Beauty, Brains and an Angry Magpie

So first for the beauty and brains - this is Cruz's litter sister Meg.
She is a fawn kelpie, a colour not as common as the red & tans and black & tans.
You can find more information about fawn kelpies here :

http://noonbarra.com/PROFILES/FAWN%20KELPIES.htm




Pretty stunning hey ! And brains as well - she is showing off her sashes for winning her class (CCD) at an Obedience trial in NSW. Just as well one member of the family is out there strutting their stuff as Cruz still hasn't made his agility debut. Thanks to me continually finding 'holes' I want to fix.

Poor Cruz, he'll be a veteran at this rate before he ever gets out there. So October is going to be my 'focus on Cruz's training month', Atilla has had the limelight for long enough.

We have magpies nesting everywhere at the moment and one has taken up residence in a tree in my agility area.
I was training Atilla this afternoon, we set up at the startline and he did 2 jumps, which put him in line with the magpie tree - every time he reached this point, the magpie came down and dive bombed him.

Normally he's happy to chase any magpie who dares to do this to him, but this one was either extra mean looking or the fact that he was trying to complete an agility run messed with his mind and he couldn't handle it.
Finally he freaked out and went into the tunnel and wouldn't come out.

I know it's mean to laugh at him, but I couldn't help it. Especially when a little kelpie face appeared at the end of tunnel and looked around to see if it was safe to continue - too funny !

And even funnier when I ran the same sequence with Cruz and the magpie ignored him - poor Atilla ! A dent in his kelpie ego I'm sure, let's hope the neighbouring sheep don't get to hear about it.

Kyneton, Malmsbury......and Greg Derrett !

I've been taking the kelpies to Kyneton and Malmsbury quite a bit over the past few months. It's just under an hour's drive from here and there are lots of places where they can walk. It's such a pretty area with a ton of history - according to the internet there are more original bluestone buildings still standing in this area than anywhere else in Victoria - and if it was on the internet then it must be true !
Some photos from the Botanic Gardens in Malmsbury -

Don't they look so well behaved and obedient - as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouths- not!

Views of the railway bridge taken from the gardens. A very modern V Line just went over but I was too slow to get it - would have made a great shot with the contrast between the train and bridge. I waited for a while, but no more trains.




Atilla in the gardens - eyeing off the geese and ducks in the lake - they didn't appear all that inclined to let themselves be herded though, much to his disgust.

The Malmsbury bakery cat. Loves to come and sit on a chair at the outside tables with you. Kelpies are not impressed by this at all but the cat is not phased. Gives you headbutts as a reminder to keep patting it if you happen to stop!

One of the examples of an old bluestone structure that the area is famous for. I got out of the car to take some photos of an old bridge and some interesting looking trees and just as I was getting back in I happened to look into the distance and saw this tower. The lighting wasn't great by this time but I just had to photograph it anyway. Something very eerie about it, the way it just rose up in the paddock behind all the gorse and whatever the red berries are plus it played havoc with the focus on my camera - it would appear perfect but when viewed back the foreground would be fine and the tower was a blur- freaked me out a little bit I must admit. Anyway, this was the best I could do.
Looked it up on my friend the internet and it is the oldest surviving stone windmill in Victoria, sans sails.
The bridge that I originally got out of the car to photograph. Probably the original 'Calder Highway' at one stage.
And yet another of the bluestone buildings that are all over the area.

And now for the really exciting news - Greg Derrett is coming to Victoria. My 'agility idol' in person, I am SO there ! I am going to start setting up his double box exercises again and working through them one at a time, watching the DVD in between each exercise to make sure I get them right. Cruz is ready for them too now so it will be interesting to compare both dogs - experienced and inexperienced- to see how they go.

Training is driving me crazy at the moment.
Due to a problem with the new lights at the oval where we train, we have had no club training for 4 weeks now, and this week is looking doubtful too. Cruz's debut seems to be getting pushed back further and further all the time. Maybe I should just 'bite the bullet' and put him out next month just to see what happens. Or maybe I should be patient, stop comparing them and not keep thinking 'Atilla had his novice titles by this stage' . I guess it will happen when it happens and I shouldn't be in a hurry.