Rolling with the punches

We had hoped to breed Ecko this summer, with pups due in the late summer/early fall. We did several progesterone draws and left for California to visit the boyfriend we chose for her when the reproductive specialist told us to. "Do a breeding on Wednesday and another on Friday" we were told. Sure, no problem!

Well, Ecko had other ideas in mind and was not interested in cooperating with our plans. Due to the holiday weekend, many of the reproductive specialists in the area were not available, so we made a drive to UC Davis on Thursday to get a little help from the experts. Imagine our frustration when the specialist there confirmed via cytology that Ecko was going OUT of season and we had missed the window to breed her this summer.

Trying to take something good from the experience:

• The drive down and back passes through some beautiful country. From the golden landscape of California, to the inviting waters of Shasta Lake, the grandeur of Mt. Shasta and the Siskiyou Summit and back home to the lush green of Oregon - makes you realize how beautiful our country is and how fortunate we are to live here.
• Had a really nice visit with Elaine and Chris and some yummy meals including amazing Sushi that Chris prepared.
• Opened up a summer of water work with Ecko and a few more months of agility when the weather turns cooler again.