OUT THERE IN ORANGE

Beazli didn't come with us to the OrangeRunningoftheBalls because his sore back got much worse and it's really hard for him to walk - he keeps falling over. So he stayed at Dr Janet's Vet while my mum and me went to the Competition with my Team. The first night was different from other Competitions because I had to sleep in my house all night, and my Team slept in their cars instead of in the same place with us.
And the Competition Day was different too because I missed my little Flyball friend Rascal and it was the coldest coldest coldest coldest day I had ever had in my whole life. I was shivering so much from being cold that Jenni felt sorry for me and lent me one of Missy's warm coats.Later my mum bought me my own snuggly purple coat that fitted me properly and it's the right colour too.I wore my snuggly coat all day except for Racing with my Team - everyone took their coats off for Racing. But I didn't really do Racing with my Team, I got too scared of the new awful noise the Watch the Lights was making and I just wanted to run away all day from the noise and from that Judge man Trent who kept looking at me all the time. My mum and my Team kept asking me to do a Full Run but I couldn't do it, it's different from training with everyone watching and shouting and I hated those noises and finally my mum just let me sleep in my house where I feel safe from everything scary.

Digger is Braver than me, this was his first Competition where he did proper Racing with his Team and he got enough points to be called Flyball Dog Digger now.And Missy got a new name too, she's called Flyball Master Excellent Missy because she's been so fast in so many races. Missy was the start dog in my Team, and the other dogs in my Team were Molly and Rosie and Kaos. That Team was called Sydney Psychos and we came first and got a nice white ribbon and lots of prizes. I like going to get my ribbon, I've done that before lots of times and I'm not scared of it any more.I was happy when that Competition day was over and we could have proper playtime with all my Team, and dinner with Molly and Connor, and then go to sleep in my house until morning playtime again.

We had more adventures on the way home from Orange, first when we had coffee somewhere and my mum told Alex she was too tired to drive home, so she climbed in the back of the Berlingo with me and we snuggled up on all the pillows and had a nap. And then after driving a while we found Alex on the side of the road with Ian and Sandi and Alex's car wouldn't go so everyone sat around for the longest time until a man came with a big truck and he put Alex's car on top of it and our Psychos trailer behind it.Molly and Connor and Alex had to come in the Berlingo with us to get home, because Alex's car had to say at Lithgow for the man to fix it.
We had to get my Beazli before we could come all the way home and he was crying while he told me he missed me and my mum and he doesn't really like having to wear little boots even though they help him walk better. It was 9 o'clock in the night time before we could all go to bed in our own house and rest after a big weekend out there in Orange.

THE SADDEST DAY

My mum and Beazli and me are crying because today is the saddest Flyball day we've ever had. My little Flyball friend Rascal had an Operation yesterday for 'desexing' and afterwards she got very very very sick and this morning she left the world and went to Flyball Heaven. My mum says we won't see Rascal ever again, at least not until we all go to Flyball Heaven too. Rascal was only 7 months old but she could already do good Overs and Around on the Box and she was never a Delinquent like me, she was a Good Girl all the time. Jenni and Mark and Missy and all the Sydney Psychos will never stop thinking about Rascal and how pretty she was and how she made us happy and how much fun she had at Flyball.

My little Flyball Friend Rascal who's gone to Flyball Heaven.

WATCH THE DEVIL DOG

Remember when my mum told me I had to tell you the seconds for my Full Run from the Watch the Lights at Flyball? She said I would get faster and have a different time and she was right. Yesterday at Flyball we did lots of Team practises for the OrangeRunningoftheBalls Flyball Competition next weekend. And every time we did them with the Watch the Lights I got faster and faster.

I did a Full Run that was 8.8 seconds. I did a Full Run that was 8.1 seconds. And I did a Full Run that was 7.8 seconds. I was a Clever Perfect Good Ebbi Darling lots of times and my Team was happy and my mum was very happy and even grumpy Ian was happy. He didn't say anything angry to me all day.

But he did an angry voice with my mum and told her she shouldn't push me forward when it's my Ready Ready Ready turn. He said if she pushes me forward then I have to get my balance on my first steps and I can't go faster. I don't know how he knows everything but he does because I wanted to tell my mum that myself, I wanted to tell her just to let me go when it's my Ready Ready Ready turn because I know what to do.

I know I have to go fast to the first Over even if Kaos or Molly is running back to me, they won't run into me because we practice Cross Overs and they won't bite me because they are my friends from my Team.

I love doing Watch the Lights, it's better than just doing Overs even though we still have to do them at the beginning of the day.

There are some new dogs at Sydney Psychos, and my mum has been helping them with their Overs, Ian says she should be an expert at Overs because she's had to do so many with me when I behave like a Devil Dog.

My mum's been been helping Sunny Boy, he's a bit fat like my Beazli because I think he likes his dinner a lot. He can do four Overs now before he gets tired. And my mum's been helping Aussie do Around the Pole, he's black and skinny but taller than me and he just wants to play with everyone. They might be in my Team one day if they keep learning and try not to be Delinquents.

When we got home after a really long playtime my mum said me and Beazli are going to have a big adventure at the OrangeRunningoftheBalls. We have to go a long long way in the Berlingo and stay in one of those different houses again. We're going to stay with Jenni and Missy and Alex and Molly and Connor. Beazli has never come with us before so I'll have to tell him what to do. I hope he behaves himself.

TOO BUSY TO BLOG

It's so busy here with people coming and going and doing things that my mum doesn't really have time to help me with my blog. I keep asking her and then someone else comes. On Saturday Ian and Sandi and Jenni and Mark and Alex were here but only Molly and Connor came, no other Flyball dog friends. The man who belongs to my mum's sister who lives a long long way away in a place called Brisbane was here too. He has a lot of names, his name is 'MyBrotherInLaw' and 'Marianne'sHusband' and 'Des'. He did something on a ladder with stuff out of a big container that he was putting on the walls, while my Pyscho team people did something in our messy garage.

The best part of Saturday was swimming, even with scary Ian in my pool with me. My mum wanted me to show Ian how I can go on my board across the pool but I had to watch out for Ian and I only did it properly after he went home.Beazli's a big show-off, he didn't care about Ian in the pool or Jenni and Mark watching, he just chased his sausages like he always does. Now that he has his floaties he doesn't get so tired swimming any more, the floaties are for his big heart and his sore back that I told you about before.On Sunday we went to Flyball even though 'MyBrotherInLaw' 'Marianne'sHusband' 'Des' was still doing the thing on the walls. Because we have our new Watch the Lights and because we are going to a Competition soon we did lots of practises with My Team, and I really really liked it and I only had to go on my back once at the beginning because I was a Darling Good Girl and did all my Full Runs when it was my turn. Those Watch the Lights make it very exciting and then while we are waiting for my turn my mum talks to me softly and says 'see there goes Missy Over Over Over Over and now it's Rosie Over Over Over Over and now its Kaos Over Over Over Over and now it's Molly and as soon as I can see Molly going Over Over Over Over I know it's my turn next and I get Ready to do my Overs and Catch the Ball and Bring it to my mum.

One time Debbi said 'that was an excellent CrossOver Ebbi!' because I accidentally did a good CrossOver with Molly when she was coming back, I was so excited I didn't even know I was doing it.

Now we are just at home again with more people, the sister Marianne came last night even though MyBrotherInLaw' 'Marianne'sHusband' 'Des' isn't here any more. I like her, she's the one who plays lots of catch with me. My mum says that I have a Cousin called Max that belongs to the sister Marianne, and he's a black Kelpie like me but bigger. He doesn't learn Flyball like I do. I wonder if I will see him one day?

DIGGER COMES BACK

We didn't go to Flyball today because my Team went to a Competition without us. My mum said there was too much work to do around the house and there must have been a lot of work because Alex came every day for three days and another new lady came too, to help my mum do work around the house.

I kind of didn't really mind because I love it when Molly and Connor come especially Molly we just chase each other around and bark and have the best time.

Every day though my Mum and Alex talked in sad voices about Digger. They said he got frightened of the big thunder with the awful lights, not a thunderstorm but those other scary ones called fireworks at the CanberraRoyalCompetition and he ran away from his Team and his mum and his dad and he was lost at the Competition and everyone was very worried. I know how scary those fireworks are, I was scared last night in a thunderstorm and I was in my house.

Digger is one of my friends we sit down the back of the races together because we are beginners. I didn't like to think about him being lost in the dark at a Competition. He was lost on Friday night and he was lost on Saturday night and he was lost this morning and he was lost this afternoon and everyone kept those sad voices all day when they talked about Digger.

But tonight we are all as happy as we can be because a nice lady found Digger trying to walk home on that big busy road where me and Beazli saw the truck fall over on its side. Alex said it would take Digger a week to walk home but he didn't have to, the nice lady brought him back to his mum and his dad and back to his Team and we don't have to worry about our Digger and we can have happy voices when we talk about him. I can hardly wait to see him at training on Sunday. I'm going to give him a big kiss and tell him how glad I am he isn't lost any more.

This is my tired friend Digger after he was found.

DOING IT WITH MY TEAM

Today at Flyball I did some Good Girl things, some Delinquent things, and some Ebbi Darling You Are Such a Clever Good Best Girl things at the end.

When we started with 8 Overs back from the Box I did them all once but I thought that was enough after being Good yesterday so for a while I did Run Along the Side and then I did Over 2 and Run Along the Side but you guessed it my mum put me on my back and then when I did Run Along the Side again Ian came and got me and tied me up to tree all by myself away from all my Flyball friends and away from Beazli and my house.

I didn't like that at all so when mum asked me to do Over, Around Catch the Ball Bring It, I did it for her and Alex and so Ian wouldn't tie me up all by myself again.

Mostly I did what Alex and my mum asked me to do, even jumping Over very big jumps, higher than I've ever done before. They took a long time asking me to do a Full Run close by to where Jessie and Zeus were practising but I kept looking at Sandi on the other Box and she reminded me of the scary man on the other Box at NowraShowtimeFlyball. I felt much better when they took me away to do it by myself and I did do a Full Run and then I was allowed in the pool.

But that was only a Good Girl thing, not an Ebbi Darling You Are Such a Clever Good Best Girl thing. That came at the end when everyone was doing special racing. It was special because Sydney Psychos has something new, we have our own Watch the Lights. They came from very very far away from a place called America and they are just like the Watch the Lights at competitions, they go Yellow Yellow Yellow Green and then you have to race. No other teams have their own Watch the Lights, only Sydney Psychos and the people who do Competitions, my mum says those people are called the AFA.

I went to sit with my Team and Ian shouted Line Em Up, Team Ready, Watch the Lights and then Kaos went as fast as he could and then Zeus and then Jessie and then Lance and then my mum took me to the new Lights and I did a Full Run and everyone cheered! I did it 4 times, and it was exciting and I wanted to do it and the last time my mum didn't even have to take me to the new Lights, she just let me go and I did it, I did a Full Run and I didn't drop the ball any of the times, I bought it straight back to my mum and everyone kept cheering and that was the Ebbi Darling You Are Such a Clever Good Best Girl thing I did today. You can see a video of how happy everyone is with me.

PS My mum said I have to tell you that the Watch the Lights has a time thing and when I did my Full Run my time was 9.637 seconds. I don't know what that means but my mum says if I keep practising I will go much faster and my time will be different one day and then I can tell about it.

PPSS My mum said to tell you it is exactly 15 months since I started learning Flyball on 20 November 2005. She said one day we will make a list of all the Brave Good Girl things I have learnt from my Team.

LUDDENHAM LOONIES

We're getting ready to go to Flyball today, and that makes 2 days in a row because we did a Demonstration at the LuddenhamShow yesterday.

It was kind of like a competition but there weren't any other Teams, and kind of like the SydneyRoyalEasterShow only smaller. There were lots and lots of horses (they are like ginormous dogs and I remembered them from the SydneyRoyalEasterShow) except at the LuddenhamShow there were people sitting on top of the horses! They kept coming close to where our Team was sitting between the ice-cream truck and the popcorn van, and every time they came close I had to bark and so did Kaos and even Beazli barked because he says he has never seen people sitting on top of horses either.

We sat in our spot for a long time while all sorts of people and kids came to talk to us and I let some of the kids pat me. Kaos kept trying to go into the popcorn van and Beazli tried to take my mum's pear and he kept asking every stranger if they would give him some food. He puts his foot up and looks sad at people but it's hard for him to pretend that he's really hungry because he's not what you would call skinny. (Not like me.)

After a long time waiting we finally got to do our Demonstration and we had to walk with our Team Sydney Psychos out into the middle where all the horses used to be. There was tons of horse poo and Kaos and Zeus tried to eat some. My mum tied me and Beazli to our Psycho Slammer which is a special tie down stake, near a little bridge in the middle. Straight away me and Beazli went up on the litte bridge so we could see everything, all the people watching and all the racing and my mum doing Boxloading.

Everyone was a bit excited because we had waited so long and there was some running away and crossing over and missing Overs before there was a good race. I could see my mum laughing.

Soon it was time for the Beginners to do Overs back from the Box and Mocha had a turn but he just did Run Along the Side and Rascal had a turn but she just did Run Along the Side and then I had a turn and I did all my Overs as fast as anything and you should have seen my mum she was so happy that when she asked me to do it again I did it faster than before and Alex came over specially to tell me I am an Ebbi Darling.

Then there were some more races and even though I was tied to my Psycho Slammer I did get into a little bit of trouble because over on the other side of the bridge there was a place where people were riding animals that looked a bit like really fat horses, except with sharp things on their heads and they jumped around and tried to make the people fall off. I was frightened of them and I told them in my loudest bark not to get outside their fence and come near our Flyball. But my mum yelled No Ebbi so I stopped barking and just kept my eye on them for the rest of the time. Well, I did bark a couple more times but I definitely stopped every time my mum said No Ebbi. Later my mum told me and Beazli that those big fat horses were called bulls. They are boy cows and they don't like people sitting on top of them. But my mum said the horses do like it and I believe her because I didn't see one horse jump around in a naughty way to make its person fall off.

ANOTHER FLYBALL COMPETITION

My mum didn't even tell me we were going to a Flyball competition until we got into the little car by ourselves on Friday and started going to NowraShowtimeFlyball. We had to drive a long way and we didn't meet any Flyball friends until we got to a special house where Jenni was with Missy and Rascal and Ian and Sandi were there with Rosie and Kaos and Deb and John were there with Maverick and Jessica. The house had a great big yard and there was tons of room, even enough room for Alex and Molly and Connor and Susan and Rob and Chloe and Mocha when they came, tons of room to chase squeaky purple balls and play rough games.

My mum was tired from driving (and getting lost, she didn't tell me we were lost until later) so she laid in the hammock and had a rest before dinner.

I didn't even mind when we had to go to bed because we had done such good playing, and I was very happy in the morning because I knew we must be going to a competition, and I wasn't scared at all until I had to do Measuring Stick. The man who had Measuring Stick was Trent, he was very nice to me this time, but I still shook and tried to make myself small. He patted me and put Measuring Stick away and then the proper competition day started and it was full of excitement.

I had to do things all day because in the first race when everyone is really excited there was an accident, when Pjevs was swinging on his motivator he swung right into Digger and Digger got a fright and jumped at him and then Pjevs got a fright and jumped back and I saw them do scary teeth at each other. And then Pjevs got upset and wouldn't race any more. And then Zeus ran to the other team's hurdles and did Overs there three times and the Judge man held up a black card and Zeus couldn't race any more. So that left just Kaos and Chloe and Digger and me. Chloe is a good Flyballer, she does fast Overs. And Kaos is good now too, he's really fast, and he Brings the Ball and swings on his motivator and wants to go again.

But Digger and me are just beginners and we're only used to sitting in the back of the ring.

When it was Digger's turn he was very Brave even though he had been in the accident and he did all the Overs but he forgot to get the Ball and just came back to Larry. When it was my turn, I did 2 Overs and then I stopped and looked around and saw everyone watching me, even the Judge man, so I quickly went back to my mum.

The whole day long when it was our turn to race my mum kept asking me to do a Full Run and I kept thinking about it, I really did. But whenever I got past the 2nd Over I would have a quick look around and see different people looking at me and the other team racing and the Judge man and the ladies with their red flags and I would just think, I have to get back to my mum.

Until the very very last race, when I saw Alex calling to me from the Box, and I thought 'do Brave, Ebbi' and I went Over 1, Over 2, Over 3, Over 4, Around on the Box, and got the Ball. But I dropped it! I had to chase it, and catch it, and I wanted to get back to my mum so I just ran down the side past the first 2 Overs. My mum was still calling me 'Over, Ebbi' so I went Over the last 2 and she was so happy she kissed me and gave me yummy chicken and I could hear everyone clapping.

I went in the little pool with my team Kaos and Chloe after that race, and I went with them to get our ribbons at the end. And then we went back to the special house for more playing with squeaky toys and cuddles with everyone.

And I had the best time until there was a scary thunderstorm and Molly and I had to go and hide in our house because the noise makes us shake. At least my friend Molly was there and I knew my mum and everyone else was close by. And that we could play again in the morning, which we did for hours and hours before we had to drive home and tell Beazli everything he had missed.

PSYCHO AUSSIES

On Friday it was AustraliaDay Flyball in Parramatta. It was a competition and we had our big tent and our little pool and our trailer full of everything and for the first time Beazli came as well.

It was hot and exciting and busy all day. I was in my Team Sydney Psychos but there were two more Teams, We're Pyschos Too and Psychodelics. My mum was in that Team as well, doing Boxloading. That Team was funny, all the mums wore different shirts and funny hair.In our first race, my mum surprised me by taking me to the start after Kaos had his turn and asking me to go Over. I went Over 2 hurdles and then I got scared and went back Over 2 to my mum and everyone who was watching laughed. Mum asked me to try again but this time I just did Over 1 and straight back to her and then she took me to the back of the ring and told me I was Good, she wasn't mad that I was scared having my first turn in a proper race.For the rest of the day when it was time to go with our Team I just stayed at the back kissing Connor and one time I kissed Alex and another time I kissed the lady with the flag, I'm not scared of those flag ladies any more.

Beazli didn't go in any races but he did get lots of turns getting wet near the little pool because it was so hot, and my mum gave him nice chicken even though he didn't do anything except talk a lot.

My mum told me everyone worked very hard in this Competition: Jenny raced Connor who belongs to Alex as well as racing with Missy; Sandi raced Rosie because Ian was racing Kaos; Lisa raced Chloe as well as Pjevs; I had to get minded by Rob and Jaimie outside the ring because my mum was inside the ring Boxloading for Psychodelics; Andrew didn't race anyone but he put Boxes in and out all day; Nissa took Mystique in the back of the ring for the first time; little Connor had a turn in a race for the first time too. Everyone had to try to do everything because Sydney Psychos had 3 Teams and there were more dog kids than mums and dads. There are lots of photos of the whole day at SydneyPsychos website. Me and Beazli were so tired when we got home we only had a little tiny swim to cool down and then we had dinner and then we just had the biggest sleep.

But we were ready for training Flyball yesterday and I was a Very Good Girl for almost the whole day, I was concentrating and did 8 Overs and did a Full Run 9 times doing Bring the Ball and I only had to go on my back twice when I ran away.

Some of the times when I did a Full Run I did them with Alex Boxloading and some of the times I did them with Linda Boxloading and those times it was like on Australia Day, I went after Kaos doing proper Team Ready Watch the Lights and I did Bring the Ball and my mum and my Team were very very happy with me.

MY BEAZLI'S BIG HEART

Today was like the other day, we went to the Livingstone Road Vet again and left my Beazli there for a while. When we picked him up he wasn't as wobbly as the other day but he was sad and he howled again and told me that a man made him lie down while he did something to him with a machine.

My mum is very sad now. She told me that my Beazli has a very big heart, that sounds good but it isn't really, it's big because it isn't working properly and he has to take lots of medicine and can't have an 'Operation' to fix his sore back.

I heard Dr Janet say that Beazli shouldn't go swimming any more or go for walks or go up and down the stairs! We live in a house with gazillions of stairs and you can't even get in without going up or down some stairs!

When we got home my mum cuddled me and Beazli and said to him, 'I want you to be very happy every day that you are with me, and swimming makes you happy and going for walks with Alex and Molly and Connor makes you happy and going to watch Flyball makes you happy. And no matter what we do we can't fix your heart, you would need a heart transplant to have your heart fixed. So my darling Beazli, although it would make me happy if you stayed with me longer, what we are going to do is make you happy instead. You are going to do all the things that you want to, even if they are bad for your heart. You are going to be a happy dog for a little while, instead of a sad dog for a little bit longer. What do you think about that?'

And Beazli wagged his tail because he loves being called 'Darling' and so do I.

MY POOR BEAZLI

We've had a strange day today. In the morning we went to see Dr Janet at Livingstone Road Vet, and we were both happy to go there, especially when Alex came to say hallo. But then Alex took Beazli away and my mum and me came home by ourselves. My mum worked for a while (it's so boring when she sits at that computer and tap tap taps away and yack yack yacks on the phone) but she surprised me after lunch by giving me a big swim in our Pool.

My mum makes me do lots of special things now before she throws the squeaky toy in the pool. Today we did Through the Hoop, then we did Over the Boogee Board, then we did Team Ready on the little edge of the pool. She taught me a new thing too, she made me Run Up the Stairs, Across the Grass, Down the other Stairs and Jump in the Pool from the other side.

The first time she asked me to do that I got very confused and dug my heels in and wouldn't go. But she just made me do it by walking along with me and then I understood and then I found out it was fun and I kept doing it properly every time she asked.

At the end she threw my soccer ball in the pool and I pushed, pushed, pushed that soccer until I could hardly swim any more. Then we went back to the Livingstone Road Vet, and this time I was scared because I thought maybe my mum was going to leave me there. I wouldn't take any liver treats from Dr Janet, not until she bought my Beazli back.

When he came back he was looking sad and very wobbly and kind of singing a croaking song, he told me he just wanted to go home from this place, he didn't get any treats at all they made him have a sleep even though he didn't want one.

My mum talked to Dr Janet for a long time and looked at funny pictures on a special light on the wall. Dr Janet said Beazli has 2 prolapsed discs and shocking arthritis in his hips and a heart murmur. I don't know what any of those things are but my mum is sad and Beazli is still wobbly and tired and I haven't been game to tell him that I heard Dr Janet say he has to come back on Thursday for an ultrasound of his heart. My poor Beazli.

42 DEGREES AND HOT HOT HOT

I think yesterday was the hottest Flyball day ever in Sydney. It was so hot that even my Flyball friends who are never Delinquent were running away from their mums and dads to jump in our little pool. It was so hot that we all went into the little pool so many times that it almost turned into mud. It was so hot that Beazli pulled his special stake out of the ground and jumped into the pool, even with his sore back and his stake attached.

My mum kept hosing herself all over, she said it was the only way to cope with the hot sun and the hot wind. Everyone kept stopping Flyball training to have a drink and a meeting. They usually only have one meeting but yesterday they had about 4, standing in the shade and talking.

When it was my turn I tried to run away to the pool but you guessed it, Ian put me on my back and stared at me so I just did all my 8 Overs a couple of times and then my mum let me in the pool and I was very very glad she did.

When it was time to do Over, Around and Over my mum put me on my back as soon as I was a Delinquent, so I made sure I was a Good Girl cause I really wanted to go in that pool, even though it was starting to turn into mud.

Later Alex put me on my back once when I chased CoCo instead of the ball, but mostly I did what I was told because it was just so hot and I hate going on my back.

My mum told me she loves me and she thought I was quite a Good Girl because I am black and that means I get very hot. We didn’t go straight home from Flyball, Alex took us to see Dr Janet at Livingstone Road Vet because Beazli’s sore back and sore leg have been much worse. He keeps falling over, sort of losing his balance on one leg. I was happy to see Dr Janet and Jack, I know them know because they came to the scary Christmas Party where I had to be very Brave when there lots of strangers in my house. I told you about it before, that was the night I sat on Ian’s lap, before he started putting me on my back at Flyball.

Beazli was happy to see Dr Janet too, and he has to visit her again on Tuesday to have an X-Ray, whatever that is. He thinks it will be something delicious to eat, because they give you yummy liver treats at Livingstone Road Vet

It’s pretty hot again today and I’m hoping I can push my soccer ball around my own big pool soon. I hope it’s not this hot on Friday at the ParramattaAustraliaDayCompetition.

TWO AWFUL DAYS

Oh boy, I don’t know what’s happening with Flyball any more. Last week my mum wouldn’t even let me do my blog because she said she was so unhappy with the way I behaved.

And yesterday she was so unhappy she almost packed us all up (me and Beazli) and took us home before playtime. Just because I thought chasing the soccer and going in the little pool and kissing Pjevs and barking at Jack were more fun than doing Overs! And they are! Just doing Over, Over, Over, when she calls me isn’t nearly as much fun as all those other things at Flyball.

When my mum put us both in the car I saw her talking to Ian and Sandi and Alex. They all had their heads together and they were talking, talking, talking. The next thing I knew my mum and Alex took me back to the Box and asked me to do Around. I went Around all right but then I ran real fast to Pjevs for another kiss. My mum said ‘No’ in that loud voice and then ‘Ebbi Come’ so in a little while I danced back to her and instead of saying Good Girl Ebbi she gave me to Ian without saying a word and he put me on my back! He leaned right over me and looked in my eyes and no matter how much I squirmed he kept me down there on my back with my heart beating as fast as anything and I couldn’t move at all so I had to turn my eyes away from him. Then he gave me back to my mum.

I was shaking when she asked me if I was Ready to go Around and I heard Alex call me ‘Come on Ebb!’ so I went Around and had a quick look for Ian and I saw him so I went back to my mum.

Then my mum and Alex asked me go Over and Around and I saw Ian so I did it right, straight back to my mum. Then Over 2 and Around and Back Over 2 and I saw Ian so I did it right, straight back to my mum again.

But when they asked me to do Over 3 and Around and Back Over 3, I couldn’t see Ian so I started to run to the pool. My mum said ‘No’ and ‘Come Ebbi’ and I had to go to her and she gave me to Ian again!

I wriggled as much as I could but he still put me on my back and said ‘No’ in a scary low voice, staring right in my eyes till I looked away. I could hardly get up I was so scared of him. He took me back to my mum and she asked to do Over 3 and Around and Back Over 3 and I did it right and she gave me lots of yummy ham and Alex came and gave me yummy chicken and so when they asked me to do Over 4 and Around and Back Over 4 I did it right for more ham and chicken and cuddles instead of being put on my back by Ian.

My mum talked to me all the way to Nonna’s after Flyball, saying that I have to learn to be a Good Girl all the time at Flyball, like I am at home and in the park. I always do what my mum asks me to at our pool at home and I always come back to her when we go out for walks, I do what she asks and I don’t have to go on my back. My mum said if I don’t learn to be a Good Girl all the time at Flyball I might never be in a proper competition, like Abbi is now and Zeus. They both started learning after me and they are both younger than me and even Raskal can do Overs now. My mum talked so much I went to sleep in the car and dreamed of lots of soccer balls and pool and running with my friends after the jingle bells.

DADDY'S GOOD GIRL

Yeah! we finally went to Flyball yesterday! Everyone was there except Missy and Rascal, even though they are better, Jenni went to Melbourne to see her mum. I was so happy I just wanted to spin and bark and play and get in the pool. But of course my mum wanted me to do Overs and everything so I did do 8 Overs once and then I ran away to say hallo to everyone.

My mum put me in my house then.

When it was my turn again my mum said 'let's go with our team' even though it wasn't a competition and there was no orange flapping fence. But there was something scary going on where the trains go past. I'm used to the trains but this was different, scary machine noises and loud banging. When it was my turn I didn't concentrate on the Overs I kept looking for that banging machine. I heard Ian say to my mum that he thinks she should turn me over on my back when I don't listen. And later I heard my mum telling Sandi that she doesn't think she can do that, that she doesn't want to scare me or make me scared of her. I heard her say she will have to talk to me and work out how to get my attention better.

Later my dad came to Flyball, with Beazli who had been at Nonnas playing with the chickens and being chased by a pussycat. He goes to Nonna's now because Dr Janet said his back is too sore to do Flyball, even pretend Flyball.

When it was my turn my dad came and called me to do my Overs and I did them perfectly. Then my mum and dad both stayed with me while Alex showed me she was putting the tennis ball in the box and then my mum said Ready Ready Ready and I went Over, Around-on-the-Box-Catch-the-Ball, and back Over all 4 hurdles with the ball in my mouth and I thought my mum was going to cry because she was so happy. I did it 4 times perfectly with everyone watching and even Ian said 'I saw that'. Everyone started teasing my mum because I was a Delinquent for her and then turned into Daddy's Good Girl when he arrived.

Ian came over to watch the next time and I had to keep my eye on him in case he started telling my mum to put me on my back. While I was watching him I saw some little little kids playing with a soccer ball so the next time mum asked to go Over to Alex I went Over one hurdle and then chased the little little kids. You never know, they might have been like the twins at Nonnas who chase me and grab me and squeal, so I thought I would chase first.

Of course my mum put me in my house then, but not for long because it was pack-up time, and then we had the best best playtime with everyone chasing jingle bells and kongs and frisbees and even the new fluffy black dog Jack and his other dog Pixie joining in.

On the way home Beazli got in my house in the back of the Berlingo. I don't know why he does that because he is too big for my house, his head sticks out he is so big, but he likes to do it and I was too tired and happy to care.

A LONG TIME BETWEEN OVERS

We haven't been to Flyball in ages and ages. My flyball friends Missy and Rascal got sick after the PetExpo and my mum says that kennelcough is Infectious. That means that if we went to Flyball with them we might get sick too, so all the Psychos were in Quarantine from each other.

So we have had some other adventures instead, including going to Albury with my mum and the sister Marianne who came to visit. On the way to Albury in the Berlingo we had a lot of stops, some of them for coffee and once when the road got blocked by a huge truck that fell over and all its cans covered the whole road. My mum and the sister Marianne went to help the truck driver and move the cans because my mum said all the men in the cars that stopped were just useless and stood around with their arms folded.
Beazli and I had lots of fun in Albury, visiting those fluffy cousins every day and going for long walks and going inside Noni's cool house because it was very very hot. One day the sky went all white and smelled awful and my mum said 'don't worry the bushfires are a long way away even though the smoke is here in Albury'. I'm glad they were a long way away because it must be really scary if that smell is close to you.

One the way back home from Albury I could show Beazli all the fun places to stop for my mum's coffee because it was the same as when we went to Boorowa. My favourite place is the Dog-On-The-Tuckerbox-At-Gundagai because you can run in the bushes without your lead on.

The next day Alex came but she didn't bring Molly and Connor she brought millions of people I didn't know. My mum said it would be fun because it was a Party but I didn't think it was fun to have so many strange people in my house. The only ones I knew were Dr Janet and Alex and the only fun part was some of the strange people had a swim with me in my pool, the rest was them laughing and making a lot of noise and eating and drinking and trying to pat me.

I was really happy when Ian and Sandy finally came too and even though they talked to the people I didn't know I felt better, especially when I got to sit on Sandy's lap.

KAMIKAZE KELPIE

I couldn’t do my Flyball blog on Sunday after training because we went to my Nonna’s house to get Beazli and I had to chase the chickens and then the naughty little white pussycat chased me and scratched my nose and swiped my tail.

And I couldn’t do my blog yesterday because Alex came to our house with Molly and Connor and then we all went for a walk at a new place called GlebePoint and lots of things happened and I got very tired.

One of things that happened was when Molly and I ran up to scare away a big dog we didn’t know and that big dog turned around and barked at me with his big teeth. The only thing I could do was jump off a huge cliff into the water we had been swimming in. It took a long time to get to the water because it was so far down, and then I had to swim back and climb up the cliff over sharp rocks and when I got to the top it seemed like I was just hanging on by my fingerclaws and I might fall down again but I didn’t.

My mum and Alex and the two ladies with the big dog were laughing (but my mum was shaking) and one lady said ‘what is that dog, a Kelpie cross MountainGoat, I’ve never seen anything like it’.

My mum put me on my lead after that but we did find another place for really good swimming in SydneyHarbour only there was no need to jump off any cliff we just went down some stairs.

Flyball was really good on Sunday because of two things: Beazli didn’t come and we had the pool because it was very very hot. I love the pool, the first time I ever had fun at Flyball was the first day we had the pool and I played with Abbey wrestling in the water.

Beazli didn’t come because Dr Janet at LivingstoneRoadVet told my mum he has a very sore back, that’s why he can’t do Overs very well and why he yelps sometimes when he goes Around. Dr Janet told my mum ‘his Flyball career is over’.

I’m happy if he doesn’t do Flyball because I like to have my mum’s attention all the time. And on Sunday she paid me lots of attention, so I did good Overs and I was nice to all the dogs and I did Away from mum, Over 4, Around-on-the-Box-Catch-the-Ball, and back Over to mum and made her happy.There's a video of me doing it

Once she had had enough happiness I thought it was time to do some good chasing – the boys playing soccer, little Mocha, the new dog Billy. But for the first time ever my mum told me ‘No’ in a loud voice when I did that chasing. She turned her back on me after she said ‘No’ and I had to run to her to make sure she still loves me and she does, she told me ‘Good Come’, but she still said ‘No’ the next time I ran away.

I’ll have to think about that a bit. My mum says I should talk to Abbey, and Kaos, and Zeus, who can all do proper racing now without running away and chasing all the interesting things that happen in the training park. Sometimes I want to do that, I want to do ‘Team Ready, Watch the Lights’, and sometimes I just want to chase. My mum and Lisa and Alex shook their heads a lot on Sunday, talking about my ‘shortattentionspan’ whatever that is. They say they can’t work me out.

PET EXPO 2006

Oh boy, a PetExpo is exhausting. We went there for 2 days, from early in the morning til it was dinnertime. On Saturday there were lots of Psychos: Rosie & Kaos, Molly & Connor, Missy & Rascal, Chloe & Mocha, Pjevs, Abbey & Co Co (& me), and we were all wearing our Suppawters jumpers in different colours.
The Flyball was in a big building, and to get there you had to be Brave and walk through crowds and crowds of people looking at dogs sitting on tables. We never sit on tables and I never saw those table-dogs doing Flyball. I wonder what they do for fun?

Sometimes on the Brave walk there were so many people my mum and I had to stand still and wait for a gap. And sometimes we had to stand still so people I didn’t know could take a photo of me or pat me. At first it made me shake but by the end of 2 days so many strangers had patted me that I didn’t really care any more.

After the Brave walk, I was happy to go into the Flyball ring where there was a bit more room, and where I knew what would happen would be Team Ready, Watch the Lights, and then everyone so excited about having their turn.There’s always a surprise at Flyball. This time the surprise was that Abbey and Kaos raced in a Team, and they didn’t have any Blonde Moments or do anything Delinquent, they just raced as fast as they could so their Team could win lots of races.

Co Co and I had some turns going Over 4 hurdles back to our mums. On Saturday Alex took me to the Box and first I got a shock because there was a funny carpet under the Box instead of grass. Alex told me it would be OK if I went Over to my Mum. Ian looked like he was eating a big black thing that made his voice really really loud and I heard him say my name and my mum’s name when I was doing the Overs and I thought about stopping but then I thought I should just get back to my Mum and when I got there all the people who were watching clapped and cheered. My mum says you can watch a video of me doing my Overs on SydneyPsychos website.

I had more turns doing Overs on Sunday, when there weren’t so many Psychos: just Missy and Chloe and Rosie and Kaos and me. Because there weren’t many of us, it was a busy day with millions of Brave walks and photos and patting and heaps of children with those evil balloons. They look like a big soccer ball hanging in the air. They look like fun until they suddenly disappear and make the scariest thunder sound.

When I did the Sunday Overs it was Linda who took me to the Box and this time I knew about the funny carpet so I started right back at the beginning. Ian was eating his black loud thing again and I heard him tell a long story about me and my mum. He told about the awful people who hurt me before my mum found me and he told about my mum and Flyball helping me to be Brave.

I did my Overs carefully and I wasn’t a Delinquent and my Mum kissed me and all the people clapped and cheered again. And Jenny and Linda and Susan and Ian all told me I was a Good Girl, a Darling Ebbi. Ian gave me some cheese and I sat on his lap and kissed his ear.

The PetExpo was like all my Flyball Adventures: some scary things but so much fun that it gives you good dreams and makes you want to go again. And we will! Next time we’re going to UnderSouthernStars, my first competition at night.

WAITING FOR THE EXPO

This morning, before we got up, my mum was watching TV having her coffee, when I heard a man say 'Flyball'. I jumped up straight away and ran to my mum and grabbed her hand with my mouth, to tell her I'm ready for Flyball today. She just laughed and laughed and told me that the man who said Flyball was a man on the TV, a weatherman at the PetExpo, telling everyone that Flyball is on. We aren't going there until tomorrow. Bummer

BRAVE? OR BRATTY?

Last night when we got home from Flyball, my mum sat me down and told me that Ian thought I was being a Delinquent because I am more ‘confident’ now. She said confident is the same as ‘brave’. She said it’s really, really good that I was brave about Measuring Stick and trying on my new Suppawters jumper, but that brave doesn’t mean I can just run away and play with my Flyball friends whenever I feel like it.

I had to remind my mum that I didn’t run away ALL the time yesterday. I did do 7 Overs and 8 Overs a couple of times, as fast as I could, and I did do Over, Around-Catch-the-Ball and Over 2 hurdles when we practised with Alex.

OK, I did run away a bit, like the 2 times I ran up to Mystique and the time I ran after Zeus and 3 times I chased Zoe and the time I ran after little Rascal. One of the times I ran away I went looking for my mum's sister Jackie who came from the long away away in Perth to visit us in the week. But she didn't come to Flyball like the Marianne sister did. And when I couldn't find her Ian chased me back to my mum.

But I was a Very Good Girl when the new lady gave me a pretty jumper to wear.
It was a practise for my Suppawters jumper – I’m going to wear a Melbourne Storm Suppawters jumper at the PetExpo next weekend.

My mum says the PetExpo is a bit like a competition but there won’t be any ribbons or medals. And we have to go for 2 days and I have to be reserve dog and watch my team from the back of the ring. I can hardly wait.

(Beazli): I was measured for a New Zealand Warriors Suppawters jumper. I like the idea of being a Warrior. I think Warriors eat well. I certainly ate well yesterday. Very thinly sliced double smoked ham, and shaved chicken breast, a delightful combination. Delicious, I must say.)
(Beazli: At last! a photo of me!)

A VERY NAUGHTY DAY

My mum has 3 sisters and I know them all but I know Debbie the best. I went to her house and played with the Cousins after the BoorowaIrishFlyballFling. The sister called Jackie has been to my house once (my mum said she lives a long way away in Perth) and the sister called Marianne came to my house from the long way away called Brisbane when my mum was in hospital after she broke her wrist that awful day at Flyball.

(the lady with the blonde hair is the sister Marianne. She's standing next to my mum in the sunglasses.)
I was frightened of Marianne when my mum was in the hospital but I felt happy to see her when she came this time. She likes to play throw the squeaky toy and throw the jingle bells a real lot, so we had lots of fun on Friday night and on Saturday night and on Sunday morning.

Marianne taught me a new thing to do, when she makes a shape with her hand she wants me to bark loud! Usually my mum doesn’t want me to bark loud, she tells me ‘Quiet’ if I bark at the man next door.

I was excited when we all went to Flyball yesterday, me and my mum and the sister Marianne and Beazli. But when we got there I didn’t want to do Flyball, I just wanted to play with my friends and with Marianne.

Mum asked me to do 8 Overs but I only did 1 and then ran down the side. She asked again and I only did 1 and then ran down the side. She asked me to do 6 Overs and I only did 1 before I saw Abbey and went to play with her.

That time my mum took me quietly and didn’t even put me in my house she put me in the Berlingo all by myself. I looked out the window and I saw my mum take Beazli to do some Overs. He’ll do anything for food. He did all the Overs my mum asked him to.

(Beazli: Moist balls of lightly steamed beef and vegetables coated in coconut were on the menu today. Very tender, delicious aroma, melt in the mouth, a wonderful treat. As soon as I realised what mum had in her bumbag I was more than willing to do 2 Overs, 3 Overs, 4 Overs. I put on a bit of speed, too, for a dog of my years, I can tell you.)

When my mum got me out of the Berlingo and back to do Overs it was with Alex, instead of Ian, on the box. We started at 5 and I did them, then we tried 6 and I did them, but when my mum asked for 7 I saw Marianne and went to play with her instead, I thought she might want to play that barking game.

I couldn’t believe it, my mum put me in the Berlingo again, and did more Overs with Beazli, instead of me.

That’s what happened all day. I spent a lot of the day in the Berlingo. It wasn’t much fun. The only fun I had was running away when my mum and Lisa asked me to go Around for the ball on the Box. I had a look at the Box but I didn’t feel like getting the ball, I felt like chasing the boys I could see on the other side of the park. I chased the boys, I ran to Marianne, I chased the new dog Billy, I barked at Alex, I put myself in my house, and still my mum put me in the Berlingo!

She didn’t call me a Perfect Clever Girl once yesterday at Flyball. She told me I had a Very Naughty Day.

(Beazli:I don't know what she's complaining about. It was a wonderful day, I had so many delicious coconut coated beef balls, I can strongly recommend them, they really were worth the effort of a few Overs and a few turns Around the pole. But the best part of the day was enjoying Pjev's & Rosie's birthday cake, without having to do any activities at all. It was a sublime carrot cake, not too sweet, and I was fortunate that I was able to eat Ebbi's portion as well as my own. She always turns her nose up at cake, silly thing.)