First post from home! :o)

 Yay!  I'm connected!  It's going to be so nice to be able to update regularly from home instead of depending on finding free time at work.  :o)  Especially considering that I highly doubt whatever job I end up finding in the (hopefully) near future will be as understanding about personal internet use.  I figure it's about time I join the 21st Century and get hooked up at home.

Our project of the day is posted above -- the dog yard is done!  Well, as done as it will be until the dog door goes in (measuring on Monday!).  We decided to hold off on the rock for a bit so that the dogs learn to use this space to go potty.  I wasn't sure if asking them to go to the bathroom in an unfamiliar area on an unfamiliar surface was the way to go, so I'll let them figure it out and then add the rock later.  It may be that it would be okay without rock, but ultimately I think it would just be cleaner (especially in the spring!).

The project also included installing lattice around the perimeter of the deck railing.  This would be because a certain little dog fits through the posts and quite enjoys dismounting the deck this way on a daily basis.  Honestly I've never liked that he does this, and we can't have him leaping off the deck and getting stuck out in the yard -- so lattice was the way to go!

I have my dad to thank for all of this.  I am so lucky to have such a handy father who is so good at building stuff!  I wish I could say I did more, but the extent of my participation was to put some staples in the gate and to hold the roll of fence wire.  My parents actually came out and did a lot of the grunt work (putting posts in the ground) on Thursday while I was working at the shelter.  Have I said lately how much my parents rock??

The internet dudes came while we were finishing up the fence project.  The dogs had to get locked in the bedroom, which they so enjoyed.  The install process went better than I expected (I didn't think my house was wired AT ALL, but there was a buried cable in place already) and they were gone before 3:00.  With all that free time on my hands, I decided I may as well test out the video software on the new computer to see if I would be able to work with it with my current equipment.

I set up a Power Paws drill from the recent issue of Clean Run -- A modified Letter H drill with weaves and a tunnel.  I was so uninspired....  I foolishly decided to just go out there without a plan, which never ends well.  As a result, Secret was about as enthusiastic as you'd expect her to be.  That's why there isn't a ton of agility stuff in the video.  lol  Oh well, lesson learned.  I didn't push her terribly hard, either, because shortly before we went out to play she head slammed into the patio window chasing after a fly.  She seemed a little out of it for a bit.  Poor girl.  Klutzy girl...

So yeah, the video isn't much to write home about.  It was more a test run for me to play with the software than anything.  You get to see a tour of the new potty yard in addition to a little agility stuff from all three.  I have a lot to learn with the new software, but we'll get there.  I think I'll be able to figure out how to do trial videos at least, and that's what is most important!  lol

And now I will wait a half hour to publish this.....  My internet speed is faster at home, but the video file is HUGE because I didn't have to convert my mpg to be able to work in this version of WMM.  So yay for higher quality videos, but boo for taking 45 minutes to upload to YouTube.  I'm not used to that!



OH!  Speaking of trial videos (kind of)....  I sent off our entries for the Think Pawsitive trial over Memorial Day weekend.  We will head over just for Saturday (seeing as I'm working at the shelter on Friday & Sunday, ugh).  Secret is entered in EVERYTHING -- five classes -- that will be a big day for her!  I decided to bring Kaiser for another test.  I think I put him in Standard, Gamblers and PSJ.  Interesting conversation after I posted to the Clean Run list about his jumping issues.  Linda Mecklenberg, herself, believes he may have ETS.  Huh.  I figured that wasn't even on the list!