Vacation over, and...
We are finally home. Took an extra long time to come back, adding a ferry ride to Pt.Townshend and a beautiful drive on 101 and I 5 to Centralia. Spent the night, slept in and made it home just in time to be traumatized by fireworks. Plan is to hunker down with dogs and wait it out. Between thundershirts, a refilled Comfort zone diffuser and the radio up way loud, we will survive. No one likes it, Seeger seems least affected. Roper is very clingy and Mayzie is hiding in her bat cave. No shaking or barking that I can determine. Everyone ate dinner. Ugh.
Met some really cool people at both camps this summer. At frisbee camp, I met a potential mini aussie source, she,has produced super drivey, tiny, correct looking dogs. And she will leave tails on. I'm excited about this. Also met a woman who is part of the sheep farm co-op that Jo belongs to, a couple of Malinois owners from Seattle who are intersted in Schutzand (sp?) and Mondo (?), some people who were at camp last year and got to renew those connections. A couple of very odd people, which made people watching very interesting. Did a little education with some pet owners new to dog sports. Unfortunately, saw the frisbee instructor come apart at the seams over not being able to clearly articulate his position on a rather specific point on dog training. He got all hostile and egotistic, which rightfully turned off the person he was attacking, someone new to frisbee, but not to the science of dog training. She's extremely knowledgeable, it was a disaster from the first time she asked him to clarify a vague explanation. He's going to need to figure this out, because more and more, dog owners who take lessons and spend tons of money are not a bunch of ignoramouses. He won't be able to keep clients with this behavior and attitude. He often comes across as a half stoned surfer dude and its not going to work out as a successful business model. Though a lot of old school frisbee players will keep coming to him. And he was dissing trainers, right and left. If I remember last year, I bitched about his disparraging remarks regarding agility. He was a little more positive this time, acknowledging agilities benefits. I think it has something to do with the fact that he has connected with UpDog Challenge, which has frisgility, a combo of frisbee and agility. Nothing like a little thing called sponsor ship, to temper one's retoric.
Not sure I will attend next year, depends if I go to Boston for Union stuff next summer.