The weekend after the Longmont trial, I attended a blind cross seminar taught by Rob Bardenett. The seminar was conveniently located at the same dog club where I take classes. Rob had so much insight concerning blinds. When performed correctly, blinds are extremely effective at allowing the handler to move around the course quickly, but efficiently. When blinds are put in the right places and timed correctly, you actually wait on your dog to catch up to you. So despite common opinion, you do not have to be young or extremely quick to use them; you just have to be efficient. We went back to the basics and warmed up with blinds on the flat. Then, we ran specific sequences to learn how to use blinds in several different ways: blinds on the flat (most obvious), blinds in serpentines, blinds on 180ยบ turns, and blind cross wraps. At the end of the seminar, we ran the same course that we ran at the beginning of the seminar, but this time Rob wanted us to incorporate as many different kinds of blinds as we could. I used all four that we learned! Blinds feel so natural to me, so I am always looking for ways to include them in my runs. The seminar was so helpful and gave me a lot of good ideas (and things that I need to practice!)
After finals, my dad drove from Tulsa to Denver to help me pack up because I simply cannot fit everything I need for about 5ish weeks into my Mini Cooper, especially when the Golden kids take up the entire back seat. The day before Thanksgiving, I followed him home and completed the longest drive I have ever done by myself- about 12 hours including stops for the kids. I think I would have had a different opinion about the trip if we would have taken the route we normally take, but because my dad wanted to get home as quickly as possible, we took I-70 through Kansas- about the most boring drive you can imagine. And to think that I get to do it all again three weeks from today!
This past weekend, we went to TDTC's agility trial. This trial is only a few miles away from my house at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds. Layla did very well all three days. She couldn't seem to get both the aframe and dogwalk in standard. She was certainly having an off weekend in standard compared to her performances this fall. Her jumpers runs were fast and beautiful. Layla picked up her last three legs for her MJB title- Master Jumpers Bronze. This is one of AKC's new lifetime agility titles. The bronze title is awarded to dogs who have earned 25 qualifying scores in the Master class (there is an equivalent bronze title for standard). I am so proud of Layla because she just earned her MXJ at the end of August!!
Other than trialing, I have been spending a lot of time training the Goldens. I'm getting Jade ready for his first rally trial Martin Luther King's day. We are spending a lot of time training for agility. He does all sorts of recalls to heel- I worked serpentine recalls yesterday. We also worked lateral and forward sends yesterday. Jade learned the chute yesterday and loved it. I also opened up the channel weaves as far as they go and had him run through. I'm not doing anything else with the weaves until he is more physically mature, but I did want him to get a visual of seeing poles on both sides of him body. He is getting really good at fast automatic downs on a low table. We have been running a bit on carpet in preparation for Silvia Trkman's running contacts class, which starts Monday. I am so impressed with what this boy can do. Never before have I met a dog that makes me smile and laugh so much. I don't know what I was doing before he came into my life.
This weekend is going to be a busy one full of traveling. Saturday, the kids and I go to Oklahoma City for a running contacts seminar taught by Kelsey Kirkpatrick. Kelsey has phenomenal running contacts with her young Border Collie, Legit, so I am excited to see what knowledge she has to share. After the seminar is over, we drive from Oklahoma City to Wichita Falls, TX because Layla and I run in their agility trial on Sunday. I only entered Sunday because we have the seminar on Saturday. Oklahoma City is much closer to Wichita Falls than Tulsa, so I thought I might as well pick up one day that weekend.
After I get back from Wichita Falls, I will have less than two weeks until Blake comes home. And Allison comes home a few days after I get back from the agility trial. It seems like I have been waiting forever for Blake to come home that now it hardly seems real that I am about 2 weeks away from seeing him. Nearly four months without him has been very difficult. We miss each other terribly. However, I am doing much better than I was at the beginning of the quarter especially considering he has no computer. But if it was in my power, I would have him home in an instant. Maybe it is all of the sweet love notes that help. Or mornings like this morning where I woke up to a surprise: a Blake original of him singing a song to the Jademan. I haven't laughed that hard all week, but I always seem to be laughing when Blake and I are together... he and Jade are alike in more ways than one! I love that boy so much. Blake is most definitely my other sweet and silly half. A couple of days after Christmas, Blake and I will return to Denver because I have a four-day agility trial New Years weekend in Colorado. It seems like I don't sit still very long, but that is just the way I like it!
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