Leaving Las Cruces

(Las Cruces, NM) Today was our last day in Las Cruces. So of course, Mike had to make one last trip to White Sands with the dogs. He decided to go early so the dogs could play before it got too warm. It was only supposed to be 62 degrees today but Boogie gets hot so easy. As it turned out, it was a really good thing they went early as the park closed at 2:30 today due to missile practice being held there this afternoon.

Due to the missile launching this afternoon, they closed the hiking trail where they always play. So Mike just had to pull off the road and hike from there. That meant there were no trail markers. And let me tell you, once you get out in the dunes, every direction looks exactly the same. So they couldn't go very far out at all for fear of getting lost.

Here are the last pictures you'll see of White Sands for this year. It's so interesting that Slugger just doesn't even want to walk anymore. But when they get to White Sands he runs around like he is a puppy. He and Boogie have a great time together...even though it may not look like it!




Even though they play in pairs at times, they spend most of their time all playing together.




Of course you always have to play a game of chase! Not sure where Wazzu is off to so quickly.




Mike was really tricky today - he took a picture of the dogs resting in the back of the car on the way home. (Slugger's spot is in the front seat.)



So long for now, Las Cruces.

Debbie

3/2/10

Just Can't Do Enough

(Las Cruces, NV) I didn't do much this past week, unless you consider taking advantage of IHOP's Free Pancake Day and going to physical therapy three times, doing a lot. It amazes me how I can do so few exercises yet be so exhausted afterwards - and I'm only doing shoulder exercises right now.

Mike took the dogs on a couple of our favorite hikes here in Las Cruces. One is kind of a canyon and it is very rare that we see anyone else there. So the dogs can be off-leash the entire time which is much to their liking.



Much of the trail is rocky but it doesn't seem to bother the dogs at all.



Near the top of the trail is an old mine and in wet times there is a waterfall there. It's so cold out right now that Mike actually saw a lot of icicles there this time.




It's hard to get pictures there to show the beauty and grandeur but it is a very interesting walk.



Then on Thursday, Mike got brave and took all four dogs up to White Sands. It was a perfect day: cool, not windy, and no one else around.




The dogs took great advantage of the day. They played and ran around, up, and down the dunes for three full hours.




They took turns playing with each other. Someone please tell Boogie that he needs to take it easy on Wazzu. Afterall, she's no spring chicken any more.




Quite often all four would play together. They really all are very good friends.




And quite often they have a long game of chase.

It's very rare that Boogie isn't involved in the play.




I just love the beauty of this place. And to see how happy the dogs are playing there puts a smile on my face as well. I hope next year to be able to go along with them.




After a day at White Sands, Boogie actually rested for much of the evening. He normally comes back to my bed and barks non-stop until I get up and have him do some tricks. Boogie loves learning...if only I could think of more things to teach him that I can actually do.

This weekend was to be an agility trial. Saturday went well. The dogs were all very happy and had great results. Wazzu went 2/3, Sparkie went 4/6, and Boogie went 5/6. They all had a good time but it wasn't enough exercise for Boogie and he bothered me all evening. Don't get me wrong, I love doing things with him. But there is only so much I can do right now - and none of it tuckers him out!

On Sunday, Tunnelers was the first run. Sparkie and Boogie were both entered in that and did very well. It was sprinkling and a little windy. The forecast was for 40% chance of rain and more wind. So after one run they cancelled the rest of the trial. Big bummer. It seems to me that trials should be cancelled when the weather is actually bad...not when there is just a forecast of bad weather. Right after it was announced it would be cancelled the sprinkling stopped and the wind calmed down. I looked at the forecast and it had changed to 10% chance of rain for the rest of the day. Winds were to pick up later in the day however.

But when unfortunate things happen we just do our best to make the best of it. So Mike stayed around and did some practice with Sparkie and Boogie (Wazzu isn't interested in practicing). They had a great time as they rarely get to practice. Boogie loves to practice and doesn't get the chance all that often. When it was time to leave Boogie just sat there like a statue. I'm so glad he loves agility so much.

The dogs still wanted to do something so Mike went to a nearby park and they walked for over an hour. The weather was still just fine...no rain or wind. About 1:00pm the winds really did pick up (no rain) and it would definitely not be safe to do agility. But there were very few dogs there today and the trial easily could have finished before 1:00pm. It was just disappointing not to get to do agility today as planned. We definitely don't want to take any chances when it comes to safety. But to cancel due to a forecast just doesn't seem quite right. Oh well, it's not the end of the world and like I said, Mike made the best of it.

The three big dogs are just fine this afternoon but Boogie is being a royal pain. He wants to do something! We just can't do enough to wear Boogie out. It's going to be a very long day and evening.... We are all going to pay as he makes the rounds!

Debbie

2/24-28/10

Happy Easter

(Las Cruces, NM) It was back to the trial site for our last time this year. I thought I'd show you this shot just because I haven't shown you this view of the field yet. In the background in the left corner of the field you can see the little blue shack where all the scorekeeping is done.



Unlike yesterday, today started out with a major wind storm and it was cold! Everyone was so bundled up it was hard to tell who was who. Good thing people had their dogs with them so we knew who what person we were walking toward.

Today's run order started with Jumpers, Weavers, Jumpers, Weavers. Sparkie was really ready to go this morning. Here's what Sparkie looks like when she's waiting for her release at the line.



Doesn't she look so passive - almost like she's just sitting there enjoying the day. Well, she's a pretty good actress! Here is what she looks like moments later when Mike gives her the release sign.



Sparkie was great in both her Jumpers runs, but still a little slower than normal. I don't know what it is but she is just a little off. Even so she still got 1st during round one, and 2nd in round two.

Wazzu was so happy. She is always very frisky when the wind is blowing so hard. She zoomed around the courses and got Q1 in both rounds. Slugger's first run was fast and beautiful. All the people standing around me commented on how perfect he was during this run. But when we looked at the results they showed him with five faults. Too weird. Mike didn't notice a knocked bar while running and none of us watching noticed a knocked bar. Oh well, no Q but it was still one of his prettiest runs. Unfortunately his second run wasn't as nice as he was just way too afraid of the wind. Poor little guy.

Sparkie Q'd in both her Weavers runs but it was very obvious she wasn't feeling well. She had to restart a set of weaves in each run - this is unheard of for Sparkie. Wazzu also Q'd and got 1st in both her Weavers runs. She was weaving as fast as she ever has - it was like she was playing chase with the wind.

Mike ran Slugger during his first Weavers run. Well, I'm not sure there was any running involved. So I then tried to run him during the second round. I didn't notice any running in that round either. Who knew wind was so scary. And to top it off he stepped on the joint of the weave pole base and it popped up which scared him. He about jumped out of his skin. The judge was really worried about him - thinking maybe the weave base pinched his feet. He was fine...other than being scared of everything in the world at that point.

Sparkie did well and Q'd in her first Regular run but by her second run it was obvious she wasn't feeling well. After just a couple obstacles she just stopped working and stood still looking scared. Mike coaxed her off the course and got her to the car.

It would be another couple hours before Wazzu and Slugger would each get their last two runs. This is the first time ever in my nine years of agility that I was ready to leave even though we had four runs left.

I've always said I do agility to have fun with my dog. And I truly do have fun when I'm running the dogs - especially Wazzu. And today she was 4/4 with two runs remaining. But I will tell you, even though I enjoy running with Wazzu - it's just not as fun when there is nothing on the line. When a run matters, it is fun...even if we don't Q. But when there is nothing on the line, it isn't nearly as fun...even if we Q.

We don't need any more points as we've surpassed all our goals. And since I've moved Wazzu down to Novice we aren't in the running for any Top Ten awards or other awards. So even when we Q it doesn't mean anything - it's just not all that fulfilling. Now when it comes to Chances that's a whole other story. I get really excited for Chances because it matters. Even if we don't Q, I have a blast. I just love the competition element.

So for the first time ever, we left the trial before we'd done all our runs. I felt a little sad for Wazzu as she was having a perfect day and she was super happy. But it seemed like a long time to wait for something that didn't matter. I'm having quite the conflict with myself.

Friday I had hard boiled a dozen and a half eggs in preparation for Easter. We have a family tradition of giving the dogs an Easter Egg Hunt every year. It's one of their favorite games. And we love watching the different hunting styles of each dog.

In addition to having a hunt for our crew, I put on an Easter egg hunt for all of Meg's border terriers. They had to go in shifts so we ended up having four different hunts. Each dog had a great time and we loved watching the different styles and methods of hunting. It was easy to pick out which dogs would make good tracking dogs.

The split second the hunts were over we said a quick good-bye to Meg and headed off toward Arizona. We'd planned on leaving tomorrow morning but there is an earthdog practice tomorrow at Billie's so we have to leave today in order to get over there in time for practice.

So we drove as far as Wilcox, Arizona which is just over the border from New Mexico. It feels as though we are on the start of the next major leg of our trip. We're going to miss New Mexico as it is one of our favorite places of all. We love the area and we really enjoy getting to spend time with Meg and Harriet. And of course Boogie enjoys spending time with so many of his relatives!

We're so glad that Boogie gets to see his Mamu's from time to time as he really loves them too.

Onward we go.

Debbie
3/23/08

Just for Fun?

(Las Cruces, NM) It only took one run for us to realize that Sparkie wasn't herself. We don't know what is wrong but she's not running nearly as fast nor with as much drive as usual.

There were a lot of the normal cast of folks here this weekend and a fair amount of people that we know from Phoenix came as well. The weather today was very nice. It was in the high 70's but with a nice little breeze - really a pleasant day.

The day started with Regular which meant that Sparkie got two runs right away while Wazzu and Slugger had to wait a few hours before their first turn. Sparkie's first run was clean but she didn't look like herself at all. Her second run she started okay until she was in the weaves (fourth obstacle). She looked really odd - her form wasn't the same at all. By the time she got to the next jump she had an odd look on her face and wasn't paying much attention. She did finish the course but ended up with 65 faults. She immediately returned to the car and went right to sleep. Fortunately she had a few hours before her next run.

Wazzu was happy again today. In fact, in one of her Regular runs she was a little too happy and missed a contact. If the dogwalk is the second to last obstacle she'll sometimes miss the contact as she is so excited to finish. Other than that situation she almost never misses a contact. Even though we had that fault, we still got 1st place in both rounds.

The dog that Q'd in both Regular runs was Slugger! The runs were even fairly difficult for Novice as was evidenced by the fact that there were only three Q's for the entire class in each round. For Slugger to Q in both rounds was really tremendous!



What a way to finish!



Then came Chances - the only thing I really care about all weekend. When I saw the first course it looked tough. But I thought we had a chance - although an outside chance at best. We didn't even come close! There was no way Wazzu was going to weave at a distance - not today anyway. Sparkie on the other hand made this course look like a piece of cake. Good for you Sparkie!



Little Slugger tried hard but it was just a little too tough for him. We had our fingers crossed for the little guy but Chances is always hard for him since he's never ever been taught distance.

The moment I saw the second round of Chances my heart sunk. This was not a Wazzu course at all. On the up side, it did look like a pretty easy course for Sparkie. Like Wazzu likes to do, she shocked me to pieces as she did the course like she knew the numbers. The change of direction way out to the boonies is something Wazzu has never done before. But today she did it without even stopping to argue about it. Way to go Wazzu Puppy!

Sparkie was going perfectly and did the hard part with no problem. But I think Mike turned just a hair early and pulled her inside a jump. Too bad. During the Novice walk-through I decided that it was well beyond what Slugger could do so I scratched him from the run. Much better to save his energy for the next runs of the day than to waste it on something he can't possibly do.

The last two runs of the day were Tunnelers. Sparkie and Wazzu were both in very fine form (although Sparkie wasn't quite as fast as usual) and Q'd in both runs. Although if you look at my position, it is a wonder we Q'd. Most definitely saved by the dog here! How she went in the correct end of the tunnel I'll never know.



But as you can see, I was in the correct position after that.



Slugger was sluggish in his first run and missed time. I ran him the second run and this time he was fast enough to Q. Pretty good for the end of a very warm day.

I thought I'd throw in a couple pictures here for fun. Here is little Boogie running.



Did I fool you? This is actually our friend Billie and her dog Klev'r (Boogie's half brother).

And here is Slugger running.



Did I fool you? This is actually Bones - he looks just like Slugger but he is super fast, unlike Slugger.

Well agility may have been over for the day but our day was not nearly over. We got all of us in the car along with Billie and Klev'r (see Mike, I told you we have room for more dogs! tee hee) and off we went to Meg's house for earthdog practice. There were 19 dogs at Meg's house and I swear they all knew what we were doing long before any of them got to come outside.

We got the tunnels all set up, got rats in the cages, and Meg was in place.



Then it was time for the dogs. I think Klev'r went first. They've been working really hard on the recall as it's been impossible to call Klev'r away from the tunnel. With a little reinforcement they had some luck today. I think it was a very helpful practice for them.

Meg was working with Lulu and they were all ready to go.



As you can see, Lulu got to the end and found the rat but she wasn't all that interested in working the rat. So they opened the cage and took all the dowels out so that Lulu could actually get to the rat. But what happened was that the rat actually thought this was good as it could now get at the dog! The rat was lunging at Lulu and she kept getting scared and jumping back. The rat definitely won this round!



Boogie's sister, Mimi, didn't really get the game. Harriet let her go straight in line with the tunnel entrance. But Mimi figured it was much faster to get to the rat by just going over the ground. She quickly was told that was cheating and wasn't allowed to get the rat. Hmmm - foiled!



Eventually she played the game correctly and got her rat fair and square.



Boogie was by far the superstar of all the dogs today. He zoomed into the tunnel, immediately started working the rat, and worked the full required 60 seconds. He was so proud of himself that he started doing laps around the yard with his rat. Mike and I are so encouraged - we're sure he's going to do well at the upcoming test!

While Mike took Billie and Klev'r back to the trial site, we put away all the earthdog equipment and got on to the next task of getting a good picture of Boogie's dad, Higgins. It's not a perfect picture but isn't he a handsome guy.



When Mike got back he started cooking ribs on the barbeque. Meg, Harriet, and I got the baked potatoes and salad ready to go. We had a really great time visiting while eating a very good dinner. I'll tell you, if you want to have fun spend an evening with Meg and Harriet!

What a day! We were busy from 7am until 10pm and every bit of it was fun. We definitely need more days like this.

Debbie
3/22/08

Siblings

(Las Cruces, NM) Thursday we had more practice on the Jumpers course for Otto and Boogie. They're both really doing well.

But today (Friday) Boogie had a really fun time - he finally got to play with his sister Mimi. They played quite a bit before Boogie got interested in a small hole in the ground.



He was sure there was somebody in there and he started barking and digging like crazy.



Who's in there?

He was sure there was someone in there.

He wasn't about to give up.



But he was getting a bit tired.



After a short rest he went right back at it.



How does he breathe in there?



Mimi just watched - she thought he was nuts.



When I finally asked "Who dug that trench", Boogie looked at me and said "It wasn't me!" I'm not sure I'm buying that.



Boogie finally stopped digging when Mike came out with an apple. Boogie and Mimi both thought that looked like a mighty nice treat. They spent a long time eating the apple together. Just too cute.



Mmmm, that is one good apple.



When they got done playing together they went over to the house and wanted in. They really think something isn't right. The mat says "Welcome" but no one is letting them in. Hmmm, what's up with that!



While they rested after their big playtime we took the big dogs to the vet for their yearly blood test. They weren't so sure about the needles but they loved the treats!

Then it was time for agility! This evening there were two runs of Touch N Go. The dogs all really love Touch N Go so it was a very fun evening. Wazzu and Sparkie each got Q1 in both runs. Slugger was perfect in both runs but only made Open time in the second run. Every run was fun...and five Q's were a great bonus.

Debbie
3/20-21/08

The Fly

(Las Cruces, NM) Once a year Mike washes and waxes the entire RV - well sometimes we hire someone to do it. But this year Mike was doing it himself. And that was today's chore. So it was another quiet day....but it wasn't a stress free day.

While Mike was on an errand, a fly got into the RV. Our dogs are petrified of flies. Sparkie is by far the worst. She immediately wanted outside. She never wants to be outside by herself. And she never lies on the ground outside - but this is how scared she is of flies. She stayed outside on the ground for two hours until Mike got home. Poor (silly) Sparkie.



Boogie used to spend a lot of time in the dashboard. But now he kneels on the wood ledge leading to the dashboard. Notice how his little paws are totally upside down. Too funny.



Today we set up a little Jumpers course so that one of Boogie's relatives (Otto) could practice for the trial this weekend. Boogie took a few turns as well and did really nicely. I'm so impressed how well he is doing for as little as he gets to practice.

But really the highlight of the day was that our breeder groomed Boogie for us. No more mohawk! Boogie looks so cute now. I'd forgotten how cute he really is. Mike and I are really feeling a sense of relief to have that horrible haircut gone.

This evening our breeders had us over for a really nice steak dinner. They are just such nice people. We always have a great time when we get to spend some time with them.

We also got a sneek peek at the new litter of puppies. Their eyes aren't even open yet. Just too cute.



I really miss having litters of puppies to care for and raise. Those were such fun times. Too bad we don't get to do that anymore.

Debbie
3/19/08

Adjustments

(Las Cruces, NM) This morning Wazzu and Sparkie got to go see the best chiropractor we've come across in the United States. She found that they were both pretty out of whack but got them all fixed up as good as new. But that means they have to rest for all of today. They don't really seem to mind as the adjustments make them pretty tired.

All four dogs seemed a little tired today as yesterday was a big day and none of them are quite over whatever it is they've all been suffering from the past week or two.

This was indeed a quiet day.



Debbie
3/18/08

Family Fun!

(Las Cruces, NM) If Mike wasn't wearing a t-shirt in this picture, you might think he and the dogs were in the snow.



Mike and I were talking today and decided that if we could only go back to one place we've been on all our travels we'd go to White Sands National Park. Today we had the opportunity to do just that.

It is a great place for our entire family. The park is over 235 square miles so there is a lot of space. The weather today was really nice - it was in the low 60's but felt much warmer with the sun reflecting off the pure white sand.

We've been here many times but never has there been so many people. Turns out it is Spring Break for many schools in this area. Fortunately, the large majority of the people just stay near the road and slide down the dunes on disks. Not very many people go into the backcountry. So of course, that's where we go.

The scenery here always amazes me.



The one very cool thing about the backcountry trail is that it is always different every time we come. So you essentially go on the same hike - but it is always different since strong winds change the dunes almost daily.

Like this cool dune formation...we've never seen it before even though we've been on this trail numerous times.



The weather forecast said it was going to be cloudy today so we thought it would be a great day for taking some good photos. But the only clouds we saw were way off in the distance.



Not only do Mike and I like it here, the dogs love it here as well. One of the reasons we enjoy it so much is that it is a very safe place for the dogs to be off leash. Once you get into the back country there are no roads, no critters, or other dangers. For our dogs - who don't run way off - it is a very safe place.

Before I get started let me show you a picture of Boogie of when we very first arrived. It's the only time he was clean the entire trip.



A favorite activity for all is running up and down the dunes. Personally, I wasn't in the climbing up (I tried to go around when at all possible) but I loved going down. It is so easy - and totally fun!



Poor little Slugger. His big body had a lot of momentum going down but his poor legs couldn't keep up.



The farther down the hill he got the more trouble he had.



Unfortunately I wasn't prepared so I didn't get a picture but just as he got to the bottom (where the ground is hard) he did a face plant followed by two summersaults. I felt so sorry for him. He was a little stunned when he got up but after a couple minutes of slow walking he was ready to go again. Even though he had a couple tough falls he was just so happy to be off leash. While the other dogs get to be off leash fairly often, Slugger is seldom off leash - so this was really special for him.

Boogie too enjoyed this special time off leash as can be evidenced by the big smile on his face.



While Slugger powered his way up the dunes with those huge muscles...



...Boogie had to work really hard - and he gave it his all. In fact, most times Boogie would stop half way up to lie down and rest before continuing up.



But he did continue up using every bit of strength that he had to pull himself up that last little bit.



He was a very happy, but tuckered, puppy when he eventually did reach the top.



Another favorite activity is the family game of chase. It is so much more fun when there is unlimited space! Look at them go.



They all chase after Slugger. And poor guy, once they catch him, they all gang up on him. Good thing he is tough.




He managed to escape them on the hill, but once they got to the bottom - he was toast.



But he takes it all in stride. Once he's up he takes off again and the chase is on one more time.



After half an hour of this the dogs were getting pretty hot and tired.



So we had to stop for a water break - as you can see that idea was a big hit!



Every time we would take a rest break, Boogie would run into the shade of either Mike or me. Then he'd dig down deep to where the sand was a bit cooler. The problem was he'd throw sand all over the other dogs as he was digging.



Take a look at poor Sparkie.



But Boogie didn't pick on just Sparkie. This time Boogie is standing in my shade digging. If you can see through the massive amounts of flying sand you might notice Slugger trying to rest.



When the sand stopped flying there was Slugger - way too tuckered to move even during Boogie's sand storm!



After a bit of a rest they were all ready to go again. Running up the dunes (my sweet Wazzu is no puppy anymore and she was having trouble keeping up but she sure was trying her best)...



... then it was back down the dunes.



When they got back up top again, Slugger made a great move and faked them out so they had to put on the brakes and turn hard.



Then while the big dogs were nose wrestling, Boogie was trying to stay in Wazzu's shade...



Of course you have to make time for a little terrier play - which usually involves showing all your teeth and moving your head back and forth but making no contact! I guess you have to be a terrier to understand!



My goal while all the dogs were having fun was to get some good pictures of Boogie. He was quite the character today so I had many opportunities for some good shots.

Here it looks like he stuck his head in the sand. That's exactly what he had just done! Although who knows why.



He ran up a lot of dunes so I had many opportunities to capture his climbing style. Sometimes he looked like he was working so hard.



Look how wide he made his little paws to try and help himself make it up in this very soft sand.



I'm pretty biased but I think he is just incredibly cute!



Look how much sand he has to push through to get up these steep dunes. That is hard work!



But going down is another matter. That's just plain fun.



What good form!



Is this the face of a puppy that's having a fun time?







How could he get so much sand on his nose?



Does he ever stop?



This is the border terrier version of Rudolph I guess.



And this is the border terrier version of Santa Claus.



So you don't think climbing these steep dunes is hard work? Look how deep Slugger sinks into the sand as he's trying to climb up.



After making it up, he ran about 20 yards...



...before he literally collapsed on a small but steep decline. He was totally worn out. I had to wait about 10 minutes before I could convince him to get up.



Just after I got him up and moving and we got everyone on leash, we came across some very nice folks. They were having a family reunion and this is one of the activities they really enjoy every year. The grandpa was from Las Cruces, his daughter and granddaughter live in Victoria, B.C., and his two sons are from Iowa City, Iowa. They were the nicest group of folks you would ever want to meet. They all love dogs - in fact one of the sons works at the Humane Society. So we let the dogs all off leash again as we visited. We must have talked with them for a good half an hour. They each took turns petting the dogs and talking to them. Slugger especially liked them as they let him kiss them!



Near the end of the hike, my two kids were so cute playing with each other. I'm really glad that Boogie loves Wazzu so much as she really is a very good role model.



Wazzu's trying so hard just to get up the hill but she has to try and avoid the big mighty terrier jaws!



After their big play time, it's time for the two best friends to take a rest.



Finally, our time at White Sands was over as my two sweet pups go skipping away.



It will be a long time before we will have the chance to return. But the above picture will bring smiles to my memory for a long time to come.

Debbie
3/17/08
PS I am going to be entereing some photos to be considered for a Border Terrier calendar. If you have a favorite or two from the above pictures, please email me so I can choose some to send in. If you don't think any are good enough, then you don't need to try to choose. Please be honest. Thanks!