USDAA Nationals Cynosports 2008 Scottsdale dog agility

This is Tuesday, the trip from San Jose to Scottsdale. For a little background, read

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:19:31 -0700

elf1
This is Tuesday, the trip from San Jose to Scottsdale. For a little background, read

Porsche remained cheerful despite being in her crate for 16 hours.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:18:26 -0700

elf1
Porsche remained cheerful despite being in her crate for 16 hours.

Boost and Tika at one of several on-the-road rest areas. They think they've rested enough and it's time to go exploring.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:17:03 -0700

elf1
Boost and Tika at one of several on-the-road rest areas. They think they've rested enough and it's time to go exploring.

As usual, our traveling companions are waiting for us to finish snapping snapshots. Porsche thinks that having mud on her foot is a major crisis.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:15:40 -0700

elf1
As usual, our traveling companions are waiting for us to finish snapping snapshots. Porsche thinks that having mud on her foot is a major crisis.

Here's the trusty Mutt Mover at a typical California rest area.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:14:23 -0700

elf1
Here's the trusty Mutt Mover at a typical California rest area.

The Central Valley's air was extremely visible this trip. After watching the dust rise from this truck in a field (and several tractors and so on), we could see why the haze was so dense.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:13:00 -0700

elf1
The Central Valley's air was extremely visible this trip. After watching the dust rise from this truck in a field (and several tractors and so on), we could see why the haze was so dense.

A lone oil well.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:11:38 -0700

elf1
A lone oil well.

Ah, yes, the noble Tejon range of mountains rising dramatically from the valley as we approach on I-5! Or maybe haze.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:11:26 -0700

elf1
Ah, yes, the noble Tejon range of mountains rising dramatically from the valley as we approach on I-5! Or maybe haze.

As we get to the base of the Grapevine, finally we can kind of sort of if you peer closely see some of the mountains.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:08:29 -0700

elf1
As we get to the base of the Grapevine, finally we can kind of sort of if you peer closely see some of the mountains.

Entering the huge multibillion acre Tejon Ranch as we go up the steep grade of The Grapevine.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:06:50 -0700

elf1
Entering the huge multibillion acre Tejon Ranch as we go up the steep grade of The Grapevine.

Zooming through Valencia past Six Flags Magic Mountain. I have zoomed similarly many times over the last 40 years but have never actually been to Magic Mountain.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:06:38 -0700

elf1
Zooming through Valencia past Six Flags Magic Mountain. I have zoomed similarly many times over the last 40 years but have never actually been to Magic Mountain.

Six Flags Magic Mountain. It's all roller coaster make-you-toss-your-cookies thingies. So who really cares?

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:03:29 -0700

elf1
Six Flags Magic Mountain. It's all roller coaster make-you-toss-your-cookies thingies. So who really cares?

Turning east on I-210 in Los Angeles, the south sides of the mountains rise sharply and almost clearly from the valley floor. To research later: The origin of these mountains.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:10:23 -0700

elf1
Turning east on I-210 in Los Angeles, the south sides of the mountains rise sharply and almost clearly from the valley floor. To research later: The origin of these mountains.

We've just crossed a hundred miles of desert nothingness after Palm Springs and are nearing the oasis of Blythe, when there's a loud flflflflflflflf WHAP under the car. I hold tight to the s ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:10:13 -0700

elf1
We've just crossed a hundred miles of desert nothingness after Palm Springs and are nearing the oasis of Blythe, when there's a loud flflflflflflflf WHAP under the car. I hold tight to the s ...

The tires all look perfect. Back on the freeway, drive two miles, and POW BAM wobble wobble wobble. OK, now we have definitely lost a tire. We pull gradually over to the side of the road.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:10:00 -0700

elf1
The tires all look perfect. Back on the freeway, drive two miles, and POW BAM wobble wobble wobble. OK, now we have definitely lost a tire. We pull gradually over to the side of the road.

How lucky are we? It's still daylight but not hot, so we get a sunset and it's not stifling in or near the car, AND there's a callbox about 3 steps behind us! Normally I'd change the tire my ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:02:23 -0700

elf1
How lucky are we? It's still daylight but not hot, so we get a sunset and it's not stifling in or near the car, AND there's a callbox about 3 steps behind us! Normally I'd change the tire my ...

We are right at the Blythe city limits. 60 miles earlyier or later, we'd have been literally nowhere and an hour away from the nearest tow truck. How lucky is that?

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:01:18 -0700

elf1
We are right at the Blythe city limits. 60 miles earlyier or later, we'd have been literally nowhere and an hour away from the nearest tow truck. How lucky is that?

Thelma and Louise waiting for the AAA Guy. WHile we're there, a nice CHP guy comes by and asks if we're going to the dog show in Scottsdale. What the--? Apparently he's already pulled over ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:00:11 -0700

elf1
Thelma and Louise waiting for the AAA Guy. WHile we're there, a nice CHP guy comes by and asks if we're going to the dog show in Scottsdale. What the--? Apparently he's already pulled over ...

You can see how close we are to traffic, even all the way off the wide paved shoulder. The van is parked among the debris of thousands of pieces of broken tires. This is like the hidden grav ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:09:50 -0700

elf1
You can see how close we are to traffic, even all the way off the wide paved shoulder. The van is parked among the debris of thousands of pieces of broken tires. This is like the hidden grav ...

We are rescued by the local Marshall (really! That was his name!) who had all the right gear and a really-o truly-o ginormous tow truck to put between traffic and MUTT MVR.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:09:37 -0700

elf1
We are rescued by the local Marshall (really! That was his name!) who had all the right gear and a really-o truly-o ginormous tow truck to put between traffic and MUTT MVR.

This is why we couldn't find the problem--it was on the inside of the tire where we couldn't see it and, even though we ran our hands around the back sides, didn't quite feel it.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:08:43 -0700

elf1
This is why we couldn't find the problem--it was on the inside of the tire where we couldn't see it and, even though we ran our hands around the back sides, didn't quite feel it.

We had to do some dog rearranging so that Marshall could get at the spare tire release. By now, Marshall was totally into the being in photos for Taj Mutt Hall thang. I guess I should've gi ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:58:55 -0700

elf1
We had to do some dog rearranging so that Marshall could get at the spare tire release. By now, Marshall was totally into the being in photos for Taj Mutt Hall thang. I guess I should've gi ...