Oh Brandy!

After some pondering yesterday, I've come to the conclusion (although grudgingly) that it was 98% my fault that we totally pooched the trial on Sunday. Reviewing in my mind, all of our outdoor trials, it seems it's only the AAC ones that give me an issue. CPE and JRTCC, no problem. CPE and JRTCC, no stress. AAC, though I like to deny it, there is some stress that surfaces. The little dog picks up on moods a bit too easily and I think she realizes that my confidence is down on these AAC runs, and she takes over ... and advantage (brat!). 

My handling definitely did not help the situation either. I felt like I was flailing around like a fish out of water during every run.  I'm sure I was throwing off some interesting instruction to the little dog while I ran around like chicken with my head cut off, my arms feeling like rubber bands, and my mouth not working fast enough to get commands out. It's really a shame that people were watching the performance that I gave. Though I suppose the entertainment value was high for the spectators. 

I still think that the weather played some roll in Brandy's insanity that day. And she was insane, you could see it in her eyes. The teeter fly-off proved that. 

Conclusion, bring a bottle of wine and a massage therapist to every AAC trial. That'll reduce stress!

ZERO!

It was a zero day for me and the little dog. I can't place blame, and I'm not sure what went horribly amiss, but the day just wasn't meant for qualifying runs. I'm sure everything boils down to my fault, but the little dog was crazy. Perhaps it was the fresh air, or the feel of young, green grass, with fresh morning dew under her feet. What ever it was, it gave her extra horse power and reduced cognitive skills.

We had equipment avoidance, lack of listening, and even a teeter fly-off, which hasn't happened for years. We also had an abundance of electricity in the air, and a few thunderstorms roll through the area, which could have greatly contributed to the oddity of the day (part of the day was spent huddling in the car, waiting for them to pass). It was actually the most lightening and thunder that I've been around for quite some time. The Niagara Escarpment seems to protect us from any major storms around where I live. This place, however, was not in the "protection zone".

The agility field just before a big one let go

Amazing watching the ominous looking clouds making their way towards us, listening to the thunder threaten the next runs, and watching the lightening in the distance, signalling everyone to take cover. At least the day wasn't a total bust, and I got some shots of the storms that joined us for our outdoor trial. Did I mention we don't normally do outdoor trials? I think we've been spoiled with all our indoor events - but I'm hazarding a guess that I should probably stick to trials with a roof over my head...perhaps it will be better luck (it normally is).

Waiting out the storm in her crate

Here comes another one

And another

Watching the storm through the windshield

New Designs

Well, I have been dabbling in the world of digital painting, and have come up with some pop-art style designs that will now be available as prints on my imagekind website. Also included on this site are prints from some of my traditional artwork and prints of my photography.

Please feel free to browse the site, there are many different pieces there, sure to suit all sorts of tastes.

http://juliesillustration.imagekind.com

Another walk in the woods today, sans camera (images are from a previous visit), got me and the little dog turned around and upside down. Not sure how I managed to veer off left, when I needed to veer right, but coming up to another intersection with the handy dandy posted trail map, I realized that I goofed.

I stood there pondering, looking rather stupid, eying the map for about 5 minutes, not a sole in sight (thank goodness), and no encouragement from Brandy. In fact, when I decided to double back, she was completely sure that I was a nut, and wasn't going to follow the idiot that got her "lost".

I'm pretty sure that not many people wind up "lost" in the wilds at Crawford Lake. It's really not that difficult, trails are pretty clearly marked, but in my defence, everything looks, well, different when the leaves are in their full summer glory. Plus, I suppose I can admit when I haven't been paying attention, and this weekend has been full of non-paying-attention moments for me.

I had an idea of my dense move when I passed a bench that I'd never before seen on my hikes. Commenting on this to the little dog, who also looked at the bench, perplexed, I continued on, bringing myself to the point of turned around and up-side down. The moral of the story is, next time I encounter an unfamiliar landmark, stop, drop and roll, back the way I came. Especially if I seem to be moving further into dense bush and darker trails.

And to top it all off, before becoming "lost", on an off trail, we were being followed. Brandy noticed before I did, and when I get the low growl directed somewhere off in the woods from her, I admit, I panic a little.

I stopped, which you all know is a stupid thing to do, you see it in the horror movies all the time. People stop when they think they're being followed (idiots) and go back to investigate who's following them (major idiots). So I was just an idiot.

I stopped, looked back into the ground cover, and witnessed it being moved in a wave like motion towards us, without the wind blowing. I really only stopped for a second, because when I saw the wave in the vegetation, I started to speed walk away perhaps even jogging a little.

Brandy, being the terrier that she is, kept an eye behind me, growling the whole time, which just made me even more tense because all I had as a weapon was my cellphone (a good battering ram it does not make), and a 12 pound Jack Russell, whom I have no doubt would have gone toe-to-toe with whatever was trailing us, but she is only 12 pounds. My guess, it was probably only an angry squirrel, a large rampaging chipmunk, a boisterous raccoon or a rabid pack of wild chickens, but I don't take chances in the woods by myself, so I got the heck out of there.

On the bonus we get a lot of comments on the little blue backpack. Perhaps not comments, more like remarks, at first they're playful and funny, but then they just get to be laughing behind our back remarks. So, perhaps it's not a bonus. Has no one ever seen a dog with a backpack on? Seriously?

Some Enjoyable Past-times

Eating Grass

The grass eating is an odd one. She chokes every single time. You'd think that would be a turn off ... not so with this little dog. I suppose it's like an after dinner salad, or a greenery buffet, but even though it's in abundance in the backyard, there are only certain shoots that she craves. The tall, thick, seemingly hard to digest pieces - those are the favorites, especially after the rain (see a previous post).

She waits until no one is looking directly at her, then munches away. It's like the forbidden fruit. If you're watching, and she knows that you're watching, she'll sit and stare at you, feigning nonchalant boredom, until you go away. Once she sees that you've vacated the area, she's back mowing the lawn again.

Rolling in Bird Crap

This, by far, is her grossest pleasure. One that even many scientists don't understand. Sometimes I wonder if I should even be watching. The look of Ecstasy on her face during the "act" makes the whole event seem as though it should be a private moment, behind closed doors, with just her and the coveted bird crap.

And, of course, she knows it gets wiped off afterwards with what she thinks is acid, but is merely a handy, spray on, bathless shampoo for just this sort of occasion. She shrinks from the spray bottle as though the contents will eat right through her delicate skin, ears pinned back, tail down body curling, just pleading me not to touch her with that horrid stuff, and to leave her with the heavenly perfume that she just applied in the backyard. I guess this is something I will never be able to fathom. It's between her and the poo.

Sleeping on Hubby's Pillow

Of course this one isn't gross, it's just plain cute. 9 times out of 10 it's hubby's pillow that I find her on. I have a feeling that she knows she really isn't suppose to be on it, but it's oh so soft and forms so nicely to the body that it's just irresistible. I will admit, these pillows are pretty amazing ... I won't tell you how much they cost though.

An Evening Visitor

My husband answered a ringing phone last night to his brother - his brother found a Jack Russell wandering in the park, what should he do? Found a Jack Russell??! Bring it on over here of course!

So, we had an evening visitor. A little old wandering low-rider JRT who was discovered investigating the park close to my brother-in-laws house.

The cute little bugger spent the night at our house, only after we all crowded into the car to cruise the area where the girlie was found. No sign of anyone searching, so it was decided that she would spend the night (a kind of doggy sleep over) and I would take her to the humane society in the morning ... it's handy - about a 3 minute drive from where I work.


Brandy was on her best behaviour, introductions were made in the back yard and peace was accomplished almost right away. Brandy has a dominant personality, but is very respectful of other dogs, on her terms of course (if you're a pushy, in-your-face type dog, watch out - but as a complete oxymoron, she gets along quite nicely with other female JRT's), and "talks dog" extremely fluently. The bulldogge, on the other hand, is not proficient in the language, lacking some major skills so he got some flashing teeth and snapping jaws before he laid off. "Dog Speak as a 2nd Language" would be useful for this thick-skulled canine, but I'm pretty sure they're not offering that at the local community colleges.

The little girlie spent the night in one of our large plastic dog crates, making a nest out of an old towel and a comfy car blanket.

Morning came, peace was still evident ... all was well in the backyard. It was amazing to actually see a JRT smaller than Brandy.

After water, an attempt at food and a bathroom break, I loaded the cutie up into the car and set off for work.

Half way to there I balked, I just couldn't do it - I couldn't bear dropping this overly friendly, people craving, house trained, cute little senior citizen off at the humane society. A dog like this little one wouldn't fair well in a sterile cage all day. Decision made, I took her to the office with me. I think she thanked me for that. The old girl slept on one of my sweaters beside my desk for most of the day.

I called the humane society right away and left a message asking if anyone was looking for their JRT. Low-and-behold, someone was frantically looking, and I had just the dog - their dog! What a huge sigh of relief that was. This little dog was obviously well-loved, and I couldn't bear the thought of her not being re-united with her family. This is the happy ending that I was looking for.

I was put in touch with the teary-eyed owner, and agreed she would pick up Lucy, who now had a name, after work. So I had had a partner in the office today, a popular partner just like Brandy was when she joined me there. Why can't dogs be at work all the time? They make a day in the working world just a little easier to bear.


Lucy has now been re-united with her very thankful family, and I'm ecstatic that we were able to help make this happen. How could you resist this little 11 year old beauty? Thank Goodness for happy endings!

Happy Birthday Canada ... and more

Yeah, I know, I'm a little late for the birthday wishes, but better later than never. Vacation doesn't leave much time for posting. Happy Birthday Canada.

We didn't attend any fireworks celebrations this year, but were rather entertained by some in the neighbourhood that we watched from our front porch. Better that way, as the weather wasn't exactly firework friendly. And we got the big show (of the downtown Milton fireworks) from our bedroom window. What better seat than that!?

Sunday morning we took the dogs out to the Limehouse Conservation Area (part of the CVC).  I'd never been before, so I thought it would be a good one to try out, and I wasn't disappointed.

Scaling down ladders on a rock face with a 12 pound dog in one arm is a challenge, but scaling down ladders on a rock face with a 80 pound dog is an extreme challenge. 

Seeing the old kilns was interesting and the dogs got to refresh themselves in Black Creek, that runs throughout this gorgeous conservation area. More information on the kilns and their preservation can be found here: www.limehousekilns.ca

The day didn't lend itself to fantastic photography, the sun was too bright and the shadows too deep, but I was able to capture a bit of the hike, and of course, a great shot of the little dog on a log. Seriously, she was on the log, and she's a little dog - it rhymed by accident.

After refreshment in Black Creek

Black Creek and Kiln Ruins

Little Dog on a Log