Whittlesea Show 2007

During Saturday night the heavens opened up and down came the rain. What a wonderful sound.

I was really pleased I had finished packing my car and the trailer earlier in the afternoon.

   Arriving at the showground and successfully backing the trailer to the door of our pavilion the rain eased
and we could unload without display stuff getting wet. The Greens, Wendy and Glenys, then Debbie and
Samantha arrived so setting up was a breeze.

   We couldn’t have the banner next to the camera so taking photos was a little trickier than normal.
Photos were taken, with the camera then having to be walked through crowds to the printer with children
and parents sometimes struggling to keep up. With members ferrying them to safety no
one missed out on their memento

   The Whittlesea committee had not ordered any ribbons but agreed to order them for us and mail them.
We will have a special award ceremony, hopefully at our Christmas party.

   Junior sections were judged first, then pet class judged by Wendy and me, Dana. I ask you, how do you
pick the best rattie out of a group of cuddly, squishy cute individuals? It’s really hard.
The seniors were then judged.

   This show saw the introduction of our rat mats. These are mats, all sewn by Jackie (thanks Jackie) on
which rats are presented to the judges. The rats sit on their mat to be judged and, up to date, seem to
eliminate any uncharacteristic rattie behaviour caused by unfamiliar smells on the tablecloth. At the Geelong
show a few ratties were very disturbed by unfamiliar odours and as a result this new idea was born. The
mats are not compulsory, at the moment, but come the 2008 show season all members, showing rats,
will have to have a boy rat mat and a girl rat mat. Any members with chubby rats will have to have a
“fat rat mat”. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

We had yet another successful day. It is hard to believe there are only 2 more shows for the year
then our Christmas party. Oh!!! the joys of getting old when every year is only half as long as the one before.