Friday, May 22, 2009

Is it the weekend, yet?

I know it's early on Friday but honestly, can I go home yet? It's casual day and 1/2 the office took today or Tuesday off. Wish I could but considering ShooBug is ready to whelp next week and I will need to take a couple days off, should work on my closings now.

So, what's everyone got planned for their three days? I was hoping for a little down time-not going to happen at all. It's a Goodwill weekend-couple of couches, lots of clothes and yes, Meredith will be parting with some of her old toys-lots of her old toys. Then it's clean house, set up whelping room, paint dog room, move dog crates, mow, mow, more mowing.

Last of the transplants arrived from SeedSavers-will get those in tonight barring rain. That means just one empty row in the garden-thinking spinach? Will stop and get that tonight on the way home.

Tomorrow besides the above chores, it's duck day. The entire herd is going up to the pullorum testing in the morning. We will be testing all of them, including the turkeys, then filling our application to be a tested clear farm. The new ducklings come from a certified clear farm and will just need to be in quarantee for awhile. You know, with all this hub bub about testing this and that, I just have to comment that it's kind of ironic to set one standard for one breed or animal and yet, have a totally different one for others. Yes you have to pick your fights but when it comes to health, there should be only one winner-the animal. Testing is a tool. Just because you ran a test and it came back clear or good, doesn't make it a superior animal. The most important thing I've learned is that you have to question the testing too.

Animals have genetic junk. It's not just a simple cut and dried, they passed, they are healthy and worth breeding. All it tells you is that that particular animal is fine, for now. I think it's so important to know not only about that animal, but it's brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nephews, well all relatives. I got burned bad once by taking a person's word about the health of an animal, only to find out that a sibling had horrible issues and that that genetic junk affected the animals I produced. Ended up cutting my losses, ending the line right there. Unfortunately there's still one out there and God I hope that it never reproduces, but I have no control over that. I only tell you these things to make you think, I don't dwell on them but other's can learn from my mistakes. Hoping that it makes you wiser and yes, ask those questions, don't just take things for granted!

So back to this weekend. UGH-testing should take most of the day, even though it's a super simple cut and dried test. Just that last year they had to test over 250 birds! That's a lot of feather plucking. While I'm waiting, will have lots of time to work the dogs at the training building. Do some agility, work some rally, and more open work. Which I might add, we had a breakthrough night at class!

Yes, Moose is "getting" it and Melinda gets a kick out of my "little brown dog" . He's only little compared to the rest of the class. With only 3 days work on the dumbbell and in all honesty, we have not seriously worked on it, he's taking it! If only for a split second, but hey, he's having a blast with it now. He needs to get his lazy tail up when he goes over the broad jump but he's the star at the drop on recall. We did a lot of proofing last night, something that you can't do when all you do is train at home by yourself. We rolled balls across the floor during long sits and downs, had them retrieve their dumbbells from strange places and positions. Tried to break each other's sits and did some really cool drop and figure 8 exercises. That's the real reason to take a class, learn from other's, talk it through and get your dog over it all before they enter the ring. I think the funniest part was during long sits when it was too quiet, all the dogs started to fall asleep. They were all so much better the more action that went on around them. Go figure, must be training them right then.

So with that note, I guess it's 1/2 way through the day. Still a few hours to go but it's going fast.

Don't get too much sun, enjoy the long weekend and please, remember why we have this long weekend--those that gave their lives and served our country so that I can type anything I want on this blog, deserve it. Thanks to my Grandfather and Grandmother-Navy, my little brother-Marines and my cousins-Army and Navy.

Later gators....
C

3 comments:

Winjammin' said...

And don't forget one of your best buds is an Air Force vet! ;o) See you Monday for the burn-out...err...bonfire...errr....BBQ!!! LOL

Cindy said...

Oh that's right, forgot about the flyboy!!! Right on Rus!!!!

Yeah, that could be it-fireworks, a grill, well it could be interesting on Monday--see ya then!!

Sherilyn said...

Got the burgers ready to go, Alec's butterscotch bars made and cooling, and Bekka and I stopped and picked up a shopping bag full of fireworks, truck is configured with enough crates for all 8 plus a little room for Bekka and us, so ready to go in the morning! :) See you around noon!