In Marfa, you could just ride your horse forever.

Yesterday was a sunny Sunday with no dog shows or therapy dog trips to the nursing home or dog lessons. And no trips to Marfa, Texas. All would have been nice places to be. But here's a place you could go-to a dog agility birthday party! Especially to get your mind off of Marfa. Although, I will say just this. Yesterday JUST HAPPENS TO BE TEXAS INDEPENDANCE DAY. And Marfa also has unexplained ghostly lights ala X-files.


A dog agility friend had a party up at her house which is also a nature preserve in the mountains and also her dog agility yard of one giant, full size dog field and one slightly smaller one. Plus a meadow and woods and a creek. OK, wow!

So the dog agility was fun for about half of the guests, and birthday party entertainment ala puppet show or magician, for the other half. I am not sure how entertained they were. They may have wandered off at some point back to the house and we didn't even notice. But we sure had a good time running around some courses in her yard which is like a giant park. Also there was beer. And cake. And many dogs that were happy to do some practicing and run around in the meadow. And, how about this. An even ratio of border collies to small dogs. How often does that happen?


This party guest was very, very popular with all the dogs. I guess just small dogs. The border collies were busy working, not just surrounding people for food.


I believe this move is called the Peace, Man, Greg Derrett Threadle Hand. Dog Agility Tip-Because the dog is going to the tunnel. Not the dog walk. Greg Derrett hand says discriminate to the inside obstacle, not the outside one. Threadley!


In California, we can wear sandals to do agility!


They are waiting for 26" jumps to magically become 12". Even Gustavo got to do some little sequences. I had a glimpse of my trial future with him. Let's just say he will go out of his way to go into a tunnel. And was very fast but seemed to feel very comfortable being on the course and off the course. Like the forest and items surrounding the field were just more obstacles I was misdirecting him to. So a sequence for him was tire, tunnel, jump, forest, tunnel, jump, tunnel, tunnel, log, jump, straw bale, tunnel, forest. But it could all happen in the blink of an eye.

Also, a fashion tip. Here was a quandry. Party. Dog Agility. Party. There are few items of clothing that are non mutually exclusive to both things. But how about this. Good jeans with a dress over them and the dress is like a long t-shirt tunic? And non disgusting dog agility shoes and when you throw the dogs in the car so they do not attack the bbq you quick switch to clogs? Which are a sanctioned clothing item for parties in Santa Cruz County. Sorry Tim Gunn and Carson. But I am just working without a net here.