Hello, everyone
I know that we’ve been MIA for awhile but I am happy to report that we’ve settled into New Hampshire. We love the town and area. We’re getting quotes on a fence and I cannot wait to post more pictures of the latest home improvement project. It wasn’t that long ago that I posted pictures of Pieka on a dirt pile in our Columbus backyard!
One might think, from the title of this post, that I am about to post pictures of Pieka in a context other than tracking. Alas, that would be incorrect. We had tracking practice with the Pioneer Valley Tracking Club yesterday. It was not our best day. My handling, to be blunt, was terrible. Pieka spent 90% of her time hamming it up for the camera and staring off into space. The good news is that we got a new camera (Julie and the rest of you infected us with the camera bug!), so the pictures of Pieka goofing off are amazingly clear. Oh, joy.
Without further ado…
“I see you watching me, Daddy. Maybe Mommy won’t notice I’m not really tracking…”
“How about this shot? No tracking to see here!”
“Track? What track?” (note that her belly fur is growing back in after her spay)
She did have some good moments. Naturally, those photos did not come out as well.
Ah, well. We’ll do better next weekend…at least, I sincerely hope so! I’m off to read up on the back posts and get caught up with the lives of the Alta-Tollhaus crew.
I can tell you have a new camera, fabulous pictures!!! What can you say about Pieka and her lack of tracking focus? It was a beautiful spring day, and she is after all a party-girl!
Good to hear from you from the East Coast!
julie
Hi Jamie,
Nice pictures of Pieka. Glad to hear you are settling in. Welcome to New England. We have Alta-Tollhaus Ivan and we live on Cape Cod, MA. Hopefully our paths will cross one day as I’m hoping to train Ivan to track also.
@Lynda
Hi, Lynda, it’s great to meet you! We are in the southwestern part of New Hampshire, about 2 hours from Boston. There seem to be a lot of tracking enthusiasts in the area. Here is a link to the Massachusetts Tracking Club if you’re not familiar with it (you probably are): http://www.trackingclubofma.com/ . They’ve got a beginner’s tracking clinic coming up in a couple of weeks…and Pioneer Valley Kennel Club has a beginners and advanced beginner’s clinic in May. Pieka and I are doing the advanced beginners.
@Julie
Julie, I had to laugh when I saw the pictures. She just has such a sly, mischief-filled gleam in her eyes. You can just tell that she cracks herself up.
Despite the coat I think she is identical in color to Nikon.
Pieka is a typical Alta-Tollhaus dog! Bring out the camera and out come the big silly grins! She is beautiful.
@Shane & Jaime
Thanks for your reply. If I remember correctly from a previous post I think you are in or near Keene, NH? Keene is a nice place. I have been there for many agility trials.
I am a member of the TCM but have not been to any training with them yet. I did go to watch a TDX test a while ago.
I would have loved to bring Dylan (my Labrador Retriever) to the clinic you are going to but I think it is the same weekend I am trying to get Ivan entered in the breed conformation show at the Outkast Sch. Club show and trial in NH. The following weekend Dylan is entered in an agility trial in RI.