English Spring Spaniel Dance

It looks like my video didn’t quite work.  So I am attaching a make-up picture of Magnum performing an old ancient north woods tale.  It has been told, as passed down from dog owner to dog owner, a story about a handsome English Springer Spaniel.   When the full-moon rises and the camp fire is blazing, then the springer will begin to dance around the fire.  He performs a dance that is felt to his bones and calls out to him from springers of ancient times.  He dances with all his heart.  

The attached photo shows Magnum enacting this ancient tail.  Hope you enjoy it.

Michigan and fair

I’ve been in Michigan for about a week and a half.  It is incredibly peaceful up here in the great north, just below the Mackinaw Bridge.  I’ve been staying up late watching videos, movies, and reading.  Then I sleep in late, walk the dogs, go canoeing, and swim.  Some days I ride my bike for an hour or so.  Last Wednesday Magnum and I participated in the Emmett/Charlevoix County Fair (in Petoskey) in an agility show.  We did it last year on probably one of the hottest days here – 90 plus degrees.  Fortunately the fairgrounds are up on a hill right by Lake Michigan so there was a wonderful breeze to help cool us.  This year the weather was more typical for this time of year – in the 70’s.   There were about 25 of us from beginners with dogs on leashes to about 2 other dogs like Magnum that were very good.  Magnum had so much fun.  I have attached a video that Alan took with a new digital video camera.  What is great is that it was so easy to transfer it to my Mac.  One woman came up to me before my run and said she missed Magnum’s first run and wanted to see him.  So she watched our next run.  When we finished, she said with Magnum’s ears, it looks like he might take off flying.  The course was really easy with only 6 weave poles because it was for intermediate and advanced.  So even Magnum is having fun on vacation.  Shadow was also with us and enjoyed the sounds.  The agility ring was right next to the rides, so it was really noisy. 

Home from Ireland

I am just back from a walking tour of Ireland.  We walked between 8 and 10 miles a day travelling all around the Island for 15 days.  It was beautiful with perfect weather for hiking  - mid 60’s.  We quickly learned to always have a raincoat with us because it mists or rains most days.  We were fortunate that there were only two days that it really rained, but not all day.  We walked along the cliffs, beaches, through fields climbing over styles, in fields with sheep and cows, in forests, and on back roads.  One of our hikes took us around the Guinness estate and we saw a wedding party going to the house.

We were surprised with the length of the days.  It was light by 5:00 AM and didn’t get dark until about 10:30.  One of the most beautiful beaches was Inch Beach on the Dingle Peninsula.  The wide beach went on for miles.  There were few people on it with cars driving where ever they choose.  At the beginning of the beach there were at the most 80 people or so and a surf shop, which gave lessons.  We saw beginning surfers out in the water wearing wetsuits.  Walking just a short way, we left the crowd behind.  Across the ocean we could see parts of the peninsula and mountains in the mist.  It was so lovely.

Our tour included 4 from the US, 4 Canadians, and 4 Australians.  Several had family in Ireland and planned to visit them after the walking tour.  I would have loved to stay longer, but missed the dogs and cats.

Just days after getting home, I had an agility trial.  Magnum and I had a master’s standard run on Saturday that I think was our best ever.  We placed first beating out a couple of great border collies that tied and had a run off for 2^nd and 3^rd place.  It was a small trial, which is probably the only kind in which we have a chance of placing first.  As we finished our run, someone yelled, “Very nice!”  And, it really was.  We were both running great and were in sync.  Now if we can only do it on a regular basis.

The photo is on a beach in Ireland!