Soldotna…

The Kenai Kennel Club hosts an annual all-breed dog show in Soldotna, Alaska. This is an event we truly look forward to, as the commute between is a worthwhile adventure. There are 150 miles of gorgeous that first pass by the Turnagain Arm before unwinding through the Chugach National Forest. From there we pass by Cooper Landing where the water is a breathtaking azure blue.

This year our trip was made in the rain. Within minutes of arrival we were greeted by our friend Wendy, who helped us set up our pop-up grooming tent in record time. By the time we finished, we were drenched…

The iPhone weather forecast was certainly not optimistic. The whole weekend was predicted in rain by 80-90% chance. And that evening as I gave my last good look at Stirling, I comforted myself with the well-known wisdom fact that the exact experience you are having is the exact experience you need. And that evening I closed my eyes at the Hooligan Lodge with no hope of sunshine the next morning. …But there was no worry in my heart.

And as it were the morning was full of sunshine; as if in the better dream of life, we only needed to have faith… OHM

But truly, there were lots of stories to be had and nothing was as easy as that. The grounds were wet, and the bathtub at Hooligan’s was completely dysfunctional. And if I have learned nothing else, it’s that a terrier needs to exercise. So most of the weekend I spend retrieving a filthy dirty dog to show-shape. But it was fun, albeit a lot of work.

But here’s the upside:

Judge Cecilia Ringstrom awarded Stirling O’Hanluan his very first Terrier Group 1 at the Kenai Kennel Club All-Breed Dog Show in Soldotna, Alaska on July 13, 2014!!!

Judge F.M. (Butch) MacDonald awarded Stirling O’Hanluan Terrier Group 2 at the Kenai Kennel Club All-Breed Dog Show in Soldotna, Alaska on July 12, 2014