Monday, August 15, 2011

Seeing Life Through Rose Colored Glasses......

Candy from Training Border Collies sports really cool rose colored lens sun glasses and swears by them.  She says they make panels "pop" and help with depth perception.  In an effort to do all to improve my course vission....I decided to try them.  Here is what I have found....they not only help make the course "pop" but they make the glass look half full instead of half empty, people appear to wear smiles and not frowns, and well, the world really does look better through rose colored glasses.

To celebrate the fledglings leaving the nest, my new reader glasses, and the fact I am hovering at 174 for the finals but did get into Lacamas! I am doing a give away......




These are Bolle Sunglasses...that can be fitted with vermilion (rose in English) lenses.  Of course the frame does not have to be pink....

These white frames are pretty cool (if not out of focus!)....but I stick to traditional and wear black frames...rose lenses...and people stare. 


Here is how the give-away goes:

When I started working with friends and their dogs.....I wanted to make a Rocking Dog Ranch book of excuses.  When anybody gave a really good excuse, I always threatened to make them go write it in my book and sign their name. 

The best one was when my friend, she whom I will not name, came out with her corgi and my grass was a little tall. After a less than stellar outrun, "she" looked at me and told me her dog could not see the sheep with the tall grass.  I found myself on the ground, head laying sideways, looking at the sheep through the grass and saying, "funny, but I can see them just fine!"  After a round of laughter that left us crying, sides hurting, and neighbors wondering, I asked for a hand up and "she" just walked away mumbling something like..good luck with that.

So give it to me.  What is the best excuse you have ever used or heard used?  I'll stick all the responses in a hat and draw a name and then you too can be seeing life through rose colored glasses.  Be sure to identify yourself so I can let you know when you win.

Make today  Rosey! 

Seize the Day!

ps "she" feel free to copy and past my excuse story into the comments and use it for your entry if you like........
Posted by at

24 comments:

  1. BillyAugust 15, 2011 at 7:50 AM

    Cool post Lora! I struggle with two excuses currently, one private, one I can go public with....I really dread/hate/abhor/(fear) dealing with the llamas! Lately it's been dampening my enthusiasm for training, working, or even just running (for conditioning) my dogs at our one field. I know why they are there...I just hate dealing with them. To be honest they do somewhat scare me even though I have been around horses all my life. My goal is to get more comfortable around them but for now it is likely an excuse...much like tall grass. Which is another topic...but I want in the hat for those glasses! Anything Candy has I want! ;-) LOL have a good one...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Phantom Ridge Border ColliesAugust 15, 2011 at 7:50 AM

    Once in Novice I was giving wrong flanks almost ever second time. As I walked off I passed the judge and told him my pony tail was too tight. He was rolling around laughing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KatyAugust 15, 2011 at 8:24 AM

    So far my best excuse has been that I accidentally spent too much time with a bitch in heat before trying to run Pat in practice. He humped my leg for at least 100 yards across Patrick's field. I'd peel him off, lay him down, and walk a few feet away - send him. He'd rush straight to my leg and hump. Over and over again. He didn't even SEE the sheep until we were close enough to smell their confusion.

    That's an excuse I hope to never employ again, though it was a good one. I think.

    ReplyDelete
  4. susanAugust 15, 2011 at 8:26 AM

    "My dog did not get around the sheep , because a member of the set-out crew was wearing a scary hat."

    ReplyDelete
  5. MoniqueAugust 15, 2011 at 11:33 AM

    I LOVE this post.

    Last year at the open handlers' clinic at Fidos, I was running the course with Lucy and we had a great thing going. I hadn't yet sent my dog to turn the panel because I reckoned the sheep weren't through yet. Sc*tt Glen was standing next to me and barked "turn her, send her NOW" -- so of course I did - and MISSED the panel short.

    So my excuse for missing panels is "I was just doing what Sc*tt TOLD me to!!"

    Of course he has never lived that one down. I think every handler under the tent was howling with laughter at his shocked expression as the sheep turned short LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownAugust 15, 2011 at 1:25 PM

    When one of my runs went horribly bad, as I was leaving the post , I pointed to me and then told the judge...."Look who Tess is saddled with and she tried well in spite of her handicap".....I swear he about peed his pants laughing"...he asked what the handicap number was and I told him it was off the charts.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousAugust 15, 2011 at 1:35 PM

    Just got an email from a friend..."my guard dog ate my whistle" LOL! So was that your excuse, friend...or one you heard used? Sounds so much like my dog ate my homework! Thaks for playing ...... this is fun!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AdeleAugust 15, 2011 at 1:45 PM

    Well, darn! You've already used my excuse. BTW...Beau says "Hmph! You try being a Corgi with little dwarf legs" :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. abcollieAugust 15, 2011 at 3:29 PM

    I must need new glasses ... I only see panels not all the good things you seem to see :@)

    Good Luck at Lacamas!

    ReplyDelete
  10. DonieneAugust 15, 2011 at 7:19 PM

    I've only been trialing a year, but I like the one "the judge made me do it!" At the Novice handlers meeting at our last spring trial the judge told us that "three times around the pen and you're out". So, sent my dog, 20 on the outrun, perfect stop on top, 10 on the lift, one correction flank and 19 on the fetch and you guessed it three times around the pen and I retired at the pen!!! Had the class won and walked away!!! So, it was the judges fault. He did tell me not to take him literally - he felt bad, but I was proud of my dog - it was pilot error!! Maybe the rose colored glasses will help me see the light and not always take everything the judge says literally!!!!

    Have a goo run at Lacamas!

    Blessings

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousAugust 15, 2011 at 10:07 PM

    I have a couple actually if that's okay... BTW I don't use these but I've heard them: This is Derek BTW,

    !. My dog stopped to sniff the set out dog!! I swear that set out dog was in heat!!! (said by a handler who runs a bitch)

    2. "Well my dog gripped because all I do is work cattle... and that makes them "tough"" The sheep were dog broke dude!

    3. "My dog couldn't find the sheep because she jumped in the creek before her run and got water in her eye!" (that one I heard at my first trial... the outrun was 250 yards)

    4. "Hey how did your run go?" asked a one handler to another, to which she replied "I had the trial won!!! Until he gripped...." "Oh what happened?!?!" said the inquiring handler... "Well one sheep bolted off and he took her down! I swear that judge just doesn't like me! That sheep clearly needed to be taught a lesson!" replied the disgruntled handler. "Oh I'm so sorry!" replied the inquiringly sympathetic handler, "where did this clear display of injustice occur?!" to which the would be champion replied "just before the fetch gates!" But remember readers, she had it won until he gripped....

    ReplyDelete
  12. Amy CoapmanAugust 16, 2011 at 6:36 AM

    OK, I'll bite. I got a million of 'em anyway, but one of my favorites was the time I was running Katie (who had a bit of a grippy reputation, not entirely undeserved) at a lovely trial in NE Oregon under Jack Knox. The sheep were pretty testy and the field was not huge but was tricky. Katie managed to fetch her sheep and turn them on the driveaway when one ewe tried to make a break for it; somehow the ewe wound up in the air and I SWEAR SHE FELL ON MY DOG!!! I was very disappointed to hear Jack's "Thank You" as it was clearly the sheep's fault that she wound up on top of Katie. Other well-known State of Jefferson trialers were witnesses and can corroborate this story. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Charlotte JacksonAugust 16, 2011 at 10:35 AM

    When asked why didn't I bring all the sheep in from the field I responded with I didn't know you wanted ALL of them....

    ReplyDelete
  14. Laura CarsonAugust 16, 2011 at 11:42 AM

    Lets see... used by me once - "We spent the night in a camper with three bitches in standing heat. AND my dog got too cold. I got too cold. Both of our brains were scrambled."

    One I hear a lot: "My dog thought the set out dog was a sheep."

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousAugust 16, 2011 at 12:49 PM

    I heard....I "forgot" to put the sheep through the second fetch gate in the International Supreme Final.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Pat GrannanAugust 16, 2011 at 12:55 PM

    Not my excuse but one my dogs used "Well that handler of ours - he just aint very good !"

    ReplyDelete
  17. T YamamotoAugust 16, 2011 at 3:14 PM

    Ok here is my excuse
    Sweep the broom is pushy because he lives with a Sicilian.

    I wanted to move up to Open because I thought it was free.

    I am sorry I cannot speak English- Told to the Scottish Judge at Ewesful Acres.

    Have fun at Lacamas! :D

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousAugust 16, 2011 at 5:45 PM

    This one just came in and I am posting for said friend...."This from Luke, himself, when I looked into his soft, brown eyes shortly after being DQ'd for gripping (Ok that's being nice... he grabbed on and didn't want to let go!) on the drive away and I asked him "Why, why my sweet Luke, did you bite that ewe????" Luke: "I didn't WANT to bite that old hag..er.. I mean sweet ol' ewe but...ummm... she had...ummm a, oh yeah, she had a big, GIANT horse fly on her nose and I didn't want IT to bite her!!!" Gotta love such a compassionate BC!!! :)"

    Oh good...what a nice dog...taking care of horseflys!

    ReplyDelete
  19. BCxFourAugust 17, 2011 at 10:06 PM

    I never told anyone this. Two years I was at the post (novice/novice) my bra strap felt funny, so I reached over and slid it back up into place - when suddenly it snapped and that cup slipped all the way down. Due to size of my how shall I say this ... 'blessings' the results were verrrrrry obvious. I had one girl up and one girl a'floppin'. I was too scared to lift up my stick, or even reach for the rope at the pen. As Beth brought the sheep past me and chased them to the exhaust (not listening to my lie down's) I turned and asked the judge if I could have a rerun because my bra just broke. Between guffaw's and laughter she shook her head and said "sorry".

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousAugust 23, 2011 at 7:39 AM

    Another entry on how a stop/blow out whistle actually pulled the dog in...although somehow this one is a little weak as it is more an observation and idea on clearer training. This person is not a very good or creative excuse maker!

    ReplyDelete
  21. AnonymousAugust 23, 2011 at 8:37 AM

    Mine is agility related, but said by my son... I was going to do that, give my dog a reward, front cross, etc, but you interrupted me and now all is ruined!

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousAugust 23, 2011 at 9:28 AM

    Ever had a bad show dog excuse? well here goes. Quote " I don't like living with my brother in Vegas and I can't get a job because I can't leave my dog, because she will have to go outside." heared that one at the last show haha! Mekenna Smith

    ReplyDelete
  23. Bonnie BAugust 23, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    Ah, mine happened at a recent trial--amongst many other well thought out excuses. I was having a run, got in off of the fetch (major accomplishment LOL!) I was making what I thought was a nice turn and one of my ewes slipped and fell. Fine…but she got herself cast on a little hump and could not get up. :>) I knew things were over--but she was only 30 ft or so from me and I could not reach her. Retired and went and boosted her on her way. Sigh…. ;>)

    ReplyDelete
  24. gvmamaAugust 23, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    #1 My ribs were broken and I couldn't lift the pen gate!
    #2. I have California dogs. They aren't used to running on 'grass,'
    #3. I was hung over :0)

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)