What a fun weekend

Will have photos up after I can get home and edit them. Am posting from Paula's computer here in Roswell, GA. Anyway, spent the weekend in Altoona, FL judging an AKC trial for Sunshine State Coursing Club of Central Florida. OH MY GOD what a beautiful field!!! Sandy grass covered level horse ranch with live oaks covered with Spanish moss. Yes, I am a real live Southerner and nothing says deep South like live oaks and Spanish moss. Drove through a large portion of the Ocala national forest and my mother and I stayed in this vintage (1966 I believe) travel trailer literally on the boundary of the NF at Lake Dorr . (Sunrise photos of Lake Dorr are forthcoming) . On Saturday night we drove down to Mt. Dora and marveled at the beautiful water front homes, stopped at one of the parks there took some photos then drove back North stopping in Eustis at a restaurant called Steakhouse that was in the old downtown. If you go there you need to eat there. While it was a bit late for me to eat steak, I ordered their crab cakes and my goodness were they tasty. Had half of one then took the other half and the other cake back for my brunch on the field the next day. Steakhouse makes their own sauces and their remoulade is to die for. While in Eustis we took in the vintage car show, street after street of spectacular cars, (I could have licked the hood on that turquoise 1964 Stingray it looked so yummy). Fun time by all. Tarzan and Vger came back with 5 LCX points. CJ came back with 1 LCX point. Our competition couldn't make it back for Sunday but I know what it is like not to be able to get off work. I wish Florida weather was cooler and less humid, the state is such eye candy albeit in an entirely different way than NM and WY.

Stuck in Nashville

OK, I am stuck at a convention here in Nashvegas, it does beat 8 hours with 20 inmates though so that is why I volunteered for it. Unfortunately the Maxwell house won't let us check in our rooms yet. The clothing I wore I almost have to strip off everything just to go to the bathroom (I knew there were a lot of reasons it had been awhile since I've worn leather), and I shouldn't have had that last coffee.

Last weekend the LGRA meet was much more fun for me and the dogs than the dogshow would have been although I almost didn't get out of the state of TN due to panic gas buyers and not being able to find anywhere to gas the van up. Finally found somewhere at four freaking dollars a gallon and then I was outa there.

CJ surprised me he is completely mad about the jackalure and straight racing. I sure wish there was more of it around here. Vger and Beckett also had a good time but we found there is no way to keep a muzzle on Beckett for even a few seconds. He broke TWO of my Halemars so I bought some heavy duty plastic basket muzzles and he couldn't break those but he did manage to get them off and still get out of the box on time so that is probably the end of his racing. Everyone freaks out over dogs getting out of their muzzles even though he wasn't the only one that kept doing it, it isn't worth hearing all the whining. Need to run the boys every weekend so they will be in shape for OFC in November though.

Unenviable position

For those of us who were staunch Hilary supporters we are in a rather unenviable position. Many of us almost like McCain as a candidate, he is almost as close to Hilary as is Obama with both of them leaning off in different directions but neither of them are scary right or scary left. We prayed BO would pick Hilary as VP then that didn't happen and he picked Joe Biden. Not a bad choice, the fellow authored the big federal bill protecting women (well mostly women come on guys) from domestic violence that the states then all built on somewhere around a decade ago. At any rate still no Hilary.

So I waited with baited breath to find out what kind of choice would McCain have as VP, I even listened to his Rep convention speech ( and I didn't listen to any Dems this year so disheartened was I by Hilary's loss). He gave a great speech I thought but he picked a far right slightly out of touch with reality chick as his VP choice. Chah ching. So now it is so funny to occasionally be in the position of "defending" BO since I never voted for him to start with but it does look now as if the Reps far right leaning VP choice has pushed myself and many others there.

Don't get me wrong there are a couple of things I like a lot about Sarah Palin
a. She is in high state and now national politics without a law degree. No offense to my lawyer friends but I am sick of that being the only profession being represented in government administration and legislation. They can hire attorneys they don't need to be attorneys.
b. She is governor for Alaska not Tennessee. Enough said.

Equal time for the candidates.
McCain has a creepy smile, I hope his speech writers have duly noted this and will pen things that don't give him the opportunity to look like Herman Munster periodically.
Obama reminds me of a used car salesman for some reason I can't quite pin down. Maybe his speech writers could do something about that.

Anyway, enough on politics, I have decided to blow off the Atlanta dogshows and do something fun this weekend. Will write about it later!

Wahoo that should have been earlier

This should have been earlier in the week but dang getting the news that my work schedule is going to 4 days a week blew my mind and honestly I have thought of little else since I heard it I am so amazed, anway.....

Last Friday I heard from my friend Leonore that the golden boy Py finished his ASFA FCH title (WAHOO!!) Only a week before I had gotten the news that he had finished his RA (Rally Advanced) rally obedience title. It is just way too cool, he has really been a neat, fun and biddable dog that tries whatever she points him at. I have tried to update his webpage to reflect his new titles but right now Geocities and I are apparently not speaking the same language so I change it save it and then it isn't saving. I'm sure it will work out but it is irritating.

So that was the first big Wahoo the second one was that Vger (Avalon Dark Voyager of Ryhka JC,LCM) finished his AKC FC on Sunday last weekend winning a big open stake both days and BOB by forfeit on Sunday. Last year he was #1 ASFA Borzoi and finished his LCM, this year we decided to go for the AKC title, it went like this we went to TX trials in May the first day he was just out of the points , 2nd day he and CJ were tied for 1st for a 5 pt major in a 12 dog stake and since CJ was closer to finishing I forfeited V to CJ, V still got 3 points for it. In June I took he and CJ to an AKC trial in NC and on Saturday after prelims I pulled him as it was so hot and I had 5 dogs to run and walk out just too much frankly that day for me alone but CJ finished his FC on Saturday and on Sunday Vger picked up a 3 pt major. So then he was up to 6 points. Then last weekend on Saturday he was 1st of 8 opens for a 4 pt major to bring him up to 10 pts and on Sunday he was 1st of 9 opens and the owners of the FC stake winner wanted to get on the road and forfeited making the 4 pt major a 5 pointer and finishing him. So that was a thrill. He is a very cool compact (28.5 inch) little dog, quick quick quick too and fun to watch on the real thing WOW! Hope to do some more of that this fall with him.

Also this weekend another one of the Thor x Mattee puppies got her JC and had two practice/cert runs with other dogs ( one a boy and one a girl) to hopefully get her ready to compete in AKC and ASFA lure coursing this fall. Go Genie!

November is a BUSY month

I have an earlier post labeled my November NM (New Mexico) itinerary. The rest of the month of November will not find moss growing on me either though. Oct 31-Nov 2 I'll be judging AKC field trials in Bush Louisiana which is about 40 minutes north of New Orleans.

Nov 7 (Friday) I'll be flying to Las Vegas (arriving there around 10 am their time) for the Professional Bull Riding finals that night, Sat night and Sunday lunch time. Airplane ticket is already purchased and stuck on my bulletin board. I found a great cheap car rental and hope to be able to drive out and see a few things like Red Rock Canyon NRA or Mt. Charleston or Hoover dam. Flight times were not what I had hoped for on Sunday so I am stuck in Vegas until quite late that night then fly back into Chattanooga (via Atlanta) fairly early on Monday morning.

Then on Wednesday Nov 12, I'll be flying to Tampa FL and will get to spend 5 days with my mother in Zephyrhills, on Saturday I have a sweepstakes to judge at the Ocala dogshow then we are toodling back to Tampa I think it is for a VINCE GILL concert which is way too cool. He is probably the best male vocalist in country music right now. I suspect with his range if he had been born in Italy he'd be singing opera. Pavarotti would have found him. I'll be flying back from FL on Sunday Nov 16 then I actually have to work a whole week before scooting out of town and heading West on Friday November 21st.

In the midst of all this they just told us our schedules are probably changing from five 8 hour days to four 10 hour days. Now I am all for it, because it will save me a handy chunk of change that extra day of 75 miles round trip driving to work and back but it will take getting used to, getting up even earlier and getting home an hour and a half later.

December is a pretty calm month. I'm judging an ASFA trial in Calhoun that first weekend, then down to FL (Tallahassee area) to judge the region 7 regional trial the second weekend, then nothing until I head West towards Deming NM at the end of the month. Looks like I'll have a couple of friends from AL caravanning (following) out there with me so I anticipate having a really good time. Touristy things are always best shared with good friends as is watching good dogs chase jacks.

I don't want to talk about politics but

Man, I could make some money if I collected $5 everytime I heard someone say, "well I don't want to talk about politics but....". There is always that but. The closer to November the more upset everyone gets when they discuss that which they do not wish to talk about but........

My take on it is pretty simple. If someone launches into a statement about how wonderful they think some politician is, unless you are at a fan club meeting for that particular fellow or gal then you can inevitably expect that not everyone shares your views, and someone may well be happy to launch ICBM's into your statement, or they may just say I didn't like that guy, I think he was senile or incompetent or impotent or whatever you want to insert as a descriptive adjective there. I try not to discuss how wonderful I may have thought this politician or that one was but there's always someone who wants to and when I trot out my favorites it seems to make them feel the need point out how awful that "other side" is. It's all pretty fruitless.

The other one I hear at work a lot (one of my coworkers has an offspring elected to a minor state office) is well I won't talk politics but blah blah blah just want to do this or give that away or blah blah blah. Newsflash, that IS discussing politics if you are trying to ascribe what you consider a negative trait to the "other" side whatever the "other " side is. What happens then is either
a. you are surrounded by those of like mind and everyone bleats in rhythm about how great their side is
b. you offend someone from "the other side" in earshot and they feel compelled then to remind you of all the shortcomings of "your" side so then you feel offended and don't understand why they are talking politics
c. you are ignored because you are trying to discuss it with people who either don't know or don't care about the issues you consider important or who don't like "your side" but who are not willing to discuss it like the "B" people above.

I am not looking forward to the next two months with everyone around me asking me what I think of this person or that person or just wanting to discuss this person or that person or what they think it is one side or the other stands for. Pick your side carefully, vote your conscience but don't try to make it someone else's.

November NM itinerary

Looking at a November calendar it appears that:

Friday November 21 my van will be PACKED and ready to load out. I'll be arriving home at 4:15 PM, loading Kix and Vger for sure and then (To the right is what I really hope to see a good bit of! ie. Borzoi chasing rabbits) probably Beckett and Charo (and probably Umber who goes everywhere with me) for the long drive West. I expect I will arrive in the Little Rock area between midnight and 1 AM Sat morning. Name of the game will be drive drive drive, walk dogs when I get to either a hotel North of Little Rock ( there's a pretty nice motel 6 there I've stayed at or go to my friend Rebecca's, Rebecca is South of LR and more comfortable to stay with dogs by far so even though it adds time to my drive the next morning I think probably Bauxite is where I'm headed. This piece of the trip is about 30 miles to I40 for me then 288 miles West out of TN, then another 150 into Arkansas.

Saturday November 22 wherever I'm leaving from I hope to get up and be on the road by say 7 AM, my atlas says Oklahoma is around 330 miles across so hoping to cover the 150 across the rest of AR and then through OK to arrive in Northern TX maybe by 3 PM? Gotta have a dogwalking in there somewhere after leaving AR. There's 176 miles to cover in TX and there is a canyon that I really want to see (Palo Duro) just south of Amarillo, and of course Cadillac Ranch which I have driven past but didn't get photos of before. So my timing for this I'm not sure of. I'd love to be at my friend Leonore's house Saturday night but realistically I am thinking maybe staying at the Blue Swallow in Tucumcari if they will allow dogs. This would keep me from staying on the road past when I should really be off of it and I get to take photos in the canyon, CR and maybe a great sunset in Tucumcari. I love the mesalands.

Sunday November 23rd I hope to be up and at em again by 7 PM maybe earlier, looks like I have around 150 miles to cover to get to Leonore's Rancho Abordo in Sandia Park which is quite close to Sandia Peak so I am hoping to be there say nineish in the morning (I'll try not to get terribly distracted on the drive over . So maybe after 2 days and around 1600 miles on the road with 4 or 5 furry riding companions maybe Leonore will be up for "local" sightseeing that day. I'd like to hit the Peak/tramway and then afterwards drive up Turquoise trail and actually stop at some of the cool places on that route, there are a number of ghost towns I think and ruins of old ghost towns.

Monday November 24th-You know there is so much to do in this state it is unreal but I have tried to look at things that won't drive me to death before a weekend of walking in the desert . I think Monday will be spent going to Quarai, Grand Quivera and Abo at Salinas Mission National Monument, they are all in the same vicinity south of Sandia, maybe also hit Sevilleta NWR on the way back up to Sandia. If not Sevilleta then maybe the Very Large Array near Socorro NM.

Tuesday November 25th I hope that I am not driving my host crazy by then or that my dogs are not. You know what they say about fresh fish and out of town guests, they both start to smell after about 3 days . Leonore mentioned Chaco Culture National Historical Park and said "like no other place on earth". For my part I never feel closer to God than those rare moments I can be in a vast wilderness. The first overlook at Yellowstone where Yellowstone Lake glitters like the biggest sapphire in the world made me weep. I cry at anything maybe it's being middle aged. When I was driving through Gila National Forest back in February one of the overlooks (Emory Pass) at 8200 feet has a 40 plus mile vista. I had to get some paper towel out for that one. Miles and miles I'd drive and never see anyone, however I am now digressing from my November itinerary and getting maudlin. I am sure whatever Leonore comes up with to do will be spectacular, she lives in a state with rare wild beauty everywhere and most of it I haven't seen.

Wednesday November 26th-Gosh I guess I'll save the rest of it for another blog entry. I will say that I am really looking forward to Leonore's authentic New Mexican Thanksgiving!

The week FLEW

Last Friday night after work I whizzed down to Calhoun, GA to get ready for the first Silken Southern Independent Specialty shows and lure coursing trials. Had the van already loaded just had to tell Umber, let's go. Serious traffic and a wreck blocking downtown Chattanooga slowed me down a bit but still got there before dark. My friends Francie and Chuck arrived shortly after I did, and other friends from FL too. Shirri had prepared an incredible pork roast and some salad of which I partook, then we watched some bullriding ( wasn't PBR but there were a couple of impressive bulls and rides there). Everyone but Shirri and I went to bed and we zoomed down to Walmart so I could pick up breakfast muffins for folks the next few days, some ice for the cooler and an OTC drug for myself as it looked as though I was being visited by a UTI so needed some relief with a long weekend ahead and no doctor in sight.

The event was well attended, and I think/hope everyone had a great time, I know I did. Great people, great food and fun little dogs the Silkens are. Here is a rare photo, me in a dress showing a dog (this Silken is Ultima who is Umber's sister that lives in FL with Gretchen Goode and I just LOVE her) so I must like them as the Borzoi only usually ever inspire me to wear slacks.

At any rate I finally gave up on the idea I would get better without drugs and went to the Dr. Friday after work where he found me to have a raging bacterial UTI, oh joy and now I get Cipro ( yes the drug you take if you are exposed to anthrax) which is a PITA because you can't take vitamins /mineral supplements for 6 hours before or two hours after the pills as it bonds to metals and becomes ineffective. Oh yeah and you are advised against exercising other than mildly because of the number of Achilles tendon ruptures while taking it. WTF? Great I can't take my vitamins or exercise for a week, that is really going to be great for my fitness plan.

Next week total hell week, three days I have to go in at FOUR AM due to an inspection. Then I'm off to Chattanooga Friday morning for 3 days of judging and lure coursing, entered my GH in the shows but that may have been for nothing, hard to say GH judging is pretty dismal usually.