Blasts' Turn to Track Today

This was the field we were tracking in today. You can just barely see Wasi lake behind the field, with the hills on the other side of the lake. A beautiful day, but very windy, winds were 24 km gusting to 35 from the west. Field was mixed growth, averaging 6" high. I had two places I had to dodge groundhog holes, on leg one and leg two, wondering what Blast would do.

Aged his track 40 mins. He's out on the first leg. With the wind whipping over the little hill, I expected he may be a little off-track, but he was dead on, working quickly. We've already gone through one set of groundhog holes, and he barely stuck his nose in one, continuing on. The yellow arrows are the wind, and the light ones mark the next set of groundhog holes, immediately following the first corner. Again, little interest, surprising to me.

He just turned perfectly on his second corner, an open one, just before the yellow flowers. Legs 3, 4 and 5 are marked here, but perspective is quite off.

His last corner was also very good, with the winds, I was surprised (pleasantly) how well he was working the track. There were other assorted holes as we went also, not sure what they were.

You can see the dust blown up on the road just behind the bush.

And there's the glove. This track had six legs, five corners, and length was beyond a TD. He did very well, I was very happy with how he was working. We played with a ball on a rope for a bit as well as the glove.

Rained out so Heritage Carousel...

On Wednesday, I laid a great track for Trust at the waterfront in North Bay. It is a busy place, walkers, bikers, dog, and summer folk right now. There were 5 articles, 8 long legs and a really nice mix. Aging was exactly 3 hr., and there was a steady breeze off Lake Nipissing. Well, once again, after the long, hot stretch, it decided to rain a little before we started the track. On the first leg it began to pour. I was not expecting rain, not dressed for it, and totally soaked in no time. As well, it was running off my head, down my nose, and if facing the wind, I couldn't keep my eyes open. She did "pretty good".....I think!!! We never found one article, not sure if it was removed, blown off, or we just plain missed it. So....no pictures of her track.
However, while it aged, I watched the Heritage Carousel for a while - it is truly amazing and beautiful. The workings are really antique and restored, the horses, etc, have all been hand carved and painted by local artists - all volunteer. After this one was finished, they started a smaller one with all northern Ontario animals instead of horses.

Each horse is named, and modelled after "old" ones, and each has a story. A heritage railway is also set up behind the two carousels for rides. A wonderful spot for locals and tourists. Tickets are only $5. for 3 rides on your choice of any of them. If you're interested in finding out more:

www.heritagetrainandcarousel.weebly.com

The Monarchs are Migrating...

Early in the year we heard a story about the thousands and thousands of Monarch Butterflies that were dying due to cold and rain in Mexico. We knew we might not see many this year. Any normal year, they are flitting around on our garden flowers and weed flowers in the field. How sad to think they may be missing this year. And, although we saw some, not very many were spotted until this past week. Apparently they are migrating now, and our field full of goldenrod seems a favorite stop to load up on nutrients before their long flight south.

How something so fragile and delicate can travel the distances they do is another of natures' wonder. I hope their journey this year will be kind to them.

Our Front Porch Toad

This is our nightly visitor and has been for some time. He shows up each night - in a precarious (for him) place - in front of the sliding doors, before the dogs are going out one last time before bed.

David goes out and "protects" the toad from being stomped on, and Mr. Toad justs sits still and watches. A couple of nights ago, David very gently rubbed his side, and to his amazement, the toad "leaned in" to him. He called me to see, and did the same on the other side, and Mr. Toad leans over as if he's just loving it. We hope he will continue to get lots of bugs.

Playing in the Rain....

Blast was thrilled yesterday (Saturday) to have had a huge downpour. We walked down the driveway and played in numerous puddles. I was tossing stones into the water, and he tried to find them...actually, he did get a few of "mine".

What a great change from the heat, to have wet weather along with cooler temperatures.

Trying to kill one of those stones in this picture!

A sudden stop to grab the right one! Blast is still very much a puppy but with an intense play attitude.

He seems to be asking me why I'm not continuing with this 'game' - well, the other dogs want to get out for a 'wet' walk also!!!

And a Wet Track for Blast this Morning.

Our new tracklayer walks out on the first leg for Blast. I had plotted the track yesterday, leaving flags out, and David, my husband, walked it this morning. Blast has only had him lay a track once before, I think back in May.
This was (like Trusts' track) his first one in months that was "wet". It was also a "new" tracklayer, over me, walking it the day before. Like Trust, he didn't do as well as I thought he might in the wet conditions. After a number of tracks with Blast doing a great "down" at the scent pad, today, he just refused to go down into it. Was it because our tracklayer (his dad) was behind us? Was the track too "strong" with the wet grass? Another of those..."who knows"!!!? that drives me crazy...
Once he got going, he worked along fine.

On our second leg, just after turning the corner. He's doing fine here, although he did look back for "dad" a number of times.

Turned left and heading out towards our third corner.

Another right turn and we're on the fourth leg getting near the last corner. The grass changed height twice already and is about to change completely to what I refer to as beaver grass for the fifth leg.

Blast was trying to run along this leg, and I had to keep looking for mucky ruts and not go flying.

He has found his article and I'm trying to pull out the large pull toy I had stuck in the back of my pants for him. Note to self...leave it home next time. It was stuck half in my pants and half up my back and not terribly comfortable!

What is he looking at?! Do you see the head of a wolf howling? David and I both looked at this and couldn't believe it. This was the glove I had tossed up in the air for Blast, who was getting ready to jump up and catch it. If you double click on the picture to enlarge it, it really does look like the head of a wolf or husky barking or howling. Too funny...

And this was the pull toy I won't be bringing with me again. We took turns playing with this and the glove.

Unusual to see him standing still...we must have worn him out with the throws and running after the track.