Tripp's Trial #2

Last weekend (Oct.1-3) we went to another agility trial.  I worked a couple of classes on Friday as ring crew, but Saturday and Sunday we were entered in two classes each day.  Novice Jumpers (no contacts!) and Novice Standard are our levels.  

On Friday, I had the pleasure of seeing one of my classmates from Tails-U-Win agility class complete their Bronze MACH (major agility championship).  Doreen and Mekai were excellent and it was thrilling to realize they had achieved such a high honor.  I was so glad to witness.  Here they are with the judge:

The number (25) is the number of times they've qualified - had qualifying runs at the "Master/Excellent" level.  Mekai is an 11 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and a wonderful ambassador for the breed.

On Saturday, I set up our crate and chair by another one of my classmates, Ronnie and her two dalmations, Daphne and her mother, Dalia.  Daphne was not competing, just there to absorb the atmosphere and hang out.  

It was really nice to have someone to hang with, at least some of the time.  One of Tripp's classes was in the late morning, and his other one was the last class of the day.  So, we had a Loonng time to hang around.  

Going to trials is very good for Tripp.  He's a bit of a shy boy and having all these other people and their dogs around has been making him a more social boy.  He'll never be one to cuddle up to a stranger, but if he can relax with strangers, that's a win for him.  He's really getting there.

His first run was hilarious.  We were so bad they didn't even score us.  I think we actually managed about three obstacles.  He had "the zoomies", where he just ran around at high speed, tail wagging and tongue lolling.  It happens to a lot of dogs, sometimes even dogs who are competing a much higher level.  At least he came to me at the exit.  Good boy!

That was our first Novice Jumpers class.  We had about FIVE hours to wait for our next class, so we hung out, wandered about and cheered on the people I've met.  I also recorded Ronnie and Dalia in their classes.  They were done much earlier than Tripp and I, and left before we had our second run.  

We didn't get back into the ring until around 6 p.m.  I was tired but Tripp was all up and ready to go.  He still had the zoomies, but not nearly as bad.  With contact areas to hit, he was willing to listen to me more and we actually got a score:  5 "R"s and 2 "W"s - R = refusal (he ran around the jump, circling madly! then jumped) and  W = wrong course.  At least it was a score, which I took as a great improvement.

We were very late then getting home.  I have been dealing with an issue in my right foot, and although I had a doctor's note, I couldn't get a refund for the trial.  So I'm in a fair bit of discomfort which not even Aleve is masking when we went to bed.   I only got about four hours of sleep Friday night, and the same again on Saturday.  

Sunday we needed to be there earlier, but it would not be as late a day.  Again, Ronnie and Dalia competed and Daphne was hanging out.  Tripp was more social and quite eager to be there and wander around visiting.  

Our first run was Novice Jumpers again.  I was amazed and thrilled with Tripp's maturity.  We actually got a score, two R's and two W's.  What a massive improvement!  Again we had a long wait for our second run, and this time I actually brought knitting to work on while we waited.  Again we cheered others and wandered about, and around 5 p.m. we were ready for our run.

OMG.  He was SOOOOO good.  If I wasn't so damn slow, he would've Q'd.  (Qualified, we need 3 runs to move up)  His score card  showed 1 R and 1 W!!!!  Sadly, we were over time by 10 seconds.  And frankly, I was in real, ugly pain.  I couldn't run the second half of the course, I could barely walk it.  I was so thrilled with Tripp and so angry at my foot.  

Agility is a team sport and both halves of the team have to be "on" to get that precious little green ribbon.  Poor Tripp has to deal with a slow handler.  I am hopeful that when this foot heals I can get into better shape and be faster.

Anyway, here's Tripp in the Photo Op:

Ronnie and "the girls" set up there, too before heading home.  They were just too tired to pose nicely!

I'll post a couple of Dalia's runs later.

A Coffin

 

Case!!!

Hahahaha, got you there! 

If you know me, if you follow this blog, you know that I’ve been “playing” guitar for over 50 years.  I love it, it’s my top, number one hobby.  You also know that I have a tendency to try to do things I probably shouldn’t.  Carpentry is one of those things, and I have mostly given up on that.  Repairs around the house I (usually) hire out. 

There are things I’ve always wanted to do, bucket list things.  One of them is making a case for a guitar.  On a whim, I bought a Yamaha FG-Jr several months ago.  The case that came with it was a less-than-useless soft case.  Internet research for a nice hard case said it would cost almost as much as this little guitar.  Geez.

So, naturally I decided I should finally make a case.  You-tube provides plenty of videos of people with excellent equipment and lots of experience and they make it look so Easy.  Well, the fact is, it is NOT. 

What do I have for tools?  Well, I have a power miter saw and a table saw.  And drills, battery and corded.  My father left me many of his tools, and bought me a skil saw.  With these at hand, I planned my project.

First, I made a tracing of the guitar in question.  Not a perfect tracing, mind you, but one good enough to be sure the case would be large enough and correctly proportioned.  Then to the cellar workroom to see what wood I have already on hand.  This is supposed to hold and protect a guitar and be carried around without breaking my back.  Slender woods, thin plywoods and decent joinery are what we’re planning.

Fortunately I had some 1/8” plywood, two pieces of 2’x4’ that I had once intended for the back of small bookcases, that would do for the top and bottom.  Then it was off to a megastore to buy ½” thick wood for the sides.  I don’t have a planer to make my own, so when I buy, I am very careful to check the stock over thoroughly.

Then to start.  I decided on insetting the plywood into the sides, which meant using the table saw to cut the “rabbet” joint half-way through the edge of the sides.  Might as well do all of the side wood at once so it’s all the same (hopefully).  Then mark and cut the plywood top and bottom.

A rabbet needed cleaning up...

 

Okay, sounds pretty damn simple, doesn’t it?  Well, I’m not making a square box, there are angles and I don’t have a miter gauge for the table saw, sooo  In order to make the cuts on the plywood, I get out the skil saw and set up a fence and clamps and all measure of happy crappy in attempts to make the correct cuts. 

It took days.  I did manage to get both the top and the bottom out of one piece of 2’x4’ plywood.  Would have been MUCH easier to have put the two pieces of plywood together and cut top and bottom at the same time.  If I ever do this again…  (never)

(like the tracing?)

setting up one of the angle cuts for the Skil Saw.

Attaching the plywood to bottom to the sides was interesting.  Just trying to put the sides together was a project – I rabbeted the joints and used Titebond and screws but trying to keep it together with all the angles was just not fun.  At one point I resorted to using painter's tape to keep it all together.

Tape, lots and lots of TAPE

I put some bracing across the bottom.  The top would need it, too.  but first, make sure the sides will stay together.  That angled joint just didn't want to be secure...

Glue and screws took care of that!

A little blood never hurt anything, right?

Brace this!

Once the bottom was done, I needed to make sure the top matched the bottom.  Yikes!!!

I used everything I learned making the bottom, so making the top only took a week or so, not the month the bottom took.  Of course, I was doing other things, too.

It does look good here. 

 

It was not going to be a thing of beauty, as there were places where I had to use wood filler not only on screw and nail holes, but …  Well, anyway, guitar cases are traditionally black.  But there was still the inside, it needed to be padded and lined.

I spent considerable time thinking about the padding.  Eventually I decided to use floor-pads to line the inside.  It has the right consistency and firmness.  Then the cloth lining.  I had floor pads and I went through my fabric.  Yes, I had it all, including the spray adhesive that would put it all together.

First, paint it black. 

 

It took a good two weeks to cut and fit, then install (glue!) the padding, and another week plus to do the same with the lining.  Then I needed to buy and install the hardware.  

 

 

I goofed on installing the latches, but I can live with it. 

Several times, I brought Junior down to the workroom and made sure everything fit right, even with the template, you need to be sure the real thing fits.  It did!  Yay!

Looking at the “black box” I knew that something more needed to be done.  Decoupage using really really old music would complete the look.  I started by gluing the traced guitar to the top of the case.  Then the music.  On the bottom I added an American flag and one of my cards.  Oh, and then I added “feet” so I wouldn’t scratch my floor or the case. 

Junior fits nicely.

Let's Decoupage!

 

Notice Piper and Tyson getting in the pictures, they want my attention All the time.  So I added two expired dog license tags!

It weighs a lot.  This is not something you want to take for a walk.  Still, I DID IT.  I made a coffin case for a guitar.  Started in June, completed in September. 

It’s been too humid to finish it, it will be shellac’d.  Several coats.

Before I start any more projects that require use of the table saw, I am buying a miter gauge.  No one can cut a straight line without one if the table is too small to use the guide.  And lots of those cuts were. 

Holy Smokes, I made a coffin case. 

Now, to prove my friend Lisa right (she said it would be cheaper for me to buy one).

Already had:

Plywood

Floor padding

Fabric

Wood:            $25 (this was for the sides)

Hardware:     $35 (hinges, latches, handle and feet)

Paint:               $8

Shellac:         $15

Total:              $83

Cost to buy a hard case:  $65 – 85

So yes, it would have cost a lot less to buy one, but a bucket list item is priceless!  (maybe I should add casters to the bottom to allow rolling?!)

 

Junior, the cause of all this...

Sept. 2021 Piper Update

 

The big golden girl is doing well.  For her age and considering the Atypical Addison’s, she’s great.  She’s gotten wise to the little boys, she doesn’t want to go out with Tripp when he’s in “momma’s boy” mode.  She wants her tail to herself.  He still loves to grab it and hang on when they go out.  To him, she’s still his momma.  I tell her she raised a brat.

Tyson just wants to play.  Sometimes Piper will play with him.  Tripp gets jealous if he’s out there, but if it’s just Piper and Tyson, they will play a little.

Being on prednisone is the perfect excuse for her to forget her manners and counter-surf and garbage-pick for anything remotely edible.  I let them in last evening and as I turned to follow them into the house, I see Piper already up on her hind end checking out the counter.  I yelled, she dropped down.  There was No Food on the counter. 

Now, when I go out she has to go in “her” room, where her crate is.  I don’t make her stay in her crate, but I do put the gate up to keep her in the room.  I can’t trust her AT ALL, which is a shame.  There was a time not so long ago that I could put a steak on the counter and she wouldn’t touch it.  That time is GONE.  I can’t be angry with her, she’s always hungry and I really have to watch her weight.  Her shoulders aren’t 100% and with the Addison’s she doesn’t need any other issues. 

She uses a “klimb” I built for Tripp’s agility training to get up on the bed now.  She comes up in the evening and again in the morning along with everyone else.  I love it when she wants to cuddle.

The places where her fur was shaved have not recovered.  I'm wondering if her beautiful coat will ever grow back.  Appearance does not matter, but those areas will be cold in the winter, and I have to be careful of sunburn in the summer.  She continues to take melatonin in hopes that it will help.