Merlin's Magicians October 2009 Newsletter
The Carmarthenshire Chargers, the team Sue, Liz and Myself were with prior to the formation of ‘Merlin’s Magicians’, have changed their name, they are now the ‘Welsh Warriors’ www.welshflyball.weebly.com They competed in the Starter division at the Wolf Pack’s Tournament, Wythall, Birmingham, they were on the Sunday and as we were there on the Saturday I don’t know how they did. We wish them every success under the new name. They still train at Llangadog, Llandovery Sundays afternoons. Fiona would be happy to hear from you if you want to give Flyball a try in that area. Fiona is their team captain and is at present running her dog Ferris with the Swifts, in division.
I completed the piece for Carmarthenshire Life, sent off with photographs, and am looking forward to seeing what they do. I think the magazine comes out November/December. Had a bit of a job getting the photographs, the Starlight ones were, from necessity taken indoors and the lighting isn’t that good. Plus it was raining outside and we were all dressed for that.
However, I played with the pictures, and hopefully, lightened up a group picture showing all the dogs and owners plus one of Lady flying over the jumps, sufficiently, to make them usable.
Ferryside? Well, on the Sunday it was just awful weather, wet and the sort of mist that stopped you seeing the length of a Flyball run! So photographs were impossible. I rang Mr Burns who kindly said it was alright for us to go up on the Monday morning. You wouldn’t believe the difference, the sun was shining, and the sky was blue……….. Like a different world!
But nothing ever goes completely according to plan does it? Liam, who was taking the pictures, didn’t get the setting 100% right and the action shots were slightly blurred. (only his second attempt with the new camera) Anyway, the still shots and the group are super. One of Pip on the box, and the group have gone off to help illustrate the piece.
Liam has strict instructions to go practice on the cars speeding along his road ready for next time!
Talking about Liam, although he was/is so very much better, he now has pleurisy! One wonders if he will ever completely regain his former health. He is costing the NHS a fortune in antibiotics and if I wasn’t already grey I would have gone grey, if you know what I mean?
I have had written ‘bits’ about more of the dogs so they can now go on the site, those of you who haven’t yet managed to put pen to paper, ‘come on’ all our dogs deserve to be there.
Our first Saturday session at Bryn Iwen was a real let down, only two people! But the second more than made up for it, we had a good Flyball session with 5 dogs including Jess who came with her owner June for Agility but arrived early.
Jess joined in the Flyball and within minutes was running like a pro!! All then had a go at the Agility and I think we can say had a good time. Weather permitting the Saturday sessions will carry on throughout the winter, and hopefully beyond. Might have to start a bit earlier when the clocks change as last week we didn’t finish until 5ish.
It will be dark by then won’t it? The Ferryside group is going to ‘do’ Bryn Iwen once a month so that we can run two lanes Flyball for ‘proper’ distraction work.
Bit of a shock Sunday 26th October, arrived at the field in Ferryside to find it padlocked!!! I telephoned Mr Burns and left a message on his mobile. Unfortunately by the time he got back to me with, sincere apologies for having forgotten us, and the combination almost everyone had left. So we missed our Sunday ‘adrenaline fix’. We do understand why the field has to be locked as building work has commenced and valuable machinery etc is left there over the weekend. A new person came with her Golden Retriever, but she said she will be back next week.
Life’s never dull is it? Keep smiling everyone,
June