Ready for the National!

Tomorrow is the big day, first leg of my journey to the Canadian Flatcoat National in Kamloops BC.

I am very excited and I hope to finally meet the people I have been Facebook friends with but never met .  I will be driving half way tomorrow and staying overnight in Golden BC.  I think for myself, as well as the dogs, it was the best decision.  I might do the same thing on our return trip but will wait to see how I feel tomorrow, whether I think I could have actually made the trip in one day.  Besides I have never liked to be rushed, I want to enjoy myself, see some scenery as I have never traveled this way before!

Going to dog shows is what keeps me sane, having them to look forward to seems to keep my depression at bay. 
I am mostly packed, rearranged my van yet again, I have even packed some things already.  Today I need to go get a few snacks for the trip and the hotel room, cookies, liquorice, cheese, and coolers or wine of course !

I am grateful to have all 3 dogs to bring with me, I love having them around, Tate did so well at on our last trip that I am anticipating no trouble this time either.
 
Lync will get his bath & groom tonight .

I am bringing my computer with me this time so expect lots of posts and updates!

Happy Birthday Lync!

I can't believe Lync is a year old today!! Wow has this year flown by.  I bought him a waterproof collar as the cloth ones can get really smelly when they constantly get wet and then dry on the dog. I think he looks smashing in orange :)

So Handsome !

Kort helps Lync celebrate :)

4 more sleeps!

Lync retrieves a bumper

 Not much time for blogging lately.  Between driving up to Calgary for Lync's eye and resulting care, plus training for his WC test I haven't been doing much else. 

It has been a very long time since I have done a dog sport that has motivated me so much.  I get up early every weekend to drive a half hour to and hour to a lake to pracitse, it is awesome!  I love it!

I am leaving Wednesday morning and driving half way to Kamloops where I will relax and spend the night.  The next morning I will drive the rest of the way , get to my hotel, unpack and head over to the show site to set up.  That evening is the National's meet and greet so I am looking forward to that. 

On Friday the All Breed Dog Show starts which Lync is entered in, it is also a Booster show for Flatcoats judged by a breeder judge, there are 50 Flatcoats entered!  In the afternoon is the Flatcoat National's Juvenile Sweepstakes.

Saturday will be crazy busy for me . Lync shows in the All Breed in the morning, then the National starts at 1.  I am showing Lync in his class as well as in the Brood Bitch class with his mom and litterbrother Higgs. Judy has asked me to show either Kona or Maize in the National Specials class, I am excited to do that!. Then it is the All Breed Puppy Sweepstakes.  That night is the National's Barbecue as well as the judges comments.

Sunday is the WC test!  Due to a small entry they are doing both tests on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. 

Right now I have been busy deciding what to wear to show, getting it ironed, and today I made Tate's food as well as the veggie mix the dogs eat.  I still need to get Lync's treats for the ring as well as some premade Raw food. 
On Tuesday night I will bath and groom Lync,  I am really getting excited, can't wait!

Depression

In light of Robin Williams suicide I thought this would be a perfect time to do a post on Depression.

Depression is a nasty sneaky disease, I hate it.  I have dealt with depression since my 20's , although I had no idea.   I just thought I was a thinker, a worrier, and that I  just took life too seriously.   As I aged , it got worse, sad thoughts, dark thoughts, swirling in my head.  Still never thinking depression.  I can see it now , clear as day, but I couldn't see it then.

I met Brad when I was 33,  Brad was diagnosed in 2006 with Bi Polar disorder, so that was 13 years we were together that I had no idea what was wrong with him.  The episodes of craziness & depression, it was overwhelming for me but I never had time to think about myself, I was too busy worrying about Brad.
I remember going to work, getting there, and I would burst into tears as I just didn't want to go through the day, I wanted to be home, sleeping, just wanting to be alone, going to work meant putting on my happy face and pretending all was well with the world, dealing with customers, it was exhausting!

During this time my dad's Parkinson's became worse and my mom had to put him into care at one of the hospitals.  I was beyond sad, I couldn't bare thinking of my dad in there, away from his family, feeling abandoned, it was a very difficult time for me.

We moved to Lethbridge in 2007, I had to leave my business, my friends, my family.  I was alone here except for Brad. During that time Brad had 2 episodes of depression himself that needed him to be hospitalized.  His last episode had him out of work for 15 months. I was the main money maker, even that wasn't enough, I had nothing but anxiety and worry for almost 2 years, building on top of my already existing depression. 
Also during my first couple of years here my sister was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer, my dad died, and my mom had a stroke.  I also had a cousin die of a heart attack, he was only 49.
 
Brad returned to work in July 2013, some of the weight was finally lifted from my shoulders.  In August last year, I hit rock bottom, everything just caught up to me,  I couldn't function at work even without having many episodes of crying.  Thank goodness I worked with a great group of girls, they knew what I was going through and helped me as much as they could without judgement.

Then in November 2013 I had my car accident,  that was the last straw,  I was done, mentally and physically.   Not only am I still recovering physically but I am still trying to recover mentally.  I had absolutely no idea just how depressed I was until I was forced to stay home.  To this day I can't think about going to work,  I have many good days, but I still have just as many bad days.
I am slowly letting my friends know I suffer from depression, even though on the outside I look like a happy bubbly person, underneath there is still a black cloud lurking, making me sad , and sometimes not allowing me to go out of the house.  It is hard, people don't understand, they say, just get out of the house, you'll feel better, that might be, but you have to realize the effort I need to put forth just to get myself out of the house.  My dogs are a life saver,  walking them helps me like nothing else, I just go out, I don't need to talk, I just walk, thank God for my dogs ♥

I am not sure when or if I will make it back to work, I still have days when I just cant leave the house and I don't care what people think, I am finally going to look after me and focus on the fact that I have a disease and that disease is depression.  I will not be embarrassed by it anymore.   I will face it and I will deal with it in my own way,  with my Dr's help of course :)

So my advice to you is, never judge anyone, you really have no idea what is really going on in their minds and behind closed doors, be kind to people, as much as you can, your words can have a profound effect on their day. 

Spruce Meadows

Lync competing for Best of Breed on the first day, this judge was from Puerto Rico!

I haven't blogged in so long I don't even know where to start!!

I think first and foremost is the Spruce Meadows trip I made, I was gone for 5 days with all 3 dogs.  I had a wonderful benching spot and all the dogs were so well behaved it was awesome!!
This was mine and Lync's first time in the ring together, up until now I had either his breeder or a handler take him in. 

After setting up my tent on the Thursday I decided to stick around and enter the conformation Match that was being held.  I knew it would be a great opportunity for me to get a feel for Lync and he me, to see how he handled in the ring and if I could keep up with him.

He didn't disappoint me, he showed like a seasoned pro, I have not felt this way since I entered the show ring with Drake back in 1991, Drake walked into the ring for the first time, stood like a statue and showed his heart out.  I got that feeling again, the feeling of this one is going to be fun!!
We ended up taking 1st Place in the Sporting Group as well as Best Puppy!  Pretty Good for our first time in the ring.

The rest of the weekend was a dream, he won the points 3 out of the 4 days, Reserve on the day that he didn't get the points,  and Best of Winners on the last day.   He also went Best Puppy in Breed all 4 days.  The competition was great and I felt we held our own,  Liz said we got better each day.  I felt each day our confidence grew and Lync became more aware of what I was expecting of him.  The total points he got for the weekend was 5, so now Lync sits at 6, pretty good for only being in 2 shows I'd say!

Now we will look forward to showing in Kamloops at the end of August, we are in the All Breed as well as the Sweepstakes, and the Canadian Flatcoat National as well as their Sweepstakes.

Lync moving out in the Puppy Group on the 4th Day

 We have been out practicing for our WC but I am doubtful we will enter at the National, he still needs to pick up and carry a duck , we aren't quite there yet.  We have lots of time though!  I am in no rush.

Other then that Lync has 2 nights of Obedience classes a week,  he is doing fantastic!  We are outside for one of the classes which is great for teaching him to focus on me.

I also must comment on how well Tate did during our week in Calgary.  We stayed at a friends house and he was very comfortable, just found a spot to sleep and that's what he did, he ate his meals everyday and enjoyed wandering around Jan's huge yard,  it was wonderful to have him with me.  I know now he will be ok traveling to Kamloops as well.

My view on Jan's front porch each night, I would sit out on the swing and just enjoy the cool breeze, the dogs loved it too !

 Kort played Scenthurdle on the Saturday night in Calgary.  He was good for about 3 races then I could see him slowing down and his back toes were knocking the jumps.   In one of the last races of the night he ran out, took the first jump, stopped , turned and thought about coming back, being a Collie and wanting so bad to please me, he turned and finished the race.  Amanda and I knew he needed to be pulled right then so Bosley stepped in to finish while I took Kort back to his crate , put on his Back On Track jacket, and walked him around to cool him down.  I am very sad, I was hoping he could continue with Scenthurdle as he loves it so much, but I think he is telling me he is done, it is hard to believe that at 6 he is in so much pain :(
I think more xrays are in store for Kort as well as some bloodwork to test out his thyroid function,  but that's a whole other story and I have already written so much .

Kort catching some zzzzz's :)