I haven’t posted since November and since losing Duncan…and a lot has happened since then. The sadness over the loss of Duncan has eased somewhat and has been tempered by the fact that we’ve had just a great time this winter. We’ve shared some really fun times….both with old friends and with new ones that we’ve just met.

Thanksgiving was here in AZ and was spent with BJ and Nicole and Christmas was spent back in Arkansas with BJ, Nicole, Mike’s sister and her husband and Mike’s son and wife and their two kids. They came from all over to spend the holidays with us. We couldn’t wait to get back to AZ and we were back by January 10th. Throughout all the time, the dogs and I trained and competed both in agility and obedience and even came home with a few ribbons.

Nali got her first agility FAST title in November and Gandalf got his first FAST title in January. Gandalf and I are still working in Utility B Obedience. He’s qualified almost every time and finished out 2008 as the #6 Obedience Weimaraner in the country. Not bad for a 9 year old dog. He never ceases to amaze me.

Strider got his first Rally title in November…Finished with a couple of 2nd place ribbons. Then in February, we tried for his first obedience title. He finished his CD title in 4 shows with 2 third places….but it sure wasn’t pretty. He showed he still has some really skitsy issues ….like a noise coming through a hole in the wall that sent him bolting out of the stays like a shot and his not being able to take his eyes off of a pretty weim female who walked in just as he was starting his off leash heeling. But we made it.

All of our time this winter has been spent at Desert Valley RV Resort in Eloy, AZ. We have met some really cool people here. We’ve had lots of laughs with Craig & Tami from Michigan, Jackie and Tino from Ontario, Canada, Bernie and Susan, also from Ontario. I think that they’re also responsible for making sure Mike had a good time while I was away on dog show weekends. As far as I know, no one was arrested and there’s no video record of anything…but I think table dancing at the Tumbleweeds Bar in Eloy was involved.

Pictured above are some the Desert Rats we’ve come to know and love…

More to come later….