I’m going to be losing most of September to surgery, it looks like, but hoping to get in at least af ew vending events this fall- Dachshund Days in Cleburne on the 9th of October, and then the Aussie nationals later in the month

I got up early this morning to be ready in case the Duck Pond Trail at Cedar Hill State Park was open, since I was going to go hike it with Courtney and her dogs Franny (Cardigan Welsh Corgi) and Thor (Dachshund.) Unfortunately, the rain that gave us our nice cool morning also got the trail closed due to mud.

Anyway. I let Kaylee and Lizzie out, closed the door behind them, and went to get dressed. Then proceeded to have a heart attack as I walked past the window because the GATE WAS OPEN. By the time I got back to the door, the dogs had reached the gate. Kaylee came RIGHT back when I called. Lizzie chased the Little Red Dachshund That Visits back down to his house (he lives 4 houses down) and had to be retrieved. Fortunately, everyone is home safe. I’ve got to get back in the habit of locking the gate when there’s a thunderstorm- the wind blows the gate open, which is pretty impressive, since it’s a heavy chain link gate!

I’m moving the camper stuff over to it’s own blog on Blogspot, just so my non-campy people can feel free to ignore it. (And so my camper-people friends can avoid all the dog posts.) Posts with significant non-camper content will still get mirrored over here, though, in all likelihood.

I feel so, so clever and crafty.

I just ordered a palm sander (A 5″ Porter-Cable Random Orbit Sander) off Amazon. (Thanks Awesome Handy Curtis for deciphering the specifications for me and figuring out what would work best for what I plan to use it for. Curtis belongs to Emily @ Dreameyce.)

Also, today I went to the auto parts store and bought Bondo, which has a bunch of scary warnings on it but will apparently be exactly what I need to fix the dents in my camper.

I found a blog with photos that have confirmed for me that this trailer is almost certainly a 1964 Winnebago. That blog is located here. (I’d put it in the blog roll but the writer sold the unit after restoring it and it’s no longer being updated.) There is one small difference that isn’t accounted for by the inside of my camper being stripped, and that’s the quilted-patterned siding at the bottom edge of my camper, which isn’t present on the one on the other blog. I’ll continue to research.

I’ve drawn up a variety of floorplans but I’ve got a ways to go before having to make a final decision, so I’m just spending a lot of time thinking about which one will work best for me.

Things I am currently missing:
-My motivation to write anything resembling regular blog posts and non-fiction (although I’m doing okay with my fiction projects)
-1 quart of Sun Ray yellow paint that I bought to paint the contacts on my dog walk
-My MP3 Player, an adorable Sansa Fuze.

Lizzie and I went to her first agility trial last night (TDAA at Waco Agility Group). Our first run was awful (I tripped on the third obstacle and she zoomed and went out over the ring gate to go run circles in the empty field..) but our second was not bad! She ran FEO (For Exhibition Only) so I could leave a tab on her (I decided that if she went to zoom, I was going to grab her and put her bakc in her crate before she got a chance to get going) but she stayed with me REALLY well!

I can see lots of things for us to work on, but it was a good start, too! We had a really great front cross that worked just like I planned, and her teeter was really controlled, despite an equipment failure (tab got caught as she jumped off, which didn’t phase her at all). This was her first time running under lights at night, too, andI think that affected her tunnel performances.

Where the hell did spring go?

Oh well. It’s getting HOT now. Lizzie and Kaylee are doing well on their weaves and I’m hoping to take Lizzie to some TDAA and CPE stuff soon.

I still do not understand crosses. I need like, Sesame Street Agility videos with “FRONT CROSS.” “REAR CROSS” “FRONT CROSS” “REAR CROSS” demonstrations.

I forgot to post these.

I don’t think I’ll ever see the house like this again! Read the rest of this entry »

but it’s been so quiet. Day-job (in IT) work has been picking up; I’ve been updating Fran’s website (http://www.german-spitz.net) and Debbie (Kaylee’s breeder) has new puppies at Tairis out of Pebbles, Kaylee’s half-sister. Felting like mad.

My parents added a dog to the family (spur of the moment, she was NOT a planned adoption but she needed people RIGHT THEN) but have decided that she’s just not a good fit for them. I *think* we’ve got her sorted with a family in North Dallas, but just in case we don’t, she’s a 3 year old Great Pyr, about 80 pounds, VERY mannerly, but could use an obedience class or two to learn to listen to humans and bond with a family. She’s VERY laid back, good with cats and male dogs (and she is okay with supervision with females, but she prefers boys). LOVES children. Spayed, currently undergoing HW treatment, and VERY sweet- just not the right fit for my parents, who had planned on a lovey, adoring Labradork!

We’ll be at the Lee Harvey’s 1st Saturday Flea Market on Saturday from 9-2ish, so come out and say hi!

The power is out at my house, but despite this, we’ll be out at Krewe of Barkus in McKinney tomorrow from 12:30-4.

More info here: http://www.artinstituteofmckinney.com/Artistic%20Krewe%20of%20Barkus.htm