I woke up early to drive down to the field trial today; it is in Bixby, MN.  Tim woke up with me and made coffee as I put the last of my stuff in the car along with 2 very excited girls.  Mini and SoBe knew what was going on…it was field trial time.  They could not wait to get into the car.  I gave all the puppies a quick snuggle and kiss before I headed out the door.  The trial was COLD!  The first went alright for both girls.  Mini and SoBe both had one flier and one fly away bird.  Mini ran her second series today while SoBe will run hers tomorrow (Sunday).  Mini had two fly aways in her second series.  Her last bird was a moving bird and she worked it until she put it up…the gunners missed it.  I was a little bummed out but, that is how the cookie crumbles.  My friend Peter who lives in the area came and watched me and the girls run in the first series.  He got some great pictures…I hope that he will send them my way so, I can share them with you all.  I also got to see Diesel (black & white, male, Kahlua x Ace) puppy at the trial with his owners.  They looked like they were having a great time despite the COLD weather.  Diesel looks so much like Ace and Kahlua.  I am headed to Peter and Laura’s to spend the night; they only live 30 minutes from the trial.  Tim reported that the puppies are all nice and warm in their whelping box in the bathroom.  He also mentioned that they are on the move…they can squirm anywhere now.

Tim weighted the babies today:
Tornado (black & white, male): 1lb 4 oz
Jagermonster (black & white, male): 1lb 4 oz
Georgia Tea (liver & white, female): 1lb 1 oz
Bellini Martini (liver & white, female): 1lb 4 oz
Jade (liver & white, female): 1lb 3 oz
Southern Belle (liver & white, female): 1lb 5 oz
Mojito (liver & white, female): 1 lb 3 oz

Tim would weight the puppies with Kahlua watching and then put them within her reach and she would snatch them up and carry them back to the whelping box in the bathroom.  She did not have far to go so, we were not worried; I followed her the entire time.  I do have to say she can carry them good enough that they don’t cry anymore.  Kahlua feels more comfortable letting the whelping box do more babysitting.  We found her waiting at our bedroom door wanting out to the bathroom.  I also made this conclusion because I found garbage from the kitchen in the whelping box with the puppies….I guess her instincts to rummage for food are back and strong!  Like I mentioned before, she has her pro card in counter surfing.  Tim and I plan on training one more time today before the field trial.  We are headed out to some land that doesn’t have any snow.  I will report later how it goes.  Training went good.  I put out a flier and a dead bird for Mini.  She did good.  She left a little early on the flier so, I did not let her have the retrieve right away.  SoBe had a dead bird, flier, and a dead bird.  The flier did not fly so well, but that can happen with birds in the spring.  Tim and I then went out the eat with some training friends and headed home.  I packed my stuff for the trial and Tim put it in the car for me.  He laughed when I had my blaze orange snow pants in the pile but, I then reminded him that it was suppose to snow….he smiled at me with a we will see look.  I would rather be over prepared then under prepared.

The puppies are healthy and very squirmy.  They can move.  Kahlua just has to lay down and they make their way towards her and, in a hurry I might add.  You might be wondering what music is played for them everyday since they were born, well here is the roster:
Page 47: Trevor Rabin
Cibola: Trevor Rabin
Spirit of Paris: Trevor Rabin
City of Gold: Trevor Rabin
So!: Trevor Rabin
Bunnies: Trevor Rabin
Gabby Shuffle: Trevor Rabin
Franklin’s Tunnel: Trevor Rabin
National Treasure Suite: Trevor Rabin
Treasure: Trevor Rabin
Arrive at the National Archives: Trevor Rabin
Ben: Trevor Rabin
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

Tim and I went down to Montgomery to train at Bill’s to prepare for the field trial this weekend in Bixby, MN.  I ran Mini first on a down wind and she did good.  Nice big bites of the course.  She trapped her first bird and the second was a fly away.  I needed to go with her on the second bird so, when she put it up it was a little out of gun range.  SoBe ran nice.  Her first bird was a shot bird which landed on the road so, I hesitated to send her but, Bill told me to send her so, I did.  It was fine.  Then Steve gave her a honor shot, she hupped right away and was looking to me for instructions.  Her second bird ended up being a fly away.  I am glad that I made the trek to train there because up where my normal training group runs is covered in about 7 – 8 inches of snow!  I am hoping the nice weather will melt it fast.  We stopped on the way home and bought a scale so, I could weight the puppies and report their progress to you all who read.

Well, nothing much is going on with the babies.  They are all snuggled up against Kahlua’s udder sleeping soundly with the occasional twitch.  They do protest when she gets up…we can hear them upstairs when she dares to get up for water or food.
I wanted to touch base on the deposit list:  we have 2 black & white males and 5 liver & white females.
It is a first come first serve basis so, here is the list:

J. Queck
Meron
Boyden
Schwappach (originally wanted a Trixie Puppy)
Towner
Hendricks
Norby (originally wanted a Trixie Puppy)

This is the first 7 families on the list.  They might choose to pass and take another puppy from a different litter or they might want one from Kahlua this litter; they have the option.  So, don’t worry if you are not on the list, you might be in the next week or so when people start making decisions.  Trixie did not have puppies even though she was bred.