Agility weekend come and gone

SUMMARY: It was the best of times, it was the not best of times.

I did it again. Agreed a couple of months back to drive down to Turlock for 2 and a half days of agility to work the score table, because I love going down there, despite my better judgement telling me that it was a bad idea.   Waffled all the way up to closing on whether to try entering Boost in a couple of things again as long as I was going anyway, but since I'm still not running, decided not to.

I thought it would be a good weekend, anyway, seeing good friends and doing a necessary job, plus they have that big fenced back field in which Chip could run around and meet lots of dogs and I could play lots of frisbee with Boost and Boost could get to run after other Border Collies playing frisbee, her favorite game, and Tika could wander around sniffing at things to her heart's content.

Here's what really happened:

I thought Tika was going to die right on the spot, all weekend.

Boost got only about 3 minutes of BC chasing, although we did get a lot of frisbee together.

Chip did not run at all. And got to meet only a couple of dogs only briefly. And mostly ignored me when I did let him off leash. And hated being in the crate for such a long time.

I sat, and leaned, and adjusted, and stretched, and supported, and made all kinds of awkward positions of my body, and got more and more and more and more sore. And so tired and sore that the preceding post of Chip was the only photo I took at the trial all weekend.

Today, home again, I am very very very sore.

And that is because (a) Sitting is a very very bad thing for me to do, and I know it. I can't even work full time as a result. But surely it would be different at the score table, since I hardly have to do any writing at all, just a quick few marks on each scribe sheet, and I can stand up any time I want. Ha!

(b) I just forget how many things have to be lifted and carried to & from the car, and set up, for an agility weekend. And I forgot how much more lifting and carrying Tika's condition entails--getting her in and out of the car by lifting her or by lifting & setting in place her ramp, then taking it down, then putting it back, then taking it down, then putting it back... etc.

(c) And how much bending is involved in having dogs in crates & like that.

(d) Not realizing that having Tika restricted to a crate in the car all the way down and then all day would really tighten up her entire body so that she had a terrible time trying to stand up and then half the time couldn't stay standing up after she got up. Walking--"just a little walking" around this site was way way way way too much for her. She slumped. She sagged. And I had to work to get her up and keep her moving. She refused to eat much of anything for two and a half days.

Oh, right, she ate people food mostly ok.

The hotel room looked cheap--broken safety latch on door, plaster coming off wall, laminate coming off the table. I paid extra for microwave and fridge and didn't realize until I arrived back at the room at 10pm with my leftover dinner that there was no fridge. And, oh, when I made the res online, they forgot to mention that there's a pet charge. $10 per night per dog. For 3 dogs, 2 nights. Are you effing kidding me? They did agree to charge me only one night's fees, but I'm done with that place. ("We've always charged a pet fee." "Oh, no, you haven't, because I've been staying here more than a dozen years, and I didn't used to pay a pet fee.") Compare and contrast to the Disneyland Hotel two weekends previously. (Oh, did I not get around to posting about that yet? Heh.)

But:

Weather was gorgeous. Mid-70s F (23ish C) in mid-February, can you believe it? Near-record temps for the dates.

Friends were wonderful to be around.

And I had a great show on my way home.

At the School Park

SUMMARY: Just a note.

Took the Merle Girls and Chip to the school park today--first time in a long time. Drove because Tika can't manage the walk over any more. (And not sure whether I could, either.)

Let them all out of the car uncontrolled--Tika actually picked up to an excited trot to get to the gate, then did all her favorite sniffings around. Chip toted a 20' lead because we haven't worked enough on recalls in distracting environments, but I got a lot of good responses (unlike last time) and distributed a lot of treats.

Our Park friends Jake and Sheba (and their Human Parents) showed up--Chip tried to get Sheba the Pug to play, and she wanted to, apparently the first time in a long time since she has a sore back and isn't much into other dogs. Then Chip rolled over on his back to get a big tummy rub from the Human Parents.

Boost, meanwhile: All frisbee all the time.

Followed by a beautiful sunset. And through all of this, of course, I'm wishing that I hadn't left my camera in the car.

Altogether, a good outing.

Bump

SUMMARY: The elder statesman.

Bump got short shrift in yesterday's post. So here he is, all 14 years and 1 month of him.

Pastel Sunset Looking South, West, North, and East

SUMMARY: Wordless Wednesday evening

Best-Laid Plans

SUMMARY: So far the schedule has turned out pretty different. Plus walking with the dogs.

Original plans for exercise to make up for all the food versus reality--so far--

Thursday morning: Plan: 3-ish mile stroll with dogs and friend #1. Actual: Friend pulled groin muscle and can barely walk. Sat and talked instead and had homemade pumpkin muffins. (I did restrain myself to 1/2 muffin.) Dogs stayed home.

Friday morning: Plan: 3-4-ish mile strolled with dogs and friend #2. Actual: Friend is having problem in the ribs--could be cancer or medication-related.  Can barely walk or drive, so she stayed home. If you've ever cracked a rib, you probably know what she's feeling. Dogs and I went to a park a little way away that has a tiny hill; they got a ton of frisbee so I got only about a mile and a half of walking what with all the stopping and throwing the frisbee (oh, yeah, and taking photos--see below).

Saturday: Plan: Practice judging and run dogs at fun match. Actual: Forecast is for rain rain rain, so fun match is canceled. TBD what we shall do instead.

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Meanwhile, it's been c-c-c-cold; record-setting (or nearly so) lows for the date both yesterday and today. But otherwise beautiful out.

Here's our walkies from this morning.

The park has a huge grassy field that's excellent for dog frisbeeing--this is one side of it. There can be several people with their dogs on different parts of the field and never come close to one another.  It's 9:15 in the morning. Note the frost on the grass in the shade.

Boost would really like me to throw the frisbee. Doesn't seem to mind lying in the frost.

Frost limns grass and leaves so perfectly!

Looking out across the huge grassy field as Tika picks up the frisbee. That little greenish-brown hill on the right, behind the trees, is the hill we'll go up shortly.

In the sun, the frost has melted on this leaf but not yet evaporated.

No matter who gets to the frisbee first, it's almost always Boost who brings it back through the autumn leaves. Tika likes having an auto-ball-return device, aka Boost.

Getting closer to the little hill. It's not very high, but quite steep.

Now we're halfway up the hill. While I follow the path that goes straight up, the dogs explore off to the side under the pine trees.

Looking back down on the school yard next to the park. We do have some autumn color, depending on what trees have been planted. The coastal range is in the far distance.

Wow, good smells among the old dried vegetation, with the winter grasses just starting to come up underneath.

Going down the far side of the hill, Tika likes to lead the way.

Then we turn around and go back up. Now looking down across that huuuuuge green field, which doesn't look quite as big from up here. If you look verrrrry closely (click the photo for a larger version) at the row of nearly identical green trees lining the far side of the park, MUTT MVR is parked behind the 6th trunk from the left.

Gophers or ground squirrels live all through this hill. Tika is looking for them. Can you find Tika? What amazing natural camouflage!

There she is!

Back down to the grassy field for some more frisbee.

Half an hour after we first arrive, these tiny weeds in the shade still sport their delicate frost edging.

Merle Girls On Grass.

Such a Border Collie pose! Staring at the frisbee, willing it to be thrown.

With the inevitably flipped-over ear.

Just some of the crap I picked up along the west side of the park.

Are they tired yet? Can I go home now?