Merlin's Magicians Newsletter
Ferryside Newsletter August 2011
Our season has been and gone, we had a great meeting/meal at the Bluebell in Cynwyl and made the decision that we wouldn’t compete again this year after the Champs. The minutes to this meeting follow the newsletter.
The Champs? .......... I wasn’t able to go, being still more or less housebound following my operation; Brenda took over as acting team captain. Poor Brenda didn’t finish work until 6 pm so ended up arriving extremely late at the venue in Nuneaton, the gates to the camp site were locked! Brenda doesn’t carry a mobile so wasn’t able to communicate with anyone who could give her the code to get in, she spent the night sleeping with her three dogs in her car. Not the best of starts. I think it’s quite understandable that due to tiredness, following the last race she completely forgot they were due to ‘ring party’ and went home. I have written with apologies and, explained the situation to the show secretary who completely understood. No one waited for the rosettes either, which is a shame as they are lovely and given for every team entered. On the bright side, both Billie and Deese, first time in division were faultless.
On a personal note. I am recovering well, thanks in no small way to Mike. Golden....Not only stayed and cared for my ‘home alone’ dogs whilst I was in hospital, visited every day, has only just gone back home 6 weeks later now that I have been passed as ‘doing very well’ and am allowed to start driving again. Shan’t be doing long distances yet but, hope to manage to get along to training and throw the odd two pennyworth in whilst watching. I am very, very grateful to everyone for their good wishes and special thanks to Mike (as stated) Debbie, who fostered Charlie Brown, seems I was lucky to get him back he was such a good boy, I am told, poor Roxy still misses him. Also my son & family who took in Pretzel and Dolly for the duration, Pretzel also very nearly got snatched!! How come they are so sweet and well behaved when someone else is looking after them? They all arrived home and promptly reverted to ‘mad pack’ mode!!!!
I have adopted Liz’s two pet rats, not everyone’s choice of pet but, I love rats (unless they are the wild sort and take up camping in my roof!!!) Liz hasn’t been able to give these two the attention/company they should have (due I am told to one certain dog, who wanted to kill them... Looks like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth but.......Monty!!)So they have moved in here complete with huge cage, which fills the window ledge! For some unknown reason I have called them Gizmo & Doris! Don’t ask me why, it just happened, both girls and at the moment very shy. If anyone hears of any baby rats available please let me know as I think adding a couple of friendly girls could help. Rats are very intelligent and I would expect Gizmo & Doris to learn by example. Charlie Brown has offered his services as rat protector, spends hours with his nose glued to the cage front in hopes that one of them will emerge, the slightest glimpse of a twitching nose is enough to have him quivering in anticipation of a close encounterJ He hasn’t been rewarded yet but, early days.
Post Script to this. I went into Pets at Home and was chatting up the two rats for sale, I said to the assistant that it was a shame they were boys as I was looking for a couple of girls. Haven’t I always said ‘be careful what you ask for?’ She went into the back and came back with one female rat in her hands, said the two out back were both female. What could I do? Hattie and Cloud have settled very well, Hattie is now ‘Alpha Rat’ Gizmo is her bestest friend, Cloud is a bit of a loner, although she sleeps in a huddle with the others, Doris is still a very scared little girl, but, at least I have seen her shooting ‘round occasionally so.........progress¬
Debbie has given me the photographs she has taken, over 500!!! I am busy sorting them so that I can let everyone have copies of pictures of their dogs or, indeed, themselves. I am also hoping to get a load put on our web site. Some lovely pictures of Megan when she box loaded at Kidwelly Carnival, I am going to have her as our home page star for the month.
We are putting up posters again in hopes of attracting new people.
Keep smiling, see you all soon,
June
Ceredigion Beulah Bouncers
Well - nothing to say really!
June will have said about the Champs.
Practise numbers continue to be disappointing - one day Tally could not come so it was just Brenda and me walking round the field with her dogs and Jed (I had left the others at home). We will see how the nights draw in but it will be round about the end of September that we move from a Friday night to a weekend daytime. Now here is the question - Brenda works some Saturday mornings, I have a regular event on Saturday mornings.... we would both prefer the practise to be on a Saturday simply so that it does not mean the whole weekend is spent waiting for Sunday BUT we also do not want to lose our other activities just to find there is only us 2 there! Soooo - watch the calendar for when it changes and what day it changes to. I have to parent sit for the next 2 Fridays but it is something we will be discussing at practise on 16th September.
To make a bit of light entertainment here is an account of a walk I went on with my lot when we met some people from Labrador Forums Some of you will have seen this on an email.
Our Walk at Yeovil Country Park!
Jed was happy cos he found a bottle to carry around
Cassie was happy zooming around
Reggie got very scared but then relaxed when we got to the open spaces and there were balls being thrown
You've heard the phrase "happy as a pig in s**t"? Well change it to "happy as a boxer in a cowpat"
and then there is Bo.
Fell in the water where the labradors were leaping in the pond to fetch balls, did not just turn round and climb back out but swam for "safety" which was a 4ft culvert under the path with the pond at one end (therefore not possible to go back that way as it meant more swimming) or a sheer drop down about 15ft of waterfall the other end........ so the drama culminated in 2 of us having to climb up the mossy stones of the waterfall in the downpour from it to reach in, grab a very frightened little dog and as we pulled him out swing him to the ledge where the labrador is standing in the picture.
Georgina
Minutes from Merlin’s Magicians Flyball Team meeting held at Cynwyl Elfed on Sunday 14th August in the Bluebell.
Attendees: June, Mike, Brenda, Dwysli, Debbie, Andrew, Megan, Debs, Paul, Sheryl, Pete, Del, Christine, Georgina
SUBS
Everyone attending has paid up to date
MONEY
£160.38 in the bank. A further £37 was paid in on Friday and Sheryl has £110 to pay in).
We were given £50 by Kidwelly Carnival for our display.
It was voted on and agreed that while there are sufficient funds entry fees for competitions will be paid by the club.
A new padlock was bought for the shed at Kidwelly.
CHAMPS
Brenda with Trumps and Deeze
Sheryl with Alfie
Del with Sadie
Debbie & Andrew with Freddie and Billie
June advised everyone that it is possible to ask for wings during the warmup session just to remind the dogs what they are meant to be doing.
They are due to race on Friday 19th – 8.30 a.m. start!
FUTURE
Most of the competitions are long way away, taking a lot of time and fuel money to get to them. June will look through all listings for next year covering as far as Oxford and Cheshire. All agreed that the event hosted by the Chilli Peppers in Cheshire was a small, friendly venue and not so far to travel to as the other Cheshire ones.
Red lights – June to clarify the exact rules on re-running for a red light, whether it is the 2nd light for a team that carries on or the 3rd. Some confusion between what judges are saying and what we understood – apparently the rulings changed recently.
Dogs have to re-run in the order they faulted in – so if the first dog to fault has not been caught but there is another dog to re-run, the second dog still has to wait for the first one.
AOB
Sheryl is donating a shed to use at Beulah – although the equipment can stay in Brenda’s barn it does still have to be transported across the road in several trips so storing in the fields will make it easier to set up for practise.
Brenda has taken on the role of Multibreed Captain now Sarah has retired.
Pontadawe Arena is building a new facility and when it has been completed we may be able to run a starter competition there.
There were suggestions of a Dog Show to raise funds and awareness. Ideas to be submitted next meeting.
September – instead of competitions outside the area it was agreed that on 24th there will be a training day/mini competition at Brenda’s so that all the dogs can get a bit of experience running against ones they do not normally see and also have a fun day. Brenda’s postcode is SA38 9QP. When you get to Beulah (Ceredigion, not the other one!) if you get lost turn by Post Office and just look for the school which is just down from the main road. Go past the school (on your right), past the big newish houses (on your right) and take the first lane on the left (telegraph pole on the corner). Brenda’s is the first house on the right, flyball etc will be set up in the fields opposite the house.
Megan – did a brilliant job of box-loading at the Chilli Pepper event so got a round of applause.
Beulah – we are short of members, Georgina to get a poster made up and Sheryl will laminate it. Del will put one at Poppit Sands which is popular with dogwalkers, we will think of other places for it as well.
NEXT MEETING
Sunday 27th November at the Bluebell, meeting starting 10.30 and then carvery.
