Recalculating... recalculating... reconfiguring?

New entry to the family room.  I put it up during Thursday's puppy day care time.  Ember has whimpered at the "new" gate, but has yet to breach it.

Too bad it's a bit late for the destroyed couch.  Sigh.

Meanwhile, up three steps and around the corner, the couch where we cuddle together, I'm allowing a bit more access to with this new X-Pen configuration.

On the toys front, I think I can safely declare that the "Indestructible Bear" from Allard & Beaufort lives up to its hype.  We have had this bear since Valentine's day, and while some threads have been frayed, the body and arms and legs are still intact.

Today another such toy arrived in the mail, a duck.  I'm hoping it will have a similar story.  It's from the same company.  Should I blush when I admit it's Chinese made?  

Saturday morning featured another sunny leash walk.  It also featured a bold Prisoner wandering into the house while Ember was loose... twice!  The first time, my attention was somewhere else, and I heard more than saw, but turned and saw the streaks of fur heading back out of the house.

The second time, Ember caught up to the cat halfway down the basement stairs.  Fortunately, she still had her harness on from a car ride to fill Dexter's tank, and I was able to open the laundry room door a bit, grab Ember's harness, work with the cues to "let the kitty get away" and "we're done, thank you" to get the pup to let loose of poor kitty.  

Prisoner escaped into his laundry room luxury suite, I closed the door, and Ember and I went back upstairs.  I praised her for letting the kitty go.  Bit by bit we ARE getting better.  She took a little nap to process her cat interactions.

In the planning phase of "field training"... I looked up prices of those "train your hunting dog" places and about fainted.  My friend hasn't even mentioned money, but I would expect to pay for services, friend or no friend.  "A workman is worthy of his hire."  He says we should meet next week.  I'm still second guessing myself over this whole thing, not just if she's "too old to start training" but if she's too unfit (fluffy), and if I'm too out of shape for the endurance required.  Scott hasn't seen me since I dropped out of the triathlete circles.  And I'm not getting any younger.  Still, if I didn't take this at least to the initial phase I would second guess in the OTHER direction.

You see, back in the day when I had Diamond, that was my one regret, that while she had great pointer instincts, we never had her field trained, despite her field championship breeding.

Diamond, in her later years, still a handsome animal.

Despite the uncertainty circling around these things... Life is Good, and I am taking my own advice to LIVE it.  Spark on.