Bloggs

I’ve been trying to work out why we do them?

Keeping in touch with friends and family, was my main aim. One tends to blab away about nothing sometimes and then realise the world can read all about you! Where you live, what you are doing, when your be away. Now that is scary and be warned not to put too much detail down just in case someone out there really really wants to know! And if they do, they can come and ask you in person.!!!!
Scary

My blog came about because of Lisa (she knows who I’m talking about)
She was doing one for her pups, “its ever so easy” she said (if it is so easy, why haven't you updated yours!!!) and that was that really.
I always used to keep a sort of diary when I was younger, well I say a diary it was more of a journal I suppose.

When Ian and I took time out and went travelling for 2 months (after my dog Tessa had gone to doggy heaven and before Cassie arrived, we where without dogs for 3 years!) I left my full time job, which I hated as an assistant manageress of a large shoe shop in Bristol (that was such a long time ago!) Ian’s boss kept his job open for him. We packed our 110 land rover and off we went, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Spain, France and back to the Uk – I kept a journal of where we stayed, how many miles we had travelled, what we had eaten, how the LR had behaved, what the weather was like, how much it cost us! Etc. What is strange is that little pink book has come all the way down to Cornwall and hasn’t been looked at by Ian or I since the day we came back from France! (Mind you, Ian couldn’t read it even if he wanted too – as my hand writing is so very bad – Mum say’s I’ve taken Dads hand writing!)

Family have rung up and said they had fun catching up with what we have been up too and then I heard from friends that “Joe Blogs” came up them to say had they seen what I had to say about….. bla bla bla yes I am surprised at who does actually read it and how they found it!
But then I realise that I too enjoy reading other peoples blogs, mainly people I know, or have heard about, catching up on the agility side and what they are teaching their new young dogs – whether it be a Collie or a Chinese Crested (not that I have found mainly blogs for Chinese Crested!) I love reading about their latest courses they have put up in the garden to train and how they handled it etc. It gives me the push to go out and put something like that up for “me and mine” to practise on.

I haven’t worked out how to put one of those counters on it yet, so we can actually see how many people check in to see what we are up too, the one that also tell us what countries they are all from, looks great.
Maybe someone will email to tell me how to do it? Or even make a comment or two.

So, carry on everyone writing your blogs, I love them.

Now I must go and do some work outside - if I can get that darn strimmer to jump into life with just one pull of the cord! otherwise Ian will be home saying that I have spent all day on the computer! ummmm

Cousins Across the water!

...I went to see my Mum up in Dorset yesterday and my Cousin David and his wife Margarite where over from America, thankfully they are used to dogs as Mum has two retriever's and I turned up with 2 collies and a puff! and my Brother has his 4 dogs, 2 dobb's and two collies for them to meet! Dave and Margarite have a Rotty and a Lab. So by the end of our visit they where well used to other breeds!

Ian has almost finished the new shed, so now we have to empty the other 3 sheds into this one, so we can knock them down and re-build those out of brick! Good job Ian has a digger!
Check out Ian's scary mask on the welder - if you can see it!

Agility wise:

Well Harry pulled it off again, staying in the ring for both of his classes and winning the 1-5 jumping (yes we actually had a class this weekend, without having to compete against the 6/7's, not that I mind!) and his agility was totally my fault, I decided I wanted to practise crossing behind him when he entered the weaves, I just got my timing wrong and nearly kicked him - Poor dog.
note. to my self, must practise harder weave entries.
Red was 2nd in her 6-7 agility, which surprised me as we had a long run to home with a long jump and spread, she has never been good with that, she took off too early for the long jump, but managed to sort her self out for the spread. The Vet called and wants to start Red on a weekly course of Cartrophen (spelling) injection and see if that will help ease her spondylosis, so we start that next week. Thank fully I have some great friends out there in the agility world, that will tell me if they think its time to hang up her boots, if I don't realise it before them. There is nothing worse than watching a dog (whatever grade) struggling around a course, when they could just have a go at any size or retire altogether, I watched a German shepherd this past weekend that should be doing any size, I was surprised that the judge didn't say anything to the bloke! perhaps he just doesn't have the same friends as I have!

Weeds !

I am sure I'm cultivating weeds in the green house, I've even re-potted them! cant find them in any books that I've looked through, I'm sure one of you buding gardeners out there will email and let me know, but in the mean time I will carry on watering them until they flower, then maybe I will be able to tell what they are - The story goes, along the line that I was given a whole load of out of date seed packets from a friend who said "just see if anything comes up" ummmmm
I know they aren't stinging nettles, but they could be anything from Dahlias - lupins for all I know!!! they almost look like "Docks" except the leaves are softer and not wax-ish! ummmmmmm

Barn - reconstruction!

Well we had to just do it, in the end!
You just get so far and just have to go the whole hog, the landrover came in to use, to give the last pull! and down it came.
I think the only thing holding it up, was the tin! none of the wood could be saved as it had rather a lot of wood worm! so roll on bonfire night! But we have been able to save all the tin sheets bar one, so that was good, this will re-roof the new one.

The new shed will be taller, so Ian can put the Landrover and Bongo in it to work on, and wider so I can put all the contact equipment in it in the winter - just in case!


Here is the start of the new one!

So if we don't answer the phone for a little while, you know where we are! "Down the Shed/barn"

We might have to move Harry's Hot tub, so it can have some sun to warm it up! or Ian will have to hurry up and fit Elaine's old wood burner to warm it up!

I'm looking forward to seeing our beginner dogs at training tonight, just hope they have been doing their "homework"- ummm we will see.

Oh yes, I've started to teach Harry some different things, it's the "crawl" this week! Buzz is learning to put his feet in the washing up bowl! we have so far managed his front feet. Red on the other hand just thinks this is far to boring and where's the agility equipment! but that is Red.

Not one but two...!

First's in one day.

1-7 agility (his first clear round in agility class) and 1-7 steeple chase!

He also did a cracking 1-7 jumping round, but added an extra jump.

..it was also, his first time in doing agility at a show, in the DRY!

So now on to Grade 4.

Watering Cans!

Ian was really kind this week and bought me a nice, new, pink watering can!












Well My Old one, did have a few holes in it!!!!

"Vet Week!"

The dogs haven’t been to the vets since their vaccinations back last June/July, anyway:

Results from Red’s x-rays, show she has the start of spondolisis and also HD in her left hip - which we knew about, but no arthritis, basically we need to keep her as slim and fit as possible, and it’s okay for her to continue with the chiropractor and doing agility for as long as she can, although later on she will need regular medication.

Buzz’s behaviour has been a bit weird! Over the last couple of years he has suffered from the heat and now has a cool coat and cool mat in his cage in the car and a fan, his tongue goes a tinge of blue after exercise - whether that be, agility or walks, he has always been far to big for a collie and is more the size of a shepherd!!! He has always been uncoordinated, however that has improved with the amount of ground work we have put in – Ladders, poles on the floor, Ttouch etc. and training is limited to ten mins at a time as he mentally cant cope with anymore (when I’m training on my own)
So anyway he had his breakfast Saturday morning, jumped on the bed with a lump on his face the size of an apple! First thought was tooth problem, as it was the bank holiday we thought we had better get him off to vets, Fiona thought it was a sting, but then when I told her everything that had gone on over the last few years of which other than reading all of his records posted down from Bristol she wouldn’t have known about, she felt she wanted him in for x-rays and blood tests, which he hasn’t had. So she didn’t want to give him anything for the sting, just in case he reacted to it. Tuesday tomorrow and he is off to vet for his tests, Fiona is great as I can stay with them whilst they are getting knocked out and be there when they get reversed! The swelling hasn’t gone down and now is hard, so off course we are now worrying that it could be something else, especially as it just over a year since Cassie went.

Tuesday been and gone, it turned out to be a tooth, but he is recovering. His blood tests showed nothing out of the ordinary, but the x-rays have been sent off to a heart specialist in Glos. As his heart is rather “round”!

Agility wise, well a few shows have passed since I last “Blogged”
Red has been the star, with a 1st in 5-7 jumping and a 2nd 3rd and 4th the other day, Buzz worked well today! Even with his lump, he was calm and held it altogether especially when I started to feel my trousers fall down and was running around with one hand holding them up and my shoulders telling him where to go!
We had heavy rain (fancy that!) my trousers where soaked and sticking to me pulling them down! Honest.
Harry has been fab. He has stayed in the ring with me for the last 3 runs and has been able to play with his tuggy before and after each run, so things are looking up, we have had so many “nearlys”! I love working him, he is such fun.
Thank you Wendy for letting him come to live with us.

Just heard Supadogs has been cancelled due to weather, health and safety – so much work goes into these weeklong dog agility shows, it is very sad.
Such silly weather we are having, my legs have only made two appearances this year so far – I can t believe it!

We managed to get the flooring done in the lounge last week, so at least we can sit on the floor without a draft and I don’t mind saying that I don’t think it looks too bad - good old “Trago’s”






"for Lino"!?
Well you can see why we have to sit on the floor!!