Colorado Road Trip

The last week of May Sadie, Aliss and "their people", hit the road for Colorado. It was a grueling two days on the road. Leaving Portland on Thursday at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, she had to make it to the Denver International Airport by Saturday at two o'clock in the afternoon to pickup Grandma Haga. Drove until 1 o'clock in the morning Thursday night and crashed at the Bestwestern in Boise, just to be on the road again at 6am. The girls did get to stop and briefly see Shoshone Falls in Idaho and the Devils Slide in Utah, and finally enjoyed their own ice cream cones at Little America in Wyoming. Finally stopped to spend the night 13 hours later in Laramie, Wyoming. They were so tired. Fortunately the next morning they were close enough to Colorado that they could enjoy a little down time and see a few sights before leaving town. There was the Lincoln Memorial which was okay but what they really enjoyed was touring the Wyoming Territorial Prison Museum where Butch Cassidy had been held so long ago. The girls were allowed to tour the museum along with their people walking through the Warden's House and the Prison block itself. They felt pretty special indeed. We can't say the same about Utah though where on the trip back to Oregon they stopped at the National Dinasauer Monument and they weren't even allowed to visit the gift shop or walk up the trail so the family has decided they don't really like Utah anyway hmph. Fortunately that was the only shadow on their week long excursion. Colorado was great. They found it quite beautiful though they weren't allowed off their leashes when walking due to the many little cactus in the hills but they enjoyed themselves anyway. They took their best pictures on the way back home where they spent a little more time relaxed on the road. They stopped at Seven Falls near Colorado Springs and took the elevator up inside the mountain to the view deck and saw the Falls before and after dark when they were lit up with colored lights, and also stopped at the Royal Gorge where they walked across that scary suspension bridge constructed in the early 1900's and of course shared another ice cream cone aftering strolling their people through the gift shops. All in all they had a wonderful vacation and enjoyed visiting their dog cousins in Salida, Colorado for a few days, whom by the way I believe were pretty happy to see them leave - ha!

Aliss is "WOW"'ed by Shoshone Falls:

Devil's Slide, Utah

(the girls were too short to get the Slide in the picture)

The girls normally larger than life are dwarfed by the Lincoln Memorial:

Looking pleased to be entering the Wyoming Territorial Prison??? Yup!

Dad gets a little carried away - (though the girls wanted to be, they are not locked inside!)

Family Picture: Grandma Loraine Haga, Uncle Gary and Aunt Cheryl (mike's brother & wife), and Bill and Velma (aunt Cheryl's parents).

Cousins Dandy and Dianna (Shitzus),

Social Sadie.

Beautiful view from Uncle Gary's deck.

Grandma Haga, Aunt Cheryl, Mom & Dad

enjoying the Colorado sunshine.

Dad lighting Grandma Haga's cigarette.

(Grandma hated this picture but we love it!)

The "time out" spot.

Aliss spent quite a bit of time there.

Aliss you must learn to get along with your cousins better.

Summer Update

Sadie didn't get to go to the TDAA trial that first weekend in June afterall due to family obligations, but she has been having a pretty good summer. She's been practicing her agility in the back yard where she's also been busy keeping the place mole and bunny free which is a never ending chore. She went on a road trip to Colorado with her sister Aliss and their "people" and did go to Turner in July and to Olympia in Aug for two other TDAA trials where she really enjoyed herself and did really well. We didn't get very good pictures of her Turner Trial because the camera wasn't on the right speed. We are still in the process of buying pictures from her Olympia trial from the photographer that was on site and will post those a little later. Will make some separate posts here in a minute to show you some of her summer pictures and brags.

1st Competition of the Year - 2009 / Way to Go Aliss!

Baby Aliss went to her first competition of the year on April 25th and 26th. Big sister Sadie stayed home this time. They have decided to take turns going to the Trials alternating as they come up. The girls enjoy it more when they don't have to share the limelight and get some one on one time with mom at the events. Sadie's first event of the year will be in June.
Aliss was a pleasant surprise! She finished up her Intermediate Title in the Standard and her Beginner Title in Games on Saturday. Surging forward into the Superior group on Sunday for Standard and into the Intermediate group for Games. "Lightening" was still just fast enough to make time and perfect in delivery with zero faults. She doesn't make mistakes, rarely knocks a bar or misses a contact but she is a little slow getting her speed up which will give her some trouble now that she's in the Superior group. She is going to have to figure that out but Mom has no doubt she'll get it done some how before this year is out. No pressure dear :-)

Here's Aliss (Lightening) displaying her many awards this weekend.

Spring

Okay it's spring now and Sadie and Aliss broke out their agility equipment in the backyard on March 1st. They are gearing up after having taken the winter off for their first TDAA competition the last weekend of April in Grants Pass. They are doing great with the weave poles. Haven't started any serious hiking yet because the weather has been pretty bad and mom has been too busy but that's coming next weekend. Perhaps the Columbia River Gorge since it's close. They're kinda partial to Multnomah Falls and Tanner Creek.
Thank gawd it's finally spring! Pictures of this year's escapades to come.

Up to Our Necks In Snow!

This picture is very symbolic because we are quite literally up to our necks in snow!

I see you

Have you never seen a dog wear glasses before?

Aliss Relaxes in the Evening

Anyone got a good book?