So, this is what happens to the yard when it rains and rains and snows and melts and rains again. Don't worry, this grass has super powers. We did this last year, and it came back as green as ever. Of course, last year, there was only one Border Collie trampling through the mud . . .
Border Collies also play in the snow. At least someone around here has fun in the winter.
Reuben views winter as a good time to sleep on the couch, wearing a sweater, under a sleeping bag. But, really, when isn't it a good time for that?
Many exciting things have happened lately. Sparrow earned some new titles. Stanley learned how to weave. Reuben decided that he actually does still like to run at agility trials, if those trials occur in his favorite building, especially on a Friday night, with or without a full moon.
The most exciting thing of all, however, was the fortuitous discovery of THE BEST TOY INVENTED EVER IN THE HISTORY OF BORDER COLLIES.
Ok, deep breath. Ahhhhh. But, apparently, if you are a Border Collie, JW Pet Megalast Balls are better than truffles, better than Turkish Delight, better than Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, even better than squirrels (gasp).
If you are any type of dog other than a Border Collie, these toys are so boring, they might as well be invisible.
But if you are Sparrow or Stanley, megalast = best. thing. ever.
In other excitement, Sparrow earned NAJ and OA. Yay! We finally managed to run clean in jumpers for the final leg, and she kicked it in 18.45 sec. Whee! Also, she went 3 for 3 in Open Standard. That's my girl!
Stanley learned how to weave. Thanks 2x2's and Megalast Ball!
Reuben earned another leg each for NA and NAJ. One more leg to go for each! And, last Friday, he pretty much rocked it out coonhound style in two runs of CPE. He even did the dreaded teeter with no issues, two runs in a row. Go hound!
I have video of some of the runs, but they are still sitting in the camera. In the meantime, here is a video of Stanley learning running contacts. Running contacts is Stanley's new most favorite game, naturally, since it involves the best toy on the planet.
Also, Sparrow plays agility with the most favorite green ball. Don't tell Stanley.
This is Sparrow's serious face for when she's using 97.8% of her willpower not to look at the squirrels dangling in the tree branches behind her. What you can't see is the chunk of facial fur she ripped off last week chasing squirrels through the bushes in the yard. Ahem.
By the way, that's officially Sparrow NA to you, as of last Sunday. And she earned a JWW leg to boot! It was a new venue for us, so it was extra nice that she was fine with doing agility in a brand new place.
Her brother, on the other hand, let's just say there was a fair bit of houndy sadness, and not much houndy fast runningness. However, he is an excellent couch-snuggler. Also, up to this past weekend he was tied with his sister in amount of AKC Q's.
Here is proof that Reuben can actually do agility. The music is "Il Porno Star" by Shellac. Listen to it and tell me it's not made for agility.
Due to the excessive number of cats who must sleep on the bed at night, Alex is generally not allowed to join in the pile-on. However, he is a thunderstorm weenie, so there is ONE exception for stormy nights.
Alex, being Alex took shameless advantage of this exception last night. Alex, "Whinge, whinge, whinge. Moan. Oh help." Me (in my sleep-weakened state), "Is there thunder? Oh, poor baby. Come up on the bed. Join the 35 cats already sleeping on my person." Alex, "Sigh." (happy dance!)
Stanley thinks agility is awesome, especially when it involves his new favorite toy, the indestructo krypto ball. It evades even the StanleyJawsOfDeath with nary a scratch.
Stanley is some kind of agility genius. Seriously. Check it out:
Who needs foundation training? Stanley wanted sequencing. And Stanley gets what Stanley wants. Well, actually, Stanley works for what Stanley wants because otherwise, Stanley would rule the world. And that is fine with him. The boy loves to work.
The other workaholic dog in the house hasn't been slacking either. This is just to prove that she actually knows how to stop on the dogwalk. Ahem.
In other news, the mature dogs are enjoying running around like feral things, pretending they are fierce hunters of wild beasts (aka squirrels). The wild beasts (aka squirrels) always escape.
He is a very cute, very adolescent, very male, very smoothie, Border Collie. I spied him on petfinder in a county shelter a few hours south from here. Dave happened to be taking a depo kind of in the area, so dropped by to check him out.
The shelter seems to lack a lot in the way of funds--the kennel was a separate, un-air-conditioned cinderblock building, and they don't spay/neuter as part of the adoption package. However, there are a number of dedicated volunteers/staff who give the dogs a lot of attention. Stanley was a staff favorite. He was turned in by his former owners who noted that he was 11 months old, housebroken, and that they had acquired him three months prior from their brother. Listed reason for giving him up: moving.
He spent about a month at the shelter before Dave came to meet him.
The rest, as they say, is history.
He has been enjoying his new life of air conditioning, shady backyard playtime, and the kiddie swimming pool.
Actually, he enjoyed the kiddie pool so much that he dug several holes in it. Dave bought him a stock tank.
