well, it's been close to an eon since i last wrote here. so to catch up. my first session as an agility instructor draws to a close tomorrow evening unless the ever elusive rain puts in an appearance. i believe there's a better chance today than tomorrow, but who knows. it's been fun and rather informative for me. i now have a better grasp on what i don't know. not that i suddenly know what i don't know, i just have a better feel for it.

critter update. laurens is thrilled that it's acorn season. i bring them home for him and they skitter around on the hardwood floors while he chases after them. and i pulled out a new stuffed ball with a tail and ears toy for him. i have no idea what else to call it. it has tiny little felt ears and those are the first things to be attacked and subsequently destroyed. dix is recovering from an ear infection and it barely slowed her down of course. she's been loving the cooler mornings when we actually have them--great for tennis ball fetching. she's also been on several good hikes lately where she manages to find mud even in this drought. she must be part pig or hippo since she automatically heads for the mud to lie down in to cool off.

i'm listening to caroline myss's energy anatomy cds and i'm halfway through. really interesting stuff. and i'm reading some good ya fiction about dragons. i'm not running, but i am getting to jazzercise. i'm hoping to get reiki II training sometime in the next few months. i'm also hoping to up my receipt of bodywork and start getting a session a week, whether it's massage or reiki or thai yoga massage, etc. and a painting class has to be in the works for me soon. after seeing the morris louis exhibit at the hirschhorn in dc, woo, do i want to be doing some big colorful stuff. and i'm just dying to get travelling. lots to get done. time to make some more lists. i thought i'd be doing the artist's way with marg, but she declined. and i have made it so far as to be back at my morning pages, just not stressing if it's not every morning.

and that's about it for now.

well, it's been a bit...agility is now in full swing for the fall. 3 trips to earlysville a week, to assist, take and teach class. such fun meeting new people and dogs and seeing the ones i already know but haven't seen in some time. dix is thrilled just to take a trip to eville, even if she doesn't get to do much other than sit in the car. another trial coming up at the end of the month to look forward to.

this weather is spectular! crisp, cool nights and mornings, with days that don't really get to 70. and laurens tearing around the house from window to window watching everything. he loves the cool weather. gotta get the screened porch fixed so he can have that outlet again. trying to still get out to run in the ams, but it's just so dark and chilly. but, i have gotten back to jazzercise! sure missed that. nothing beats a workout to good music that's really just like you're out dancing with friends.

been doing some thinking and it's time for another round with Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way." i've done the book 5 times now i think, and every time i do it, i take a leap forward in my life. and i 'm thinking it's time for another leap. and maybe it'll be in a new direction for a change. not that i don't like my life, i just feel like it's time to move on to the next level or path or whatever. gotta check in with my sister marg and see if she's still up for doing the book together. i'm looking forward to the artist dates. filling up the creative well. gotta do it.

what a lovely weekend. saturday was cool and clear. ran my 4 miles in great time. had a bite to eat and headed out to hike with the dogs. we had the viszla crew with us for the long weekend and the three dogs were so excited when they realized where we were going. dix squealed for the last couple of miles and ellie felt the need to join her in the back seat, leaving sholti alone in the way-back. it was a lovely day for a hike. lots of birds active and tons of spiders i had to apologize to for knocking down their webs. the dogs were thrilled to be romping. and ellie managed to find something stinky to roll the side of her head in. she got the gunk, i think some sort of scat, in her ear she was so enthusiastic about it. sholti only found a little to roll in. dix managed, as usual, to get a wound, her elbow this time. and when we returned home to crash for the afternoon, i found 15-20 seed ticks (you know, the ones that are smaller than little freckles) on my legs and torso, only some of which were attached. i did not find any ticks on the dogs, but if they were seed ticks, i could never find them on dix and i must have missed them on sholti and ellie. sunday's jaunt to chris greene was a repeat on the excitement about where we were going. dix squealed and this time sholti joined her in the back seat. it was a little warmer and more humid than saturday. there was no rolling in scat and there were no ticks. all in all a lovely romp.

and today the viszlas go home. dix and laurens will be sad, but pleased to have their routine back. laurens likes ellie, which i always find amusing, because he and sholti have such an odd relationship.

going to be a busy week, but a good kind of busy. all 4 now.

what is up with red light runners? every morning i see at least 2 at the same light. and i blow my horn at them since they are impeding my progress through a green light. if they put in the red light cameras our taxes would have to go down with the drastic increase in revenue just from red light runners.

enough ranting.

hot again, but hey it is august in virginia. trying to figure out a way to get to the maury in the next couple of weeks for a swim with the dog. but i'm thinking the rivers are so low, there might not be much swimming. wouldn't mind a tropical depression in virginia right about now. i know texas doesn't need the one heading its way.

also trying to figure out a way to get some basic painting lessons into my life this fall. i'm hoping i know just the person to help. loving mcguffey as i do, i think i'll be able to make it happen there. i'm just continuing to trust in the universe. as hard as that seems to be sometimes. lately i have a lot to thank the universe for and i'm finding it easier to continue trusting.

ahh, me and my philosophies.

beautiful, cool morning for a run. nothing like last week when it was more like swimming.

successful trial over the weekend. dix got 3 q's and they were all 1st places! it's not hard to get 1st when there are only 4 dogs running in your class. laurens held down the fort for the days while we were away and got his exercise running the hall in the wee hours of the mornings. that's his latest running event.

how is it that by the time august rolls around days and nights become so busy? agility classes start up next month and i'll be teaching one, kinda scary. but i know it'll be fun.

gotta get my writing group started. i need the support. i've been rereading tamora pierce this summer for inspiration. tonight i'll try to write before i sit for a few minutes of reading.

it's friday and that should mean hooray for the weekend and no work. but not this weekend. dix and i have an agility trial. should be nice and small, so not really long days. really hoping this front moves through sooner rather than later and we get a push of less humid air. still rather sticky this morning after spotty, strong storms last night. dix was pleased with the amount of rain she found in the grassy dip at the park. it was the perfect place to cool off while fetching the ball. and laurens was pleased as usual to keep watch at the front window while we were at the park. he uses the morning watch as his short rest after an early morning full of hall racing. and then once we had returned from the park, laurens was able to relax completely and become one with his sheepskin. all in all a nice, normal friday am.

greetings world! i don't know if the heat's addled my brains or if i've just decided to enter the new millenium, but whatever the reason, here's my new blog. it's hot here in the ville and the critters are none too pleased. for that matter, nor am i. ahh, august in virginia.