Today we will commemorate the sizzling hotness of the day.

 
And we will commemorate it was a day when Gustavo did an agility practice while Bambi and his family grazed on dead grass just outside the field.

He did indeed see them, as did Otterpop. Otterpop will always pick agility over deer. She'll chase them in the woods, but if deer are at agility, screw 'em. As far as she's concerned, they can get a life. Not getting her time of day out to wildlife when there's agility and frisbeeing to be done.

Gustavo likes to CHASE STUFF! YAY! ALL THE TIME! But today he picked agility over the deer family. He saw them, and he got some whiffs of their nice deer smell. Smells like chicken. But I brought along his Robot, and guess what? Robot and the agility that goes along with it cancelled out the deer.

A day to commemorate.

Here's what we practiced, before it got too hot.*:

Hard weave pole entrances out of fast running tunnels. Several angles. He's winning the hard weave pole contest over Otterpop right now. Because let's make everything about competition. She can hit them better in a gamble, but he is getting all the weirdo angles at high speeds that I'm making by blasting out of straight tunnels. Otterpop is not tidy about a soft sided weave entrance with her fastest running.

A-frame with a tunnel under it at a distance drill for gambler's practice. Discriminations and gamblers and listening and turns and contacts all at once! Climb Turn Climb Turn. You know that one.

Many dogwalks! Plain and turn-tunnel. Gustavo wins! Robot out there actually made Otterpop miss several contacts. Gustavo running contact machine with deer thanks to beloved Robot.

Lots and lots of teeters. Jumps to teeters, teeters to teeters, me far, me close. Otterpop wins the me far away from teeter. I can send her from about anywhere on the field and Robot makes for one speedy teeter. Gustavo does not like me behind the teeter! Even if I'm far, he wants me running paralell to him. Training hole! We teetered a lot.

Very fast running with straight tunnel to hard threadly jumpy thingy at far end of field. As heat started to build out there in the sun. Many fails for Gustavo! Another hole! We know about this hole. When we run fast together, no matter how decely I make my decel look, he does not like to watch this and instead enjoys not doing a very tight threadle. A thing to work on more.

Hey, guess what? I'm entering some dog shows.

At first, I thought I'd be done until next year. Some days I thought, I'd be done, period. And use all my extra time for salsa dancing. Then I thought, should I just try entering Gustavo in a tiny bit more? Just to see? And still focus a lot on salsa dancing? I am taking the Lady Styling Class next. I will be working on sexy leg and doing those arm around head moves. Next thing, fringe and sequins.

I couldn't stop thinking this, fringe and sequins, so I'm entering. Dog show. Is there something wrong with me? Instead of just jumpers, we will try Grand Prix. One thing at a time. He is doing agility in the presence of hooved wildlife. Maybe he can do it in a dog show? Maybe it's the salsa dancing?

Otterpop can do gamblers. Just to see, can she get the gamble? I sure will miss entering Otterpop in shows, but the increasingly sad Otterpop at dog shows means increasingly happier Otterpop from sitting them out. Or at least happier me from not sadder Otterpop. Otterpop has been cranky lately. Bees bite her butt. She chews on her paws and attacks flies. Her attitude most of the time is unpleasant.

Except at agility practice.

Otterpop loves agility. Otterpop hates being stung by bees and salsa music. Gustavo would wear fringe and sequins if he could. I am working on my spins. We are ready for it not to be so hot.

* That's how autumn goes here. You get a few leaves go red in the trees and a chilly morning, then, blammo. October hits and one hundred degrees and the earthquakes and fires start. Califa is a place to live at your own peril. Footnotes in commemoration of David Foster Wallace. Commemorative plates all around.