At Long Last...

I have waited a long time to write this and did not start one day early because with a berner, you cannot take one day for granted. And so all these pictures and all these words are from today -- a day that is very, very special -- it is Maize's TENTH birthday.

Ten years ago Maize arrived in this world on an x-ray table, the last of nine puppies born to Abra and Mace. We had taken Abra to the vet when there was a big time lag between puppy seven and puppy eight, and when Abra saw she was at the vet's office she popped out #8 in the backseat of Dear Husband's patrol car -- that puppy was named Cruiser. And when we x-rayed to see if there were more, out came #9 on the table -- Eden Jonas named her Gamma Ray.

Although my primary love is performance events, I am cognizant of the importance and obligation of breeding to the Breed Standard and so with six lovely girls to pick from, I selected the one that I thought best met the most elements of the Breed Standard, confident that the natural working ability of the breed and close relatives would come through in my puppy -- and so little Gamma Ray became Maize, and we began our journey together.

What is the measure of greatness in a dog? Is it titles? Statistics? We have those -- Maize passed all health clearances -- hips, elbows, eyes, thyroid, cardiac, vWD. Every littermate in Maize's litter cleared elbows -- yes, we check whole litters and all nine cleared elbows and eight of nine cleared hips.

Titles? Is there a berner with more? Maize is a champion but she also has TWENTY-FOUR working titles, including the Utility Dog (UD) title, both excellent agility titles (AX, AXJ), and all four original draft titles, including the very challenging Open Brace Draft Dog. In fact, she remains the only berner to have the combination of UD, AX, AXJ, and BDD.

Maize is a fourth generation BMDCA Versatility Dog, and she is a second generation Working Dog Excellent and Versatile Companion Dog 2 (VCD2); she is also a Top Producer of Working Titled Dogs. In addition, Maize has earned an obedience High in Trial, and multiple Top Dog awards from the BMDCA.

Miss Maize transformed into Mrs. Maize after she became a mother, producing the first of two litters just five years ago. She had just ten puppies but let's add those puppies to her list of accomplishments -- all ten cleared hips and eight of ten cleared elbows (yes, my friends, it is possible and important to collect whole litter data -- and don't be fooled -- hip/elbow dysplasia are genetic and it is not cool for anyone). So far, six of her ten children have at least one working title with a couple more in the works.

So yes, if one measures greatness with numbers -- well, bring 'em on because she can compete with anyone. But really, I am not sure that is the best method of sharing what is amaizing about Mrs. Maize because what is amaizing is her heart and her spirit.

Mrs. Maize was certified as a Therapy Dog through the Delta Society, and became a staple in my work with bereaved children, both with individual children and in groups. She heard stories of loss that would bring you to tears, as they often did me -- families killed, parents dead, siblings lost -- and she was there with her gentle soul, to soak up sorrow and provide unconditional regard for each broken heart.

Maize has never met a stranger, and took it upon herself to be Mrs. Congeniality wherever she was -- a show, a hospital, or just a park. She would sit gently next to a wheelchair while awkward attempts to pet her were made, and had no trouble with being surrounded by a pack of small children, all anxious to pet her. Nothing scares her, nothing worries her -- there is not a more solid, stable temperament in a dog than Maize -- or a bigger heart.

When Galen was a teenager and thinking about what he would like in a girlfriend, he shared that he wanted someone nice, someone he could talk to and sit and watch tv with, and so on -- and he ended it with, "someone like Maize."

Mrs. Maize is an example of what it means to love everyone, and to be kind and gentle in the world. She reminds us that it is possible to be very, very accomplished -- and very, very nice. And now -- in addition to all her titles and awards, and her excellent and endearing temperament -- Mrs. Maize has achieved another amaizing milestone -- she is ten years old and (please knock on wood) extremely healthy.

And we are so blessed and grateful.

As I mentioned, I did not start this Blog entry until it was really and truly Maize's tenth birthday, and so let me share pictures now that I just took in the past two hours...

I think luck is a big part of longevity in a berner, but I also think that it is really important for berners of all ages to be active and have meaningful lives. This morning Mrs. Maize and her half-sister, Halo, hauled the garbage down the long driveway to the can at the street -- a one-half mile round trip. Mrs. Maize has the maroon harness on...


We had to do official Birthday Portraits, much to Maize's dismay -- I call this one, "REALLY?!" because that is what Maize seemed to be thinking...


Another one -- too bad you can't see the blinking lights :)


Maize doesn't compete much anymore but she still trains to stay in shape...


And she still loves to retrieve her dumbbell...


Maize's legacy includes her wonderful family -- here is a three generation picture of Maize, her daughter Cadi, and her granddaughter, Sydney...


Maize and Cadi...


Maize and her granddaughter/Mini-Me, Sydney...


After pictures and work and etc. it was time for Butter Pecan ice cream...


Apparently pretty darn yummy stuff!


And then it was off to the yard by herself to chew on a birthday bone!


Thank you for letting me share Mrs. Maize with you, and special thanks to all of you who have loved and appreciated Maize through the years -- you know who you are. And thank you to each person who has a Maize puppy for treasuring your piece of this great dog. And we remember -- with love and sorrow -- her five littermates who have left this earth but who share this birthday with her.

Happy Tenth Birthday to our (all of us) amaizing Mrs. Maize -- now I need to go and find some kleenex...

Please have a wonderful day in honor our sweet girl!

Wind Storm!

We are having quite the wind storm here! Good thing Asia is so stout and solid or she might just blow away. Take a look at her -- nearly 100 pounds (skinny) at 24 inches tall and imagine her doing Regular Agility with the same ease as a berner 30 pounds lighter and the same height -- and yet she has LOVELY breed type, or in other words, is a very excellent example of a (GIRL) Bernese Mountain Dog. Titles on HER would be inferior if they had a "P"?!!! Nope, those "P"'s in the titles would stand for "Preferred Breed Type Agility Dog".


Sydney had a bath today -- doesn't she look cute?


Well, her manners leave something to be desired!


And yes -- look at the wind!!! This is Halo standing still :)


Tomorrow is a REALLY big day -- check back tomorrow to see why :)

July Birthday #1 and What is Really Preferred

Today is Cadi's fifth birthday! We remember her littermate, Dillon, who did not get to celebrate this birthday with his siblings, Cadi and Maverick, and his family/friends. And so we started this day remembering him and being reminded that we cannot take one minute for granted.

This morning I had a date with Asia and our tracking partner on campus, and since the tracks have to age at least two hours, I decided to take Cadi along and hike up to the M over campus. I am certain they installed the M as a way to entice me to join the U of Montana faculty and so in my mind, it stands for Mary-Ann!

Anyway, I took Cadi on the hike -- it goes straight up for ten miles!!!! Okay, it only feels that way -- but it really is a series of steep switchbacks that is a "kick your butt" climb and even hurts coming down -- so a great hike!!! Asia needed to conserve her energy so Cadi and I went alone in honor of her birthday -- here is a picture that I took with my Blackberry from the top. You can see the campus Oval in the background -- Asia tracked right through there later :)


So a couple of other things. First -- yes, they cut Dear Husband's shirttail after he did his solo flight. It seems a little odd -- maybe Barb can explain this tradition??!!

Second, I wanted to discuss jump height and agility and how a community can impact our choices, feelings, and experiences. The height that a dog jumps in agility is based on their shoulder height -- Bernese Mountain Dogs who fall within the Breed Standard for height all jump 24 inches. Agility is, of course, more than just jumps -- there are other obstacles as well -- but jump height is the most significant difference in an agility course based on the dogs.

There is a category of Agility called "Preferred" and basically the difference is that the dogs jump one height lower (four inches) than Regular Agility, and they get a few extra seconds to complete the course. The titles are the same, except the addition of a "P" for Preferred -- so an NAP if Preferred and an NA if not. Also, a dog cannot earn an agility championship (MACH) from the Preferred classes so that is different, but in a couple of years a dog will be able to earn something called a PACH (Preferred Agility Championship).

Maize is one of the few champion berners to have earned the two excellent level agility titles (AX, AXJ) from the Regular classes (i.e., she jumped 24 inches) -- however, it took us FIVE years. Now, some (okay, probably a lot) of that was my own lack of skill and a lack of a consistent place to train etc. but still -- five years is a long time, a lot of flunking, and and a lot of $$$$$$.

Consider human sporting events -- how many "big" Olympic hurdlers do you see?! And how many linebackers are built like Lance Armstrong? How about horses -- how many Clydesdales compete in the jumping events at the Olympics? I am sorry to say this but yes -- size matters.

You don't have to be a Physics Professor to know that more mass is going to take more something to get off the ground (I am not a Physics Professor, obviously) and more mass is going to land with more force -- duh. And so there is a reason that top agility dogs are NOT Bernese Mountain Dogs or Newfoundlands -- and there is a reason I am not a hurdler.

So why do agility with a berner at all? Well, it is super fun and kind of addicting and the dogs really seem to enjoy it. Our Birthday Girl, Cadi, LOVES agility and at 25+ inches, she jumps over her shoulder height -- but still, as she has progressed through the levels (Novice, Open, Excellent) I am seeing more knocked bars and this was the same with Maize. It is not a physical problem -- I think it is a physics problem.

I have Cadi as thin as I dare and she is about 84 pounds -- she really is better closer to 90. There are berners doing well at Regular agility who are about her height but have WAY less mass (and probably better handlers :) -- those berners are not champions and nobody would accuse them of being exceptionally typey berners. This does not mean they are inferior -- they are not -- but comparing Cadi to them is like comparing apples to oranges -- or an Olympic hurdler to an Olympic mid-weight wrestler.

This is where it gets sticky and we see how community impacts us. There is a community of agility berners -- well, a community of their owners anyway. I am not alone in perceiving that Preferred Agility is viewed as "less than" -- that those titles are not as valued (apparently four inches and a few seconds makes a BIG difference -- no comment). One person shared that when asked, an owner said she would be doing "real" agility with her berner (as opposed to Preferred). OUCH.

It shouldn't matter what other people think, should it? But members of a community ARE impacted by what other people think, and I am apparently not immune to the pressures of my social groups. And so when I noticed the bars going down and started to think about moving Cadi to Preferred Agility, I was extremely upset with myself to discover that I had internalized the community's norm and was feeling like a failure -- because I was intending to lower the jump height of my CHAMPION berner by four inches!!!! Big SIGH.

I was steamed. So let me get this straight, I thought to myself -- you have a champion berner who has nice type (i.e., has decent bone/bulk/mass) and who has the most perfect disposition and who is an incredible athlete and smart as they come and titled in multiple events and so on -- and the failure is what?! That she meets the Breed Standard in such a way as to make jumping 24 inches not quite as easy for her and maybe not even in her best interest?????!!!!

And to my community -- so let me get this straight -- if a berner does not meet the Breed Standard for size/type and so is a better agility dog than my heavier champion -- MY dog is the inferior one if her agility titles are from the Preferred class? Hmmmmm.... I said to myself.

If all I wanted was a tri-colored agility dog, I would go for a really cute tri-colored border color -- I love those! But I want a tri-colored BERNER who looks like a berner should look -- I am not breeding agility dogs or obedience dogs or whatever -- I am breeding and competing with Bernese Mountain Dogs who conform to the Breed Standard as well as I can make that happen -- and in as many ways as I can make happen (and let me add that BMDCA members agree to only breed in this way).

What I discovered through this process of self-reflection prompted by a stinking "P" at the end of a title was that when one community "group" conveys a message -- however subtle -- that they are superior, it causes the others to 1). be mad; and 2). want to show how Group Superior is full of Shit (pardon my language, but I suspect you have heard that before and it conveys my sentiments rather well at this moment). This is not conducive to community or being a nice person, both of which are important to me.

But the truth is that we cannot change other people (darn it anyway) and so they get to think what they want (however misguided). And hey -- if not having a "P" at the end of a dog title is what it takes for some to feel smug and superior -- well, what can you say about that?! But listen -- I think I will take the "P" in exchange for also being able to have the CH (champion), and I will try hard not to feel superior because that would not be nice -- and being nice is very important (most of the time).

So a few more things and then I will shut up about this -- if you want to run your berner in Preferred Agility for whatever reason, you go for it! You and your dog are a rock starP and that is still a rock star.

There is nothing wrong with running Regular Agility with a berner!!! And there is nothing wrong with running Preferred Agility with a berner!!!! But let's be clear about our reasons, and let those reasons be our own. I may run Air Zoey in Regular, or maybe I won't -- but whatever I decide it will be based on what *I* think is best and not on trying to impress anyone else.

There are so many life lessons in all this but I will trust that you -- Dear Reader -- will be able to discern them for yourself. In the meantime, we have a birthday to celebrate and invite you to join us -- wherever you are!

xo to Cadi -- she is, as Kathy said when Cadi was a wee puppy, something special and we love her (Cadi and Kathy! :)

Dreams Come True!

You may know that I really hate to fly -- like seriously H-A-T-E as in crying, praying, deep breathing, reading trashy magazines, and clutching the arms of complete strangers kind of hating. It makes no sense -- I know -- but I just really prefer to drive places.

I will fly when I have no other choice -- like last year when Jake and Cassie got married in two places in two days, and the two places were not close enough to drive from one to the other. Not only did I have to get in a #$%^ airplane but I missed the only 2009 dog show in Missoula -- in the future all big family events must not conflict with my schedule and must not involve airplanes.

I digress, as usual -- but it is because I am setting the stage for my excellent news that Dear Husband has achieved a dream. You see, Dear Husband does not share my feelings about flying -- in fact, he has the opposite feelings about flying -- he LOVES it! He L-O-V-E-S it SO much that he has had a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot and on Thursday he solo'd (is that a word?!) for the first time -- in an AIRPLANE!!! ON PURPOSE!!!!! He even looks happy about it -- see for yourself:


And why isn't he wearing a parachute???!!!!


I wasn't there so thanks to Kim, Jr. for these pictures -- I was busy checking the website of the news station in Utah watching for breaking news about a plane crash -- thankfully no such news was necessary!

I do not have to share a dream to be thrilled when it happens for another person, especially Dear Husband. And I am reminded that there is never a time in our lives when we should stop dreaming and hoping and trying to achieve those hopes and dreams. Wonderful things happen when we imagine that they will :)

However, Dear Husband's hope that I will someday fly in a plane with him is on a collision course with my hope of staying firmly on the ground -- this should be interesting...

Zoey hopes and dreams of the day when Asia will love her as much as she loves Asia...






Asia says that dreams do come true -- she wished and hoped that Zoey would find someplace else to nap and leave her in peace for a change -- but really??? The table again????


Karma is dreaming that she gets Chippy and that nobody is around to interfere with her diabolical, murderous plans AND after she achieves that dream, she dreams of taking down our deer, who is officially named Heidi Marie Fawn Bambi Sparkle Bowman -- Heidi Marie for short.


Finally, Zoey is dreaming about the birthday parties this week, hoping there is enough cake for everyone!


Okay - I was all done with this Blog entry when I heard a noise -- "what the heck was that?" I thought to myself. Now, I have the house all closed up because summer arrived and it is HOT so I cool off the house in the morning and close it up and it stays cool all day. I walked and trained earlier this morning and it was sunny and already too warm, and I have been watering the lawn -- because it is, of course, sunny and hot.

Here is my evidence of the power of the sprinkler -- here is the sprinkler that I moved around all morning (we have automatic ones but they are not as effective as they should be):


And this is the deck with RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!


There was basically no chance of rain today -- now it is up to 100%. I think if Dear Husband really wants his dream of his wife in a plane with him, he ought to take up watering the lawn -- moving the sprinkler seems really powerful...

Morning in Montana

As I was riding my bike towards home this morning, look at what I saw:

Well, I saw it much better than this since I had to take the picture after I got home and through the trees but yes -- a hot air balloon! I love hot air balloons -- to look at -- I would not leave the perfectly safe ground to ride in one but I am glad some people do :)

I have some strange dogs -- most of them do not like to be outside unless I am with them and so I try to spend some time outside in the morning so they will act like dogs. Karma, who alternates between thinking she is a dog and a one-cat rodent extermination service, likes to come out with us.


You know Air Zoey -- always ready to chase a ball...



We had an old dog kennel and since that would be treating a dog like a dog to use it, of course we didn't. So I got the great idea to make it a cathouse so that my cats could have a safe place to be outside. I went through a very careful process of determining the safety of said cathouse. I put Karma in it and if she was at the back door, I knew there was an escape route that needed plugging. This took a few days as she is a very clever cat, but finally one time I put her in and four hours later she was still in jail -- success!! Now the litter box is outside and the cats can go in/out through the little door, but the dogs do not have access to the door so it works out great and the cats enjoy it.


Here is another picture of Karma watching over her dog pack (and looking for the escaped Chippy).


While Kay/Sue were here, we had a very vicious storm -- Heidi has a tree laying across her backyard from it!! All kinds of new and tasty sticks blew into the yard, and so stick chewing has been a very popular activity here lately -- here is Syd....


Halo...


This is from yesterday afternoon -- I was talking to Marti on the phone about her girls that are having bitch fights (no, not the twins -- the girl dogs) and I looked out the window and there was my friend, the doe. She is getting quite used to me and so I was able to get some very close pictures. I have been trying to think of a name for her and thought about Fawn but decided it sounds like a porn star, which is just not appropriate, and so she is still nameless...


Back to this morning -- Syd was chewing and Zoey came over. It was like they had a little conversation and Syd told her to grab a stick and join her -- see for yourself:






I certainly hope you get an invitation today that you cannot resist! However, I suggest avoiding sticks as they get stuck in between your teeth...

Only In Montana

The weather gods are really messing with me lately. First of all, every time I spend hours moving the sprinkler around during the day it rains at night! What the heck????!!! What kind of a rain dance is sprinkler moving????

Second, obviously I am a terrible judge of weather. Things look great and so I am lured outdoors and far from home -- and it rains. This happened again yesterday on my dog walk -- I even checked the weather before I left and it said 30% chance of thunderstorms after 7 pm. It was 2 pm and blue skies and so I felt safe -- until I was wet and a mile from home -- sigh.

This morning I got up at my usual crack of dawn time and looked cautiously outside to see what was in store for me today. I deduced it had rained (of course since I moved sprinklers yesterday) and that was about all I could see since it was very foggy and cold. Really? Isn't this July???

It got a little light and I saw blue skies in addition to the fog, and there was basically no chance of rain (like that means anything) so I set out on my morning bike ride after feeding the girls. I want to share two things about riding one's bike in Montana that seem to speak to the uniqueness of this place.

There is a lovely bike path that runs along Highway 93 through the Bitterroot Valley; it is separated from the actual highway so very pleasant. The views are amazing -- mountain ranges on both sides and the river and so on -- a postcard. I ride one mile on the dirt road from our house to the path and off I go -- on my very own private bike path since nobody else is crazy enough to be out before the sun is even really up.

So, first of all, where else does one find horse manure routinely on the bike path?? That has to be a Montana thing -- I never saw horse manure on bike paths in Utah! But I have seen COWBOYS on the Montana bike path -- like serious cowboys with the whole horse, saddle, hat, boots -- on a bike path!!! Luckily not at 6 a.m. but at other times -- isn't that just kind of strange?? Shouldn't they be on a horse path?? And what about picking up after their horses???!!!!

And then there are the deer -- my daughter claims the roads in Montana are paved in blood and it is true that deer and cars are an unfortunate -- and too frequent -- mix around here. I worry about running into a deer (while on my bike) -- they are very pretty but kind of flighty and they do not really seem to think through their choices well -- kind of like teenagers actually. So anyway, today I almost ran over a deer LEG!!! Without the deer attached!!!!!!! Yikes -- someplace around here is a deer with just three legs :( (Note to Heidi -- NO COMMENT!!!!!!).

And finally, one more "only in Montana" story. All of you with curbside garbage service really do not appreciate it -- I know this because I was once one of you. I even complained when I had to wheel the cans 25 feet to the street -- oh the hardship of it! And curbside recycling????? Count your blessings friends -- I drive mine 28 miles -- one way!!!!

But I digress, as usual -- back to garbage. Life in secluded paradise includes a nearly .25 mile private driveway -- the garbage can is at the end of that. Wheeling the can back/forth is not an option and so the garbage must go from the house to the street can by some means, and clicking one's heels and making a wish does not work.

I usually manage to get the house garbage cans in to Trusty Rusty -- the big red truck -- and then Sydney and I drive to the can at the street. It makes me feel like a real Montana-type to drive the truck and let the dog sit on the seat next to me, and for some reason only Syd has ever gone. However, Trusty Rusty has a Higher Calling this summer and is on a mission with Heidi.

Therefore, I cleverly transport the garbage using dog power -- and I also train my dogs for brace carting -- and you know I love multi-tasking. And so I hitch up two dogs, and load the cans in the cart and tie them down with a strange and colorful assortment of leashes, bungees, and rope and off we go (praying that the cans stay in the cart!!!).

Seriously -- have you ever seen anyone take out their garbage cans using two champion Bernese Mountain Dogs and a dog cart made of hardwood shipped all the way from New England (never mind that it is slightly damaged after tumbling out of Trusty Rusty last summer)??!!!! This is definitely an only in Montana thing -- but even the Montana people look a little strangely at us so maybe it is an "only in Montana and only Mary-Ann" thing?? I guess it could be that, now that I think of it...

We are helping the Montana economy by hosting the very first Camp Berner here in just four weeks -- as Kay says, it is the #1 Berner Camp in the country (because it is the only one :). We are getting very excited about this and hope our Campers are ready to work, work, work with their dogs, dogs, dogs!!!

And I hope you are not working like a dog today but if you are, keep your eyes open for horse manure in strange places and a three legged deer.

The Dangers of Country Living

We are not at all popular with this fine feathered friend (!). Apparently there is a junior version learning to fly by the arena and so everytime we train, mom is trash tweeting and threatening to impale us on her sharp little beak. It is a little unnerving to have her flying so low but so far it has been idle threats. Anyone know what she is (besides really mad)???




Beware of low flying birds and angry moms -- a bad combo.

Sunday's Child is Full of Grace

Anger turned inward results in depression but expressed?? It dissipates like a fine vapor on a windy day so do not ever be afraid of that raging anger that we all feel at times -- give it words (without doing too much damage, of course) and give it wings and bid it farewell.

And so begins a lovely Sunday in Western Montana -- bright clear skies, cool temperatures and the promise of many fine things to do today. I planted the four little zucchini plants that I grew from seeds, and turned on the sprinkler to see if it would effectively water them (mixed results) but Karma the Hunter found a new toy...




Today would have been Abra's 13th birthday -- the last we celebrated together was her tenth. We remember and miss her, and feel grateful that she left behind her wonderful family so that we can continue to see her in them everyday.

Happy Fourth of July -- enjoy your day and the ones that love you.

Sinning, Penance, and Training

People are so disappointing sometimes. I do not really expect everyone to do what I think they should, but couldn't they at least do things that are right and ethical and reflect integrity and good choices???? The answer is apparently NO. I guess I am supposed to learn more about Compassionate Detachment? Or maybe faith that all will be okay?? Or maybe I will just become a hermit... Oh wait -- I already have...

However, it is a good thing I am a hermit today because I am willing to admit that I feel murderous -- is that the word that one feels when one is so angry that one wishes to make another person vaporize? Close enough -- slow to anger and then scorched earth -- that would be me. Good thing the object of my "affection" is in another state -- this time that rattlesnake is seriously going down -- fair warning Mr. Snake.

I like the idea that we get to make our own choices but that consequences are really out of our hands. It reflects the reality that people do have free will - they can choose to be really stupid. And at the same time, it means that we do not have to put up with what other people dish out -- they get to choose how they behave but they do not get to choose how WE behave in response. Where is my hoe?!

Moving along...

We have some exciting things happening this fall and it has made me feel like I need to get busy and train some dogs. Well, I already train dogs but it has added urgency to that! And when I feel that sense of urgency, I make weekly schedules -- and so that is what I did both to take my mind off sinful murdering thoughts and to get myself on track for the rest of the summer.

Mrs. Maize has a Happy Birthday coming up in ten days, and her goals include walks and some brace carting and agility, just for fun :)

Halo, because of getting a second utility leg just to prove Leg #1 was not a fluke, will be doing a lot of obedience practicing, which she LOVES. I am showing her again in three weeks -- sigh. I suspect she is thinking like this: "I had eight tries to get Leg #2, and I did it in just two, leaving six. I have eight tries to get Leg #3 but I should get to carry over the six unused leg attempts from Leg #2. Therefore, I can flunk Utility 14 times before she throws in the towel!!!" More sighs....

Cadi needs to get her CDX before October when our excitement really begins so she is going to be getting ready for that as well as doing agility. We are doing one day of agility at the same show where Halo will do two days of utility -- in three weeks. Did you follow that?

Asia is all about VST (Variable Surface Tracking) right now. We will enter two tests in August, including the one on our home turf -- the University of Montana. She is a splendid tracker and loves it -- and I enjoy it a lot, even when our track goes through the sprinklers...

Zoey will be in another beauty pageant show in two weeks in Coeur D'Alene, so no overnight required. I want to try and get as many points as possible while she has this nice coat; she is also doing agility and learning about drafting since I hope to get both kinds of titles on her this fall.

Syd will not be getting any new titles this year but rather will be doing training in various things.

So you can see why some focus is required -- and therefore we have a new weekly schedule with cute little boxes to check off.



Karma and Asia had a conversation about the mouse Karma brought in recently -- it went like this:

Karma: "...and so I brought in this fat field mouse to play with..."
Asia: "do you mean that one that was running in and out of Halo while she was trying to take a nap?"
Karma: "Exactly -- that was the one! Can you even believe that Halo let herself be used as cover?!"
Asia: "Well, yes I can actually."
Karma: "Anyway, who told Mom about it?!!!"
Asia: "I think your frantic running over Halo was the giveaway."
Karma: "...and what the heck -- why did mom spend ten minutes with a can and a fireplace instrument trying to catch the stupid mouse when I could have just used my claws and dragged it from the heater?"
Asia: "Haven't you noticed that every time you bring in a friend, it gets deported in the empty pumpkin cans?! Well, except last week when you tried to kill Chippy on mom's bed -- he would not fit in a pumpkin can so good thing the door was open and he was able to run out."
Karma: "Yes, but it is so fun to watch Mom try to save my friends without actually touching them..."

Hmmmm.... I think I might know just the "friend" that Karma should go after next -- and I will definitely put the pumpkin cans aside for that!!!!!

Now I must go say three Hail Mary's and one Our Father as penance for my sinful thoughts... and then train some dogs so I can check off boxes...

Hope your day has been a sinless one -- or that at least the sins were fun ones ;)

As Usual...

...Sisterly Love....