Road Trip Sept 6 2008

First stop: Fill up on gas. I always open the dog's door so they can check things out.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
First stop: Fill up on gas. I always open the dog's door so they can check things out.

Don't forget to wash off those dusty windows from last week's agility trial!

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Don't forget to wash off those dusty windows from last week's agility trial!

Jeez, gas is SO expensive. Even though it's now back down under $4/gallon. Someday will probably look back at this and say "remember back when gas cost less than $20/gallon?"

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Jeez, gas is SO expensive. Even though it's now back down under $4/gallon. Someday will probably look back at this and say "remember back when gas cost less than $20/gallon?"

Had to wait for the light rail to zippity-zap on by.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Had to wait for the light rail to zippity-zap on by.

Entrance to Heart Dog Agility. Note heart. Very clever. They're down a lonnnng driveway and you'd never even know there was a house there, let alone 2 agility fields.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Entrance to Heart Dog Agility. Note heart. Very clever. They're down a lonnnng driveway and you'd never even know there was a house there, let alone 2 agility fields.

Tika and Boost explore the nonagility field off to the side where it's OK to potty and explore.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Tika and Boost explore the nonagility field off to the side where it's OK to potty and explore.

Looking across one of the parking/driveway areas to the lower field.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Looking across one of the parking/driveway areas to the lower field.

Looking across the upper, smaller field (with Jumpers set up) down to the lower field. There's actually a terrace between the fields, which you can't see here, that keeps them very distinct.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Looking across the upper, smaller field (with Jumpers set up) down to the lower field. There's actually a terrace between the fields, which you can't see here, that keeps them very distinct.

Lower field.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Lower field.

Stan, the man who found this house and yard for his agility honey.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Stan, the man who found this house and yard for his agility honey.

Kathleen, who belongs to this whole agility thing. Putting a pool noodle on the A-frame for one of the participants.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Kathleen, who belongs to this whole agility thing. Putting a pool noodle on the A-frame for one of the participants.

Kathleen trotting back to the sidelines.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Kathleen trotting back to the sidelines.

Kathleen and Stan ran the whole thing, timing each person for 90 seconds on the field, so you could work on whatever you wanted to, or run the course.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Kathleen and Stan ran the whole thing, timing each person for 90 seconds on the field, so you could work on whatever you wanted to, or run the course.

These folks looked so cute standing there together, that I took a picture of them instead of the lonnnnng driveway with thousands of cars parked alongside it, then I got to chatting with the ...

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
These folks looked so cute standing there together, that I took a picture of them instead of the lonnnnng driveway with thousands of cars parked alongside it, then I got to chatting with the ...

Ben Lomond

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Ben Lomond

Ben Lomond Fire Station.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Ben Lomond Fire Station.

I took my cheap snapshot camera onto the beach. It was entirely the wrong camera to be trying to take bird photos. But I tried anyway.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
I took my cheap snapshot camera onto the beach. It was entirely the wrong camera to be trying to take bird photos. But I tried anyway.

Friend Sharon knew what all the birds were and told me, and I promptly forgot. These guys trotted in and out with the waves, checking the sand for morsels.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Friend Sharon knew what all the birds were and told me, and I promptly forgot. These guys trotted in and out with the waves, checking the sand for morsels.

Sharon hangs onto Tika and Boost. Tika is pulling towards the water; Boost is pulling very much away from the water.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Sharon hangs onto Tika and Boost. Tika is pulling towards the water; Boost is pulling very much away from the water.

Tika loved the ocean! For the first several minutes off-leash, she darted in and out and didn't care whether she got hit with a wave or nuthin'. Just made her more excited.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Tika loved the ocean! For the first several minutes off-leash, she darted in and out and didn't care whether she got hit with a wave or nuthin'. Just made her more excited.

Shaking off some of the water and sand in a very excited way. Boost doesn't know what to make of it.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Shaking off some of the water and sand in a very excited way. Boost doesn't know what to make of it.

Sharon and Tika check out the surf. Sharon's carrying our lunch in a plastic bag.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Sharon and Tika check out the surf. Sharon's carrying our lunch in a plastic bag.

Tika happy in the water. This was NOT the camera to be taking action photos of a happy dog. But I tried anyway.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Tika happy in the water. This was NOT the camera to be taking action photos of a happy dog. But I tried anyway.

Very happy Tika.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Very happy Tika.

Sharon opens the lunch and Boost watches Tika.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Sharon opens the lunch and Boost watches Tika.

Tika settles in to survey the scene while we munch our lunch.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Tika settles in to survey the scene while we munch our lunch.

Looking north along Rio Del Mar beach.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Looking north along Rio Del Mar beach.

Waves. This was NOT the camera... well, you know.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Waves. This was NOT the camera... well, you know.

Tika's dense, dense fur sucked in sand and saltwater and she was a mess. Got a thorough hosing down at Sharon's house and again when we got home hours later. I think she's STILL sandy.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Tika's dense, dense fur sucked in sand and saltwater and she was a mess. Got a thorough hosing down at Sharon's house and again when we got home hours later. I think she's STILL sandy.

A cute little teeny weeny beach piper. Kept pulling little teeny weeny wriggling things out of the sand and sucking them down.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
A cute little teeny weeny beach piper. Kept pulling little teeny weeny wriggling things out of the sand and sucking them down.

Here we are with the (fortunately) floating frisbee. And the little "beach cottages" along the base of the cliff. Probably multimillion dollar beach cottages.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Here we are with the (fortunately) floating frisbee. And the little "beach cottages" along the base of the cliff. Probably multimillion dollar beach cottages.

Me without hat. More beach cottages.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Me without hat. More beach cottages.

Oooh, cool, kelp!

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Oooh, cool, kelp!

This kelp had buried itself in the sand such that it looked like it was growing there.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
This kelp had buried itself in the sand such that it looked like it was growing there.

Leaving Santa Cruz, such typical sort of bumper stickers: A peace sign and "Keep Santa Cruz weird."

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Leaving Santa Cruz, such typical sort of bumper stickers: A peace sign and "Keep Santa Cruz weird."

Who knew that Watsonville had such interesting buildings? (Snapped quickly at a stoplight.) I thought all they had was artichokes.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Who knew that Watsonville had such interesting buildings? (Snapped quickly at a stoplight.) I thought all they had was artichokes.

More cool Watsonville gingerbread. Might have to come back and explore a little someday.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
More cool Watsonville gingerbread. Might have to come back and explore a little someday.

Hollister: The contraption for videotaping weave poles from above. We tried 20" spacing and 24" spacing. Both of my dogs were extremely obviously faster and smoother with the 24" spacing.

2008-09-06T13:46:27Z

elf1
Hollister: The contraption for videotaping weave poles from above. We tried 20" spacing and 24" spacing. Both of my dogs were extremely obviously faster and smoother with the 24" spacing.

On the way home out of Hollister, this blocked my path for a short while. My brain pulled "thresher" out of its dark recesses, but I'm not really sure what it was. Just interesting.

2008-09-06T13:46:28Z

elf1
On the way home out of Hollister, this blocked my path for a short while. My brain pulled "thresher" out of its dark recesses, but I'm not really sure what it was. Just interesting.