9th December, 2018 Sunday
Well its snowing, salt shaker thick. Started about an hour ago. Now its veils of white dust falling like sifted flour.
I know some of you want to hear about the Zoi’s weekend at Puppy Show Camp with Goddess and Lord Roamer at her first Show. Well, we have quite the wonderful tale for you.
Friday night I am without Husband and The Zoi. I have Wizard, Duckles, Harpo, and the Scots to keep me company and I am fine I think. But 3 in the morning I wake up and cannot sleep. I am tossing and turning, I wonder if its the snow that started in the wee hours, why is sleep eluding me so I stick my ear buds in my ears and turn on “Dance of Dragons” and after an hour I bid on the SDCA auction for DCM research, a lovely print I really hope I win, then more “Dance” which Martin got paid way too much to drag on and on and on, HBO did marvelously about paring off the chaff, then Zoi’s Breeder Mama calls from Sweden so excited as she and her dear Denmark Cousin Zoi Mama are piling in two cars to caravan Zoi’s siblings and a cousin off to Stockholm Show and my stomach is in knots. What The F…?!!!
What is wrong with me. An hour later, I give up the pillow and go down with all the pack to go outside and me to pee and tea. The snow is pretty, a couple of inches deep and dogs are full of first snow frisk. The come in, paws packing little snow balls in their furry toes and I wonder if I need to shovel just the walks. Well, I Made my tea and Husband called as I fed the pack and then let the Scots out while chatting Husband and as I hung up the phone the Scots ran up the back porch and Continent slid across the slick planks and did the sighthound hind splits. He screamed and managed to get up. I made sure he wasn’t really broken and just sore and decided to go shovel snow for the first time in my life, ever. I left snow country before I owned a home and have lived without snow for forty years and yes I am that old.
So snow for me still carries the mystique of unweathered youth. I don my muck boots and a parka, find the shovel and the pet friendly de icer pellet bag and walk out into what now is a slightly slippery slushy world and begin to us some muscles that I never knew I had. Half way through this intrepid task I decide I now understand why so many people living with the snow by my age have looked for anyway they can to leave it. I say little prayers that my feet will find solid purchase in the slush as I lift the shovel full of snow and icy slush and strew de ice pellets all along my concrete and am grateful for Husband once again in that he is fine shoveling snow.
I have in my shovel pellet strewing please don’t slip frenzy, I have forgotten that Little Zoi’s first Show Class was happening at just the time I was wishing for no slip. As soon as I prop my shovel up against the house, my phone is buzzing in my Parka Pocket. Gloves come off and I pull the phone from pocket recess and screen is shining Goddess Roamer’s ID. I heave the phone up to my face and poke the answer button.
Speaker on, I am in the Garage sweating from the shovel, and Goddess’ voice comes into the room.
The report about my Baby Girl is this. She didn’t even make it in the Ring. Goddess’ voice is telling me that all my Little’s fear responses had kicked in her little psyche. Her journey since Thursday deposit at the Roamers had confused her normal sweet steady rhythms. House with a dog door, five canine house mates and two humans wrapped around her tail to a motor home full of crates and barking dogs she’s never met and leash walking for pee and poop, O My My My, it had tsunamied her.
She’d peed in her crate. Needed to be bathed again and then she’d pooped in her crate rather than deposit while on leash. All my fault. And then when faced with that metal hangar of a building full of unknown dogs and humans in bad holiday sweaters, when presented with the Ring for Class, its time to walk on in, she had a screaming sit down freakout.
I am close to tears listening to this. My beloved girl was unhappy and my Goddess and Lord Roamer were faced with all of their worst scenarios managing a dog. So maybe it just isn’t meant to be this Show thing. But I know that all of what she has done with them is nothing I have not seen in her before. I love my Goddess and Lord Roamer and know that if any handler can work her over this fear edge they are the ones to do it.
It does occur to me that my early morning morning distress might have just been the straight mirror of what my Little had been feeling. I tell Shari I do love her and she and I say good bye and that tomorrow will give another try. They will work with her later afternoon.
I called Swedish Breeder Mama and let her know and she tales me lots of first show fiasco tales of all of Zoi’s close relatives who went on to win the Moon after they understoodwhat all that ring zoo chaos was all about. You see, they are very smart, these Zois.
I called Goddess back again and told her lots of things about our Zoi she probably didn’t need to know. We hugged on the phoone and I just had to let this go.
It didn’t matter whether she liked the Show. It didn’t matter what that meant for future plans. What matters is that Zoi spend time finding happy bond with two of the sweetest people I have ever met. And if they and she couldn’t fiind the ring it doesn’t friggin matter. As long as she is happy and finds a way shine her light amidst all that new so Goddess and the Lord find their hearts warmed from that sweet sweet stuff that shines out from that frothy girl.
I had dinner watching “Colette” which is quite the delightful story and went to bed feeling much much calmer. I thought this is what I need to send the Zoi, the Its Ok, You are just fine, You are such a lovely lovely girl.”
I slept well with no wake up startles. And woke with the early mornign gray which promised to release the snow later in the day. our larder is pretty bare so I fed the pups and then did something I have fear about and that is driving on roads which may or may not be icy. I thought I will face this fear and send a message on the ether to my Zoi, if I can drive on frozen roads you might be brave enough to Ring.
Roads were fine and store stocked bags and Husband called to say he was winding his way home. He voiced surprise as to why we would think it was ok to subject his precious Zoi to another day of fear. she doesn’t have him snowed, oh no!!!
I entered home, unpacked my bags and was vaguely aware it was about the time for Zoi’s next Round and Zoi Breeder Mama called to crow about all Zoi’s sibs and cousins who did so well at Stockholm Show. And while we are a chatting a text comes through my phone, two videos. Zoi is in the RING!!! And O My God she is standing so very very still for judge whose hands are all over her. And she trots around with lovely Goddess and O mY GOD she wins her Class!!! My dear Zoi friend was her only competition. I felt sad she lost to us but Little did so well. I am crying and screaming.
Then I see a second video of the Bitch class. Zoi is in the Ring with two other Girl Zois and her Goddess Roamer. She is so much more relaxed.
Her gait is smoother and her frothy bridal veil tail swishes like it does. And she seems like she might be smiling just a little. And my my my, she stands so still in all the perfect stack Goddess sets so simply. And then I see she gets Reserve. Oh My MY MY I am streaming with a river of relieved tears. She did it. Goddess and The Lord worked their magic to relieve her Ring fears and there she was shining her lovely thing. My Sweet Sweet Sweet Brave Zoi.
I say to Zoi Swedish Breeder who has popped the champagne all across the World that I am so glad I am not in that metal building because I would have screamed the roof off.
Zoi Swedish Breeder says she needs the videos as Zoi’s European family all across the Continent half a World away are waiting with baited breath to find out if she braved the gauntlet of the Ring. I send them to her in two ways and before we are even off the phone she has posted onto FB the Zoi’s Mighty Triumph for the day.
I am so pleased. I am so pleased. I call Eldest and SIL in tears and they just cheer out loud. They love her too not knowing or caring anything about The Ring, all they know is how happy Zoi makes them and their Corgiette.
Zoi is a Little Star for all of us. I am so glad she braved her fear. Her Happy is infectious, it comes to all of us. It was so great to see it coming out to play for all those other people.
She has new family with The Goddess and The Lord. She will trust them as she trusts us too. My heart is so relieved. Bless you Roamers, for your patience and sharing all your magic with our Wizard and our Zoi.
We love you.
Ta.
Tea With Me 