Elexa turns 1!!

My Great-Niece turned 1.

And our one sister had a party for her Granddaughter at our other sister’s house.

Elexa is too cute and knows it!!

She was a little shy with all the people around but she is a very bright,
well-loved little girl.

I am so proud of Tyler and what a great father he is!

We were able to get four generation pictures

on both sides of the family!

Rob was the BBQ Master!

What a great day spent with family and friends!

The kids grow up so quickly!!

Slick’s Memorial and Jordana’s visit

Thank you Jordana for coming over and helping me bury Slick’s ashes. Slick it has been over a month since you left us and I miss you so much. I still get tears in my eyes every time I think about you, my sweet boy!

I know they are just ashes and that you are running seizure free but they have a loving place in my favorite backyard flower bed

that has 3 beautiful butterfly bushes from Spokane, 4 wonderful hostas from my good friend,

and my favorite bird bath that you are resting under. It is just a small tribute to a wonderful sheltie that had the biggest, kindest heart and soul. In loving memory…

Even if the occasion was not the happiest Jordana and I spent a great day together!!

Thank you again to the most wonderful daughter!!

Elkton Volkswalk

“Nestled between the Umpqua River and forested mountains in the Coast Range, Elkton is a progressive town developing into a cultural and historic center. The walk route features an extensive garden with tall outdoor sculptures, a butterfly house, an out-and-back through a forested area along Elk Creek, the town center, and the newly-reconstructed Fort Umpqua along the Umpqua River. Mostly paved surfaces, but some gravel and grassy areas; mostly flat, but a few short hills.”

After reading how the Eugene Springfield Mossback Volkssport Club described this walk it was one I wanted to do. I was sick the week before this walk and probably should have stayed home but I felt better when I woke up Saturday morning so I loaded up Kant, Echo, and foster BC, Whisper, and off we went.

The Start/Finish for this walk was at the Community Center next to the beautiful butterfly garden.

Whisper struggled the first 3 km but then got the hang of walking.

It was so peaceful along the Umpqua River

and Elk Creek.

And the sculptures and

garden were beautiful!!

The dogs did great on this 10k walk but I am not sure they enjoyed it as much as I did. But I was very happy to bring home 3 very tired dogs and I was also a bit tired and enjoyed an afternoon nap.

I would do this walk again; thank you Eugene Springfield Mossback Volkssport Club!!

Reno, Great Dogs, and Great Friends

I love a good road trip especially one that includes good friends and agility!! The agility club mdt puts on great one ring trials in a beautiful location at the University of Reno. Their July trial is a fundraiser for Canine Cancer called the Pepper/Sampson Memorial. Jordana and I went and ran in this trial a couple of years ago; I had so much fun I went back in September of that year and ran in the 3 day trial. I could not make it last year. This year I talked Anne in to coming with me!! Debbie also made the trip from Oregon to run at the trial.

I get to Reno via Willamette Pass through Klamath Falls, Susanville, and in to Reno. It is a nice scenic drive. It takes about 9 hours to get there with a couple of stops. Friday morning I picked Anne, Zelma, Zeta, and Ivy up and off we went. We stopped to potty dogs at this parking area along a canal; my girls went off for a little walk together but without me, they were very cute trotting side by side.

I know Kant was looking for a way in the canal, thank goodness she did not find one. We arrived at the University in plenty of time to set up our crating area before our 2 Touch’N’Go classes and it was only about 99 degrees but a dry heat. We ran the first class and were half way through the second one when a HUGE Thunderstorm BLEW in. Shade tents and tunnels were flying all over; the trial was stopped for the night and our already broken shade tent took a big hit. There was lightning all around us starting fires and it even rained huge rain drops. Both Kant and Echo got both their runs in before the storm and they each Q’d in one of their runs. Not a bad start after being in the car all day!!

Saturday morning it was blue sky and beautiful; it did get hot in the afternoon. Kant was running all 14 classes but Echo, who I had hoped would have gone in to heat already was only entered in 10 classes. Kant got both the Regulars on Saturday but did not get Chances or Jumpers and I scratched her from both of the Hoopers classes; I know I was hot and was sure she was and I wanted to save her for Jumpers. Echo got a Regular Q on Saturday and a Chances Q to finish her Superior Novice Chances. That was her last Novice Q needed to finish her Novice Triple Superior Award, Novice Superior Versatility Award, and All Around Award – Novice!!! Another thunderstorm blew in again after we were done for the day but not as bad as the evening before. Anne, Debbie, and I enjoyed a wonderful salad potluck in Debbie’s air conditioned RV. A great end to a great day!!! Also Anne’s foster formally known as Ivy found the perfect forever home!

Sunday morning it was a bit cooler and we Oregonians loved the weather. Because it was a bit cooler, low 90s, I ran Kant in all 6 classes and she got both Regular Qs, getting all 4 over the weekend; Weavers and we had a great Tunnelers run but no Chances or Jumpers again today. Echo’s’ only Q out of 4 classes was a beautiful Jumpers run; one of the best we have ever had. We had great pieces in the other runs but just could not put it together. We were having a great Regular run and I went and put a front cross in when I had not planned it and put Echo beautifully over an off-course jump. We are definitely going home with some things to work on.

My poor, won in a raffle shade tent kept us covered for the weekend but only because of duct tape and bungees hooking it to the fence and it stayed in Reno!!

We were packed up and ready to head half way home Sunday afternoon as soon as we were done running. After Good byes and Thank yous we were on the way to Klamath Falls for the night.

When we were on the way to Reno I was telling Anne about the Shoe Tree and just as we were passing it I got a text from Tammy to take a picture of the Shoe Tree so of course we had to stop and take pictures.

I had Anne take a picture of me with the tree for Tammy and Anne said aren’t you getting the dogs out, you always take pictures of the dogs so here they are…

The Shoe Tree – why is it there? I have no idea but next time by I am going to have to add a pair of shoes.

We stopped at a state park to let the dogs out and there was a creek that Kant could get to…

What a great weekend, great road trip, and a great friend!!!

Corvallis Volkswalk with Trinna

Early July I got to think about volkswalking and all the places it took me and friends and how much fun we had.  I ended up looking it up online and saw there was a walk on July 17^th for de Vinci Days in Corvallis.  I called up my walking buddy and asked her if she wanted to go, she said yes.  That morning I got a call from her because it was raining, I told her that just because she was retired and could walk any time if I did not that day then I would not walk until the next weekend.  But I also told her she did not have to go that I was very capable of walking by myself.  She decided to grab a poncho and walk with me.  It pretty much rained the whole time but we still had a great time.  I forgot how much I enjoyed walking.  My first volkswalk in probably 10 years and it was a 12k.

Kennel and foster service

I felt like I had a revolving kennel door; I had my parent’s Cocker Spaniel, Charlie, for a week while they were in Alaska. And the morning Charlie left I got OZ in the evening for a week. Neither of them are any trouble and they both fit right in. They have been at the house enough times that they know the routine.

My friend Anne that runs Border Creek Border Collie Rescue asked me to take Louie to be neutered and keep him while he healed. He was not a problem for an eight month old puppy and took to crate rest very nicely.

While I had Louie I was also fostering 2 Malamute/Husky mixes that I got when they were 4 weeks old and I had them until they were 9 weeks old.

I called them Thing 1 and Thing 2 since they were not staying but mostly just called them “pup, pup, pup”. They were pretty small when I got them

and I could easily carry them both at the same time.

I enjoyed having them

and so did Louie while he was here.

He played so nicely with them and let them climb all over him.

My dogs just tried to ignore them hoping they were not staying.

They got huge in the 5 weeks I had them;

when they left they were bigger then Echo. It was so much fun watching them grow and learn but that last week they just got in trouble. They did great at Newport where we set up a huge x-pen that ended up housing them, Oakley, Odin, and one of Anne’s fosters, Ivy. Everyone got along great and it was fun to watch them all play.

A WAG member was at Newport competing and she had brought a friend for the weekend that does not do agility. The friend, Shari, fell in love with Thing 1 and ended up adopting her. She named her Grizleena. I did not expect to find a home for the puppies and then to find such a perfect home. I am so happy for Shari and Grizleena!!

July WAG NADAC Newport Trial

The Newport Trial is definitely my favorite WAG trial and this year was probably the best ever! Julie and Jean do an amazing job of securing the site, organizing everything, and bringing in the best judges!!! And WAGgers are the best! The weather this year was perfect; no rain, little wind, and perfect temperature. Jordana took the whole week off and came over early to help me get ready for the weekend. We traveled to Newport with my 4 Shelties, Jordana’s Border Collie and BC Mix, Stephen’s Corgi, and my 2 fosters; yes that was 9 dogs in the van. My mom came over on Saturday to sell her crate pads and books. I was busy running 3 dogs, being Co-Chief Scorekeeper, taking care of the 2 foster puppies I brought, and enjoying the trial. Judges Doug and Rachelle were awesome and brought great courses!!

Jordana ran PITA in all the classes and PITA did amazing well for not being worked since Jordana moved to Bend. PITA had some “not listening” moments but Jordana handled them great. But when they were a team they were amazing.

PITA was entered in 14 classes and qualified in half of them including

both Weavers

and her first ever Chances; she earned two titles,

Novice Outstanding Tunnelers,

and Novice Weavers.

This might be the only trial they run in a year but I was very proud of both of them.

Kant got her 2nd Bonus Line; this one was a 20 point bonus in Tunnelers, the last class on Sunday. We have been working on the turn away from me and go on and it showed on this course. I was so proud of her!!! Stephen ran Kant in the first Tunnelers on Friday night beating Echo and me by less than ½ second and getting 1st place. We got both Regulars on Saturday and one on Sunday. We got the Chances on Sunday but did not get either Jumpers.

We also got the last Hoopers points we needed to finish Elite Superior Hoopers and earn the Elite All Around Award.

Great job Kant!!

Slick was entered in 2 classes each day and he qualified in 4 of them. He had one of his best weekends ever. Little did I know that it would be his last agility weekend. Slick is not the most exciting agility dog but he is so excited to run with me and he ran incredibly fast this weekend.

He still likes me to run to every obstacle with him;

he made me run as fast as I could and see parts of the course that I never get to see with the girls.

Thank you Slick for bringing humor to agility

and being the best teammate!!

Echo and I are still struggling! She was entered in all 14 classes and qualified in 5 of them.

She is knocking bars; some my fault, some hers.

She did get her 1st Elite Tunnelers Q

and was a crowd pleasing speed demon in Weavers.

I just love watching her weave.

She needs to hurry up and go in to heat and have babies so I can spay her and hope that it settles her a bit or at least I will have quit using that as an excuse.

Thank you Jordana and Stephen for coming across the mountain to spend the weekend at the beach doing agility!! I had an incredibly awesome weekend!!!

Thank you Joe Camp for the incredible agility pictures! I always love the pictures you take but after losing Slick so suddenly and so young I really appreciate having all those great pictures to look back on!