Ripple Rock Trail

On the way home from town today we stopped off at Ripple Rock trail. Only went half way but plan to do the full hike in the summer when M&D come to visit.

True ran down all the steps on the way down and walked along side them on the way back up - funny gal! True will be 14 this year and she never ceases to amaze me with her determination and joy de vive.

About a 3rd of the way down the trail is this suspention bridge. The dogs find it a bit strange to walk on - see Chi & Tigger are both crouching a bit to ensure they keep balance.

Below is a photo of Salmon Berry flowers. Once they turn into fruit in about July time the bears will feast on them. We have alot of these on out property - our neighbours tell us there hasn't been a bear around for a few years tho, phew!

And this is the beach half way down the trail - breathtaking view!

Another bear delicacy is the stink cabbage featured below a half eaten one - maybe I shoulda taken my bear spray with me....... The bears eat this when they come out of hybernation to kick start their digestive systems. I think Shelites are too fury & besides most bears are frightened off with the barking!!! :)

Lastly a funny camo coloured slug - kewl eh! :)

DAWGS - Nanaimo

DAWG (Dog Agility Work Group) based in Nanaimo very kindly let Chi and I participate in one of their classes last week. As we were visiting my cousin this meant that I could take her along to see what agility is all about, & get her to take some photo's of us in action & the equipment that's used over here.
For our first true foray back into agility we were going to be doing Gamblers! I always use to enjoy Gamblers...............

Here's me giving a gr8 go on directional.

Clearly no David Bailey my couz! We all had a gr8 night tho :)
Thank you DAWGs.
Next week we're off to a fake/friendly trial & having some fun on Easter Friday. Will try and get better pics & some video.

Winter Wonderland

The area we now live in is subject to 'Arctic Outpours'. When this happens it's as if the North Pole has come to Sayward! A couple of weeks ago we had an Arcitc outpour and the local stream froze over - it was amazing, so much so we took some photo's.



Hopefully you can just about make out where the water is still flowing (the steely grey bit between rocks & tree) and the frozen parts either side of the water fall and the big white patch at the front of the photo.

Whilst Tony was taking the photo, Chi went running out onto the ice right infront of him and I kid you not posed for the camera - thank goodness the ice was thick enough to take his weight although I do beleive he would have instinctively known if it wasn't ok as he didn't follow our friends Vizlas onto the thin ice on their trail pond.



We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.

A Day at the Pool

Our friend Hektor the Vitali Vizla was 1 year old this week and to celebrate his Mum arrange for his doggie mates to go swimming at the best doggie pool on Vancouver Island (in our humble opinion anyways) designed, but no longer owned by, Hekkie's Dad! http://www.camaqua.org/

Chi took his canoeing boyancy aid and after 3 goes shed it to go solo! Still not his most natural pastime but he had quite a good time. Our new dog Tigger took to the pool for the first time and also shed his boyancy aid after a couple of goes to swim solo, which was awesome as his back end isn't good and the swimming will so help him gain the muscle support he needs back there.......

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And as for our Truly True, well she didn't swim but is just as pooped after a long day of receiving lots of love and attention from human guests in attendance.

Home Made House Sign

Today we hung our new house number sign at the end of our drive. It was carefully made from a piece of wood cut from a tree on our property. I really like the paws as it looks like our big dog Tigger has jumped up on the sign and left his mark!

New Home and New Pack Member

Chi has a new play mate, his name is Tigger and he is possibly one of the very few lurchers in Canada as his parentage on the adoption forms states he is Greyhound x German Sheperd. He is the biggest dog we have ever owned and has the most gentle, kind & loving approach to life. Here they both are with True on the back deck.

Chi now has his very own dog run with kennel. He loves to run barking at the elk on the property at night - needless to say they completely ignore him and carry on munching the 'lawn'. I use the term loosely as it really is just like a field out there. Roll on the summer when we've decided to have ride on lawn mover races! :)


We've decided to paint the tree in the photo above and hang stuff off it hippie stylie. We keep trawling the thrift stores for the right color paint - I'm rather hoping for a bright plumb!

We are so lucky to have found this place it is rather special and plenty of room for lots of agility equipment! Chi has 4 vizla friends across the highway who have been helping to keep him fit chasing him through the bush when we go for walks.

Ha - P B'day G'Mama True!

Here she is celebrating in style (no wonder her pups like a sup!), kayaking and supping good Canadian beer to celebrate her b'day.

True will be 13 this weekend. She is still very energetic and very special in her own 'blond' way......

True is the Grand Mommy to all UK Obay shelties. It is fitting that she is now back in Canada where she spent many summers as a young dog.

Noble Billy Ottaman July 1996 - Oct 2010 R.I.P

Although this is Chi's blog Billy was a big part of Chi's life so I thought it fitting to do a little tribute.

Billy came to me at 12 weeks thanks to Barrie James. We had 14 years together as unquestioning companions, including alot of success at agility:- Crufts 2005, runner up in the Eukanuba circular knockout & 2007 in the mini / maxi pairs. Dispite his 'queen ann' legs Billy acheived senior status equivalent to grade 6 in the mid noughty's.

His other talents included canoing, camping and bin raiding!

Run free Billy, remembered by so many, deeply missed by a special few. We love you special dog and will enjoy the memories you have given us for many more years to come.

Beautiful BC

There are many local interesting trails around Sayward. Yesturday we decided to try out this one. Don't be decieved by the 2km sign and the level pathway leading off to the right.....




The view was spectacular and Chi proved to be part Sheltie part goat! It's a good job he is so fit and body aware. He did a gr8 job of finding his way up and down the rocky bits we had to climb.

Dog Wash!

Look what I found right next to the Car Wash! Perfect timing as Chi is due a bath. He needs to be all fluffed up for his public performance debut at the end of the month. (We've been asked to join in an agility demo at at the Comox Valley Fair)
Notice the ramp for ease of getting ones pouch in and out.

Never mind the eyes in them there hills we got cougars!!

We are so lucky to have such amazing country-side to walk the dogs. Litrally at the end of our garden we have trails that go for miles through the rain forest and over the mountains.

But there are also predetors out there.....

Yesturday our neighbour across the street had a cougar in her garden for about 1/2 hour. She came over to let us know as she knows we have 'cougar snack' sized dogs!
Needless to say we are now strictly monitoring our dogs on morning & evening constitutionals in the back yard. Tony created a fenced area which adds a little security from Billy (who is a bit deaf and might not hear approaching cougar or frantic calls to get him to come back!) wondering off & the cougar from being able to just wonder straight into the dogs area.

Agility Canadian Style

Thank you to Jo-Anne and Dave at http://www.icdogagility.com for the opportunity to have a run on some Canadian equipment

After a lovely walk to Elk falls to tire out Billy & True we set off to Black Creek the home of Incredible Canines to take part in our first Canadian agility class.

The contacts are rubberised - HURRAH!! Chi had run on these types of contact at the Sheltie show in Germany and I was a convert as soon as I saw them. The dogs gain much more grip with no sliding about. Apparently it is quite a skill to get the surface right and Dave seems to have done the perfect job as you can see from this clip Chi did a cracking dog walk.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Although we are a bit rusty - eg the left turn and right turn I was sooooo pleased that Chi had fun and no problems with the new equipment.

Container arrival

At last our container arrived on Saturday evening. We spent the whole day Sunday sorting it out. Thank goodness for evey box being numbered and a list of contents of each box! Luckily the stuff hadn't moved since packing & so far (touch wood) we havent' found anything broken..........



It's been 3 weeks since we landed and the scenery is as breath taking as ever! the best part is....it'll never change :) Just hope we don't get too use to it, would hate to take this place for granted it is after all sooooooo awesome!

Bear Luncheon

We drove to Vancouver early Monday to clear our container through customs. Once we had done this we decided to take the dogs for a walk up Cypress Hill, where they had some of the Olympic skiing. We stopped in a picnic area and keeping the dogs on their leads 'puttered' about so they could sniff, 'P' & streatch their legs. We then decided to proceed down the mountain and as we drove round the corner we saw a bear eating. The bear was situated right underneath where we had just been walking the dogs! Tony took this video on his camera, I love the way the bear watches the truck go by towards the end........

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Kelsey Bay Logging re opened!

The week before we arrived the Kelsey Bay logging re started. this is of great significance for the valley as it will bring in new business and help rejuvinate the local area. Another bonus is that the logs that don't make the grade are left for local pickings and since everyone has a wood burner there's not much left at the end of the day!
I love this pic of Chi on the boat jetty at the end of the logging harbour, see the reflection of the mountains in the water - breathtaking.......

Canada Day!

Today there was a parade in Sayward to celebrate Canada's 143rd b'day - Ha - p B'day Canada!


The Legion carried the flags at the head of the parade, note the British flag alongside the Canadian one. The other 2 are British Columbian Province flags.

All the villagers(approx 400) were invited to join in 2 footed & 4!




The local voluntary fire service had 4 shiny trucks in the parade and guess who signed up.......


Yeap, Tony did - fire hall drill every Thursday

Da Beast!

Chi has new transport - a Buick Century. The front seat is like a sofa! It's automatic & cruising along the highway is the way to go!



As kewl as da beast is it pales at the side of this canines mode of transport......

Official Resident

Chi is now a bonefidie resident of Sayward Village and here's his $5 dog licience to prove it!

Sayward, BC - our new home.

Here is Chi True & Billy out on the esturary walk at Sayward. We wake up evey morning to this breath taking scenary and say 'we klimbed that mountain'! (The one in the back ground with the cloud hanging over it). The countryside is like Scotland on steroids here, it is truly awesome.

Every year the village of Sayward have a race - yeap a race up the H'Kusam mountain. Some people do this race in 2 - 3 hours, we took rather longer! It is 23km, approx 15 miles and is the best acheivement I've gained since winning at Crufts with Chi!

Check out this link for more info & pics....

"http://www.kusamklimb.com/">

Canada here we come!

Well it's official we are moving to Canada!

Have suddenly realized how much I have been missing agility & the partnership Chi & I have, so hopefully we can recommence this once we've settled on Vancouver Island. It will be very interesting to find out how they do things over there.

To all the people I've met during our agility career in UK - it's been fun, intense & gr8 to know you all! Will miss you all but hey, Canada here we come!! :)

Watch this space in a few months for soem Canadian updates - hopefully.