Beautiful morning!

It was a beautiful sunrise, colourful sky and sunshine on a white frosty world. I love my dogs because if I didn't have them, I would not have been trotting round Richmond Old Deer Park this morning enjoying such a beautiful scene. By the time we were done and I was on my way to work, the sun had gone into the clouds, and the day is now grey and ordinary. I am grateful for so many things about my dogs, from making me find time to go out for lots of walks and runs whatever the weather, for the happy grins and enthusiasm, and in truth for making me a better person. Because that has to happen when you take on the responsibility of knowing that the way they are is a result of how you interact with them. An extention of the old agility adage, 'if it goes wrong, you either trained it wrong or handled it wrong'. So I try to learn everything I can to understand the things they do, and to make me communicate and teach better. Anyway, I found myself musing on what today means to me. My dogs came top of the list of The Best Things. I have been distracted by preparing for Olympia, and suddenly find I have done no preparations at all for Christmas! Not a present bought or wrapped, or a card yet written. Getting back out running (and loosing a stone!) has been a very positive thing for me. But if asked for a prediction about Olympia, I would have to say that although Kaydee has natural talent (she is a faster more athletic dog than Becky, who has acheived so much despite not being very quick, bless her), with all her problems over the last year (and six months completely out of agility), we do not yet have consistency, the fine tuning that is needed to work courses at top speed together, that you get by competing regularly. So oddly that makes me relax, what will be will be. I am pleased with her fitness and training, and she is now a happy, huggy, cuddly little dog again which is so important to me. I wish I could say that maybe it will come together next year instead. But looking to the future I can't really say whether Kaydee is going to stay in good form, or have more problems and retire from agility. That makes trying to plan what shows to go next year a lot harder! I am very excited about next year, though. I am looking forward to camping with my friends, and hoping to get to walk up some hills or even mountains if I can afford the diesel to get that far. Also fingers crossed that there will be a puppy for me from Virginia Harry's Zoe this time next year, she sadly didn't come into season in time for it to happen this year. And of course, I have been looking foward to running the gorgeous and fun Zazzy, I just hope the scare she gave me this week is just a temporary thing.