Eventful, to say the least! Before going I'd had to borrow a battery charger as the engine on the camper was dead - despite all my efforts over the winter to keep it topped up.
Arriving at Winterton for the Dog Vegas Easter Show I discovered that the gas regulator was also dead - so no hot water, fridge, heating, cooking......... luckily brilliant friends looked after me and when Bob Scott heard on Sunday he leant me his spare regulator straight away. That hot shower was wonderful!!!
Then on the way home, just as I was cruising at 70mph on the M62 and musing about what a fabulous show it had been, the camper suddenly became possessed and careered all over the 3 lanes and the hard shoulder - several times. It took me about 2 seconds - or a lifetime as it felt - to realise that a rear tyre had blown, and I was really lucky that there was no-one beside or behind me at the time as the road was quite busy. I managed to remember not to try to brake, and to steer lightly because of the power steering, but I daren't take a hand off the wheel to use the gears to slow it further. Anyway, we finally came to a straight and calm halt on the hard shoulder, and about 40 minutes later a breakdown van arrived to change the tyre for me (I was still shaking too much to do it myself) and 10 minutes later all was over. No-one, no dogs and not even the camper was harmed or hurt - but I never want to go through that again!
Yet, despite all these things, and the drizzly weather and chilly wind, my remaining impression of the show is that it was wonderful. So many of my friends, and people who I have trained, got superb results (see the White Rose Blog http://whiteroseagility.blogspot.com/) and almost everyone seemed in such a good mood - first camping show of the new season. Bryn and Amber only managed a clear round each - not fast enough sadly, but with places only to First in Amber's classes, there wasn't going to be much hope of points for a nine year old dog. Bryn bogged off twice, but I think I know the reasons for that and can, I hope, avoid it happening in future. He dropped a few poles when I turned too sharply (Amber-turns) so I must stop doing that! But so many people including judges commented positively on his contacts and weaves - good stuff little man! And we managed to measure 35 dogs over the weekend, mostly first-timers, so it looks like there will be quite a few new human and canine faces around this season.
So, today I'm replacing tyres and regulators...... :((
PS Dad update - he's feeling fine but movement to a Community Hospital for the next stage has been delayed as he now has MRSA and cellulitis. He didn't have either when he entered hospital.....
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