I got up at 3:00 a.m…. well, I actually hadn’t been to sleep. I let the dogs out to relieve and got dressed. I started loading up the van and realized that the third crate that I keep at the bottom of the driveway was frozen to the ground with a layer of ice on it. As I tried to chop the ice off the crate with a windshield scraper, I wondered if my neighbors would think someone was trying to break into my house at 3:30a.m. I broke the windshield scraper and started kicking the crate to try to get the ice off of it. I was afraid I would break the crate, so I just left a bunch of ice on it.

I finally dislodged the crate from the ground even though it had frozen leaves stuck to it. I dragged the ice laden crate up the icy driveway, praying that I would not slip and fall and break a bone. I put it in the van, covered with ice, and put towels on it to absorb the water as it thawed on the way to West Friendship, MD, a 2 and 1/2 hour drive.

” I must be crazy.”

I carried my grooming equipment up the icy driveway and put extra towels in the van. I had to load from the side because the back doors were frozen shut. I tried to jiggle them loose by pounding on them, and I could hear the lock releasing, but the doors would not open.

“This is ridiculous.”

As I was loading the van, Kevin showed up at 3:45. We were planning to leave at 4:00. I thought that Kevin was going to spend the night, but he overslept at home and didn’t make it. He said he’d be there at 3:00, and so by the time he got there, I was already resolved that I was going to have to go it alone. I was so relieved when he arrived, with his stepfather’s slightly too small suit in hand. (Kevin’s suit was stuck at the dry cleaners, and they were closed due to the snowstorm and subsequent water crisis in the Richmond area.)

I loaded the dogs and put SeeSee in a crate, with Roz and Daphne loose in the middle. Luckily, the road appeared to be clear all the way to West Friendship. Many cars were not on the road due to the recent snowstorm, but the major roadways had been cleared.

“Geez, I must really want to go to this dog show. SeeSee just has to win this time. She looks so good….”

Before we got on the interstate, I pulled over at a gas station to check the back doors. I got them open and closed them, releasing the ice. I had been up all night, so I asked Kevin to drive. He did, all the way to West Friendship. I stayed awake and managed to man the GPS. Even with the GPS, it is really confusing going through DC. Kevin did a great job driving. It was starting to get light as we approached the fairgrounds in Howard County, MD. We arrived at about 6:45a.m.

We secured a spot for grooming near ring 1, where German Shepherds were the first breed in at 8:30. Kevin carried the crates, and I relieved the dogs and walked them in, one by one. He brought in the grooming equipment and parked the van.

I got to work grooming the dogs. Of course, I spent 6 hours bathing, grooming, and trimming toenails the evening before, but they had to be fluffed back up. Kevin scoped out the place and found where our friends were set up to groom their dogs. We took a head count and realized that all of the other bitch entries were present. I made the decision to not show Roz. She was in heat, which would just be a distraction for all. SeeSee needed the win, so I asked Kevin to take Daphne in and stay with her so I could totally focus on SeeSee.

The major in bitches held without Roz being shown, so I didn’t have to feel bad about breaking a major. My friend who was going to help me with having three entered didn’t show up because her male dog cut his foot. Without her help I didn’t feel right juggling three dogs. SeeSee gets excited when she gets passed around so I wanted her to maintain her composure until she went in the ring. She  did.

SeeSee looked great in the ring. She did what I asked her to do, and I think I had groomed her to perfection. She held her stack and moved around the ring beautifully.

Kevin took Daphne in the ring, and I thought she looked good. Daphne usually does a little better for me than Kevin, just because she is my dog and is used to me handling her in dog class. Kevin moved her nicely, and she held her stack reasonably well for a young dog. She was in the 12 to 18 month class and just turned one year the day before the show. She looks mature for her age compared to Roz.

Daphne was in a class of only two bitches. The other bitch beat her. I thought Daphne should have won. What really surprised me was, the same bitch who beat Daphne also got winners bitch, getting the major win! SeeSee lost again. She still needs that one major win to be a champion. I really thought she had a chance….

That’s just not what I had envisioned…. I didn’t even get any pictures at the show. Kevin was too busy helping me to shoot anything with his professional camera equipment.

Was it all for nothing? Well, I did meet a nice man there.

“What? What? This never happens to me!”

He was handsome, kind, and respectful. He talked about dogs and dog shows like he actually knew what he was talking about. Amazing.

As we were packing up to go, I asked Kevin if he wanted to try again in February at another weekend of dog shows in West Friendship. Kevin said yes. He wants to show his bitch puppy for the first time. The nice man said he would be there too. He even carried the crates out to the van for me while Kevin chatted with some friends.

Kevin drove us all the way home. We stopped at Wendy’s and paid $26 for chicken nuggets, fries, and chili. Eventually, I nodded off in the van. When we got to my house, Kevin left to go home and take a nap. I put the dogs in the side yard and brought in the grooming equipment so it wouldn’t freeze, leaving the water soaked towels until the next day. I fed all the dogs; it was already after 2:00 p.m. I’d had a friend come over around 9:00 a.m. and let the other dogs out and give them some treats to tide them over.

I took a five hour nap and then got up to let the dogs out again and fed again about midnight. I might be back on track today.

Dog showing is not for sissies.

Thank you, Kevin!