Prado flooding

Prado, where we field train, is a flood basin behind the Prado dam, and it has been flooded recently due to all the rain we have been getting.  Today Rick & I drove over there to see it first hand and we took Dodger with so he could go for a swim.

 This is the entrance of Prado, off of Euclid - we turn right here to go in.

This is across Euclid from Prado, the road into the shooting range, which is essentially completely under water right now!

 

Here is Dodger swimming down Euclid!

 

Down the center line!

 

The trialers are still training - the circles on land are throwers and the one in the water is the Lab swimming for the mark.

 

All in all, Prado has become a tourist attraction... ;-)

cat food = peace

The power of cheap canned cat food!  Normally, Kitty won't get near any of the dogs, even Dodger, but if there is canned cat food to be had, she'll make an exception.  For a while anyway...after the "stress" of sharing with the doggie, Kitty went to bed to rest.

Merry Christmas doggies!

The dogs got big bones today for an early present - this is Teaz on the left and Dodger, Proxy was off to the right around the corner.  The top dog doesn't eat with underlings I guess!  ;-)

Kitty will get a can of tuna for her present.  I tried to go to PetCo to get her some catnip and/or a new toy but oh my god, it was just nuts out there!  It took me an hour just to get gas at Costco so I just didn't feel like taking my chances any place else.  Especially since there was a near fight at the pumps - why are some people such jerks?  I came home where it's safe!

Make it stop!

We are now on day Idon'tevenknowhowmany of rain, which I know isn't all that impressive to those of you in the north who look at stuff falling out of the sky all winter.  However, southern California just isn't set up for weather, and more specifically neither is our house.  The dogs have lost half of the back yard because I've closed the gates to the grass yard so they don't stomp it into mud.  Whenever they come in the house, I either have to wipe their feet or if they are really wet, stick them into crates until they dry.  Since Dodger has to pee about ever hour, I'm doing a lot of that.

And, they are BORED!  We are doing some obedience training in the house, and out front on the rare times when it isn't pouring, but we haven't gone anywhere for over a week because all of our training groups have been cancelled.  Teaz doesn't seem to notice the rain, but Dodger and Proxy hate it so they don't want to go play with her out in the cement yard, and there isn't room in the kennel building.

On the up side, it looks like we have finally found the right combination of medications for Dodger to feel like himself again.  His next trials are the Wednesday and Thursday between Christmas and New Years, so we'll see how much stamina he has then, but right now he is looking really good.  Cross fingers!

The newest thing

I saw these two cars last week - apparently the meme of the season is to put reindeer antlers on your car!

Here, our personal meme is the same old thing - cute Kitty!  ;-)

End of an Era

After over 35 years in Curlies with almost 30 of those as a breeder, I have hung it up.  Anyone interested in the gory details can find them here but basically I just don't have the heart for it anymore. We currently have three CCRs, but it's anyone's guess how long Dodger will live, so most likely by the end of 2011 we will only have two.  I hope the girls live good long lives, but most likely they will be my last Curlies.

I don't know where I will go then - I'd like to get another Border Collie, but I may be too old and decrepit for that breed now.  I'd also like to get another Schipperke, but after decades of competing with NOBs, it would be nice to have something easier.  On the other hand, easier could be boring!  <G>  Mudis look interesting, tho I don't know how hard it might be to find one, nevermind trying to find a performance prospect! I have a couple of years to work that out, in the meantime I need to figure out what to do with all the Curly stuff I've collected over the years. I guess donate it to the CCRCA.

HA HA - so true

Saw this today -

Unless you have commuted the 91 Freeway you really can't fathom the HATE that people have for that particular stretch of concrete.  It's better now that they have the Fastrak lanes in there, but those who have to drive the damn thing every day probably can't afford to use Fastrak 10 times a week!

Here is another one I saw awhile ago -

When I used to have to commute the 91, I'd see a guy with "the 91 - the freeway from Hell" on his motorcycle helmet.  I always wondered if it was a comment on the 91, or the fact it comes from Riverside  ;-)

Update on construction

Poor Rick has been doing most of the work since I've had the flu all week.  On Friday he did have help as Roger came over to help him get the drywall on the ceiling - we do have asbestos up there so we have to cover the"popcorn" rather than scrape it off.  But before they got to this -

Roger managed to do this -

 

 Sigh.  The cost of free labor!  ;-)  I'll be calling a window place tomorrow.

Rick got the floor in today and we moved two of the bookcases back into the closet so I was able to empty three of the boxes in the front room.  Progress!

I think I've pretty much had it

So here I am wondering how long Dodger is going to live, reliving Diver's death, trying to do my best by the breed and some third rate breeder is going about telling people that my dogs kill other dogs.  It's no wonder I can't sell puppies any more.

My desire to breed has been waning over the years and now that I have a very nice bitch that really needs to have at least one more litter, I just don't think I can do the politics any more.  What is it with people that they have to try to make themselves look better by dragging others down?  It's not like I'm in competition with these folks in any real way.

Well, the AKC is allowing mutts into their performance events now.  Maybe I should just go get a dog from the pound whenever I need a new obedience dog and to heck with trying to breed a sound working retriever.

BRRRRRR!!!

I went up to the Roseburg shows last weekend with Leslie and Iris and Oh. My. God. was I reminded why I will never live in the north again!  It was so freaking cold and damp, I thought I was going to die.  On the way home, Iris drove thru snow too -

despite it's drawbacks, southern California is the place to be, at least in the winter!

Of course, I brought Lucky Kitty with me.  She wasn't able to ride on the dash of Iris's Sprinter so she rode either in my purse or Dodger's blue training bag.

I wasn't able to make it all the way home from Iris's without stopping to rest, so I ended up seeing the dawn.  I never see the dawn, it simply doesn't exist for me... ;-)

More desert

Next we were back in Las Vegas for the Poodle club's three trials.  On the way over, I took a picture of  "the largest thermometer in the world", in Baker CA.  As we crossed into Nevada, the setting sun made it look like lava was flowing down the hills.

 Proxy finished her CD with another class win but Dodger is stuck in Third again, which is very frustrating.  Not only because he isn't getting any points, but because we just found out he has heart disease and so once again, I am fighting time to finish an OTCh.  I'd be depressed enough about most likely losing a dog at a young age, but it also keeps reminding me of Diver.  He has another appt with the cardiologist next week, so maybe we'll get some better news then.

work continues

I got the first coat of primer done in there today!  Lotsa little white spots all over my hands and arms... ;-)

That's all that will get done until next week as all of the dogs and I are off to Vegas for three trials tomorrow, and Rick is judging a hunt test in Lost Hills over the weekend.

Construction continues!

Rick put the bead board up today - looks pretty sharp! Tonite I'll prime the closet and tomorrow prime the walls above the bead board. Then paint, then floor, then ceiling, then time to move crap all over the house!