AKC Dog Show Fun

Ta Da!!! We are home, safe and sound. And what a weekend. Weather-wise it was unbelievable! Ten minutes from a clear blue sky to an angry purple cover accompanied by winds that tore down canopies and ripped tents from their pegs and deposited them in ponds. An agility wall left the ring to sit near the road.

The outhouses....... well the saying - - - - happens couldn't have been truer. They were tipped over in a heartbeat. Token felt the storm coming before it hit and we started limping our way back to the trailer and arrived just in time to save Sharlet from turning into Mary Poppins. She was trying to hold on to the canopy which was, in turn, trying to fly away. I yelled at her to let it go, but when she said she thought it would hit the truck, I yelled back. "Well, hang on!"

We managed to rip the cover from the frame, but in the end, all that was left was a bent and tangles mess. Thank goodness Jack and Denise showed up in time to do the fastest awning retraction ever. In the aftermath, people checked their neighbors to make sure that no one was injured. We turned the van and the truck bed into Hostels for the rest of the weekend as some of the agility people and their dogs were tentless. Good thing they decided to take us up on the offer, too, as another storm hit at 2:12 a.m. and brought with it a lightning and rain storm that was scary, scary, scary. Token and Swayze tucked in with me and Mesa and Ryder hopped in with Shar and we were actually surprised at how

calm they all remained as the trailer was hit again and again by gusts of wind and the thunder shook the ground.

It's amazing how a Tim Horton's X-tra double double can make things feel better. Thank you to Hank and Lee!!! The twisted frame of the canopy joined others as the clean-up crews folded and piled them higher and higher upon retrieval from the various sites. And through it all, the show went on. It was hard for many of us who spent our days in the obedience and rally tent because we just kept expecting Michelle Simpson to materialize any minute. I think when I signed the catalogue that was set aside for MIchelle's family, the terrible reality hit home and I had some difficult moments all day.

Our dogs did well. The Rally ring was 'hot' with high scores and new titles accumulating time and again. Here are some of the accomplishments that our members and dogs attained over the weekend.

Bess Golden Retriever Owned by Lee & Hank Hargreaves New CD and New RE Titles (97) (2nd in class)

Mesa GSD Handled by Judith Snowdon 4th place in RA (already titled RE)

Token GSD Handled by Judith Snowdon New RE title High in Class (98)

Swayze GSD Handled by Judith Snowdon New RN title High in Class (99)

Ryder GSD Handled by Sharlet Caroe 2 "Q's" in RE (already titled RE)

Ryder & Mesa GSD's Handled by Judi and Shar 2 'Q's in Brace Obedience 1 High in Class