Freestyle seminar

.
This morning (while it was still dark) I managed to get my van out of the ice that had it trapped in my driveway the past few days. That in itself was a feat for me because I'm a night owl and rarely see the sun rise :-) Plus, it was only 5 degrees outside and I try to avoid being out in the cold if I can. But it was SO worth it!!! Thankfully once I got off our driveway/road, all the roads were clear and dry except in a few spots where snow was blowing across them from the wide open fields thanks to a strong bitter cold wind.
.
It was a little north of Dayton Ohio (2 hours from me) at a Tractor Supply Company. I had my doubts about what that location would hold. Imagine my pleasant surprize when I opened the door to the side of the main entrance and saw a complete dog training center! 3 large gated rings, agility equipment, ring mats, the works! A very nice training area actually! And there were lots of people attending, though I'm not sure exactly how many. I'd guess 30 people?

Morene Stickrod and her helpers (sorry I don't recall their names- shame on me!) covered freestyle basics along with some of the WCFO rules and even taught us a full routine we had a chance to practice! Dazzle did really well, even with the down time between active learning/practice sessions (downtime he and I both needed), though that was the hardest part for his young brain. :-)
.
I'm now more jazzed about freestyle than ever! Novice level is actually easier than I was envisioning, so that's encouraging. I'm looking forward to putting together a novice routine and getting a video made for submission (& sharing on this blog of course :-). I think I'd also like to try the heeling to music stuff. I have a routine I plan to do, but I think it's more advanced and will take some time to teach him all the moves. So while I'll continue working on that project, I'll also be working on selecting music and modifying the routine we learned today for a novice level submission.
.
I may have helped a few people better understand clicker training as well during breaks and after the seminar, so I'm happy about opening those horizons for them to explore.
.
My van is once again stuck at the bottom of the driveway on the ice (hopefully it will get in the garage at some point before Spring!), but my head is swimming with all that I learned today and I hope to put it to use very soon! Thank-you to everyone who helped make the seminar a success!
.
I should have taken some photos, but I was too busy learning and/or occupying a busy Mal. :-)

P.S. I did stop at the store and get several bags of salt, but I'm not sure it will do much with 8.5" of snow and ice. I only spread one bag in front of the van tires, so we'll see how that does. They are saying it will be above freezing tomorrow, so hopefully that will help. Of course they are also saying it could rain or snow, and knowing this area, means we will probably end up with more freezing rain. :-( I sure hope not!

Is it spring yet?