Agility video

So, Penn is finally over her kennel cough. It only took 12 days. In honor of that, yesterday I drove to my parents to meet up with a friend who is thinking about a Vizzy in her future. She met a Vizsla after she was on house arrest for 12 days& still was considering one at the end of our walk. I'd say that's pretty impressive.. Penny did her very best to run/ swim/ chase birds nonstop. I'm pretty sure poor Sam didn't even get a chance to pat her until we were back at the house. So funny! I didn't take my camera to the beach so I don't have any photos of psycho Penn. Post-beach, though, we decided to stay at the house. We hung out in the yard for awhile and then I decided to setup a course for Penn.

She hasn't seen agility equipment in 11 days so I wasn't expecting much in terms of focus& taking direction. Well, my little girl sure did surprise me! She was a PRO. I am still over the moon. I had mom come out& videotape us just in case it all went well& I was not let down at all. I'm SO excited for the moment she can start trials. I'm not one to wish the winter on us, but man am I excited for February!



Doesn't she look like an old pro in this video? My reward for all her hard work was a pop bottle ..she's an odd dog who works for strange rewards. Pop bottles are cheap so I'm certainly not complaining. Except I have an entire arsenal of other, expensive toys that are just now collecting dust because the red dog works for bottles& balls. And treats. After we were done with all our training, I gave the red dog a break. She ran over to the table& proceeded to just relax. Seriously ..doesn't she understand the agility equipment is supposed to be exciting?! Briar would never relax on the equipment. Briar would never relax anywhere, but that's beside the point!

Linked with Tuesdays, Muse, P52,

I don't mind though because my goodness she looks some beautiful relaxing in the golden light of the sunset! I think you would be hard pressed to find a more classically beautiful dog. Okay, so maybeeee all Vizslas look the same but still. Penn is extra pretty ;)

Considering yesterday was Monday, it was a pretty stellar one in my books! How did you guys spend your Monday? Was it more or less fun than my day?

Kennel cough& marriage

I was so busy the month of July. We had a trial at the end of the month that was a big one so we spent a LOT of time training. A lot. Did it all pay off? Of course! There were 60+ dogs there& we ended up taking third overall in our division. My little brown Border Collie made me so, so proud.

Look at that smiley face& all those red ribbons! The big green one is our giant third place overall. We clearly rocked that trial. There's only 6 months until my red Vizsla is competing& hopefully winning some ribbons herself! I'm so looking forward to our next season with two dogs.

Aside from that, we were supposed to be putting on a show at a local event this coming week on Thursday& Saturday. Then Penny got kennel cough. She got it Thursday& put a serious damper on our plans. She is now quarantined until further notice. She was going to do all her tricks& an agility demo. I'm still going to emcee the event, now it's just less fun because I won't have an actual dog to run in it. Briar will be run by his real owner so it looks like I'm seriously out of luck, unless someone has a random dog trained in agility that they want to lend me?! ..that's what I thought. Oh well, here's to next year! I'm sure someone will snap some photos of us doing agility& I'll pretend when I write about the event that I was incredibly witty& everyone loved me ;) Mostly, I just hope my pretty red dog feels better ASAP and we can get back to our regular life! Sitting at home, staying away from other dogs is definitely the pits for her.. not to mention that completely awful cough. My poor baby.

So, if you're sick of reading about dogs, the next part of this post is about weddings. Every. single. person. I. know. is. getting. married. Seriously. I feel like the only person not engaged or already married. I know two of my good friends aren't married, either, but that is not important. What's important is that every other person beside them is or is in the process of that occurring. I don't even want a wedding. I want what that image above says. To run away somewhere fun with the dog& have a great day with some beautiful photos taken& then BOOM! Mail people these little cards to have a party with blue drinks& boardgames ..okay, maybe no boardgames. I cannot even imagine planning an entire wedding& spending that much money on it. If I'm going to blow 20 grand, it's going to be on one hell of a summer doing agility& traveling! Not a white dress, feeding people I don't even know& having people stare at me while I awkwardly dance with my significant other. I think I'd rather be in the highlands, in the woods. My parents can come and probably the person I marry can have their parents there as well. Then, we can have Miss Penny, a photographer& the person who says the wedding things (officiant?). That is 8 people& 1 dog. Afterwards, I suppose you go out for a celebratory supper& then have a party a month or so later. That seems genuinely perfect.. for me, at least!

So, people would normally say they have wedding fever but I have elopement fever. I don't need to go anywhere fancy& I don't want a huge event ..I just want people who love me& pretty photos! And to have a party with alcohol& a photo booth. Let's be honest. Those are the only parts that matter to your guests anyway. Sure, vows are sentimental (or awkward), the food is delicious (or awful) and the toasts are hilarious (or awkward). So much room for awkward in the parts before we get drunk& dance the night away! Let's skip the awkward and just have drinks on a beach with a ghetto blaster. Because, clearly, I want to get married in 1990. Or, you know, at some point. Soon?

Sunshine& swimming

Notice any changes around the old blog? I got bored of my old layout ..considering I've had it for a little over 2yrs, it was to be expected! My new one isn't nearly as nice but it fits the fact that Cape Breton is having a hot, sunny summer so I'm keeping it! Once winter gets here, I'll probably loose my positive perspective and change it to something less happy ;)

I spent most of the nice days slaving away but I managed to get away this afternoon with Penny& Briar for some much needed play time in the water. I'll scatter some of those lovely photos throughout this post. Hopefully, they'll make you smile!

The pups had a serious blast chasing down the balls (and the occasional stick) in the water. Penny has been in the water a lot but this was only Briar's second time. The first time, he was pretty sure Border Collies were not meant for water because sheep don't swim ;) By the time we got to the shore this afternoon, he had completely changed his mind on the whole water thing. They spent about 90 minutes on the shore/ dock chasing things into the water& bringing them back. I think they were also happy to see one another after going almost a week without getting to play together!

Aside from playing with the puppies, I have been SERIOUSLY slacking on my running. I should actually put on sneakers and head out right now for a quick 5k ..key word here? Should. I am debating it but it's 8PM and the other two things who live here are fast asleep+ I just ate an entire thing of Smarties. Both of those facts are important because they are draining my motivation to do active things. Granted, Penny swam the whole afternoon so I suppose her activity quota has been met for the day. I just stood on the shore& watched and/or threw things for them to bring back to me. Does that count as 'active'?

I'm leaning towards no. I am making a pinky promise to myself& the people reading this (hello, empty space!) that tomorrow I will either lace up my sneakers or put on my bathing suit& make an honest effort to be able to finish that Disney half-marathon that's sneaking up on me.. January is still a long time away. I have to just keep reminding myself that I really, really want that finishers medal ..and running is fun. That's a lie I tell myself so I will actually go out the door and put in the effort. Sometimes, Penny gives me her best puppy eyes (see below) and that helps significantly with my running motivation. Because gearing up& heading out for a run actually is one of her favorite activities ..she is a crazy dog.

Linked with Tuesdays Around the World& Tones!

Let's get serious. How do you say no to that face? If anyone has a way, please. Let me know! I've had more almost-late mornings than since before we got her because she also gives me these eyes on early mornings when I'm leaving for work. The eyes say 'Stop doing whatever it is you are about to do. I am more important than that thing. Come to exactly what I wish we were doing. Now please.' I am a genuine sucker. I fall for it every. single. time. I have no willpower.

Cinnamon Toast?

So, sunshine has decided to arrive on this little island. And it even brought along it's friend- warmth! I have been enjoying our new deck extremely during the afternoons& early evenings. How? By sitting outside& snuggling with Penny. When your summers are as short as Cape Breton summers, you certainly learn to spend as much of it outside as possible!

Is that not a thing of beauty? It's so nice to have a carpenter for a boyfriend. I say build it& then like magic, it's built! I should really be sure to thank him yet again for this particular build. I have been putting it to very good use by sitting outside& reading.. which brings me to my next subject. I needed a new book. I happened to be in Shoppers when I realized this& so a quick look around their little book section showed a very cute cover ..and yes, I do pretty much always judge my books by their covers! The book is called Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World. The font is cute& the graphic is a toaster. I know, right?! I was sold. I bought it on the spot& headed home, book in hand, to enjoy some quality deck& puppy time before heading out for a run!

Imagine my surprise when I opened the book& realized it was based in Nova Scotia! Even better? The author, Janet Cameron, was born in Nova Scotia. Granted, she now lives in Dublin, which is arguably much more exciting than here. Still, how fun! Except..

This is going to sound mean, but once I realized it was a novel written by a former Nova Scotian about Nova Scotia things, I cringed on the inside. I avoid 'local' books like the plague as they are usually either about a topic I find boring or are boring to read (local authors ..feel free to help change my perception! Send some Nova Scotia books/ author suggestions my way!). I changed into my comfiest Lulu Lemon clothes and prepared a snack for Penn& I to enjoy (what, you don't share snacks with your dog?!) while we lazed in the sunshine. I opened the book with a cautiously optimistic mind. On the bright side, I could always lend it to someone who cared about coal mining, local music& arts or whatever else this book was suddenly likely to be about.

I was more than pleasantly surprised. I only had enough time to get to pg 49 before we had to head out, but I was so enthralled I had a hard time putting the book down. I'm definitely someone that when they get into a book, they need to finish it yesterday. This is an absolutely fabulous book! Everyone should make a point to read this ..even if you aren't from Nova Scotia. I feel like finally, a novel that is very well-written and such a good story from my province. Sure, it's based here but it isn't about the local history, economy or any of those things I feel like I should be reading during school, not leisure! I can't wait for our very sunny, warm weekend to sit outside& thoroughly enjoy the rest of this book. If you read& like a good, real world story than this book is for you! The characters are so real.

And now, I have to go shower the sweat from my body& snuggle that pretty red puppy! And maybe eat some cinnamon toast because ..hello, delicious. Let me know if you have any great summer reads I should put on my list, especially if they are Nova Scotia authors.

Party animals

So. I posted about cleaning (or procrastinating that) yesterday. Once I hit the publish button, I got my bum off my computer& got down to business. The place sparkled. Seriously, ask my boyfriend. It was so lovely ..for all of ten minutes. Then the children arrived and chaos ensued. We moved the couch. We moved the dresser. We took the photos off the walls. We put everything in a different spot. Then, we set up the backdrop. Rolled some white paper on it. Pulled out some props (thanks, Mom, for bringing those! They served us well) and proceeded to have too much crazy fun with all of it.

These two girls sure do know how to party! I also think they make pretty good rockstars. I have to admit hanging out with them makes me feel young at heart ..and very tired ;) They made a music video AND a movie trailer last night. When was the last time you did that much?! Last night I got to star in the trailer, along with Penny (who was the evil villain). I was the viking superhero who came in& saved the day. They got to dress me up anyway they wanted. So they found makeup, used it as a way to turn me into a man& a lot of laughs were had. Seriously.. we even managed to snag pretty much the most hilarious photo of myself that possibly exists. You'll have to let me know- do I make a good viking superhero man?! I'm inclined to say I make pretty much the best one ever ..then again, I'm also pretty biased. I did, after all, have the best makeup artists in the industry. They swore it was true ..and based on results, don't you believe them?

*I feel like the beer belly, fox tail& eye patch really add to my street cred. 

I am seriously the best non-relative ever ..these kids had better love me most!!

I know what you're thinking. You're wishing you HAD this much fun on Friday nights. So, tell me.. how did you spend last night? Did your adventures compare to mine? Are you 26& still playing dress up like you've never really bothered to grow up at all? I am and I have to admit, it makes for some pretty memorable times& some very serious belly laughs! If you have any kids that you can borrow for a night (heck, even if you own the kids ;) ), I suggest you scoop them up for a few hours& enjoy going back to your childhood.

Anytime it feels like I'm being too much of an adult, I just think about all the late nights, early mornings& sunny afternoons spent with these two (and my other not-quite-but-almost nephews) and instantly feel better! And tired. I'm not sure I comprehend how parents do it. The mere thought of spending all my days like that is exhausting ..which, I suppose, is why I'm the fun one. I've only got this gig as a part-time, temporary job. I can afford to be fun 24/7 and leave the true tasks of parenting up to someone who has the qualifications for raising babies ;)

All that said, I have to admit. It's nice to sit here, in my messy apartment, and just be able to enjoy snuggling MY child.. you know, that little red dog that I do so adore. Yeah, the weekend got to her too. We played at the dog park for 2.5hrs this morning& the kids needed her in almost every video scene& to be the star of their trailer. She's almost as grateful as I am that this place is returning to normalcy after 24hrs of chaos!

Happy weekend, everyone! Don't forget to kick off your shoes, put your feet up& relax! Even if you only have five minutes to yourself, take them. And then re-read this post& be glad you didn't have my weekend agenda ;)

Halti.

First things first. Halti. Does anyone out there that owns a dog have a dog that actually likes their Halti?! I took little Miss Penn for a run this AM. I had just gulped down some pre-workout energy& was ready to really rock a 12k run in the not-quite-afternoon almost-sun.

Well, the first 3k were lovely. We did 5:39, 5:17& 5:07 for those. Then it happened. Penn realized she was wearing the Halti. After that, I rotated between having her rub her nose on me, on the grass or on the pavement. I tried running with no Halti. No control. Put the Halti back on. She stopped, laid down, whined, tried to kill me by running in front of me& was just generally awful. I tried to keep running ..not even worth the effort. So we walked the last 2.5k home.  She normally runs in a harness& I know she hates the Halti but the hate has gotten a lot worse! What a waste of my morning run& workout drink. She is, however, contentedly sleeping on the bed so I'm figuring that my goal for the day has been accomplished. She's tired. I guess that makes this photo of Penn invalid-

Thankfully, a lazy Vizsla means that I can get this place cleaned up in anticipation of those little critters who will be coming to visit this evening. Or, you know, I could sit here writing blog posts& watching a little cheesy Canadian television. Oh, Heartland. Why do you have to be on Netflix& be sucking away all my time?! I suppose I even still need to shower ..the woes of being lazy when you have so much to do.

It really doesn't help that the sun has stopped shining, the temperatures dropped& my boyfriend went to work for the day. I could just sit here& snuggle a little red dog allllll afternoon ..I wonder if I can lock the door& tell the kiddies we aren't here?! Kidding, kidding. I should charge up the camera to make sure I have some funny photos for a blog post tomorrow/ to take to the agility field in the AM in case the weather is nice enough for us to go enjoy a run or two! We have been having serious crappy weather ..and we have a competition at the end of June. Time to buckle down& start getting ready for that. We need to come with just as many, if not more, ribbons than last time ;)

So, who out there has a dog& have you tried a Halti on them? Almost everyone I've spoken to has said that their dog either hates the Halti or it doesn't make any difference to their pulling. I have tried everything to convince her it's fun because she is much better behaved in the Halti than the harness, but I can't bring myself to have her wear something she hates so much so I deal with a little extra pulling. Any suggestions to get some Halti love for my pooch?!

Blogging hiatus? Over.

So, I have been super slack when it comes to posting on this little blog. I ended up getting sidetracked& taken away from this space that I love so much! In an honest effort, here's my first (of many) summer post. What inspired this posting? One of my good friends (if you remember, she owns La Quaintrelle) recently started blogging. Her posts are always so happy& well-written ..which will never happen over here so instead I'm aiming for some doggy humour& a little dose of a pretty photo every once in awhile!

My little red dog has managed to survive life with Garret& I as her parents and is 11 months old! It's hard to believe it's been 9 months since we decided to take on the task of raising& competing a Vizsla. I'd say we've done a fine job raising her. Figuring out if she'll be everything I want in my competition dog? We'll have to wait until she's 18 months old for that. In the meantime, she's doing an absolutely stellar job in motivating me to train for that looming half-marathon in January& she gives a pretty great snuggle post-run, too!

Post-5k ..she couldn't run because Cape Breton isn't dog friendly but how great is it for that

 sweet face to be waiting at the finish line?! Talk about a reason to sprint the end ;)

While waiting for my pretty red girl to grow up, I've been incredibly lucky to have the chance to run a very talented (and fast) brown Border Collie. Due to my lack of regular updates, I'm not entirely sure if I've ever properly introduced Briar to my blog people! He's absolutely just as handsome as can be& I adore him. Two weeks ago, we headed off to New Brunswick for a competition. I trained hard all winter to be able to do well this summer& it finally, finally paid off!

We had four runs in two days and we got a Qualifying score (which means a lot in terms of agility ..so feel free to congratulate me) and first place in 3 of our 4 runs. It was amazing. I am still riding that high while also being busy training for our next competition on Canada Day weekend. We'll have 8 runs that weekend& I need to keep up this winning streak ;)

Even Briar looks pleased with himself in this photo! You'd never know about 160mm of rain fell& we were FROZEN!!

Neither rain nor cold could stop us from our sheer happiness over all our hard work!

So, are we all caught up on the puppy business? Perfect! On that note, I know what I should do probably is go for a run. Is that what I'm going to do? Not a chance. I'm planning on spending this rainy, cold Cape Breton afternoon curled up on my couch& getting my daily quota of Penny snuggles! She's currently giving me the stink eye to get over there& make good on that threat!

Oh, before I go. One last thing for anyone out there reading this.. I need some good running music for those long run days that Penny can't make it. Anyone have some good, pump up music for my iPod? Let me know in the comments!

Getting flashed!

No, no. Not THAT kind of flashing. I'm talking off-camera flash. Much more family friendly ;) I have wanted to play around with off-camera flash for quite awhile now but I had a few problems. Before this year, I didn't have a decent flash. Then, at Christmas, I got a pretty great new flash love my parents. So, I started reading Strobist. Need to learn about lighting? Take some time to read& really understand this site. Makes everything make sense! I played around with my flash a bit but I was limited. I didn't have a modifier ..so I was pretty much stuck with my flash& gels. I will admit, working with straight flash as a slave on manual took a full afternoon to grasp. Now that I firmly understand that? Time to move on.

Bring on my birthday yesterday (best. day. ever.) to move along in this story. My wonderful boyfriend purchased me a shot-through umbrella. So, when we got back from my delicious birthday supper last night I did the only logical thing I could think of. I turned our apartment into a mini-studio! I set everything up and then grabbed Penny. This was great for two reason:
1. Beautiful model
2. Practice for Penn's sit-stay! She nailed it.

So, I got the umbrella hooked up to the stand& I stuck my camera on the tripod. Then, with my new 40mm f/2.8, I set off seeing what kind of magic I could make happen with my new equipment. Did I nail it? I'm not sure ..it looks really good to me but I'm kind of biased to my puppy.

Then, I figured it was time to be in some photos with Miss Penn since I have none of us together since she was 3 months old ..she's 6 months old now. I'm a terrible momma! So, I got the focus ready. I tried to get Penn to chill out even though I was with her& I tried to make the two of us look good& in love. I pinky promise that we really are in love ..it was the making it appear that way while not looking like crazed lunatics.

See Penn's ear flip? Rocking. It. See my crazy eyes? Less rocking it ..I didn't really 100% succeed. Considering it was a one person studio photo session though, I think I did decently. I did a lot of work to get this shot ..including take some hilarious oops photos. For instance, Penny almost looks calm in this photo (if you look really closely, you can see the crazy bubbling just below the surface..). You know what the mini-shoot was really like?

Yes. That's right. I got so much V love that I couldn't even stay in the frame. My crazy beast dog actually does love me that much. She is convinced that when we are apart for even 5 seconds, it feels like 5 years& must result in the most insane hello you can even imagine. If I am peeing, she's at the door whining. I think she thinks the toilet might scoop me up& she'll never see me again. Poor, poor Penny.

So, is anyone else out there attempting to learn a new camera skill this new year? Even better, is anyone else trying to master off-camera flash this year? If yes, leave me a comment letting me know& link to your blog so we can track each others' progress :D

Happy Saturday, love my crazy Vizsla& myself!