A fine, sunny but very cold day for dog training in Harlow where Sam had the chance to meet plenty of other dogs and handlers and behaved particularly well and then his launcher-dummy retrieve was the best of the lot.
I made more arrangements for dog training with Bob Steele of Alconbury during the week and also in a couple of weeks time with Martin Sullivan to do some tracking with Sam.
The world is still grieving and wringing its hands after the mortar attack on Markale Sarejevo marketplace where over sixty people were killed
I slept soundly after getting comfortable and was then woken by Diana getting up and laid there until she brought me a drink. Up in time to get ready for breakfast at 8.00am and then out for a short and simple walk with Sam in the sunny but cold day's weather. I groomed Sam in the sun under the balcony until Sally arrived on her bicycle with the last of the canvas sheets and we went in for a coffee and to enter them whilst she waited. A good job well done but I was upset to hear her tales of potential division amongst the group over local government reorganisation and the outspoken behaviour of John Roscoe and Ross McKay.
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Della then joined me in the office and helped me light and tend the fire as she finished off her homework and I updated yesterday's journal and listened to Radio 4. A lunch of roast lamb a half hour earlier than usual for me to get away to Sam's gun-dog training afterwards. Even so, I still had to speed to get to Eastwick, near Harlow, in time. There was a very large turn-out with over forty dogs there and the three trainers were hard put to take care of everybody. Our class was large but at least it gave Sam the chance to meet plenty of other dogs and handlers and he behaved particularly well.
The first exercise was to walk in a circle on and off the lead and then to be steady to thrown dummies. Next the telling task of each handler and dog weaving in and out of the line in turn and still Sam behaved himself and was good. Each dog did a seen and unseen retrieve and then it was time to go over to the water. Sam baulked at entry and ran around a while but I got him in and then retrieving a dummy in the end but it left me with some more work to do with him in the water. His launcher-dummy retrieve was the best of the lot after I had steadied his enthusiasm.
He then went straight over, successfully hunted for it and then rushed back. All told, he had a good session and I was pleased with him and told the others so as we drank tea together afterwards. I made more arrangements for dog training with Bob Steele of Alconbury during the week and also in a couple of weeks time with Martin Sullivan to do some tracking with Sam. The journey home in the dark and then some food for Sam before putting him away for the night. Tea in front of the television watching The Simpsons with the family and then most of the evening archiving my journal for January.
A nice deep and warm bath to end the evening. The world is still grieving and wringing its hands after the mortar attack on Sarejevo marketplace where over sixty people were killed. I heard from Nigel who told me of his fate at the hands of the courts over his alleged insurance fraud. He was in attendance for most of a week and thought the case had gone very well for him until the judge gave what he thought was a very hostile summing-up that led to the jury failing to reach a verdict. He therefore has to go through the whole process all over again in a re-trial!