Charticus n Clan

Training Morning

2012-01-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

Photographs taken by Rosie Ison during Brigg's monthly training session with Natasha Wise on a cold frosty morning.

An Eventful Walk

2012-01-14T01:40:00.000-08:00

Such a lovely day for a walk around the Nature Reserve when all went well until we were on our way back, I do constantly check that I have all my dogs but suddenly I realised that Roli was missing so I started walking back in the direction we had been constantly calling, to no avail. Sara and I then split forces and went in opposite directions around the lake, it is a very big lake too! It was not easy keeping calm knowing that my old boy might well be in a panic at being lost however Sara was convinced that all would be well as the nature reserve is well fenced in. There was no sign of him around the lake so Sara decided to return to the car park while I went in the opposite direction to the river calling all the time, there were few people about and the 3 I met had not seen him. The relief when Sara phoned to say she had him was enormous, he had found his way into a bog and could not get out by himself, Sara managed to lift him out none the worse for his ordeal, he had been missing for around 30 minutes! We surmised that at a certain point where the broadwalk is broken, (which is the route we always used to take before it was put out of commission) Roli must have veered off thinking that was the way to go. I must admit the thought that it was Friday 13th came to mind! Needless to say our walk was somewhat longer than intended and I notched up over 12 miles!

Farewell 2011

2011-12-31T08:07:00.000-08:00

2011 has flown by and with it an eventful year of highs and lows fades into history.
The dogs had a good season, Brigg has amassed a goodly collection of trophies and won into Grade 4 in our home county of Lincolnshire making it a very special occasion, he is doing well in Grade 4 already having several 2nd and 3rd places under his collar. Keeto qualified for a Final at the JDA Show and did very creditably and Chart was finally promoted to grade 4 on points so I now have 3 grade 4 dogs which simplifies things for me. Kai, now aged 11 is semi retired and will only run in Veteran classes, he has been a great dog to train and compete with. Tambi now 13, does the occasional Allsorts when the jumps are at Micro height screaming his way around the course with excitement, so no change there! Roli celebrated his 14th birthday just before Christmas, despite being seriously ill during the summer with an infection in one of his heart valves he made an excellent recovery and is still full of energy and enthusiasm despite having impaired vision due to cataracts.
During September my niece Annabel gave birth to her 3rd daughter, Sophie Jane, sister for Lilly, 4 and 2 year old Jessica, bringing my brother's total of granddaughters to 7!
The development which has rumbled on beset with problems for almost 2 years still continues as the council turned down the plans which were finally reviewed on 7th December so we have to wait for an appeal plus revised plans which will mean another 4 to 5 months of living in a state of limbo. I really do not want to move and wish that my neighbours who have dragged me into this situation would sell their houses in the normal way.Since moving here some 29 years ago I have seen the building to the rear of my property replaced by two massive three storey offices, mainly glass, and the cottage next door into some 30 retirement flats so faced with yet another development dwarfing my little bungalow which would possibly have gone ahead without me was not an option!
I finally replaced my old van in September, at 11 years old it had served me well. I was so fortunate to find a 3 year old Mercedes automatic van already fully caged and fitted with a tow bar and dual electric's. It was strange not having a gear lever but I adapted very quickly.
Now that the show season is over we are enjoying long walks in a variety of places. I continue to teach, my adult pupil took her grade 2 exam a couple of weeks ago and despite pressure of work (she works for the Tax Office)! and not being able to put in the required amount of practising she managed to pass with 117 marks while another 13 year old pupil just missed a Distinction in Grade 4, a shame as she had worked so hard but suffered badly from nerves on the day.
May 2012 bring all my friends peace, joy, health and happiness.

Crackers!

2011-12-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

Crackers are fun especially when one small great niece employing her body weight into pulling the cracker topples backward as the unexpected resilience of the paper object suddenly split, but no harm done and she was able to retrieve her prize from the floor wherein she lay!
How crackers have changed from those of my childhood which were of a stiff paper covered with brightly coloured crepe paper concealing a paper hat, cheap trinket and a snap which more often than not failed to produce the satisfactory 'crackle' when pulled. These days crackers come in all sizes plain or highly decorated according to price which of course reflects the quality of the gift concealed within. I cannot say that the quality of the jokes have improved though! One of my brother's most successful box of crackers contained a set of tiny hand bells complete with a numerical score for various carols and popular songs and nursery rhymes. After the fun and success of that first year these bells are now becoming a traditional ending to our Christmas meal and for the first time my orchestra swelled to 2 extra members aged 2 and 4 who made a very creditable contribution to our musical renditions!

Roli

2011-12-22T00:50:00.000-08:00

My precious boy Roli is 14 today.

Brigg's Birthday

2011-11-29T00:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Brigg who is 3 years old today.

A Long Overdue Update!

2011-10-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed Dogs in Need, the first two days were not particularly successful for me although Chart surprised me by coming 10th in jumping, Kai and Keets got unplaced clear rounds and a knocked pole cost Brigg 5 faults in both his runs. We enjoyed our day off with a long walk. Last year Sara and I had a woodland walk on site and in previous years we had gone to the seaside, but every time the tide had been out and we were confronted by MUD! Once we had parked we set out through woodland arriving at a couple of large lakes where the dogs had a great time chasing after sticks. Brigg actually swam but only by accident as he launched himself in the water to find he was well out of his depth! From there we were just a stone's throw from the beach at the sight of the sea all the dogs behaved like excited children. Eventually we left the sea along with its flotilla of yachts to climb upwards through wooded paths along a 3 mile circular walk which we did twice. At one point we walked alongside scores of seemingly decayed old boats although these were obviously inhabited, it looked a real shanty town with an assortment of rubbish strewn around amidst tubs, hanging baskets and various containers filled with flowers, I'll bet the postman did not relish cycling along the narrow muddy paths to deliver mail to their boxes. The forecast for that day had been dire but we were fortunate in that it did not start raining until we reached camp and our barbecue was put on hold for another day as it poured with rain for some time, so onward with the Dominoes! It had been strange that on the previous day we had three games of stalemate which we could not understand until we realised some of the tiles were missing, these were eventually located beneath the caravan table! Sunday arrived all too soon and it was time to pack up and return home
After being away for a week there was a considerable amount to do which had to be crammed into three days before I left for Lincolnshire. It was great to return to my home county, I particularly like the venue at Winterton where no one is camped too far from the rings and there is a small nature reserve next door which makes a great dog walk through to the fields beyond where there is a distant view of the Humber Bridge. The weather was changeable throughout the show we had everything from a little warm sunshine to decidedly cold days, gales, heavy rain and hail!
The five days went very quickly, we did not exactly cover ourselves in glory but Kai had a clear round every day in his first Veterans runs and managed 3rd and 4th places. Chart came 8th with 5 faults in a dastardly Agility course and deigned to go clear in another run but mostly pleased himself! Keets had several clear rounds and a 5th place, such a reliable boy who tries so hard to please and after several runs with a single mistake in each Brigg went clear to take 2nd, 4th and 8th places. It was nice that his breeder was around to see him run.
I did have a considerable amount of problems with my rigid gluteus muscles which had been plaguing me for most of the summer and by the last day it was so painful I did not complete all my runs, the drive home seemed to take for ever especially as there was a 45 minute delay on the M1 due to an accident and it was almost dark by the time I reached home. I was not overjoyed to read a note from Julie who was looking after the birds that she thought there were electrical problems in the garage, indeed there was as the damn switch in the fuse box had tripped for no good reason and although there was lighting, there was no power connected in the place, at least that was easily rectified but it was obvious that this had happened a few days previously as the kitchen freezer food was partially de frosted, at least the big chest freezer in the garage which contained the dogs meat was more or less OK as it was very full.
With just a single day before departing again there was a great deal to be done on the home front, shopping, washing, aviary cleaning, lawn cutting, etc. nevertheless the caravan was packed and folded that night ready for an early departure the following day.
Sara arrived at Brampton Racecourse just before me and had saved us pitches in the usual place. The ground was rock hard and it took some time and a great deal of strength in hammering in the garden poles and awning pegs, once set up the dogs enjoyed a good run in the middle of the racecourse, I did not do all my runs on that first day of competition as my leg was too painful to do much but thanks to various exercises suggested by friends who had a similar problem things did improve over the weekend.
Both Friday and Saturday were fine sunny and warm but the evenings were very chilly. We enjoyed a barbecue on Saturday evening when the wine went down a treat. Sunday was a different matter when a cool cloudy morning gave way to heavy rain. Over the show period again we failed to cover ourselves in glory but did some really good runs despite the odd faults, Kai did a couple of nice clear jumping rounds, Chart managed a couple of clear rounds in jumping and played his usual game of throwing himself off the contacts with the greatest of glee, but he is not called 'Magic In The Air' for nothing! Keets besides a couple of clear rounds came 10th in a combined graded 4 to 5 Agility and Brigg came 10th in the combined graded 3 to 5 Agility. I did not complete all my runs on the Sunday as the weather was so dire both Sara and I were glad to make an early escape during the afternoon. I had a scary moment when removing the chocks from beneath my caravan wheel as it started rolling down the hill, fortunately rescue was at hand to grab the brake and stop it! I had to call upon a strong man to help remove the pegs from my awning, the ground was iron hard as I had really hammered them in and could not get some of them out!
It is some years since I last went to the Gillingham Show, I remember it well as the exercise area was a field adjacent to one full of sheep. On the first morning there was an urgent announcement on the tannoy for everyone to lock up their dogs as the sheep had broken out and invaded the camping area and white woolly things were capering in the roadways between caravans causing a great deal of canine excitement! Happily someone with dogs previously trained with sheep was able to round them up! There were no sheep in sight this time and we had the two enormous fields for an exercise area. As soon as I had set up I took the dogs for a walk in two batches as the rule was that only two dogs were allowed off lead per handler, as usual this was only obeyed by the law abiding and despite constant reminders being announced several people continued to walk their multiple dogs off lead.
We did quite well on that first day getting some clear rounds besides Brigg's 7th place in jumping on a course which did not really suit a large striding dog. It was not long before the promised gales were in evidence along with the odd sharp shower.
The worst thing of day two was having to don soaking wet shoes to run in, not so bad when one become accustomed to the continual squelch despite wearing so called waterproof socks.............is there really such a thing? The only effective solution I have found is to encase one's feet in polythene bags before putting on the trainers only one's feet sweat so much that it defeats the purpose so I have learned to grin and bare it!! The morning did not start too well and it seemed that it was going to be a 5 fault day, by lunch time the sun vanished behind ominous black clouds and we had the odd torrential downpour. The afternoon runs were a great improvement on the mornings performances, Keets, Kai and even Chart went clear in their jumping runs and Brigg managed to take 9th place in the Combined Grade 3 to 5 jumping. The grade 4 agility was the last class of the day, Keets did a nice clear round and Brigg stormed round clear 6 seconds faster that Keeto, I had no idea until the presentation where he had come and was delighted when he was placed 2nd.
Stour Valley was a nice show right in the heart of Kent with plenty of exercise area complete with a muddy pond which I avoided like the plague recalling a couple of years ago when Brigg and Keets emerged chocolate brown and stinking and had to be taken to the water tap to be hosed down!
Saturday was not the best of days, I had 5 early runs and was on ring party all day, having completed my runs I stood in the pouring rain picking up poles for the next 3 hours, the rain seeped down my neck soaking the clothes beneath, I was cold and not happy! At least it dried up during the afternoon for my remaining runs and I was glad when my ring party duties were at an end! Not a particularly successful day, Brigg and Chart with 5 faults in all their runs, Keets with a nice unplaced agility round and Kai 13th in Allsorts. During our walk I picked a bag full of sloes and started the tedious task of pricking them once home before covering them in gin. The Dominoes challenge continued when I emerged the victor!
Sunday was so much better when we had a lovely sunny morning once the early mist had departed. I only had Kai and Tambi's Allsorts runs first thing and then nothing until after lunch so I walked the dogs and generally packed up. It all became a bit frantic in the afternoon with 8 runs in three rings all happening simultaneously. Chart true to form managed to spoil his chances by trying to be clever, Kai came 4th in his Allsorts, Keets went clear in all his runs and ensuring that Brigg unlike the previous day got all his contacts I played safe and trained them, nevertheless he took 7th place which was gratifying.
I got my new van in time to drive to Bath. Within an hour I had packed the van with the essentials required for my last camping trip of the season. I had an excellent journey, being more powerful the van cruised up the dreaded hill just before the racecourse with the greatest of ease. Automatic's are so easy to drive although I did find it hard not to change gear for a while! It did not take long to set up in my favourite position against the racecourse rails and the exercise area after which we had a long walk out to Round Hill, despite the heat there was a welcome cooling breeze.
Saturday dawned warm and misty and once the sun burned through the mist it was uncomfortably hot. Some of the courses were seriously challenging, I could say it was the heat, maybe it was a contributory factor but I did not handle well and was cross with myself but being in such a beautiful location amply made up for my disappointing performance and we had another really long early evening walk once I had completed my runs. I counted no less than 12 hot air balloons during our walk, it was strange looking down on them as they rose from the valley to ascend overhead to wend their way across the sky before fading into the distance. A muggy night preceded another hot and clammy day when I walked the dogs early having no classes until later in the day. I did at least acquit myself better in our 6 runs, Keets went clear in his agility but alas a missed contact gave Brigg 5 faults however Chart decided to end the season on a high and actually did a nice jumping run to go clear 3 seconds slower than Brigg who took 9th place. It was too hot to walk the dogs before I left around 4 o'clock and having been bathed in sweat all day I could not wait to get home for a bath!!

Brigg Wins Into Grade 4

2011-08-04T00:12:00.000-07:00

It was something of a shock to turn off a roundabout to find a woman heading straight for me on the wrong side of the road, happily we managed to avoid a collision, she just waved and mouthed sorry, she would have been had she hit me!! All the pitches were pre allocated for this show and I was pleased to find that I was in the front row a brief walk from both the rings and the exercise area. As I arrived just after noon I had ample time to set up and walk the dogs in relays as only 2 dogs per handler were allowed of lead. I was surprised to find the ground rock hard and crazed with cracks some of which were quite deep.
After an unexpectedly cold night I awoke to a cool cloudy morning which was no bad thing for running dogs. Friday morning was not very successful, Brigg had several near misses thanks to toppling a pole in two runs and just the last element of the long jump in another and Kai was eliminated in both his runs but at least Keets did a nice unplaced clear round. Chart was not in an obliging mood for two of his runs and then during the afternoon decided to play ball in his final jumping to take 2nd place! As the day wore on it became increasingly warm and humid. Walking out to the second exercise field there was the advantage of a nice pond where the dogs were able to lie in to cool down and quench their thirst.
Saturday dawned hot and humid, Chart happy with his previous day's performance rested on his laurels, Kai did not appear to be running at his best and I feel retirement from Grade 6 may not be far away, after all he has done incredibly well to still be competing at full height only three months off his 11th birthday, he will enjoy Veterans and Allsorts where the jumps are much lower. Keets did another nice clear round and Brigg stormed home in the jumping to take 3rd place. We were among the first to go in his Agility and I was delighted when he went clear especially as the tunnel was immediately after the A Frame, his downfall the other week! On checking his time I was told he was in the lead but with 100 or so more dogs to go I kept well away from the score tent and tried not to think about it until the class was closed and I returned to find his ticket still on the top of the pile which meant he had won into Grade 4. This was really special for me 'winning out' in my home county with my Lincolnshire lad.
Sunday was oppressively hot, my feet were blistered from running on iron hard ground coupled with hot feet plus my troublesome muscle was doing the odd bit of objecting! One of the judges was splendidly dressed in full highland regalia however he did remove his leather jerkin during the morning, his Jacobean style shirt was whiter than white and there was not a crease to be seen all day! I only let Kai do one run as I felt it was too much for him to do more, Keets got his accustomed clear round and Chart actually went clear in both his jumping classes when he took 13th place in the same class where Brigg came 6th, Brigg also took 8th place in another jumping class. In between our runs I walked the dogs and started packing up. By four o'clock I still had two runs to do but decided to make for home instead as I had a long drive ahead of me.

Rugby

2011-07-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

Rugby is one of my favourite shows you can walk for miles through the fields the hedgerows bursting with birdsong.The dogs as usual applied their water divining skills and soon found a stream to quench their thirst.Evidence of the May / June drought showed in the cracked and fissured pathways and the corn which was half the height it usually grows. We were fortunate to have three two hour walks in fine weather during the show!
Saturday and the drumming overhead told of serious rain, this was not good news especially as I had several courses to walk and some eight early runs. This show has increased in size since I first started coming when there were only 6 rings, this time there were 9 and there was barely room to fit in all the day parking! It was not long before the first set of waterproofs were completely sodden and I had to change all my clothing before donning the next set! I cannot say that I ran my best and my right leg started playing up again. Keets, Chart and Kai had clear rounds in jumping but Brigg was unlucky to have a pole down but did a nice agility round to take 13th place. As the morning wore on the weather gradually improved and by the time I finished my runs the sun was shining. My leg was very sore by the end of the day but Rosie gave me some really good tips on how to alleviate the problem involving sitting on a tennis ball to stretch the muscles which worked pretty well and enabled me to run the following day when I had almost given up hope of competing!
Sunday was a mixture of the odd shower, brief glimpses of the sun but a great deal of cloud. Chart was his usual uncooperative self and I messed up Kai's agility by not running him properly. Despite knocking a pole Brigg came 20th in agility, I was not expecting him to be placed so had to collect his rosette after the presentation, I don't usually check on my dog's times if they have faults but on seeing the results sheet when claiming his rosette I found he had one of the fastest times! Thanks to an error on my part when we lost time hesitating over a jump I thought was in the course, but was not, Brigg came 13th in jumping! Keets went clear in all his runs taking 18th place in Agility. My leg was so sore that I did not do Kai's last jumping. At least walking was not a real problem so the dogs had a good run in the fields before I packed up and hit the M1 with it's usual miseries and hold ups!

Lansdown

2011-07-05T00:08:00.000-07:00

It makes such a difference when one is permitted to arrive at a show around noon as the earlier one sets out on a Friday the lighter the traffic, I arrived at Lansdown after a couple of hours to secure pitches against the racetrack rails. Once set up I took the dogs for a long walk through the racetrack and out along the Cotswold Walk to Round Hill which affords the most spectacular views of Bath on one side, Bristol and the Welsh hills on the other, I could just see the Severn Bridge on the horizon, being white it really stands out.
At 5 am it was so misty that I could only see the caravan immediately in front of me, this cleared a couple of hours later to reveal a miserable day which was cold and drizzly. I did not run well and in fact managed to get Keeto eliminated in one of his two runs by getting him to execute a very difficult manoeuvre which was not in the course at all! Apart from Kai's clear round in jumping this was not a successful day and I only had myself to blame! At least it cleared up towards the end of the day when Breda and I went on a long walk before supper.
Again the mist descended and was somewhat tardier to disperse, so much so that people were asking for the start of judging to be delayed, however as it was perfectly possible to see all the obstacles in the courses even if the adjacent rings did not appear to exist so we started as usual at 8.30. Brigg's first run was agility, I was so disappointed to see the judge's hand go up after the A frame so as a result I really held his contacts on both the dog walk and see saw adding at least a second to our time. It was an hour later when someone told me that I was in the lead, I was sure that they were mistaken so I returned to the ring to check and sure enough Brigg's 5 faults had been cancelled (judges error) and I saw that his was the top slip on the pile. He led right until the end when the second to last dog just pipped him at the post! We would undoubtedly had won into grade 4 had I not trained those 2 contacts but mistakes are made and Brigg is very young and has plenty of time, I was still delighted to receive his 2nd place award. Chart excelled himself to get 9th place in jumping, I will draw a veil over his agility run and again I made mistakes with Keets and Kai. Brigg's 2nd place earned him enough points to qualify for his Bronze Agility Warrant.

Ottershaw Woods

2011-06-16T07:14:00.001-07:00

JDA Show

2011-06-07T23:46:00.000-07:00

I was looking forward to returning to Old Warden and Shuttleworth after an absence of 3 years, proceeding down the narrow driveway little had changed, massive old trees stood proudly in the fields. On the left the fields were full of whitish woolly things with black legs and faces which went baa!
Tuesday dawned somewhat overcast but dry I only had two early runs so it was an easy start to the day. It was not the best of days for Brigg who either missed his weave entry or had a pole down, Chart was in fighting form as he threw himself off the contacts with gay abandonment to mount up the faults and decided to do 'his own thing' in the jumping, however Kai went clear in his jumping to come 5th and Keeto worked his little socks off in all his runs to go clear. There was a qualifying agility run each day when points were gained to decided who would be in Friday's final. Constantly throughout the day we were treated to aircraft flighing overhead, the agility rings were but a few yards from the runway so we had an excellent view of the planes taking off and landing, a couple of them resembled gaily coloured kites with a boat shape beneath for the pilot, all looked very precarious.
Wednesday and a really hot sultry day, another day of faulted runs for Brigg, Chart excelled himself to go clear in the Helter Skelter after which he rested on his laurels! Kai went clear in jumping and again Keets was the star of the day even managing to come 14th in a ridiculously difficult grade 3 to 5 qualifying agility heat.
Thursday and another hot sunny day. Once again I had few early runs, our first class was the Steeplechase, a highly controversial course as it was in no way a Steeplechase but a definite jumping course minus the weaves. An indignant posse presented themselves to the judge to complain but their cries fell on deaf ears, the course remained unchanged and it was a challenging one at that. Brigg and Chart both went clear and to my surprise Brigg's ticket was placed on the top of the pile of clear rounds where it stayed for him to win the class. Much to my surprise on looking at the board announcing the finalists for the following day I found the Keets had qualified 15th out of 20 dogs, his first ever final and such a thrill. To crown the day Chart went clear in the jumping to take 13th place, towards the end of that class I ran Brigg. Having left him in a wait he went over the first jump and stormed into the weaves screaming with joy, I took a risk and left him to continue weaving while I beat him into the box to do a reverse turn to be able to get him over the diagonal jumps as tightly as possible, I sent him over the next 6 obstacles on his own while I raced to the 'snake' where I picked him up, once that was negotiated there were but four more jumps to go and he had completed the course. As soon as I finished I was told he was in the lead and that no one was going to beat his time, he finished up winning the class by over a second!
The Finals started a 9 am when everyone took their chairs and positioned themselves around the ring. Our course was surprisingly simple and flowing but nevertheless there were traps which were the downfall of some, Keets did me proud and apart from just missing the A Frame contact he did a lovely round and earned himself a special Finalists rosette, however I really think he appreciated the ice cream I shared with him more!!! Brigg's sister, Sola did a seamless round to win the class.

Wey Navigation Walk

2011-05-29T01:19:00.001-07:00

Bees!

2011-05-22T02:16:00.000-07:00

A swarm of bees created an interesting diversion when they chose to settle in the trunk of an ancient oak tree in the parking area. A bee keeper was sent for and it took him a great deal of time in persuading the bees to move from their chosen spot. Despite being smoked out they did not like his basket and eventually after being sprayed with water (bees apparently don't like rain) the colony was persuaded to take refuge in a slightly tilted upturned cardboard box! At one point the bee keeper had more bees on his back than were in the box and a security guard kindly volunteered to brush him down! The bee keeper was delighted to leave with his free swarm to add to his colonies.

High Peak

2011-05-18T00:41:00.000-07:00

Friday and the 165 mile drive to the Peak District. I met Breda by chance on the M1 motorway and we proceeded to travel in convoy. Unfortunately for Breda she had failed to follow the instructions on the show schedule as the post code took you the wrong way where there was no access to the showground so when she took a left turn later on I did not and as a result arrived a good ten minutes before her, I could see her camper van travelling up and back down the lane in the distance until she finally found the correct route! All the pitches were pre allocated, we were at the furthest possible point from the rings but on the edge of the exercise area with sheep grazing on the rolling hills and a short walk to the kissing gate which led out into the fields beyond. In the opposite direction was Bakewell with houses dotted up the hill and the spire of the church dominating the skyline, I was not in time to get my camera when at one point a beautiful rainbow framed the little town. Having lead walked the dogs around the perimeter of the showground we eventually found the first kissing gate which was close to where we had started out from, it is the first time either of us had seen these narrow gates which opened into a narrow space bordered by a boulder each side where there was only just room for a single person to squeeze through, the dogs were slightly confused especially as they were all still on lead, they did eventually learn that it had to be single file only! There were two of these gates at least the dogs were off lead for the second one. The surrounding countryside was stunning bordered by a river, at one point we came across a magnificent old tree which had almost been split in half but was still alive. Brigg managed to adorn himself with his favourite doggy aftershave, namely horse manure, thank God for the river! Once back we found that the final member of our small group, Clare, had arrived after a somewhat longer journey than ours as she had got lost due to the diversion and had ended up in Chesterfield! While she was setting up Breda and I walked into Bakewell which was all of 5 minutes away. Such a delightful old town somewhat spoiled by commercialisation obviously the famous Bakewell tarts and puddings were well catered for but very expensive at £4.50, however we did buy some mini Bakewell tarts as I suppose one could not visit Bakewell without tasting the genuine thing! On our return Clare was ready to walk her dogs so we all joined forces and made for the hills once more with 12 ecstatic dogs. The rain arrived as the night drew nigh and it became really cold, despite that I slept better that night than I had done in years!
Saturday, what a day, bitterly cold with a gale force wind and rain a plenty! As we stood dripping and shivering in the queues for our runs it was generally agreed that we must be mad! Some of the courses were diabolically hard, so much so that clear rounds were not plentiful. Kai did a great jumping round but as usual I did not go to check if he got a place and was therefore astonished to find he had been placed 7th due to so few clear rounds. The grade 3 Agility course was more like a grade 6, few got round it out of the 192 competitors, Brigg just missed his weave entry to get 5 faults, nevertheless he was placed 10th, in another agility class he was blown off the top of the dog walk and fell heavily on his side to gasps from those around the ring, by some miracle he was OK but when we left the ring several people came to check him over, happily he was pronounced 'sound'. Brigg was not the only dog to suffer this problem and as a result there were no Dog Walks in any rings the following day. We did have intermittent glimpses of the sun but as 5 o'clock drew nigh the rain came down in buckets while we waited to do our final runs. Happily it dried up for a while afterwards and the sun even put in an appearance when we managed a dryish walk to the accompaniment of church bells ringing out over the countryside. Clare, who had managed a third place in her grade 2 class was ecstatic at getting her first ever trophy and celebrated by buying a home made lemon drizzle cake from the Greyhound trade stand which she shared with Breda and myself, it was glorious!
After a somewhat wild night Sunday dawned dull and seriously cold, again there were some dastardly courses. Clare once again excelled herself by winning into grade 3 and Breda too did well. Brigg came 9th in Agility and both Brigg and Chart did great Jumping runs, Brigg was just beaten into 4th place and Chart came 7th. Kai did a lovely clear Agility round and Keets worked his little socks off. Roli and Tambi were taken into the exercise area for 'pensioners playtime' with their frisbee. During the lunch hour I dismantled my garden, packed up and had time for a good walk before our next runs which were later in the day so the dogs were very happy.
There is no doubt that the further North you go the more relaxed the shows which is fine except that by late afternoon the Adams Derby had only just started, I had 3 dogs to run in this and Keets had the final running order, with such a long drive ahead of me I sensibly left without completing these runs, as it was despite a good run home it took me three and a quarter hours and I was tired!Once home the caravan motor mover played up and I had great trouble in manipulating it down my drive as it continually wanted to go in one direction, a left handed circle!

Tunbridge

2011-05-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

Tunbridge. Having settled Tambi, Brigg and Chart in the van for the night I retired with the other 3 into my caravan. During the last couple of shows I have made up the double bed which takes up the entire width of the caravan, this has surprisingly made more sleeping room and Kai and Keets like to share the central 6 foot passageway beneath the bed, it is just as well there was more room as some time during the night Chart started barking, I flew out of bed and hurried him into the caravan only to have Brigg complain as well, so he joined us, there was still plenty of room for me with 5dogs sharing the caravan!
It rained during the night and I awoke to a drizzly cloudy morning which soon gave way to sunshine which reigned throughout the day. How differently this was organised to last weeks unaffiliated Show (never again)! and although I was not running Keets who was recovering from an injury and a visit to the chiropractor it was still a more relaxed atmosphere when the large classes went through like clockwork. Most of Brigg's runs were early, the ground was wet and slippery and he fell while turning into a tunnel in his jumping class, although fine, he did knock a couple of poles afterwards due to the ground making take off difficult. He also had a pole down in his second run and thanks to my forgetting to direct him at a crucial point he ran by a jump in what should have been a clear round! Chart was his usual self, but surprisingly went clear in his jumping. Kai ran well but did not distinguish himself. Keets was jubilant at having his first off lead walk in several days, he looked in great form as he raced along. I was delighted to see a vast amount of bedding plants being set up amongst the trade stands and bought trays of geraniums, dianthus and snap dragons, I buy from this place every year, besides being good value the plants are big, bushy and healthy.
Such heavy rain over night, I did not sleep well and at 3 am once again Chart started barking along with Brigg, I realised why when I shot out to see what the problem was......foxes were clearly visible so there was nothing for it but to bring the duo into the caravan once again. I found it hard to settle as I frequently heard a scrabbling sound which I presumed were Keets and Kai beneath my bed, it was not until I looked out of the window at 6.30 am when I saw a bedraggled Keets gazing up at me, he must have gone out when I went to see to Chart and co and I did not know and shut the caravan door leaving him outside, poor little dog was out three and a half hours in the pouring rain without a bark or a whimper, just scrabbling at the caravan door to come in, I did feel a heel!
The clouds soon passed over and eventually the sun came out to dry the soaked grass, I was fortunate this time that I had no early runs. Kai did an excellent jumping round and was unlucky to be faulted for a dodgy frame in Agility. Chart excelled himself in 2 runs just missing the dog walk in Agility but going clear in jumping and Brigg despite a wide turn which cost us a second came 16th in jumping but had a pole down in Agility. I was packed up and home just before 6 o'clock after an enjoyable show.

Kissing Gates

2011-05-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Ever tried to get through a kissing gate with 6 dogs on lead? I can assure you it is not easy especially when they all attempt to go through at once!

Wildkap Kai

2011-05-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Alan Score for this great photograph taken at the Tunbridge Show.

Fun Times!

2011-05-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

It just goes to show that one is never too old to enjoy childish things

Roli

2011-04-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks back poor Roli (now aged 13) was taken to the vet on Saturday morning his only symptoms were that he would not eat his breakfast and he had a temperature of 104. Despite antibiotics his temperature rose to 105 by Sunday morning when we had to seek more veterinary advice and by the evening I had to leave him at an Emergency vet practise overnight on a drip as his temperature rose to 107. I was on the road just after 7 o'clock the following morning to collect Roli from the Emergency Vet Centre and take him to my vet at Spinney Hill. An abdominal X ray and further blood tests revealed nothing. He was given a very thorough examination by my own vet and admitted as he was a very poorly boy with a high unexplained fever. After a 20 minute consultation with the vet that evening when Jake took me through all Roli's X Rays and other tests which were being sent away for analysis I came home feeling I had attended a veterinary seminar! Happily Roli's temperature had dropped a little thanks to a drastic concoction of two antibiotics and as there was no one at my practise overnight to watch over him and I could not afford another session at the emergency place which cost almost £600 for the night I was allowed to take him home. He was more than ready to come home and surprised me by eating a couple of poached chicken breasts. He slept soundly overnight and was more than ready for his breakfast it was a relief to find his temperature was almost normal. Poor Roli thought he was going for a walk the next morning when I put his lead on, he could not wait to get into the van...........and be taken back to the vet! Jake decided to keep him in for the day on fluids and he had an ultra sound scan the following day since when a bacterial infection in one of his heart valves was diagnosed together with the fact he has an enlarged heart. Although still on a long course of antibiotics he is back to his normal happy self enjoying his walks and playing frisbee!Long may it last.

Horse Therapy

2011-03-26T10:37:00.001-07:00

This week it was time for Brigg to meet Hovis out on a ride. I was extremely apprehensive having all 6 dogs with me and put Brigg, Keets, Tambi and Chart on lead leaving Roli and Kai free as I was confident that they would be OK. Sara kept Hovis standing while we walked past and stood beside the horse when all behaved well, the next move was for us to stand while Sara walked Hovis up and down, once this was achieved without a problem I gradually let them off lead one by one and we walked for some 45 minutes back through the common to the stables with the horse. This was huge progress, there was a little sniffing around Hovis's hocks at first but all went so smoothly that you would have thought this was a regular occurrence. draft

Charticus

2011-03-24T01:09:00.001-07:00

Keeto

2011-03-14T02:53:00.001-07:00

Kai

2011-03-14T02:48:00.000-07:00

Tambi

2011-03-12T00:19:00.001-08:00

Ash Ranges

2011-03-06T00:58:00.000-08:00

We soon reached the car park which is but a clearing set aside for that purpose, it is a bit of a mud bath at the best of times and last week was no exception but as we were the only vehicles there we were able to park out of the mire! After a twenty minute walk through Pirbright Common we reached the army place known as Ash Ranges the flag pole was devoid of any red flags so it was safe for walking although we could hear a great deal of gun fire in the distance coming from the shooting ranges, this area is always out of bounds. Ash Range is not a place to walk on your own, and decidedly not if you don't, like myself,have a sense of direction, it is very desolate and has a strange air of foreboding, T.S.Elliots poem, The Waste Land comes to mind!
When we first set out we saw a group of 5 people in the distance plus a horse and rider and that was our only glimpse of humanity during our three hour walk, it would be extremely easy to get lost. Ash Ranges is an extensive area of open dry heathland owned by the MoD. The range danger areas cover 2000 hectares, made up of a mixture of lowland heathland, conifer and broad-leaved woodland, mire, scrub and acid grassland supporting a wide range of fauna and flora. It is a haven for numerous rare plants, invertebrate and reptile species such as sundews and green tiger beetles. A grazing agreement with the MoD has enabled Surrey Wildlife Trust to graze parts of the MoD estate and at one point we came across a large herd of cattle. Ash Ranges also has an interesting valley bog system which we encountered............ not the best of places to walk! At this time of year the ranges are not at their most attractive, most of the area is coloured in various shades of brown, ochre and drab greens with silver birches starkly standing out with their white trunks and branches. There are plenty of broad sandy paths besides boggy muddy ones, steep hills to climb and great views. Thanks to Sara's excellent sense of direction we did manage to find our way back to the main gate although for a time we were somewhat lost and familiar landmarks had disappeared so the walk was somewhat longer than we had intended! It poured with rain towards the end of the walk, at least Roli and Tambi were wearing their bright blue waterproof coats so they remained dry, it makes them easily identifiable especially when at times they are inclined to wander in the wrong direction!

Roli

2011-02-27T00:08:00.001-08:00

It is good to return to painting and to acrylics instead of water colour which was never my medium. I am intending to do portraits of all my dogs with a similar background so that I have a matching set!

2011-02-22T00:46:00.000-08:00

Once again we set out for the stables, at least with the recent dry weather the lane to the stables was not as muddy as previously and happily we met no one, as there is only just room for a single vehicle! Once we arrived at the stable car park the dogs were in a state of delirious excitement and piled out of the van racing into the field and on to Blackheath Common where we met a horse and rider who was the only person we met during our entire almost 3 hour walk! The idea was to time our walk to coincide with the steam train passing, it only does this once every 2 or 3 weeks and weneeded to arrive at a specific spot for 2.40, however the common is so vast that there were plenty of new trails to explore and we had a good couple of hours of walking before the train was due to put in an appearance. Some of the bridleways were quite muddy in parts while others were deep sand imprinted with many a hoof print. We came across a clump of wild cyclamen with their delicate pink flowers nestling amongst the tangled grasses. Crossing a pathway both Sara and I managed to trip over a wire which lay undetected some 2 inches from the ground, we both fell and poor little Tambi momentarily got his foot caught beneath the wire. He stood pathetically on three legs and we really though he was injured which would have been bad news as we were a very long way from the vans, however after a good foot rub along with the appropriate sympathetic noises and hobbling on lead for a few moments he made a miraculous recovery which was fortunate as there was no way either of us could have carried him. As the trains appointed time drew closer and we were making our way to the edge of the woods overlooking the fields, a familiar whistle sounded, the train was early! We ran to gain a vantage point, not the one we intended which would have afforded a great view of the oncoming locomotive, but at least we saw the train and I was able to take a photo although not a very good one.
Once back at the stables it was time for Brigg's therapy with horses. Once again I led him into the stable yard to be confronted by several nodding heads over their stable doors. The owner asked Sara to walk one of the horses down to the field as we were going that way to see Hovis, this was great as I was able to walk Brigg behind and beside the moving horse when he was a very good boy. This time we went into the field where Hovis was engrossed in eating his tea of hay, enticed by Sara's handful of carrots he soon walked over for his treat. Brigg who was just a few feet from Hovis just sat and stared, I don't think he was that happy but once again he did not react by barking and I constantly rewarded him with pieces of liver cake. It is obvious that he is afraid of horses as when Hovis walked towards him and was within about 4 ft. of him, Brigg shot round the back of me, but still no barking or sign of aggression so I was well pleased!

Brigg

2011-02-21T00:41:00.000-08:00

After two years I finally started painting again!

2011-01-25T08:19:00.000-08:00

Such a lovely day last Friday when the sun shone in contrast to the gloomy day we had the previous week. A perfect day for a long walk around the North Downs. There was a great deal of hill walking and the views were well worth the effort. At one point we were alerted by a familiar hooting sound which I last heard so many years ago as a steam train chugged its way through the countryside, its cloud of steam almost completely obliterating the actual train. At one point we spied a herd of Llamas who were aroused from their grazing by Lolly's barking and came trotting over to see what all the fuss was about, they came as close as they could to their enclosure to peer inquisitively over the fence, happily they were a field away so the dogs failed to notice! Quite a lot of hikers were about, a few joggers and we met a couple of mounted horses along one of the bridle paths when I was quick to put Brigg and Keets on leads,although we went for long periods without seeing a soul. It was a long climb back up to the place where we started out when even my leg muscles felt the strain, we had been walking for over three and a half hours and it was a relief to sit for a few minutes on a bench watching the sun sink behind the hills admiring the view before we made our way back to our vans, we had noticed for some time the temperature sinking and the clear sky told of an impending frost. The inside of my windscreen was already frozen over and it took a little while to clear it before I was able to drive off.

A Visitor

2011-01-10T07:38:00.001-08:00

I was a little apprehensive when asked if I would have Alice for a couple of days while her owner went to Wales for the funeral of her 104 year old aunt, however I need not have worried, she fitted in like a well worn glove! My boys have often walked with her and Alice and Brigg are great friends. Having picked Alice up I took the dogs for a 2 hour walk before returning home, my boys accepted her without any problem and Alice lost no time in making herself at home deciding that the armchair was preferable to her bed,this was not encouraged!
It beats me why dogs choose to play under the lowest object in the room, Brigg and Alice chose to play beneath the coffee table until won out Alice decided to use her bed.....she is a fast learner!!! I decided against shutting Alice in the kitchen overnight so put her bed next to Brigg's crate in the conservatory, she came to my bedroom door and put a foot over the threshold to be told to go to bed, so she did, however she chose to sleep on the futon rather than in her own bed! The night passed peacefully with not a squeak from Alice (nor Kai for a change) until I got up.
Alice loves to go into the river, her chief joy is to make wavelets by splashing the water with her front paws while trying to catch the spray in her mouth,she can keep this up for long periods of time and of course being a typical collie she adores balls.
I was almost sorry when it was time to take her home, she is such a sweet little girl.

Boxing Day Walk

2010-12-28T02:32:00.000-08:00

St Martha's

2010-12-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Sara's and I set out a somewhat cold but bright day for St. Martha's. It was something of a surprise to find that the side roads were icy and the closer we got to St. Martha's we found the pavements sprinkled with snow. Once we parked the dogs tumbled out of the van in excitement and we climbed the steep hill to St. Martha's church which was well covered in snow. The view from the church of the surrounding countryside was superb made magical with everywhere covered in snow, the branches of trees gleaming with frost. We walked for some two hours through the woods and fields Brigg at one point threw himself into a pond, (he does love water) this was not a good idea as he emerged grey with stinking mud and very quickly the water froze on him! As we walked the sky became very dark, it started snowing and the horizon became shrouded in mist, we were still about 30 minutes from the car park. Eventually we climbed the long steep hill up to the church and the car park some 500 yards beyond to our snow covered vans. It took some time to clear the windscreens, happily I had a scraper and a can of de icer with me which helped but the windscreens were frozen up both inside and out and even the de icer was reluctant to do its job. Eventually we set out, Sara leading the way, the road which had been bad when we arrived was now treacherous with freezing snow on top of ice and despite proceeding with extreme caution around 5 mph in first gear we were both skidding all over the place and having managed to drive down One Tree Hill in one piece we then had another hill to climb up a narrow country road which was scary, having zigzagged half way up both our vans skidded to a halt, to stop myself sliding back down the hill I had to leave the van in gear as the hand brake alone was useless,there was no way either of us was going to get any further without help! Happily although my van had stopped right in the middle of the road I was beside some one's drive so there was room for other vehicles to get by, not that there was much activity on this quiet country lane! Sara eventually managed to slide backwards so that she was not completely blocking the road. It was unbelievable that a couple of cars struggled up the road hooting for us to get out of the way, lucky them that they were able to without a thought for the couple of damsels in distress! A man in a 4 by 4 stopped but was too busy to help us as he had to pick up his daughters from school! It seemed sensible to phone the AA, however, Sara had left her phone at home and the battery had run out on mine! I did have my emergency spare phone in the van, but guess what........there was no signal!! There was no one at home in the house I had stopped beside so there was nothing for it but to wait and hope! During this time we were both getting cold and Sara had managed to fall over on the icy road twice. Eventually after what seemed like ages a truck came along and stopped to see what was amiss, that the driver actually had a tow rope in the back was incredible and he towed us both to the top of the hill, we were both so grateful. We still had to drive down the hill which after more skidding we successfully negotiated and it was a relief to finally reach the main road which was clear. I continued to have problems with the ice on my windscreen which only just cleared as I was reaching home. It was good to get home and once the dogs and owls had been fed relax beside a roaring fire.

Ayesharn Red Rudolph

2010-12-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Roli who is 13 years old today!

2010-12-04T01:16:00.000-08:00

2010-12-04T01:04:00.000-08:00

Snow

2010-12-04T00:25:00.000-08:00

Minus 6 last night and it did not rise above minus 2 yesterday. I decided to err on the side of safety and walk the dogs in pairs as the pavements were like glass and one had to be ultra careful not to slip over and fall. In all I was solidly walking for over 5 hours, and I hope not to have to repeat this today, but if needs must, I will. I must admit I did enjoy the walks and so did the dogs although Chart was somewhat puzzled that his great mate Keets was absent as I walked Keets and Kai together before Chart and Brigg.

2010-11-30T06:09:00.000-08:00

Brigg

2010-11-30T00:54:00.000-08:00

It was Brigg's 2nd birthday yesterday, a fitting breakfast of Lincolnshire sausages for a Lincolnshire lad followed by a 3 hour walk was enjoyed by all!

Revenge!

2010-10-15T08:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday at one point along our usual route Chart was suddenly extremely agitated, head shaking and spinning in circles, eventually he calmed down and upon examination nothing was to be found. The same thing happened today but to a much lesser degree so I went over to where he had been investigating to find a very active wasps nest in the ground. Finding a suitable rock I wedged it in the entrance to block their passage, perhaps not the best course of action as the little bastards who had already escaped became extremely angry and before I knew it I had several attached to my fleece jacket and another one buzzing around my head! One determined wasp managed to sting me through the sleeve of my fleece and as a result I have a very red painful swollen arm! The one whizzing around my head continued its assault for some 500 yards until I managed to shake him off. I was obliged to remove my fleece so as to brush off several irate insects!

2010-10-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Norfolk

2010-10-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know why traffic is always heavier on a Friday however I made it to Norfolk in good time beating the usual Friday traffic snarl ups possibly because despite the 'no arrivals before 3pm' directive I drew into the venue around 1.30 and quickly found my pre allocated pitch which was right on the edge of the exercise area. Fortunately I had set up and walked the dogs before the bad weather set in. Such a wild night with lashing rain and the caravan buffeted by the gale force wind. Contrary to the bad weekend weather forecast Saturday dawned dry yet misty prior to a glorious summer like day. This was a small show with only five rings, three were outside and the remaining two in a huge equestrian centre but the class numbers were still as large as ever especially as this was the last camping show of the season. Brigg and Chart did really neat agility runs and were placed 4th and 10th respectively. Apart from that Kai went clear and it was a 5 fault day for Keets. Roli and Tambi were overjoyed to have several sessions in the exercise field chasing after balls and frisbees and once I had completed all my runs unusually in the early afternoon I took the other four on a long lead walk around the centre. There were a considerable amount of horses in the field adjoining the exercise area and Brigg is not at his best with horses besides which the electric fence (the cable about 2 ft. from the ground) was live and having witnessed the odd yelp from dogs unfortunate enough to come into contact with it I was happier to avoid confrontation!!
Sunday and again a fine morning with a glimmer of sunlight which faded as the morning ran on. I managed to get Kai eliminated twice in devilishly difficult courses, enough said that the second place in agility went to someone who incurred 10faults! Brigg had a couple of good runs but missed his weave entry due to his excessive speed. The grade 3 to 5 course was fiendishly hard. Both Chart and Brigg suffered elimination which was the same fate as most of the dogs in the class however I actually got Keeto round it to come 3rd! To make a great end to the season Chart flew around the grade 3 jumping to do a lovely clear round, on going to the score tent to check if he was in the places after the class had closed I was overjoyed to find he had come 2nd so we came home with trophies!
By lunch time the sky looked very threatening, during this time I packed up everything and hitched the caravan ready for departure which was just as well as it was not long before the rain started. With just 3 classes left which to be honest I rushed so did not do well I was able to make a quick get a way once I had completed my runs and had an unexpectedly good journey home the rain stopped within half an hour or so of my starting out which was an added bonus. Having parked and unhitched the caravan I was somewhat dismayed on connecting the handle to activate the knock on drive on the caravan power mover to snap the bolt in half, here you are talking about a solid hexagonal 2 inch diameter chunk of metal! Fortunately I am able to activate the power mover from both sides so had to venture into the road to perform this task and despite most of the sky being pitch black I was able to get the caravan down the drive and erect it before the rain started. We were very fortunate with the weather during the weekend, especially as I heard that Surrey had suffered torrential rain for most of the time I had been away!

Suffolk 5 Rivers

2010-10-05T02:04:00.000-07:00

The journey to Ipswich was far from joyful, the M 25 was a misery with constant congested areas and it was a good 3 hours before I finally entered the showground to find a sea of caravans and poles denoting saved pitches, it was 3.40pm, so much for the 'no arrivals before 4pm'! Not a pleasant day, cold with showers and a gale force wind which was responsible for blowing over and wrecking the secretary's marquee!
I awoke to a cold and blustery morning when the wind was strong enough for the Dartford Bridge to be closed. The queue around the grade 3 rings was ridiculous, within 45 minutes they were calling up to 200 dogs in the agility ring and in the other 2 jumping rings they were taking anyone so there was absolutely no point in having a running order. Kai went clear in both his runs and Brigg stormed round the NBC Jumping and despite a hesitation thanks to me he came 10th. Strangely he missed his weave entry in his other runs which was very unusual, nevertheless he ran well. Chart, having done superb rounds in both the agility and jumping he back jumped the last jump in agility to be eliminated and in jumping pratted about refusing to do the final jump it until he knocked over the whole thing! You always have to be ready for the unexpected with Chart! Keets was a good boy but not quite clear. Tambi and Roli were treated to walks around the rings and best of all a long session in the exercise area running after the new frisbees I had purchased to replace those we had lost.
Sunday, such a cold wet morning but at least the wind had dropped somewhat. Once again the queues around the grade 3 rings were of nightmarish proportions, the Helter Skelter queue was almost as long and curvaceous as the course itself. At times the rain was torrential when people ran for cover, which was the only time the queues were of a reasonable proportion! Again Brigg had problems in the weaves but went clear in the Helter Skelter where there were no weaves, Chart played his usual game by refusing to do the last jump in another great round, he did however manage a clear round in the jumping when I won the battle of wills and he cleared the last jump, both Kai and Keets went clear in their runs. I did not wait to see if we had been placed as frankly I was cold, wet and thoroughly fed up! I was glad to pack up give the dogs a final run in the exercise area before hitting the motorway for a long congested and tedious journey home in pouring rain! Interestingly it had been dry all weekend here!!

Happy Birthday Chart, 4 years old today

2010-09-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

Prestbury Park

2010-09-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

This was my first trip to Prestbury Park a really beautiful venue just outside Cirencester. Once again we were only permitted to have 2 dogs off lead at a time so again I walked in 2 relays of three dogs alternating the one on lead with the others so they all had free running time. The woodland walk we were permitted to use was lovely, the way was marked with red ribbons tied to branches so even I could not get lost! It was a shame that in such a vast area there were so many restrictions as to where we could or could not walk but nevertheless it is such a lovely place.
Sue had her first run early on Saturday morning and returned beaming as Hooch had gone clear in his agility, not only that but some time afterwards she found out they had won the class to win into Grade 6! Such an unusual trophy too, an engraved hand blown glass vase made by Bath Aqua Blue, hence the beautiful colour. Brigg too did well by coming 6th in a difficult agility class and much to my surprise Master Chart not to be outdone was placed 10th in jumping. There were four simultaneous events during the weekend including Flyball. After we had completed our runs Breda and I went over to watch the Polo competition, the horses go at a terrific speed I am surprised that there are not more injuries, an exciting game but one for the wealthy! As the rain started dripping around 6 pm we celebrated Sue's success by drinking a bottle of champagne she had been keeping in her caravan for such an event. Unlike other people I never buy meals from the caterers on site but was tempted as they were cooking fish, chips and mushy peas for £5. 00 and had a truly excellent supper and as the chip portion was huge the dogs enjoyed their share too! I was unimpressed by the distant disco the drums which pounded relentlessly on until 3.30am!
Sunday and rain, that nasty fine rain that quickly soaks you through, at least it cleared as the morning wore on. I was surprised when after running a very difficult combined grade 3 to 5 course with Keets, someone said well done as I finished as I did not think I had gone clear, I was even more surprised to hear my name called during the presentation to find Keets had 15th place! There were even more surprises in store as Chart actually got all his contacts to come 5th in Agility and after a quarrel with him on the start line as he refused to wait, he flew round the jumping course to gain 3rd place and his first ever trophy!! Brigg did not fare so well, the odd pole down and one or two contacts I was far from happy with so I re did them and he was eliminated. Brigg has gone up a couple of gears in speed over the jumps and is seriously quick now so I have to think fast to steer him in the right direction!

Dog Vegas Winterton

2010-09-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

Already it seems light years since I re visited my home county yet it was only some 10 days ago! The drive down was over 5 hours thanks to the M18 being closed at the very junctions I required so I had to take the long cross country route. The showground at Winterton had but 5 rings and the camping was arranged around them although this show was so popular that an additional field had to be pressed into use. The exercise area was adequate but you were only allowed 2 dogs off lead at a time in this area, this did not bother me especially as there was a small nature reserve literally five minutes down the road, I walked the dogs in two batches, as there was only a very narrow pavement I chose not to lead walk all 6 to the woods, despite the mainly quiet country road the natives were inclined to drive like maniacs!! I took Tambi and Roli together when we either went into the woods or stayed on site playing frisbee which they loved especially as there were no youngsters to monopolise the toy! I took the others to the woods and the fields beyond where there was an excellent view of the distant Humber Bridge and they could all run free. The weather alternated between gale force winds when it was really cold, the odd splatter of rain and warm sunshine, after a sharp shower there was an incredible complete arc of a rainbow, we even had a ground frost one night when the woman opposite me awoke to find her gas bottle had frozen!
Brigg was born just down the road from the venue and we met a several of his relatives including his breeder who was able to see him run and compete for the first time. I was interested to read what she put on the Borderstorm website about him .................... quote............
I saw Brigg working for the first time – what a smooth operator he is!! He’s a big dog, but very quick and light on his feet, and he weaves like a bullet!
Although this was a small show ring wise it was well attended and the classes were huge with 170 in the grade 3 classes alone. We had a good variety of courses, some comparatively simple and flowing while others were downright difficult. We had our allocation of 5 faults and Elimination's but good results too with Keets and Kai getting clear rounds, Tambi enjoyed himself enormously in his daily Veterans Run and Brigg earned his first trophies by coming 2nd and 3rd in Grade 3 Jumping. Chart was ............just Chart!!!! There were finals to watch every night and great comeradie around the ring, it was so nice to be back amongst the Northern crowd and had it not been for my family, I would seriously consider returning to my roots.
Before returning to Surrey I drove through Cleethorpes and Grimsby where even in the space of a couple of years the town has deteriorated considerably, mind you half the time I did not know where I was and it was only by looking at my Satnav I saw the familiar street names!

Brigg Dog Vegas Grade 3 Jumping

2010-08-05T00:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a montage I created online at onetruemedia.com. Click on the link below to see it. You don't need to have an account.
See My Montage 8/4/10 online.

My Montage 8/4/10

2010-08-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hi, here's a montage I created online at onetruemedia.com. Click on the link below to see it. You don't need to have an account.
See My Montage 8/2/10 online.

My Montage 8/2/10

DOG VEGAS

2010-08-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

The weekend was good. Sue and I arrived almost together around noon, as we had pre allocated pitches it was just a matter of finding our numbered peg and parking with the tow bar on the peg. I much prefer this form of arrangement as it stops people saving countless spaces and bagging the best spots. This was a huge equestrian complex the like of which I have not previously encountered with a massive indoor arena, countless stable blocks and acres of fields, I was told that it was owned by a well known show jumping family, obviously money was no object there! Most of the competitors were from the North and North East, it was good to hear the familiar Lincolnshire accent mixed in with Yorkshire, East Anglian, Geordie and Scots. There was only one other Southerner whom we knew, Sally who also trains at Pachesham who was camped in the row behind us.
Friday and the first day of competition, with eleven runs a day I was kept well occupied. The show was well run my only complaint being the length of the queues but this was down to the callers who in most cases accepted anyone instead of only calling to a set number thus keeping the queue to a maximum of 10 or so handlers, this was something of a pain, also it was difficult to hear the tannoy from the camping area but as it is the first time this show has been held at this particular venue I'm sure this will be corrected another time. The classes were smaller than usual but competition was still fierce. Keets had a couple of clear rounds and Brigg stormed home in the jumping to take 5th place less than a second behind the winner. As I managed to beat Chart to the A frame which meant he actually got it for once, he came 5th in the agility! Poor Sue finished up with Elimination's in all her four runs so was not happy!
Saturday and considerably larger classes, this was not a good day for me as apart from Kai's clear round it was a day of either 5 faults or elimination's. Sue was becoming somewhat disgruntled having had two more elimination's when on his final run of the day Hoochie went clear to win the jumping class, his 3rd jumping win which puts him into Grade 5 . The exercise area consisted of two fields but most people did not realise there was a second field so we more or less had it to ourselves, there was a large deep dank pond in the middle which was a great attraction for the dogs, I lost 2 Frisbee's on the first day as they sank into its murky depths! As it was a fine evening the three of us met up in my garden for a celebratory barbecue.
Sunday, our last day and my best day. Keets had a really nice clear round to just miss out yet again on a place, I ruined our chance of a great agility round by sending Keets into the tunnel to cut across to the dog walk when bless him, he followed me without going up the dog walk to earn 5 faults, however Chart and Brigg both did lovely jumping rounds and ended up with Chart 5th and Brigg 4th, to crown his achievements Brigg went clear in his agility to get another 4th place. I felt sorry for Kai who did not get his first run until 4.30 pm and I stayed on so he got his final run an hour later, however I missed a 'pull through' to get eliminated in an otherwise flawless fast round, still at least I did not have to wait for the presentation and was able to get straight into my van which was ready for departure and the long tedious journey home!

Brigg At Diamond

2010-07-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

Diamond Show

2010-07-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

I had intended leaving for Gloucestershire around noon, all was ready for departure so I decided to take the dogs for a quick walk before I left forgetting that the Hampton Court Flower Show was on as a consequence it took me 45 minutes to get home instead of my usual 7 minutes! However I was in luck as for once the motorways were clear and I made it to the venue before 3pm to find Sue setting up, she had saved good pitches close to the Old Down woods which was the main exercise area. The ground in the venue was extremely hard, there was not a blade of green grass to be seen and it took a great deal of energy to hammer in the fencing poles which was not ideal on a seriously hot day. This was a new show and with it a few teething problems, there was only one water tap a good walk from our camp, I drove over as soon as I had unhitched and once I had filled my Aquaroll I hitched it on my tow bar to drive back. Glenda arrived shortly afterwards and disregarded my advice about getting water straight away, by the time she set up and had trundled her Aquaroll over to the tap there was an almighty queue and it was almost an hour and a half before she returned by which time Sue and I were enjoying our second refreshing glass of Pimms! The dogs loved the cool walk through the shady wood which is on an Iron Age site 4000 years old. We had fantastic views of the two Severn Bridges in the distance across the fields.
At least Saturday was cooler thanks to a great deal of cloud cover which made things so much nicer. The dogs went pretty well Keets being the star of the day getting 6th place in his Agility run, neither Sue nor Glenda had any great success but we all enjoyed the day and once the dogs had been walked and fed we enjoyed relaxing outside.
Quite a wild night with some heavy squally showers and a blustery wind which rocked the caravan however Sunday was hot. This was a really good day for Sue who came first and second in her two runs with Hoochie, she just needs one more jumping win to win into grade 5. Brigg did a nice training round when I held him on all his contacts in the agility to get 18th place. Keets and Chart both went clear in the jumping as did Brigg who was placed 8th (in a class of 170) just 1 second behind the winner.
As I said earlier there were a few problems with this show, the camping was not sensibly arranged with units backing on to each other and no real roadways in between, should there have been a fire the Brigade would had had problems getting to the source. They had failed to order enough 'place' rosettes and in some classes there were even no trophies, this no one could understand, the organisers knew in advance how many were running in each class and as they were placing to ten per cent it was a simple matter to order the correct amount of place rosettes so they are having to send these on through the post which will cost them! They put the large grade 3 classes on at the same time at the end of the day so people were dashing from one queue to another, the afternoon presentations were not done until judging was over at the end of the day which meant despite a late finish hanging on even later only to find they had no rosette for you!!.

I finally left around 5.30 and apart from a few hold ups on both motorways made it home just before 8 pm. Glenda had to drop her caravan off in storage which put an extra 2 hours on her journey and did not get home until 9.45! Sue who had completed both her runs during the morning was already home and walking her dogs by the time I left! Despite the teething problems, we all thoroughly enjoyed the weekend.

Lansdown

2010-06-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

What a lovely weekend, perfect weather even if it was on the hot side, good company and beautiful countryside for walking. The dogs used their new Swamp Jacket for the first time which made it so much more comfortable for them when queuing for their runs in the heat. It was so nice to be able to sit outside until bed time, in marked contrast to last weekend at Axtane when everyone was bundled up in fleeces it was so cold. Kai took a real fancy to Linda as seen in the photograph!
Having managed to notch up a fair few elimination's during the past few shows thanks to either pilot error or a total disregard of anything which resembled a contact, Chart surpassed himself at Lansdown by being placed on two consecutive days in the jumping classes. Last weekend at Axtane he even managed to go clear in Agility to gain 10th place which was very unexpected but a big thrill! Keeto returned to Agility after almost 3 weeks off having had 3 stitches in his pad thanks to broken glass in the Mead's car park, the pad has healed really well and despite getting the all clear from the vet I only ran him in the jumping classes when he did two lovely clear rounds. Brigg is thoroughly enjoying participating in the shows although to date I have only run him in a single jumping class each day. I was so pleased with him this weekend when he did everything I asked of him just popping out of the weaves in one run and thanks to my rushing him , he missed the weave entry in his other run I could have kicked myself!!! Kai has decided that now he is verging on being a senior citizen contacts are immaterial especially the see saw, nevertheless he thoroughly enjoyed his runs. He will be 10 in November and now is not the time to nag him over contacts at shows, (although I will at training), he has had a great agility career and done really well so I just want us both to have fun and enjoy whatever time he has left in Grade 6.

Brigg's First Show

2010-06-06T01:20:00.000-07:00

We do very few UKA Shows but as Brigg had just turned 18 months this was an ideal introduction for his first show. Tuesday dawned overcast with the threat of rain when were bound for Mapledurham and the Quad Paws Show. As I wanted to avoid travelling through Reading during the rush hour I went the scenic route following my satnav down narrow country roads and at one point meeting a traction engine which meant my reversing some 50 yards to the nearest passing point, thank God I was not towing my caravan!! I arrived in good time to walk my classes in the rain which continued on and off for most of the day. This was only a small show which was ideal for Brigg's debut. I must admit the day was fraught as the class numbers were small the classes went through fast and at one point I found I had to take Brigg from one ring to another for three consecutive runs which is a bit much for a young lad, however he did really well. I ran Brigg NFC in Agility when he did a lovely round getting all his contacts after which I played with him, Chart also went NFC, he launched himself off the contacts as usual only to be made to repeat them which was something of a shock to him!! Kai came 4th in Senior Agility despite faults having left the see saw in style! Keets came 4th in Beginners jumping with Brigg a hundredth of a second behind him, having completed a lovely clear round Brigg came 4th in the Beginners Steeplechase.

Saturday and again we were bound for Mapledurham this time travelling through Reading. Such a contrast in the weather, it was already hot and humid by the time I arrived and I was glad to change into my shorts. Again classes were small and I was constantly walking back and forth changing dogs. Kai came 2nd in jumping and Keets also 2nd in Agility giving him the required points to at last move up into the Novice category, he just failed to qualify for the CSJ Final as they took the top 3 dogs in Maxi height and he came 4th! Brigg was a very good boy again just knocking a pole in two of his runs however he stormed home to take 4th place in the Beginners Steeplechase this time beating Keets by a second! Chart was just out of the places in the jumping but he did at least go clear which was encouraging especially after some traumatic rounds previously!! Thames next weekend and Brigg's first KC Show. Quite often one finds that the dog one trains is not the same dog when in the show ring, this is very true with Chart and Kai, however Brigg in the ring behaved just the same as in training, such a good honest boy, I am very thrilled with him! I ended the day by offering to judge the POTD Pairs which was great fun.

Almost summer!

2010-05-19T00:07:00.000-07:00

Tunbridge

2010-05-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday dawned damp and bitterly cold at least I only had two courses to walk early which made a welcome change. Drizzle and light rain continued on and off for most of the day making the ground slippery, several people fell, happily I was not one of them, which makes a change.!! This was not the best of days, all Keets runs resulted in 5 faults but he worked so well, Kai was eliminated in both his runs courtesy of me, I was especially disappointed when he leaped off every single contact in his agility round which is something he has not done in ages. After a disastrous start in his Agility when Chart sailed over the first jump and was half way up the dog walk leaving me standing at the start line things went from bad to worse, I completely lost the plot and wished the ground would open up and swallow me! Chart redeemed himself by going clear in the jumping, the only clear round of the day! Roli, Tambi and Brigg had to be content with frequent walks around the showground. It is always a joy to be able to exercise the dogs in the cross country area at Ardingly, there were several new jumps, one resembled a carrot complete with green foliage at one end and there were several carved in the shape of strange animals. One could smell the bluebells in the woods before you could see them, they were stunning.
Sunday and another freezing day but at least I slept well in my sleeping bag overlaid with several fleece throws. Despite putting my fridge on its lowest setting my milk was frozen sold, just as well I drink black coffee! I was surprised to awake feeling very congested and with itchy eyes, hay fever already and it was not even warm! Again I only had 2 courses to walk and having spent an hour shivering waiting to replace fallen poles I was glad to be relieved. Keets just clipped the long jump in his first jumping class but Chart again refused to wait on the start only to be brought back for an immediate elimination after this he did wait and then went on to get a clear round which of course did not count! Keets managed 2 clear rounds during the afternoon, I was especially delighted with his agility, he could not have gone faster or better. Kai also went clear in his agility which was gratifying, I was especially pleased that he did not attempt to fly the see saw, one of his favourite things!!
I would dearly love another caravan as I am finding the erection of the back wall on my folding caravan tough,having pulled the front wall up I actually support the entire roof on my head until I am able to grasp the handle on the rear wall to heave it into position! At present a replacement is not a viable option as all the conventional small caravans are too wide to go through my gate. At least there are always people around at shows should I need a helping hand but it is when I am alone at home it could be difficult. At least I can manage at present....just!

The Start Of The Show Season

2010-04-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

Typical Easter weather, I was really glad I had not camped as it would have been almost impossible to manage being pitched on the tarmac roadway with no garden and multiple dogs, many people like myself had thought better of it. Saturday was such a wet overcast morning that I almost chickened out of going to the show however after a certain amount of indecision I loaded the boys into the van and off we went, a foul journey at first driving into what almost looked like midnight the sky was so black and at one point I vowed to turn back at the next junction, but things improved and I arrived at Ardingly with plenty of time to walk my first courses. I had a pretty good day getting 5 clear rounds and two with 5 faults.
Sunday looked hopeful but in fact it was colder and cloudier than Saturday. As I had no early runs I was able to leave at a reasonable hour and did not arrive at the showground until past 9 o'clock. This was not such a good day as I only had the one clear round but nevertheless I and the dogs enjoyed the day. I gave the dogs a nice long walk in the equestrian cross country fields at lunch time when they returned plastered in mud as they did yet again when we had another hour long walk before returning home. Poor Roli nearly got lost twice in returning to the van, he saw lines of vans and doggedly trotted towards them deaf to my calls, happily on both occasions someone intercepted him before he got thoroughly lost, he obviously thought 'his' van was parked there, but we were parked in the opposite area. Sadly he is getting old now and it is starting to show at times, much as I don't want to admit it.
At long last I have a new conservatory roof, I really could not manage with the leaks any longer as it was a case of gallons of water rather than pints! Since it's erection it has not rained, fingers crossed that it is leak proof!
Last weekend I was at Newbury, while setting up I heard a not unfamiliar scream coming from Sara's garden, it appeared that Lolly who is only maggot sized had pinched her bread and scoffed it! It was not long before Sue arrived and once we had all completed setting up we gathered in my garden to enjoy the sun over tea and a slice of an excellent coffee cake freshly made by Sara which she sliced in my caravan and left on the table. As usual two of Sara's dogs invaded my garden, happily my boys were tolerant of the situation however I happened to go into my caravan to find Sara's Ben just finishing off the cake!!
Friday night was bitterly cold, despite a hot water bottle and an extra fleece blanket I did not sleep well due to the temperature but was too cold to get up and do anything about it! I heard the same story from most people I met that day! The morning came to consciousness with the caravan windows iced over and a goodly frost outside. I was fortunate that my gas and water did not freeze however the contents of my fridge were pretty well frozen!I enjoyed the day and my runs although we did not do anything spectacular but had some great runs plus a few clear rounds. Roli and Tambi thoroughly enjoyed their Allsorts which they jumped at Micro height coming over the final jump to receive a nice tripe chew which went down a treat.
I was more prepared for a cold night this time and as a result slept well awaking again to iced windows and frost. By nine o'clock it was unbelievably warm and we enjoyed another glorious day. Again we had some really good runs when Keeto ran superbly but in his jumping doubled up in the weaves owing to his speed and thanks to me turning on my ankle I did not make it to the end of the dog walk in time to stop him just missing the contact in his agility, it was comforting to be told that it was a stunning run. Kai too just missed out but did really well. Chart.........................well was a little monster, he was determined to do his own thing and enjoyed himself enormously, but that is Chart, sometimes he is really good and others, a little b------! He hates to be corrected and in both his runs he started before I told him to, so I took him back to the start, in fact no less than 3 times in the agility run so he was determined to get his own back! I would not change him for worlds, he is a real character!

2010-03-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

Thank God for a spell of settled dry weather when I was actually able to get the weaves out to practise with Brigg who as I expected learned to straight line weave in a very few days. This week he jumped full height for the first time. His contacts however are very hit and miss, I suppose it does not help that he does not do each piece of equipment every week and we have missed several weeks due to various reasons, in fact it is almost a month since he last went on the A frame besides which the amount of see saws he has done can be counted on two hands, however time is on his side and I am only entering him in jumping classes when he starts competing in June. After a six month rest Kai returned to Agility in January, he was so excited he was shaking all over!

At last the first signs of a somewhat belated spring are showing in the garden as daffodils and narcissus burst into bloom. The pink petals of the camelia are emerging from their tight buds and I can see the first green leaves on the lilac tree. The mating call of the female Boobook Owl is plainly heard, unfortunately her mate is an imprinted hand reared owl who does not regard himself as an owl and as a result will have nothing to do with his partner so although they share an aviary, they refuse to recognise each other as mates which is a great shame.

Time To Build An Ark! ;-(

2010-02-28T01:12:00.001-08:00

Feel somewhat depressed with the continual rain when I am unable even to walk on my lawn let alone get the weaves out to practise with Brigg. I feel sure that once I start practising in earnest he will quickly master them, he is quick to learn and very responsive to body movement which means the slightest wrong move from me and he does exactly as I have bid him! At present he is doing medium height jumps and occasionally practises his skill as a limbo dancer usually ducking under one particular jump! It took a little while yesterday to persuade him to actually go over one of the jumps even when the pole was lowered he persisted in diving underneath dislodging the pole. Once we actually got him to go over the jump there was no further problem!

We had a somewhat different course layout at Pachesham on Wednesday thanks to the large water feature which had come up through the ground due to the copious amount of rain these past few days, with today's continual heavy rain the indoor school could be be completely under water by now!

Ever Hopeful!!

2010-01-29T08:01:00.001-08:00

I was eating an orange at the time and yes, they did get some!

2010-01-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

2010-01-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

Snow!

2010-01-10T01:35:00.000-08:00

At present I am unable to get my van out of the drive besides which Mead Lane is positively lethal so I am having to walk the dogs in relays as there is no room on the narrow pavement (three-quarters of which is reserved for cyclists) to walk all six dogs on the way to the Meads.

While I was teaching yesterday, my pupil's parents went to Tesco, the High Street was blocked with cars trying to get into the car park and it took them quite some time once they finally arrived to find a space. The store was a complete nightmare, all the tills were in operation nevertheless the queues waiting for all the checkouts snaked half way back through the store with people in many cases manning 2 laden trolleys apiece obviously panic buying in view of the bad forecast. Thank goodness I did my shopping at the beginning of the week.
Once my pupil departed it was time to put head collars and leads on the 4 youngest dogs and tramp to the Meads. As the sun was shining I thought a hat was unnecessary, wrong, my ears were frozen and ached profusely by the time I returned after an hour and a half to take out Tambi and Roli. Despite just having had a walk the remaining 4 voiced their complaints long and loud until I shut the back door!

Owls

2010-01-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

My owls are not that impressed with the snow!

2010-01-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

Snow

2010-01-06T06:21:00.000-08:00

The dogs had a wonderful time on the meads this morning racing and rolling in the snow. Brigg could not resist going for his usual daily dip in the river despite the temperature. Chart was delighted to see Auntie Sue and gave her his usual enthusiastic greeting!

2010-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Such a welcome change from rain and the eternal muddy dogs I usually have to bring home. I love these cold frosty days apart from having to de ice my van every morning. I just wish the dogs would stop barking while we drive to their walk as their breath constantly ices up the inside of the windscreen! Chart as usual features prominently once the camera comes out, he is a born poser! Night times are somewhat disturbed at present thanks to foxes roaming the garden, Brigg in particular alerts me by barking long and loud, usually once I have finally managed to get to sleep, as I don't sleep well this is a very unwelcome interruption to the two to four hours I manage to escape from reality!!

Past Three O'clock

2009-12-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

And a cold frosty morning.

Roli was 12 years old on Tuesday

2009-12-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

A Light Dusting of Snow

2009-12-18T00:38:00.000-08:00

The Last Laugh!

2009-11-29T00:26:00.000-08:00

It seems that although Tony is no longer with us he did manage to create chaos at the College yesterday. While Brother Michael was going through various boxes in which Tony's belongings were stored, he put his hand into one and brought out a LIVE hand grenade!!! This necessitated a phone call to the police who arrived very promptly plus the bomb squad, the college was cordoned off for most of the day and eventually the grenade was exploded in a corner of the grounds, Mike said it went off with a very loud bang! !I well remember this grenade and have actually handled it in the past and was told that it was OK providing I did not pull the pin!!!!!

Happy Birthday Brigg

2009-11-28T07:05:00.001-08:00

Today Brigg is one year old, how the time has flown and it seems that just a few short weeks ago I was glued to the Borderstorm webcam and saw him being born, he was the first and quite the largest puppy in the litter and has grown into a very handsome 'big' boy! He had a surprise present of a fleece ragger and card through the post from his breeder, such a kind thought. We had a great training session with Norman first thing this morning when all the puppies did really well, I hope that they all enjoy their slices of Brigg's liver birthday cake. A three hour walk was enjoyed by all and they came home to a slice of 'cake' and spent the rest of the afternoon chewing on bones in the garden.

Tony

2009-11-23T00:42:00.000-08:00

Tony, (Father Francis) October 15th 1917 to November 20th 2009

Chart

2009-11-11T00:13:00.000-08:00

I found this among the Mystery photographs on the Agility Forum, such a great shot of Chart actually getting a contact, taken by Patch.

Happy Birthday Kai

2009-11-06T01:56:00.000-08:00

Kai was 9 years old yesterday. His birthday was marred as usual by fireworks.

Fraught!

2009-10-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

I was just getting into my van to take Brigg to his training morning when Brother Mike called me on my mobile to tell me Tony was in hospital again, apparently he had been coughing badly and had a temperature so the nursing home called an ambulance around 9pm last night. Obviously there was nothing much I could do so I took Brigg to Sunbury and we spent a worthwhile couple of hours in a group with 5 other dogs being instructed by Toni Dawkins. I came away with much to think about and practice and am looking forward to our next session in 4 weeks time.
Having walked the dogs I went to the hospital where eventually I located Tony who had been moved from A and E. to the Medical Assessment Unit and ended up in a large side room in yet another ward. He looked dreadful, pale and tired but nevertheless was quite cheery. As far as I could make out he had a slight infection on his lung and was being treated with a drip and antibiotics. I must admit I was cross to find that apart from his pyjamas and the bed covers he had obviously been wrapped in to transport him, the nursing home had thought to pack nothing, not even spare pyjamas and slippers, as it was he was dressed in the hospital green pyjamas and slippers which he said were very warm and comfortable, his soiled pyjamas the nurse had chucked into a bag along with the clean bed covers, not exactly hygienic!! I drove forthwith to the nursing home and found a staff nurse to unlock his room so that I could collect his glasses, brush and comb etc. I decided not to bother with pyjamas as at least the hospital would wash their own!!! Back to the hospital to drop off his stuff so at least he had reading matter and glasses to be able to do so. I finally got home after 4 o'clock and was more than ready for a coffee not having had a drink since breakfast!
The following morning I was off to the nursing home to pick up Tony's razor which I had forgotten to collect yesterday before driving to the hospital to see Tony who was so much better that they were discharging him back to the nursing home that afternoon!
This morning did not get off to a good start as the nursing home phoned to say that the bag containing Tony's belongings had not been returned with him yesterday and could I chase it up! Frankly I would have thought it was their business to perform this task! I drove down to St. Peter's absolutely fuming and arrived at the ward to find no one knew what had happened to the bag, it was all packed ready to go, I know this as I had packed it myself and left it on his bed where it could not be missed! I was about to explode when I heard my name called and who should it be but an agility acquaintance clad in a bright red uniform who just happened to be the matron in that ward! She took immediate charge and shortly afterwards the bag had miraculously appeared!
Having spent some time at the hospital yesterday and again today in chasing up Tony's missing wristwatch which he insisted he had been wearing when he was admitted to A and E. to no avail, I again checked with the home that he had actually been wearing it when he left, apparently so, however just as I was about to leave the car park I was stopped by the sister in charge of the home to say his watch was in their safe.......Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!

A Stroke of Luck!

2009-10-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

On arriving at our usual car park a few days ago I noted a great pile of wood dumped in one corner, obviously someone had taken down a tree or two and rather then pay to deposit it at the tip, had left it for the council to clear. I was delighted, several pieces of tree trunk around 2 ft tall and lovely long branches which were just perfect for the birds. It took me a little while to heave it all into the van over a two day period. Thanks to some rain plus other events which clouded the ensuing days the pile languished in the drive. Yesterday I found time at last to change over some of the aviary branches and it was time to get out the chainsaw for some serious logging. This was fairly time consuming as a chainsaw is a very vicious weapon and one needs to take great care in strapping the branches and trunks to the workbench to ensure they do not move when sawing. By the time I finished it was starting to get dark and I still had to clear up the drive which resembled a sawmill but I had a great pile of logs. I still have more wood to saw and hope to complete the task later in the week. The dogs registered their disapproval at being shut inside for the afternoon and that their meal was late!
These past three days have been very long thanks to the clocks being changed as I still wake at my normal time so get up an hour earlier and go to bed an hour later! I expect my body will adjust itself in time!!

Brigg at 11 months

2009-10-27T01:02:00.001-07:00

Chart

2009-10-18T00:54:00.001-07:00

End Of The Season

2009-10-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

What a lovely weekend it turned out to be at Ipswich with warm sunny days and stunning sunrises and sunsets. This was quite a big show once again with 9 rings and large classes. The dogs worked well and we picked up a great many clear round rosettes plus Chart's 23rd place in jumping and Kai's 9th also in jumping. The really pleasing thing was that Chart did not miss a contact during the entire weekend, although he did running contacts and flew around the courses he was unplaced in agility missing out by a fraction of a second. Some of the courses were very tricky, however the Helter Skelter classes were unbelievably easy no doubt as there were some 350 dogs in the class the judges wanted to get it over as soon as possible!! Tambi and Roli actually had an agility course one day which they both enjoyed, neither went clear, Roli as usual knocking a pole and Tambi treating the A frame as a diving board. The hedgerows surrounding the exercise area were full of sloe bushes, I picked a bag full to make some sloe gin, it was a tedious task pricking each fruit 10 times but the end result will be worth it.
Last weekend passed pleasurably enough, I made good time to Norfolk, the venue was The Word Horse Welfare Centre and for the first time ever, a no smoking venue, however I did see one couple flouting the rule! It was obvious on arrival that there had been no rain for a long time as the grass was completely brown and the ground hard as iron. It was good to have a pre allocated pitch instead of searching around for a free space and I was precisely 30 seconds from both the exercise area and the outdoor rings, mind you the exercise area was not great but it was adequate. Had I realised that some of the rings were in the equestrian centre I possibly would not have gone as these buildings are usually made of corrugated metal and the noise of barking dogs is magnified to unbearable levels, besides which I hate running on sand but this indoor school was huge and timber clad with a great surface to run on and housed the 2 indoor rings with plenty of space for queuing and spectating. The other 3 rings were outside. I must admit it was a great advantage in having the indoor school on Saturday when gales swept across the countryside but at least this kept the rain at bay but it was somewhat cool, such a contrast on Sunday with warm sunshine and summer like temperatures.
My dogs worked well and got several clear rounds apart for Chart who was a little b.....! In his last 2 runs he went like the wind and was clear right until the last 2 jumps when the little monster decided to leave the ring to search out his lead, this is his prized possession with which he loves to play tuggy while going to and from the rings for his runs. A club member who had the same problem with his dogs gave me a useful remedy which consists of a loop of rope which can easily go in one's pocket and this is the reward once the run is completed, tuggy with leads is not allowed but tuggy with the loop is another matter! I have even hidden his lead behind the score tent and the little monster has left the ring and whipped around the back to find it, mind you I can't help laughing as Chart is such a character and blatantly naughty but I wouldn't change him for worlds!
Alas, my show season is now over and it is time to concentrate on winter training and work on the home front to catch up with my somewhat belated spring cleaning !!

Hooch's New Haircut!!

2009-09-24T23:55:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure whether Sue's attempt at grooming paid off, perhaps it is just as well her grooming course starts next week!!!!

Dashin Dogs

2009-09-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

This was my first time at Dashin Dogs and I was struck by the beautiful scenery which surrounded the venue. The show had already been in progress for some 3 days so arriving late I was pitched on the edge of the camping area with an unrestricted view of fields and hills. By comparison to Suffolk's well mown grass the ground was rough and the water came not from taps but from large bowsers, it tasted foul but I'm sure it was healthy enough, at least no one seemed to suffer! One other downside was that only 2 dogs per handler were allowed off lead in the exercise area, this did not bother me and I walked the dogs in 2 lots which meant doubling the amount of exercise I took but much better that way than having 4 chaffing on leads at a time.
Happily the day after I arrived was a free day when I explored the immediate area and visited the village of Tattenhall to stock up food for myself and the dogs. The local butcher was really good and let me have a huge chicken cheap which he chopped up and it fed all 6 dogs that night. Once again we got lots of clear rounds plus Kai's 13th place in jumping and even more pleasing was Keets 9th place in the combined grades 4 to 5 Agility.
The Laser Pairs Final was held on Tuesday evening after the day's competition had ended which meant a huge audience surrounded the ring. We were all given embroidered T shirts to wear. In the first round Breda and myself had a double clear as did our opposing pair who sadly were faster so they went through to the next round.
The weather was not too kind on one day when we were on the edge of a hurricane which passed by as it left America. Incredibly dramatic skies and strong gale force winds with some heavy rain, nevertheless the show went on but for safety reasons all the Dog Walks and See Saws were removed from the rings.

DINAS

2009-08-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

So, what of the show itself? We had great pitches close to the water, loos and rings, fairly near to the wooded exercise area (too near the road plus added distractions, ie. deer and rabbits for comfort) but a long haul to the open fields which meant being hauled along with the dogs on lead tugging on my ever lengthening arms (so it felt) in their anxiety to be free, the walk back was considerably more restrained! The courses were varied, some very easy and others difficult, enough said that Kai won the first clear round rosette of the day in grade 6 jumping after the competition had been in progress for some 40 minutes, he went on to gain 9th place. We were not overly successful but had some nice rounds with several clears. Sara and Lolly won a jumping class and Sue achieved her ambition with Hooch by winning into grade 4 on the last day. Both Sue and Sara qualified for the small Finals, a great achievement and although Lolly was eliminated she was great crowd entertainment, Hoochie pinged his dog walk in an otherwise excellent round.

Mud Glorious Mud!!!

2009-08-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

On our day off at DINAS, Sara and I enjoyed a trip out to our secret destination which to date has been a source of unresolved curiosity to our friends!! As usual the tide was out and this being Brigg's first visit to the seaside the first thing he did was to race out to the receding tide through a quagmire of mud! The dogs couldn't have given a damn about the mud, they romped through it, lay in it and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. At least there were countless sea water pools to splash though which did at least clean them up. Sara managed to find a somewhat boggy pool when I was obliged to rescue her sandals which were all but swallowed up! Please note that I have been very careful not to give any clues as to where we were in these photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DINAS

2009-08-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a fine evening we were able to enjoy our barbecue at DINAS. Chart refused to be confined in the garden and optimistically joined us hoping for crumbs from the rich man's table whereas Brigg could only look and drool!!

2009-08-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

Last week saw the last class in our Puppy Foundation course kindly taken by Rosie who was an excellent teacher.We were all sad that our course had come to an end as we had thoroughly enjoyed the 10 lessons as indeed had our puppies and the fun and games in-between the exercises was an added attraction for them! Brigg did as well as his large body would let him, at present he is rather like Bambi when it comes to controlling his legs which at times are all over the place especially when it comes to retrieving balls as he is inclined to execute a sideways roll with his legs waving in the air! I am looking forward to his starting at Sunniday in September

Such a hard day!

2009-08-05T00:21:00.000-07:00

Cleethorpes

2009-08-05T00:17:00.000-07:00

Returning to my home town I took a trip through nostalgia.

The Lake at Tredegar House

2009-07-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

2009-07-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Tredegar House and Gardens in a shower of rain to be greeted by the camping officials who showed us to our pitches. Once we had set up it was time to walk the dogs in an area close by which had been reserved for exercise, it was something of a bore to find that only 2 dogs per handler were allowed off lead so I walked mine in 3 relays. As this area was close to the busy main road Breda was concerned that the dogs might escape on to the road however her fears were allayed when I pointed out that no way were they going to get over or through the twenty foot stone wall which surrounded the place! Swallows and House Martins skimmed the grass enticing the dogs to fruitless chase in which they stood no chance whatsoever! It was remarked upon by my neighbours that my caravan bore a marked similarity to the Tardis as they found it hard to believe that all 6 dogs and myself actually fitted in!!
Contrary to the forecast Saturday was dry with sunny periods in marked contrast in what we were to endure the following day! Kai and Keets ran well and had clear rounds as did Chart who came 14th in a difficult jumping course which eliminated many. It was a shame that some of the grade 3/4 courses were in fact harder than the grade 6/7! Once again, having checked with the judge Roli was able to jump NFC at the lower height, his joy after completing his trot around the ring was apparent and he rejoiced in a great game of tuggy with his lead afterwards. Tambi in his anxiety to be off started his round before being given permission and was eliminated, a shame as once he was returned to the start line he set off to do a really good clear round! The show ran like clockwork and we had completed our runs by 4 o'clock. Breda and I took the dogs out in two relays around the lake, a lovely walk which we all enjoyed, Brigg, Chart and Keets had an extended walk thanks to Brigg who paddled in the edge of the lake and emerged with stinking black legs, we had to re trace our steps until an area of clear water was found to rinse him off. The huge lake was surrounded by a woodland walk mainly populated with giant fir trees, all manor of water fowl were to be seen dibbling among the water lilies and reeds. Despite being told that on no account were the dogs to go swimming several people were actively throwing sticks and balls into the lake for their dogs to retrieve, mine were reasonably well behaved apart from a quick paddle for a drink! It appeared that the 2 dogs off lead per handler was a rule which did not apply to all and I must admit to being cross at seeing multiple dogs racing free with a single handler!
Heavy overnight rain thundered on the caravan roof coupled with an incredible amount of noise from aircraft around 2 am which made for a sleepless night. This was a day of the most incredible extremes of weather and temperature. The rain at times could only be described as a complete deluge when visibility was down to a few yards and one shivered as the temperature dropped and despite waterproofs we were absolutely soaked through to the skin yet once the sun battled through the cloud it was incredibly warm. I have run in bad conditions before but nothing could compare to this! There were times when all rings were abandoned and we all raced for as much cover as the trees afforded which was very little in the circumstances! I splashed around one course after a heavy shower when there must have been a couple of inches of water on the course. There was no point in changing into dry clothes or shoes, one just remained squelching in sodden trainers and clothes which alternately got soaked and dried in the short bursts of sunlight. Tambi did manage to contain himself at the start this time and executed a nice clear round, the only other clear round of the day went to Chart in the Collie Dash. Kai and Keets were uncharacteristically knocking poles as were a great many other dogs, the waterlogged ground was slippery and added to that there were my most hated plastic poles! We were almost through Kai's agility course and with just 20 dogs to go the judge decided that the area around a group of jumps was too dangerous for handlers and after much deliberation the jumps were moved and sand put down on the muddy area, why the judge did not leave things as they were and put the sand down on the affected area I will never know, as it was the whole class had to re started from scratch! I did not bother to run Kai in the 6/7 Collie Dash, having walked it the course was what one would term a blast for the dogs, straightforward and frankly boring besides which in view of the weather I was anxious to pack up and return home. Despite 'water features' having formed either side of my caravan I was fortunate to be able to proceed cautiously without being towed off site.

Rugby

2009-07-20T00:59:00.000-07:00

I realised the night before we were due to depart to Rugby when there was much head shaking and Tambi had his head on one side most of the time that there was a problem and suspected a grass seed in his ear, this was confirmed in the morning when I managed to get him an early appointment at the vet. The seed was deep inside his ear which meant he had to be sedated so that my proposed departure time around noon had to be extended. I was really fortunate that his little operation was carried out quickly and I received a phone call just before one o'clock to say he could be collected.
Arriving at the venue considerably later than I had intended I was delighted to find a pitch on the edge of the exercise area overlooking miles of fields, in fact it was the very same pitch I have had these past 3 years. Things did not exactly go to plan, for a start the fridge igniter refused to work so I had no fridge, the next problem was that the water pump would not work either, deep joy! Once I had set up it was time to venture into the countryside for a good long walk. As dusk descended I realised that I had no lights in the caravan, all very strange. Upon investigation I found that a portable cooker had fallen on the caravan battery switch hence my problems, once I had switched it on I was able to light the fridge and connect the water pump so all was well.
Saturday and a somewhat damp overcast morning but we still enjoyed our walk through the fields. Happily having had a word with the judge Roli was allowed to run at micro height NFC neither Roli nor I could care a damn about competing more importantly he had his little run and was a very happy boy. This was an enjoyable day with varied and interesting courses but was not a very successful day as far as results were concerned with Keeto managing the only clear round of the day but there were pluses, for a start Chart got ALL his contacts but on this occasion had weaving problems, either he missed the entry or came out before the end, this in itself was unusual and I needed to analyse my movements to see what messages I was giving him, Keets worked really well and has gone up a notch in speed, uncharacteristically he missed his dog walk in both classes and Kai was eliminated no less that 3 times thanks to his handler! As I was walking Brigg around the rings I met Brigg's breeder, Lisa! It was good to see her again and for Lisa to see what a handsome big boy he had grown into since he left her at 7 weeks old. Brigg enjoyed being fussed over and introduced to her friends, one of who had his brother Specs and another who had the record for having the biggest Borderstorm dog which she has now lost as Brigg is already taller than her boy!! After a day of mixed sunshine and rain we were fortunate to enjoy a long walk in the early evening sunshine before it clouded over and we had serious rain with almost gale force winds at times which rocked the caravan.
Sunday and a mild sunny morning to wander around the broad margins which had been created around the fields of corn, oats and barley before walking a couple of courses. This was a very relaxed morning and after 4 runs where a forced error and a missed weave entry caused Keets and Chart to end their jumping runs with 5 faults apiece. Tambi went clear in his Anysize and again Roli capered around the course at micro height after which I had almost five hours of waiting until my next runs during which time I took the dogs for yet another long country walk and started to pack up the caravan in-between walking back and forth to the rings to see what was happening as it was impossible to hear the tannoy which made things difficult. As always on the last afternoon there were long queues waiting to run as the callers were accepting anyone which was frustrating to say the least especially when I needed to be in several places at the same time as my last 5 runs were in different rings, deep joy! It was almost 4pm by the time Kai had the first of his 2 runs and he was like a coiled spring. This was a better day with 5 faults in each of his runs, a shame about a missed very difficult weave entry (which was the downfall of many) in an otherwise excellent agility round. Keets went clear in both his classes but it was a 5 fault day for Chart who missed his A frame but he did get all his weaves, he did such a lovely jumping round and anticipating a clear round I raised my arm as he jumped the last fence causing him to drop his leg and knock the pole, I was so cross with myself!

Camping

2009-07-15T01:03:00.000-07:00

A tight squeeze in the caravan but Tambi did manage to find himself the best space!

Rugby

2009-07-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

Wellingborough

2009-07-08T00:21:00.000-07:00

It was good to have large pitches surrounded by broad roadways which was ideal, however I was dismayed on seeing the narrow strip of land which served as the exercise area, it was not in fact much bigger than my back garden! I made the most of the vast area reserved for camping before it was overtaken by caravans and exercised the dogs there shortly after setting up. This was the only downside to the show although there was a river walk and a country park close by if one felt like going off site.
Although the heat wave had officially ended this was yet another very hot weekend when keeping the dogs cool and in the shade was paramount. For the first time at a show I did not walk the dogs before breakfast as I was concerned that there would be too many dogs in such a small exercise area, instead they had to make do with the garden and after the first shock of not actually going for their walk they settled happily enough. I must admit this made a great difference to me as they are at their screaming best and raring to go for that first walk and I am always stressed out trying to get their leads on as quickly as possible so as not to disturb others so this may well be the new early morning formula! This was a very relaxed show with only 6 rings and was so well organised. There were gazebos at each ring so dogs and handlers could queue in the shade and water sprays to cool the dogs down. Background music was played most of the day which was novel!
The dogs worked well, Kai coming 4th in a tricky jumping course and Chart excelling himself by getting ALL his contacts in Grade 3 agility to come 8th in a large class, so a real thrill. Once competition ended Sara provided scones, jam and cream with a pot of tea and later we killed a bottle of Mateus Rose before taking the dogs out in two groups by which time most competitors had settled in their gardens eating and drinking so we had the small area mainly to ourselves, supper was late but no matter as it was too hot to bother to eat early.
Sunday and another hot day emerged. Strangely Brigg was very lame, he had been fine the previous day so it was something of a mystery. After an examination of the affected leg the painful area appeared to be his pad which was slightly swollen and hot but neither Sara nor I could find anything untoward and it was difficult examining a complaining puppy who was obviously in some discomfort. I thought he might have been stung by some insect during the night however all was well by the time we reached home as he was completely sound again so it saved me a trip to the vet! Kai, Keets and Chart did some good work and earned clear round rosettes. In the Grade 1 to 7 combined Helter Skelter Kai, Keets and Chart all ran against each other and it was great to be able to compare their times, Kai at 21.275 seconds, Keets 21.631 and Chart 22.903! I was especially pleased with Keeto who went like the wind and did 'go on' without me which makes a change for my 'velcro boy'! Chart too is coming on a treat, one has to remember that he is still only 2 years old and like most boys is slow to mature, he will increase his speed as he gets older. Both Roli and Tambi enjoyed their Allsorts runs each day, I was especially pleased that Roli was allowed to jump at Micro height which meant he could manage the course and he was such a happy boy.

2009-07-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

Sue, Breda and I arrived at Lansdown within 5 minutes of each other and found pitches beside the racetrack which was the exercise area and our preferred place. We were fortunate to escape the torrential rain which others encountered on the journey, as it was we had but a few drops. Once we had set up Sue and I set out for Round Hill a favourite walk with wonderful scenic views stretching from Bath to distant Bristol, on a clear day you can see the Suspension Bridge and the Severn estuary. I had the misfortune to step on a thorn shortly after we set out and although I thought I had managed to remove it from my heel it was decidedly painful walking so I managed by using only on the toe of the affected foot, it was a very long walk but I managed, I would have coped even better had I found out that there was nothing the matter with my heel and the problem was caused by a large splinter piercing the heel of my Crocks, hence my discomfort! This was swiftly removed and I made a mental note not to use Crocks for walking in future!
Saturday and a fine sunny morning, within an hour a thick mist descended enveloping the surrounding countryside this lifted after a very short while to reveal the sun and a very warm day. As everyone was restricted to just 2 runs per dog each day this was a very relaxed show for me which made a pleasant change. Once again Roli struggled to jump 35cm and I realised sad as it is that unless he is permitted to jump 25cm he must be retired from competing. He does so enjoy his runs but it is a case of the mind being willing and the body not responding! He actually still jumps full height no matter how low the poles but takes off from several feet before the jump so crashes down on the poles and I am afraid he will hurt himself. Tambi continues to scream his way around the courses with obvious enjoyment and clear rounds too! Once again I made mistakes with Kai so no clears or places there but Chart was a good boy actually getting 2 out of 3 contacts in agility which is an improvement, but the only one to go clear was Keeto. Once I had completed all my runs it was time to set out for a walk my feet being sensibly equipped this time!
Sunday and after another humid hot night another fine warm day emerged. This was a better day with both Chart and Keeto going clear, Keets getting 10th place in the jumping which was pleasing. Sue and Sara fared better with their 'small' dogs Sara winning the jumping and Sue taking 2nd place in another class. I watched both Hoochie and Lolly run and they were amazing! I completed my last run around 4 o'clock and once I had hitched up was away to have a good journey home managing to avoid the delays on the M4 thanks to warning signs by coming off before the affected junctions

Lansdown

2009-06-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

Such a Hard Life!!!

2009-06-25T01:20:00.001-07:00

2009-06-25T01:07:00.000-07:00

Once again, camping was decidedly snug, we were pitched in rows with no space in-between our gardens which was not a problem until it was time to pack up. As usual, once we had set up Breda and I walked the dogs and set off round the vast showground where stallholders were busily preparing their trade stands. We agreed that the show was not as large as usual but there was still more than enough to see.
Friday and Saturday dawned cloudy with a really cold wind, the dogs worked well and earned several clear rounds and places. Chart actually got all his contacts in one class, I was so astounded that I forgot a 'pull through' and spoiled what would have been a very nice clear round! Once we had completed our runs Breda and I set out to do some window shopping and to try out free samples in the food hall. Jokingly we asked one of the butchers on a meat stall if he had any bones for the dogs, amazingly he bagged up racks of lamb ribs covered with meat for no charge. I might add return visits were made and I was able to fill my caravan fridge! On Saturday evening 10 of us sat round our combined tables which we had set out in the grassy roadway in-between our caravans for a barbecue. Breda's gas barbecue posed something of a problem in trying to get the warming rack fixed, it took several tries with most people having a go until a solution was discovered! Once again it seemed that I was in charge of the 3 barbecues cooking belly pork, venison and bison sausages, steak and lamb chops, and me being the only vegetarian!!!! Unusually there was no classical concert on the Friday night but the 60's pop group Marmalade performed on Saturday when only one of our group was interested enough to go!
Sunday arrived all too soon, during the lunch hour I visited some of the trade stands again and came away with 6 kilo bags of organic malted granary bread flour plus a mini orchid and a rose bush and not forgetting my furry friends, 50 cigar shaped rawhide chews. I was hitched and ready to go before my last run and as I was anxious to be away I messed up Keets run, but no matter, we had thoroughly enjoyed what is one of my favourite shows of the year.

Thames

2009-06-24T00:02:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the showground shortly after the official time of arrival to find a great many caravans already sited and a veritable army of stakes denoting saved pitches, in fact it was impossible to find a single pitch in the area I usually camp, I did eventually find a couple of vacant pitches for Sara and myself.
This was a huge show with 14 rings all of which were in action all day long and needless to say there was a considerable amount of walking involved. For once the weather was good, warm, actually too warm but must not grumble! Saturday was a very long day when having walked the dogs before 7 am I was solidly on my feet until 6.30 that evening when I had my final run, other classes went on until well past 7 o'clock. For the first time Chart ran with his mini pairs partner Hooch, they both came unstuck in the weaves but apart from that did really well. Kai and Keets did nice clear rounds in agility, Keeto getting an unexpected 17th place. Chart was just plain naughty, refusing to wait at the start in the jumping despite being put back, so I removed him from the ring without him doing the course, in agility he did a spectacular leap from the A frame and once I had checked with the judge, he was put back on the contact and removed from the ring, he was still grinning at me, he is such a happy boy despite his being in the words of my trainer, a little sh--! As the evening approached my Hay Fever worsened, I reallty don't understand why it is always bad at night which makes sleeping even more difficult than usual.
Sunday and another glorious morning dawned. This was a more relaxed day for me as I was not on ring party and had no early runs . I thoroughly enjoyed the grade 6/7 courses especially the agility although I was eliminated in the jumping through taking a calculated risk, still nothing venture, nothing gain! Keets jumping run was a disappointment as he was in 'velcro' mode and would not work away constantly looking at me to check whereas in the Combined 3 to 5 Agility he did a really nice run to come 22nd which was very pleasing. Chart continued to use the A frame as a diving board but actually behaved, waited and went clear in the jumping. Poor Roli had to be retired from his Allsorts class a third of the way round, his mind was more than willing but he was obviously not quite ready to start jumping after his accident, he was still very happy to receive a packet of chomping sticks given to all competing dogs in the class. Tambi however screamed his way round the Veterans course and apart from the 3 tunnels where we had our usual argument as to whether he was or was not going in (I won) he was clear.

A Shocking Experience!!

2009-06-17T23:21:00.000-07:00

Chart's training went well this week, he was such a good boy on the contacts, however replicating this in the show ring is quite another matter and I must ensure that I treat his contacts exactly the same at shows as I do in training! I was pleased to see that Eleanor had turned the electric fencing off and has in fact done so ever since I crawled under the wire for my run holding Chart's collar. I managed to touch the wire with my back and felt a considerable shock which went straight down my arm to poor little Chart who screamed in terror!!

Cool Refreshing Water!

2009-06-03T00:49:00.000-07:00

Roli enjoys a cool soak on a very hot day.