Hooray!!!!

Hooray!!! We were back at training tonight after weeks and weeks of cancellations - Christmas, New Year, snow, ice..... and it was wonderful! Lovely to see everyone again, and dogs and handlers all seemed refreshed after their compulsory lay off.
Bryn was working well for me, though I was enjoying myself so much that I kept losing my way - LOL! Amber was awesome!! She just couldn't put a foot wrong, and was working at a good speed too. I thoroughly enjoyed working with my dogs - and also instructing the Novice class too.
All in all, a really good night!!

New Front Door

For some time I have wanted a new front door. The one I had was shabby, leaking warmth a lot, and surrounded by a 30 year old rotting wooden surround.
So, they are not cheap! I saved and now, here we are! The hall already feels loads warmer.

Before:

During:

After - indoors:

and outdoors:

SORTED!!

I give in......

(The main road and bus route in and out of our village)

Just as I thought a thaw was starting yesterday, it started snowing again - and is still snowing now 14 hours later.....so I give in and I'm posting the obligatory snow dog pictures.....

Not Snow...

As this country has come to a grinding halt, and all agility activities have been cancelled, because of the snow over the last fortnight, all that the news stations seem to talk about is snow. So I refuse to add to the plethora of stories and pictures about snow on this Blog.
Please can we have some rain?

A Busy Time

It's been a very busy - and unusual - Christmas and New Year.
My 90 year old Dad had to go back into hospital, where they discovered a massive abscess in the hip joint that he had replaced 3 years ago. In case it's tea time when you read this, I'll spare you the details of drainage etc, but after clearing the infection, they have removed the infected artificial hip bit, and left him with....no hip joint..... so it's going to be awhile before he is mobile again.

So, in 17 days I drove down to his (emergency) bedside and back again (a round trip of 275 miles) on 3 occasions; Christmas Dinner was had in the hospital staff canteen; I was in my own home for a total of  6 days - just enough to get the washing done before travelling again....... And it was all worth it!!!!
At present, Dad is recovering well, although it is still early days - only 2 days since the operation. Mum (89 herself) is remarkable in her fortitude and strength; and my sister, who is playing the essential support role, is an angel.
No wonder my family are my heroes!

Happy Christmas!!

Have a lovely Happy Christmas everyone!!!
(Click above)

The Melody Plays On

Bryn goes to HTM once a week for a bit of clicker fun. He loves it and works so hard! Last night we opted to try for our first level test - Melody. (All the tests are named after some aspect of music) And he passed!!!! He had to perform - twice each - 2 positions (sit and down for us) and 10 moves. He was a little star, not helped by me getting the giggles as he kept trying to offer more/different ineligible moves.
(Just so that the other two don't feel left out, I have to remind everyone that Corker has his Herding Certificate, and Amber, as well as being the first ACD to get to Grade 6 agility, also passed her KCGC Bronze twice....they lost the paperwork first time!!!)

The First Snow of Winter

7.30am and Bryn and I set off, lit up like Christmas Trees in the dark, to go for a walk - AND IT WAS SNOWING big, beautiful flakes. It was only settling in the colder hollows on the hillside, so the rest of the walk was the wet, muddy affair that we have come to know and...hate.

By 8.30am when I set off with Amber and Corker, it had turned to rain again.....when will it ever stop?? So we trudged around the hillside, slipping and sliding as usual, and bringing home enough mud to plant flowers in.

But for at least 40 minutes we had proper snow - the first time this winter!! (And no cold icy wind either - hooray!)

(PS I have cheated with the picture - this was from the early months of this year - last winter)

What did I do...?

What did I do to deserve, not only a really fabulous family, but such great dogs for companions too?

Bryn did well yesterday in an intensive 121 agility coaching session, working so hard for me, and then his HTM class later where he picked things up sooo quickly; Amber has become a real little cuddle bag now that she is semi-retired from agility, though she isn't going to give up her place next to me on the sofa to anyone else; and Corkscrew is being sooo attentive, wanting cuddles - very unlike him - and games and just general closeness. Makes me realise how very blessed I am.

Wilmslow

Myerscough is generally a noisy, busy venue - but Wilmslow DTS always manage to make it seem relaxed and happy, so it is enjoyable going to their shows there. Like yesterday.
Classes only for Large and Small dogs, so neither Amber nor Corker got to play, so it was odd to be hanging around waiting for Bryn's 3 classes. We didn't get going until 10.45am, having walked Sue Morley's Large Combined 3 to 5 Agility course at 8.00am, so not surprisingly I ended up on the wrong side of the dog walk and wasted valuable time trying to get back on track! Bless him, Bryn took it all in his stride - clear round and 17th place! Would have been about 7th if he'd had a better handler!!
Nothing after that until lunchtime when both Large Graded 4/5 Agility and Large Combined 4/5 Jumping went up for walking at the same time. Bryn and I ran first in the Agility - some great technical sections (thanks Nic Jones!) - and did a clear in a fast enough time to finish up as 8th! I was still on a high as I went straight across to the Jumping, and miscued Bryn for the 3rd jump (Said 'Back' instead of the 'Back in' needed) and he did exactly what I told him to do, picking up a jump some way off, as per the training we have been doing about spotting the fence ahead and ignoring the side obstacles. Good boy!! Don't think the judge, Alan Sherwin, could quite understand why I was so pleased to get eliminated - especially as Bryn then returned to the original, highly technical, course, and did a perfectly executed round after that.
So, two rosettes with numbers on them (!) in our first real Grade 4 competition - I drove home through the dark and rain and greasy road spray smiling all the way!!

It's the little things....

For a few weeks now Bryn and I have been doing some HTM classes - very basic moves still, but coming along nicely, and very enjoyable for both of us. Bryn prefers to do touches with his nose, hardly ever using his paws by choice, so tonight was really special when he thought very hard about what he had to do.......and touched my hand firmly with his paw only! It sounds like a little thing, but if you could have seen the concentration on his face, working out exactly what was going to earn him that click and treat. I do love the lad!!

Carpe.....

I have decided to use my Performance Psychology diplomas on myself and the dogs (!), and have chosen Carpe Diem as my motto. Amber and Bryn have chosen Carpe Ossium - unfortunately usually the same ossium....; Corker has chosen Carpe Pinnatum, but only while we are out for a walk and he has flushed the local wild pheasant and grouse a few times.......

Take a Break

I've been promising myself a break away in a proper hotel (!) and also some 121 training with Bryn to try to sort out a few handling issues I have with him.
So off Bryn and I went to The Long Mynd Hotel at Church Stetton (http://www.eurobookings.com/church-stretton-hotels-gb/longmynd-hotel.html?label=gg_en_bh_33990-united-kingdom-church-stretton-longmynd-hotel&gclid=CPLf6d7Hv50CFVVu4wody2Dgrg) for a couple of nights, and a couple of hours training in wonderful scenery with Lee Gibson (http://www.leegibsontraining.co.uk/)
Just don't ask about the journey - either way - or driving over the Burway from Church Stetton to Lee's place the other side of the Long Mynd.....
The hotel was set in the most marvellous location - high on a promontory over-looking the town, with views across to Wenlock Edge, and surrounded by its own woodlands with wonderful walks. Bryn thought the grounds were paradise - though he wasn't so sure about the elavator in the hotel... The hotel had commissioned Dave Bytheway, chainsaw sculptor, to carve animals and birds on fallen logs, tree stumps, tree branches as well as a standing circle of 5 foot high beavers (?) in a glade near the hotel, so taking a walk was fascinating for me too as I tried to spot all the carvings - and failed! Have to go again!!
Lee lives and trains in a beautiful tranquil valley of the Long Mynd, with a stream flowing through the bottom of the vale, and only the sounds of birds, sheep, the wind to be heard. It's idyllic - but I'd hate to try to get there in winter. Bryn and I had two single hours of training, and I proved how unco-ordinated I could be while trying really hard to get mouth, hands and feet in perfect sync. Lee was sooo patient with me! Between sessions I had far too large a lunch at a real olde-world traditional pub, but I did manage to work out what I was supposed to have been doing in the morning. I think I got it slightly better in the afternoon session, but it might have been wishful thinking on my part.
We were both shattered when we got back to the hotel, so had a really relaxing evening. I think we were both ready for bed. However, Bryn took exception to the owls hooting outside, so we spent most of the night in a whispered tussel to stop him barking and waking up the whole hotel. Light on...light off...light on...light off...... neither of us felt much like a long walk the next morning.
Which was just as well as the journey home, which should have taken 3 hours, took 6....Don't ask about the journey!!!!

Signing off in style!

Lune Valley today was Amber's last proper competition. Although not quite 10 years old, and therefore relatively young to be retiring from proper competition in agility, she has had her share of health problems in the past and I want her to continue to enjoy a good quality of life. As spinning between obstacles exacerbates her back problems, I have decided to curtail her agility - effectively to retire her from competition.

How delighted was I to discover that her last 6/7 Jumping course was our idea of jumping heaven! Lots of changes of direction and pull throughs and pass-by's and such like - hardly a straight line in sight. We ran first as no-one else wanted to go - it seems I was in a very small minority in actually liking the course. It was the same course as the Large 6/7 dogs had run, and there were only a handful of clear rounds. That seemed to have put off the Medium handlers a fair bit.

Well, I can't say that it all flowed smoothly but we managed a clear round much to my surprise and delight.......and I was even more surprised and delighted to receive a 4th place rosette!!

Our Winter Season begins....

.....with Ribble's indoor show at Accrington, a new venue to me as they used to be at Osbaldeston. Amber's courses didn't really suit her, so we did our TYOL versions (with judges' prior permission) and she thought she'd just won the Champ class! Well, she did have the fastest course time of the day - 6.02 seconds - just not the right course. Lol!
Bryn was not at all settled in the venue, though I can't work out why as he is usually fine indoors. He was a bit anxious, not working on but watching me carefully (instead of looking where he was going) so getting 5F on the first 2 courses. He managed a Clear and 9th place with a 'nice' round in Comb 1 to 3 Helter Skelter, then got his act together suddenly for the last class of the day, blasting off from the start. As a result I was playing 'catch up', tried to turn a corner too tight - and forced him into having a pole down! Such a shame, as he had a very competitive time, too.
That was Bryn's last Grade 3 show - he goes up to play with the 'big boys and Girls' in Grade 4 at his next show, Lune Valley. I hope he's got over his spookiness at indoor venues by then!

Chatsworth - or retail therapy

I had entered 4 classes each for Amber and Bryn: Medium 1 to 7 agility, jumping and combined small and medium helter skelter, with 'on the day' pairs for Amber; and Large 1 to 3 agility, jumping, helter skelter and pairs for Bryn. In the meantime I had decided only to run Amber in jumping classes, so that would mean 7 classes in total. I ran 3 in total - so what went wrong?
Bryn ran his agility but rolled a pole (huge wooden ones) so I put him back on his contact when it wasn't as perfect as usual, and got him eliminated. Then the helter-skelter class (same for all sizes) was set up, and in my opinion, it was dangerous to run. What you have to know is that the ring at Chatsworth has some plastic boards in the middle of it marking the helipad....novel I know. Anyway, in the rain, they had become very slippery. Most Chatsworth judges avoid this area, or stick something over the top of it like a water jump, but this course would have required me to run across the boards twice, once on a tightish turn, so I opted not to run it. As far as I know, only one handler skidded and fell, but I wasn't risking yet another injury - so I went shopping instead with Corker for company. Try eating a mediterranean chicken wrap with a shopping bag in one hand and a cattle dog in the other!! But sampling the cider/beer/sloe gin was fun.......
After lunch I ran Amber and Bryn in their respective jumping classes. Amber was on a flier, so I decided to layer a section in a way that I can usually only do with Bryn - it didn't work sadly, so another big E. Then Bryn got on the start line - first fence, second fence, sharp left to the tunnel - except Bryn did a right out to the boundary, then a beautiful outrun all the way around the edge of the ring, taking several jumps en route, and back to me. (I suspect he had heard the stunt planes arriving over the hill as Corker has taught him to chase planes....) The judge said I could start again - so he did one of the most impressively clear rounds he has ever done - of course!!
Couldn't be bothered with the pairs, so went for some more retail therapy (bakewell tarts, latte coffee, chocolate sampling...) and watched the terrier racing and log sawing (can anything be less interesting?!?) and birds of prey in the main arena.
The agility may have been crap, but I had a lovely day out!!

Best Laid Plans...

The plan was:
Enter Chatsworth on Friday, and High Peak at nearby Bakewell Showground on Saturday and Sunday. After negotiations, arranged to stay overnight Thursday night at Bakewell so that I could get up at a civilised time on Friday, and tootle the 10 miles or so to Chatsworth. Simples!!
Best laid plans, and all that!!!
The remnants of Hurricane David (or some such) hit the British Isles on Wednesday, bringing torrential rain and gales to the north of the country. Rang High Peak on Thursday morning - was there any danger of the show being cancelled? Told that I could park on the hard standing next to the clubs' caravans to ensure I could get away Friday morning - sorted! So even if the showgorund was waterlogged, I'd be all right jack!
Packed the camper and set off for a blustery drive to Bakewell. Got to the showground and.....no road - just a river where the approach road should be. I could see the caravans on the far side, but there was no way I could drive the camper through the water to get there.... and would I ever get off again in the morning? Rang the show organisers who confirmed the inevitable - Show cancelled.
So, multi-point turn on the road and set off back the way I'd come. Wait a sec! I'd have to go past Chatsworth, so worth calling in to see what the state of play was there.....via the great Chatsworth Farm Shop Restaurant of course. Well, I needed a consolation meal for having driven all that way for nothing!
At Chatsworth the car park was closed - already impassable - but I knew how to get to our usual show spot inside the Country Fair grounds. No sign of the organisers, but the ring looked pretty wet, with the agility equipment standing forlornly in the middle. There was a huge pool of water alongside the ring, and it was evident that the usual car parking places for us were not going to be available this time.
The SatNav took me home via the scenic route, which would have been wonderful except that I was driving a high sided camper in gale force gusts of wind. Got home to the news that, so far as anyone knew, Chatsworth was still scheduled to go ahead.
So, unpacked the camper; packed the car; fuelled the car; and now I'm watching anxiously for confirmation/cancellation to be announced before I start the whole journey again - at some silly hour of the morning! It had better be worth-while....Bryn!!!

Wet Lakeland......

In amongst the sunshine, hail, showers and strong winds I discovered that I need to feed Bryn more.....
He was driving over the dog walk into his down contact - about 6 inches from the contact - when a huge gust of wind picked him up, floated out his coat, and deposited him gently on his feet, in his perfect 2o2o position, about a foot to the far side of the contact. I don't know who was the most surprised: the judge, who froze and exclaimed 'The wind just picked him up!'; me, who froze and exclaimed 'He's just been blown off!'; or Bryn who held his postion perfectly but kept looking at the end of the contact as if not quite sure how it had got over there to the side instead of under his feet!!
No damage done (except to our fairly good chances in the class) as I ran him over that section of the course again, with the judge's permission, and he still powered it - little star!!

Going Up.....
Bryn and I have always done better at the Grade 3 to 5 type courses rather than the Grade 1 to 3 type courses, and a quick check through his Record Book confirmed this for me.
So, although a lot of people scorn dogs being promoted on points, as if it's somehow second rate, after this weekend at WBSDS at Oswestry Bryn will be going up to Grade 4, having got a Clear Round in Jumping, and a 10th and a 6th in two Agility classes, to boost his points score and giving him more than enough points for promotion. So, High Peak will be the first time he runs as a Grade 4 dog, and I have spent some time writing to and phoning Show Secretaries to ask them to change my entries....
Why do people scorn dogs that are promoted on points? How is being consistently well placed worse than having, perhaps, one fluky agility win?

Random Acts of Kindness

I was on my way to Lincoln (JDA Agility Show) on Friday when I passed a car with a bumper sticker that read 'Commit Random Acts of Kindness' and this got me to thinking.
Recently I have received several unexpected RAoKs - not major things, just unexpected, like the lady who paid half my carparking fee at the hospital when she saw I hadn't got enough change. As a beneficiary it changed my outlook on the day, making me so much more good-humoured and 'one with the world'. RAoKs also have a feel-good factor for the benefactor, who knows that they have done something appreciated by others.
So, I got to thinking more: what if we all decided to do at least one Random Act of Kindness a day? It would have to be spontaneous, not pre-planned, and need not be anything major. What happens is that you become far more aware of the needs of others, and are actively seeking opportunities to commit the RAoK. Recipients benefit, and so do we. The world would gradually become a better place to live as we all looked for opportunities to help others in some way - just once a day, and still with a choice of whether to act or not.
What about it? I'd love to hear comments about whether you thought it was worth a shot.
Edited to add: always check first that the RAoK will be acceptable - not all blind/elderly people want to cross the road.........