Happy New Year

Happy new year to all. Well my new year resolution already out the window as I was going to try to keep more up to date with the blog and already it's the 8th of January !!

Christmas came and went so quick I nearly missed it . Christmas day was lovely all the family came round lots of drinking ( tea and coffee :):) )and chatting and we swapped pressies, it was great to see everyone. Boxing day we went to visit my cousins, played silly games, ate too much food ,all the usual stuff. Then we went to the Isle of Wight to stay with cousins and see the new year in. It was great except big mistake I left my camera at home and am STILL waiting ( hint hint) for Kathryn to email me with some she took of us all walking on the beach .

The kids had one day back at school before the snow came and have been at home since.The first few days was great lots of playing, building snowmen,sledging but I have to say it took me two hours to get to work yesterday by train and mostly walking when normally I can drive in fifteen minutes! Not looking forward to doing that again!

The dogs however especially Ink love the snow.























Ink just can't help herself. While the other two look on wondering what all the fuss is about.





Tippex is saying I think it's time to go home now !

Christmas In Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees
around the world below
with tiny lights like heaven's stars
reflecting in the snow
The sight is so spectaular
please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many christmas songs
that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up hear
I have no words to tell you
the joy their voices bring
for it is beyond description
to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me
I see the pain inside your heart
But I am not so far away
We really aren't apart
So be happy for me dear ones
you know I hold you dear
and be glad I'm spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift
from my heavenly home above
I sent you each a memory
of my undying love
after all love is a gift more precious
than pure gold
it was always most important
in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other
as my father said to do
for I can't count the blessing or love
he has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and
wipe away that tear
Remember I spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year


There are many stars in the sky that shine but some shine brighter than others.To all the family and friends that are no longer with us, we love you and miss you. xxx

Merry Xmas to All

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Just Minis Christmas Show and Agility Catch Up

Hi everyone

Sorry we haven't been on the blog for a while but we have been very busy.Now here for the catch up. I have qualified all three of our dogs for crufts in different YKC competitions.
Tippex: ABC medium agility.
Ink: YKC agility dog of the year
Fizzle: YKC team agility with my friends from Pachesham, and YKC small agility.
Fizzle has had a fantastic first year, she started out a bit rocky but is now coming along much better. She has been winning quite a bit and is now in grade three. We have also qualified for the agility club starters challenge final next July.

Ink has also had a good year, however she has had lots of injuries and hasn't been able to compete for a lot of it. Ink is now in grade 6.

The plan for Tippex was to retire him next year at crufts but watching him this weekend, now I'm not so sure, he thoroughly enjoys his agility and I think it helps to keep him fit. Our vet is happy for him to continue so perhaps we'll just let him tell us when he's ready to stop. You can see for yourself on the video.

Here are a few videos from just minis last weekend.

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Cherish every day

It's been a long time again since I've posted but we've had quite a summer. Dave's younger sister Jackie was very suddenly and tragically taken from us in the beginning of the summer holidays. It's been a difficult time and it goes to show nobody knows what's in store for any of us. The lesson we've had to learn these past few months is very much live for the day and enjoy the times you have together.

Lots of Good news.....

Tippex

Can't even begin to tell you how happy and relieved we are.Tippex has got the all clear and is back to his usual happy self . There was a small piece of broken tooth in the gum which the vet believed was the cause of the infection and a course of antibiotics later all is well.What a long week that was waiting for results!

Rugby Show

I don't usually enter shows this far away as not having any camping gear it's a long way to drive in a day.But entered as Rugby has a YKC heat. Ryan had all three in this and until the last dog ran he was in 1st with Ink and 2nd with Tippex. Only the first two qualify so a very well done as Ryan and Ink are off to Crufts but I have to say I had a little tear when he ran Tip as they put in a lovely round and it meant so much to see Tip enjoying himself doing agility again.They also ran in the junior jumping and Tippex got a 5th which Ryan was rather proud of as it was all heights together with four fast collies in front of him! Fizz also did a lovely round but got spooked on the seesaw how ever she was fantastic in the jumping and won her grade 2, this was their first grade 2 show!!
Ink and I also got a 3rd in the combined 6/7 jumping so all the driving was well worth it.

Say A little Prayer.....

Haven't updated for a while again as can't seem to find the time but we have been doing well lately in agility. Ink seems to be coming back on form with our first win in grade 6 and a couple of 2nds, 3rd and 4th. Ryan and Fizzle also doing well with quite a few top 5 places in recent shows. Sadly Tippex hasn't quite been himself lately but I couldn't find anything in particular and had put it down to the extreme heat and his age, that is until last week when I found a lump in his mouth.I took him straight to the vet and he was operated on last Friday where they x-rayed then removed his upper incisors, some bone and some fluid. We are now waiting for the results...I have to say he seems so much happier in himself already , the vet has said treat him as normal until we know the results so I am trying very hard to keep positive.

Fizzle's in Grade 2!!

Thames was a great weekend for Fizzle and I. It started off with an Agility win which put me into grade 2. I then got a 3rd in the jumping to top off the day. The next day I was really optimistic and wanted to do well again. It started off well with a 2nd in the agility. My next run was jumping in which when I walked the course I thought to myself 'I can win this'. So when I went to run and knocked the first pole down I got really disheartened and we ended up getting eliminated (very naughty handler). Our next run was the 1-7 Olympia qualifier in which we got a 5 on the weave but nonetheless it was a good run. The next few shows should be exiting as fizz and I are begining to get it together.

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The first place trophy is nearly as big as Fizz!











Happily Mum and Ink are back competing and Ink is sound. However luck wasn't in their direction and they didn't get a clear round this weekend, hopefully it won't be long.

Half Term Fun

Running behind as usual but this post is particularly for my cousin Eileen who wanted to see and hear more about the Hennessy children than the Hennessy dogs :0) !!
We did lots of days out and one of them was to a country fair which included almost everything from funfair rides , heavy horse displays , sheep shearing to falconry but the main attraction was a Napoleonic Reenactment.This was amazing and the photos really don't do it justice.The best ride the children enjoyed was the Hydrosphere where the children climbed into a bubble which was then filled with air and put in a very big paddling pool and they had to try and walk to move the ball around - very amusing for spectators.

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We also did a day out to see HMS Belfast as it is the 60th Anniversary of D Day this year there was a special expedition with lots of characters dressed up explaining their role during the war which made it very interesting. While we were there we were lucky to see the tower bridge open up to let a boat pass through.











Can you guess the name of this Captain?

Update and Bats Show

First of all the not so good news, Ink is temporarily I hope, out of action again.I noticed at training a few weeks ago that she was measuring her jumps so off we went to our physio and sure enough Ink was a bit tender in the same spot as before. So she's back in treatment again and only allowed to exercise on a flexi.She is responding well to treatment and I'm hoping we will be back in agility soon.... I'm going stir crazy without a dog to run and she not too impressed with the flexi lead rule either but I have to do what's best for her in the long run.

Today at bats Fizzle put in some very good runs especially the 1-2 jumping,this was almost up to her speed that she does at home which is great as she's getting more confident at shows, sadly she lost concentration momentarily and missed the tunnel entrance but otherwise a very good run.

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Tippex enjoyed himself today he loves the weather when it's a bit breezy, sadly no clears but he was happy with himself.

You will get that contact !

Ink's done it again !!

I can't believe it my little super star went and won another jumping and agility again this weekend at WBSDS show.I think I've got one more show in grade five and then we'll really have our work cut out against all those super fast collies in 6 and 7.
Here she is waiting patiently ( almost unheard of for her ! ) in the queue for her run.




Fizzle and Ryan again were on form coming 3rd in the combined 1-3 jumping.This was a step up for them as not only was it against grade 3 's but also the ring was in the main part of the show ground with more distractions.Well done Ryan ,Fizzle's improving with each show she goes to.

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Trophys at Wallingford

What a weekend.First up was Fizzle in the grade 1-2 jumping which was in ring six nicely tucked away on it's own at the end of the showground.Fizzle was amazing for the very first time at a show she put in a great round really focused on Ryan with no distractions and came in 2nd.Fabulous Ryan all your hard work has been worth it. Sadly the rest of her runs that weekend were all up in the main part of the show with lots of distractions on all sides. This is something she has to get used to and I'm sure will come with time.

Saturday with Ink was not worth talking about we weren't together and got eliminated in both rounds !! Sunday however was very different what can I say Ink was a star, two fantastic runs winning both the grade 4/5 agility and jumping, putting us into grade 6 !!! I just love working this little dog she always gives it her all and absolutely loves working. It's my handling that lets her down but when we get it right it's a wonderful feeling...I don't think I'm quite back down to earth yet! To think this time last year was looking very bleak and I truly thought she would never work again.

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Easter Celebration

This was Fizzle's first outdoor show so I wasn't quite sure how her concentration was going to last.I think about 10-15 seconds was her maximum before she stopped and had a look round but thankfully she stayed with me in the ring!! If you take her daydreaming out,the rest of each round wasn't too bad!

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Tippex was enjoying himself as usual with some lovely clear rounds sadly just out of the placings.The grade 7 jumping on Sunday was proving to be a problem with only three clears,most people were getting eliminated at the pull through between two jumps and into a tunnel,Tip did the difficult bit then ran across me nearly taking me down to do a jump rather than the tunnel straight in front!!

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Mum and Ink had a good weekend ,6th in 4-7 jump and 8th in 1-7 helter skelter.A good weekend catching up with friends and the weather wasn't too bad at all.

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Downland Show

We had a late start yesterday so Dave and the girls decided to come along as the sun was shining! This was Fizzle's 2nd show and after the disaster at Chippenham we were just hoping to try and get her more confident and happy in the ring.Amazingly she was a completely different dog in the jumping she had just a run by but was much more happy to work in the ring so Ryan was very pleased with her.The KC olympia was next again slight handler error near the beginning got them eliminated but she worked very well.Last of all was the steeplechase a clear round fantastic.This was a 1-7 combined so lots of very fast dogs put them way out of the placings but they did get the best junior so came home with a trophy - even better ! Unfortunately the memory card was full so we didn't catch the whole run aaagh !!
Ryan and Tippex were back to their usual teamwork, did three clear rounds unfortunately were the first dog out of the placings in both the jumping and agility but got 5th in the steeplechase. They did however get the best junior in all three rounds and no he wasn't the only junior at the show!!!
My first run with Ink was the agility she was great and still on form coming 2nd to a superfast little collie.However I let her down in the jumping and she missed her weave entry and we totally blew the steeplechase.But all in all a fantastic day especially to see Ryan doing so well with Fizzle.

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Port Lymph

Tuesday we went to Port Lynmph in Kent. This was for Ailish's birthday treat although a little late! Ailish has a bit of a thing for giraffes so that was our aim for the day.The park is something between a zoo and a safari part of it you walk round and part of it you go in the parks wildlife safari trucks.There were a couple of highlights to the day for Ailish it had to be the giraffes which we saw from the truck and the other we saw by chance as we just happened to be in the right place at the right time.The pole feeding of the lions is only done about once every 4-5 weeks . This helps the lions to keep in shape and it uses muscles that they obviously are not using every day.

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We spent ages watching these guys play and interact with each other.

Port Lynmph are very proud of their black Rhino breeding program. They have the largest collection of breeding Rhino outside Africa.They also have successfully released three females back into the wild that have now produced calves.



One very excited young lady on her way to see the giraffes.









We bought Ailish this special giraffe pillow and cuddly giraffe as a momento of the day.She was almost asleep before she climbed into bed !