Agility Equipment!

I have taken the huge step of ordering all three of the contact obstacles needed in agility. This is the A Frame, Dog Walk and Teeter. They are being made by a man in OR, who will then personally deliver them to me if I pay his gas there and back. Yes, the delivery will be expensive, but no more than if I paid a regular company to have them shipped. Contact equipment is always shipped by freight truck, and it is always very expensive.

I was just going to order one thing, then I thought two, and once I had decided on two, it made more sense to order them all at the same time rather than one here and one there and paying the shipping two or three times. The person I am ordering from is also the cheapest I have found anywhere, and he is going to give me a military discount. But he hasn't said how much yet. I think the more people I can get to order things, the more worthwhile his trip will be, and the bigger the discount. So I'm going to poll all the local folks and see if I can't rustle some business up.

Even before I had decided to get all three, I had already begun gathering supplies to make more equipment. First, I put an add on Craigslist that I wanted to buy a plastic 55 gallon drum. This is for the closed tunnel or chute that is open at one end and has a closed fabric chute at the other. I found a place selling chutes on sale so I bought a yellow one, thinking that would go nicely with the blue barrel. Someone responded to my add right away and told me if I took more than one he would lower the price. So I cleaned the car out and off I went.

Look how clean! And empty!

I put the toy box and Blossom's crate back in.

The rest of the stuff is still sitting forlornly on my porch.

The barrels were in good shape, but they were white! Now my yellow chute will look ugly with the white barrel.I took today (the Monday after drill) off, and got lots of work done.

The dogs kept me company.

Blossom had to go inside because he wouldn't stop barking at the lawnmower and raking across the street.

Some of the supplies wait on my dryer.

Some of it waits on my side yard.

When I got to work I cut enough pvc to make five more jumps. I bought a pvc cutter for the job because using a hack saw is no fun. I also had to make a special trip to Sears to buy a new Craftsman battary for my drill since both batteries I have will no longer recharge.

After the jump pieces, I made this tire. I think it turned out pretty well.

Blossom needs the most work on the tire. He tries to go between the tire and the frame. Here he is doing it right. And looking very cute.

Fancy is contemplative before taking her turn.

Looking good!

Pie's turn!

The gardeners come on Mondays, so I had to be sure everything was cleaned up an off the grass.

The next thing I made was a stand for the chute. The part hanging off will be cut off.

I bolted the stand the the barrel to keep it from rolling and also to keep the barrel from sagging over time. I removed the bots and stand for the cutting of the barrel. When I put it back together, I will put the bolts in the other way to keep the inside of the barrel nice and flat.

The last thing I had time to finish was these tunnel holders. I made four since I have two tunnels.

They are supposed to also keep the tunnel from rolling around. To really do a good job they have to be staked down.

Pie is too fast for the camera! But only when it is getting dark.

I was working on wings to attach to the side of the jumps, but it got dark and the huge bugs came out and I had to run inside.

After my contact equipment is delivered, the only item I am missing is a real table. I still have the table I made for Bloom, but it is too tall, not adjustable, and too small on top. I suppose technically I don't have a double and triple jump, but I can put single jumps together to make those. I think I have everything else! How exciting.

Mom, you will have to bring Roscoe over and we can all have some agility fun together!