A few weeks ago, we did two classes at a USDAA trial, late on a Sunday afternoon. Low key: show up, volunteer, run, volunteer, take a walk, run again, and it’s all over. We did quite well, two qualifying runs out of two, something we don’t often manage to do in one day. The classes were small, there wasn’t a lot of confusion and noise, nor was there a lot of waiting. Something I don’t always do a good job of setting a good example of how-to-do-it.

The next weekend, we played Team with Linda and her dog Aeden. We did not finish in last place, thus exceeding any lingering expectations we might have had (we agreed going in that we would have none). Chico and I had some good runs; Linda and Aeden had some spectacular ones. It was nice, two of the five classes ran on Saturday, three of them on Sunday. The previous time we did Team, it was all five runs in one day, and that was a lot for both Chico and me.

Team is a a little tricky for us. We have to find a human to team with who doesn’t care about anything but putting her dog in the ring up against the harder courses that are designed for Team. Most of the people who feel confident enough in their dogs to try the Team stuff are athletic-competitive-driven types. I’m not. I’m not in this to win. Of course I enjoy winning, and I always hope we can work well enough as a team to beat the course, but it’s not because I want the blue ribbon over the yellow or red one; or am after a ribbon at all. I’m looking for the moments of connection where Chico and I block out the rest of the world and just go fly around the course together. The ribbons can be tokens of that connection, but we can get the connection and still be out of the ribbons.

A big part of achieving that goal that is me controlling what happens between my ears. And, oh my, isn’t that so often one of the hardest parts of the life I’m livin’?

On Easter we went to cousin Eva’s for a few days. It’s spring down there in a way that it isn’t yet up here. Daffodils are doing their thing like crazy, peonies are starting to come to life, there’s enough pictures to merit a whole post, so one is coming.