The air was thick and heavy with smoke from forest fires. It started just south of Redding around Red Bluff and continued for 50 miles or so down towards Sacramento. I could barely breathe. Not only were there many small freeway grass fires, there was a large forest fire that was started by lightening around Williams. It has burned over 10,000 acres so far. Things were dry as a bone but rain was on the way to help.

There is something about the smell of dry earth and oats that sets off so many pleasant memories of my former life when I lived in Southern California. That smell is found no place else on the planet (or at least I have not smelled it). It is comforting and familiar. It is always the first thing that hits me that we are back in California. The second is a large, low very old palm tree that sits in a field on the east side of I-5 around Red Bluff. Call me crazy but I LOVE California. I love all the people and the smells and the traffic and the stuff. My father always said California was for nuts and I guess that’s me ‘cause I fit right in with the rest of them.

We arrived in Santa Nella Thursday night and made home an RV park west of I-5. Then we drove the Extortion over to Pea Soup Andersen’s for the “Travelers Special.” That is all-you-can-eat pea soup and pumpernickel bred for the vegans instead of cheese bread.

We used to three or more bowls but now we are weenies and only do two. What is wrong with that? I used to eat a billion bowls of soup and now I can only eat two yet I am twice as fat! Somehow, that just doesn’t seem fair.

So we left bright and early for the Madera Fairgrounds. They said you couldn’t get in until 10 but there were already a bunch of RVs there when we arrived at 9. They let us in and we were so happily surprised to find FULL HOOK-UPS!!!! 50 AMP too! Now that doesn’t happen very often.

The trial is going great! It is a one judge trial and the dogs are running well, especially Isabella! I don’t know what got into her but she is on fire. Well, for Isabella anyway LOL. So if there is a bunch of smoke seen around Madera California, it is not a forest fire but Isabella SMOKIN ;).

It is a very nice trial with nice people and everyone wants to know, “What kind of dogs are those?” It is funny. Somebody will ask what kind of dogs the Poodles are. We tell them and then hear them tell the next person who asks, “They’re Poodles!” as though they knew all along.

Crushie is suffering form IPE (Irrational Poodle Exuberance). I think it rubbed off. She is flying but in all the wrong directions on course. Her contacts, weaves and start lines are awesome. It is what comes in between that seems to be the problem at the moment. She is going faster than ever and not being thoughtful. Poor Mel, he really has his hands full.

If you ever get a chance to run at the Madera Fairgrounds, it is a lot of fun.

 Helen & The Horrible Hooligans

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