2009 Year In Review

I thought I'd include in this entry some of my favorite photos taken over the year. It was hard to choose, as we've taken a LOT of pictures this year. Many are great shots, but these are a few that matter to me. This one of Pete with the dogs shows our beautiful Mais Oui demanding affection. We lost this wonderful girl to pyometra this April, so this is one of the last photos of her. On the far left is her dam, Tiramisu who also passed away this year...she was Pete's shadow and constant companion. Lexus, our oldest, not in the photo passed away in April as well.

We also had some happy times to offset the sad moments. Good times with great friends. Showing our Portuguese friends Rui, Paula, Henrique and Isabella our little part of the world. Raising a beautiful healthy litter, a successful ASSA, and travelling in Australia, going to Westminster in NYC, the National in Georgia and visiting with family and friends in Vancouver. Most of all, we enjoyed our quiet moments at our farm with the dogs.

This photo shows that even though we have almost 50 acres, the dogs tend to wrap themselves around my legs! I have an entourage of my old girls that follow me on our walks. It is the boisterous youngsters that will break away from the group and go wild.

Characteristic of our photos this year...muddy, grubby and very happy dogs out on their walks.
Babies...we enjoyed playing with our puppies this year. Emma and Barbie grew up together.
We had a ball with our summer litter...Miley and Maisie (Mayer and Mandy).
Stormy and the deer fly. One of my favorite photos...taken with Brenda's lens.

2009 Show Results

ASSA National

1st 12-18 month Futurity: Can Ch Laureate Jivara
1st 12-18 month sable and white bitches: Can Ch Laureate Jivara
1st Open Blue Bitches: Can Ch Laureate PaRay Per Se (co-bred by Tray Pittman)
1st Over 12 Years Veteran Bitches: BISS Am/Can Ch Laureate Louisiana
Award Of Merit: BISS Am/Can Ch Laureate Louisiana

Canadian Champions:

BPIS Can Ch Laureate Embelish (co-bred by Aneita Frey, owned by Kim Aston and Peter Culumovic)
Can Ch Laureate Lancome (Bred by Kim Aston and Peter Culumovic and co-owned by Pennylynn Woodruff)
Can Ch Laureate Lutece (breeder-owners Kim & Pete)
Can Ch Laureate PaRay Per Se (co-bred by Tray Pittman, owned by Kim and Pete)
Can Ch Laureate Rachael Ray (co-owned by Pennylynn Woodruff)
Can Ch Ruffleith's Remy Martin (co-bred and owned by Pennylynn Woodruff)
Can Ch Ruffleith's Rose In Bloom (co-bred and owned by Pennylynn Woodruff)
Can Ch Ruffleith's Tina Rufette (co-bred and owned by Pennylynn Woodruff)

Other Titles

Am Ch El Solo Serenity (co-bred by Marjorie Norstrom, owned by Marjorie and Shirley Wong)
Laureate Due South, Am CDX (owner Lori Drouin)
Laureate Tiramisu, ROMC (co-bred by Karen and Robert Henley)
BPIS Laureate Epitome

Many thanks to the co-breeders and owners for making this possible!

Our best wishes for a Happy and Successful New Year!

Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates

"Life is like a box of chocolates...You never know what you're gonna get" Forrest Gump

Yummy little "chocolates" from our tri-factored sable girl Valrhona (named after a French Chocolate company).

Female One

Female Two

Female Three

Male One

Male Two

In Valerie's last litter we kept "Cocoa", Ch Laureate Jivara. Jivara is a milk chocolate bar made by Valrhona. If anyone has any good Chocolate names, let me know!

Here We Snow Again! (warning - lots of photos)

There is nothing I love more than taking photos of the dogs playing in the deep virgin snow. Stormy likes to climb!
And jump. I missed lots of opportunities of her jumping like a jack rabbit in the snow...she was so cute!

Mayer leading Eva and Stormy

Cocoa butt

Eva in front

Cocoa, Bridgit and Stormy behind...

Caught her!Cocoa is very satisfied with herself!Off and running again!

Emma eyeballing Cocoa

...and
...You're it!

New game...catch Stormy

Got her...

Yum. Snow.

Go Emma Go!

I don't know about this one...it looks like Mayer is making the moves on his mother...yikes!

New Arrivals

We are happy to welcome our newest babies. Sired by Ch Lynphil's Solstice and out of our Champion producer, Laureate Valrhona. We have five beautiful sables...three girls and two boys.

Girl on top and then left to right male, male, female, female
It isn't easy to photograph a squirming bunch of babies; they tuck their heads and circle...

male left and female right; two females behind
Flashy female
The boys
Flashy female and a boy making a getaway...

This little guy is determined!

A Most Beautiful Day

An unusually mild December day (eight Celsius) meant a good excuse for a walk in the back field.
Stormy zeroing in on Mayer
Wipe out!

Looks bad but he got up and kept going.
Paris not wanting the same result tells the group to back off!

Cocoa, Emma and Mayer

Running this way...

...and that way

Emma leading the pack

After a run time for a cool drink.