 |
| Three dogs on one toy that I brought out of storage. |
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
A Little Play Time
Christmas Cookies- Yum!
 |
| I find making cookies to be very messy! |
 |
| My helpers, who are move annoying and less helpful than I would hope. |
I ended up making enough cookies to give my parents a lot, and I also made some for my sister and niece, and my friend K. I took a few home also.
 |
| Finished product! |
 |
| Yum! |
Moving Day!
Moving day was actually 2 weeks ago, I think, but with the moving, the blogging got behind.
On all my other moves I've done all the boxes myself then had helpers with the truck for the bigger stuff. This time 2 friends offered several times to help, so I decided to take them up on it. The Friday before the moving Saturday, we moved all of the boxes, and anything small enough to fit into my van, my friend's full sized truck with a bed shell, and my other friend's mini truck also with a bed shell.
Each vehicle was filled up, and then my van and the big truck was filled up again. I always wonder how I have so much stuff. Especially when I lived somewhere as small as the studio.
It took us about 3 hrs, then I took us out for pizza afterwards.
The next day after the utility attempt (see previous post) was moving day. With 2 teenage boys and a uHaul truck, moving the rest of my stuff took 3 more hours. Good thing I don't try to do it all at once. 6 hours of moving would be a lot.
After everything was moved out, cleaning of the studio was next on the list. I left the Malinois at the "new" place, since I knew they wouldn't be any help.
On the previous Thursday (2 days before Moving Day) I had cleaned the bathroom and kitchen. All that was left was sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming any cobwebs and window sills that needed it. I gave the stove its final cleaning, and used a lot of 409 on the floor as well. I got a little 409 overdose and needed a break. Then I finished up with the mopping, and the final task was to sweep the garage and turn in the key. I had one last trip to make, with the cleaning supplies, and then it was good-by studio. I really enjoyed living there, but it was time to move on...
On all my other moves I've done all the boxes myself then had helpers with the truck for the bigger stuff. This time 2 friends offered several times to help, so I decided to take them up on it. The Friday before the moving Saturday, we moved all of the boxes, and anything small enough to fit into my van, my friend's full sized truck with a bed shell, and my other friend's mini truck also with a bed shell.
Each vehicle was filled up, and then my van and the big truck was filled up again. I always wonder how I have so much stuff. Especially when I lived somewhere as small as the studio.
 |
| The view from the back of my car. I won Mr. Potato head in a raffle. |
 |
| Side view of the first trip with the van. |
 |
| Second trip with the truck. My flash wasn't working. |
It took us about 3 hrs, then I took us out for pizza afterwards.
The next day after the utility attempt (see previous post) was moving day. With 2 teenage boys and a uHaul truck, moving the rest of my stuff took 3 more hours. Good thing I don't try to do it all at once. 6 hours of moving would be a lot.
After everything was moved out, cleaning of the studio was next on the list. I left the Malinois at the "new" place, since I knew they wouldn't be any help.
On the previous Thursday (2 days before Moving Day) I had cleaned the bathroom and kitchen. All that was left was sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming any cobwebs and window sills that needed it. I gave the stove its final cleaning, and used a lot of 409 on the floor as well. I got a little 409 overdose and needed a break. Then I finished up with the mopping, and the final task was to sweep the garage and turn in the key. I had one last trip to make, with the cleaning supplies, and then it was good-by studio. I really enjoyed living there, but it was time to move on...
 |
| While I was cleaning, Fancy picked a spot and just sat there. |
 |
| And while I was sweeping the garage, she sat in the door and watched. Very helpful. |
Sunday, December 23, 2012
CAT
Not as in "meow" (good thing I can spell the sound a cat makes) but as in "Coursing Ability Test." This is a new AKC event open to all breeds. The dogs chase a plastic bag on a string (lure) and if they make it around the 600 yard course (one quarter of a mile!) without loosing interest or giving up, they are given a passing leg. Three legs and you have the coursing ability (CA) title.
Since Dottie had one leg from when my friend took her when I was working doing my weekend duty and our club was holding the trial, I decided to finish up the title before the end of the year. Last time Dottie barely passed the leg she did pass, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I know a quarter of a mile is a long way for her (a dog with no stamina) to run all out. I also entered Pie, although the two other times shes done lure coursing she has left the bag in order to find a real critter to chase.
I had to drive pretty far to get to the event. I won't drive that far again. I'm not that into it.
To get the dogs excited, I let them watch the lure and let them watch other dogs run. It seemed to do the trick. Dottie went first and made it all the way around, even though she did slow down at the end. Next it was Pie's turn and she zoomed right around.
By the time the second run came along in the afternoon, both girls were very much into it. Both passed in the afternoon as well. So Dottie now has another title, the CA, and Pie needs one more leg.
I say I'm not that into it, because even though it was fun to watch the dogs run, I had no sense of teamwork (all I do is stand there) or accomplishment. There is no training and no prep. Sure, we were all joking that this is the way to earn titles (just show up, and your part is done) and while I like earning titles, I suppose this proved to me one reason I like to earn titles is because of the work that does into it, and the teamwork with my dogs that it requires. If all I had to do to earn a title was fill out paperwork and send money, I wouldn't bother. There is no point. This trial was pretty much like that. Yes, the dog had to fulfill the requirement, and a few dogs did not pass, but I just don't see myself doing to too many of these trials. I will finish Pie's title, and if there is a local one put on my club I'll go and help out and run my dog, but it isn't my thing.
Oh, and if my dog was so untrained that it took 15 minutes to catch him afterwards, I wouldn't let him off leash until he had a 1/2 decent recall. Not only due to the embarrassment of holding the trial up, but what if you never caught him? That isn't safe.
One part of the trial I really enjoyed was watching all the different breeds run. The small dogs only do 300 yards and the tiny doxies were so cute! The ground was uneven, so they had some trouble with the bumps that the big dogs didn't even notice. There was an amazingly fast dalmatian and watching the greyhounds seem to gather speed with each gigantic stride is breathtaking. Very cool.
And one last item to note is the hound people holding the trail are very, very nice. They help you or tell you anything you need to know. And if you mess up a tiny bit- I let Pie go when the bag moved, not when the person said "tallyho"- it isn't like obedience or agility where they NQ you for not following the rules exactly. Heaven forbid if you go before the GO in agility or let your dog bark in the obedience ring. Off with her head! Nope, none of that going on here. So that part was very enjoyable. In fact, I don't want it to sound like I didn't have a good time or that it was a waste of time. It was not. All I am trying to convey is it is not my new favorite sport.
Our ribbons:
The fun part was even though the trial was far away, there were several local club members there. There is a group photo:
The schnauzer passed also, he just didn't have his ribbon for the photo.
Since Dottie had one leg from when my friend took her when I was working doing my weekend duty and our club was holding the trial, I decided to finish up the title before the end of the year. Last time Dottie barely passed the leg she did pass, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I know a quarter of a mile is a long way for her (a dog with no stamina) to run all out. I also entered Pie, although the two other times shes done lure coursing she has left the bag in order to find a real critter to chase.
I had to drive pretty far to get to the event. I won't drive that far again. I'm not that into it.
To get the dogs excited, I let them watch the lure and let them watch other dogs run. It seemed to do the trick. Dottie went first and made it all the way around, even though she did slow down at the end. Next it was Pie's turn and she zoomed right around.
By the time the second run came along in the afternoon, both girls were very much into it. Both passed in the afternoon as well. So Dottie now has another title, the CA, and Pie needs one more leg.
I say I'm not that into it, because even though it was fun to watch the dogs run, I had no sense of teamwork (all I do is stand there) or accomplishment. There is no training and no prep. Sure, we were all joking that this is the way to earn titles (just show up, and your part is done) and while I like earning titles, I suppose this proved to me one reason I like to earn titles is because of the work that does into it, and the teamwork with my dogs that it requires. If all I had to do to earn a title was fill out paperwork and send money, I wouldn't bother. There is no point. This trial was pretty much like that. Yes, the dog had to fulfill the requirement, and a few dogs did not pass, but I just don't see myself doing to too many of these trials. I will finish Pie's title, and if there is a local one put on my club I'll go and help out and run my dog, but it isn't my thing.
Oh, and if my dog was so untrained that it took 15 minutes to catch him afterwards, I wouldn't let him off leash until he had a 1/2 decent recall. Not only due to the embarrassment of holding the trial up, but what if you never caught him? That isn't safe.
One part of the trial I really enjoyed was watching all the different breeds run. The small dogs only do 300 yards and the tiny doxies were so cute! The ground was uneven, so they had some trouble with the bumps that the big dogs didn't even notice. There was an amazingly fast dalmatian and watching the greyhounds seem to gather speed with each gigantic stride is breathtaking. Very cool.
And one last item to note is the hound people holding the trail are very, very nice. They help you or tell you anything you need to know. And if you mess up a tiny bit- I let Pie go when the bag moved, not when the person said "tallyho"- it isn't like obedience or agility where they NQ you for not following the rules exactly. Heaven forbid if you go before the GO in agility or let your dog bark in the obedience ring. Off with her head! Nope, none of that going on here. So that part was very enjoyable. In fact, I don't want it to sound like I didn't have a good time or that it was a waste of time. It was not. All I am trying to convey is it is not my new favorite sport.
Our ribbons:
The fun part was even though the trial was far away, there were several local club members there. There is a group photo:
The schnauzer passed also, he just didn't have his ribbon for the photo.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Pictures!
Some pictures I ordered a while ago still haven't come yet, but to make up for the delay, the photographer sent me the e-versions.
As I recall, I was going a blind cross at the bottom of the frame, which cased the extension we see here, which caused one hit on the downside, above the yellow, and yet another QQ lost to contacts! Obviously I needed to manage the contact better. We missed the contact and the Q, but we got a great picture. I know everyone thinks this about their own dogs, but dang- she is a good looking dog!
Last night I was reading on the couch (The Twelve, by Justin Cronin, second in the series, very good!) and I looked to my right to see Pie, upside down and very much asleep. Gravity pulled her lips into a toothy smile. I tickled her feet, and while they twitched around a lot, she didn't wake up. Upside down sleeping dogs get bonus points towards being good dogs. Who doesn't like free amusement of seeing and upside down sleeping dog?
 |
| I love Fancy's tail flowing in the breeze. |
 |
| Dottie exiting the teeter with all haste. |
 |
| Pie agilitwheeeee! |
As I recall, I was going a blind cross at the bottom of the frame, which cased the extension we see here, which caused one hit on the downside, above the yellow, and yet another QQ lost to contacts! Obviously I needed to manage the contact better. We missed the contact and the Q, but we got a great picture. I know everyone thinks this about their own dogs, but dang- she is a good looking dog!
 | ||||||||||
| Upside down |
Last night I was reading on the couch (The Twelve, by Justin Cronin, second in the series, very good!) and I looked to my right to see Pie, upside down and very much asleep. Gravity pulled her lips into a toothy smile. I tickled her feet, and while they twitched around a lot, she didn't wake up. Upside down sleeping dogs get bonus points towards being good dogs. Who doesn't like free amusement of seeing and upside down sleeping dog?
 |
| Pretty view on the way to Los Angeles for a meeting today. |
Friday, December 14, 2012
Jeep Trip
Well, I never did blog about the Jeep Trip Dad and I took on the Thursday after Thanksgiving. Now I should be unpacking, but I can't let such a nice trip go undocumented! I took Friday off from our club trial and Dad and I went off roading. We went with the same people we went to Death Valley with. Overall the off roading was not axle breaking, but there was a time or two it got exciting! Personally, I don't find imminent death, or even imminent destruction of a vehicle to be a fun time, so it was just my speed. I don't think I left any permanent impression of my fingers on the "Oh No!" bar. Of couse the pictures make it look all very tame, but I promise that in reality it was more hair raising. I have total confidence in my Dad's judgement and ability, but since I don't posses the same knowledge, I can't judge the situations for myself and am sometimes left feeling like it is more dangerous than it is. Fancy was along for the ride and was very calm sitting on the floor at my feet. We had a nice picnic lunch of left over turkey and we stopped at a very large candy store on the way home. A successful day!
 |
| Coming up a hill. Seeing if we can get around that road to the right. We ended up having to turn around. |
 |
| The friend's truck working the springs. |
 |
| Going up. Hold on! |
 |
 |
| Fancy at my feet. She was very much the correct dog to bring. |
 |
| Dad surveys the scene. |
 |
| Going back down. |
 |
| Fancy and I waiting as the tires get aired back up. |
 |
| Using the extreme zoom to check out a white speck. Interesting. |
 |
| This was very bumpy. |
 |
| A tricky part that the picture makes look easy. |
 |
| Steep! |
 |
| Fancy checks out the road ahead. Dad decided to go for it. |
 |
| Here he comes! |
 |
| There he goes. |
 |
| At the end of the trail. Interesting to see trees like this. |
 |
| Fancy is (or could be) a cover model. |
Sleeping Dogs and Santa Hat
The Sleeping Dog Photo Stalker strikes again. The dogs very much approve of all fitting on the couch at once.
I suppose technically they are not all asleep...
Turns out I already posted most of the the pictures, I guess I've been doing more blogging than I though.
Earlier, the Evil Elf Who Forces Dogs to Wear Santa Hats also struck.
I suppose technically they are not all asleep...
 |
| I put an old sheet on the couch to protect it. |
 |
| All the pictures taken from this angle mean I'm on the couch with them. You can barely see the edge o the laptop near Dottie. |
Earlier, the Evil Elf Who Forces Dogs to Wear Santa Hats also struck.
 |
| The hat is bigger than Muffin. Look how cute his little nose is! |
 |
| He escapes! |
 |
| As always, Fancy is a good sport! |
Agility Demo at the Base
On the base Family Day, my AKC club gave an agility demo. Several people couldn't come, and it was pretty last minute. I turned to Facebook to round up some other volunteers and we ended up with a good group, despite the rain. Due to the rain, the rest of the party was moved into the largest hanger, but of course we stayed outside. This decreased our crowd a little, but some people still mangaged to find us. Everyone who did get to watch thought we were great!
I set an easy T2B type course, jumps, tunnel, weaves and a teeter. I had to redesign it a little bit because I kept finding very large holes. I figured it out eventually though.
All of the pictures can be seen here: Demo Pictures
I set an easy T2B type course, jumps, tunnel, weaves and a teeter. I had to redesign it a little bit because I kept finding very large holes. I figured it out eventually though.
All of the pictures can be seen here: Demo Pictures
 |
| Look, I'm running a Golden! Gibon is a young golden whose Mom is injured. He was such a good boy! |
 |
| The cutest Fancy ever! |
 |
| Who is that running Fancy?? It's Mom! |
 |
| Look! It's me with a different Golden! Cooper runs well for anyone. |
 |
| Dottie wore her jingle collar. |
 |
| Dottie was listening well. |
 |
| D was naughty during his first run, so K ran Pie for her second time around. |
 |
| Pie did a good job finishing off the demo. |
 |
| The whole group! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
