
2. Gotta love wearing crocs. Even though mine are a size too big as they don't seem to make them for little feet (and mine are that weird cross over size in no man's land between childrens and adults) they are still the most comfortable things in the world. My goal is to get a pair in every colour. Haven't worn these girlie ones in public yet but I'm building up to it. Maybe next step will be crocs with socks.

3. We inherited a couple of mature oak trees when we bought this place and they really look their best over Summer. A great spot to relax and read a book when it' s hot and the kelpies like their pool under there as well. Best place to be on an unbearably hot day.
5. The garden looks its best over Summer. Even though I like gardening I am pretty crap at it and don't really know what I am doing but over Summer I actually have flowers to look at, even if they are mainly agapanthus and succulents and plants from a 'gardening for dummies' list.
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Firstly it's hot ! Yes I know that's the whole point of it but I hate the heat. And any time we get money put aside for air con. we seem to end up spending it on dog related things instead.
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I hate the fact that we're in bushfire season - especially after last year. Way too close for comfort. I hate that it makes me on edge and constantly looking outside for any signs of smoke and keeping the computer on the CFA website when I'm at work.
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I hate going back to work - okay a point each way on that one. But I still spend more Summer at work than at home.
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I hate having no agility training to go to. And no trials on the horizon for me until March, and even then only one before April.
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I hate the way the paddocks brown off so quickly once we get a couple of hot days. It looks so pretty around here for most of the year but it's not so nice around this time.
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Dust, dust, dust and more dust. No more words necessary really.
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I hate being too hot to work outside with the dogs most of the time and only being able to sneak in a few minutes in the early mornings or late evenings.
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I hate snakes and the thought of them coming out around this time and going anywhere near my dogs.
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I hate the way I always decide I'm going to retrain something when I have some time on my hands over Summer - my brain just seems to be wired this way and I can't help it. Retraining sucks and is to avoided if at all possible but for me it doesn't seem to be genetically possible.
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I hate the way even blogger seems to have gone mental and for some reason won't let me put spaces between what I write, which is why these stupid asterisk thingys are here.
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I could go on but I'm sure you get the point - I just hate Summer really and wish it would go far away.
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On another note, Cruz's running A Frame is coming along very nicely and I have been pleasantly surprised at how he seems to have taken to it. I have some video but for some reason I couldn't get it to load on here - maybe something to do with being out in the sticks and having very slow dial up - so you will have to make do with a photo instead - the blue crosses show approximately where he is hitting every time on the down side.
After I complained about him not 'getting it' last time and giving me three strides coming down he suddenly seemed to gain confidence which took care of the problem. He is now consistently giving me 2 hits both up and down and his speed has increased heaps. I am going to try something different to fade the box and instead of taking off a piece at a time I am now working on doing 3 or 4 reps a training session where I take the box away totally for one of them and then put it back, so he never knows if the box will be there or not.
So far this has been successful - L. has watched a few times and doesn't believe he is even noticing the box any more but I'm not so sure.
So far this has been successful - L. has watched a few times and doesn't believe he is even noticing the box any more but I'm not so sure.
Going back to training and running a different A Frame will be the next test.

We are having a sort of 'semi break' from training at the moment. I want to keep working on fitness with both the kelpies, especially Atilla. We did a 10 kilometre walk along the beach last weekend with a friend and her dogs and it was a lot of fun. I really want to do a lot more hiking this summer but it's so dependent on the weather - nothing is fun in extreme heat. 
Mmmm - I can smell the lavendar now that the nights are getting warmer. I know my Grand mother would have called it a weed, but I'm a sucker for purple flowers in any shape or form.


"What's this? I distinctly heard a BC bark coming from that funny box. Better lie down here on guard. Then I'll corner it when it finally comes out the back of the box and teach it to come into my lounge room uninvited. "
"I'm going in for a closer look now. This bloke actually seems to know what he's talking about ! Hope he gives me a run next time he comes to Australia. Yoooo Hoooo Greg - can you hear me? It's me, your new Number 1 Fan. Aw dammit - this threadle thingy is complicated.... should I be taking notes ? "
"And he also has really cool tug toys and lets his dog play with them at the end - think I'm in luurve........ That is one lucky dog right there. "
"Hah ! Friggin' suck of a pup. Don't you just love the ones who always have to sit at the front of the classroom so they can cosy up to the teacher - NOT ! And it's always those common black and white ones too in my opinion. "
"Anyway, check this out. What makes you think you're even going to get a go at this agility thing when she has ME to work with. Look at this, brains and athleticism as well as beauty ! Eat ya heart out puppy............... You can kiss my furry butt any time."

