View from Mushtown Road

Mid Winter

2011-02-21T13:57:00.016-06:00

Chores, projects and the usual routines have kept me from regular postings. I both admire and (wrongfully) dismiss those who write daily--admire the discipline and dismiss the need. There you have it.

Maggie just passed her second post-chemo check-up with flying colors and continues to amaze and delight her support team. Her coat is improving and she's busy growing new whiskers. She is back in class and trials, on a limited, "nuthin' to prove" schedule. Love my Maggie.

Winn is happy too- trialing many weekends. He teaches me to be in the moment in a different way than Maggie or DDare, and I am happy to be reminded of that.

It takes, it seems, a foot of new snow to get me to sit down and construct a blog entry. Truthfully this lovely female cardinal is today's inspiration. She has been sitting outside the window framed by snowy branches, inviting me to capture the image. Thank you, and yes, the feeder is filled.

One small project completed: DDare's crate cover. Of course it's hard to finish when the puppy wants to use it otherwise!

DDare's puppy agility class is going well and so are our home practice sessions. Despite winter we are able to find enough space to do our homework: backing up on to a board, the "ready 1-2-3 game" sending to targets, and our tricks. We were fortunate to attend some seminars with Sylvia Trkman and are so inspired by her! DDare is now happy to bang shut a drawer, in preparation for the noise and movement (which he controls!) of the teeter. Oh what fun is a puppy!

Allen Mosley celebrated his birthday at a South Side Agility gathering. We had a cake decorated to resemble the agility pitch for which he is caretaker. The 60 candles proved no match for his most excellent blowing-out, and the bonus--he set the aframe on fire AND blew that out, too!

And finally, this was a musing I posted to the Agile Canines group last week. These thoughts have been on my mind for a while.

***

I am on the road and sometimes that's where I do my best musings, so forgive me in advance! I was struck by a friend's recent post about feeling guilty (my word, not hers) about her dog's MACH, coming as it did among the posts regarding Becky's loss of her sweet Cody Bones.

We have all known each other for many years now, and the circle of life is everpresent, eh? Nearly everyone has lost a dog recently it seems, or is going through treatment for illness. And at the same time, there are young dogs trialing for the first time, dogs hitting their peak, and puppies being born and raised.The joys our partners bring us are not lessened by the experience of saying goodbye to them, but the grief we share is real.

I can't imagine saying these goodbyes, and yet I know I will. We can't plan for the perfect death for them. We can only be here today. And although time passes and eases some of the pain, it never heals us completely, because it just isn't possible for that to happen. I guess it's only in time that we accept our grief as an integral part of being us. Human.

Love you all, for your ability to celebrate AND grieve.

Chris

So that's the view, today.

2010-11-13T14:05:00.019-06:00

SNOW DAY! DDARE

Yes, we have snow. Last Wednesday we set a high-temp record of 68 degrees, capping off the nicest Fall season in memory. When the other shoe dropped, it was a Sorel boot.

My friend Becky Hart and I started out this morning at 5:45 am with the intention of competing in LaCrosse. It was snowing pretty well, but we decided to see where the "snow/rain" line might be. We never found it, opting to abandon our plan as far south as Northfield, and I know it was a good decision.

When I got home, the snow was falling even more heavily so it was the perfect time to introduce DDare to snow. He was born in the desert, remember. Even rain was a pretty new thing. Of course he loved it. He chased the little snowballs made by his feet. He ate it. He ran in it, with his cousin Winn (also from the desert, and who loves snow.) They swam like dolphins. They chased each other. And I could have shot more video, but the big flakes hit the lens and melted, so I had to tuck it away after a few minutes.

Now, we're all sitting by a nice fire, watching the snow fall. It's piled up. It's awful snow, heavy and wet, and it's taking its toll on branches. It will likely melt this week, giving the ground a chance to freeze.

AGILITY

I haven't posted since our trip to USDAA Nationals in October, having had scarce time to muse.

What a great experience that was--eight clean runs, some placements, and a Performance Grand Prix Finals run. I finally had a chance to look at the video last week and reflect on the whole string. I wanted to see what my handling looked like, too, and was happy to see that I was handling as well as I think I can. I never assumed the fetal position--I take that as a sign that I wasn't nervous---I wasn't nervous! I truly ran with joy and had an absolutely swell time with Winn.

Locally, Winn earned his C-ATCH 2 at the Halloween CPE trial. I had promised that I would earn (or try to!) with a 51-point Snooker score. Snooker was our hardest class for a while, requiring different skills, and we worked together to master them. Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q7hIVfzgR8

(It was too large a file for Blogger to upload without timing out, but the show is only a minute or so)

MAGGIE

is done with chemo! She finished up after I got back home, and although the final treatment was one of the tougher drugs, she bounced back once again. It's been a few weeks, and last week Maggie returned to class. She ran with enthusiasm! I am so blessed to still have her with me. I am full of hope that she'll have many, many more good days. We will continue to trial, but I'm entering her in only a few runs. She's lost some muscle tone and I sure don't want to risk injury with her. She likes that idea, too, and comes out to run with determination. You know, she's within shouting distance of her C-ATCH 4 and NATCH 4, and might make it to those ribbons. Doesn't matter. She can run, or coach the team from her crate, whatever she decides to do.

MORE PUPPY-NESS

DDare continues to "do well" in class and is turning into such a nice dog in many ways. He loves to run. He is just as happy snoozing on the couch. We worked a lot on attention this past week, and it improved (go figure!). I broke down and bought him a Premier Easy-Walk harness , and it worked right away. I thought I could train this without it, but frankly I think that I can still train/reward him while he learns with this "aid". It is, after all, how Winn learned it.

We have had a good time, working on turns around a cone, sending to a target, and running along a plank. I am excited, thinking about what a nice dog I am going to have--because I have a nice puppy already! It's hard to believe he's seven months old already.

That's it for rambling today---I leave you with a photo from the Halloween trial, and promise to tell you the story behind it on another posting. Until then, YOU run with joy.

USDAA Nationals

2010-10-13T19:41:00.002-05:00

What I like about my dog: Everything.

Indian Summer

2010-10-07T17:32:00.005-05:00

I just can't remember a nicer stretch of weather than what we've had for the past two weeks (yes, after a horrible, flooding, damaging rainy seige). Here is what I like a lot:

Discovering that fields on either side of a road I travel frequently were planted in pumpkins. The orange globes just appeared the morning after our frost.
The migrating warblers hopping branch to branch, so tiny.
Combines and gleaners, and the stubble they leave behind.
A maple tree that changed literally overnight from green to red and gold.
Sweatshirts with shorts.
The crisp clean air under high pressure.
The last of the mosquitoes.
Apples. Apple Crisp. Caramel apples.
Seeing Jack's fall dapples fade as his winter coat starts to come in.
A harvest moon.
Frost on the Aframe that melts in time to play.
Maggie's energy in the cooler weather.
The way the midday sun feels so warm on your face.
The first batch of stew.
Twilight.
Post season baseball.

To be continued

Winn's 2nd Place herding run at Corgi Nationals

2010-09-25T16:43:00.007-05:00

We tied for first place on this run. I lost 2 points on the cross drive, maybe when I FELL DOWN, and the other team had 0 points off so we came in second.
I could not be more proud of Winn. I have worked so hard to learn herding, and want to thank Susane Hoffman for her patience.
Hope the video shows up here.....

2010 Corgi Nationals

2010-09-20T18:37:00.007-05:00

It's our last night in Pennsylvania and I wanted to post quickly before crashing for the night. Tomorrow will be a long day--agility and then the start of the long drive home. As much fun as we've all had, I am anxious to get home; I miss Allen and Maggie and sleeping in my own bed (without having to shush dogs--although they've been really good and the hotel has been relatively quiet).
Our Nationals has been just terrific--seeing old friends, making new friends, watching great corgis. The weekend of herding was a wonderful experience and I learned a ton by watching. Winn worked well, and earned two 'bonus' Qs in Started Sheep. On Sunday we had a very nice run that tied us for first place (we ended up second, as ties are broken on the cross drive and I didn't make it to the #5 marker---um, I fell down and got up and proceeded to the gate instead.)
Today was obedience day! When I sent in my entry for our first Open "A" experience I really had intended to practice. And I did, right before going into the ring--ha!
It took a little bit of time in the ring to get into the rhythm of the heeling, but we actually didn't do badly--in fact Winn's heeling score was the best in the class of 12 dogs (and hey, they had all been there before!) . When it came time for the Retrieve on the Flat, though, I NQ'd us by throwing the dumbbell short of the required 20 feet. Oops. And when the judge walked over to give me back the DB, it unnerved Winn a little and he kept one eye on her the rest of the run.
Then Winn NQ'd us by going AROUND THE JUMP! on the Retrieve over the High Jump. THAT was a surprise.
The high point of my Open A debut though was that Winn actually stayed in a sit--which has NEVER EVER happened before. Not in class, not in practice...never. So THAT was worth the entry for me. And then, he got up on the long down. He has NEVER EVER done that before, either. Ah.......maybe with some practice? Next year!!

DDare's first Corgi Nationals has been great too--lots of dogs and people to meet. His sister Remy was here too and she looks great--such nice dogs.His last baby tooth fell out. He looks like a giraffe. He acts like a monkey! But he's a great little traveling pup.

2010-09-16T20:41:00.003-05:00

No matter what I do, this photo shows up sideways. Sorry, you'll just have to lie down to see it correctly oriented. Which is what we are all doing tonight. Chillin' at the Inn.

The Road Trip Gene

2010-09-16T17:09:00.008-05:00

So, before I was born, my dad was a travelin' salesman. He sold ad time for radio, covering the state. The story goes that he was in International Falls in mid-March 1953 when my mom went into labor--but when he drove all night to be home, in a snowstorm, part-way with a sheriff's escort (fact or legend?) it was no longer labor. (another version states that my folks' insurance didn't kick in until April, so I was born April 1)

The family traveled (SEVEN kids) for fun--our first camping/fishing trip to the Kinnikinnic; countless horse shows; and our last family trip to Montana to fetch our brother Tim at college.

I've been traveling for work for about 35 years. As a Regional Manager for B. Dalton (ah, remember them?) My region at one point covered the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as well as the prairie of South Dakota, and Minnesota's Iron Range. There were times when I'd leave on Sunday, spend two weeks on the road, and put about 1800 miles on my little Chevy Citation RSM car. As a buyer, I traveled to New York regularly and twice to England in search of bargain books. When I worked at Putnam as an RSM I had seven reps, 23 states, and three time zones.

My sister Nancy has a mobile gift store and routinely rises at 3 am to hit the road--sometimes Florida or California for the winter, and often the greater Midwest for "local" horse shoe circuits.

My brother Rob has been scuba diving in Bali and he and his wife Liz travel to Hawaii often.

Tim went to Ethiopia with friends for six weeks (a long story for another time, but it did involve a later-annulled arranged marriage!)

So today, after 1150.8 miles in two days to Pennsylvania for the Corgi Nationals, I pondered the idea of inherited wanderlust. I realize that most people travel, and take vacation out of town, but I think nothing of driving across the country for a dog show. And traveling with dogs means you don't take a lot of side trips, although we've done a few (LOVE the Badlands loop--but they prohibit you from even taking your dogs out of the car!)

I've been to 43 states in my life so far, and have enjoyed the drive.

Why This Happens, we wonder, or Poor Allen

2010-08-25T19:44:00.008-05:00

So I am out of town for work, as quick a trip as I can manage and still spend a day each in Birmingham AL and Nashville TN. This is the first night Allen has been left "home alone" with everyone (by that I mean DDare. He has spent countless nights at home by himself for the past 35 years.)
He had to take Maggie up to Dr. Heather for acupuncture, and then to the vet clinic for her CBC. I wasn't worried about that but called home this afternoon between appointments to see if it had all gone smoothly. Maggie's trip was fine. The rest of the crew......
DDare woke him up at 2 am. Allen carried him down the stairs and outside where he: Threw up. Peed. Pooped "ferociously" (whatever that means, I didn't ask for details)

Winn woke him at 4 am. Threw up on the bed, then again on the (carpeted) floor.

Maggie slept.

He ran into our equine vet, Bruce, while at the clinic with Maggie, and described to him the sore foot symptoms that we have noticed in the "younger" horse, Jack. Jack is 22 and an easy keeper. Bruce told Allen to get a pasture muzzle NOW, as he suspects the beginning of laminitis which will worsen. Off to Fleet Farm Allen trekked. Couldn't decide on a size, so he bought two.
When he got home, he tried unsuccessfully to put the muzzle on Jack while in the pasture. Ha. Jack knows a bad deal when he sees it, and refused to stand still. So Allen let them (also Clay, aged 35 years or so) into the barn and got the muzzle fitted.
But then horses the refused to leave the barn. He'd get Clay out, but Clay missing Jack, he headed right back in. Allen tried to push Jack out, but (I suppose since he can't eat now and sees no point in doing the right thing) no luck. So there they stand. Allen is thoroughly disgusted.

This stuff never happens until I leave town. Or doesn't seem to. I can't explain it. The animals refuse to offer a reason. I'll be home tomorrow night.

Wrestlemania

2010-08-09T22:06:00.005-05:00

I spent some time at Radio Shack on Saturday and then figured out how to upload video. The boys have provided lots of action, but this is my favorite (so far) because Maggie "The Ref" is sitting next to me on the couch, calling fouls and generally supervising, in her way. They didn't give her a black and white uniform for nothin'. After I stopped, she did jump down to freeze the play, inspect the team, and leave the room, muttering.

Enjoy.

What a Difference a Day Makes

2010-08-02T11:41:00.014-05:00

So, one day last week Winn woke up and decided that DDare was now old enough to be a suitable playmate! They have been wrasslin' ever since. Maggie is the official referee and periodically stops play. After a quick check by her of their bodies, usually their bellies, play is allowed to resume....

And a great shot from class. Restrained recall is a favorite.

Photos

2010-07-21T11:31:00.004-05:00

I haven't mastered putting photos up in any wonderful way, so here's a bunch stacked up

Weekend Update (now I suppose I'll hear from SNL)

2010-07-21T11:02:00.006-05:00

I haven't posted nearly enough, have I? The hours and days fly by. Work is busy--the book business seems to have changed overnight and keeping up is a challenge! The e-book revolution, predicted to be a slow march away from physical books to "e", is not slow. It's more sprint-like even, and what we knew months ago is no longer true.
I've been in the book business for 35 years now, and have survived other big changes, but this one is breathtaking. A page turner, for sure---twist ending? We'll see.
On the home front: Maggie is at the vet as I type this, awaiting her chemo. She got a (planned) week off after the "big gun" dose of Doxorubicin/Adriamycin. This drug gave her a short-lived bout of bloody diarrhea (sorry) and made her RBC count drop. They shouldn't be allowed to send out a lab report with the word "PANIC" on any values!! But as I am grateful to see them each week, I did not panic. I called and was reassured that this happens, isn't cause for too much concern, and to keep an eye on Maggie for lethargy or pale gums. We then consulted with Dr. Heather Evans, Maggie's chiro/acupuncture support team member, who advised that we could boost RBC growth (which should recover on its own) with some rich foods (yay! raw beef liver!) and vitamin B. Regarding her gums: after the first few inspections, Maggie was heard to mutter "poke them again and you WILL feel teeth." Yes, they were fine. Lethargy? Nope--in fact three days after the treatment Maggie turned in one of the fastest agility runs of her long career.

Today her labs came back nearly perfect. have I observed how remarkable it is to see these rebounds? The whole experience is awesome, in the literal sense of that over-used word. I was thinking about it driving back home this morning. The clinic has just added an oncologist to the staff, and we met her this morning. The mere fact that this is a required specialty now speaks volumes about canine care. I am sure that cancer is both more prevalent and more often diagnosed than it was even 10 years ago. And the treatments abound! This means that we are responsible for making decisions that weren't available to be made. The decision to treat this "touch of cancer" was made because the alternative was certain (Maggie would have left us by now, untreated) and the predicted outcome with treatment was very positive. But in the end, all our lives WILL end. One of the vet techs is changin jobs at the clinic to work exclusively with the cancer pups, and I heard she was a little reluctant because of the end-of-life scenarios. I don't blame her, but I hope she will get to focus on all the good work she is doing--the during-life! We're all gonna leave these bodies some day, it's a fact. So let's make all the days before then count.

OK, the other corgis are demanding some words here.
Winn has been such a great partner this summer. Although he has his "middle child" moments around home, he's been terrific on the course--either agility or herding. He has more initials behind his name than a law firm, and ribbons adorn my office. Last weekend was a dream--he was clean, fast and perfectly in tune.
His herding is improving, too--actually it's MY handling that's improving. I have decided that I need to treat my herding lessons the way I treat an agility class. Run the course, then discuss what happened with Susane, then pick out pieces to re-run in an improved manner. This seems to be a solid approach. I can wish I'd thought of it sooner, but frankly until this summer I wasn't really sure what the options were, so it's all good. We're aiming at qualifying at the Corgi Nationals. There, I said it.

DDare! continues to provide much joy. Puppies are a lot of work, but the rewards are certainly there, sometimes instantly and mostly over a short time. Potty training: dare I say that it's been nearly two weeks without a goof? (sure). Bite inhibition: I have NO current scabby spots on my hands and arms! Tricks: the "wave" is coming along, the "roll over" is next. In the meantime, he remains confident, fast, and happy. He will fetch a toy dozens of times. He loves life. We love him It's a good deal.

Photos from Puppy FUNdamentals class

2010-07-09T14:00:00.001-05:00

Puppy Class

2010-07-09T13:46:00.006-05:00

DDare has started his Puppy FUNdamentals class with Jane Fallander at AGoodDogNow (same building as Agile Canines, and Tuesday nights after Winn's agility class--handy!) and after two classes, I am darn excited about this pup.
He's confident without being pushy, very operant, and a happy guy. In one session we shaped a "down" and started crate manners (sit/stay until released). Last week he attacked the wobble boards, ladder, and irregularly shaped platforms--they were lined up in a row like a dogwalk--no problem: FUN
Jane brought out a wastebasket so we could play "101 Things to do with a Box" but instead I put him in it for fun. We also started "spoon heeling" and hand touches.
Puppies are a LOT of work. Puppies are a LOT of fun.

Maggie: is doing really well. After our celebration at no side effects from Vincristine, this was her first week of Doxorubicin/Adriamyacin. It can be hard on the heart, so it's good that she has a strong, athletic one. I'm also supplementing with CO-Q10, yet another trip to the coop (bonus--they have great tuna salad, for me!) She is officially in remission and we are so hopeful about her future. She's been cleared to run agility this weekend and we'll take it the way we always do--on her terms, run by run, and always with joy!

2010-07-01T15:13:00.001-05:00

This is a photo taken by Becky at DDare's first class. Such a ham, he is.

Counting my blessings

2010-07-01T14:38:00.008-05:00

As the ride continues here, I am trying damn hard to look on the bright sides, of which there are many.

Maggie restored her white blood cells and then some! (this is normal, we hear) so last week Allen took her to Blue Pearl while I was in Nashville for the day. The week's chemo consisted of a pill at the clinic and two take-out doses. While waiting in the Nashville airport that afternoon, unsuccessfully standing-by for two earlier flights, the clinic called. After Maggie swallowed her pill, was observed for a bit to make sure she was "good", and Allen and Maggie went home......a pill was discovered on the floor at the clinic. So very Maggie. The office manager, bless her heart, delivered a new pill which I gave her once I got home. No side effects and Maggie rode along to Little Falls for the USDAA trial, in her management role. This week she had a most excellent CBC report and was given a lower dose of Vincristine in hopes of killing cells without the vomiting. We'll know tomorrow about that.....in the meantime she continues to look good, feel good, and likes the people at the clinic(s). Brad, the vet tech, calls her "babe" which just cracks me UP!

Winn and I got to work with two of our favorite agility clinicians--Stacy Peardot-Goudy and Dana Pike. I had a blast. One of the most satisfying things EVER was to hear that both of them thought we were looking great. It's been so much fun to train this dog, and now when we are at a seminar, it's more practice and fine tuning than learning too much new stuff. Great fun!

On the weekend, Winn ran 11 times at the trial and was 7/10 and also ran in Steeplechase Round 2 (only 8" dog, he won $7.50). This was our most successful USDAA weekend ever and it was a lot of fun. His teeter performance was much improved, and although he didn't care for the dogwalk slats, he agreed to run on them (smile. Such a gamer). He did sleep all the way home--rare.

DDare also rode to Little Falls and was the perfect puppy all weekend! He played with the many other puppies there, made new friends, and was generally very happy. He didn't sleep all night on Saturday, but since I was in bed by 9 pm I was completely understanding at 3 am. And this week he is sleeping until 5:30 or 6 am!! Our puppy is becoming a dog! (ever so slowly) This week he attended his first Puppy FUNdamentals class with Jane Fallander of AGoodDogNow and had a blast. He is confident on "funny" surfaces. He likes to come when called. It's pretty easy to shape behaviors with him. But he will not potty on the rocks....is that homework??

Winn had an awesome herding lesson this week, too. Allen came along and brought DDare to watch, so I have a witness. We worked in a fairly small area since Susane's A course is still wet, and it's really a good area in which to proof all the basic movements. Herding progress has been marked by inches. This week I felt as though we advanced about a foot.

By now, you may be wondering where the non-brightness is. Well......

Kennel cough continues to plague the training school, and although neither Maggie or Winn have gotten it so far and DDare's case was so very mild, it's still worriesome. I honestly don't think that DDare started this outbreak, but since it's impossible to know.....my good friend Becky said "if there is no blame, there should be no guilt" and I am focusing on that.

Fleas. Ugh. In 23 years we have never had 'em. Now we do. And I don't like putting Frontline on the dogs. Now I have. I've been reassured by the vet team that it will be OK for Maggie, and still.......but it was clear that they weren't going to die without intervention.

Potty training. DDare is improving but I still have failed a few times to get him outside. The only solution is to have him crated unless I have 100% attention on him. He likes the crate and it isn't hard to crate him.....I just need to do it before I start (typing) (watching baseball). It is getting better. It is getting better.

So, that's the view this week.

Photos

2010-06-16T16:48:00.006-05:00

R: DDare meets the ducks

L: Becky Hart and I and Boy #3 before we left AZ. His left ear came up the first morning home!

When it Rains.....

2010-06-16T15:56:00.008-05:00

It pours.
Today I am the proverbial bug on the windshield. This post will be one of those therapeutic spews. Nothing terrible, just a general piling-on.
The Maggie update: she continues to do well, although she did suffer some side effects from last week's chemo (Vincristine). We arrived in Duluth last Friday afternoon without incident but as we were getting ready to leave the trial site to check into the motel, Maggie threw up everything she'd eaten that day. Yuck. I think it was the nastiest smell to ever afflict her crate. She was mortified, too. A call to the vet(s) yielded an encyclopedic tour of what might be, and some practical advice. We then procured Pepcid and turkey/rice baby food, administered the first, followed later by a little slurry of the second. It didn't stay down Friday night, but worked its magic by Saturday morning, and by Sunday Maggie was 100% recovered. She even ran one agility course on Sunday afternoon, and qualified. I felt as though we'd earned a championship on that run, just to see her vigor return. So now, we know that she may need pre-treatment when she gets this particular drug again. It's one of the repeaters on the protocol, so we'll stock up.
She had blood drawn yesterday in preparation for this week's treatment, and her WBC count was low--not critically, but enough to put off treatment until next week. This, too, is not unexpected. It means the chemo is working, and it kills the 'bad cells' and a few 'good cells' in the process. We'll try again next Tuesday and in the meantime root root root for the white cells!

The Winn update: we had a fabulous herding lesson with Marc Christopher on Friday before heading north. I think this man is one of the most gifted observers around, and he quickly spotted Winn's reliance on my physical cue to move off on an outrun. (hmmm, just like our start-line issues!!) Once I stopped moving, we got a much more thoughtful dog. And a nicer, square flank. Go figure. And this made my resolve at the agility trial hold up--I had to take Winn off twice, but he got the point and by Sunday afternoon was rock solid.

The Wrenshall NADAC trial can't be beat--even in the fog/mist/cool weather we always have a blast. The courses seemed especially fun; Ilze Rukis was the judge so it was having a friend in the ring, even if she was calling a fault; and two friends earned Championships on Sunday. Winn and I tried a 'bonus line' in Jumpers on Sunday too--we didn't get it, but we got a lot of it. FUN!

Puppy update: DDare has been here ten days already!! He is a great addition to the staff. Having said that, and meaning every word of it....
He's had a few pee accidents. Actually, it's me. I have forgotten just how often puppies need to pee. I have forgotten that you can't expect them to walk to the door, they must be carried out. I have forgotten that the whine is a reliable signal. And I had forgotten what an entire night's sleep was like until last night, when DDare slept 10:30-5:30. Bliss. and now.....
He has kennel cough. Although he was vaccinated last week, he woke up this morning (ah bliss.) and had the all-too-familiar "gack" in his throat. I waited until 10 am to decide it was not going away and up to the clinic we went. We're back (with pills and bills!) and he's being kept from Maggie and Winn.
The frustrating thing is that I suspect he came into contact at a puppy class. He may not have been fully protected by the vaccine yet, or the strain might be one outside the protection for that, who knows? I'll call the school and let them know, and wonder if there are sick puppies in the group tonight. I've spent the day letting everyone know who may have come in contact with him in the past week. The guilt is not insignificant, and my fear of course is for Maggie and Winn. We're keeping them at a distance, but the fact is that it may be too late. I can only watch and try not to worry. And cancel classes and lessons and take it a day at a time.

I am not a worrier by nature, I am a 'doer' so this is a lesson in patience for me, I guess.

On a much lighter note, at the trial the DDare fun was well-documented:
http://greatdanephotos.com/store/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=16119

The Great Dane, "Norm" belongs to the photographer, Amy Johnson. Neither of them knoew what to do with each other! And the lovely "Siren" was content to let DDare pull her around for a while. Cute couple!

By the time I post again, we should be past this. No one will be coughing, everyone will be sleeping all night, and Maggie will be back to her healing. Right??

Of course she handled it!

2010-06-02T18:24:00.004-05:00

Maggie had her first chemo injection today. She charmed everyone she met along the way, greeting the receptionists, the techs, anyone in the waiting room--with a bark and a smile. She thinks it's pretty lousy that there are no treats in the exam room, but sighed and waited until we we were all sure she wasn't going to have any adverse reaction to the drugs.

I am full of hope. The protocol has lots of positive things going for it, statisically. And I have Maggie. She is such a spunky dog. The view from Mushtown Road today is great--sunshine!

Tomorrow is a vacation day: Winn and I will play agility, then Maggie will supervise my packing for the puppy trip. I'm excited to meet DDare and his family, and then bring him home to meet mine.

Winn had a terrific herding lesson today, too. We're headed up to try an AHBA trial on Sunday, and then we're home for a while to tackle puppy training!

I am so lucky to have a support group! Allen is the best. My friends are here when I need them, and all our critters bring joy. My work colleagues are tremendously loving and forgiving of my need to take a long lunch to get Maggie squared away, and sending all manner of healing energy. And the care and concern from all our friends across the country is felt and appreciated so much.
It's pretty amazing how connected we really are.

Perspective from the Roller Coaster

2010-05-31T21:19:00.005-05:00

You already know that we’re getting a puppy. He’ll be here in less than a week—Cibola Double Dare Ewe , call name “DDare” and if all goes well, Maggie and Winn will welcome him home.

What I haven’t told too many people until I could do it without crying, is that Maggie is in the process of being diagnosed with lymphoma. On Tuesday her canine chiropractor noticed swollen lymph nodes. I was shocked—I have my hands on the dogs all the time, especially in high tick season, but Dr. Heather assured me they can blow up overnight. Since it was so sudden, I called her regular vet, and we got in a few hours later for a needle aspiration. While waiting for the lab results, Dr. Laurie arranged for a consult across town with an internal medicine vet. They were terrific and we had an appointment right away. Then, the cytology came back “suspicious” and so we opted to have them remove a lymph node, and now we’re again awaiting results so that we can get a diagnosis, and if necessary, start treatment right away. Maggie is asymptomatic, in fact she looks and feels great!

So on Friday, I spent the afternoon reading about training puppies, and then reading about treating cancer, until I filled my head. Quite the juxtaposition.

Maggie and I are all set to begin this new path. The good news is that this is a treatable cancer, with good odds for a lengthy remission. She’s otherwise healthy, a smaller dog, and FEMALE—all factors on her favor. And she is Maggie—this is no ordinary dog, after all! We are in it together. We’re ready to heal!

I am not fond of roller coasters, but have learned to not look anywhere but ahead when on that ride. I’m going to do my best to not look down during this one. I want all of you to help by keeping us in your thoughts, and think positive. Thanks.

Sunday night photos

2010-05-16T22:44:00.004-05:00

Our new puppy is pictured here on the left with one of his sisters. In three weeks he'll arrive here.

Not the Puppy Channel

2010-05-14T14:02:00.004-05:00

If you read the comments, I received one from the actual OWNER of the puppy channel. Who knew?
So Daniel, I did change the title of my WIDELY read blog--you see I have EIGHT whole followers. And by the way, I am not a literate gentleman. (that photo of me could have been a hint. Or do you all think I look like a gentleman?) And you cannot copyright a title. I assume that would pertain to a BLOG title. I could write a book and call it The Puppy Channel. Or a song. (I'll put them on my to-do list)

In any case it was not my intention to compete, directly or otherwise, with THE Puppy Channel.

Yours in cyberspace,

Chris(tine)

Puppy photos

2010-05-12T11:50:00.008-05:00

That's what it feels like here, as we await new photos and news from Arizona, where the litter continues to thrive. It looks as though "Boy 3" will be coming to Minnesota in early June, and we're starting to take things seriously. The new crate arrived this morning. Winn looks up eagerly anytime one of us uses the "P" word, and at a recent trial, he was convinced we were there to pick up the new addition. Alas, although he made nice, the BC pups did not come home with us.

I'm reading, watching video, and trying to remember ANYTHING about 6 years ago when Winn was a puppy. Maggie is 11, I remember nothing. Repressed memories I think.Speaking of Maggie, she is being a good sport I think. It's a good thing dog can't roll their eyes, or hers would be permanently stuck.

The agility calendar is about to get even more full and we're looking forward to the outdoor season. The agility pitch here is green and lush and if it would stop raining we'd be out there! Allen has mowed and mowed between raindrops. We have materials to build more jumps, too.

I went to the second day of the AKC World Team Tryouts on Sunday. It's such an inspiring event, and I came home with some sequences to set up here. I don't have World Team aspirations but I want to be a better handler. I will be a Mushtown Road Team member! Very tough competition.

The Susan Perry seminar this week has been in aid of that, too. She is a great teacher and although I didn't "learn" anything new, I got great insights on a couple of handling challenges and took notes so I'll remember them. I think I am going to invent a wristband (like the QBs wear) and I'll have my little reminders there on the start line....want one? you know you do.

My big project at the moment is being trial chair for the 2011 CPE Nationals and I think I have the framework in place now, and a great group of people to do all the work involved. Just setting up the subcommittees took a lot of effort! We are very excited about hosting the event here though, and look forward to a truly wonderful event next June, 13 months from this weekend in fact.

So there you have it. I took a few minutes to update the blog, and post some corgi puppy photos. Back to the to-do list.

Cheers!

Puppies!

2010-04-05T19:23:00.003-05:00

Here is the photo from Cindy as the pups assembled for a midnight supper. Reason is the name of the dam, and "Uncle" Beau (as in Winn's uncle) is the sire. Proud Momma!

Waiting for Puppy

2010-04-04T23:29:00.008-05:00

It's nearly midnight on a Sunday night. Maggie, Winn and I ran agility this weekend, TDAA-style, and I should asleep. Maggie's gone ahead to bed, Allen's upstairs too. Winn and I are on the computer--because a litter of corgi pups is being born right now and the news is coming ever so slowly for our impatient selves.
Winn's uncle "Beau" is the sire for this litter, which is being whelped in Arizona. As of right now, 6 of the 7 puppies have been born: 4 girls, 2 boys. We're third in line for a boy and so I am staying up a bit longer, hoping for more boys parts to appear!

Winn earned his Teacup Agility Dog Championship this weekend, so now he's gotten a Ch in three of the organizations. I am so proud of this wonderful dog! Teacup is a challenge--the distance between obstacles demands collection on Winn's part and handling on mine. Our teamwork has really come together in the past six months. Last week I was working on sending him to jumps 50' away, and today he had to maneuver serpentines about 3' between jumps.

Herding is going pretty well, too. We have moved back outside and I am anxious to see if our progress this winter in the arena will hold up once we're in the larger field.

So---Maggie is clearly not as excited about the prospect for a puppy. We know that a boy would be easier to incorporate into our pack. (Winn doesn't care, he just wants someone to PLAY with) If a male puppy isn't in the cards, I'll have to decide what to do. I so want a puppy from Beau!
I realize I am rambling tonight, as my thoughts are zinging around. Winn's calmly sleeping with his nose an inch away. How can he be so relaxed??

Surely, Signs of Spring

2010-03-02T15:33:00.015-06:00

More musings, some from the drive--again, back from LaCrosse. We love trialing there. Last weekend Maggie earned her TACh #2 in "teacup" agility--an organization geared for smaller dogs, with big dog challenges. Maggie likes the shorter yardage and smaller equipment. Winn is getting the hang of it. In fact he was brilliant at the trial. He missed only one weave pole entry (out of six) and had no off courses. He's living up to his fancy National Champion title and I am proud of our work.

I opted for the shorter (well, faster) drive home. It was nearly 40 degrees on Sunday afternoon. Along I-90, the strong sunshine has glazed the snow. There are many spots where the past few blizzards have sculpted some impressive snowbanks. Fences are still buried nearly to the tops of the posts. And it all reminded me of---meringue! It's still very white, up the hill from the road, and looks as shiny as the top of a pie.

The edges of the dirt roads aren't as pretty--I'd like to say that it looked like shaved almonds, but it's clearly dirt.

And when I got home, Allen pointed out that a "critter" was "growing" underneath the (now-empty) gas tank by the barn. Is it an ice weasel? A frozen camel? A clear panther?

Glad we have it captured here; the week continues warm, and it may crawl back from whence it came.

The commuting deer have now added more members--we counted 14, including two bucks, marching along their trail. They have made a path that we might be able to walk. The snow in the woods is still over the tops of my boots (a good 24") and thus much too deep for my short-legged companions, but we might try the deer path. It winds around the swamp to the south, up a hill into the neighbor's woods, and I think, comes out in our back horse pasture.

2010-02-26T22:40:00.001-06:00

Chick a dee dee dee dee

2010-02-26T22:36:00.003-06:00

I filled the bird feeder yesterday afternoon. No sooner had I replaced the lid on the feeder when at least 20 chickadees appeared all at once, flitting here and there, taking turns at the feeder and being their generally cheerful little selves. I've seen grateful birds at the feeder but never so quickly and so many.

Thoughts on Snooker

2010-02-22T17:28:00.009-06:00

The game of Snooker in agility is challenging,and some people claim to hate it. Others, like me, love it. And having played it the past two weekends, I've been thinking about it.

Snooker is a game that brings out the worst in our handling, until we get good at it, and then it brings out the best in our handling.

A winning strategy has to include the most efficient path for your dog, and if something goes wrong, requires thinking while running. Most of us don't practice these skills and so when we get a course map, when we walk the course, sometimes it's a real challenge to find the best course for you and your dog. And there are all those handlers on course, and no one seems to be walking the obstacles in the same order! And then, if you're on the running order later in the class, you might watch others and think "Oh I wish I'd thought of that!" and try to decide whether to abandon your plan in favor of one you didn't walk. It's something that you could practice, and should, as it might come in really handy!

Snooker can reward the bold plan--trying for 4 reds, trying for all 7s. It can also reward the safe plan, lower points but getting all the way through the closing sequence. Knowing what's best for your team on the day, on that course, is the BEST plan though.

I think (and trust me, I am no Snooker expert!) that finding a Snooker course with FLOW is the real key. One thing that I have learned to do is to number my course once I settle on it. Would that look OK if some judge designed it? (of course, Snooker does not lend itself to this, but the closer you come, the happier your dog will be) I watched Toni Osonicki run a course on Sunday that made so much sense! Her dog knew exactly where the next obstacle was. It was beautiful (and yes, it made me change my plan a bit. Successfully!)

And when something goes wrong--a bar comes down or your dog chooses a different path--you have to be able to think, and move before your thought is finished! Yesterday a bar came down and I tried to decide whether to add a red and a combo. Did I have time? Somehow I decided I didn't. I won't ever know if that was the right decision, but I knew it wouldn't be the wrong decision. As it happened, a dropped bar in the closing at #7 was our downfall.

Back to my thought though, about Snooker handling. I see a lot of handlers get so flustered in this class, and they either make some herky jerky moves, or scream at the dog, or stop on course to try to find an alternative path. CPE snooker courses are a great way to get the hang of the game. You can ONLY complete 3 reds (a 4th is an emergency red) and that takes out some of the risk-taking craziness. The lower levels are easier and as you progress, they do get more and more challenging. USDAA Snooker is harder in comparison.

But there is nothing more satisfying than conquering a Snooker course by creating a fast, flowing course that allows for maximum points.

I love Snooker, and I aspire to be a great Snooker handler.

Nature Notes

2010-02-04T19:51:00.005-06:00

I drove to LaCrosse, Wisconsin last weekend for an agility trial (more on that in a bit) and it was a great road trip. Late Friday afternoon, as I rounded a downhill curve into the river valley, the largest full moon that I have ever seen was rising. The color of the sky at that moment was sunset, pink/purple. All evening the moon was huge and bright, as was the moon-set the next morning. Later, I was told that this particular Wolf moon was actually larger (at perigee) and brighter than it would be for many many more years. How lucky am I to have seen this, and that the sky was clear for the next two nights too!
On the drive back, since it was early afternoon and the weather mild, I drove up Highway 61 along the Mississippi. I'd read that the recent bitter cold had resulted in more bald eagles gathered, earlier than the usual March numbers. And it was true. Between LaCrosse and Lake City I counted at least (I didn't stop) 48 eagles soaring in the air, parked on the ice near open water, or sitting in trees right next to the road. And as I peeked (no traffic behind me so I could slow down!) through the trees at Reed's Landing, I saw a flock of swans on the water. Wow.

Regarding the agility trial, it was a weekend to remember! Winn completed his "Triple Triple" Superior award on Saturday. This reflects the Superior award in all three classes (Regular, Jumpers and chances) in all three levels (Novice, Open and Elite) in NADAC. And then on Sunday, Maggie earned her NATCh #3 (Championship).

Back home, we are amused by the local deer. In the morning, a group marches single file along a path through our front woods, heading south, towards the swamp, along the edge, and then into the neighbor's woods. Around five p.m. we see them return, heading back north along the same path. It's as if they are commuting to and from work. It's usually two, or five, in separate groups. There's one "alpha" doe, too, who sometimes makes them stop and turn around. They are fun to watch.

For the last few mornings, there have been coyotes in the back woods. They are quite close to the house I think. They usually howl (two or three it seems) and then Stormy starts to bark outside, and the corgis woof a bit from inside. It's a beautiful sound, but I'm glad we haven't seen them during the day this year. The deep snow has to make it harder for them to find rabbits and mice.

The birds are busy at the feeders. My friend Lissie claims to have seen yellow on a goldfinch, but not here, yet. I think the winter has been hard on these guys, too, but we still have lots of activity. And I've seen lots of pheasants as I drive around.

With this much snow, I am both looking forward to and dreading spring. I am tired of the cold, but we may have an exceptionally muddy mud season this year. Time will, of course, tell, and there's not a damn thing to be done about it.

Patience, my foot

2010-01-20T20:44:00.007-06:00

I've been plagued with one of the more common effects of aging: fallen arches and the dreaded plantar fasciitis. Heel pain is annoying at the very least and sure takes the fun out of running. Or standing. So I took most of December off from agility and herding and it really seems to have helped. I am faithfully wearing my "boot" every night, stretching my ankles and calves before running, taping my foot, icing my foot (OK, about that-- I am not so faithful) and occasionally resorting to anti-inflammatory relief.
This week I have done more, and although I can feel it tonight, I really do believe I am through the worst of this. I am so looking forward to being able to run, take walks, and be generally more active this summer!
I treated myself to fancy new shoes, too. My friends Jason and Natalie (www.bestforpetsonline.com) are now stocking Ditas! They're a really nice turf shoe, but they've always been mail-order only----until now. Of COURSE they had my size. But I love them! Virtually no break-in. Good arch support. They push you up off your heels---AND even in the dirt last weekend, which was softer than usual, they kept me upright. All to the good!

Sit. Stay. Do....Nothing.

2010-01-12T21:33:00.006-06:00

I've been thinking about this for the past three weeks. For the second year in a row I was sick right before Christmas. This year, it was probably swine flu, which I don't recommend. 21 days later I am still coughing although I really do feel fine.

I know how this happens. I drive myself crazy with projects and sales conference in November. It doesn't feel like stress, but the minute I slow down my body takes its revenge. Instead of putting up decorations, I was shivering in bed with a fever. Instead of baking and eating sugar cookies, I was trying to stay hydrated (thank god for ginger ale!) Instead of taking the dogs for a romp in the good snow (light, fluffy) they had to keep me company as we all slept days away.

While it isn't a bad thing to catch up (on sleep, on TV, on the books I want to read) during the time off at Christmas, it is a bad thing to get sick in such a predictable way. It is a good thing to sit still, but you shouldn't have to be rendered immobile.

So: I am already planning on NOT getting sick next Christmas. I am planning to start those projects earlier in the year, to decorate the house right after sales conference, maybe even do some Christmas shopping. (now she's talking crazy)
Then, I plan to sit still. Healthy, and still. I will: sit in front of a fire, reading; address Christmas cards and feel free to write notes in them in a leisurely manner; reflect on the year and enjoy the fact that I am NOT sick.

I can hardly wait. I look forward to re-reading this post in the coming months. Happy New Year!

The Mahtzoh Toffee Recipe

2009-12-13T18:00:00.008-06:00

This has to be the easiest, most popular stuff ever. The story is that a group of friends made plans to gather and it happened to be Passover, and our friend and hostess Barb is Jewish. We all decided to honor that by bringing Jewish dishes to the party.
The party was a huge success and we enjoyed lots of new foods, and learned some Jewish history and traditions in the process. At one point Barb asked me to carve the rotisserie chickens she'd bought. As I cut into the first one, I thought the texture odd, and the first slice revealed that this was no chicken. Apparently our friend had grabbed a chicken....and a HAM!
We tease Barb often about Passover Ham, but it's the best kind of teasing, done with love and friendship.

So the toffee---I'd decided to bring a dessert but was having a lot of trouble finding a recipe. Another friend, George--an unlikely source of recipes-- happened to be talking about having been at the gym on the treadmill, watching a morning show, and the mahtzoh toffee that they were making sounded really good. Bingo! An internet search turned up several recipes, I picked the easiest, and the rest is history.

I've made countless batches now and sent the recipe to dozens of friends. Every time I hear back from another new fan, I think of the fun party, Passover ham, and the reason we share recipes.

MAHTZOH TOFFEE
1 c. butter (unsalted)
1 c. brown suger (dark or light, I've used both)
1/2 t. vanilla
dash sea salt
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips (see note)
1/2 package HEATH toffee chips
Mahztoh crackers

Preheat oven to 350
On a cookie sheet, lined with parchament paper, lay out a single layer of mahtzoh crackers. Cover the whole surface (you'll need to break a few crackers to fit)

Melt butter, add sugar. Heat to a boil then cook 3 minutes at a boil.
Add vanilla and sea salt, swirling quickly, then pour the mixture over the crackers. Use the back of a spoon to even out the candy.
Put the sheet in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes

Remove from oven and immediate spread chocolate chips over the pan. NOTE the better the chocolate, the better the toffee. I personally vouch for a mix of 60% cacao and semisweet chips. Chips will melt, smooth them out to cover the surface. Sprinkle the toffee chips over the chocolate. Reserve a small portion without nuts for your nut-allergic friends. Cool until chocolate is set. Break into pieces.

Store in airtight container. Toffee will last a few days. Well, it would last if it didn't disappear right away when you offer it around.

Enjoy.

Recipes

2009-12-13T17:46:00.003-06:00

Here are the recipes I've promised to post

CHICKEN POT PIE
PIE CRUST as taught to me by Ruth Mosley, my mother-in-law
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter (unsalted)

5 1/2 T cold water
1/4 c. flour

Mix flour, salt in bowl. Add shortening and butter and mix with pastry cutter until dough makes pea-sized pieces.
Mix cold water and flour. Add that, slowly, to the flour mix until dough sticks together when pressed woth fork.

FILLING
Poach chicken breasts (a package of three pieces) in microwave until cooked, then shred or dice. I usually have more chicken than needed. I use the rest as dog treats, or in chili. Use your imagination here.

At the same time, melt 3 T butter in sacucepan. Add flour until the butter's all absorbed, about 1/4 c. Add 2 c. milk and cook, stirring, until it thickens.
Add what you like! carrots, celery, peas, corn (I do) potatoes (I don't) until it's all cooked.

Preheat oven to 375
Roll out pie crust. Use about 2/3 and line a souffle-type dish with that. Roll out the rest for the top. Pour in the filling and then add the top crust.
Optional--egg wash on top crust--makes it pretty and a little crustier!
Bake for 15 minutes at 375 then reduce heat to 350 and cook another 30 minutes or so.

lights

2009-12-13T10:05:00.002-06:00

From uglychristmaslights.com:

Season's Greetings

2009-12-13T09:51:00.004-06:00

I was in LaCrosse, Wisconsin yesterday for an agility trial, and it finished about 6 pm. I wasn't looking forward to the 2 1/2 hour drive home in the dark, but the roads had been clear on the way down Friday afternoon (after our blizzard--LaCrosse got about 18" of snow) so I loaded up and headed out.
As it turned out, things weren't nearly as dark as I thought they'd be.
The snow reflected any light--headlights, streetlights, ubiquitous transmission towers, farmstead security lights--you name it and the snow brightened it.

The sky was cloudy, so the lights from all the small towns along the way were also reflected at that level--the nearly-pink color of winter sky.

But the most entertaining lights were those adorning seemingly every house between there and here. I can remember the energy crisis of the 70s when everyone was encouraged to cease this practice. Today, "icicles" frame the rooflines. Inflated snow globes bob and weave. Electric deer guard the garden. Snowmen light the way to the front door. Stars and crosses decorate silos.

So I'm not a big fan of all this. I love a string of lights on a tree as much as the next person, and I saw hundreds of those. I suppose families gather in the yard to blow up the reindeer and toss nets of lights on the bushes, then sit in the window gazing in delight. Then it's back to their video games.

I prefer the illumination of the full moon on fresh snow, and a starry sky. There's a meteor shower this week and those lights cannot be bought. Call me old fashioned!

November

2009-11-21T20:07:00.005-06:00

So we've passed the mid-November mark, and the above-average days continue. The moon rises and sets on a southern path, and yesterday the trumpeter swans flew overhead on their way somewhere to the east. We are all confused but there are finally flurries in the forecast. I can't complain about the nice weather, can I?

We are now on a little break from agility, with only one trial day planned until the new year. Last weekend was the perfect end to our run--Maggie finished her C-ATCH 3 last Sunday, and Winn and I enjoyed a "zone" run to complete the weekend's fun
Maggie of course made me work very hard for her big ribbon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3OC8gCq6Ks

And the Jumpers run was video-worthy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72wcGFOyKQs

(I have no idea how to embed the videos)

I'm blessed with good friends and good dogs, much to be thankful for, eh?

Thinking Ahead

2009-11-08T11:49:00.007-06:00

This weekend I started work on the Agile Canines 2010 calendar. ACTS Students send me photos and I create it, adding all the trial dates for the coming year.
Those dates shifted for 2010 in some of the organizations, so the work was doubled and the result doubly useful. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
It's a really fun project-- inserting photos on dog's birthdays, special days, and all the blank squares on a calendar. I imagine the delight on everyones' faces as they find their dogs.
I'm also taking the time to reflect on what a great year 2009 was, and looking forward to 2010. I plan to be thinner. I plan to have recovered from plantar fasciitis. I plan to work hard and play harder.

Maggie reluctantly agrees to more

2009-10-31T16:19:00.007-05:00

There are some things Maggie will do for the sake of the team, and she did enjoy a Touch N Go course (and Q'd!) but the next day on the dogwalk, she sought help from her fans in the stands. "Hey! Deb's here!

Maggie in Tennessee

2009-10-31T16:16:00.003-05:00

I had to post this. "Are you nuts? you must be, if you think I am going to run and jump under these conditions."

Books--the price wars

2009-10-31T09:47:00.003-05:00

You've heard or read of the new pricing "strategy" by Wal Mart (they started it. So typical) Amazon and Target, where the online shopper can buy bestsellers (they picked 10 titles) at $8.99. Then Sears decided that if you brought a $8.99 book receipt in their stores, you could get credit (Sears doesn't sell books, but labeled their vengeance "KEEP AMERICA READING") .
So my smart friend George has it all figured out:
1) Buy all ten books online
2) Take the receipts to Sears and get a leaf blower
3) Return the books to Barnes & Noble for store credit and buy DVDs
4) Watch movies, blow leaves from his lawn
6) Sell the movies on eBay.

I'd add 7) buy a book from an independent bookseller.

Chris

2009-10-29T22:17:00.001-05:00

Winn's photo from the Awards ceremony at TDAA PetitPrix

The Nationals--what a month!

2009-10-29T22:02:00.003-05:00

I’ve spent the better part of the past month traveling for my hobby, dog agility. It was a most enjoyable trip!
National events are the highlight of my year. I was lucky enough to go from the NADAC Championships to the Corgi Nationals to the TDAA “Petit Prix”. It is so much fun to see friends from all over the country, make new friends, and compete against some great teams.
NADAC this year was in Shelbyville TN. Conditions were not ideal: hot and humid (when it wasn’t raining) and deep, rocky footing. I had more fun socializing and coming back to the guesthouse that a friend and I rented than the competition. Maggie reminded me that she left Tennessee as a puppy for good reason! After the first runs she was happily promoted to the front office. Although it’s a disappointment to have your dog not run well at a national event, it would be so unfair to ask it of a partner who usually gives it her best shot. As I said to my friends, Maggie has nothing to prove to anyone.
Winn cares not about conditions and ran well. I suffered from some handling goofs the first day and it cost us, I’m sure, in the overall standings. I learned that I really have to focus and get into the game from the first run. Even over the 15 runs (yes), over five days (yes!) of this Championships, even though Winn ran clean from the second day on, it wasn’t enough to make the Finals. I could beat myself up, or I could learn from this; I hope I’ll always choose to learn.
So after the NADAC event, we drove from Shelbyville to Fort Mitchell KY for two days of Corgi Nationals agility. Again, friends—some I’d never met in person! arrived to celebrate the Pembroke. My good friend (and co-breeder of Winn’s litter) Cindy Traylor was there with a new friend., Maureen Flaherty, who has Winn’s nephew Jagger. Cindy has Winn’s sister and his uncle “Beau” one of my very favorite dogs. Beau had just won HIT at the herding part of the Corgi Nationals!
We ran four runs over the two days, and Winn ran really well, qualifying in all four runs and placing in three. At the end of the second day, he was awarded the “Poppy” trophy which is a big deal—it’s a Challenge Trophy awarded to the high scoring agility dog at the Nationals—and our four clean runs edged out another dog with four clean runs too, by virtue of time. It was, and is, a huge honor, and we got photos of Winn and Beau with their trophies.
We drove home and rested up for about a week before loading up the van again and heading for Racine WI for the TDAA Nationals. TDAA is “Teacup” agility, for dogs measuring 17” and under at the withers. The equipment is small and the distances between obstacles are much shorter. All in all, to go from NADAC distance to TDAA in three weeks’ time is a big adjustment! But I have always trained with the goal of being successful in all the agility organizations, and Winn made the adjustment. (Huge thanks here to both Annelise Allan, our friend, mentor and trainer, and to Stacy Peardot-Goudy, whose seminars we never ever miss)
The TDAA event was another test of endurance, with five runs to the Semifinals, two Semifinal runs, and a “winner take all” Finals Round. We stayed in the middle of the pack throughout the first five runs, but both Maggie and Winn made the Semis! Maggie likes TDAA a lot, she doesn’t have to run as far and the contact obstacles are smaller and shorter. She wasn’t fast enough to make the Finals, but she worked her butt off. She made me so proud!
Winn ‘s runs over the tournament were all solid with the exception of his weave pole performance. The short, vertically striped poles seemed to faze him (and probably caused me to over handle—which never works!) but his Steeplechase Semifinals run was terrific and helped us get to the Finals, I’m sure (the scoring for the tournament was complicated and I didn’t pay much attention to it).
The Finals run was a strategy game called Who Dares Wins. A 21-obstacle course was set. Each obstacle was worth points. You had an optimum time of 50 seconds with a point penalty for going under or over. You could start anywhere on the course and run more than the 21 obstacles. We were given a lot of time to study the course map, and a good long walk through to figure out strategy.
I walked a possible plan and then added one obstacle. I paced the yardage, thinking about how many obstacles and yards Winn and I can usually run in 50 seconds. I walked it twice and came up with the same yardage, and it felt right. We had to turn in our estimated points before anyone ran. I turned in my estimate and watched the first few dogs run. From what I could see, I knew that we’d have to run fast! A lot of dogs were on the dogwalk when the buzzer went off, costing them points.
Then it was our turn. It’s funny, but I enjoy this sport so much, and love running with my dogs, that I really don’t get nervous, even in a competition like this. I have gotten to the point where my routine involves visualizing the course (correctly!), taking some good deep breaths, and then remembering to smile. So as I stood on the line, I was all set. Winn and I walked out to the middle of the ring, since I’d decided to start on #15 and run from there. I put Winn in a down, led out, and signaled to the timer that we were ready.
What happened next will live in my memory for a long time. I’ve had “in the zone” runs before and in fact lately a lot of runs with Winn have been there—our partnership has evolved this year to a great “sweet spot” and it’s been a lot of fun. But this run went beyond that to an entirely new zone. When the buzzer went off as Winn cleared the final jump, the crowd went wild, signaling what was a perfect run. I had correctly estimated a course that we executed without a misstep, flowing through the obstacles without a pause. Even those weave poles were flawless.
The run held up over the course of the Finals and Winn is now a National Champion. The president of the organization, Bud Houston, paid me terrific compliments in person and on his own blog. I have a video of the run which will help me remember the moment. And the overall experience of this past month has given me a lot to think about, to reflect upon, to make goals for the next year.
As I sit here typing, both Maggie and Winn, the dogs who have taught me everything, snooze on the couch. They could not be more different, these two, and yet we are a team. Maggie has given me the gift of patience. She makes me laugh every single day. Winn has given me the gift of confidence. He makes me look good. I am the luckiest girl on the planet.

Winn herding

2009-07-20T22:14:00.003-05:00

This is Susane Hoffman, our wonderful herding coach, with Winn at a June trial. I knew that Winn was ready, but I wasn't, so I asked her to handle him for me until I felt 110% prepared. His first try wasn't successful, but the next day he worked really well, qualified and placed. It's interesting how much confidence this actually gave me.

In the Zone

2009-07-20T21:53:00.008-05:00

The summer agility trial season is in full swing and we're all pretty happy about it. Maggie is staying home when the weekend trial is AKC or USDAA and I think she is none too happy about that, as this has happened two weekends in a row and this past weekend was also a road trip without her. It's hard to convey to her how much I miss her when she isn't with us, how much more bored she'd be to be at a trial without any of the fun, and that THIS weekend she gets to play! She'll perk up once I pack gear on Friday I think.

Winn is having a blast, which means I am having a blast. We have started to really gel as a team and have had some "in the zone" time lately. My goal has been to achieve success in the various agility organizations and we're approaching that. They require different skills and we practice a lot of them. There is always more to work on.

We are also working on our herding partnership and we're at the point now where I am beginning to make concrete strides in reading and working stock. This is enormous progress and again, although the zone is more elusive, I can sense that it's possible.

Soon things will slow down a little bit, we won't trial every weekend. This requires tremendous effort when things are going well, but it will help keep everyone in balance.

Bad haircuts

2009-07-10T21:23:00.004-05:00

Back when I was in Junior High (painful enough) I went by myself to get a haircut at the local beauty parlor (that dates my tale right there!), armed with a magazine photo of the perfect style. I was pretty excited, anticipating a very stylish, new me.

Of course the result was nothing like what I'd brought. It was hideous.

I left the parlor and was met by the "bad boys" from my grade. Whatever I looked like? didn't matter at all because they were just mean kids. I went straight to the drug store upstairs and bought a scarf; you can imagine the selection. I remember it was pink.
And that's all I remember from that day, and that haircut. I must have survived going to school, and of course my hair grew out. By the time I was in high school, I wore it long and straight. I suppose the mean boys eventually grew up; they may have daughters and granddaughters of their own.

I bring this up because my normally fabulous haircutter had an off day last week, and I was in the chair. She's really good, and I've had dozens of great cuts these past 10 years (how loyal am !?). This time, rather than heading for a scarf, I am comforted by my junior high experience: I know my hair will grow out. And there were no mean kids waiting, no name-calling or hoots of derision. Even Allen didn't mention it until I did.

Birdwatching

2009-06-25T15:59:00.005-05:00

Still as statues, a pair of waxwings (Cedar, I think, but I didn't have the angle to be certain) perched at the top of one of our dead elms in the pasture. It was near sunset.
It was too hot to fly, I believe, and they seemed in no hurry to move. Neither did I until the bugs drove me away.

2009-04-20T20:43:00.000-05:00

2009-04-14T21:14:00.002-05:00

Happy 10th Birthday, Maggie!

A blessing

2009-04-12T18:46:00.002-05:00

I was entering the grocery store Saturday morning. Standing by the front door was a woman, on crutches, probably awaiting a pick-up. The man in front of me cheerfully greeted her: "Been there, done that!" and it was only then I noticed he had a prosthetic leg.
Chris

Translation. please

2009-04-09T17:23:00.003-05:00

I swear that every morning, when the radio alarm goes off, that the NPR voices I hear are NOT speaking in the English language. I can't identify the language, nor do I think it's the same foreign tongue each day. After about two minutes though, the announcer resumes relaying the news in words I understand. Only then is it OK to be fully awake and get up out of bed.
Go figure.

Driving the River Road

2009-03-26T22:07:00.006-05:00

Last Sunday I drove back from La Crosse WI. It was a lovely, warm spring day and the agility trial was done early so we (the corgis and I) decided to take Highway 61 along the Mississippi.
There was all this to see:

At least 20 bald eagles. Some soared, some sat, on branches, on nests, some stood on the melting river ice.

A dozen soaring pelicans! They are so cool, first white, then gray-brown, as they change direction.

Maybe two immature bald eagles or two golden eagles--I wasn't stopping, and they were too far away to tell for sure. They were on Lake Pepin, again on the disappearing ice.

I also saw what turned out to be the FIRST barge on the Mississipi for the year! I wondered when I saw it, and the newspaper confirmed it on Monday.

This drive is filled with memories, as I drive through Lake City (where I learned to drive) and Frontenac (where Sheri Stephens and I bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked them on the walk back to Villa Maria) and Red Wing (home of the boys' reform school) and Miesville (home of the Mudhens) and Farmington (the fairgrounds where I showed my pony in 4-H) and the hills and farms between there and home.

The other night public tv aired a documentary about Highway 61, starting on the North Shore and driving the River Road to La Crescent. I realized then that I have been on the entire Highway 61 through Minnesota. Now I can't wait until August, when this road will take me along the North Shore and on up to Thunder Bay.

(Photo from StarTribune)

The brains in the family

2009-03-21T20:25:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking about this ever since reading Jill Taylor's MY STROKE OF INSIGHT.
My brother Tim had a lemon-sized clot removed from his brain after a fall down a flight of stairs at a party in college.
My dad Lloyd died of a brain tumor.
My brother Rob had a stroke at the age of 44.

I don't know what it all means, but there has to be some kind of connection.
I remember the surgeon asking if Tim had been a musician. "No," I told him, "will he be one now?"
I think about "jumping the corpus callosum"
I think about the brains in the family.

Gretchen

2009-01-31T09:38:00.002-06:00

Most of you never met her. When people hear that we have rottweilers they are almost always surprised, and yet, Allen and I have always had rotties, since we moved out to the country and could finally have a dog.
Gretchen was our third rottie. We were looking for a puppy after losing Della (Della Street and Perry Mason were our first) to cancer in 1999. We were still fairly ignorant about dogs generally but were lucky. We drove to a breeder in Wisconsin who was expecting puppies later that summer. As we chatted, a gorgeous four year old bitch met us and was immediately and earnestly committed to winning Allen over. I think it took about ten minutes. After an hour or so, the breeder said she’d let us purchase Gretchen if we’d consider an adult dog. We drove home, thought about, and drove back a week later to pick up Gretchen. We celebrated her 4th birthday on the fourth of July a few weeks later.
She was too heavily-built for agility and I didn’t know much about obedience at the time, which is a shame as she would have loved it, I think. They don’t come much smarter and more eager to please than she did. But she had never been socialized around cats, and was, we found later, a bit reactive (she and Maggie fought) so she didn’t get out much. After losing Mason, Stormy came to us as a re-homed dog from another breeder, and our two-pack continued. I’d certainly do things differently today, but at the time this was just more lessons about dogs.
“Pie” as Allen called her, was diagnosed with spondylosis in 2005 and that further curtailed her activities, but she enjoyed walking the trails on Mushtown for several years. One day she disappeared, then returned with an opossum in her mouth. I asked her to leave it and we finished our walk, then I went back to retrieve it so Allen could bury it. I carried it, by its tail, back to the barn and set the carcass down in the barn. Imagine Allen’s surprise when he opened the door to find it Very Much Alive and glaring at him.
We have coyotes in the woods and both Gretchen and Stormy howled right along with them. The “girls” alerted us to the UPS and FedEx trucks, and counted the agility students arriving here for class.
It was obvious this winter that Gretchen was starting to fail. She started to lose weight, regurgitated her meals, and was losing strength and balance.
Today, we made the decision to let her cross the bridge in search of Della, Mason, Precious (our foxhound), several cats, and that possum. Stormy said goodbye very somberly and I know she will be grieving with us. When I came back into the house, Maggie slowly flipped over for a belly rub as if to say goodbye in her own way, too. She and Winn have stuck close to me all afternoon.
We’ll miss her tons.
Praetor Gretchen V RCR, CGC
7/4/95-1/29/09

2009-01-22T19:24:00.000-06:00

2009-01-22T19:22:00.001-06:00

Funny, I couldn't find exactly what I saw but this will remind me.

Frosty morning

2009-01-22T19:08:00.003-06:00

I drove to an appointment this morning--lucky me, since the trees were covered in frost and the scenery was breathtaking. On my drive home, the sun had come out but it wasn't yet melting the frost so it was even more beautiful, especially crossing the Minnesota River. I'm sure there will be photos somewhere so I'll try to grab one and post to help me remember......when the wind comes up tonight and the temperature drops below zero again...just in time for the weekend.

old posts that I could not figure out how to merge

2009-01-19T10:31:00.001-06:00

Dew point

2009-01-19T09:46:00.002-06:00

I was sitting in the van Sunday morning in the parking lot of the local gas/convenience store. Allen was inside and his errand ended up taking about ten minutes.
I started to notice what people were carrying as they returned to their cars, and I was amazed at the consistency of one purchase: Mountain Dew. Bottles. Big bottles. But mostly 12-packs.
The next most-purchased item was the Sunday paper, however purchasers of these two things did not overlap.
What did go with the Dew? Cigarettes.
Also in a regular parade--energy drinks: Red Bull, Monster, others I didn't recognize. Colored water enriched with god-knows-what
Unique purchase---a man emerged with a huge number of lottery tickets (later reported to be 75)
Most amusing purchase: A large box of Cap'n Crunch and a quart of milk.

Celebrating zero

2009-01-16T20:10:00.002-06:00

Although I wasn't home this week, the weather here was awful. Below zero Monday morning until today (Friday) at noon, the horses stayed in the barn, the rottie girls stayed in their doghouse, and Allen and the corgis went outside as little as possible.
Today when the thermometer registered no degrees, everyone breathed a sigh of relief--without frozen nose hairs.
Once the thermometer went to 2.7 degrees of course, it started to snow. Just a few flurries which lasted no more than a few minutes, but still.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T16:58:00.003-06:00

I am now on day #15 of a cold, and although I suspect I will survive, it's been enough to keep me from doing a lot of things I'd planned on getting done over the Christmas break. Finally to the point where I don't fall asleep on the couch, I sort of miss being able to do that.