Sunset on Kaanapali Beach, Maui

Well, I can't believe I am home! But I took a bit of Maui with me...the above photo was taken by the pool at sunset, and the video below is the sunset! My resort is the long white one in the center, the Westin Maui Resort and Spa. I'm squinting in the photo above, the sun was so strong. But I felt sooooo happy and relaxed!

Click the photo to get this going. If you click the title, it takes you to my facebook page, and not all of you are my "friends!" (in the FB sense)

I am already planning my next trip. It was the most beautiful place I have ever been. Words are not enough, but this video will give you the idea!

Heading out to a Luau at the Royal Lahaina Resort...  I love this dress! It felt funny to be so bared with no sweater, etc. But it was so hot, it was about all you could stand wearing!

I bought this hat for a friend who is a soccer fiend, and I know he will love it! It is dyed with red volcanic ash and says Life is Short, Play Dirty! 

Early morning coffee every day on the beach. That's the famous Black Rock in the background.

Me and my shadow...

This photo was taken by Derick Sebastian, a guy I met at the Hula Grill. He is a server, but also sings there and is the most amazing Ukulele player - think "Bruce Cockburn" in talent. Here is a link to his website where you can hear him. He has won awards, he's hot, and he's going places! We became friends over the week and I feel lucky to have met him. We hugged on my last day, and even exchanged emails. What an awesome young guy. http://www.dericksebastian.com/

My chaise lounge. I walked this beach up and down every day, but did spend time reading in the sun (when I was not in the retreat with Wayne Dyer or traveling to Lahaina and on the Road to Hana.) The trip was too short, only a week! I am planning the next visit already!

Maui. From Nowhere to Now Here.

I am posting a quick note from the Hula Grill on the beach in Maui Hawaii! I have a house sitter for River and my other dogs are farmed out. And I am enjoying my very first ever beach holiday!

I'm here because I signed up last winter for a Weekend retreat with my guru Dr. Wayne Dyer. He is 70 and has leukemia (which is miraculously resolving thru diet and I'm sure prayers from around the world). I decided I'd better save my sheckles to see him as he keeps saying he may not continue.

I was also lucky to have so many airmiles from moving to Alberta. So here I am on the beach! Sorry but can't upload photos using my iPhone. Stay tuned.

Day one with Wayne was awesome and I have a photo with him hugging me! I credit him for helping me through some tough stuff...a regular dark night of the soul from losing my Mom to my own Cancer to my marriage ending and the big move west.

I can't emphasize enough how happy I am. Sometimes I feel like I've never known what happy is! I love Alberta and my friends who are like family to me. I've some special friends in my life. I'm healthy and losing weight. I've even been kissed like I've never been kissed before. I'm saying all this because I want everyone to know that life has so many possibilities.

I know that God has been guiding me. I am very thankful for everything that has brought me to this point in my life. Even the hard stuff.

As Dr. Dyer says... I've come from Nowhere to Now. Here.

Maui is beautiful and healing! But my next big trip will be to Ireland. For more than Van Morrison !! My goodness karma is a wonderful thing.

Namaste and Aloha!

Beautiful Autumn Walk

This afternoon I took everyone for a walk, to spend some quality time with all of them. I played hookey from SchH to do it, but it is important because I am heading off to Maui and needed to give all of the dogs fair time today. I am so lucky to have a house sitter coming to stay with the dogs while I am away!

Generally, there are some basic themes to the photos below.

1. On Jet and Ted's walk - Ted is such a good boy! And Jet, while she is a good girl, always looked off in the distance when I asked them to pose for a photo or wait for me. She is so funny (read, bad attitude but obedient) and Ted is so good (read, honest).

2. I walked River and Caden after Jet and Ted. BIG MISTAKE! River could enjoy the walk, but Caden thought he had to track the Border Collies, making for a daunting task of convincing him that he does not always have to work.

3. Pretty scenery! This is literally 15 minutes from where I live. I had to keep Caden on a line because of other people and dogs around, but was really happy with his obedience when they passed by.  Jet and Ted never even, ever, look at other dogs. They are such snobs!

Start of the walk, which mostly took us through the spruce trees in the distance.

Ted looking sweet. Jet's "you are an idiot" look as she holds her pose. On a funny note, a guy was walking by  at this moment with a big Lab, and neither of my dogs would acknowledge its presence. Hilarious little snobs, hahaha.

Jet looking ahead. Ted looking worried.

This cracks me up, Jet won't even look at me. Ted volunteers to lie down.

Ted looking at me, Jet looking into the distance...

Play, Ted found a stick. Jet prepares to take it away from him.

Running back to me. This picture looks like Thunder Bay!

Ted = good. Jet = bad. I asked them to wait for me. She looks away... *(but I love her so, and she did wait!)

River and Caden's walk (part 2)...Caden tracks the Border Collies...

And Caden, still tracking the Border Collies...

Peering out from behind a mossy trunk - reminds me of my favourite pic of Thorn in the sidebar of this blog...

The bridge shots...

 I love these two pictures of Caden (above and below). He is looking very grown up.

Below is a close up head shot of Caden at the bridge. It's interesting because the poplars in behind are so white in the sun.

And this is the pretty little creek we crossed over a few times.

And a beautiful shot of River and Caden!

Another new pic...just coz...

And I'm wearing a blouse I bought about 8 years ago on sale at Kohl's in Duluth...I think it cost $2.97. I bought it because I hoped one day it would fit, and of course, because who could resist that price!!

Serendipity (not related to dog training, at all!)

I LOVE this song, and I LOVE this movie, Serendipity! Last night I downloaded the entire album Pink Moon by Nick Drake (1972, and he tragically died shortly afterwards). If you love David Gray or James Blunt or simply love great British folk rock, listen to the original.

This is the only video I can find for it, and I forgot it was in this great romantic film about two people who meet by chance, then try to find each other again.

The entire soundtrack to this film is really beautiful. I remember watching it way back when (2001), and it really resonated with me then. And just recently, I have had something kinda like this happen in my life, so it's almost like karma to be hearing this song again in a new life context...the movie is about two people who meet by chance and feel a deep connection, then try to find each other again...

Thanksgiving Tracking and Training

What a nice weekend! TWO Thanksgiving Dinners, one at my friend Shannon's and another at Dan and Susan's. I will be doing the Lemonaid Detox from now until I leave for Hawaii (not counting the salad I had today after hours of training and tracking...I was just hungry, OK?)

Above is a photo of Caden I took today after we tracked. He is looking very mature! Last night at Dan's, his friend had a look at Caden. This guy is a 30-year RCMP dog trainer and handler. He liked Caden a lot. Mainly he said Caden has a clear head, was a quick learner, and is really primed to work. He wants to work, and he likes to learn. He also liked his colour and pigment, and commented on his drive and that he could have a lot of fun with a dog like Caden and would train him in a heartbeat. It was so neat to have this trained eye on my boy. I keep hearing that I need to get with the program with this dog, it is a lot of pressure (mostly what I put on myself, but really, don't want him to fall behind as I learn the SchH ropes).

So today, I spent HOURS working Caden. It was fun, as always. I went to one place and worked on obedience. Then, went to the College to track. Before tracking I simply walked Caden and let him burn some steam and be a dog. What was interesting was that after he ran and ran (while I walked and walked) he decided he WANTED to go to his trailer for a drink. The RCMP guy told me that I should tire Caden out so that he wanted to go to his trailer...so that was my plan and it worked. I guess these RCMP guys know something eh? Magic.

Then, Caden and I sat on the grass and waited for his track to age. It was super windy so I laid a track that went into the wind, with two turns and short legs with crosswinds. He did well. It was only 30 minutes old but I wanted more to see him problem solve.

Caden's track today

Jet's berm start

Jet's track started on this high berm in a crosswind. I am trying to give her tricky starts, because that will always be the toughtest part of a UTDX. I was really proud of her. In the photo above you can see the wind blowing her ear up and my flag straight. That's my car and trailer in the background.



While Jet was tracking, I noticed an audience. These people wanted to see my dog trailer. We chatted afterwards. The black and tan GSD is also named River! The other is Rico. And the Chihuahuas are Pancho and Jimmy.

I made a turn uphill into the wind for a challenge, thinking she would want to go downhill and she did it. Then it went down the stairs but she got tangled trying to find that turn. She did it fine, to the glove, after I untangled the line. Stupid lightpost.



River's tricky start

As with Jet, I laid a short first leg for River with a crosswind. She did very well and made her turn onto the non-veg parking lot. Once there, she seemed to cast back and forth to find the leg, but does dip her nose on it. She made her way up to the turn, but was consistently casting to the boulevard, and just pulled me to her article. It was as though she could smell it, and her track was only 30 minutes old so I think that is now way too FRESH for River, who is so used to old tracks. Oh well, River knows her stuff. I was most concerned with the start and first turn which were fine.

PS I have no idea why River's video is sideways. I know I used my iPhone the normal way. I don't know how to fix it. So you have to turn your head!

Ted did a short track in a crosswind, and pulled me to the glove. I think he spotted it on the way to the flag (cheater). But he sure loves his glove! 

And the Mountain Ash berries on these trees say winter is going to be long and hard...look at all the berries! Good to get some tracking in now.





My little dog...

"My little dog-- a heartbeat at my feet." -Edith Wharton 

Watching Ironman 2 tonight

Jet says, "wait a minute, I'm the little dog!"

Busy Dad

This week, my Dad built me a new stair railing for my back steps. This winter I will be able to use them without landing flat on my back, as Alberta gets so icey in the winter...not a lot of snow, but the Chinooks make for great ice all the time. I added new gravel to the backyard too. The steps are just over the little igloo that is Jet's hideout, to the right of the deck. Now, they have a handrail.

Also, with help from my friend Dan Waters, built new roofs for my dog runs, with metal slopes so the rain/snow will melt and not accumulate on tarps. Funny, it was my Dad who helped me by building my dog run in Thunder Bay, too, which I had to leave behind. Thanks Dad!!

This is the Border Collie run. It used to belong to an awesome Bloodhound named Nero, owned by Dave Kenney. Dave and Nero had citations from the Ontario Provincial Police for Nero's tracking and trailing work in northwest and northeast Ontario. It is a 'good luck run.' When Nero died, I got it from Dave. I used to write articles about Nero for the media - Dave was a Conservation Officer with Ministry of Natural Resources where I worked for 20 years in Ontario. He was one of the first people who introduced me to tracking! I laid a track for Nero once, and watched as the big galut came for me. He used to take hold of your arm very gently and possessively. He was quite a dog. Died in his old age of bloat, which is the way so many Bloodhounds go, sadly.

Last night we went for dinner, then chilled and watched NCIS. My Dad and Caden hogged the couch, like typical males. 

Caden at SchH yesterday, little pieces coming together

Yesterday I started to feel like things are coming together a bit. Caden's obedience is coming along. I have to learn to use better body language. Did some down stays by the blinds with success! Kept them short. Protection felt so good! Dan Waters held the long line, but I was responsible for corrections as Wade put us through our paces. We stopped so Caden was on an angle to John and facing him *the helper* so Caden had to CHOOSE to look into my eyes in Fuss position and not look forward. He learned that looking into my eyes was "the button for go!" (that was how Wade put it). Dan checked him on the bark and hold. Then I ran him in a couple of circles and platzed him, to take the sleeve to John. Caden held his platz every time, then did a SIT when I returned. I felt pretty happy today! Wade or Melissa took this shot. Caden is looking so mature! I am very lucky to be part of such a great club! (GSD SchH Club of Calgary).

Two great videos - USBCHA National Finals and Surfing Golden "surf-ice" dog

These are two beautiful videos that both brought a tear to my eye. First the Border Collie finals. Watch for Wendy Schmaltz getting a big hug at 3:15, she placed 4th with Gin, followed by Scott Glen and Maid at about 3:18 with Jet's mom Maid, Scott in black and white, and Scott raising his cap at the pen in a traditional gesture...



And this is an awesome video that was passed on via a Schutzhund friend...it is a beautiful story with a great lesson...enjoy!