SUMMARY: Big decision #2, what to do?
The USDAA 2012 nationals (aka Cynosports World Games) will be held in Denver, Colorado next October.I love Colorado. For several years, my goal was to graduate from college and then move to Colorado. Somehow I never made it.
And actually, aside from living there for a year and a half when I was in 2nd grade, I've only been there about 4 other times: A two-week vacation back in mumble let's say before I was married, mostly in the Denver/Colorado Springs general vicinity and one night backpacking in Estes Park area, one business trip where mostly I remember a bunch of us driving up into the mountains one afternoon to look at the snow, another business trip where I actually visited a couple of friends briefly in, um, maybe Boulder for dinner, and barely over the border at Mesa Verde back while I was still in college.
So, I love colorado anyway. To visit. Too much snow during the winter for living. I think.
It's farther away than Scottsdale was, though. All those years of driving to and from Scottsdale--tiring. At least I could do it in about 12 hours (including stops). Denver would be longer. More time off work. Lots of California people talking about going, though.
But I don't expect to have dogs who are nationally competitive. Tika was so far behind everyone at the regionals, and getting slower all the time.
And Boost, well, unless something changes a LOT in the next few months, forget that.
BUT, well, I could just go as a spectator. I kinda like going and hanging out with agility folks and taking photos and watching the finals of everything. Maybe make a vacation without the dogs and go hiking and take a whole truckload of photos. I was thinking maybe Aspens In Bright Autumn Colorage but that apparently happens in the really beautiful higher country at least a couple of weeks before the nationals, and I don't think I really want to take 3 weeks. (I love Days of Speed's photos every autumn and wish I were there.) But, hmm, maybe. Been wanting to do the AIBAC thing for years and years and years.
On the opposite side, there's the whole thing about Colorado being a breed-specific killing state. If your dog is some kind of bully breed, or maybe looks like a bully breed, or maybe someone thought that one of their ancestors might have been a bully breed, that dog's life is pretty much forfeit. Sure, a show can get an exception--as long as the dog is on leash at all times and never leaves the show grounds except maybe with a leash AND a muzzle. Pity about that. I wondered briefly whether I should boycott the state, but on the other hand, I don't think its' going to stop much of anyone from competing, any more than did Norway prohibiting dogs with docked tails or ears from competing at the FCI world championships a couple of years back (thereby shutting out, for example, Ash and Luka, this year's world champions).
Except my stated goal a few years back was to go to a different country every year, and I'm a little behind on that. I'm not sure that Colorado really qualifies, even with those sad, sad breed-specific laws.
But, I do love Colorado.
Thinkingggg... maybe. It's a definite maybe. Fortunately, I don't have to decide for a very long time yet.
