Wallys Beach

Some friends and I went out to Wally's Beach on the weekend. It is a reservoir lake that is usually pretty abandoned in the winter. In the summer it is the best beach in our area- including fine sand, and blue, blue water.

Winter is best though as it is great for dogwalking. :)

Vito and Boone didn't get to come- I was a bit worried about the lake/ice situation so needed dogs with good recalls. The boys unfortunately do not. So they got a coulee walk earlier in the day.

Anyway, I brought my camera and took a crap load of photos. It was a perfect day for photos- sunny, but not too sunny. And I even got the settings mostly right. lol

On an aside, I am really really missing my bigger lens.  But oh well. I'm stuck with the shortie for a while! The big one is broken. :(

Leo, who cannot pose.

Running dogs.

Corgis front and center (and a photobomb by Mud)

Okay! The release from a group stay.

Digging in the mud

Taylor, and Leo in the corner

Proof Brit was there. And you can see how open the area is!

Digging in the snow

Happy Pixel

Taylor- who is a Heinz57. Shaggy and Cute.

The best photo of the day.  I was trying to get a picture of Leo. And it became a photo of Mud. lol

Pretty Pixel

Handsome Leo

Woo <3

Parker, my friends one year old Flatcoat

Pike- looking goofy for a change!

It was a great walk. I wish I had time for more of those in my life! I love that peaceful, carefree feeling. I only get that once in a while it seems.

Bad Kelpie

A little bad  blue kelpie to distract you!

This is Mud. And he's crazy. And mostly naughty. But sometimes there is a glimmer of a good kelpie in there. Somewhere. He's young still, so I assure his owner there there is hope yet. ;)

Cute, and Perfect Too!

Bo has been staying with me for a few days while his owner is away. He comes from a long line of uber-fantastic herding dogs, and will likely grow up to be a uber-fantastic herding dog himself. In the mean time he is completely cute, and perfect. Puppies are fun, but really are a lot of work. I forget that I don't like puppies much, until one comes for a visit and I am glad to send them home. lol. Even mostly perfect ones like Bo. ;)

so smart, and eager to do the right thing. 

fantastic toy drive, not that that will be useful later- but it's cute now!

rawr!

just enough crazy.

big noses run in the family.

dork.

and one more from a few days ago (pre-snow). 

he's practicing for when he's bigger...

Fresh Snow

Our snow had all blown away, or turned into a solid chunk of ice. So I was happy to hear that we were getting more today! It's so pretty and white, and the dogs love it. It helps that it is pretty mild temperature wise too!

I took my camera out after work just while the dogs were playing in the yard. Tomorrow is my day off. We are excited about that. I think we will go for a long walk, do some herding, take my sister to a very important appointment, and then Scenthurdle practice. Phew. Nothing like a day off. ;)

Anyway, here are some photos from today! More puppy pictures tomorrow!

Pretty Pixel 

Catching Snow Balls

this is Bo. He is UBER cute, and quite the perfect puppy. More photos tomorrow of him!

Boonie pointy nose. 

Joe thinks snow is dumb.

Wicca thinks it tastes good.

Adorable Joe

I am dog sitting, THIS adorable creature.

 

he comes with a Border Collie puppy- who will get a post of his own tomorrow. Serious Cuteness around here.

Scenthurdle Fun, Nosework, and the big "C"

This weekend was pretty busy- even by my standards.

on our way to scent hurdle!!!

Saturday our Scenthurdle team raced as two for the very first time. It went much smoother than I had anticipated. I was really worried about how it work with two teams instead of one. And really, I shouldn't have worried at all!

Both teams did a great job. Some kinks to work out- and it's a little tougher now to make sure the teams are balanced- but for the most part everyone was fantastic. The thing I like most about my teams, and even scent hurdle in general is the good sportsmanship, and relaxed atmosphere. We are all friends, and even the other teams are all very friendly and supportive. It's very cool, something you don't see very often in other sports.

My own dogs did so awesome. Brit especially completely blew me away. She was right on, which is unusual for her. lol. She was also super quick- and was excited and pulling at the start to go. I love her enthusiasm. Pixel of course was fantastic. She raced every race. Which is a lot. But we had no other choice. Thankfully the jumps are low, and there was quite a few breaks between our races. Because there were so many races it is very likely that every dog on our team earned their next title. It is hard to keep track of so Jolene does that. lol.

Sunday a friend and I planned a Nosework training day. We are trying to get (and keep) some interest in our area. We had brought an instructor here a few months ago to get us started, so yesterday we just built on that. And gave some newbies the run down. ;)

Wicca was amazing! I haven't trained at all. Like not once. But she is just so smart. She had a lot of fun. And we even did two blind searches (where i didn't know where it was hidden). The first one she rocked- the second was much harder and I need to be sure to keep her on track and checking things in order and not scatter around the room. lol. But she did get it. I have video of that on my iPad. I'll post it later when I get home. I am going to make more of an effort to practice at home because she really did have a great time, and it was nice to train something with her again.

And the big C. Cancer. I hate Cancer. It's not fair. The reason Pixel had to race every race is that our other height dog was diagnosed with Cancer- and went downhill so fast that he was at the vet on IV within a few days of being sick. Thankfully his owner was able to afford, and they had the option for surgery. He had a big chunk of his intestines cut out, and is finally doing a bit better after surgery. He is not out of the woods yet as he didn't do so well right after the surgery. But word is that he is up and eating finally. He will start Chemo in the next few days. Crawford is a very special little dog- and I love him as if he was my own. I fostered him when he came into rescue and am good friends with his owner. He is a little dog with a big personality (typical pembroke!) and was greatly missed at our race on the weekend. So fingers crossed that the surgery and chemo work and he will be back to normal in no time!

Three Shorties

The Beat Goes On...

Well we are home- and I've been spending all weekend trying to get back into real life. Yesterday was pretty much a bust, but today I had a good time at the Arena trial. I almost cancelled at the last minute, but I thought it would be better to keep busy. I am glad I went- it was fun as always. I just love watching dogs, we have some pretty talented dogs and handlers that participate- so it is always interesting to watch.

My own dogs were 50/50. lol. One of them was awesome, the other not so much.

Leo was fantastic. He was keen, and zippy but still listening and didn't stall out at all. I chose to not even try the drive part as last time it just wasted time. So I stuck to my plan of heading for the wall and being there to help him. It worked great and our time was fast enough for first place! Yay Leo!

Brit had a good start- nice outrun, and had a good pace at the top, but it went down hill on the drive. We could not get our shit together enough to get around the barrel at the top. Her sheep were heavy and pushing on her- and she was very unsure. I finally gave up and just continued on- I didn't want to make her have a bad experience as the last time something bad happened it took me a long time to fix it! We finished with a pen- so not an entirely bad run. But that driving stuff is hard for her. She is okay if it's easy and the sheep are just trotting along- but any pressure and she gets flanky and/or backs off. The run wasn't entirely her fault of course. I had some bad timing. lol. Oh well, live and learn!

I didn't think to take a camera, but Cindy recorded it on her iphone. Not the best quality- but still awesome!

Here is Leo's run. I still have to get Brits.

His Last Sunrise

He waited for us. That's what I've been thinking for the last few hours.

We arrived at the house yesterday evening and spent most of the evening- and into the late hours at my grandpas side.

Holding his hand. Cherishing each squeeze. Telling him stories. Remembering.

This afternoon he passed away. At home. Surrounded by love.

I am imagining him with my Gram. Finally able to give her a kiss after all these years of missing her.

I am conflicted. Happy. And Sad. My heart is happy that he doesn't have to work so hard to take a breath. That his suffering is over. That he is reunited with my Grandma- the love they have is unlike anything I have ever seen.

But I am so sad. I miss him already. I am so grateful that we made it here in time. That he was able to hang on a few more days. He had told me he wasn't sure he could. So I am thankful. To have the opportunity to say goodbye. To hold his hand. To tell him I love him. That is the most important thing.

I took this photo this morning. Maybe I knew it would be his last.

A Journey

Leaving tomorrow to say Goodbye to my Grampa one last time. So hard. So sad. But one of life's challenges I suppose.

Please keep me and my family in your thoughts.

Wicca is 10.

Today Wicca is 10.

10 seems like such a big number. I find it hard to believe she is 10. I try not to think about it much. But 10 or not, she is definitely a senior citizen now. Not that she is treated any different- she has always been spoiled, and bossy, and pretty much gets to do what she wants. She is my heart after all.

I have noticed in the past year or so that she is definitely aging. Not only is her color fading- but her energy too. She used to be the first dog to the toy, and now Pixel beats her- but still gives it to her. ;) She is slow to get up in the morning, and on cold days will curl up by the heat vent. Her favorite spot is the arm on the sofa. She can survey her kingdom, but be comfortable at the same time.

Other than that she is the same old Woo. Waking you up by rolling on your head, grunting and groaning the whole time. Bitchy and Bossy- sometimes to extreme. I watch her carefully now though and get on her case if she pushes the big dogs around too much. I don't think she would fair well in a fight anymore. Still sooo smart. We still train and do stuff. We've been doing Nosework- which she is a big fan of. We don't do too many tricks anymore as she likes to do things fast so tires out really quickly. And she is still number 1 in my heart. I know we aren't supposed to have favorites. But I do. I can't help it. I don't love my other dogs any less- but Wicca holds a special spot in my heart.

In celebration of 10 wonderful years my friend Andy (of Blazingstar Flatcoated Retrievers) did a photo shoot for me. The photos are completely awesome. I love them all- because they show WHO Wicca is. In each photo he captured her personality, her temperament, her attitude. Fantastic.

Yay for Birthdays. A day all about me! 

I'm how old?

that means extra cookies right?

I can do anything. No, really. Even if that means acting like a flatcoat for a few seconds.  

I hate you. I may kill you in your sleep.

This is against the rules right? 

Here's to many more Birthdays. I can't imagine my life without her- so she better continue to stay healthy.

Agility Seminar and Stuff

I audited an agility seminar this morning. And it was fantastic. In just a few hours I learned a lot- and have a whole notebook of stuff to work on with Leo. I am going to try and squish in at least one more session tomorrow.

Go Dog Go brought Loretta Mueller here. I found out pretty last minute, and waffled about going or not. It would be hard, but in the end the chance to watch and learn outweighed my issues. And I am so glad I did.

I've been reading Loretta's blog for a few years, and also am a facebook stalker, I mean friend. You can really tell what a person is about from reading, and watching, and I wasn't at all off the mark. She is engaging, and genuine, and has a great eye. Most importantly she was helpful to every type of handler, and each kind of dog.  She didn't brush off one person, or one persons issues. Not one. And in my books that is the sign of a great teacher.  She took her time with every student- from the ones who got it nearly right, to the people who were really struggling. It was fantastic.

For myself I took away the fact that I have some big time catching up to do. lol. I have been away from agility for more than a year now. And my how times have changed. I have been keeping as current as I can with videos and blogs, and my friends. But I see that I am definitely going to need some help to get Leo and I up to speed.

He has the basics down, and even some of the fancy stuff. But we need to put it together and I need some feedback. Training by yourself is tricky- because you don't catch everything. So it's easy to fall into bad habits. Even videoing yourself is only so good- because you can't fix it in that moment.

My only choice is to do some online coaching. So as soon as I can afford, and things get back to normal I will have to start researching who/where I should go. It seems there are lots of options out there!

The second most awesome part of the seminar was seeing all my old students and friends. The session I watched this morning was mostly novice dog- so these are the dogs that were just barely sequencing, or just starting to trial when I left. So it was so fun to watch them. I cheered for everyone. I couldn't help it. lol.  I can't wait to get back to trialing so that I can see everyone more regularly. I feel strongly that we can be ready by late spring/summer for some agility trial fun!

New Photo Projects

So I have two new photo projects this year. I am excited about both of them. 

For the sixth year in a row I am participating in the Flickr Group- 52 Weeks for Dogs. I have gone through all of my dogs- and Leo is the last to go this year. This is a weekly project, and my goal has always been to showcase their life. All the things that make the dog so special. It has been a lot of fun, and although there have been times were I am taking last minute photos- the group never fails to inspire me. I've missed very few weeks over 5 years! Leo's project is obviously in it's first week. This is the photo I chose to introduce him with. Because it is Leo more than 50% of the time. Serious. Down to work.  Here is the link to his set page on Flickr. Right now there is just one photo- but each week I will add another. 

The other project is a personal one. No Flickr group, no one really to share them with. Just for myself. It is a 365 project- that's right. A photo a day. I am going to stick it through, because I can't wait for the finished project. I mean how cool to be able to look back over the whole year in photos. The final result is my motivation. This project is an iPhone camera project so will be very easy to do each day. I take usually at least one or two photos on my phone every day anyway- except now I will have to work harder to make sure it's in focus. lol. I'm on day 2- but you can see the set page here. I am posting to Flickr through the Flickr app- that way all the photos will be in one place for the end of the year.

And I am waffling about one more. I really feel the need to do something for Wicca this year. There is a 12 Months project that I have been a part of for a few years. I have a few weeks to decide about that. I think that I have more than enough on my plate with these two though.... So we will see!

Follow your heart.

"Follow your heart and make it your decision" 

Author Unknown

My grandpa is not doing well. He has slid down hill really fast, and it is unlikely that he will bounce back. He knows he is dying. I don't know how one knows that- but I believe my Grandpa. And he told me in no uncertain terms to come soon. 

We had planned tentatively for the end of the month. But it looks like we will be doing some winter driving sooner rather than later. It is so hard to decide when. I would hate to be too late. But the timing isn't great at this exact moment for a lot of reasons. 

But it looks like we are going to be leaving Tuesday. Unless he gets worse overnight, in which case we will be leaving Saturday. I need just a few days to get some things in order. And figure out a plan. 

My heart tells me sooner is better. Hopefully Tuesday is soon enough. 

New Year

No big long blog post to finish off 2013 and set direction for the new year. Just not into that at all lately. I've tried a few times to write something and each time I end up with nothing.

2013 was interesting. Not bad. Or good. Just different. Lots of change. Lots of unease. But it all worked out okay in the end- as things often do. I believe 2013 was supposed to be my "year of doing". And I did that. I did lots of some things. And none of other things.

This year I don't want to limit myself. Or really even think for one second that I can plan a mind set for a whole year. Instead I'm just gonna do what feels good. All year. If it feels right, I'll keep on keeping on. And if it doesn't- well, I will a) figure out a way to make it feel good. Or b) not. And change the plan. Easy peasy.

My goal is to simply stay in a good head space. The rest will follow.

Edited to add:  I have big plans for 2014. And am starting the year with promise, and hope, and determination. I WILL be back in the agility ring this year. The little stuff I've been doing with Leo has ignited the fire in my soul for the game. Starting the year off auditing a few seminars, and hopefully and online handling course, and before ya know it we'll be ready! Whoo!

Sheepdog stuff is still front and center. It truly is my passion. So much to learn. So much to teach my dogs still. So much to experience on this front. This year I plan to trial a bit more, and move Brit to intermediate. I think she can do it.

Brit is also going to head to the Rally rings a fair amount this year. She is mature enough now, and seems to lvoe the work. It'll be nice to be back in the ring more often!

The corgis don't have plans really. I do hope to get that final CDX leg for Pixel. I'm going to just putter away at it when I have the opportuntiy! Wicca is gonna be ten in a few days. I'm not ready to talk about that. Vito is a bad boy lately. Good thing I love him. And Booneis enjoying life- barking, and playing, and being a goof.

How can it not be a great year with all this awesomeness???!!!!