during manipulation right at that spot. Nothing else caused that reaction, so we are trying some cold laser and Metacam. She seems a LITTLE better today.

OK, now for the flowers. The farm is growing sunflowers for restaurants to use the oil. Then, I guess, it will be recycled as biofuel. It has been VERY fun watching them develop. This is a HUGE field that was planted!!Last week the heads were really developed.One lone flower opened up.

Until today!!!! A whole bunch along the edge have opened!!! It is going to be SO pretty when they all bloom. They are all at different stages, I guess because of the soil, the moisture, whatever.

Just phenomenally pretty!!! The bees are very happy!!!

Colby's lame, or sore?

Her spring time snap test was a "weak positive". At that time, not lame. Now, she has been slowly looking lame. I brought her in for a C6 and it came back negative. Low score. Hmmm, that seems odd. To have a weak positive snap and a negative C6?

She seemed better. Now she's worse. Was just in the morning and after our walk and during the day better. Last few days, even in the afternoon she is sore. She hesitates to jump on the couch, walk the three steps to the back yard. She runs in the fields and woods OK, but there are chippies, you know!

We have a vet appointment today. I hate to doubt the lab test, but it sure seems lyme-like. Last night it was a front leg. The other day a back leg. Most often just seems like over all sore.

Maybe it's just arthritis.

What did Spur get for his birthday?

A new frisbee, of course!!! His old one is about to disintegrate!!! It no longer has the plastic supports that make it solid and "floppy", so it's basically just a rag at this point!!! He is SO happy!! Although, the old one made him just as happy, really. :P Jazz is fitting right in. Look at him deep in the lean-to, not worried about the girls.

He just blends right in! Can you tell which one is Jazz?

I tried to get all three horses and all three dogs in a photo with my garden, but just couldn't do it. Still, what a nice shot, A? We think about selling and building a smaller house and then we see this and it's hard to think we can ever replicate it.

Happy Birthday Spur-Minator, Spur Man, Spur de Blur, Mr. Monkey Pants!!!

These went in the wrong order, so try scrolling from the bottom up to get a better time sequence!! These are some of my favorite photos of the little guy!!

Spur de Blur!!!!

Thanks Joy Elliot for this lovely shot!!!!

Helen Peppe took this one. He stole BAM!'s ball!!

Helen Peppe took this one, too!

And this one.....

Nice tail!!! :P

Just home for Christmas!!!

At the Bishop Street shelter. Poor little munchin. :(

Hard to believe he is four years old. Where does the time go? I still call him Baby Spur! I think he will always be our baby until we get one younger. He's still a baby compared to the Pin Heads, for sure. He is the sweetest and most charming dog we have ever had. Just a pleasure! I love him so much!!!