----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2000 4:29
PM
Subject: [pyrnet] Manon's Big
Adventure
Recently I described how exciting it is to watch
one's puppies experience snow for the first time - but for me,
nothing can beat taking one's home bred baby puppy to his/her very
first show.
Manon (SheepRiver's Chardon Bleu) is
just six months old - and she was entered for Saturday and Sunday - this
past weekend in the Red Deer Show, a drive of about three hours from home. So
Friday was bath day - no problem for this happy and confident pup - but to my
dismay, her lovely, dense but flat puppy coat puffed up to enormous
proportions while drying, nomatter how I battled it! Now she looked like a
huge samoyed puppy with the wrong ears! In the afternoon I took her to the
office with me (so she would stay clean) - and several of my colleagues
remarked upon how fat she was - and indeed she looked enormous with that huge
coat. Great start to a show career, I mused.
Bright and early on Saurday morning we set
out. The other eight pyrs had been fed and watered, but Manon's food was
witheld because of the long journey. However, she did manage to barf quite a
quantity of grass and tree bark en route, which she must have substituted
for breakfast, having been deprived of regular rations! The remainder of
the drive was uneventful and we arrived at the show building with
lots of time to spare. A quick clean up - and wet towels draped over her back
and enormous rear end, were the order of the day, until it was time for the
pyrs. Manon showed like a pro in the ring (those handling
classes really work!) - she stacked and gaited like a seasoned showdog -
but all the time with an expression on her face which I swore looked like she
was thinking "I am doing this soley for God and
Country".
With ribbons collected and goodbye's
said, little did I know that our adventure had just begun.We left the building
for the long journey home, only to find that the storm which had
been predicted for overnight had already arrived with howling winds and
blowing snow. This was the most frightening drive of my life. The wet
snow was turning into thick black ice on contact with the road - and the
strong gusty wind caused absolute white out conditions. The windows of
the van iced up all around - and the wipers became frozen in place. I
could not stop for fear of being run in to with almost zero visibility - and
the ditches were littered with vehicles which had skidded off the road.
Afterwards, sadly, I learned of several fatalities. Soon we encounterd a
road block - and learned that all highways had been closed until further
notice. We were escorted into the nearest little town by the Mounties -
and spent the night cuddled together in the van listening to Beethoven - and
sitting in a coffee shop sipping hot chocolate. I think Manon loved every
minute - and how everyone loved her! At 4.00am, a Mountie popped his head
into the cafe and announced that the roads had been reopened. There had
been such a sense of camaraderie in the little cafe during the night that
there was a feeling of regret as we bade goodbye to our new found
friends. Arriving home at 5.30 am, I decided no more dog shows for this
weekend! Manon and I had had enough adventures.
By the way - Manon did win her first
championship point!
Geraldine