Ray Ray

Palo Alto Foothills Tracking Association
April 17, 2005
Evergreen Community College

We drew track #2. Track layer was Bea Moore and the judges Carol Pernicka and Ralph Swingle.

Ray started nicely, did his obligatory break off mid-start then committed nicely to the leg. The first corner was just past a wide sidewalk to the left but Ray blew past into a large area of lawn. This was tough. We were easily 40 yards off the track and Ray searched left and right. I knew we'd passed a corner but you can't just turn around and walk back. We needed to backup. When Ray would work back towards me, I'd take a few steps backward to encourage that direction. It worked and we picked up the next leg and were rewarded with a beautiful metal article! This gave us plenty of steam and we tracked the next leg very strongly. The second turn was at a paved road then followed down the center of the road. Ray did a great job here (except for inspecting some green metal container).

The third turn put us in vegetation for a short 30 yards to the fourth turn into non-vegetated area again - a wide sidewalk between two buildings. We found another article. At this point, I'm thinking "we're going to do it!".

The last turn went left between two buildings but Ray pulled strongly ahead. We reached the end of the building and he trotted up the stairs and down a corridor (where we met a homeless man going through the garbage). He was pulling hard now. We exit the covered corridor and he turns immediately to the right. Whistle! We were 30 feet from the final article.

Fortunately, I was able to quickly "manipulate" Ray to the final article after being failed and we had a huge party at the end. I am extremely encouraged by our performance. We really belong in VST and will pass another day.

The start The first turn was just past the transition from sidewalk to grass and goes left. This is where Ray overshot and worked in the big grassy area up to and including the stairs and the end of the building.

The second leg. We found a metal article just before the tree-shaded area The third leg went down this paved road. Ray worked this well but made a few side trips to check out the pretty flowers and check the contents of a metal bin

The fourth leg went from the grass across the quad in the background. We found a dish rag. More pavement here on the 5th leg

The turn was to the left down the sidewalk. We blew past it. The last leg. The final article was just at the far end of the building. Ray went further up the building and took another corridor when eventually brought us back to the end of the track.

The End The celebration of failure!

Some Action Shots

Home | Lilly Bird | Burt | Richie


The start	The first turn was just past the transition from sidewalk to grass and goes left. This is where Ray overshot and worked in the big grassy area up to and including the stairs and the end of the building.

The second leg. We found a metal article just before the tree-shaded area	The third leg went down this paved road. Ray worked this well but made a few side trips to check out the pretty flowers and check the contents of a metal bin

The fourth leg went from the grass across the quad in the background. We found a dish rag.	More pavement here on the 5th leg

The turn was to the left down the sidewalk. We blew past it.	The last leg. The final article was just at the far end of the building. Ray went further up the building and took another corridor when eventually brought us back to the end of the track.

The End	The celebration of failure!