25 Days

I have 3 shows left before we leave for Arizona! I am surprised by how fast the time is flying. I shouldn't be but I am. Probably because I feel like I need more time to prepare. I'm meeting Rosanne at a friend's place to train today. There are certain things I need to work on that I cannot do in my yard. Turns out of chutes and broad jumps. He has ticked broad jumps the last 3 times and he needs to understand not to touch them. It is no different than a jump and he used to hit them with free abandon until I taught him that was unacceptable.

I will then be working on my handling with Rosanne - really tough sequences to push me. We are also going to work on some moving or fast Front Crosses, I am not moving soon enough and getting caught behind or flat-footed. I did a lot of analysis this past weekend to see why I am struggling to run G clean and it appears to be a speed issue. I overestimate my speed and underestimate his. In training, I am probably not holding still as long and I get moving faster. In the ring, I am probably trying to make sure I don't rush and in that effort, I am actually getting caught holding too long. This is our primary focus over the next 3 weeks to get me ready for Nationals.

Weekend Update from Splash N Dash

I had a fun weekend. LuAnn and I stayed at the Clarion, it was about 9 minutes away from the Pittsburgh Indoor Soccer Arena. There is a decent restaurant on site and we are always thrilled to go back to the hotel, shower and NOT drive to get good food and a beer. Our dogs really enjoyed playing with each other in the hotel. Those of you who know Gusto well will be shocked to learn that he will, in deed, play with Jack.

Gusto ran really nice most of the time this weekend. There were only 2 runs were he was a maniac and not paying attention - Standard and Grand Prix on Saturday. I was very happy with the rest of our runs though. Still no Q in Standard - dropped 2 bars on Sunday. One was me talking to him and the other one was him cutting too close to the standard.

He has his second Q in Steeplechase at 26 inches for 2009 Nationals. I can now focus on Grand Prixs - he needs 2 and then I can drop him down to 22 and get those Qs.

On Sunday, Denise Thomas with Zippity (first litter of Mayhem x Credit) was in the other ring running her young dog, Zacchary. Love him!! She didn't get a chance to walk Snooker and she doesn't like that event anyway and asked if I would run Zippity. I said YES! So I told her my plan for Gusto and she thought it would work for Zip too. We moved Zip to the beginning of the 26 inch class so I would have time to warm G up for his run.

I warmed Zip up, making sure she was happy to work with me. Zip will work for anyone, she is an agility whore. I took her in and off we went. WHAT A RUSH!!! She runs almost identically to Gusto but is a bit less responsive to my come in cues becuase Denise doesn't use RFPs. I did all 4 reds, 3 7s and finished the course in 45 ish seconds. I was thrilled when I came out of the ring and Zippity was as high as Gusto gets on a good run. I handed her off and went to get G.

Next up, Gusto's turn. Same plan and he ran it flawlessly. He was tigher than Zippity because I worked those turns better knowing how wide Zip had gone. He kept all his bars up and went exactly where I wanted and we finished the course - 2.5 to 3 seconds faster than Zip. I took first place with Gusto and second place with Zip and got 2 Supers Qs. Denise didn't tell me this but Zip needed a Super Q for her ADCH. Glad I didn't know that going in. Denise will get another one though so she can celebrate the ADCH for herself.

I then had to go walk Steeplechase Round 2 and run G almost immediately after the Snooker run. He was hot and I was still winded. He ran beautifully but dropped 2 bars and ticked the broad!! I was irriated with him to say the least. Took him outside and he had to go potty! UGH!

Anyway, we had a great weekend and finally got some successful runs under my belt at 26 inches!!

Bring the Heat

Ok - I tried to not post about football but I cannot resist it. Besides agility, it is one of my favorite Fall activities ever since Devin started playing. I never really knew that much about the game - I knew the general rules and the overall objective but I had no clue how truly involved the game was. Last year I got an introduction into the world of the Outside Linebackers because that was the position they had Devin play all season long. This year, I am learning what a Defensive End's job is....basically, a pass rusher. Or at least, that is what Devin has deemed his job and the coaches are happy so I guess it is an appropriate function. One night this week, they had him doing Offensive line functions - blocking for the Running Backs. He did well at that too - Devin is not afraid of physical contact so he does well at any of the jobs requiring that type of skill.

Last night, it was raining and quite chilly. The boys didn't care at all and were sort of wound up by the weather. He played well - his usual sacks and tackles. On our way to the car, one of the coaches told Devin, "Way to bring the heat, let's do that this Saturday".

While I am in Pittsburgh doing my own sport, I will be checking on Devin's football game and silently happy to be indoors while Greg has to stand in the rain and the cold.

Bring the heat, Devin!

Pittsburgh Trip

I am getting ready to pack - yeah, a bit late. I was thinking last night that I would try to use this trip as a good test for Nationals. Gusto has done well at my sessions this week, he kept many of his bars up and went where I wanted him to go. He is definitely getting more powerful over the 26 inch jumps. I struggled on some of the challenges presented by the courses that Barb and Rosanne set up. I need to do a better job when I walk the courses this weekend - I need to walk them like they matter, like it might be a final at a big event. Just to get practice running him with more thought to see if I can stay in the moment in order to handle him through the entire course. I do well for about 10 - 11 obstacles and then I think I lapse mentally which is when the mistakes occur.

It was a really good training session yesterday with Rosanne. She set up some nasty sequences which required more thought than the average course. I love these types of sessions because usually it means that when I show, it seems relatively easy compared to the lovely challenges that Rosanne sets up. Practice hard, trial easy! I'm now ready for Pittsburgh - and I need to forget about the bars!

What I Will Miss

In order to get ready for Nationals, I have to do some actual events as in more than one day. This means I will miss 3 of Devin's football games; I have pleaded with Greg to videotape them for me. I sure hope he will do that so I can see them later.

I am also going to be away when the election occurs, Rosanne and I will be driving back from AZ (I now know what day we leave - thanks Rosanne). I have to research how to do an absentee ballot. It looks like a vacation is considered an eligible reason to submit an absentee vote. It is really hard to consider the trip to AZ a vacation but since agility is not a professional sport and we usually only win a few bucks here and there; it falls under the category of vacation for absentee voting purposes.

Action Shots of Jack and Gusto

LuAnn and I got together and trained last Friday. We tried to get some jumping photos of the 2 boys. I confess that Jack was a tad bit easier to get photos - his white blaze on his face stands out against the background much nicer. Gusto was tougher since he was jumping 26, he took off and landed farther away and I couldn't get a lot of frame by frame shots. I like these 2 pictures the best.

Nationals

Reality is setting in. We leave for Nationals in approximately 4 weeks (I actually don't know the date we leave because Rosanne will say - we leave in X number of days and then I will know tee hee). My trial experience this Fall has been less than stellar because I moved Gusto up to 26 and he is dropping bars. I haven't been focused on my handling. I have the upcoming 3 day event at Fair Hill October 17 - 19 to see how he feels running at the 22 inch height class.

Luckily, Rosanne reminded me that I need to focus on my handling and forget about the bars in order to be ready for Arizona. Well forgetting about the bars is not exactly what she said but basically, I need to run him like I want to run him in Arizona....with the small little detail of holding his contacts for a beat. We all know I will be ripping him off early out there and then will have to come home and fix the contacts. Running contacts are in Robbie's future - can't stand losing because I held my stupid contacts too long.

I do not remember being this anxious about Nationals with Ivy. Probably due to the fact that I had no expectations with her. I just went out there to experience a big event. I do remember wanting to go out there and look like I belonged so I did feel that pressure. But Gusto has a shot of doing well - maybe not winning anything this year but at least placing in some events and maybe making finals. All he needs is to be in sync with me and for me to be mentally prepared.

OH BOY! No pressure :) He's almost ready to do very well Nationally - he needs me to step it up a notch so I feel that pressure too. I need to learn how to deal with that - that's life with a 7 YPS dog. He really is amazing and has come along way in the last year!

I keep telling myself....you ran a deaf dog and was decently competitive. You can do it. Ivy was way more difficult than Gusto in so many ways. While not being faster (she was a 6 ish YPS dog), she had challenges that would have stopped many people in their tracks. I perservered, I kept on keeping on, I chipped away at her weaknesses and my own. I just kept saying, she is talented and I need to show the agility world that she can do it. It kept me motivated. Now my motivation is a bit different - it's now about me being talented enough to run Gusto.

Devin's Football Game

Wow! He played like a champ! Seriously - not bragging like a proud Mom, I'm going to repeat comments made by Parents during and after the game just to prove it isn't me being a bragging Parent.

"Devin had a great game." "Your son is on fire." "Nice tackles." "Your boy caused that fumble." So many people noticed his playing and here is why....

Two near sacks resulting in no gains. Tackle that resulted in a 5 or 6 yard loss. A stop at the goal line. A tackle resulting in a fumble and we recovered the ball. He got in the QB's face several times when the boy was trying to pass, breaking up the pass attempts. When he got blocked, he was still able to help the boys make tackles. He played with heart - it was great to watch!

Here is the other fun thing about the game, Greg was the announcer and he did a fantastic job. He used music during the dead times. Several songs were ones that the boys liked and it got them all pumped up. What a fun night even though I was blowing my nose all night and basically miserable.

Staying home today, no agility because I am not up to making the 2 hr drive to Maryland.

Very Busy Day

Yesterday was nuts, no wonder I'm totally sick. Got up at 4:45 AM and left for an agility trial in Gamber, MD. A drive that was supposed to take an hour and a half took 2 hours. I got to the show at a good time though, took more cold medication and chilled until we had to walk our courses.

First run of the day - Steeplechase. It's was a very cool morning, the dogs were feeling quite happy which usually means, bad runs. But Gusto ran nice - he did drop the first bar as did EVERYONE in our height class except one. He handled some tough areas (a bit more technical than some ST courses) but ticked the broad jump. When he ticked it, I slowed down and looked at him. When I turned back around to run down the last line of 2 jumps, a wing jumped moved into my path and I fell right on it, over it and landed on my face. Just call me grace under fire. Gusto went down the line, kept the bars up and got his leash. NO concern for Mom, whatsoever. Everyone asked if I was ok, I couldn't answer because I was too busy laughing. I was fine but my leg and ankle bothered me later on after the adrenaline settled. I eventually went up to the score table to check his time because it was a very nice run all things considered. His time was smokin - and I held his frame for a long time to make sure he knew where to go. He had the second fastest time - some dog I didn't know must have had a great run. Only one dog ran clean - Whip and her time was slower by 2 seconds because she marked her frames on both passes due to Whip coming off early. Basically, Gusto Qd because the entire class except for Whip dropped one or 2 bars. Since Gusto's time was fast, he got a Q. First one for 2009 at 26 - it was a very nice gift. 22 inch class fared much better and had many great runs with all bars up - they ran later than us and the grass definitely had dried out better.

Next run was Gamblers. He was great, kept all his bars up, nailed a weave entry that I wasn't sure he would get. Had fast fast contacts...traveled off the dogwalk so I planned to work that one in Standard. Got the Gamble! 8th Gamble leg. I was thrilled that he kept all the bars up!

Last run before I decided to leave was Standard, the leg I need for his MAD title. Sadly, no Q because he dropped a bar and took a jump in the wrong direction (that one was my fault). I decelerated too early and he read it as come in. I needed to drive a bit further. After the table, I led out to the landing side of the next jump to make sure he knew NOT to take the frame but to come to me and take the tunnel. He was too busy shopping at the 2 options and dropped the bar. So I lied him down and removed him. Normally I do not remove him unless he is totally brainless but he was not even paying attention to that jump. He was sighting on the options and he can do better than that. That was the end of my agility day - I felt like crap and needed to make the 2 hr drive home so I could watch Devin's football game.

Note for Rosanne - I held all contacts in Standard and Gusto was good, didn't come off early.

Happy Belated B-day to Lance

I was planning to post a Happy B-day to Lance Armstrong yesterday and was too busy to do it. I'm one day late and one day closer to my own. I'd rather be turning 37 - that was still a good year for me. I'll call it BIT - Before IT Band injury. Ha Ha.

I'll be cheering for Lance's return to the Tour in 2009. Got to root for the old folks in sports - Dara Torres, Lance, Brett Favre. I used to watch Nolan Ryan when he was on the mound too - course, I was still young then but his quest fascinated me. I hated watching baseball so you know it was interesting enough to get me to watch a game or at least part of a game. He regularly recorded pitches over 100 mph, even past the age of 40.

UGH - Teaching Agility is Exhausting!

Don't get me wrong, I really like the people that I teach but trying to take the information that is part of a natural thing for me and translate it into understandable chunks of information for my students is ever so EXHAUSTING. I've been doing agility long enough now that certain parts are just natural for me. Having to explain the reasons behind doing certain handling maneuvers is really really draining.

Not saying that I am some wonder whiz agility kid (hey now - no comments about age), but because using my body to do athletic things is almost too easy for me I find it difficult to communicate all the little subtle things needed to understand agility. Someday, I hope to be a wonder whiz agility kid but right now I am just trying to survive the energy requirements to teach it.

Truth be told, I'd rather not teach but Greg thinks it is good for me. Not for the money since I barely make enough to cover a hotel bill for the weekend but he thinks it makes me a better trainer and handler for my own dogs. OR he just wants to get me out of the house every now and then :)

I Need a Zoom Lense

A cool action shot of Gusto even though it is slightly off center...darn software is not as easy as my old program. We got a few decent shots but most of them are too far away and the cropping and zooming part of my software program SUCKS. So until I get a better zoom lense, the pictures will continue to not be as nice as I would like. But I am still playing around and learning, they should improve.

Not Another One!

Birthday, that is (in 6 days). I'm feeling particular old this year. I think it has to do with the recovery from my IT Band and knee injuries. Things hurt more, longer, recovery is definitely slower. I have to pick and choose my activities and spread them out in an effort to limit the impact to my body. I'm not 60 yet but I have been hard on my body with all of the athletic endeavors that I have done. Most days though, I still feel 25. I have to wonder how Lance will do at his comeback - his birthday is in 2 days. He turns 37.

David Achuletta has a new single out called Crush. He won American Idol for those who have no idea who he is. He is an adorable KID who has a very bright future. Anyway, I went to ITunes looking for new music and wanted to verify that the song Greg and I heard on the radio was David - we recognized his voice. I watched the short video clip from this new song and it has such a summer time high school theme. It took me back to summer of 1983 - a very good summer for me.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO! I cannot believe how the time flies!!!!!

I won't be downloading David's music - it's cute but no longer suits my adult taste.

I was a good girl

Yesterday was the most beautiful day to ride a bike outside! I felt the urge and I resisted it. The little voice over my shoulder said, "it's gorgeous outside, you should go for a ride." Then the other little voice over my other shoulder said, "and if you fall and get hurt, you might not be able to go to Nationals again." So I chose the good little voice and ignored the one in red.

I did ride inside today though. Thirty minutes and 5.51 miles. Safe distance, safe speeds. Just for exercise.

Nationals and Agility and Stuff

I have been training and trialing Gusto at 26 inches. We are still trying to work out the difference in timing and space needed to run at 26. I confess that I am getting a bit frustrated by the lack of qualifying runs. But the good news is that he looks like he is starting to figure the new height out. He actually is powering over the jumps and his confidence seems to be growing - which is what happened after he got used to showing at 22. He is covering ground faster so now I need to get used to that too. He ran pretty well for me at Flexible Flyers trial this past weekend. Qualified in Gamblers, took 2nd place behind his brother, Whip. He had a great Standard run but dropped the last bar because I opened my big mouth.

Rosanne and Drifter had a drop dead gorgeous Standard run and won the class by 3 seconds. Gusto didn't even come close to Drifter's time (Gusto had one of the next fastest times but had 5 faults). Rosanne tells me to chill - I'm holding my contacts which I actually did this weekend to make sure I don't lose my criteria. I'm also not pushing Gusto because we are still figuring out how to run together at 26. I sort of feel like I am starting all over again with him after finally getting our teamwork down at 22.

Ivy ran with Katie Leisey this weekend and had some beautiful runs. Katie qualified in Performance Speed Jumping - her first time ever running a Steeplechase type course. My goal for Ivy down the road, after Nationals is to qualify her in Performance for Nationals in 2009. She'll have a lot of fun.

The Reality:
I am feeling a bit of pressure with Nationals looming large in 6 weeks or so. Rosanne and I leave at the end of October and we have about 5 more shows before we leave. My last shows have not been fruitful so I am lacking confidence about running him on those tough courses. This is precisely why Rosanne wants to get together and practice on really nasty stuff - the weather has not been cooperating though. We will try for at least one session this week.

Robbie Jumping

Here is a decent shot of Robbie jumping. Greg was trying to get him to take the jumps while I was trying to capture the shots. The camera's shutter speed is significantly better than my old digital camera but I have to get used to this new one. I also definitely need a zoom lense for it.

New Football Pics

Devin's team played Lancaster Catholic yesterday in 90 + degree temps! They played very well but lost 20-12. I got some great pictures with my new Olympus E-520. Downloaded the software and did some editing to crop the pictures. I do need a better zoom lense but I think this will do for now.

Anyway, Devin was amazing yesterday. He was in the backfield, putting pressure on the quarterback so many times I lost track. He made some great tackles and had 2 near sacks but the quarterback dumped the ball. Devin had one great play that resulted in a loss of 5 yards and another one that prevented a touchdown at the goal line. What a game!

Note: Devin in the red jersey, number 22.

Devin gets a T-shirt

Big deal, huh? But this t-shirt is special; not like any other t-shirt because it is given out to the midget football players for recognition of hard work and dedication. On the last practice day of the week, the coaches decide who gets shirts. They give out about 3 each week to recognize special efforts. The boys really look forward to this and many boys work hard to try to get one. Devin had not gotten his yet (every boy eventually gets a shirt and you can only get one). So on Wednesday night, he was all business. Cheering from the sidelines, pumping the defensive line up and getting all worked up. He made 2 quarterback sacks that night and several other tackles. This was probably one of his best practices to date and he wanted his shirt. I was getting ready to leave (I had the dogs in the car because I had come directly from agility classes) when one of his coaches came over and told us not to leave. They got the boys in their end of practice huddle and the Head Coach had the shirts in his hand. He describes why the particular boy is getting one without giving a name out and then says the name and the group erupts into cheers for that kid. It's really cool to watch. Devin was the first to get recognized and the group was very loud in recognition of Devin's efforts - he was really happy.

I think midget football is a great outlet for boys with a lot of energy but more important - it teaches life lessons which is the primary reason we insist that Devin play sports. Laziness is not tolerated, hard efforts are rewarded, self-confidence is developed.

Seriously Talented on Stock!

I took Robbie and Gusto to their herding lesson today. We started out in the round pen with Robbie, he remembered his earlier sessions from 2 weeks ago. We did a reminder on lie down and on sending out both directions. Then we worked Gusto - what a train wreck. He does not have any natural talent, he is afraid of the sheep to a certain degree and is generally confused. Poor boy, he tried really hard to figure it out. He worked better for Sharon, my instructor, then he worked for me. He was being silly for me, biting the rattle paddle, the noodle, screamed at me but worked a bit more calmly for her. Until she shook the rattle bottle. Then he refused to work for her - he is such a weenie.

Second time out for Robbie, we moved him to a larger field. He was truly brilliant! It was a thing of beauty to watch. It barely looked like Sharon had to do anything, she would send him out on a come bye - he did a natural, wide outrun and then turned at the right point without Sharon saying a word. Then she would lie him down, send him the other direction - again, just as nice as the other one. I just kept saying, "oh my, that is beautiful to watch" and Sharon had a "blank-eating" grin on her face.

I can't wait to take him for his next lesson. He really needs a solid foundation if I ever hope to trial him so I am having Sharon work him as much as she is willing. I'll mess him up although he is much easier to work on stock than Gusto. UGH! Poor G, at least he has fun in agility. Sadly, herding trials do not look like they are in Gusto's future.

New Camera

I am finally getting a new camera. I did a lot of research about SLRs and point-and-shoot but I struggled with the decision. I currently use a Fujifilm point-and-shoot, 3.2 mega pixels, 6x optical zoom and video clip capture. The picture quality is fantastic and it served it's purpose well over the past 5.5 years. I originally bought it for agility trials - to capture video and pictures without having to drag along my camcorder. It definitely worked well and the zoom capability was the best in it's class.

My only complaint was the shutter lag time - the length of time after I hit the button until it captured the image. I would miss the picture that I wanted due to the lag. This is the biggest complaint about the point-and-shoot models. Now that Devin is doing football and basketball, I want to capture some pretty cool action shots. The local camera shop recommended an SLR - the lag time is almost non-existent, what you see is what you capture - mostly. And it will work indoors in the gym - my camera does not capture the images indoors in the low light conditions well.

I am hoping to get the new camera in the next week - Olympus E-520. Look for some new pictures soon!

Lance Returns

It's true, Lance Armstrong is going to come out of retirement and train for the Tour again! I don't know if he will be able to do it or do it to the level that he wants but I am so excited by the news.

Here is what Johan Bruyneel, Lance's former manager/team coach told Velownews:

Many wondered if Armstrong, who turns 37 this month, is too old to return to the highest levels of cycling.

“It’s not a question of age, it’s a question of motivation,” he continued. “I think that challenge of coming back is motivating him now. It’s this impossible challenge that will push him. We have to keep our feet on the ground. There’s still plenty of time to discuss things more calmly. Right now, we’re here to try to win the Vuelta.”

Hey LuAnn - I quoted the section above just for you :)

Lance has always been an inspiration for me and many others, for that matter. Watching the Tour over the last 3 years just wasn't the same for me after he retired so I am thrilled that he is going to try again.

Good Bye to the Summer Weather

It looks like the warm Summer weather will soon be ending. Ordinarily, I'm ready for Fall but this Summer was not as hot and humid for the most part so I am not ready for it to end. It also means the Mustang will soon be parked more than driven. I do not like to drive it in rain, snow and ice for obvious reasons, it doesn't handle well on wet, slippery roads. I didn't buy it for those road conditions so it isn't a big deal. But I will miss driving the car - it is so much fun on the back country roads around my house. Devin loves to ride in it too because he can sit in the front seat; it has an air bag sensor for anyone under 80 lbs, the air bag is disengaged.

I got the Mustang for my 40th birthday. Many said it was a mid-life crisis decision. I really do not agree...I had recently gotten injured from my bike and could no longer train for races and could not train my dogs so I was totally and completely depressed and bored. I needed a little excitement to get me through the Fall.

It is currently pouring so I will not be taking the Mustang up to the agility building for my lessons, will have to drive our SUV. But since it is thundering, I doubt I will take my dogs with me. The building is like a tent and the sound gets magnified. Gusto doesn't care about the sound but not sure about Robbie.

Just a side note: the Mustang is not a gas hog, I got the V6. I already felt sort of silly getting a bright, red Stang - it is so impractical and I am usually a very practical person. I decided I would be a little frugal by buying theV6. I get 30 on the highway and around town, I average 23. For a car that has over 200 horses under the hood, that isn't bad AND the car did not cost and arm and a leg. And yes - it has a manual transmission, wouldn't buy it any other way.

Quick Note - cycling log

I cycled yesterday - 33.5 mins, 5 miles. No pain.

So far, so good. Let's see - I've done about 15 - 20 miles a week for the last several weeks. About 3 times a week with no pain in my right leg. I will just stick with this same kind of program for fitness only.

The Journey

A friend of mine (thank you, Weeta) just sent me a link to a beautiful video clip on YouTube. The video was done by Susan Garrett, a rather famous person in the world of agility. It's called "The Journey" and it will make you cry if you have any emotions at all toward your dogs.

Go check it out:

YouTube - The Journey

It resonated deep inside my soul...I've learned so many lessons with each one of my dogs. They've brought some pretty interesting people into my life, some for just a short time but others have been around for the long haul. Some of my greatest friends are in my life thanks to my dogs. A few are no longer part of my life but lessons were definitely learned.

I do agility and herding because I love the bond you develop when you teach your dogs a sport of any kind. The bond is deep and is hard to describe to those that have never done a sport with an animal. You can't develop it by throwing balls or taking your dog for a walk, it can only be developed by working together as a team.

Mostly, the lessons that I have learned is to live in the moment and appreciate the joys in life.

This Blog Seems Shallow

I only write on a few topics so I thought I should at least post something about politics.

I HATE IT- bunch of psychotic egomaniacs with only their own interest at heart. They only take the position that gets them the most attention, the most money, the most votes. Yes, I'm a pessimist when it comes to politics but occasionally someone comes along that gives me hope. I'll say that I have hope for this upcoming election - hope that people will do the right thing and make an intelligent choice.

Wait - never mind, my hope was fleeting - I said "intelligent choice" and that doesn't happen much in America. OOPS - there goes my pessimism again.

Devin's Football Game

We lost but it was a valiant effort. The boys played their hearts out and we were very proud of Devin. They played him almost the entire game and moved him around some. He played Right Defensive End, Left side - same position, and Tackle. The coaches know that he can make sacks so they are putting in positions that he has the best chance of doing just that. He did put pressure on the quarterback many times but just missed actual sacks by meer seconds as the Q would dump the ball. He made some crucial tackles as well. He played tough which is all that the coaches ask of him.

NOTE: Devin plays for the Warwick Warriors - black and red, he is number 22. If you look at the top picture, number 74 - white jersey - is trying to stop Devin. He is pushing through 2 kids to get to the quarterback.

Robbie's Size

I'm on Facebooks and I've joined the Aled Owen Sheepdog Group. Someone posted a question for the members to answer...How big are your Bob-lets? Robbie is normal in the Bob-let world (Bob is his Grandfather). There is a female that is the same size as Robbie and several others in that range and several are taller!

Torrential Downpours

Devin's football game got cancelled....thank goodness because I was not looking forward to standing in the rain all afternoon. It has been re-scheduled for tomorrow and the weather should be much improved.

Last night, we went over to Devin's former Defensive Coach's house...that was a blast. They told me to try Myspace for blogging and connecting with friends. Sounds like they enjoy it so I did check it out today but didn't get very far at creating a space or loading pictures or really anything. I need to get used to the format. It looks like a lot more fun than Facebooks.

Had to cancel my herding lesson for tomorrow due to the re-scheduled football game. I was looking forward to the lesson, Robbie really needs to be worked. He is still too young to do any serious agility training.

Yesterday, LuAnn and I got together and worked our boys. We did some tough handling exercises. Gusto only dropped maybe one or two bars. He did quite nicely. Robbie got to play a little bit. It was so hot that we stopped early and later headed to the outlets for shopping. I hit pay dirt at the Under Armour outlet. I bought Devin a ton of stuff for football and I got some clothes for agility. LuAnn and I plan to head back for a full day of fun at the outlets - so many stores, so little time. They even have an Oakley outlet - my favorite sunglasses!

Today, I hopped on my indoor bike for a quick calorie burn - rode 43 mins, 7 miles. I never know if it will bother my leg until the next day.

Woo Hoo Devin's on Varsity!

We got the news last night that Devin will now be on the Varsity Section 3 team for Warwick Midget Football - ages 9, 10, 11. They tried him in a new position at his first game (Defensive End) and he did very well. I'm excited for him except now it means I will miss many of his games due to my agility trial schedule which gets crazy as I ramp up for the 2008 Cynosport World Games in Scottsdale, AZ at the end of October.

I just printed the entry form - I'm now officially excited! Gusto's first trip to Nationals - yee haw! Sadly, I decided not to take Ivy. She was really struggling after the Regional in Perry, GA and I decided to drop her to performance. She's 8 and has done agility for 6.5 years - many of those years I did a ton of training with her in an attempt to become a great team. That never happened but she gave me her best and taught me a lot about how to run a fast dog and how to work with a hearing impaired dog.

It's Official, He's a Horse

Robbie, my youngest Border Collie - just shy of 10 months of age is 41 lbs. SO - since he ain't done cooking....maybe we should start a pool on his height and weight. I'm going to say 22.6 inches tall, 50 lbs.

Any other guesses?

How Robbie got his Name

In case I forget this little tidbit, I wanted to write it down. I came up with several names that I was considering for this boy - here is the list: Owen, Beck, Trim, Bryn, Brice, Garry, Speck, Vic, Benny and Robbie. Due to his working pedigree, I really wanted a name that carried on his working ancestry so I researched dogs in his pedigree to see if there were any names that stood out or that I liked. The name Robbie appears on his pedigree about 5 generations ago. Robbie, ISDS 38315 was sired by a famous dog named Brocken Robbie who produced several Welsh Champions. Robbie ISDS 38315 produced another Robbie, ISDS 103968 as well as the famous dog named Butcher's Mac.

Devin didn't know any of the reasons I selected this name but it was his favorite, so I went with it. The funny thing is my Grandfather's name was also Robert but everyone called him Robbie. Another funny thing about this name - it connects my Robbie to Ivy and Abbey. Robbie, ISDS 38315 produced a dog named Meg, ISDS 138048. Meg is Tally of Mobella's Mother - Tally is on the girls pedigree 4 generations ago.

Truly a small world in Border Collies.

Robbie's Famous Grandsires

Picture below is Wisp - owned by Robert Dalziel of Scotland. Wisp is Robbie's Great-Grandfather (Mother's side), 2 time International Supreme Champion in the 90s. The picture on top is Llangwm Bob, Robbie's Grandfather (Father's side)- owned by Aled Owen of Wales. Bob was also a multiple international champion 2000, 2002.

The ears on Bob seemed to get passed down generations. I recently joined Facebooks and am part of the Aled Owen Sheepdog group. Lots of comments on the ears which I think is funny. Robbie's ears are doing all sorts of things right now. I've asked about size because Robbie is quite big. No remarks yet - but his size could be coming from his Mother's side.

Gusto's Session

Today I set up 7 jumps and 12 poles. I did some pretty funky angled jumps with re-direction and convergence. He kept all the bars up except the ones when we converged....he did get better by the end of the session. I did have some trouble re-directing him on a tight turn with speed....again, not being patient and waiting to make sure he turns with me. I was pretty happy with his bars though and his jumping looked good. His weave entries were great! I definitely need to do more handling exercises with him because my handling was not up to par for his speed.

I did a few weavepoles with some jumps with Ivy. Katie Leisey will be handling her at Flexi so I thought I should shake the dust off of Ivy. She was very fast and very excited to be working but did get hot, actually stopped and jumped in my tub to cool off! She needed a quick reminder about her weave entries and I did a quick a frame reminder and that was it.

Robbie is brilliant

Wow - this youngster is amazingly smart. He just blows my mind every time I train him. I took him to the building where I teach agility and worked on his dogwalk. As soon as I walked near it, he jumped on and lied down. Same with the Teeter.

I did a few short foot target sessions to a mousepad yesterday. He seemed utterly bored with it. Got it out at the building and threw it down, he went over and put his foot on it. Bored but compliant. Then he grabbed the tug off the ground, ran over to the frame, jumped on and hung out on the spot that I have done about a half a dozen times! I was thinking of doing a full running frame but it may be too late, I may need to do a foot target cuz this boy remembers everything.

Greg and I tried to get some action shots yesterday but it got too dark. This one is the only decent one - Greg was having fun with his favorite Border Collie.

The Girls Pedigree and Such

I did not have their pedigree for the longest time. I still don't have one whole side - their Sire's side (I do know he was a NASD registered BC named Roy out of Jim Shearer's working lines). I did some research and with Rosanne's help we pieced together their Mother's side. I then ordered a pedigree for their Mother who is registered with the AKC. She was born and bred in the UK out of conformation lines and the pedigree confirmed our research.

Here is a link to some relatives to Abbey and Ivy on their mother's side:

http://www.foxbarton.com/bee.htm

The top half of her pedigree is identical to Abbey and Ivy. And Bee looks a lot like a black and white Abbey.

I also found a dog in Finland that went deaf at age 4 - she is similarly bred as the girls. Must be a genetic connection, don't ya think? I sent cheek swabs to UC Davis for both of my girls....they are researching Early Onset Deafness in border collies.

In doing research, I found quite a lot of agility dogs that share common ancestry to the girls. Since their Mother was born in the UK, I was shocked at the number of dogs that are distantly related - 3 generations, not 8. Clan Abby Blue Aberdoone was a top winning conformation dog in the UK and was used a lot for breeding - this is the primary connection to the other dogs.

Here is a link to Clan Abby - this picture is the one that reminds me the most of Ivy:

http://www.clan-abby.com/nz_ch_clanabby_lorna_doone_i01712.aspx

It truly is a small world in Border Collies. Why do I say this? I used to take classes at Y2K9s near Philadelphia. The owner, Deb Norman, has a BC named Shiner. This dog is a blue merle with tan markings....her face and mannerisms reminded me of Ivy. Years later, in doing my research, I discovered that Shiner's Sire is Bessamour D'ltan Azure - Grandfather is also Clan Abby Blue Aberdoone. There are multiple other ancestors on his pedigree in common with Abbey and Ivy.

New Pics of the Boys

Welcome September

I love September, my favorite month - the weather is usually perfect. Great for outdoor activities - like cycling, hiking, running, playing football and doing agility with my dogs. We won't have time for a hike today - we are going to Greg's parents house for dinner.

I did cycle indoors yesterday and woke up with no pain - I went slower but longer yesterday. My bike computer says 50 minutes and 8.1 miles - not blistering fast but nice for calorie burning.

After Greg mows (the weeds have taken over our yard), I will do some jump work with Gusto. I plan to run the stuff that Rosanne has on her blog. Gusto is doing much better at 26 but still needs a lot of work.

I took a cute picture of Gusto yesterday. Will upload in a few minutes. He sucks on one of my stuff animals when I am on the computer or on my indoor bike. I also got a cute picture of Robbie getting ready to pounce on Devin.