Bad, Worse, Better

So I drove down to see Stephanie  at college on Thursday. There was no nurse to cover my school , so even though I had to put in for a sick day, I went in and worked 1 1/2 hours. I have medications in the morning and the diabetics need to be taken care of.  Then they called me several times to make sure their blood sugars were ok before PE and before going to lunch.  Another nurse did  the insulin after lunch.  So I get to CCU and Stephanie looks bad. She hadnt gotten up except to use the bathroom for 24 hours. I decide to take her home.  She seems better  toward the end of the  drive and Im thinking I made a mistake. Then we get in the house , she gets a fever and just feels terrible.  I get up at 4am , she has another fever. I go to work on Friday and call the doctor as soon as they open. They will work us in at 12noon.   I go home, get Stephanie and go to the doctor. Stephanie's throat looks bad , lots of swelling. They ran the mono test and redid the throat culture.  The doctor said even though her strep was negative she could have some other bacteria growing in there. The mono test was negative. She gave Stephanie a shot of steroids and gave me her cell phone number. She told me if Stephanie was better Saturday to call her.  We get home and Stephanie has another fever.  She is just miserable.  Crying and she kept saying she was going to flunk out of college.  So since Tuesday she has done nothing but sleep and drink fluids.  Nothing else. Her friends were calling and she didnt even answer.   The dogs got no attention on Thursday since I was gone all day.  My husband was out of town. So I asked Stephanie , after we got her fever under control, if she felt well enough for me to go walk the dogs. She said yes.  So Im driving to the park,its maybe 5 miles, and the air conditioner stops working. Great. I pull into the park and my engine light comes on and their is smoke coming from the engine. I decide to walk the dogs to let the engine cool off. The river was really low and thought it would be fun to walk some new places that I cant get to.  But ran into this guy. Ugh , I hate snakes. So I turned around and walked in areas I felt better about.

 Then came back to the car and called the car dealer. He said it was ok for me to drive home. I made an appt. for the next morning.  While driving home, the temperature gauge starts climbing. Then goes above the "H".  So I stop at a gas station. Let it cool and try to go on. Stephanie is at home, no car. My husband isnt home, I just wanted to make it home. But the gauge immediately goes above the "H" again. I call my friend and ask her to meet me at the next gas station.  While Im on the phone with her the gauge drops to below the "c".  Now I think I just blew my engine. Why else would the temperature drop like that. I make it home and its making a weird noise  now too.  I was suppose to go to a USDAA trial this weekend but thats just a bust now.  Im really worried about Stephanie.  None of us have even been this sick. Ive never seen Stephanie down and out like this. She's had the flu and pneumonia on top of that and wasnt this bad.  She's had kidney stones and wasnt this bad.
But guess what, Saturday came and she was better.  I was shocked.  Her throat still hurts but no more fevers and her nasal passages were starting to drain.  Then in the afternoon she felt well enough that she wanted to get back to college. We took my car in  to the dealer and  the water pump needed to be changed  because it was leaking but I didnt damaged the engine. I was sooo happy. Im so glad Stephanie is feeling better, I was really getting worried.  She had called me Wednesday night crying saying she felt so bad she thought she needed to go to the hospital. Wow, and she isnt a drama queen or anything.  So hopefully she is on the road to recovery.

Video

Sorry the camera angle in the beginning was bad and I didnt notice. Here is the video I promised.



I think Miley took off to early to make that jump. Its hard to see because of the angle I set the camera at. When I ran it again  I notice I didnt drive to  the 3rd  jump like I did when she crashed the jump, I became more careful. I thought I ran it just the same.  LOL , funny how you think you did something but the video doesnt lie.

Seminar and stuff

The Loretta Mueller seminar was awesome. If you have a chance to work with her I highly recommend it.   On Saturday we did the drive seminar and the foundations seminar. I just took Java to that.  Lots of it was just information because its stuff you need to work on at home with your dog.  The biggest thing, run with your dog. So I took Java to the field before the co-op class on Monday, she was awesome. We only practiced running. Sending to tunnels and running to me. I wish I had it on video. She was flying.  I only used a toy and she was very excited. Weird. Ive used toys before.  I bought a toy at the seminar that someone was selling. It was  a bite bar  ( not sure thats what its really called) with a handle. It was one of the softer ones.  Man, she love that thing. We have run at the field before but Ive had different agendas of what I was trying to teach. This time just run!!  LOL
Sunday was about tight turns and  a  Masters seminar.  I took Miley to that one.  We worked on a jump  grid type thing. Loretta asked me why I wasnt pushing her, really running. I told her if I get to far ahead, she drop bars and start taking off early. So she had me just send to the tunnel and run. Miley didnt drop any bars. Figures huh.  So I set that up last night and she took of early and crashed a jump. I have it on video but  Im to tired to look at it yet. Still she said you should race your dog. So your dog is use to it and doesnt drop bars.  Funny, Ive been told not to race my dog. ( I cant remember by who) So something to work on.  Then the masters seminar , very fun!!!  We worked a lot on Miley's circling.  Now I actually have a really good plan. So everytime a mistake is made that triggers her into circling mode, Im going to throw a bait bag to break the circling. Then she gets rewarded.  So lots of bait bag throwing at the seminar.  Im so excited to have something to actually work on to try to fix this problem.  Do worry, I realize I have a long was to go.   I want to write more but life is busy. So I figured I better write something soon or it may  not get written at all.

Monday went back to work. I got a migraine and left early. But not before I had already seen 50 kids and given out 35 medications. I think they are trying to kill me. Kids are just coming that dont want to be in class.  Yesterday a kid came to me because at recess he jumped up to get a ball and kicked himself in the butt. Now his butt hurts.  Really????   He wanted ice for it.  I asked him "You're going to hold ice on your butt in class?"  He said yes.  Ugh!!  Then Tuesday I was just beat. I  manganged to walk the dogs at the park.  I was working on Java walking pass a couple with their dog without barking. Every time she looks and doesnt react, I said yes and gave her a treat. You could tell I was working my dog.  We get pass the people with no problem. And what do you think happened?  They had their dog on a flexilead but it was short. But as soon as we passed them, they let it out and the dog came up behind Java. Of course Java lost it and started barking.   Why would they do that????  People irritate me sometimes.
Wednesday went to the field and taught the beginner class and worked my dogs.
Stephanie has been sick at college for several days.  Really sick. Calling me a  lot. Crying she feels really bad. She has been to the school clinic twice. They are thinking its mono and tested here but the test had to be sent out. The worse part is exams start Friday. Poor kid. I think Im going to have to go down and check on her soon.

Wordless Wednesday

MishMash Monday

Lightroom

I fixed this picture in Adobe Lightroom. I dont know if you can see the difference.The top one is the original and the bottom one was fixed in lightroom. I replaced on the blog header too.  Miley and Guiness are clearer, less fuzzy. Miley is much less blurry. In light room it crops the picture without changing the size of the picture and it will fix the bend in the photo from the wide angle lens.  Then I took the shadow off of the left side of Mileys face. They offer a 30 day free trial of lightroom. It , so far, is easier then photoshop. At least in my opinion.

Here is another one.

 The top one is the original. I lighten the shadow on the right side of Java's face. ( my right, not the dogs right).   
I went back in and tried to adjust the color of Java to look more natural. So thats why the third picture.

Wordless Wednesday ( sort of)

Below is the same area, the top one is when they let the dam out. It was like that for several days last week. It where I usually cross the river.

Under the water is the big rocks I take pictures on.

Mish Mash Monday

I love Mish Mash Mondays. Now instead of saying, "darn-it ( I dont really say darn it, my mom doesnt want me to write "Crap" on my blog) I missed the shot". Now I say, "oh good I have something for Mish Mash Mondays" .  LOL

Java's running contacts

I was worried because I upped the DW more than just a few inches. But she did awesome. Im so excited!!

More pictures!!

Sorry, I cant help myself. LOL

And after all that, and its 80 degrees, you look like this.

or if your Miley, you look like this but can stop moving.

Lenses

I rented two camera lens from  Borrow lenses http://www.borrowlenses.com/category/canon.  I rented lenses that I could possibly one day afford to buy. I wanted to rent really nice lenses but I cant afford lenses that cost over 1000.00 , so why make myself want one.  Anyway, I rented a Canon  EF 200mm f/2.8 II USM and a Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM. I really like the 200mm. The pictures are crisp and I only get blurry shots every once in a while and its my fault by not having the  focus point in the right place because the dog is moving.   Here are some pictures taken with the 200mm

This was taken in shade. I could have never gotten this with my lens.

"Please , may I have some more".


All the pictures posted on facebook in the last week, including the trial dog pictures, were taken with the 200mm. Except the pictures I posted of my friends border collie, a couple of the close ups were taken with my 50mm lens.

The 20mm lens I dont like to much. If you just want landscape it would be ok. But I just couldnt get what I was looking for.

Well, you get the idea.  So if I rent again I will probably try a 35mm lens.  The 20mm lens I was really on top of the dogs to bring them  close in to the camera. I bet in the above picture I was 2 feet from her. LOL

Here another video ( I know another one???) of Java's running contacts.  There are some tricks in the middle.  I move the target to the end of my yard. I was worried that she was hitting the contact becasue she was collecting  to get to the  target. But I guess not. So time to raise the board.  Yay!!

Wordless Wedneday

Trial update

LOL, its about time huh????   Sorry. Ive been beat.  It started Thursday with the trial set up.  The truck was late getting to the trial site. So while we waited me and another  girl fill 50 small sand bags. The truck finally shows. I think we had 5 people for set up. It was a lot of work for 5 people.  I was exhusted by the time I got home.  Hey did I tell you Im not the trial chair anymore. Whoohoo, it was so freeing!! I felt so relaxed all weekend.   I actually talked to a lot of people too.

I didnt feel nervous about my runs.  But sorry to say, 8 runs  and only one Q in T2B.   Miley did lots of circling in the standard ring. I feel like it got worse as the weekend went on.  I was really surprised I didnt get whistled out of the ring on Sunday.

So lets see.  Friday our Ex JWW run wasnt to bad.  There was a serpentine  after the weaves and for some weird reason I told her "out" after the first jump, she went out and took the jump from the wrong direction. (So I was making it a threadle).  Ugh.  But except for that it was great. She even jump the 16 inch jump that was set wrong without dropping the bar.


In Open standard we started out nice. Then she dropped the bar to the jump before the a-frame. It was a late drop, and I heard it as soon as she got on the a-frame. And silly me, "tisked" and sighed. So  poor Miley thought she was wrong getting on the a-frame because of me  and turned around to get off. Ugh. Then she couldnt get in the tunnel. Im not sure what that was about. She circled 1 and 1/2 times at the table. When she got on I told her several times what a good girl she was and then left the ring to reward.


Then Saturday came.  Standard, Miley jumped all her contacts, couldnt get in the weaves but had a pretty nice table. LOL.

Ex JWW, here is the course map.

The green line is what I had planned to do. But when running it I got to far behind and had to layer #11-12 by staying behind #14. ( red line).  All of a sudden I realized I was in the wrong place and tried to fix it. Im not sure why. She was on course and I should have just fronted where I was. But instead I tried to fix my position and messed Miley up.  LOL, Oh well.


Then we ran T2B.  Hey we stayed on course.  But another dog beat us by 2 seconds. So we didnt get first. You dont get any placement ribbons or toys for 2nd so I didnt even look where I placed. I was just happy to be on course.


Then came Sunday. I woke up and every part of my body was screaming to stay home and rest. I didnt think I could run my dog again let alone work and clean up all this stuff.   Almost hit a deer on the way there. Lucky I was going slow enough that I could hit the breaks and the deer kept running and didnt stop. Standard was first. It was a similar course to excellent. I timed for the big dogs in excellent and only a handful were clean.

I posted both the excellent and open course maps.  I knew it was going to be tough coming out of that short chute and push Miley down that line. Lots of big dogs went off course either taking the a-frame after the #6 panel jump or taking the off course tunnel opening after  the chute.  Anyway we had lots off circling. (sorry you had to wait a little to watch the run begin. I forgot to delete that beginning stuff of just standing there).



So a few of us who were in the open ring missed our walk for excellent jww. So we got to walk after everyone was done running. Then we ran. Almost everyone was gone. We had a beautiful run. After 41 attempts at trying to Q in excellent JWW I thought we might manage to do it.


Really all I could to was laugh. Its just not mean to happen for us.   How could I be upset. At least we were on course. This is huge for us. That is my biggest problem.  I cant say I wasnt disappointed.
So I ve been exhausted for the last two days. Im finally recovered. I will say that Ive been contemplating a lot about quiting agility. I just kept thinking that I must just not have what it takes to do this. I shouldnt be this hard.  Everyone who comes to my co-op class on Mondays got multiple Q's and titles this weekend, except me.  So Im teaching the class and they are all doing better than me. Hmmm, what do you think that says. 
Something that was funny. This guy that I know who take pictures and he and his wife have a dog from Java's breeder , he came up to me. He said he got some good pictures of my young dog today. I was confused because he knows who Java is. But I said, You mean Java?  He said no, your other dog. ( I was walking both my dogs). I pointed to Miley. I said , "oh you mean Miley".  He said , No, Miley is the dog that just had the awesome run in jumpers.  I laughed and said "yea, but she is the same dog who ran in open standard and ran circles in the ring".  He couldnt believe it.   "Thats the same dog?".  LOL Yep. 

Wordless Wedneday ( on Thursday)

Bad Dog Trainer

Yep, thats how I felt several times yesterday.  It started out at the park. I usually go early but I was hoping to change my husband's mind about going on the boat. But he didnt have time. So then I went to the park.  We get on the trail and first thing coming around the corner  , a  bicycle and big dog.  Guiness went crazy, so then did the other dogs. I just didnt have time to get control, so then everything was out of control.  That set the tone for the rest of the walk. Then right after that bike another bike.  OMG. Why didnt I go earlier?????   I finally turn around and get off the path and walk through the woods.   Now things are calm.  We get to the water, I check to make sure no one is out on the rocks. No one is. So we go out there. We have a great time. It warm and sunny. Just beautiful.

Guiness was barking at all the rushing water so Java thought she should bark too.

I took at least 10 of these shots. Most of them Miley has her eyes closed.  Miley is a little over exposed but I think this was the best one.

Then we see this....

Its big too!!  OMG, I hate snakes.  Ive been watching for them because its been so warm out. I decide its time to go home.  We are walking the outside of the island and will cut through this shallow area to go back into the park.  There is a guy standing in ankle deep water fishing. I dont know where he came from. I should have put Guiness on leash but I really didnt think it would be a problem. Ugh, Guiness went crazy.  Barking, going right up to the guy. I could tell the guy was scared.  Then I get Guiness and Java decided to bark at the guy too.  Great. The poor guy being scared senless by this crazy ladys dogs.   I felt terrible about this.   I get across the river and decided to walk the field back so we dont run into any bikes.  Here come this older man and again Guiness and then Java go crazy. WTH???  I just want to get to my car without any more problems.  I feel like Im wrecking other peoples time at the park. No one wants to go to the park  and have their nice quiet walk interrupted by maniac dogs.
I finally get to the car. There is a lady and her kids with their dog. Their dog starts barking and acting crazy. My dogs--- nothing. They didnt react at all.  I dont understand dogs at all.  I decide  that next time Guiness will stay home unless my husband is with me. I think Java is reacting to Guiness and I dont want her thinking this is correct behavior.
I get home and there is a kid riding a bike in the cul-de -sac.   I take Java out and she had no problems with the kid on the bike. I click and treat as she looks at the bike. I have the kid ride circles around us. Still she is calm.  So she must be reacting to Guiness.
 Then its time to go teach the co-op agility class for the club.  I usually let Miley and Java run around a bit. Not a long time but a few minutes. I want Java to think agility is fun and fast. You probably wont agree with me letting my dogs do this....



I work Java on a few things. Then its time to set up for class.  The class starts.  Im not controlling Miley circling at all. I want it to be her choice that she stops this. Oh, I forgot to tell you this. Yesterday I took a lesson from Meagan. It was at someone's house and only a couple of dogs.  Miley only circled one time. WhooHoo , I was so excited.  Now back to class. It was our turn to run. There was a dogwalk, tunnel discrimination and Miley took the wrong one. So I brought her back to try again and circling started. It lasted at least 3 minutes. I just stood there waiting her out( feeling bad about wasting every ones time). She just kept circling with no change is speed. It felt like forever.  She has never lasted this long without stopping. She finally stops. Im not sure how to reward. Give her treats or start running agility again. I chose to run.  Then she jumps the DW contact. I stop. She circles. But this time it lasted about 1/2 the time  then the first circling event.  I did reward with food this time. People commented that they have never seen her do this.  They probably just hadnt seen it to this extent. I normally would have called her to my side to break the circling so thats why they didnt realize how big a problem this is for me. But she needs to chose not to do this without me calling her. 
Driving home Im thinking I shouldnt run her in standard this weekend.  She is jumping her contacts and then there is the circling.
See bad trainer day.