SPICE AND CLASS

Spice and I started competition obedience class last night.  What a blast!  I had some nice compliments on Spice and her working ability.  She makes me very proud considering the obvious handicap of having me as her trainer and handler.  We learned some new focus exercises and I now have a new way of teaching the left pivot, which has always been a problem for me.  The goal for this year is to get her really going in obedience and agility.  We are trying for her rally advanced and beginner novice legs in February along with starting agility class.  I also found out there is a tracking class starting in the spring.  Not for Spice--but I am thinking that Harold will be going with that one.  I've already tried him on a handful of very short tracks and he is doing well with that.  Here's a recent headshot of Spice. 
Until next time...

EUREKA!

A few posts back I lamented on the loss of the thingy that connects the camera to the computer for dowloading pictures.  I had given up on finding said thingy when this morning while in search of yet another elusive item, found the camera thingy.  Yipee!!  I've downloaded some photos and found a few of the trip to Memphis in November. 

Aunt Judy and Kim at the Germantown Tree Lighting

Memphis Grizzlies Game

Super Grizz Fan Ben

Ben and me at the Memphis Zoo

OFA RESULTS

Spice's OFA results are in!  Elbows normal, Hips Excellent! Yea!  That means both Spice and her half sister, Lolly are both normal elbows and excellent hips as well as Reid's daddy, Bryce, who is also hips excellent! 

Weather Permitting

I do believe some day I would like to name a dog "Maiwae's Weather Permitting".  It falls right in there with the best laid plans...
Winter is playing some really wonderful (insert eye roll here) games this time around.  I decided to ignore it as much as possible and Sahra and I continue to attempt those weekly herding classes on Mondays.  I heard this morning from KWWL that we may get 2-6 inches of snow Mon-Tues.  Wonderful.  We moved our herding up a couple of hours so I can come home and take Declan to an obedience class that same night.  I figured why stop there?  Why not go all the way into idiocy?  This week we start competition obedience classes on Thurs. nights.  The great news is that so far the weather still looks okay for Thurs. ;-)
My hope is that by Feb. the weather will have worn itself into exhaustion and will no longer feel the need to screw up my weekly classes.  So I signed Spice up for an agility class on Tues. nights beginning Feb. 1st.  I know, the eternal optimist strikes again. 
Until next time or weather permitting...

Arrggghhh....

I have misplaced the cord that connects camera to computer.  It's not really misplaced, I put it in a safe place that I would remember so it would be handy.  Stupid.  I should have left it in the mess on top of my desk and I would have it right now.  While I love the fact that Manchester actually has a Walmart, they do not carry this elusive bit of technology.  So I've been putting off getting a new one because it involves a trip into one of the "big" cities.  I'll be breaking down on Monday and stopping to get one before Declan's obedience class in Waterloo.  I am missing out on way too many great dog pics.  Last night Harold and Declan were playing and stopped dead in their tracks to stare at the television when they heard barking dogs.  Of course Harold The Brave, went into guard dog mode and barked his head off at these intruders.  Declan stood there, nose poked the t.v. and play bowed.  Heck, that would have been video worthy.  And then there was the absolutely adorable pic that will never be of Declan with all of his gangly limbs and big ol' body doing his impression of a baby puppy on the comforter in the corner by the couch.  I wouldn't have been able to capture the soft snoring sounds coming from him, but the pic would have been so cute.
Apparently it's a really long winter if these are the things going on that actually capture my interest.  I think tomorrow I'll tackle some sewing and that jigsaw puzzle before my mind becomes a pile of mush caused by the repeated freezing and thawing of an Iowa farm winter.
Until next time...

"When you know better you do better."
— Maya Angelou

Seriously, I lost to a dog??

Harold in the tub--1 point for me
Harold wet, shampooed, rinsed, conditioned and re-rinsed - 5 points for me
Harold on the table being toweled off - 1 point for me
Harold vs. Me while being dried - 20 points for Harold.
There will be a rematch.  As soon as I recover.  Bring on the ibuprofen and a dry shirt.

2011

2011...wow...wasn't it just like 1991 yesterday?  If my memory will cooperate today I believe in 1991 I had one dog.  Huh, one dog.  I drove a sporty 2 door Dodge Challenger.  Huh, fuel economy.  My house payment was about what my current car payment is.  Huh, you mean I had money?  Life was good then and twenty years (yikes!) later life is still good.  It's been a serious of highs and lows, good and bad, devastatingly sad events and indescribably joyous ones. 
We greet this first day of 2011 with a pot of coffee, the dogs draped over every comfortable surface, my daily conversation with Jean and the knowledge that this year has the hope and promise of fantastic times.
May we all be blessed in 2011!
Until next time...