Mary finds the Luck Museum on the way home from UKI Agility.

So on Saturday night, I'm emailing with my 2 friends Mary. Mary is one of my most best dog agility pals, and we couldn't decide if we should drive through the Unprecedented Storm of the Century to get to the Historic First Sanctioned UKI Agility Match in California. My other dog agility pal, Mary, putting on the match, is of the opinion, Coastal Lands Will Be Wiped Out to Sea?  The Bastards! Because the UKI Agility does not bow down to some stinking rain.

And at 5am Sunday morning, the Mary's are conversing, before coffee even, and decide the show must go on, storm of the century or not, and off we go, me and Mary, over to Mary's and some UKI agility in beautiful, scenic Turlock. Maybe you've been there. Perhaps when touring the cheese factory in Hilmar? Or the nut packing warehouse in Gustine? You ever see me and Mary, we don't look like big hellraising daredevils. Mary is a mother of 3. Kids in graduate school. Very well read. I wear striped track bottoms with frayed cuffs and don't always brush my hair. We are always punctual, drive sensible and well maintained vehicles, and say please and thank you a lot. And we both decide the same thing. To HELL with you, Momentous Predicted Weather Event, we're going to dog agility.


The facts. 2 courses. Jumpers, in UKI, called Speed Stakes, and Standard, in UKI, called, Agility. There was an ulterior motive, besides having a fun agility day. Turlock is where Gustavo has had some major freakouts, so getting him in a ring with rewards, today our good pal Tupperware, worth risking the Individual Storm Event Jet Stream as Powerful as They Come on This Planet, Anyway.


Official Team Small Dog review? All systems go, UKI Agility. First of all. Not even raining. Due to UKI agility? Quite possibly so. Many people scared away due to Potential Prodigious Precipitation? More time for us to run before said rain drops started to fall. Very fun courses with a little different feel than USDAA. Right up our alley. No table in Agility! Fun Speed Stakes of much running which made me realize, holy smokes am I out of shape.


Gustavo? So excellent! Can you see me hopping up and down here? Just don't watch my stomach jiggling. Trying to get in shape starting now so I do not need to go purchase granny Spanx as part of dog agility underwear replacement for sexy thong, and also of the super joy of his excellence. No freakouts, runouts, distractions. Only a singular bobble in a speed stakes run where, very interestingly, I lost my visual peripheral connection with him behind a wing on a long straight line, and he went stressy for a moment, then after I gathered him back into sight, off like a rocket. He ran every run with his super rocket blaster speed, hit all contacts, missed only 1 pole entry, and teeter totters? No problem.


Otterpop? Good god, Otterpop. Keep running like this and I'm not kidding. We are buying a plane ticket in October to Kentucky, just me and you. On a plane. Scarey. Worse than snakes on a plane, bringing an Otterpop in a tote bag. Do they even let her kind through security? A quandry for another day. Otterpop, I couldn't ask for anything faster, better, tighter, than how you ran today. Running Otterpop at 8", like really. The funnest thing ever. EVAH.

Even Ruby ran around some, and loved it and will be happy to semi un-retire to make some UKI agility appearances while she can still can. She can run at 8" in UKI too, and was just so happy to get a turn or two with the other dogs.


After we ran and ran and ran, the rain finally came. Not too bad, as we drove into the storm for our long drive home. And remarked, many times, on how lucky we are.