Writer's Block

Absolutely nothing comes to mind as I stare at the screen.  Normally I sit down here already knowing what I want to write about, or something comes to me as I sit down.  Nothing came to me yesterday (hence the missing post) and I'm not doing any better today.  Brain fog?  Or concerns about the kind of weather we will probably face on our way back from Indianapolis. Maybe I'm preoccupied with the weather . . .  This has happened to us so many time before, and I really hate driving home on icy snow-covered roads.  Perhaps I'm getting too old for this!

Wonderful entries for Indy - 70 of them!  Good judges too, or at least judges who were good, but we haven't shown to either for some time so we'll see.  Good Sweepstakes judges too.  Argus & Meribel going along as Specials, with Argus making his debut in the Veteran's Class.  Gemma and Fernly going along to show in the classes.  Gemma looks great, but Fern isn't really ready yet, as she's going through the stick-dog stage, all legs, and she is inclined to pace rather than trot when I gait her.  Needs time, training and roadwork, but she also needs experience so she's entered with no expectation that she will be competitive.  Consider it expensive training classes!  As long as she behaves reasonably well, I will be satisfied.

Leaving tomorrow morning and driving all day.  See you next week!

No Easy Money

Got through everything yesterday, and the news was good on Watson.  His foot is healing well and hopefully he can get rid of the split (and the e-collar) in about 10 days.  Swelling in his foot is much diminished and the skin looks good.  I'm going to try and find an inflatable collar to replace the e-collar - I've never found anything else that works as well, but we'll give one of these a try too.

Car ended up needing new tires in addition to everything else.  Drat.  It was an expensive visit, but at least everything is taken care of before spring dog shows.  I'd hate to have a breakdown or a flat while out of town in a van loaded with dogs!  What an expensive hobby this can be when you factor in the wear and tear on your car too.

AND we had to take a quick run to the Repro Specialist as it was determined that Argie's "wife" would be ready for breeding today.  Another trip scheduled today for another collect and ship.  Stud dog owners definitely "earn" their stud fees.  Definitely not easy money!

Too Much To Do

What a wild man, but a pretty good puppy overall, and certainly a cute one!  Max did his first pet store visit on Sunday, where he covered everyone with kisses and had a wonderful time.  This weekend he will stay with Heather and the girls, to continue his socialization.  His first "sleepover"without a littermate for backup.  No Dals at all in fact, as Gemma will be traveling with us to Indy, so he'll be interacting with a Lab and a large mixed breed, and the girls of course, who played with the pups a number of times.  Max absolutely loves kids, thanks in part to all the great kids who visited the litter.

Too much to get done this week before we can leave for the Indy Specialties, weather permitting.  Car needs a checkup and oil change and possibly a brake job today, but I also have to get Watson in to have his split redone.  He started licking his leg near the top of the split this weekend creating a raw itchy area, so I had to cut down the front of the split and poor Watty had to start wearing the cone.  He'll probably need to wear it until the split comes off and the wound heals.  Poor old guy.  The good news is that his ear hematoma is looking better - it came back after the drain healed over, but since the hematoma was so small this time we decided to just keep an eye on it.  So far, so good.

And we have a bitch to breed as well.  This is the girl who was bred last fall using chilled semen shipments - and she did not conceive.  The Vet who did the procedure was not a specialist, and I was disappointed but not surprised.  This time she will be managed by a Repro Specialist, so hopefully things work out better.  If the timing is wrong for sending fresh chilled shipments (if Argus is on his way to Indy), we'll send off some of the frozen semen we have "banked".   I really don't have time for this, BUT my stud contract provides for a repeat breeding even if the missed breeding was a management issue, and I really want this bitch to have pups by Argus.  Although fresh chilled breedings are handier than having to entertain a visiting bitch, the stud dog owner loses control of the timing, and with these breedings timing is everything.