Blustering through Texas

Last summer Carolyn Fricke came to Calgary to show her Corgis. She brought along a junior handler, Genevieve Ridderhoff or Viva, both from Texas. They shared a tent with us, and Viva offered to show a beagle for me, when she had spare time. Viva showed the beagle name is MIPS or "Millions of Instructions Per Second".

Last Christmas, Carolyn e-mailed me asking if I would send a beagle down to Texas, or bring it to the Beagle National, so Viva would have a beagle to show around that time. I said yes, but my choice was to send a dog who lives with me, and is owned by Carrie Ponech. Her name is Bluster, or Can. Ch. Goodsir Light Gust of Fidelity. The arrangements went well, the show entries were made, and Bluster was to start showing before the Beagle National in Victoria, Texas, on February 19, with the plan that she would come home with us after the Specialty.

I have shipped bull terriers and beagles across Canada and from Canada to various points of the U.S. I never dreamed that I would have any trouble shipping Bluster to Texas. It was best for Bluster to arrive in Austin on Feb. 16. Carolyn and Viva were arriving back from Westminster on that day. The first airline company wanted Bluster to sit on the ground in Dallas for 4 hours. The second, third and fourth air line would not accept Bluster at all. It was too cold in Canada. It was below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature in Calgary in February is usually below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Air Canada finally offered to fly Bluster to Houston, in an unheated cargo compartment, if I signed a waiver.

Houston? I didn't know anyone in Houston. Luckily Carolyn did. Remember at this point, Carolyn and Viva were in New York going to Westminster. Before Carolyn left she sent me a list of friends and relatives who could pick up Bluster where ever she landed in Texas. I talked to my vet, again spoke to Air Canada, and then phoned Sharon Arnett in Houston. Carolyn had given me Sharon's cell phone number. I phoned Sharon and caught her driving in a parking lot on the freeway. Could she meet Bluster on Tuesday, no she had a class. Could she meet Bluster on Wednesday, yes, she was meeting Charlie at the same airport and about the same time. I then asked Sharon to meet Bluster at the Lufthansa cargo area, and clear her through customs. But Bluster would arrive shortly after customs closed in the cargo area and Sharon would have to go to the passenger terminal.

I am including e-mail messages from the Texas people to help tell the story. This first message is from Sharon:

Feb 16

Okay, here's the deal!

I have about 4 more phone numbers to add to the repertoire, but the end result seems to be that:

1.You send Bluster on her way as planned, and it might had better be minus the t-shirt as it's 80 degrees here and she is liable to be stuck awhile on the ground before I can get her cleared through customs.

2. I must wait until tomorrow, not before, naturally, to see who is on shift detail, and explain for the 15th time our situation with the dog. They will not let me make "arrangements" today, since that would be easiest while I have them on the phone. Not so, so tomorrow it is.

3. The Customs office will arrange for someone to meet me and clear Bluster. There is NO charge for this service.

4. I go to the Cargo area of Lufthansa, but I will not get the dog. Apparently, she is going to be at the actual office, but, naturally, they won't let me have her until I deal with Lufthansa. Fancy that....

5. Hopefully, after all of the driving from one office to the next, I will have my hands on the dog and will call you WHEN I GET BACK HOME!!!

Hopefully, we can do this without a hitch, and truthfully, it didn't sound so complicated over the phone. Time will tell...

Wish it was snowing here!!! I'm dying of heat stroke now. I should be out walking my dogs about now, but I do not feel like breaking a sweat to walk out the door. They don't worry about stinking right after a shower, so they are wanting to go anyway. Life is tough, huh?

SLA

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I guess the Carolyn knew almost at the same time that I did that Bluster had arrived in Texas. From Carolyn:

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Feb 16

Dear Donna, Becky, Carrie and friends, Viva and I got home from Westminster today with the Doberman, Dion. Dion won the AmBred class at the Empire Show at the Pier on Saturday. . . .

Bluster, the Beagle of Carrie Ponech's, arrived by air this evening in Houston and was picked up at the airport by Sharon Arnett. Bluster made the trip very well from Calgary, where it was 10 below when she left. Sharon was picking up Charlie Dahly who was returning from Westminster with Cardigan, Ch Pecan Valley Dodger Blue, owned by Randall and Peggy Guard of Little Rock, Arkansas, so was able to pick up Bluster in the same trip. . .

We have 3 bitches in beagles 13" and under, for two points if they all show, and next week in Houston at CyCreek/Brazoria, there are 8 bitches entered which means 4 point majors if they all show.

Well we are regrouping to leave on Friday for Victoria, Texas, where we will meet up with Charlie, Sharon and Bluster. More later. Carolyn Fricke

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Another message from Sharon about Bluster's arrival in Houston without her rabies certificate:

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Feb 17

I have no doubt that YOU did exactly as you said....it's the Airlines we have to worry about!!

For the record, your dog cleared customs without paper one, rabies or otherwise. Fascinating, wouldn't you say? I simply went in and said I had a dog coming in, and could I pick up the paperwork "a little early" and run it over to customs? They said technically, one is supposed to wait for the actual arrival of the animal, but in this case, they would go ahead and process the paperwork.

I thanked them and headed to Customs, where I was greeted (if you could call it that) by an officer who stamped the papers and said that I was supposed to bring the shot records and health certificate with me, but he wasn't going to make an issue of it, and he sure wasn't going to walk over to Lufthansa to check the dog.

I thanked him, and headed back, where Lufthansa informed me that the dog wouldn't be in until almost 8:00. I questioned them some, and said that my understanding was the flight was on time, and we were already pushing 7:00. They double-checked, decided she was there after all, and if I would just pay them some money, they would release her to me.

I spent some time arguing about unforeseen costs, and eventually won out when I stated that I had been told by THEIR employee just yesterday that there would be none forthcoming. More waiting ensued as they looked for their supervisor so I could gripe some more, and eventually, they decided it would be easier to say, "to hell with the extra compensation...let's just get this broad out of our hair!!!" and Voila! We were on our way. You know the proverbial saying about the squeaky wheel getting oiled first! They loved your dog, but they sure could have done without me!!!

The rabies thing, incidentally, is NOT that big an issue, and at most shows it is NEVER an issue, but naturally, you are entered in the most obnoxious show about rabies certificates in the entire country! Perhaps Carolyn can give you her FAX number if that would be convenient? Copies are totally acceptable. In fact, that is all I carry for each of our clients.

For the record, it is news to me if Bluster is spending time with me beyond Friday. I guess the main thing to know about Fricke is that you never know! She is always good for some intrigue. None of us EVER knows what drives her...we just accept her as she is. We love her dearly, but she is unpredictable as the devil. Once we get used to that about her, she doesn't drive us crazy anymore. Just ask her, she'll tell ya it's true. Heart of gold, would drive 30 miles to get you a box of Kleenex if you sneezed. She's a piece of work!!! SLA

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Bluster's first show was in Victoria. Sharon drove Bluster to Victoria where Bluster met Viva and Carolyn. The first day in the ring Bluster was at the bottom of the heap.

The second day, February 20 I received the following message from Carolyn about the 'legal beagle:

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Bluster slept beside me again last night. I nicknamed her the "legal beagle" after she was wicketed in the breed class. Viva had never shown a dog being wicketed so she was nervous. I think the judge was practicing. Joe Walton, then he placed her best of breed at Victoria. He asked Viva afterward if she was nervous. He fidgeted with the wicket before hand measuring it with a separate tape rule and then had Viva place her on the floor for the measurement. She was close but the wicket hit the floor on both sides.

We leave on Friday for Houston and will stay at the Holiday Inn, 281-558-5580 in West Houston at Hwy 6 and I 10. If she wins both days with 4 points each day, and everyone shows, she will be finished.!!! When she finishes, do you want to bump her up or stay in the classes until Nationals??

It will be 75-78 degrees here this week and 55 at night. She is being a very good girl. CCF

Carolyn Crighton Fricke,

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I should explain that Bluster had 5 points that she earned in Greeley, CO, last August. She won 2 more points the second day in Victoria, for 7 points in total. So Carolyn, Viva and Bluster went off to Houston and Bluster won the 4 point majors back to back. On Saturday Carolyn called right after the breed judging and told me that Bluster had won the 4 points.

Carolyn was so very positive that Bluster would win on Sunday. I knew that Bluster was showing at 8 a.m., 7 a.m. my time. I got up at 7 so I would sound bright and cheery when the phone call came. The phone didn't ring. I made bread, cleaned the house, repotted plants and then decided to take the beagles for a run. Just as I was approaching the door the phone rang. A very excited Carolyn calling from a parking lot outside the show in Houston. I guessed that she was telling me that Bluster had not won. Boy was I wrong. Bluster was a champion on February 27! But Carolyn and Viva had to race to the Doberman ring and then to the Corgi ring after the beagle judging. They hadn't had time to call.

Carolyn really wanted to have time to finish Bluster before the Beagle National, when Ernie and I were coming to Texas. So Bluster was entered at Wichita Falls, San Antonio and again at Houston before the San Jacinto Specialty and the National. Bluster was also to be shown by Viva at the Fort Worth shows after the National.

We had changed Bluster's ownership to include Viva so that Viva could show Bluster in Juniors. Viva and Bluster had a couple of good wins in juniors. I remember one day I got a call from Carolyn and Viva saying that Viva had won with Bluster in the juniors. I believe the team had won over 30 others. The comment was that Bluster was 'a pig' during the picture taking.

Sharon Arnett was very kind to take Bluster to Wichita Falls March 4-5. Viva couldn't go. Carolyn had told me that Sharon would be taking Bluster. I think I knew that before Sharon did. I e-mailed her thanking her for taking on the challenge of Bluster.

From Sharon:

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Becky: Don't ask...just call it "Frickeisms" like the rest of us.

Bluster is not imposing, she is a good girl and a great housedog. It is true that I thought all I was doing was picking her up for Fricke, but apparently Viva is unable to get to Wichita Falls (I don't know why!) and Carolyn wants to send Bluster along anyway and asked us to take her. That's just fine with me, as there are no scheduling conflicts for a change and handling dogs is my job anyway. SLA

Hi Becky!

It must be a small world. I walked up to the Beagle ring and everyone there seems to know you and Bluster. Who the heck owns this dog??? I thought it was you, but the catalog says someone else... Confusing! SLA

On March 18 Ernie and I flew to Fort Worth. On Sunday he drove out to Weatherford and Allen Williams and Jim Woods Willwood Kennels. We had breakfast, biscuits and gravy at the U 2 Barbecue in Cool with Jimmy, Allen and about 10 other people going to the National. We even met a singing fish, and saw some beautiful beagles at Jimmy and Allen's.

Viva arrived from the Houston show late on the Sunday evening to show at the beagle specialty early on Monday. Bluster was so happy to see us, but it was quite obvious that Viva and Bluster were a team. Viva stayed for the entire week. At times Viva and Bluster would disappear to study Spanish. Viva is going to Spain early this summer. They both showed extremely well and Bluster made the final cut of the 13" beagle at the National. What a thrill.

Viva has been at other breed specialties but told me that the beagle people seem to have a lot of fun together. We had a beagle rodeo one evening. Viva and Bluster played all the games. Bluster was a failure at eating faster than the other dogs, would not bob for hot dogs, but did hit the bullseye on the cheese whiz board, while Viva was blind folded.

Viva and Carolyn are coming to Calgary in August again to see Bluster.