Times, they are a'changin''!

As the political scene heats up nationally, so are the opportunities to "shoot" sports events. Thank goodness! July and August are "dry" months each year for sports photography. Right now, I've got high school and college football, college soccer, high school fast pitch softball and high school volleyball to cover. It may sound overwhelming, but it's not! I'm having fun!

The dock diving season with the dawgs seems to be winding down. Nancy will be going with a friend and both Sally and Spud to compete in the Southern Championships held by Ultimate Air Dogs in Sand Destin, Florida, later this month.

Then, Nancy, Sally, Spud and I will journey to Milwaukee to compete in the DockDog Nationals. Neither of us have ever been to Wisconsin, and we're excited about the trip! We'll be on the road for 3 or 4 days. Sally and Spud are packing their bags right now!

Team Fire & Ice

Dock Diving in Louisburg & Chantilly

Last weekend we loaded up Sally & Spud and headed north for a couple of dock diving events, the first of which was the Super Retriever Series event in Louisburg, NC. We got in very late on Friday night and were up very early Saturday morning to check in for the event. It was cold, windy and raining. Miserable weather! But, I don't think the dawgs minded the weather. They patiently waited in the truck for their turn to jump. Of course, Spud didn't jump. He was the head cheerleader while Sally did the jumping.

Sally kind of went crazy and wasn't paying attention. She turned in probably her worst competition effort yet jumping only 12 feet. She finished 5th, not enough to qualify for the finals.

So, in the rain we packed up the dawgs and all the wet equipement and headed north for Chantilly, VA where Sally would compete in the Super Pet Expo there on Sunday. Sally did much better in that event, placing 2nd in the Junior Division. A very long weekend, but a lot of fun!

It's amazing that we were able to get both Sally (L) and Spud (R) to sit side by side long enough for a picture! Spud is 11 months old, now, and is learning stuff quickly. He's a very smart dawg, but not quite as smart as his "big sister", Sally! Spud has yet to jump from a dock into the water after a bumper. He's liking swimming more and more, and we expect him to start jumping any day, now! A little background on Spud: We contacted the Sally's breeder and told her that we may be looking for another dog, but not a puppy. Maybe a rescue. She said right off that she had just the dog for us. She had brought Spud down from Michigan to train as a "show dog", but because the way his tail cured, she thought his chances of success as a show dog were very limited. She told us that Spud needed a job. So, that's how we came by our Spuddy Buddy. He's really made a place for himself in our family. Sally and Spud share a mutual love.

Sally is getting to be quite the competitor in dock diving events! She just finished 5th in Louisburg, NC and 2nd place in competition in Chantilly, VA. Nancy & Sally will travel to Punta Gorda, FL at the end of this month for an event in the Red Fish Cup.

The Cruise

My Dad took Nancy & me on a cruise to the Western Caribbean in September of 2007. We made stops in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and a couple of other tropical places. The trip was more for my Dad than anyone. It was a very busy time for Nancy and me, but Daddy needed to go somewhere. I have to say that we had a great time. The food was great and the service on the ship was great. I was still recovering from the hip surgery, but I managed to do most everything that Nancy and Daddy wanted to do, except for the long walks in the ports. I had to keep those at a minimum. Daddy had a great time trying to beat the slot machines in the casino, and Nancy was a hit in the piano bar. Because of my hip condition, I spent most evenings in our cabin watching TV and catching up on sleep. We were glad to get home...

It's Over!

I've been home from the hospital for a week, now, after undergoing my third hip replacement surgery. This one has been a bit more complicated because of the required bone grafts. I'm on the way for a doctor's appointment this morning. He'll x-ray my new hip and maybe take the stitches out of the surgical wound.

Things are definitely going uphill, now. I think I turned the corner yesterday in my journey back to pain-free physical activity. Scarlett and Sally have taken very good care of me. Sally has been staying out of the way. Scarlett, bless her heart, has had all of the household chores placed on her shoulders while trying to care for a rather immobile husband.

Scarlett heads for New York this week to visit with our daughter. They'll be enjoying a Broadway show while she's there. My dad will be coming up to "babysit" with me while Scarlett is out of town for a day or two.

I'm on my way back! I'm trying to find the way for me to go back to work at the office the latter part of this week.