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Saturday, January 7, 2017

Fun Saturday gone to the dogs

  I discovered that the country's second largest dog show was being held right here in the Palm Springs area so guess where we went today!

Instead of taking busy I-10 to the Empire Polo Club grounds where the dog show was being held, we opted for the quiet but "exciting" Dillon Road route.   We chose this route for two reasons.   First, it would take us past my favorite date farm, Sam Cobb's Date Farm, and second, Dave loves to drive on it!    One must keep the driver happy.

my driver gets a crazed smile on his face when faced with this roller coaster road
"Hang on", says he!




Sam's farm stand is only open on the weekends and we're only going to be here one more of those so a stop was mandatory.    He has been a farmer since he was 15 years old (he has a picture of himself on the wall at that age) and says he'll never retire, he loves what he does too much!

Sam's big smile says it all!
  Most places sell Mejool dates and so does Sam but what I like about his little place are his experiments.    They are experiments in the sense that he plants different date palms to see what he'll get, but the fruits of those experiments aren't ready for harvest for 20 years!   He'll stop when he sees a palm growing somewhere, dig it up, plants and nurtures it in the hope he'll get something interesting and different.       My very favorite "experiment" is one he calls Candi (after his daughter).   He found that palm on the side of the road many years ago and loved what it eventually produced so he takes the little suckers each mature tree produces and makes new Candi date trees!

he shows us the suckers as he explains

After we made our purchase we wandered a bit in his beautiful date orchard before continuing on to the dog show.


paper bags and sacks shelter the fragile, ripening fruit

I couldn't resist a peek under the skirt


So, back to the dog show.    It was held at the incredible Empire Polo Grounds in Indio.    There were 36 rings, with a different breed of dog being judged in each one.     I understand that this show attracts 10,000 contestants and spectators each day of the three day show.


Pointers wait their turn

one of our favorites, a ring full of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels



  Tents and tents and tents full of dogs being groomed and washed and rested before their turn in one of the judging rings were placed on the perimeter of the field.

Dandie Dinmont on the table

An enormous fixed building held vendors of all things dog.      Spectators and anxious owners stood ringside to watch their dog or favorite compete.    We walked and walked, trying to take in everything from the conformation classes (think - beauty pageant) to the agility (think - dogs on a prescribed course at a playground) and obedience classes (think - perfectly trained dogs walking alongside their owners, doing whatever is asked of them, immediately).

Heel!


Stay!
(while the judge looks on)

Here are some highlights, dogs that caught my eye.

a miniature wirehaired Dachshund
(Hi Glory!)

a beautiful blonde Saluki

Who could resist that face!

A Chinese Crested being silly

a Borzoi on a sit-stay in the obedience ring

Some were serious and were dedicated to doing their jobs, some couldn't care less where they were and snoozed quietly amid all the hub bub, and some had a really good time!



sometimes a guy needs a little reassurance

A Great Dane waits
(no, not you Nina)
its tiring to be a champion


zzzzz

This Doberman brought his own fun

a game of tug as a reward for doing a good job

playtime with a passing friend


these two Italian Greyhounds got hopelessly tangled
while playing together

Some were bored.





Some just did what dogs do.

a white Bull Terrier reads the paper

Beagles doing what Beagles do best

Some were groomed within an inch of their lives and some were left au natural.



the ridge on a Rhodesian Ridgeback

a Pointer peeks



Mom, can't you put the phone down and play with me awhile?


The little guys in this pen were very anxious for a friend (out of the picture) to notice them.....they erupted like popcorn kernels every time she looked over at them!



Look at me, look at me!

Yea!   Here she comes!

Today was a very good day!

7 comments:

  1. Hans feels a little sick driving Dillon Rd. any time we head to 1000 Palms for a hike!

    Lovely shots of the palms and all the wonderful dogs!

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  2. Looks like a very fun day -- your captions are hilarious! What in the world is the critter with the big blonde bouffant hairdo?? Sam and his farm stand look wonderful -- but the road there, not so much!

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  3. Was this a different date farm than the one we stopped at? You bought Candi dates last time, didn't you? Boy, I could use another five pound box! Loved having the dates near by.

    What a fun day at the dog show!! Think of all the treats I could have given out!! What gorgeous dogs. I would have been in heaven talking to them all. So glad Lewis doesn't look like the Giant Poodles in your photo! So unmanly!!

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  4. Love, love all the doggies! Thanks for sharing your day.

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  5. Oh my what a grand day! Love Dillon Road too - as long as I'm not in the back seat :-) We must visit Sam when we're in the area, such a lovely smile. Absolutely cannot pick a favorite dog - you got such wonderful shots. The popcorn pups are hysterical.

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  6. Wow, great dog photos but I like the blonde Saluki best.
    I've heard about those date farms, and i still have to visit one day, perhaps next year :)

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  7. I hate you! LOL I had a friend from Portland down showing in obedience at that show (with her mini poodle) and she said that was one of the best venues ever (and she is a judge so has seen most all of them). I really like that the cresteds there were in such good shape! Absolutely love Sam!

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