An End To An Era

So this morning I left the clinic I had called my second home for 4 years. If people can wake up in the morning, and find themselves not minding going to work, it isn't really work, it is just a good way to spend your life.

So this blog is dedicated to those workmates.

Theresa R - the Techceptionist - able to keep the vets in line (Oh, and by the way Theresa can you attach that file - no just kidding). Thank you for the Coronation Street memorabilia book, I can't wait to sit down with it.

Erin - the Clipper Nazi who left me a bottle of Hemostam - the drug which will cure anything. Mankota will have nothing to worry about.

Amy - the computer guru...and apparently shot guru (porn stars do not taste good, there is a sour aftertaste to them -fuzzy navels, I could get used to them) .

Carolein - the mobile ladder - who will I ask to get the bottles from the top shelf now?

Rosie - the calm, nothing gets her rattled tech. Able to find a vein in even the worst leg.

Wendy-the whirlwind - able to complete any job in front of her. Cut down on the coffee :)

Rae - the person who does everything with a smile - that is because she is imagining evil things to do.

Kristen- the quiet one who can pull a quick one on you - I hope you didn't fill your Depends when I got you to help me put away the dead body (aka Shawna - see below - you can fill in the blanks).

Shawna - the golfing buddy and prankster and Saskatchewan Roughrider's number 2 fan (I saw a licence plate saying they were number 1)

The vets - Theresa, Katie and Kim - have fun and don't sweat the small stuff. Hell, don't sweat the big stuff either.
And from the pet store side....

...Judy (and her husband Al), it has truly been a pleasure.

Fiona - the boss vet. Thank goodness your a nice individual - throughout the years, everyone thought I was Fiona, and I couldn't think how hard it would have been if they had thought she was a terrible lady and mistook me for her.

John (the other boss vet) - I will send this blog as a memo to you. Please sign it when you receive it.

Hopefully we will see each other in the not too long future!

I Think I Have Paxton Hicks

Paxton Valley was the last field trial in 2011 for us. I took Gin and Floss (leaving Creed behind since I gave him to Chris) and brought Syd (who was going to go off to Pennsylvania) and Lynn (who just came along for the ride).

I drove out with Christine Jobe. We stopped midway in our trip, when mother nature was yelling at us.

This was the view out of the outhouse - the blue reminds me of my face as I held my breath to answer mother nature's call.


We got to Holly's trial field, and Bambi stopped for a portrait.

The Paxton Valley Trial was attended by the die hards of the sport. Last trial of the season, winter can be long when it comes to field trials.

Lisa Wright in her fashionable outerwear running Kate.

Corey Perry was the illustrious judge.

Jerry was out with the illustrious Jed.

The Alberta contingency got together, being Thanksgiving, and we gathered and gave thanks.

We filled ourselves with gouda. Very gouda cheese.

Some of us bitched...

...and wined.

We relaxed and had our thanksgiving dinner - Jerry's Sloup (a cross between soup and stew).

Then we had our dessert - pumpkin pie.

Not gluten free - but it can be worked around.

A gouda time was had by all.

Don't let it fool you, Louanne was not drinking tea, she was drinking fermented grape juice. This was to take her mind off of Meg, who had decided to eat 3 pounds of rocks. A bountiful harvest.

We all felt whipped at the end of the day.

And then we whipped out of the trial after it was done.

Yet another fun time was had, with good friends and good dogs.

It was a gouda time.

Through The Eyes Of A Four Year Old

As I was going through my pictures, I came along these ones that Hanna took. I thought I would dedicate this blog to Hanna, my 4 year old niece.

She had decided this was the year that Gin was her dog, and that she would run her at a couple of trials. She was proud to tell me she taught every Gin knew, even not to listen.
She is the type of kid that will talk to anyone. No matter how scary they are....

...or how nice.

These girls were at Shaunovan Classic.

The infamous floating gate.

Bev and Norm had a great ride for Hanna.

She was proud of her bling, bling hat she won at the EID Classic.

She even got a picture of me running her dog Gin.

Her great-uncle Joe came to watch her.

She was like the paparazzi.

She even could do a self portrait.

When we move to Mankota, I will truly miss her. Perhaps I can pack her into a box.

Mini Holiday After The Worlds

After the Worlds, I drove Penny to the train station so she could finish with her travel plans. I filled up the car and continued with my plans. I was talking to a fellow from Yorkshire about dogs, so I decided I would travel that way before I headed of to my destination in Wales.

It was a misty day of driving, but the Pennes were something else.

I got to Holmfirth, and found the farm. No dog deals could be done this day, but had a good visit nonetheless.

After the visit in the Pennes, Gin and I headed our way to Wales to meet up with Calvin Jones. I was to take him to Heathrow in a couple of days so that he could do a clinic in Saskatchewan (which didn't materialize in the end) and to judge the ASDA finals (which got cancelled at the last minute). I ended up driving all night to get to Wales. That day, Calvin with his son Rod in tow (which looks nothing like him, but more like the mailman since he is much taller) tied some loose ends so that Calvin could leave for his extended holiday.

Calvin drove me around that day. I held my breath alot.

We went over the mountain several times during the day, doing various jobs.

We went to the farm where he kept his hounds. They had a few sheep.

They also had a few pigs.

Calvin took his hounds and loaded them up to be taken to a farm closer so that his family could look after them.

Load up!

Please buckle up and keep your hands inside.

So over the mountain we went (yet again).

I was beginning to think the sun was a wive's tale in the UK.

And this is what we saw on the other side of the mountain.

We got everything set up, and after supper, we headed off to Heathrow. Yes, driving all night again (truly not recommended). I got Calvin at the right terminal, and he was off to Canada.

I then made my way down to Devon to see Janet Kittow and her family - they were my host family 20 (plus) years ago when I was on and international exchange program.

On that first trip, I was actually able to go to Stonehenge and touch the stones. Those were the days my friends.

As I got closer and closer to Honiton, I was trying very hard to remember the way back to Hayne's Farm - Janet knew I was coming, but when was the question. Corn mazes have nothing to compare with the country roads in Devon. Hedges everywhere, no straight roads and roads that are only big enough for 1 vehicle (or 5 cow abreast, depending on the time of day). I was lost for about 2 hours, but then I found Catherine's Wheel - the pub I had frequented at many years ago. It was a short winding road from the pub and I found the Kittows.

There was time for visiting, but still the chores had to be done.

Funny, I can remember when I fed the calves it was by single pails.....I guess things change.

The milking parlour.

The cows would take a short jaunt down the road to their field.

No matter how young, everyone has a job to do.

Rules of the Devon roadways - cows always have the right of way.

And the gate is closed ....with 2000 pound tensile strength bailer twine...just like in McCord, Saskatchewan!

Marie (Janet's daughter) came down with Buddy and we walked the dogs.

Finally a sunny day in England!!

We checked the heifers.

We took another hike (well actually it was from the pasture to the car).

The day before my plane back home, we went to Collumpton - had to get a vet's certificate to get Gin back on the plane.

With all papers in hand, I left early the next day for my plane. Good think I left early, I got lost getting back out, and it was nip and tuck by the time I arrived at the airport.

In the end, no papers were asked for Gin, although I had forgotten to phone the airline to let them know she was coming along. First I can't get her into the country, then I can't get her out of the country.. In the end, we got home. The World Trial is now just a memory, but a very good one.