West Lakes

West Lakes is one of my favourite shows, set next to the beach dunes on the Cumbrian coast with a panorama of lakeland hills behind the camping area.The journey there is a bit daunting however, and this year was worse than most.....
I always go a day early - Thursday - so that I can take my time, enjoy the scenery, and help set up the show on Friday. So off I went at 9.30am Thursday - very little traffic on the motorways so I even stopped for coffee at a service area en route...so glad that I did! Eventually turned off the M6 onto the A590 and hit a very long tail back from roadworks, but nothing could spoil my good mood, and eventually we were past and turning off at Greenodd onto the A5902.
Now, this is a very narrow road at the start, with no pavements and dry stone walls on both sides, and quite twisty. I had gone about 3 miles, just past Penny Bridge, when I rounded a corner carefully to see that the wall on the nearside had colapsed and there was a rock the size of a football about a metre into the road........and an articulated wagon coming towards me on the other side of the road at quite a fast speed!!! Instant decision - hit the wagon or the rock???? The rock won - BAM! BAM! two nearside tyres burst on impact. I limped about 20 metres further on to be clear of the corner and pulled as close to the nearside wall as I could and put on the hazards. I couldn't see, when I got out, if it was just the tyres that were damaged or the actual wheels as well....but there didn't seem to be any damage under the vehicle thank goodness. Fabulous service from the insurers who had a recovery vehicle to me in just over an hour, and the passing policeman who checked that I and the dogs were fine, and confirmed that we weren't in any way obstructing traffic etc.
Off to Ulverston to ATS Tyres, who said that only the tyres were damaged - thank goodness - and that they had replacements in stock - yippee!!!! So, at 5.30pm, in the starting rain, I finally arrived at the show venue and set up.
Overnight a fierce storm hit the coast with torrential rain and strong gales. In blustery conditions we set up the show rings and I set my course, pegging every jump, as I was judging on Saturday. Sadly, the dogs didn't get much of a walk on Thursday or Friday - then faced another long day on Saturday while I was judging.
And the clouds vanished and the sun shone brightly all day, and I got burned, standing in the middle of the ring. I had pitched the courses at the top end of each combination, and was worried if I had overdone it (I still think the Grade 4/5 large was a bit too tough) but I've had so many complimentary comments since that maybe it was a nice change for people to have a bit of a challenge instead of courses always being set to allow for the lowest Grade?
Saturday evening I enjoyed a lovely walk with the dogs along the beach... and norty Bryn got a good run going backwards and forwards between a couple of horse riders and me....baddog Bryn!!! They didn't seem to be too bothered though.......
Sunday was another hot day and Bryn was on fast, accurate form. Sadly I was tired and rubbish. I kept finding myself in the wrong place, and on his best run I actually sent him over the wrong fence. Long time since I have done that. :( Badhandler!!
A bit of a lie in Monday - listening to the rain again. A quick wet walk for the dogs, then pack up and hit the road. I have to admit to being relieved to get home safely and without any more incidents...and to the excellent news that my close friend had been allowed to go home from hospital! Brilliant!!

Hare 'n Hounds

What a show! As usual, H&H was amazingly relaxed and friendly, and this one is in a fabulous farm venue near Barnard Castle. Arrived Thursday lunchtime to a ringside reserved plot - thanks Chris!! - and helped in the drizzle to set the rings and put the feet on the hurdles etc. Good fun!
Friday dawned. Spent a lot of time with 'Chelle and family at their stall - Bryn thinks he's in heaven with all their dogs around and not a cattle dog in sight! He was a really good boy - first he got a Clear in Agility giving him the last 2 points he needed for his Agility Warrant (Bronze) so he is now Bryning Truly Special at Yettontop A.W.(B) That's all my dogs with letters after their names now - Lol! he then went on to get a 7th in agility - yay!!
Saturday the weather was even better and so was he. More Clear Rounds and also a 2nd Place and a trophy in Agility (He was leading the class for 3 hours but was just pipped by the penultimate dog by half a second.) Best of all (sort of) was Bryn and Wendy's Geordie winning the costume section of the Fancy Dress Pairs - "The Lost Samurai - Canin-ja Warriors" Lots of booze for me that night - and my chicken tea for supper for the dogs! Sometimes you just have to make sacrifices....
Sunday Bryn and I took a rest from agility - unintended, but Bryn clearly showed that 11 classes in the previous two days required a breather before starting again..... Monday we were back on form with a stunning 29 second agility run giving us 4th place - I just held his A-scale contact for a fraction too long to be higher placed.
And amidst all this he also had enough points to go up to Grade 5 whenever I want in the future. I'll see how he goes over the winter indoors, and make any decision about moving him up after that.
I drove home buzzing!!! Only came down to earth on Tuesday afternoon when I got the news that a close friend had been taken into hospital for immediate spinal surgery.......

Dog Vegas at Grantham

It was only at 9pm on Thursday night that I realised that I was supposed to have driven down to the show earlier in the day, as competition started at 8.30am on Friday morning - not Saturday!! Panic!! I had been planning to go shopping for food and fuel on Friday morning then drive in a leisurely way to Grantham and take my time setting up the camper and garden etc etc etc.... Thank heavens for 24 hour supermarkets and garages! A late night and very early morning start, and, with the help of some friends, I was camped on my spot, garden up, and courses walked before 8am!!
Friday saw some nice clear rounds from Bryn, but nothing spectacular as I held the contacts to retrain myself not to release too early. It has taken far too much work to get such brilliant contacts from Bryn to allow my timing to ruin them.
A really early night on Friday - in bed by 8.30pm as I was so shattered, and so were the dogs. Got up again at about 11 to let the dogs out for a late night toilet break and....couldn't open the camper door! I hadn't heard the rain - the canopy had filled and been pulled down at one side against the door. More panic as I wondered if it was broken - how would I drive home with a broken canopy on the side? Anyway, one good push, and torrent of water and all was well. I made sure that I lowered one end before I returned to bed so that any further water would run off.
Saturday was a disappointing day. Bryn was rolling at least one pole in each class, and my handling was less than perfect. Was there something I was doing wrong? Was he hiding an injury? Was it just the wet grass on top of the concrete hard ground? The Saturday courses were all dumbed down - boring - except the final one which was pitched at about Grade 5 and great fun to run.
Sunday showed a much better Bryn and a worse me. Despite some of the most interesting courses I have seen for some time, I just couldn't raise my game at all......until our last run of the day. Graded 4 to 7 Agility, set at about Grade 7 according to the top handlers (and my opinion as well) and certainly more difficult than the same judge's 5 to 7 Agility that preceded it. Apart from a hesitation from Bryn at the penultimate fence (he was tempted to leave the ring and chase the equipment wagon that was driving past), and a couple of slightly wide turns, we went clear and came 3rd!! Over the moon, I packed up and drove home. Just 5 more points to go to his Agility Warrant as well......wonder if we can do that in the next couple of shows? Hope so.

Arrow Lake and Country Park

When I am in the area I walk my dogs in the early morning in Arrow Country Park. This is a massive park, with a huge lake (where the Redditch Racecourse used to be once upon a time) that is used for sailing and watersports, as well as for fishing and supporting colonies of wild water birds. Around the lake are surfaced cycle and walking tracks as well as bridleways and woodland and meadow walks. There are big open lawned areas, just made for ball games. Every town should have an Arrow Park!
Even in the early morning you meet quite a lot of people - cyclists, joggers, walkers, and of course other dog owners. We get chatting and discover that we even know some of the same people through agility shows and clubs!
Such a shame that there is occasionally someone to spoil all this. This morning it was the owner of two aggressive, ambushing terriers. The dogs appeared from nowhere - no owner in sight - andd came flying up to my dogs, who were on leads to keep them out of the water (relatives don't appreciate dity dogs returrning to their clean house - lol!)The dogs were growling and snarling as they rushed at us, one head on and the other flanking. I called oout 'Please call your dogs' and a woman appeared just as the dogs started their second rush. I told her again to call her dogs, and she uttered those immortal words 'They're friendly' Grrrr! Oh no they are not! I told her to get her dogs under control - mine were starting to get agitated as the dogs rushed at us again, still snarling. She did nothing, so I waved my hand at the nearest dog at told it to 'Go away - you horrible dog!' That upset her and she stormed off, yelling something at me - mission accomplished, we carried on with our walk without her aggressive dogs tormenting us. Just because they are small, doesn't make them less nasty.
Luckily we then met some lovely people, with well behaved terriers and spaniels and labradors and collies, all of whom played nicely with my dogs, who went home with laughing faces and lolling tongues.;

As a trainer...

As a trainer, it is always good to watch dogs that you have trained - now or in the past - doing well. Even when people have moved to other clubs, and maybe forgotten their beginnings, it is still nice to watch the potential that you had spotted early on being realised. It is even nicer, of course, when they have chosen to stay with you as a trainer, and you can celebrate their successes fully. And at our club we have certainly had our share of success recently......and consequently lots of excuses for cake eating! Lol!! Well done all of you - whether it is winning out of Grade 1 or being placed in a Champ class!

High Peak

Bakewell Showground is in such a beautiful setting! But, a not-so-good start on arrival on Friday as the dogs fell out with each other and Bryn ended up at the vets with a punctured face. £48 lighter in the pocket, and a dog on antibiotics, we got back and carried on setting up. The vet said he could compete so we did.
Saturday was soo hot and humid, and that and the meds took their toll I think, as Bryn worked really well but rolled several poles. I'm glad I took the decision not to enter the POTD class.
A wonderful evening laughing and chatting with friends began to take away some of the stresses of the past week. Sunday was cooler to start - we even had jackets on!! It warmed up again as the day progressed though. Bryn was on form and came 6th in the Grade 4 agility - would have been better if I had trusted him more and not turned him wide to avoid a trap at one point. The Grade 4/5 Agility was an even better run, with a fabulous layering to the weaves - except I dropped my arm and he (correctly) took that as a signal to pull off. Whoops!! My fault! I missed walking the Grade 4/5 Jumping though the judge gave me a minute before the class began to walk the first - complicated - ten obstacles. So, that part was foot-perfect from us both, and then fell apart as I got my positioning wrong for the last bit - duh! But it was nice to have several people during the day telling me how much Bryn and I had improved since they last saw us a couple of months ago, and how much faster he was as well! Good boy Bryn!!

Back again!!!

Ten days away from home - great weekend show from Newton Heath, under new management and at a new venue Arley Hall in Cheshire; then drive up to Kelso in the Scottish borders for a week of training at the Border Union Showground; then Tweedbank Show at the same venue before the drive back home.
Well, Bryn and I managed quite a few clears but not fast enough in the scorching heat which seemed to effect both Bryn and me (and the Cattle Dogs too, but they were able to chill in the shade) - but the highlight of the training for me was that I have, at last, got back my wait on the start line!! Yippee!! In 3 classes at Tweedbank I had to do a recall start the full length of the ring.......and Bryn didn't even budge once!!
So, now it's just a matter of getting the rest of the course right - Lol!!

Lucky??

If finding a 4-leaf clover means you will have good luck, does finding five 4-leaf clovers and three 5-leaf (!) clovers in the space of two minutes mean that you will have a super abundance of luck?
No, it means you will get the daddy of all migraines the next day - grrrrrrr!!!!

The First Red One

I took in Delinquent Dogz on the way home from my parents in the Midlands, not intending to compete at all...well, perhaps just give Corkscrew his annual airing.....but I was in time for the Level 2/3 Jumping (KC Grades 4 to 7) as well so decided to put Bryn in too....and he won!! So, his first First!! I've made it clear to him that I now expect many more to follow........
Corker had a good time, but kept tripping over the low poles in his class...bless him!

Happy Birthday!

Just want to say a massive Happy Birthday to my wonderful Mum who celebrated her 90th birthday on Tuesday 18th May - as did her identical twin sister. My Dad, at 91, helped her to celebrate in style!
Update: yesterday the family went to Nuthurst Grange for lunch - with a bit of trepidation all round, as that is where Dad fell last year, resulting in all his hospitalisation etc since. But he was insistent that we should go back, so we did - and had a wonderful lunch, with free birthday drinks from the hotel, an excellent meal, the perfect table in the big bay window with views over the hills and fields beyond, and wonderful service. What a lovely day - and a lovely 90th birthday celebration!

Shattered!

Shattered just about describes me after 4 days away in the beautiful new camper - absolutely no glitches at all and really comfortable!!
The three dogs and I travelled in comfort and style on Friday afternoon to Hare 'n Hounds Agility Show at Redcar - by the beach. Saturday was cold - a bitter wind off the North Sea - so I was glad to be doing some scoreboarding inside the marquee. We had some challenging courses (actually, that was the theme for the whole show!) which were really interesting for Bryn and me...so much more fun than some of the 'dumbed down' courses we have had earlier this year. We came so near to clears, but I just couldn't trust him enough - bad handler!! That 'so near/so far' continued on Sunday, but on Monday (calling-in in the sun this time) we managed an 8th in a Combined 4 to 7 Jumping, and a 10th in the Combined 4 to 7 Agility - good boy Bryn!! Tuesday - a hot, sunny day - brought two more Clears, one in a fast Combined 1 to 4 Agility, and the other in an even faster Graded 4 to 7 Jumping (rosettes stopped just before Bryn's time!) I loved the plethora of fast, flowing but challenging courses (only one judge felt the need to put in endless pullthroughs - boring!)
Of course, Amber and Corker had their personal time too, with plenty of short outings and cuddle sessions, but we didn't get to the beach as we had planned sadly.
So, all in all, a hard working, hard playing, very promising start to my proper outdoor season! And the camper was wonderful.......

Home at last...

Well, my new camper is at home - many thanks to Paul at Richard Baldwin Motorhomes in Halifax, who pulled out all the stops to make it possible, even coming into work on his day off to ensure that the handover was smooth.
Just looking forward now to the first trip away - like a kid at Christmas!!

Nearly there....

Just heard from the manufacturers that my new camper is due off the production line today - yay!!!! Then it has to be quality controlled and tweaked, canopy fitted etc, and of course it's Bank Holiday weekend, so I'm hoping it should arrive at the dealer in the middle of next week. Then they also have to quality control it and do bits and pieces I've asked for, like an external water pump, and register it etc...so I'm hoping to get it in time for the Hare and Hounds Show....please!!!!!! Cross your fingers for me!!!
Edited to add (12/05/10) that it still is not here.....the dealers tell me that, after nagging the manufacturers - Swift - for a week, they eventually went over to take it for PDI to Peugeot themselves this morning, and it should have arrived back at their own service area for their own PDI this afternoon. They still seem to think they can get all the extras done by tomorrow.... we will see, but I hope they are not being over-optimisitc. The dealers are just as p****d off about this as I am! At least they have managed to get it registered to me and road taxed.

Lincoln

What a weekend! First of all, I still don't have a camper, so I had booked B&B at a place recommended to me by a friend - went there first to dump my stuff in my own annex with en suite, four-poster bed, and mini kitchen.... and b*%%dy peacocks - 8 of them!!! Then on to the showground just 20 minutes away for a wonderful training session for 2 hours. Really enjoyed that! Then an hour's measuring of dogs, and back to the B&B.
Saturday dawned bright and sunny, a lovely Spring day for a show. I love Lincoln; even though it is a biggish show with 10 rings, it doesn't feel so big because the rings are in the 3 central arena areas (just 1 outside) with the camping and parking all around the arenas, and the stalls and marquee in the centre as well. It also has massively huge exercise areas in every direction, and proper showes and loos. The ground drains well so it is always good to run on, and, an added bonus, is level.
Bryn ran like a real top dog, lots of enthusiasm and drive, totally accurate contacts and weaves, just a careless handler as a handicap...doh!! But I was delighted with him, and drove back to the B&B in a really good mood. Amber and Corker had had some good walks and runs in the exercise area, so we were all a happy band, and Jackie and I did another hour's measuring at lunchtime.
Not so happy by the next morning. The peacocks had decided to roost on the roof of the annex I think; they were certainly not very welcome vistors as far as the dogs were concerned. Anyway, it was raining - urgh! then one of the birds landed on the roof and startled the dogs and me, so that was coffee all over the cushion on the delapidated chaise longue. I had already spent ages mopping up the tipped over water bowl from earlier, now I had this to contend with, and I needed to somehow get the dogs past the peacocks to the car to set off for the show - without any birds being killed or the neighbourhood woken up. To say I was stressed by the time I arrived is an understatement!
Bryn ran like a trooper again, though the courses weren't as nice, in my opinion, as the previous day's (except Dave Hutchinson's which I messed up on the start line!) two of the other courses were too straightforward - all you needed was a very fast dog, little skill at all - and the other was a boring collection of pullthroughs but not much else. Bryn went clear in the agility, but wasn't fast enough for the simple blast course finishing 24th and about 3 seconds behind the winner. BUT the sun came out again between the showers; my 'passenger dogs' got their exercise frolics again; Bryn really looked to be enjoying every moment of the show; and it was great to catch up with so many friends. Another excellent Lincoln show!

And so to bed....

Well, I took Amber to the physio and vet last Thursday afternoon as she hasn't been 'right' for a few weeks - intermittently, not all the time. I had taken her to the vet about 3 weeks ago, but without much satisfaction as the young locum was obviously out of her depth with anything more complicated than kennel cough or a cut paw....... Anyway, the verdict on Thursday was that Amber has arthritis in the dodgy left hock (expected) and also in her right front leg (compensating for the left rear) and also in her spine between her shoulder blades (compensating for both). As a result, they advised that she should continue with exercise and some light agility training, but the lovely twisty Grade 6/7 courses that she and I adore and do well on are a 'no,no'.

I've spent the past hour ringing and emailing show secretaries and processors to withdraw entries for her later this summer at those shows where the closing date hasn't yet arrived. No problems at all, just a bit of a sad job.

And so to bed, for Austmans Amber Nectar at Yettontop A.W.
Now I need to plan her retirement party!

The oh-so-slow Vision Express experience!

Vision Express - well there's a misnomer for a start!! I've been waiting to calm down to write this Blog, but, as that isn't going to happen apparently, I'll write it now.
I went for my eyes tested at my normal optician on 26 March. As suspected, I needed a new prescription for reading and, for the first time, some distance glasses for driving. I like to read outdoors and to wear sun glasses when driving on bright days, so that effectively meant 4 pairs of glasses to buy!!! (Or those ones that change colour, but they don't go dark enough for me, and take too long to change) My normal optician didn't have any offers on, so I visited a few others - Specsavers, Boots and Vision Express - and decided that Vision Express offered the best deal for me because they not only had a 2 for £99 offer, including lenses, but also offered a one hour service. So, I chose the best I could from a very limited range of frames, and off I went to have a coffee for an hour. When I came back, only one pair were ready.....they hadn't actually got any lenses in stock for the others.......they would have to order them, and, if I was lucky, they would be ready on 1 April.  So much for a one hour service!
So, back I come on 1 April to collect the glasses, only to discover that they hadn't tinted the sunglasses to the shade I wanted: these were much too light. And the pair I had taken a week ago already needed adjustment as they were too loose and wonky. The shop offered to retint the glasses on the one hour service after the Easter break, so, unable to do anything about it, I accepted.
Visit 3: 7 April. I return with the sunglasses for retinting, only to be told by the Assistant Manager that there isn't anyone in the lab to do the retinting for me - it will have to be done the next day. I explain why I am not a happy customer, especially as the other pair that I collected on1 April are now wonky and loose and need adjustment too. No apology - nothing except a nod and a repetition that the sunglasses would have to be done the next day. He obviously missed out on the 'handling disgruntled customers' part of the customer care training......
Visit 4: 8 April: I arrive at the time specified by the Assistant Manager and I speak to the Store Manager who is immediately apologetic. One pair of sunglasses are brought down from the lab.....but they haven't taken the tint properly and are blotchy. The other pair haven't yet been done. They would like to order some new lenses and start again. Very quietly I erupt! I am sick of driving into town simply to get these glasses, paying for carparking, and going home without the glasses and with the prospect of another visit. The Manager offers to deliver them to my house, but with the negative experiences I have had, I want to collect them from the shop where I can - and will - make a very big disturbance if things still aren't right. They promise to get them overnight and tint them properly in the morning, ring me so that I can collect them in the afternoon. No offer of any recompense for all the troubles; no sweeteners of any sort.
So, Visit 5. As promised a phone call is received at lunchtime, and I go into town again. The very pleasant Manager is waiting for me with two, perfectly tinted, pairs of sunglasses - one for reading, and one for driving. She apologises again, and offers me some cleaner for the glasses as a small recompense for all the troubles. Now that is the way to treat customers! I leave with a smile on my face instead of the deep frown I had after previous visits. She even thanked me for being so patient!!!! I obviously hid my feelings better than usual, then.

They're Off!

Every autumn I follow the migrations of the ospreys, south through Scotland, England, France, Spain, North Africa, across the vast Sahara to the deltas, swamps and forests of the west coast of Africa. And every spring I wait anxiously for their return journey. Both journeys are really dangerous and arduous, and I wait for news of their travels, coping with sand storms, gales, high mountains and not least, man himself, as they struggle to get back to their breeding grounds in the highlands of Scotland.

It's all available for us all to follow - as well as the migrations of other birds and other species - on The Highland Foundation for Wildlife.
And, at last, some of them have started their great trek north........
Edited to add: Beatrice has crossed the English channel is starting the last legs of her long journey thousands of miles from the tropical swamps of West Africa up to her breeding ground in Scotland!!
Edited 040410 to add, from the Highland foundation for Wildlife site: "Beatrice is the first of our satellite tracked ospreys to get back to her nest. Last year spring she arrived back on 5th April." How's that for consistency?!? And stamina... and determination......there's some life lessons here for me to learn I think!

End of an Era

Well it appears that Amber's reign as top ACD agility dog is, at last, over. She has held The Formakin Agility Trophy every year since 2002 - seven years in all - but has finally been beaten this year by Sara Howarth and Austmans Ray of Sunshine from Cheshire.
BUT it is still an Austmans dog that holds the title, so there is some good continuity there!

A Full Decade

Happy Birthday Amber - 10 years old today!! And we are both still surviving the last decade together....bless!

Hare 'n Hounds

Bryn first (well, so very nearly!) 4 to 7 Jumping: all the right obstacles in exactly the right order, just a pole down when I was in his way...

But in 1to 4 Agility (Doc's class)- he was leading the class having run very early, then just got pipped (by less than a second) towards the end so he ended up 3rd and got his first ever trophy!!!

Then 1 to 7 jumping: he was going so fast again that I wasn't quite in position for a flick-flack after a tunnel and he rolled a pole. Did I care??? Not at all!!

And Amber only did one class - 5 to 7 jumping - and got a clear round just not quite fast enough for the placings (not bad for a 10 year old though, eh?)

Needless to say, I am still on Cloud 9!