Mud and malinois

We're home! Malinois nationals were great! Wet. Muddy. Rainy. Stormy. Cool. Cold. Colder. Windy. Did I mention it rained? But GREAT!

Wow, where to start. I think the absolute best part was meeting so many of the wonderful Carousel family and their dogs. This was MY kind of family reunion, one I would go to every year if I could! It was so much fun to meet everyone and put faces to all those e-mails.

It was so awesome to see Catherine (Phoenix's breeder) and C.J. (owns his brother, Seeker) again, plus getting to meet Angela, Jeanine and oh dear, there were so many faces and names and so little time.

It rained. Yeah. A lot. I'm not sure it ever actually quit raining. Sometimes it just didn't rain as hard as other times. They had severe weather with heavy rain, high winds and golf ball sized hail the morning of the day we arrived. Fortunately, we missed that part.

It rained off and on for agility Thursday. When we got to the field on Friday morning, it was raining. And the sprinklers were on. Because obviously the grass needed to be watered.

Thank doG for Goretex. Phoenix pretty much looked like this after Friday's runs, too. The goal on Friday was not necessarily to Q, it was just to get around the course without wiping out. The field was basically a super-sized Slip 'N Slide. You know it's in bad shape when the leash runner falls down! And he was WALKING!

Nix and I managed a Q in Standard and were 1 bar away from our first DQ but the takeoffs were so mucky he couldn't get a good launch and down came the bar. Lots of people pulled their dogs and wouldn't run. I decided to run Nix but not push for speed. He did a super job and ran with more speed than I would have asked for. But he also had good sense and didn't do anything reckless. Unlike Thursday's runs. Ahem. Enough said.

C.J. and I are deep in thought about the course. This must have been Thursday's course. There were a couple WTF places on Thursday's runs. It's a good thing I wore my dirt-colored rain coat to run my dirt-colored dog. We were all pretty much dirt-colored by the end of the day.

(Photo courtesy of Angela Silvestri)

This is Seeker, Phoenix's litter brother. Isn't he gorgeous? He finished his MX on Friday, in spite of the weather. Those Wild litter dogs are mudders!

(Photo courtesy of Angela Silvestri)

Here's Phoenix. He Q'd on this course, too. It was a little scary how much alike Seeker and Phoenix are. They have the same jumping style. Seeker runs a little more upright, while Phoenix runs with a lower profile. It was great to trade stories about the two boys. They are definitely cut from the same cloth. It was getting a little scary, though, when C.J. and I started ordering the same meals at the restaurants and bought the same sweatshirt at the vendors.

(Photo courtesy of Angela Silvestri)

On to obedience. Or not. It poured all day Saturday. The rings were a soggy, swampy mess. I decided to pull Phoenix from Open. I felt showing him in those conditions would be counter productive. I was pretty disappointed — I was SO looking forward to getting back in the Open ring — but know it was the right decision. Honestly, let's NOT take a dog who is working through stay issues and make him lie down in standing mud and water for 5 minutes in the pouring rain.

Many of the dogs did lovely "elbows up" drops in Utility and Open, if they bothered to drop at all. Sits were also frequently optional. Nobody passed the Utility classes, only 2 qualifiers in Open B and HIT went to the Novice B winner w/192.

We did show in Versatility though and other than getting lost on his go outs (Go? Where? Over the jump? Okay. Back over the jump? Okay. Over the jump again? Okay! I can do this!!!) he did well in spite of the conditions. This is the second Belgian national I have shown in at Purina Farms and asked my dog to do an underwater retrieve! Here's Nix sitting in the rain, having his picture taken, wondering why he can't go back in his nice warm dry crate. Notice the sagging bulges in the tent roof in the background from all the rain.

Here's Nix watching C.J. and Seeker go into the Open B ring. C.J. was braver than me and decided to show anyhow. She and Seeker did just fine. He has his CDX and is a very solid worker. He's checking out the squishy conditions on the way to set up for the first exercise. Honestly, you can train all you like but how do you proof for this? Judge Virginia Kinion is sporting a lovely periwinkle rain jacket and contrasting black rain pants with rubber boots and has chosen to accessorize her ensemble with a plastic covered clipboard in dark blue.

The Wild boys. Seeker and Nix got to play a little the first night. I don't know if they recognized each other as brothers but they were both pretty fascinated with each other. Oh, to have had a big fenced in area where they could run. And we could get out of their way. Like a football stadium.

(Photo courtesy of Angela Silvestri)

The vendors weren't extensive but they had some cool things. This garden art was my big purchase. And a couple sweatshirts, of course. And the Pup Art lady was there and OF COURSE she had a great agility collage of Phoenix so I had to buy that, too.

I hated having to say good-bye to everyone yesterday afternoon. We got home about 10:30 last night. I unloaded the van and went to bed. The dogs went a bit insane, leaping on the Farmer, who was (key word: was) sound asleep. I'm sure he was happy to see us, too. Spent this morning putting stuff away and starting on a mountain of muddy laundry. I was only gone 4 days, how did I get so many clothes dirty!

Can't wait for Valparaiso in 2011! Rumor has it there will be an obedience team of Carousel dogs. Rumor also has it, the show site is INDOORS!

Less than 24 hours!

And we're off to nationals!

The hotel reservations have been made.

The laundry is done (finally!).

The dogs are groomed.

The bags are packed (more or less).

The van is loaded (sort of.)

The cooler is ready to be filled (note to self: buy ice.)

The good clothes are on hangers.

The weather forecast has been checked.

The rain gear is packed on top.

The dogs have been FrontlinePlus-ed.

The people snacks are in a bag. A big bag.

I found a good book on CD at the library yesterday.

The map and directions are . . . um . . . somewhere.

The pile of little "don't forget" stuff is on the kitchen counter.

The house has been cleaned (sort of).

The garbage has been emptied.

The houseplants have been watered.

The garden plants have been seen to.

The e-mails have been caught up (as much as they ever are.)

My list has been checked and double-checked.

Wonder what I'm forgetting?

Guess that's what Wal-Mart is for!

This afternoon Phoenix and I are going to train, then run a few errands in Cedar Rapids. Tomorrow morning we're off to pick up my aunt, have lunch with my mom, then head south. I am so excited about seeing Catherine and CJ again, plus meeting a bunch more Carousel folks and their dogs.

I'd love to post from nationals but since I don't have a laptop, not sure how that's going to happen. We're doing agility Thursday and Friday, obedience on Saturday, plus two seminars. Should get home Saturday evening.

Will write with all the details when we get back. Good luck to everyone showing at Scott County KC's first ever dual obedience trials this weekend. Twice the chance to succeed!

Hostas and silliness

These are the hostas.

And coralbells.

And impatiens.

And columbine.

And a few ferns peeking out in the back.

This is the silliness.

Phoenix is totally enchanted by my wooden-handled trowel. He has been obsessed with it since his first spring as a puppy, "helping" me garden. He grabs it and takes off every chance he gets. Jamie clearly wants no part of his li'l bro's thievery, even with a play bow invitation.

Phoenix: I have a trowel! This is totally cool! Betcha wish you had one.

Jamie: You are such a dork. I'm outta here.

The countdown begins!

The countdown for ABMC nationals has begun! In three days the Belgians and I will swing south to pick up my aunt (mom's sister, a cat person who oddly enjoys going to national specialties) and head for Purina Farms west of St. Louis.

Friday afternoon, I cleaned out the garage. Not sure what cleaning out the garage has to do with getting ready for nationals but it has been on my to-do list all spring. Like the basement, it had reached Code Red status and was rapidly accelerating to whatever is beyond Code Red. Maybe Code Purple? I didn't want to find out. It's clean now, except for the random resident raccoon, who comes and goes. Phoenix keeps close tabs on it and always tells me when he/she/it is around.

Then I cleaned out C3P0 — a total, take-the-crates-out-and-vacuum-everything, wash the windshield, dust and wash the crate fuzzies overhaul. Wish it would stay clean longer than a week. I told Jamie and Phoenix they were NOT to shed in there. They gave me the hairy eyeball.

This morning, had a great training session with Michele, Kate, Jennifer and Jill. We did some proofing with each dog and Phoenix decided fetching his dumbbell with four women running to get it at the same time was a pretty cool game. 

Then bought groceries, including lots of food for the trip, as well as stocking the fridge for the Farmer. Came home and tackled the laundry. Haven't packed a stitch yet, still checking St. Louis area forecasts and procrastinating. Heck, two days of agility and one day of obedience isn't exactly a fashion show so I'm sure whatever I take will be fine. I have piles of clean clothes all over the bedroom now, waiting for me to make up my mind.

The dogs' crates are loaded and their food, supplements, etc. are measured and packed. Naturally, the dogs are totally ready to go and I'm not!

More chocolate, more peanut butter

Because really, there can never be too much chocolate or peanut butter in your life.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUP BROWNIES
1 box chocolate brownie mix (for 9 x 13 pan); plus eggs, water and vegetable oil as called for on box
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
3/4 C. peanut butter
1/4 C. butter, softened
2-4 T. cream
1 tub chocolate frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 x 9 inch baking pan; set aside. Prepare and bake brownie mix as described on box. Place on wire rack and allow to cool slightly.

Add peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly until combined and smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixture will be a bit crumbly. Blend in cream until mixture is fluffy and reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread evenly over warm brownie.

Melt frosting for 30 seconds in the microwave. Stir and put back in for another 10 – 15 second. Pour over peanut butter spread on the brownies. Use a knife to spread the chocolate evenly.

Put in refrigerator for an hour to set. Take out and let the brownie sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

This qualifies as breakfast food. Seriously. There's peanut butter in it, right? And you'd put peanut butter on toast for breakfast, right? So why not on a brownie? And Harry Potter fans know chocolate is a great remedy for dementors and nothing is more demented than early mornings. So enjoy!

World's laziest photographer

Here is proof that I may be the world's laziest photographer. Took these from my recliner last night while watching the news. Of course, Phoenix could NOT leave me alone. Malinois are magnetically attracted to any human sitting still. They don't think it's appropriate behavior.

Feed me. I'm a starving malinois. Look. See? Starving.

You won't get up and feed me? Ooooh, bad choice.

Here's a ball. Wanna play? Huh, huh?
Let me throw it in your lap a couple dozen times.
Betcha wish you'd have gotten up to feed me now.

Go, Phoenix, GO!

Phoenix went 2 for 2 and finished his GO (Graduate Open) title over the weekend. This title has been a bit of an adventure. To say judges do not understand the Graduate Open class would be the understatement of the year.

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass but seriously, on two of our three legs, I had to coach the judge through our entire run. We did have one judge who understood how things worked but between the two of us, we still screwed up the article exercise. The dog is to be sent while facing the pile. I had Phoenix do the whole formal Utility turn, sit and send. (Hmm, maybe I should have read the regs a little closer, too!) His turns were awful but otherwise he was fine so no harm done.

The judge on our final leg was the clear winner of the “I’m oblivious” award. I knew we were in trouble when he called me into the ring before the class started (I was the only exhibitor who had checked in) and asked, “Now, how does this class work?” Oh dear, the inmate is running the asylum!

I’m not sure why this class is such a mystery to judges. The exhibitors all seemed to have it figured out but it’s hard to move smoothly between exercises when the judge is unsure what the next exercise is, then asks you how to do it. Granted, the current incarnation of Grad Open is relatively new to the scene but it’s not THAT new. If I were on a judging panel that included Grad Open, I could find a few minutes to read through the regulations the night before.

But no. Yesterday’s judge and I had a little mini judging seminar before the class started. Then we had little refresher workshops after each exercise while I explained what happened next. At one point, I was afraid he was going to ask me how to SCORE the exercises!

It’s good to know I am somewhat capable of thinking on my feet, since on the last exercise, a single directed jump, the judge looked at me and said, “Send him over a jump.” Not “Bar” or “High,” just “Send him.” Well, okay. This inmate likes being in charge, although lots of us obedience folks are not used to being allowed to make our own choices in the ring. Since we’d done the bar on Saturday I chose the high, which Phoenix sailed over happily.

In spite of all that, I really did enjoy showing in the class and it showed me what Phoenix understands — and what he doesn’t — about the Utility exercises. He walked away with 3 legs in a row, so the consistency was admirable even though we’re a long way from the finished product I want to take into Utility. Besides, we still have to get a CDX first!

I would recommend showing in Grad Open as a nice transitory step between Open and Utility but make sure you read the regs first. Somebody has to know what’s going on and there’s no guarantee it will be the judge.