New pictures

It seems like forever since I've gone out and taken pictures of Vinnie. I cut all his hair off in September and hated it the minute I did it. Good thing Vinnie's hair grows FAST! The continental is back and I do love him in this cut. Vinnie got a bath and a shave this morning, so we had to go out for some pictures since the sun was actually out! Winter is coming, but we're going to enjoy this while we can.

Vinnie with all his "big hair" - no bands:

A little more presentable with bright neon bands:

Vinnie got some awesome pumpkin treats and an Orbee ball in the doggy gift exchange last night at the party. He used to have an Orbee ball, but somehow, we've lost it. It was bright pink and blue and I'm not sure how we could have lost something that bright. This one actually glows in the dark!! No losing it! Thanks Tammy!!

This is just sooooo Vinnie:

Happy ICDOC!!!

Happy Birthday! Happy PACH! Happy MACH!

If you had something to celebrate this weekend, we had a cake for the occasion!!

We celebrated Frank's PACH and PAX2 with pink champagne cake:

We celebrated Punkin's MACH2 with a white/chocolate mix:
We celebrated Don's birthday with pink champagne:
and a bar for everyone to sign for the birthday boy!!
(seriously, does he look like he's going to be 80 next week???)
We had to have a "special cake table". Michele even got us 600 forks!!! That's a lot of forks and a lot of eating cake. There were more cakes on Saturday and Sunday. I have never seen so many cakes at one trial. It was fabulous!!

We had a photographer at the trial and I got a whole disk of Vinnie photos - I never get shots of my own dogs running, so it was awesome!!

I was so happy with Vinnie this weekend. We both had a great time. There were NO hot laps!! He didn't Q Friday or Saturday, but saved two Qs for Sunday finishing his Novice standard and Open jumpers titles.

For a good laugh...

For a good laugh on a cold, rainy, December day...

My little rockstar!

We are back from the Muscatine trial and it was an awesome weekend. There were MACHs and PACHs and PAXs everywhere!! We signed bars and ate cake. I think we have a serious cake addiction. Ever read any of the Stephanie Plum mysteries by Janet Evanovich? Stephanie Plum has nothing on us. Sydney's cake was gone by 9am! Frank promises to bring supplement cake to ICDOC!

Frank was a total rock star this weekend! We ran at a place he completely HATES (ask him... he'll tell ya!). Last year he got three 2Qs and only six points. The theory in Frank's world is that if you move slowly, the boogie man can't get you. So far, it's worked for him. No boogie man has been spotted at Iowa trials. This weekend he finished his PACH, PAX2, MXP5 and MJP5!

Davenport

The boys were rockin' awesome this weekend. Frank 2Q'd both days. Vinnie finished his Novice Jumpers and moved on to Open and got the first leg today. We had tons of cake and more food than was good for us. Now it's time to sit back and watch Desperate Housewives!!

Trick or Treat!!!

Happy Halloween from the Punk Poodle!!

Des Moines...

The agility trial was at the new Jacobson Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds this weekend and it's fantastic. We didn't freeze. In fact, the weather was fabulous! We had thought about camping, but decided it was a bit risky with weather. We ended up at the Motel 6 on NE 14th. It's cheap and well worth the entertainment! It has a certain aura to it. You'll just have to experience it for yourself. Would I stay there again? You betcha! The rooms were nice and the neighbors plentiful and exotic!!

Agility was great. The building was spacious and not freezing cold!! There was no outside food allowed, but "contraband" food was plentiful (or you could just make a trip outside to your van). Unless, of course, you wanted to pay $4.00 for a pop.

Frank was wonderful and 2Q'd all three days this weekend. Vinnie, on the other hand, was a learning experience!! We definitely have some things to work on. By today, we finally found something that worked for us.

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Happy 9th Birthday to Frank and Betty!! Here's a little blast from the past... a litter of seven named after the glamorous era of movie stars:

Ch Razzo Femme Fatale Bellagio JC (Ava)
Ch Razzo Pin-Up Girl Bellagio AX, MXJ, NJP, NF (Betty)
Ch Razzo Blondebombshell Bellagio RAE, JC, NJP (Marilyn)
Ch Razzo Big Screen Bad Boy Bellagio (Bogie)
Razzo Dobiegillis Bellagio (Dobie... the boy without a tail)
Razzo Chairman Of The Board Bellagio MX, MXJ, MXP4, MJP4, PAX, OF (Frank)
Razzo Screen Siren Bellagio JC (Sophia)

(you can't miss Frank - he's the one in all the pictures with the big white mark on the back of his neck)

At eight months old (left to right):
Mom Emma, Betty, Dad Pinto, Ava, Sophia, Dobie, Bogie and Frank
(Marilyn was in Minnesota)

Good Weekend!!

The boys had a great weekend. Frank Q'd five out of six times (number six was totally my fault! Sorry Frank!!). Vinnie ran in jumpers on Saturday and Sunday and did great!! We NQ'd on Saturday cause I was too busy running and not doing enough watching. Sorry Vinnie!! Sunday we managed to get it all together!



Good boy Vinnie!!!

Hotel Time...

Tammy and I decided (ok I really didn't want to set up my tent for one night in that crappy weather!!) to get a hotel room and ended up at a "remodeled" Motel 6. They changed up their color scheme a bit and put in laminate floors. Really smart idea for the floors. I am sure they are much easier to clean. There wasn't much room to potty the dogs, but it was cheap and clean. Should I mention the enormous Great Dane that arrived in a TINY sports car? I wonder where he pottied??? Vinnie and Seeker enjoyed getting a room too!!

Rochester

Saturday and Sunday, Tammy and I were in Rochester, Minnesota for an agility trial. We braved the wind and rain (ok... we hid out in her van while it was poring down and got a hotel room instead of camping). I didn't run a dog, but did get some photos. These are a few of my favorites (the rest of the photos can be seen at www.inflightphotog.com)

Vinnie's Day-But

Well, it finally happened... I ran Vinnie at a trial. He was brilliant. He took a spill on Saturday in a slick spot on course and I carried him off. Everything was fine - just a little shaken (me more than him!). Sunday we managed to run the whole course without injury!! Yeah!!!

Trick Training...

doesn't always go as planned... sometimes it goes better!

Off with his hair!

I decided to take a bunch of hair off of Vinnie, but first wanted a few head shots. Not sure what the next "hair style" is going to be. I may just grow the HCC back out again for fall/winter. It was just getting too hot and hairy for summer.

First Full Course

Today is actually the first time Vinnie has ever run a full course. He did awesome. I, however, need a LOT of improvement!! Tammy was kind enough to set up a Novice JWW course for us to run. We ran it the "right" way and ran it backwards the second time.

Wishing you all a safe and happy 4th of July weekend!!

Dog Dreams Toys

Vinnie loves his egg babies. He will always love his egg babies. They have a special place in his heart. BUT, it's really really hard to play tug with an egg baby. Meet Vinnie's newest love - his sheepskin tuggie:

I was looking for a ring shaped tug and found Marjorie Trebino and her Dog Dreams Toys. Marjorie makes the best toys out of sheepskin and rabbit.

I convinced her to make a ring toy for me as I find them easier to hang on to when Vinnie is tugging. This is what she came up with and we LOVE it!!

Thanks Marjorie!!!

Air Conditioning...

Vinnie style...

For Michele...

Vinnie made a new friend today. I don't think they are friends anymore...

Have a safe and fun Memorial Day Weekend!!!

Not quite finished...

The perennial garden is getting done, slowly but surely. I have gotten a bunch of Hostas from Tammy and am going to get more this weekend from Dad. In the meantime, I have gotten a few fill in plants here and there to give the shade gardens some color. I edged it in some cheap pound in plastic edging to keep the mulch in place until we can put in landscaping stone to match the front porch.

This is the before (ok... midway, when I remembered to take a picture):

And the after - I still need to put three to four more Hostas in here to fill it in.

Thanks Uncle Jeff!!!

Vinnie wants to send a big Thank You to his favorite Uncle Jeff for his new weave poles!! Aren't they pretty??? We even got blue poles to match the rest of the equipment.

Of course, Vinnie had to try them out right away:

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

Plants!!!

I have not done any planting at this house other than the annuals I put at the front of the house. I did put some perennials in last fall in front of the porch - we'll see if those come up. This weekend, however, was the weekend to plant!! I went out to Tammy's Friday and we (ok... she did all the digging, but I'm pretty good at splitting!) got a bunch of Hostas dug up and split. I want to put Hostas under the edge of the new deck. It's the perfect place - as long as Vinnie doesn't realize they are there and start excavating!

One of Tammy's Hostas - very happy to be a "town Hosta" out of the wind!

I am starting a shade garden up front where the corner of the porch meets the house. I have a few pots for annuals and planted three of the "Tammy Hostas" in that area. Today I took a little trip to Menard's for gloves (tore a hole in my other pair) and wandered into the plant area and three plants jumped in my cart (there were spice drops that jumped into my cart too - it can happen!).

I got a Columbine (I think it's going to be purple-ish), a Forget-Me-Not and a very cute little baby Hosta with very cute little leaves (it didn't have to work too hard to jump in my cart - it's adorable).

This is the Columbine:

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter everyone!!!


He has no idea what I have planned for the next few holidays...

Thirteen!!

Happy 13th Birthday Robin!!! Here's to many more big guy!!

Good boy Vinnie!

Vinnie and I went to a three day obedience/rally trial this weekend and Vinnie got his RN!! I am very proud of him. We definitely have some homework! He is so distracted by things around him on the floor - especially dust/hair (or a random hole in the mat!). I would think he'd be used to dust bunnies since we train in the living room a lot - apparently not, as he felt the need to EAT one on Sunday during our turn in the ring. Does this mean I have an excuse to stop sweeping?

Sheryl McCormick got this great shot of him on Saturday (thanks Sheryl!!):

Deck!!!

It's done!!! I have wanted to put a deck on the back of the house from the moment I bought it almost two years ago, so Uncle Sam bought me one this year. As you can see from the before photos, there is a slope right out the back door down to the yard. The goal was for the deck to cover up that slope. Mission accomplished!!

Before:

Progress!!

Robin inspecting the work... There is/was a cement step at the back door that was a bit too high for the deck, so they shaved a bit off the top to accommodate the decking:

And the final product - it's about 10 feet by 27 feet long - a really nice size. There is only one on/off the deck - next to the back door. I didn't want a bunch of foot/paw traffic to create a muddy spot on the yard, so you have to go off the deck onto the sidewalk (which is probably the next project... any volunteers?).

Now I need a nice warm day to sit out on my deck and read a book!!