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I took this picture today in Nevada City with my new cell phone camera. I love this phone. I thought I'd never like a cell phone so much, but it's easier to text and the camera is a 3.0 megapixel. The phone is an LG enV3. Technology. Wow. I've been playing with my phone so much I haven't blogged several posts that I have pictures for....I promise, I'll catch up!
I MISSSSSS YOU!!!
(And Tiffy!)
Love Diana
I woke up yesterday morning horribly dizzy which happens on occasion but I needed to do another conditioning ride with Ali'i. Since I was going very slow, I decided to take some pictures with my little camera. Ali'i was a little fussy yesterday, as I'm thinking he's thinking he just got back from this place the night before. I take a lesson with Janine every week and we'd done the hill 3x's and his heart rate is starting to come down, so the work is paying off. I'm whining about a little dizziness and on Sunday Janine was run over by a client horse in the trailer and was still out that day training. The front and backs of her legs and a foot were trampled on. We happened to be out at the same time, so I got to see the damage. Were her legs broken? No, but that would have been really cool. Still out working with broken legs ~ Endurance....how crazy are people? Anyway, yesterday I think Ali'i was taking advantage of me fumbling around. He wasn't bad, because he's not a bad horse, but just little stuff he was less patient with. Anyway, we only did the hill once and I was done.
Here is the start of our training. It's a total of 8 miles down, the up, then down, then up, then down, then all the way up and back to the trailer. Ali'i's butt is very handsome!!!
Here is my little baby boy with a big snack in his mouth. Somehow the bit didn't make it in his mouth which I noticed later at the bottom of the hill. I just was all stupid yesterday.
Anyway, we walk the horses down off their backs to save their legs (and it's probably safer for iron-shod horses as it's steep in places and a gravel road) then we ride them up at a nice slow trot.
Now tell me, does this look like a mountain lion wanting for us to ride by for a big snack?? This is what I saw several weeks back when I was riding alone in the late afternoon. Just about made me pass out! Even Janine mentions it now when we see it.
Look at him. "We're training for what race next July??????"
T keeps telling Ali'i he's going to hide him a month before......
This is another trail across the river (you can see the zig zag trail) that goes to Cool. Janine said she loved riding that trail as part of a conditioning ride, but asked me how we were going to get across. (Apparently several years ago the river used to be diverted thru a tunnel at the bottom and you could just ride across the canyon without going into the river.) I looked at her kinda surprised because I've gone across with Ali'i a few times wading thru the river. I must either be really brave or really stupid but I thought it was a no-brainer. She said she'd try it with me soon. She figured if little Ali'i could do it and we weren't swimming, it would be ok for her big arabians.
When I die....
Burn me
Fling me
Walk the dogs
Have a party!
On a very good friend of Tony's. I must say I adored Dennis and can see him laughing at his reunion.
God Bless you Dennis. You are truly a beautiful soul.
'Til we all meet again.....
I thought Randy Smith had fallen in a huge hole but apparently he's just been very busy. Anyway, here are my photos from a few weeks ago. Thank you Randy!!!!!!!!! You're the best!!!!!
Here's Squishy's WD picture with Janet Hitt (BTW, I don't fix legs.....I like to free-stack hence his rear.)
Tirzah's Award of Merit
Either I'm really tall or Janet is really short!!
Here's Ty's First Finalist photo with Soleil. She was 2nd Finalist. Judge Major Joseph R. Tenney, USMC (Ret)
From L to R ~ Cory, June, Tirzah, Soleil & Ty.
Everyone is pointed (9, 3, 3 and 7 minors respectably).
Little Ma, Tirzah. BOS to Variety under Gayle Eads.
Our big specialty weekend is over, but since I am sleeping at night for the first time since I was a kid, I am not exhausted, nor even tired. Wow......
I was sad to have Dina go this morning. We had so much fun laughing about stuff only good friends can laugh at and she finished her beautiful tri bitch Brenna. (New Ch. Kenmare Midsummer Night's Dream.) She needed both majors and coming up to the shows Dina said she was probably going to have to go out of state to finish her. Well, Brenna was clearly a favorite with the judges, as she won 2 majors and placed nicely in a huge and competitive Bred-By class every show except one. We were laughing so hard at what a "statue" Brenna is which turned into more jokes later....so Dina, this picture is for you!
Tirzah was Best Opposite Sex to the Variety 2 of the 5 shows, and the other 3 shows got dumped by the class bitches. (Ouch!) But, I have to say, I fought hard for the varity win with an 8 yr old sable bitch (New Ch. Edenrock Everafter) that looked so much like Punky at ringside I started sobbing and had to walk away. The owner Mauri was at our party the night before and I asked her who she was showing and she told me how badly she wanted this bitch to get her last major. I said a prayer for her bitch to win, so it was a great win for her, as she went BISS also. I sucked up my heart from my throat as I walked out of the ring and gave her owner a very honest and sincere hug. Those wins are the ones that stay in your memory forever.
Yesterday we showed under a judge named Richard Lewis and he was quite the um, controller of his ring. We all got a kick out of him, but truly, I really enjoyed it. I felt like he was really looking at the dogs and we got our money's worth. Our Bred-By class had 9 bitches in it, Soleil & Brenna being 2 of them, and Secret Service's Prudence another. Soleil was mostly getting 4ths in the class, and yesterday she was in contention for some placement (??). It was clear that the judge loved Brenna, so I told Dina to be ready to finish her bitch. Then, around we went and put in this line, then moved again, then put in another line, then moved up or got put back. Soleil was in 2nd behind Brenna for a while and considering we must have been in the ring for 30 minutes and she started barking on the last few go-arounds. She was actually amazing in the ring this weekend, I was so proud of her, but this last show was too much and she couldn't contain herself. She eventually got moved to 3rd and Prudence was 4th.
So much fun!!
Here's Tirzah the first day. (Photo by Sue Larson). The judge is Sam Folsom. He was the judge who gave Brenna her first major also.
These next photos were taken by Laura Weiss. She is a kick. I told her we were going to co-post this because I begged her to take ringside photos. She apparently is a blog stalker and also seems to enjoy the drinking pictures of past posts. Dina and I weren't drinking in this picture but I'll remember that for Laura.
Who's fur is this (Dina)? What's up with the ballerina foot?
Since we're on weird things like the fur on the ground, Congratulations to "Ray of Sunshine" with his Fairway Lover Come Back who got a Major Reserve out of the 9-12 month class! First dog show for both!! Ray is someone who makes shows fun. He also can cite a whole bunch of my blog with incredible detail. Does he have too much time on his hands? I think not!!!!! I LOVE YOU Ray!!!!!
Here's the statue. She is so much like Zoe in showmanship and similar in headtype/outline. Brenna's last major was so reminiscent of when Zoe got her 2nd 4 pt major at the same show site 8 yrs ago. Zoe won a huge Bred-By class also of 9 or 10 bitches and when the judge came down to look at all the bitches (we hadn't even moved individually yet) she just tapped me on my shoulder and said "You're my Winners Bitch". She hadn't even finished looking at the rest of the line-up. I screamed and remembered the judge saying "You act like you're shocked!" Ah, yeah!!!!!! Anyway, good job Dina!!!
Blondie
Ist day, 2nd show. The tri bitch in front won BoS to the breed.(Ravencroft About Last Night). The judge wanted long, light, lean, and she was that.
Good girl Soleil!! Notice her mouth is shut!! Did she grow up between last weekend and this???? Doesn't she have cute feet???
Tirzah. She still needs coat. It probably doesn't help that she's sleeping inside now. Do I really care?
I love this picture for some reason. Licky licky.
Another Sue Larson Photo!
On to the party!
We had Adria, husband Len, friend Mauri (she's the woman who had the 8 yr old sable bitch), Lenora, Dorothy & daughter Jennifer, plus Dina, T & I.
The next night Geri came out and drove out Steve & Robette Johns.
There was lots of eating and drinking and laughing. Hahahahahahaha..........We all had a great time! Thanks to everyone who was able to make it out after the show!
There was another picture of Adria showing off her boobage, (with shirt intact!) but I decided to show a normal photograph. Somehow we got onto that particular subject out by the horses while I was feeding and filling up the horse trough. (Adria & Dina have real boobage....I have Victoria's Secret!!) I forgot about the water and didn't remember it til 3 hours later. I gotta say it's not so horrifying when you actually have a great producing well. At the Agua Dulce home, we'd be screwed for days, because in an hour our tank would empty. Alcohol didn't help this particular night!
I love this picture of T & I. He's so unsuspecting!!!!!!!!! He's become quite the "bucket bitch" at the shows and maker of cozy fires on the patio. He got a kick out of me cooking all weekend for Dina and making things for the party. Last night was a fiasco though, because I don't think beforehand like people who know how to cook. Thank God Dina's as retarded as I am. I pulled out 2 1/2 pounds of frozen chicken right before I wanted to cook (to make chicken enchiladas which I've never done ~ a 40 minute procedure according to my new "Real Simple ~ Easy, Delicious Meals" book I got). I had the chicken in the sink under very hot water for 20 minutes trying to rip off the styrofoam backing and was just making an ugly mess. I didn't want T to see my technique so I told Dina to let me know when he was making his way to the door (he was out watering his "lawn"). Somehow I managed to defrost the chicken and get it cooked, but my 40 minute meal turned into about 3 hours. (Now, I know why I can't get the desire up to make home cooked meals on a regular basis! I'll never get to Tevis doing this!!!) I almost lost it when my very Mexican friend Julie inserted her expert advice over the cell phone on how real Mexicans make enchiladas. Shut Up!!! I told her I couldn't deal going off of the plan! I must say, with Dina's help dicing and chopping all the ingredients, the enchiladas were amazing. Margaritas help also. I think the idea is to look sad and exhausted several times a week so I can get out of doing such strange and tiring work.
Another fun 5 days in my life!! 'Til the next post!!
Oh oh oh!!!! I almost forgot!!! Julie's Easy To Spot Varekai got a Group 3 on Saturday at an all-breed show (James White was the Herding Group judge)!! June Bug (Easy to Spot Delirium) also was WB both days, so she now has 3 pts and Cory is minored out. I am so thrilled for Julie and the win, as you all know how I've come to feel about the competitive Herding Group! Good job Julie & Cory!!!!!
Ok, this is a really bad picture of my stirrup and Ali'i, but it's all I have. And, I'm not blogging on the dog show right now....
I went for a ride on Thursday before the big 5 specialties shows that Dina was driving up for. I had to get my conditioning ride in with Ali'i because Blog Stalker Friends, in case you missed it, I am conditioning for TEVIS!! So, I went out with my little baby boy to the hill that I am methodically riding, according to my trainer's wishes. We walk down about 2 miles, then trot up 1/2 way, then walk down, the trot all the way up. If we do more we trot the hill 3 x's. When Ali'i's heart rate isn't so high at the top we'll move to more times up the hill or to another place. Since I survived the "mountain lion" I was off to the same place! With my lesson on Monday, the horse that Janine was conditioning spooked at a bicycle rider on the hill above us so when he spooked on the asphalt I said "Thank God for rubber boots!!" (Meaning my "Easy Boot Gloves")
Whatever.
The next day I was walking down the hill and called Dina because she was making her big trip to No. Calif. on her own. (For you So. Calif. friends, she doesn't even know what the town next to her is called!) She's pretty pathetic. BUT, I love her despite her being geographically impared!!
Anyway, darling little baby Ali'i was walking behind me and shook. His shakes are like 25 magnitude earthquake! They are almost hard to sit. I don't know if it was from the shake or a few second after, but all of a sudden he was on the ground rolling on his side. WTF!!!!!!!! I got him up and he just had this look of shock and confusion on his face. 3 of his 4 EasyBoot Gloves were tweaked, meaning, 2 were flung around the front of his pasturns, and the 3rd was almost off his front hoof. I re-adjusted the 3 boots and noticed he scrapped his right front knee and his splint boot had a gouge in it. Then, my stirrup was all bent up, because he had landed on it. (Always keep an extra pair of stirrups in your trailer!) I decided to continue my conditioning ride, because my goal is Tevis, so off I was down the hill. When I got on my horse at the bottom of the hill, the strirrup looked ok, but it wasn't. Past the Mountain Lion spot, it broke more and I rode up the hill trying to hold on with my knees without putting weight in the stirrups.....(I'm supposed to do that anyway). By the time I got to the top, the stirrup was trashed, but I was able to repair it with cable ties!!! I love those things!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
