A MAJOR!

A great weekend at the Atlantic Shore Memorial Classic!

Saturday at Monmouth County Kennel Club, CC went Reserve Winners Bitch to a major.  Brother JR went Best Of Winners to finish his Championship!  CC and JR's dad George went Best of Breed.

After a year of being the bridesmaid, CC picked up her first 3-point major today at Plainfield Kennel Club under judge Edy Dykstra Blum by going Winners Bitch and Best Opposite Sex.  I am thrilled!

To make the day better, CC's dad, George, went Best of Breed and half-brother Willie went Select Dog!

Next up is the agility trial Saturday.  :)  Go CC Go!

"My" Horse

How I WISH I could own a horse as wonderful as him.  Or own a horse at all.  This is what I flew across the country for.  I LOVE Shine.  He is what every little girl dreams of at one point - a gray Arabian to ride to the magical castle in the clouds.

Instead I got the fairy tale cat, Mischief...

Yup.  She is super soft and squeezy though.

Kennel Cough

Ugh.

Long story short I dropped CC off at Raquel's house on Monday.  Saturday she called me and said "CC has kennel cough".  Sigh.  Raquel has 5 large dogs herself and now they are all sick.  Priscilla and Iggy Pop are ok for now but I know where this came from and they were exposed as well.  So in all good conscience I can't bring them to the NADAC trial knowing this.

Crap.

California May 2012

One of my favorite places to go is to San Diego...its the one place on the planet that was made for me...as if I drew it up myself.  Warm, low humidity, and such variation in climate and topography - one can go from the ocean to the mountains in under 2 hours...love it!  Best part is I got to stay at my friend Rhonda's house - which is on an Arabian horse farm and avocado groves...it was HEAVEN.

The Desert Divide at Mt Laguna.  Foreground is mountains, background is the desert. 

Julian Apple pie.  It is the best I have had.  Seriously.  

Driving (well sitting in traffic) in Orange county.  This guy ain't going 88 mph anytime soon.

Coronado Island...talk about Heaven.  It should be illegal to live in a place so damn nice.

One of the beaches on Coronado

The famous Hotel Del

I missed my dogs but I will hopefully be back to SoCal very soon!  

Therapy Work

Iggy Pop and I have been embarking on a new venture - therapy work.  I got him certified though TDI (Therapy Dogs International) with every intention of using it.  We did "unofficial" therapy dog work when my grandparents were still alive and both of us enjoyed bringing smiles to faces of residents.

Finally we found a facility that is easy to get to - lovely (nice homey look and feel - not like a hospital or "nursing home" at all) and small.  He works with residents in the Memory Care Unit and it is bittersweet...it makes me miss my grandparents more and more and I know the residents do not remember me and the dog visiting before...but in that moment they smile, their eyes light up, they grab a ruff of corgi love.  And they tell me stories of their dogs past.  Iggy Pop is so patient and loving.  He was made for this.

There really isn't a title for it (I mean I add the TDI at the end of his name and I think AKC has the therapy dog title) but I dont even care about that.  I love my visits on Sundays with my dog and I love bringing joy to people.