Ree Arena (2)

When it was Sunday, agility practice day:

I thought I had everything incredibly organized, that when I was told our hour was up, I was stunned. I hadn't even practiced my contacts by taking the teeter apart, which was my main goal. I think, by the time we set everything up - even though it felt like an incredibly short amount of time, it likely took half an hour. I also desperately want to run courses, but unfortunately it was not the most effective use of time. I think I ran the most, which of course I felt badly for - I ran Reef twice on one course, with a little bit of training, and once on it, re-numbered. Even so, I think we practiced less than last week.

I'll have it next week (in two weeks - next week the barn is hosting a riding clinic), I really will. When I do practice, I spend an hour between my two dogs, tweaking, resting, thinking, playing - there is no way one hour is too short in a barn if it's all I ever need outside. I'll figure it out.

There was one clip of Reef on my camera. I wouldn't have run it that was ordinarily, but I was just trying to run what we are less comfortable with. And I was forlorn and still addicted, I watched the clip, oh - four hundred or so times. Why did I want to run it that way? I did figure it out. Reef knew I didn't want to run it that way, she huffed for the awkward lead change and wide turn I set her up for. Anyway, I now know the secret to the universe. Or, the final missing piece in my agility set. (At least, making a set that I'd currently be happy with). Things I'd like to add include threadles from speed lines, my secret to the universe (also known as, I want to be in AKC Excellent too and just run, otherwise I wouldn't need to train that skill, but alas, I am not), and I'd like to, you know, just start re-seaming the thread on Reef's running dogwalk. Pretty sure she has no idea what that is. (I would never go to a two-on-two-off, though - because when I can teach her, I'm confident that I'll have everything I want about it pretty easily. We did it once, and I haven't ruined it in the meantime - just haven't done it.) And, the weave poles. Only four things.

I'm still not sure what I'm doing with her, starting in May. I know what I have and what I don't have, and I have no problem running with missing pieces. How else do I get to run? Everything else she does, she does so lovely. I can hardly be blamed for missing something I've said I'm missing. I trust me. I'm not bad at this, or blind. I'm just me. You could try I suppose, but I'd probably win the next time you weren't looking...

You can also hear she still sounds like a Rottweiler. I so hope that isn't permanent. She is still hoarse, too. I try not to focus on it. If her vocal cords are permanently damaged, it wouldn't be too healthy to be frustrated about her deep, less personable and expressive bark - every time she spoke, for the rest of her life.

So that is all I will say about it, here.

At one point, on my second course (which was infinitely more fun than this one), I tossed her for a tight turn and left her to get up a line for a rear cross. I am really used to doing this with her, because I like racing her. I usually have a good feel for when to look back, and pick her up for a turn. I'm not exactly sure what happened, because I don't have video of it - but before I had even felt like I needed to look back, there she was. I looked at her as she was jumping beside me and said, wow - you are fast? And she just looked at me and shrugged, and our rear cross was very wide. I don't know how she got there so quickly. I'd be curious to see.

Because agility is serious, I actually dressed for the occasion in three shirts, two sweatshirts, a vest, and two pairs of pants. Usually I go out with one layer, and stubbornly wait until spring. It's very cold, doing that.

The weather this year is odd. So odd, that I have to mention the weather. It's January 17th. There is no snow on the ground. Just ice. It snowed one night, and rained the next day. It was above freezing today. It is supposed to rain tomorrow. I would embrace it, except the one time it will snow it will be March, during the agility trial (just because), and it is much colder outside when there is no snow. I didn't hire anyone to plow my driveway of snow, like last year - so I'm assuming that was sort of asking for it, again? Maybe not? I keep trying to work sheep because the world plopped it in my lap, but it is too icy. It's all right. I have my eye on a different situation with sheep, and I keep it there all at times. Don't blink. Be patient.

And if this is winter, how awful is the summer going to be? Is the rest of the ice shelf in Antarctica going to break off, and I'm never going to get to see it?

A friend took pictures.

Here is Caper, edging up during someone else's turn, because he's adorable like that. That dog has been everywhere, done everything, and is absolutely hilarious in his wisdom and frank loyalty, and ability to mimic a golden retriever in sheer joy. (Like, at the sight of a doughnut.) In real life, I'd be thinking of getting a puppy by now - and I know which one I've wanted for years - but I don't want any, because it means my dogs are getting older. Caper turns six in February. Can you believe that? Six. I like the life I live in, where my dogs don't age.

Reef will turn four. (See her grip the dirt? Entirely different focus...) While I am extremely biased and this is probably the only point I will say it, since we're talking about age and life and all - I think she's one of the most athletic, full of heart dogs I've ever met (and full of some other things, too). I do think someone was right when they said five is when she'll be awesome. I don't mean do awesome things - that's sort of dependent on me - but five will be perfect for when she's capable of it. Five was nice for Caper. Gosh, time goes by fast when you start your dogs at two! I like doing it, though. (Ha, watch me start my next one in USDAA's pre-whatever class. Ridiculousness.)

I can't wait for summer when I can be organized and go back to writing stories, instead of chronicles...but I still like writing and something is better than nothing. Chronicles are so empty for me. Hello, my name is. I had a carrot today. Not my most eloquent moments, other people are better at memoirs. I just like stories. Here's my one, ten second video.

(Isn't my teeter lovely? My uncle built the board - it's planed and levelled and reinforced - he built my table too, which I painted badly and it's chipping - I think I got too impatient. Next time, I think I will make the contact zones something other than yellow. I like the purple. I wanted lime green, but the dirt here would have turned it purple, either way.)

Oh, and Caper might be used for experimental purposes. (Really, when is he not?) Of gait. Perhaps not. We'll see. Reef is too light. They've also been shot with small particles at high speeds, making black and white pictures, which was interesting. I asked a friend to "accidentally" stick in Reef's elbow. She is pretty, inside and out. (Or at least she is the same, inside and out.) It makes me want to shoot all dogs with small particles and use math (I mean, pay someone else or buy a computer program to do the math - I'm morally opposed) to tally them all up.

I like watching movement, but I've always done that. I think people I know (not in agility) are probably better at it than I, because they've always done it. I always send them my agility video, when I have questions.

Chronicles are just rambling when I do it, aren't they?

Stories.