The previous Friday evening parts of Baton Rouge got snow. In the SE area of town we only got ice pellets and slushy rain. The wet weather continued throughout most of the week. So much for those obedience practice session in the early mornings before work. Since Bern needs to practice retrieves and jumps we need to be outside.
The plan was to play a bell performance with Red Stick on Friday evening at the West Baton Rouge Parish Community center then drive up to Jackson, MS early Saturday AM for the obedience trial for Sat and Sun. Due to incoming nasty weather, the event we were playing at was canceled. When the alarm awoke me at 4:00 AM on Saturday it was "pouring cats and dogs" rain outside. I checked the radar - the area was socked in with heavy rain between Baton Rouge and Jackson. I opted to let Bern miss his 8:30 ring time on Saturday giving the rain to move on through. We left Baton Rouge at 9:00 AM so Grace could do Wildcard Novice on Sat afternoon.
Grace's Wildcard Novice entry was a decision to get her in a ring with a leash on so she can learn that the obedience game is not "find the cookies" like tracking is find the glove that dispenses the cookies. The open cookie bowl in Shreveport for Rally last summer has still ruined her healing in the ring - not that it was perfect to start with but it was much better than it is now. For 2010 I will focus on Wildcard Novice with her. She is getting more confidence and will be able to do these exercises just fine in the next few years.
Bern's Open performance on Sunday was a disaster of sorts. He had to be doubled commanded on all the exercises. No drop... he just came front and self finished. I need to be more consistent about the obedience training sessions. Now that the house in back in order I should be able to rework several short obedience sessions into our weekly routine again. I need to start getting back out for Thursday evening LCCOC classes also.
Tracey and her obedience guys were in Jackson all 4 days of the show. I missed Sparkle in Open the 3 days she was entered but Tracey says when Sparkle learns to pass healing in the ring she will be able to qualify. Kazee is still trying too hard in Utility - the agility dog wants to take jumps on go-outs and glove retrieves. To me Kazee is looking more confident with Tracey during her outings - I think by this time next year the confusion problems will be solved. Kazee and Xanadu also competed in confirmation - each picking up 1 point over the weekend.
We stayed with Tracey at the Red Roof. Grace and Xanadu played in the room Sat night - a first. It took Grace a few minutes to learn to play with the fast, small beagle in the confined space. Once the new playmates found a game to play Grace and Xan had a great time wrestling and pouncing on each other in the room. Bern even tried to join in. Grace plays with Gator (who is also small and fast) at Kay's but their outside game is more chase and pounce - not confined space wrestling.
Sunday evening I shopped for clothes and undies at Target for my Salvation Army angel. After relaxing for a few minutes at the house I crawled in the bed around 9:00 PM. At 9:30 the phone rang, I let it go. It rang a second time a few minutes later so I got up and went downstairs to answer it. It was the bell choir director in a panic - could I please come and fill in for a ringer during the Woodland Ringer Christmas concert on Monday (today)? One of the ringers waited until Sunday night to email Carol with news he wasn't going to play the concert. I'll check my calendar when I get to work in a few minutes and confirm with Carol. Carol is really struggling with performance commitment from the current group of Woodland Ringers.
