Our quilt bonus baskets are going to be super,
thanks to everyone's generosity.
We had listers bringing their donations and drop them off;
it was so neat to meet some of the generous people and
watch the basket grow and grow.
The Airedale is a Woolie-Dale.
On Friday, CAROL WALKER writes:
Just got back in late last night from WOTA.
What an incredible bunch of people!
We marched in the RESCUE PARADE and
never have we had such an awesome experience with Rescue.
Parade participants received a certificate, a gorgeous medallion,
a beautiful rosette, and a beautiful tote filled with goodies.
There were 'dales of all sizes and coats.
Our Connor was a curly, poodley 'dale.
Oh, and there was such a large Rescue boy in the parade!
He was probably 30" easy at the shoulder
and had a beautiful black saddle.
Very woolly, sweet and calm. I'm sorry I can't
remember his name or his mom's.
Maybe someone could let us know if they remember.
We hung out with the Canadians part of the time.
Very fun and sweet people.
The English manor-style hotel was beautiful and the staff wonderful.
They didn't even bat an eye when I asked for three ice buckets
instead of just one. They even brought me an extra one
plus extra towels without being asked.
Behind the hotel was a huge field that had a pond and stretched
far up on top of a hill. This is where many Airedales and their humans
met for a romp and chatter. We were joined by Sue Forrester,
co-author of Emma's Journey. I had read her book earlier
so I was so impressed with getting to actually meet her.
She is so interesting to talk to and so sweet and friendly.
I also got to meet Mary Lou Dewar with her Cash.
What a loving person! And Cash was so friendly and adorable.
Dick, her hubby, was also the sweetest guy. I think this event was
one of the nicer I've ever attended and, hopefully,
the club will do it again soon.
Also on Friday, MARTI TOUCHSTONE
writes:
Gee, it's been hard to find time to report!
This has been a real marathon!
I'm trying to ration my free time and not wallow in reading
everything on the list, which I'd rather do, and will try
to keep to reporting. My activities and duties ended yesterday,
so today is kind of gravy. I started looking at the pictures yesterday
and was entralled - gotta get a copy of the one of John with Pixi
in her pirate suit! But in the midst of John & I poring over them,
Pixi decided she needed to get in there to look and managed to
disconnect the computer with her nose.
Anyway, I think I left off with the surprise arrival of Lydia & Joey
right before the OBEDIENCE TRIALS on Tuesday morning.
The OBEDIENCE TRIALS, and everything else, have been held outside,
which was a detail I managed to miss in the pre-event publicity.
I have to admit the conditions were pretty bad weather-wise -
VERY windy with tents flapping, stuff blowing and it became necessary
to try to ameliorate the disaster by switching rings half way through,
BUT the OBEDIENCE TRIALS did have a distinctive aire of Airedale-style
obedience nonetheless. Out of 38 entries, there were three qualifiers,
all in the novice B class . . . I think the statistics at a Border Collie specialty
might have looked a little different. And I'm sorry to say,
Pixi was not amongst them. She held it together until the last exercise,
which was the recall. Ran straight to me, then executed a right-hand turn
at my feet and headed toward the exit. Technically, I am the one who
NQed her by calling her back, as the judge pointed out, but I KNEW
what was going through the space between her two ears:
"That's the last one; we're out of here!"
And, actually, the wind was blowing so hard that I thought the judge
had told me to call her back. The conditions were bad, but no excuses.
Pixi has three CDs; she could have done it in a typhoon if she
hadn't decided to take things into her own paws and move it along.
MELANIE FINDLAY writes:
Hi, everyone! It's Melanie & Idgy!
I am SOOOOO SOOOOO proud of her!
We are headed out the door for Benton Harbor, Michigan,
a seven-hour drive! This week has been SO fun,
and our listers are the most gracious people in the world!
Got a great video of the DRILL TEAM, and you will be overwhelmed
by the pictures we all took!
So, see ya at home! It's been a fabulous week!
Historical! (and hysterical!)
MARTI continues:
Mel just stopped by to say good-by. John left this morning.
I'm just kind of waiting around for Sue to finish up working
at the ATRA tent and to have a final dinner with Joey & Lydia tonight -
but most of the other listers have left and the CONFORMATION folks
who have come in are a sea of strangers.
Anyway, after DRILL TEAM practice and OBEDIENCE on Tuesday,
the real fun began - one fabulous afternoon orchestrated
by a wonderful, wonderful ATCA board member named Samantha Curran.
The PARADE OF RESCUES was a real tear jerker and
in the midst of it I heard someone yell, "Hiiiiiiiiiiii, Marti!"
I knew immediately that it had to be the
oh-so-lovely Mary Gade & Milt and
the dogs of RMARC (Rocky Mountain Airedale Rescue of Colorado).
Soooooooooooo many wonderful beautiful 'dales.
Then we had the AIRE OLYMPICS, also orchestrated and conceived
by Samantha & Dale Burrier, with help from Linda Bell,
Linda Threlkeld, Kim Burrier, Samantha's husband Dick Berg
& John. I MC'd that too, right up until the last event
which was knock down the bowling pins and I knew Pixi was a natural
and had to be an entrant; that dog can walk across the living room
and hit every piece of furniture. Sure enough, she bowled a strike,
but came in second in a run-off with someone who used
some questionable tactics, if you ask me.
And then there was the COSTUME PARADE which was incredible.
You should have seen Mel & Idgy, Mary Giese & Harriet
and everyone else. It was toooooooo hilarious. The costumes were
absolutely glorious and I bet Sally & Shelley got some great pics.
After a 12-hour day in the sun and wind, I can't remember
ever being as tired as I was Tuesday night. Mary, Christie, Linda C.,
Yvonne Michalak, Mary Lou & Dick, a few new friends
and John & I all collapsed in the hotel dining room for a quick dinner.
Oh heck, I'm really out of time again. Gotta get over to the show site
and pick up some SSAR merchandise that I have no idea how
I'm going to get home in an already-packed-to-the-hilt car.
I think all the very hard-working rescue volunteers
have been disappointed in sales.
I know it has been awfully slow for SSAR.
Sooooooooo hard to know what will sell. Soooooooooo
hard to buy
what you haven't seen. I fronted the money for 75 screaming monkeys
that sold like hotcakes for Greyhound rescue and which aren't
doing much at this show at all. Big sigh.
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