The Weekend Report: Beautiful Weather + Beautiful Setting + Agility = Perfect Weekend!

Jimmy and I had our first agility trial since August this weekend. It was out in Reva, Va at a farm. We were there last year so I was really excited to go back on a weekend that was promising gorgeous fall weather. When they talk about how it's all about location, location, location, they are definitely talking about this farm. When I wasn't having fun playing agility in the big barn, I was up on the hills taking pictures like this.....

or maybe this.....

My heart just sings when I can get into the great outdoors on a lovely fall day. It was truly spectacular!

And the agility was pretty darn good, too! I didn't get any video this time so I'll just do a brief recount of the runs.

Saturday started with Jumpers. There was plenty of opportunity to go for speed plus a couple of challenging side changes. We made it through cleanly and Jimmy netted the 1st place spot.

When Standard came along a couple of hours later, I must have left my brain back at the car when I got Jimmy out to run. At agility trials, things are kept moving at a brisk pace in order to get all the teams through in a timely manner. This means going into the start line while the team before you is finishing the last couple of obstacles and leashing up to leave the ring. That way you are all ready to go when the timer gives you the go. Well, I guess, being brainless, I was going on auto-pilot. I got to the line, unleashed Jimmy, walked out, released him, all BEFORE I was given the go ahead! D'OH! This meant I got about two obstacles along before the judge called a halt to our run! He graciously allowed me to start over, but Jimmy was so indignant that I had stopped him short on the course that he could no longer focus. He made some of the most bizarre errors, ones he's never made before and hopefully never does again! So this blown run was 100% on me! I think that qualifies for Monday Mischief, although I've got an even bigger one to tell later.....

Saturday's maps.....For those of you agility nerds out there, look at the Standard map for the line from the #12 table through to the #16 tunnel. It was an amazingly tough line and many, many runs went south in that corner.

Sunday started with Jumpers as well. This was a fun and fast romp that wasn't too difficult. Jimmy buzzed through it successfully and again earned 1st place.

Standard was a fun course. It was long with lots of twisting here and there. I managed to wait for the official "GO" this time, which pleased Jimmy. He cleared all the obvious traps and we were home clean! He again earned the 1st place spot. Such a very good boy!

Sunday's maps....

The weekend netted us a double-Q and another 61 points toward our PACH. Here's where we stand....

Tracking Jimmy's PACH progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Saturday 06/21/2014
Masters JWW legs: 7
Masters STD legs: 9
Double Q's: 5
PACH Points: 367

Now, on to the BIG mischief for this post. I'll warn you now, it's not pleasant (read that as meaning it is gross!), but it it also has a funny side as well....OK, here goes.....

This trial was a good hour and a half drive from my house. I wanted to get there with plenty of time to settle in, walk the dogs, eat some breakfast, etc. That meant I wanted to get there a little bit before 8AM. Doing the math, you can see where this means I needed to leave home before 6:30AM, and well before sunrise. Part of the journey put me on a major highway. The full three lane type with barriers between the east/west sides as well as large shoulders, double exit lanes, etc. Just a full on highway. And one with enough traffic even at this early hour that I could not use my high beams to see further down the road. So, unfortunately, just before my exit, at a spot where an overpass was casting very deep shadows, someone hit a deer. At highway speeds, by the time I saw the carnage, it was too late for me to dodge the body. The left side of my car made a sickening lurch up and over the deer, thumping it along hard before moving on. Fortunately for me, I never even had a chance to panic and swerve which probably would had caused the car to go out of control. It was a wholly unpleasant sensation to have run over such a large carcass. I'm just glad I wasn't the one that made the initial strike as that is much more dangerous! I am sure who ever did it was caught totally off guard. This highway was just not a spot one would ever expect to encounter a deer. I thanked my lucky stars that I didn't wreck, and continued on, albeit a bit shaken up and very grossed out. But the story doesn't end here, and this is where it takes a turn for the more amusing side. I get to the trial and park in the field with the other cars. Lots of us are arriving around the same time. I get the boys out of the car for their walk, and instead of striking out to sniff out horse poop, they are GLUED to my car. They have their noses poked up into my wheel wells, Jimmy tries to lick the front fender, Wilson tries to wedge himself under my car. MMMMM-mmm! Dead deer was splattered here, there and everywhere on the under-carriage of the car. It must have smelled delectable to the boys if their behavior was any indication. I literally had to DRAG them away from my car! If this wasn't amusing enough, throughout the morning, I had people coming up to me and telling me how they could not get their dogs past my car, that they were being pulled over to it, leashes jerked out of hands, coffees being spilled by over-eager dogs trying to get to my car. Needless to say, the very FIRST thing I did when I got home was to wash my car! I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. I have the unfortunate feeling there are still remnants far underneath the belly of the car as both boys were still very interested in sniffing it this morning. This is some serious mischief, if you ask me!

And one final bout of mischief....this morning finally dawned cold enough I needed my winter coat and gloves for the morning dog walk. Sigh......Winter is Coming!

To finish it all off, a couple more pictures.....