Laureate Shelties

Despite The White

2012-01-28T12:54:00.000-05:00

In our first litter, born January 25, 1989 was a puppy with a big white face blaze. I remember going through the magazines trying to find pictures of other Shelties that had lots of white on the face to see what it would look like on an adult. I came across a female in one of the magazines that was called Ch Istari Despite The White. A clever name that said it all...despite the white the quality is there. It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but markings shouldn't matter if the individual has excellence. The ones we've kept over the years or have sold to others have gone on to prove the point. So now we'll watch and wait to see if Cocoa's puppy will factor into our breeding program in the future.

Above is pictured MBIS/MBISS Am/Can Ch Laureate Starlight Express (Sparkle) at 3 weeks of age. Next to her is a picture we took this morning of Cocoa's girl at three weeks...they are similar but different. She might look more like Ch Laureate Vanilla Sky than Sparkle, but time will tell.

This is how Sparkle looked at 6 years old...

Top left is Ch Laureate Savanna White ROMC (owned by Karen and Bob Henley) and underneath and the baby photos are her daughter, Ch Laureate Vanilla Sky. Two more beauties 'despite the white' face markings.

Cocoa Pups at 19 days

2012-01-26T14:43:00.000-05:00

While we were on holiday our good friend Diane whelped our Inception x Jivara litter. There are three girls (pictured) and a male who will wait until he is bigger before he makes his debut.

Diane nicknamed the girls "the three little pigs" I like to think because they are fat and healthy and not because they have pink noses.

All that eating makes you tired!

Nap time...

2011: Year In Review

2011-12-31T18:58:00.002-05:00

2011 will soon be history and we had some special moments...

Miss "Rehannah" was a natural show girl and so much fun...7 BPIS and a BPISS made her Canada's Top Sheltie Puppy for 2011, and 2nd in the Herding Group!

I was in St Louis at the ASSA and was proud to watch Ch Laureate Cold Play "Player" win 2nd in Open Blue. A big thank you to Sherrie Sparling for having him in such fabulous condition and for getting him back out to the shows after a long hiatus. He finished in the States very quickly afterwards.

Along with some highs, there were also lows. The passing of our beloved "Gabi" this summer shortly after her 16th birthday. She did enjoy her day though...and we'll always treasure this photo of her on the chaise with her great-granddaughter Paris and great-great-great granddaughter Rehannah. We have Gabi to thank for the strength of our sable program...four generations of ROMC's, and Paris with four Ch's.

Sadly in 2011 was the loss of the very special litter sisters MBISS/BIS Am/Can Ch Laureate Fifth Avenue (Pavey) and Ch Laureate Meringue (Hamelin). Epitomizing grace and lasting beauty; as their breeders we can only aspire to breed that level of quality once again in our lifetime. A dream perhaps but it is good to have goals.

We celebrated another birthday (number 15) with LuAnne and she'll be joining us this evening in our New Years Eve festivities.

Our dogs had a wonderful summer on the farm, even if it was HOT!

One of my favourite images of the year...such joy!

But I think this is my favourite photo of the year...sums up why we do this. :-)

Show Results In the U.S.

New American Grand Champion El Solo Serenity (Owners Shirley Wong and Margie Norstrom) co-bred with Margie.

American Championship for Can Ch Laureate Cold Play (owner Sherrie Sparling)

American Championship for Can Ch Laureate Jivara

ROM title for Laureate Beloved (Madeleine Griffin-Cone)

In Canada

MBPIS/BPISS Ch Laureate Immortality (thank you Diane Biggar for handling Re when we were unable)

BPIS Ch Laureate Dominatrix (thank you Kim Wendling for handling our wild child)

BPIG Ch Laureate Double Exposure (now owned by Nancy Everett, handled by Diane Biggar)

BPIG Ch Laureate Inception (also US Specialty major)

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! May it be joy filled, healthy and prosperous.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T16:18:00.002-05:00

We had a white Christmas this year after all...and a brisk -9. We enjoyed a lovely walk after lunch with the gang and relatives. Not enough exercise to counter the caloric intake, but we made an effort.

Our best wishes to all for the Holidays.

Pete and the Gang

2011-12-11T17:23:00.003-05:00

Pete and I were looking for something to do together this afternoon. Shop? Go for a drive? Have a nap? We decided to take the group in the back field for a run.

The field was half in shadow, so I asked Pete to lead the group into the sun.

I don't know who he is calling, as I'm pretty sure the one he's looking for is right behind him...

Miley is a love-bug...she would like all the attention, all of the time.

Here is the one he was after...Paris, Pete's favourite girl. I think she's his favourite because she is a Tira daughter, and Tira was his devoted friend.

Miley trying to intercept...noooo pick ME!

Paris gets scooped up...Sushi as I mentioned in the previous post, is not a runner. She prefers to hang out with us. Now I'm wondering if she got bumped and would prefer the safety of our legs.

The flying Finn

Sun is starting to set...time to head back.

It Was a Dark and Dreary Day

2011-12-07T16:06:00.003-05:00

So I decided to make the most of it and take the dogs out before their dinner

Finn in centre

Trix has her (evil) eye on someone

Away at the races. Sushi (tri in foreground) was funny, she was right by my side the whole time. I think she wanted to make sure I was going to feed her!

There is always some snarly face games...especially with Stormy. I could do an album with her showing her teeth at the others. I never scold her, as it never escalates. When she sees me she smiles and dances, you'd never know she was such a rip snorter!

Valerie and Cocoa, Finn and Eva and Miley on the right

Eva, the pack leader with a breakaway group

Finn and Miley...the snow making their coats look yellow in comparison

Wet sticky sloppy snow cleaned them up pretty well...

Mayer checking on Foo and Boo (LuAnne) left in the house while they were out

A few others come and see what the fuss is about...

The great thing about bringing them out for a run before dinner is they are quick to come in the door.

Snow Day

2011-11-23T20:03:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning to several inches of snow; the first snowfall of the season. I popped the long lens on the camera as I saw the heron down in the creek. Creeping out onto the deck so I wouldn't startle him, I first snapped this shot of our solar lights on the railing...then propping myself up against the gazebo I got this shot.

Taken with the 70-200 with the doubler...he's really not very close, yet he still flew off when he noticed me.

This was taken through the kitchen window yesterday...loved seeing his feet on the ice.

Who's Your Daddy?

2011-11-22T16:12:00.001-05:00

The sire of Eva's puppies is the beautiful GCh Rosmoor Protocol ROM! This makes them full younger siblings to "Sushi", our keeper from her last litter.

The Royal

2011-11-13T14:44:00.011-05:00

The Royal Winter Fair comes to Toronto at the beginning of November every year. I remember when I used to ride, qualifying for "The Royal" was the goal. You had to win your class (maybe more than once) at a local fair to qualify. It was the most prestigious fair in Canada.

The weather was beautiful the three days I attended. Unseasonably mild and I didn't hear anyone complaining!

The poultry exhibition was wonderful to see. The roosters were strutting, the turkeys were making a display with their tail feathers. Many were fine with all the people walking past, but some were a little more flighty.

Chicken being judged...easier than showing dogs. The judge goes into the cage and pulls out the exhibit and examines it. It doesn't take too long...

These were my favourite type of chicken. They have a rose comb (close to their heads) and interesting colour. It is called a Silver-laced Wyandotte. If I were to get a chicken or three, this would be the type I'd like.

A crested goose. These guys look like they want to bite you on the butt...they just have that look in their eye!

A Polish chicken. While these are very ornamental, they are very skittish.

These guys have a face only a mother could love...yikes!

I went to the Super Dogs exhibition...it was a ton of fun. They have a pretty good show and there were lots of laughs. The dogs certainly have a good time.

Young handlers...might have been 4-H.

Brown Swiss. I never realized how bony cows hips are...

Jersey calf with amazing eyes.

Cleaning them up for the show

Keeping the sheep clean after they are washed

Even their heads are covered

Having a nap

The draft horses getting washed up

And the hunter/jumpers

Wednesday night we bought tickets for the horse show. We got a cross section of events culminating with the Grand Prix which was the highlight.

The six horse Belgian teams were impressive

The amount of work for the few minutes in the ring is incredible. Just look at the sparkle of their tack, and the shine on their wagons...not to mention the braiding of the horses manes and washing of their coat. I can't imagine the cost of this hobby.

Dressage in the dark. It was spectacular and when I was watching it seemed darker than this. It was magical...

Then there was a class called "Green Meadows". There were four carriages and it took you back to a time of lords and ladies. All four exhibits were American, from Michigan to Florida.

The winning exhibit was this group of Hackneys. They were high stepping and fancy, everyone was prim and proper on the carriage with blankets on their laps.

The horn blower (he probably has another title) won a ribbon. He tooted the horn as they went around. Once again, so much work, time and money for this competition.

The beginning of the Grand Prix event. The course builders tribute to the great Stallion Hickstead who passed away the following week. They came up with the idea to wear black armbands in his honour and they also had a number for sale which quickly sold out. Eric Lamaze, Hickstead's rider received a standing ovation when he rode in the ring on another horse.

Some of the crowd in long dresses and tuxedos. Pete and I and many others were in jeans...there wasn't a dress code, we figure there was a gala event prior to the show.

Ian Miller and his daughter Amy walking the course prior to the Grand Prix

The first rider

Eric Lamaze on Herald. He did a really good job, but did end up with 5 faults.

Eric Lamaze again

Ian Millar on his stallion Redefin. He had an off night and Ian retired him half way through the course after he had knocked down 6 rails.

I loved this horse, Lansdowne ridden by Conor Swail of Ireland and they placed second I believe.

The night had some drama when Canadian Beth Underhill fell off her horse and was lying on the ground being attended by the EMT's for ten to fifteen minutes. Her horse was loose, but was quickly caught. There was no word on Beth's condition until the following day, when it was announced she had a concussion.

Another beautiful horse and rider; notice the Hickstead armband he is wearing.

Hope I'm able to go to the fair again next year...it is such fun.

Creek November 4th

2011-11-04T18:01:00.000-04:00

This is the pin oak that I was talking about in my last post. We love trees and planted it and a red oak seven years ago after Hannah and Sparkle passed away. Its trunk is wrapped up for beaver protection.

The two sisters

The very shy heron has been in the creek daily. The fishing must be good as most of the other birds are heading south.

Field Trip

2011-11-02T14:34:00.002-04:00

I packed the Eva pups in the car and drove 300 metres down to the lowlands; the area we view from the deck. The pin oaks leaves are a deep mahogany color. I love this tree as it will keep its foliage all winter.

The little ones rough housed in the fallen leaves. It seemed to be the blues against the tri. I think he's an easy target. Besides being the only tri, he's so fun loving and he initiates the play.

Tackle...

Stomp

They look quite ferocious, but I don't even remember hearing them growling. They were right at my feet the whole time, tumbling and playing.

Getting away!

Phew...

Little stinker found my hat and ran off with it...

The little girl "Adele"coming to check out what the boys are up to...

"Foster" blue

Foster on the right and Adele on the left

Adele

Everything is new and interesting...

A lovely fall day...I loaded up the pups and then let out my anxious 'co-pilot'

"Foo" having a quick run aound before calling her back to ride shotgun for the short ride back.

Heading back home...I feel so lucky that we have so many different places we can take the dogs for a safe run.

Eva's Pups 8 weeks old

2011-10-11T09:46:00.002-04:00

We took advantage of the glorious day on Sunday and snapped some photos of Eva's pups at 8 weeks of age. The two fostered puppies returned on Monday on a wet dreary day, so there are no photos of the reunion. The two (they are the two on the right) were swarmed by the four littermates when they were put in the pen, but afterwards it was as if they had been here all their lives.

The blue boy that was fostered.

Mushy face, beautiful dark eye...he is stunning.

He didn't cooperate for body shots as the puppies in the pen were distracting him with their barking.

Tri boy...he is a character, so full of himself.

A real fuzzy little guy too.

He was very good on the table (he was the noisiest one in the pen so I think he just wanted to come and show off)

Coloured leg on the show side...sigh

The very darling bottle raised baby. We fought hard for this one. I was lucky to have help from friends and family (and our Vet) to keep this girl going. Our reward is a beautiful, very affectionate little girl...with glorious blue colouring.

Smaller blue boy

Nicely put together

Yipee!

The two companion puppies are very beautiful. We are very pleased with this litter, even if we didn't get more girls.

Eva's Fostered Pups

2011-09-04T21:25:00.003-04:00

When Eva's puppies were born we were struggling to keep the two girls alive and the tri boy was also weak. We were lucky there was a Sheltie in the area that had delivered a litter the same day and when I called my friend Diane needing help, she came over and picked up the tri boy and a blue boy and delivered them to Liz and her unsuspecting foster mom "Savanna".

Savanna was out when they were put in the the box with the other two puppies. When Savanna came in to see her puppies Diane and Liz said she did a double take as suddenly there were twice as many!

Liz supplemented the tri boy for several days and then he started nursing strongly. He is now larger than the blue boy and almost the same size as his foster sister (sadly one of Savanna's puppies didn't make it).

It is tiring posing for pictures...

...very tiring!

...so sleepy

Liz's little bi blue girl. She is a sweetie.

The three pups. The Eva pups will remain until after they are weaned and then at the end of the month they'll meet up with the four siblings. It will be an interesting reunion.

Eva's pups Sept 3/11

2011-09-03T14:44:00.002-04:00

Eva's pups are doing well. The four that are here are growing steadily, and have their eyes open and now can hear as well.

The little girl hasn't had an easy start. A week ago Friday she spent the day at the Vet in critical condition due to an infection and dehydration. She came home with medicine to give sub-q as well as ringers solution if required. For several days we weren't sure if she'd make it or not. Then by Tuesday she started to turn the corner and she hasn't looked back.

She is still being bottle fed, but I think she is double dipping! She doesn't look like a 'bottle baby' in that her coat has good tone and she is really quite plump. Regardless, she will get her four bottles a day until we start to wean them next week.

Great-grandmother LuAnne supervising the photo shoot...

The group...there is a big blue boy, the girl has the large patch on the right side as you look at her and then the other blue boy. The bi-blue is out of focus in front.

Bi-blue boy and the girl in front and the smaller blue boy in the middle. I took the big boy out of the bed as he was crawling all over them looking to leave...

Eva making sure her puppies are all right. The girl in focus in the middle...she has a smaller eye patch on her off side. Big blue boy at the back.

Smaller blue boy looking for his mom

Eva's puppies 1 week

2011-08-23T18:57:00.005-04:00

The four Eva puppies we are raising here. The tri male and a blue male are at a fellow breeders home being fostered by another female, "Savanna" who whelped the same day as Eva. With seven newborns, I was struggling with the two smaller girls and I was worried I'd lose them. Savanna after the initial double take when she came back to the box and wondered how her brood had doubled in size has taken them in and mothering them as her own.

The blue boys are all doing well and gaining weight. Our friend says the other two boys are fat and content as well.

Bi-blue boy on the bottom...

The little girl on the other hand isn't nursing well and so I've been supplementing her with a bottle and tube feeding her as well. The tri girl unfortunately didn't make it. It is sometimes difficult being a breeder.

They are lovely puppies...looking forward to seeing the other two fellows...they will be back in a few weeks.

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?

2011-08-02T18:34:00.001-04:00

BISS Am/Can Ch Laureate Gabrielle ROMC "Gabi" (July 17 1995- Aug 2 2011)

Sadly we say farewell to the last daughter of our foundation bitch "Holly".

Gabi lived a good long life, but it is never easy to lose your friends. It is a bit surreal and will take some time to get used to the fact she will not be there pointing to where I am.

Val and her pups did my heart a lot of good this afternoon. Hard to feel sorry for yourself when there is such exuberance and joy around.

Sweet Sixteen

2011-07-16T22:28:00.001-04:00

We had a lovely celebration for Gabi's 16th Birthday. She has not been well for the last week, so the fact we were having a birthday was a celebration in itself.

Hugs on the lounge chair to start off her party...

The grill master working on the main course...we left Gabi in the chair and she loved every moment

Some grill chicken for starters

Loving the chicken...

Hanging out with her great-granddaughter Paris and her great-great-great granddaughter Rehannah...

She enjoyed a bowl of ice cream with maple syrup to finish off the meal.

Our sweet girl Gabi...always our puppy and now 16 years old. Where does the time go?

Overjoyed

2011-07-15T19:16:00.001-04:00

Paris bump and run

Paris is doing a dance...she has a new Champion son, BPIG Can Ch Laureate Inception! Finn won Breed over Specials and on to Group 4th and a Best Puppy in Group to finish in style.

Finn's pre-show preparations...take a walk, lounge in the pool. We'll try to take some glamour shots before he decides to go swimming again.

New Pool

2011-07-07T23:56:00.004-04:00

The dogs enjoyed a long walk in the main field today. It was a warm day and after they have run laps around the field they were very hot.

Several of them found the ditch prior to coming home so I started to fill the pool...

I had gone to the store yesterday in search of a kiddie pool for the dogs. They were sold out at Wal Mart and the only one left at Home Hardware was a bit fancier with a little elephant spout for the hose.

The three Paris-Digit kids thought this was the greatest thing ever...the Eva puppies didn't go anywhere near it...and when I put them in they jumped out as soon as they could. Rehannah was also a bit of a goody two shoes and didn't want to get her feet wet.

A great way to cool off after a long run...we'll see if we can convince the others of this as the summer progresses.

Cocoa wallowed in the ditch before coming up to the house and we were shocked when we saw her! (yikes) She didn't appreciate me cleaning her off in the puppies pool. She was as happy as a pig in mud with her mud mask.

LuAnne's 15th Birthday

2011-06-26T22:17:00.004-04:00

We had a great celebration for our beautiful "LuAnne"...aka MBISS Am/Can Ch Laureate Louisiana. I have lots of pictures in an album on Facebook, sharing them there as so many of our friends gave me some good suggestions for the cake...it was sweet potato shortcake this year with greek yogurt instead of whipped cream. Happy Birthday our sweet "Boo", hope you have many more!

Summer Solstice

2011-06-21T23:10:00.007-04:00

It was a hot and humid day for the start of summer. I waited until supper time to take the group out for a run.

I haven't let LuAnne out on our walks lately, but she wanted to tag along; she'll be 15 years old on the 27th of June. I thought it was neat to see her standing watch over the youngsters which were all her descendants; Eden and Sushi her great-granddaughters and Trix is her great-great granddaughter.

Pete has mowed the perimeter of our fields but our guys like to go through the long grass

It was difficult to photograph them as I was losing them in the grass!

Love this shot of Finn with the wild flowers, his tongue the colour of clover.

The boys in the field

Evan coming into view

Finn having a rip roaring good time!

Bridgit, Lola , Trix and Mayer darting through the long grasses. They would leap like gazelles...

Pretty Lola in the newly ploughed field

Lola closing in on Trix

Finn wishing there was water in the ditch...

Val Pups 15 days

2011-06-21T13:48:00.003-04:00

The Valerie litter continues to grow at a nice steady pace. They seem advanced for their age as they can both see and hear at 15 days of age. Can you tell which one is the girl?

Val Pups 10 days

2011-06-16T09:02:00.000-04:00

It is great when a litter is fat and healthy and content. This bunch have been quiet from the start; their every need is tended to, so they nurse and they sleep. Val keeps them clean. You can't ask for better than that. So they are growing nicely and the eyes are just beginning to open.

The girl just beginning to see the light...

On the Move and Standing Still

2011-06-14T15:30:00.002-04:00

We headed down to the Western New York Shetland Sheepdog Club Specialty in Albion NY over the weekend with three of our hopefuls and our 3 year old girl Jivara. This is "Finn", Laureate Inception showing his lovely side gait en route to his Best in Sweeps win under noted breeder Tray Pittman.

Making a picture showcasing in the ring. He won WD/BW for a major on the first day as well. We were very pleased with how he behaved and how well he was received by other breeders and exhibitors.

We were lucky to have our friend Joyce Woolridge visiting from Calgary. She handled Finn's brother "Corbin" (Laureate Double Exposure) who was in the same class. He is a darling little guy who is so easy going and just does everything that is asked of him.

We are loving how sound these puppies are! Showing off his reach and drive, which is impressive for a 6 1/2 month old puppy.

Our clown "Rehannah", (BPIS Can Ch Laureate Immortality) won her class both days in Sweeps and 6-9 puppy.

Great drive in the rear, but went around on three legs quite often trying to scratch her collar off! She makes us laugh...

Cocoa is in full coat and has been sitting at home as we had bred her (but she missed), so now we need to get our act together and get those last two points for her US title. She came close this weekend and picked up two more Specialty major reserves.

Her wide open side gait. Standing still or on the move we are very pleased with the young dogs we have at the moment.

We had a great time at the Specialty. It was great to spend time with our good friends. The club spoils the exhibitors with coffee and donuts in the morning and held a pot luck dinner Saturday night. We were well looked after. Afterwards we lingered and practised our puppies in the ring. We hope to make this a yearly event.

June Litter

2011-06-07T14:38:00.004-04:00

Valerie held off until after Pete's birthday party to have her litter. The down side was she waited until 1:30 am to have her first puppy and was done by 6:30...so it was an all nighter. A textbook whelping, she could have done it all without my help, but I was there to welcome the newborns by weighing them in and removing dewclaws.

We have four new boys and a girl

The girl is second from the left

Pile of pups...I think the girl is now top right with the brown right leg (I'm still getting familiar with them)

The boys

Girl on the bottom

She May Be Bad But She's Perfectly Good At It

2011-06-06T22:36:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Pete's birthday and we had a nice dinner outside on the deck. I invited a few friends to join in the festivities. Rehannah thought the party was put on for her benefit...give me the cake please!!!

Ice cream...my favourite! (How did you know?)

We had a mug that had a cat balancing on one paw doing a handstand. It said "it's hard to resist such cuteness and talent". We always said that was our Hannah's motto in life. I think Rehannah has the same outlook...:-) She may be bad, but we're perfectly fine with it.

Rainy May Show Weekend

2011-05-31T16:50:00.002-04:00

It was a wet day on Friday at the Ottawa Kennel Club show...it rained on and off all day and there was a cool breeze as well. It was a good thing Rehannah doesn't mind being wet as she went into the ring and thought nothing of trotting around in the rain.

She loved running in the wet grass...

...and looking for treats!

At only six months and nine days old, she acted like a pro.

She had plenty of ring practice as there were two shows in one day.

Final selection

She ended up taking Best of Breed over Specials both times in the ring and a Group 2nd, Group 4th and a Best Puppy in Group for nine points of the needed 10 for her Championship.

So Saturday we drove up to Thetford Mines and she finished her Canadian Championship at the first show. The Sunday she won a Group 2nd under breeder-judge Guy Jeavons and Best Puppy in Show under judge Allan Brown. It was a good thing the show was indoors, as it rained all weekend there as well. Rehannah may have been OK with it, but I didn't like it so much!

Rehannah became our youngest Champion finishing at 6 months and 10 days of age! We also got 3 points on Finn, Corbin was shown the Saturday in Ottawa by Diane Biggar and he picked up a 4 point win. Then we got the great news that "Player" became an American Champion, so is now officially known as Am/Can Ch Laureate Cold Play (owned by Sherrie Sparling, Skyehaven Shelties).

So a great weekend despite the rain!

Who Pulled the Plug?

2011-05-13T18:07:00.001-04:00

The city of Ottawa crew came around one day last week and removed the tree trunk that was across the creek slowing down the flow of the water. The tree trunk was there when we bought the place in 2003, and they came around once several years ago and lifted it so more water would flow underneath but this year they took it away completely. Harrumph. Now I'm wishing I didn't say those unkind things about the beavers (come back...we need you)!

L-O-L-A Lola

2011-05-10T14:07:00.001-04:00

Our sweet Lola (Laureate Laugh Out Loud) all fluffed up. A double Landslide granddaughter; she definitely has the family look. I must say I love (LOVE) the leg hair these Digit-Paris puppies have.

No Ugly Ducklings

2011-05-09T13:54:00.001-04:00

The eggs have hatched and there are seven goslings.

They were well camouflaged and were difficult to spot in the dried grasses and we watched them for a few minutes and then the parents got a bit concerned and called them over...love the little one sticking out.

Keeping them in check...

We took our pretty young hopeful "Finn" up to the Arnprior dog show for some socializing. He was bathed and groomed up a bit and so we figured we should snap some shots of him while he was clean!

At 5 1/2 months of age, he has not gone through any ugly duckling phases...he is just so plush and pretty. I don't like to get overly excited about male puppies as they so often disappoint, but it is hard not to feel optimistic with this beautiful baby around.

ASSA 2011

2011-04-26T19:48:00.004-04:00

I travelled down to the ASSA National located in Gray Summit MO on Tuesday. I had a 'cowboy' pilot that flew in between two thunderstorms and had a wild landing but made it none the less. The event was at the new Purina Farms Event center about 45 minutes from St Louis and was a super facility. Bright and very large and with cushioned carpeting for the ring and lots of grooming space. Outdoors there was plenty of grass and a fully fenced area to exercise the dogs.

What a nice surprise to find Can Ch Laureate Cold Play, "Player" entered at the show...he is owned by Sherrie Sparling in Manitoba and was in the Open Blue Dog class. He was shown beautifully by Becky Johnson.

Showing his lovely profile. Player is a litter brother to our "Eva"...the dam of our current AOAC hopefuls.

A lovely moderate dog...he placed second in the class.

His sire is Am Ch Macdega Notorious, ROM and his dam is our Louisiana daughter, Laureate Nuance. He is going out with Becky in pursuit of his American Championship and hopefully will finish fast.

We also had our young blue girl Laureate Dominatrix, "Trix" entered in 6-9 puppy AOAC class. She looked wonderful and though she didn't place, we were pleased with how she looked and how she behaved. Thanks to Kim Wendling for her expert presentation!

Doing what our guys do best...

Little miss "Mokie"...aka Cocoa (Can Ch Laureate Jivara) was in the open sable bitch class handled by Julie Desy and made the cut. She looked good, but could have stood to lose a couple of pounds before she was shown. However since she was bred, we didn't want to ration her food, so she was a bit of a pokie Mokie. Our congratulations to Evelyn Susin (Crinan Shelties) for her girl Crinan's Diva's Reserve winners bitch win from this class!

Checking out the judge...

On the go around.

Friday night there were bad thunderstorms and tornado warnings. I was in the building and didn't think too much about it...a lot of rain on the roof and some booming thunder. I went back to the motel and turned on the TV to discover there were three touchdowns and the St Louis airport took a direct hit! We saw some of the damage to homes and property as we drove our rental car back, but couldn't get photos...this photo above was taken just outside the terminal. I felt very fortunate it didn't touch down at the show, and no one was injured despite the devastation.

The airport was closed Saturday while the broken glass was cleaned up. Many people at the show were making other arrangements as the status of the airport was unknown.

Unbelievably 70% of flights left on Sunday...it was business (not quite) as usual.

Despite the weather, the National was wonderful...lots of beautiful dogs and deserving winners. Lots of laughs and great gatherings with friends. That being said, there really is no place like home!

Play Date: The Hooligans

2011-04-15T10:03:00.003-04:00

The older pups are a bit of a rowdy bunch...

The little ones trying to keep up with Rehannah...

La la la...this is too easy

Catch me suckers!

Bitey games

Ditch hopping

Haha...missed!

Oh yeah? Well I did it better than you last time!

Lola, the wet noodle

Rehannah beginning to tire out

Mr Finn McCool

The very beautiful (even when wet) Finn

This is a cheater photo as I took it yesterday but didn't think I needed another puppy running post, so included it here. Lola didn't charge through the wide bit, but ran along and found a narrow spot to jump.

Also from yesterday...Rehannah showing that her lips didn't stay permanently curled up!

The end!

Play Date: Spotlight On Sushi

2011-04-14T09:26:00.002-04:00

In looking over the pictures it is clear that Sushi is her mother's daughter. She is a bit of an instigator and likes to lead in a game of chase. Interesting also is that Sushi's shadow is Lola.

Sushi in the lead with Lola and company in hot pursuit

The camera gravitated to her...the only black one in the bunch!

Even though she is in the shadow and sticking her tongue out, I thought this was a cute photo of her trucking along beside Pete. She does that with me in handling class...she is the cutest thing.

She didn't shy away from the water...

This is at the end of the walk...we were trying to call them back to the house but they wanted to prolong the fun.

Sushi tries to lose the crowd

But Lola and Eden are right there with her

Tag you are...

(Don't even think about it!)

Try and keep up...

Coming up through the middle...get out of my way!

Victorious!

I love this shot...why walk around the puddle when you can go straight through!

We love this little tri girl...she is so much fun!

Play Date: Focus on Eden and Evan

2011-04-13T11:02:00.000-04:00

Eden sassing her sister Sushi who had been down in the drainage ditch

Little Evan after his first christening chasing Finn

Little Eden going full out to catch the pack

Crossing the ditch over in the right field; the rest were on the other side and these two weren't sure how it was done.

Eden trying to figure out the best way to solve this problem...

Cold...

Ick ick ick...

I'd like to think he was cheering her on, but he was probably thinking...come on you little sissy!

See that wasn't so hard...

Yeah? Bite me!

But you've got to catch me first!

Oops, another water hazard...

Not quite sure what to do in all this water...

Traffic jam

Finally a break for home...

Almost there...

Wait up!!!

Puppy Play Date (with Pete)

2011-04-12T14:32:00.006-04:00

It was a balmy 23 degrees (Celsius) so I convinced Pete to take a break from work and come with me for a walk in the fields with the puppies. It was Eva's pups first outing in back and they were joined by the older group who showed them the ropes. I took hundreds of photos and have lots to share, so will do it in several installments over a few days.

I love this shot as it shows Finn's personality to a "T". He is such a love bug and when picked up goes limp with his legs dangling. He just loves loving and is so lovable. (How many times can you say love in one caption?) LOVE love this puppy!!!

Whispering something...(man talk)

Finn enjoying this immensely...Corbin trying to get a hug too.

Sushi giving Pete a sniff and naughty little Eden (the blue) just looking like she's thinking of jumping Rehannah!

We started off in the left field, hoping to keep them clean, as they all had baths last week.

We tried to avoid the big puddles and ditches and stay in the middle of this big field (yeah right)...

They had fun while he was running but then they almost instantly made a right hand turn...

...and headed for the ditch! There was a lot of water after the thunderstorms of the other night.

They were right next to the culvert and we were afraid one could get stuck underneath...

Calling them we ran them over into the other field...forget about keeping them clean. Keeping them safe was paramount!

Little Eden getting scooped up...

Over in the far right field now, they are good and wet from crossing over the next drainage ditch but this one is safer; it has some water but not a current or a culvert.

Sushi had found something interesting to eat. Wondering what kind of droppings it was I asked Pete to go check it out but there wasn't anything left by the time he got there. (yuck)

What a lovely outing we had. I have some fun pictures of the puppies in action (some are on the Facebook page) and will post them another time.

Creek Life

2011-04-11T12:29:00.004-04:00

We had a huge thunderstorm last night with torrential rainfall raising the level of water in the creek. We woke up to lots of action on the creek. The mallards are hanging around with two males fighting after this one female. The pair of birds above are Common Mergansers and they have been here in years past in early spring.

They are beautiful...

Pete took these shots yesterday from the deck. He had the camera on a tripod with the Sigma 150-500mm lens so was pretty intimate with the goose examining her eggs.

Rotating them

...and getting right underneath to flip them over.

Back on watch...

Addendum (these were taken a moment ago)...laying low

More than a babbling brook...there is a raging current in the creek today

A nice shot of a red winged blackbird

Annoyed by the intruder...

Mud Pups and Water Rats

2011-04-01T18:10:00.002-04:00

Mr Miki starting off the walk in style...

Stormy struggling to get her groove back, while little Lola tries to get in on the action

It was the four older puppies first time out on a walk with the group...

Of course they quickly found the water

If you look closely you will also see spruce branches stuck to their fur...see Miki top right (it isn't poop, honest)

This picture cracks me up with Mayer seeing what is coming and putting on the brakes!

He waited for them to return and taunted them!

Shaking it off

Juno had several episodes of the sillies in the big puddle. The pictures looked a little too wacky to publish, but this one looks much more serious than she was...

Eva the instigator leaping through the deep stuff

Paris following along fell into the trap!

And poor Miki got stuck on a piece of ice which gave away...it took him a second to figure a way out. I thought I was going to have to rescue him, but he was fine.

Finn McMuddy

the Tub o'mud

Corbin and Eva in sync

Early herding instinct...Finn on left, Rehannah and Lola with the very wet Valerie and Miki

Exhausted after a big run...heading for home

Early Spring by the Creek

2011-03-28T21:16:00.004-04:00

While it is still cold, the birds, waterfowl and assorted furry critters have returned to the creek. It was like a super highway of action on the weekend. Three male wood ducks chasing a female, the mallards, a pair of herons and two very large beavers.

The very skittish blue heron stayed briefly until it spotted movement on our deck.

There were two of them, something we don't see very often. They are usually very territorial, so we wondered if they were a breeding pair.

The mallard giving a beaver wide berth. We watched the beaver chase off some ducks earlier...grumpy fellow.

You can sort of see the flat tail in these photos.

They have been very visible this year and we're hoping they haven't decided to take up residence on that little island. I'm not the biggest fan of our national animal as they are very destructive to our trees. Move along buster, move along!

From the Archives: BISS Am/Can Ch Krystalyn Windswept

2011-03-22T18:00:00.006-04:00

Reminiscing. I got chatting on Facebook about fronts and I pulled out a photo of Wendy and realized that her birthday would be tomorrow...It is hard to believe but Wendy was born 24 years ago on March 23, 1987 and passed away Jan 3, 2002. She was bred by Yvonne DeFreitas and was co-owned and lived with us for many years.

She is pictured second from right with her littermates at 11 weeks old. I was wanting to see baby photos of her as I was saying to Pete that our little "Sushi" reminded me of Wendy in black. I have to say from seeing her pictures that thought is confirmed.

I scanned this from the Pacesetter as I didn't have the original, but I wanted to show her body at that age. She looks so typical of the line at that age...not much fluff, but lots of promise. This Pacesetter issue (Sept-Oct 1987) was my second issue I ever received and I was captivated by these photos. The group photo above was in the issue as well, and on the next page was a young future Can Champion Cahaba Krystalyn Dream West (Chelsea) and underneath her photo Krystalyn The Right Stuff. We were able to purchase Chelsea and The Right Stuff was the sire of our foundation bitch, Am/Can Ch Krystalyn Just An Illusion ROM/ROMC (Holly). I had zeroed in on the look I wanted and am so grateful that Chris Lynch and Yvonne DeFreitas were generous enough to share these beautiful bitches with us.

Wendy at six months, taking her time to mature. Her beautiful finish of underjaw was evident as a baby and lasted all her life. Her top skull flattened and she had a beautiful lean skull. Her angles where a little upright at this age...but her body would develop and by the time she was two she had won a Group 1st from the classes and was ready for her National debut.

We were present on this exciting day in California at the ASSA National in 1989 to witness the beautiful, now more mature 2 year old Wendy take WB under Sandy MacIntosh and go on to win BW and AOM under Ron Lackey. Yvonne is pictured behind handler Emily Snyder. Pepper Power is presenting the trophy.

Winning an Award of Merit under judge Barbara Linden in 1996. She had a plush fitted coat all her life until she was spayed and then it got long! I love how sound she looks here...it is one of my favorite show photos.

And Wendy's last show was the National in Tucson 1998. She won a huge Veterans bitch class under Sandy MacIntosh (who had awarded her WB at ASSA nine years earlier) and went on to win BOS under Judy Kelsey. She looked glorious and had been beautifully groomed and trimmed by Kathy McFall. We are forever grateful to breeder Yvonne DeFreitas for sharing her with us. She was so correct and is still the type we strive to produce today.

Inception 16 weeks

2011-03-20T17:46:00.001-04:00

Laureate Inception (Finn) and six other puppies went on a road trip last week and descended on my friend Brenda for the weekend. We had a wonderful visit and I hope her neighbours have forgiven her for the noise! Finn (who we nicknamed Finn McFluff) acquired another nickname from Brenda of "tub of love" as he is just so laid back and relaxed (and loves belly rubs). We went to handling class with five puppies and they all did really well. They were great travellers; I can't wait to start showing the crew (in my new Van...whoop).

Finn is holding his promise and along with his lovely temperament, he has a really good front assembly and beautiful profile and expression.

Finn, aka Finn McFluff the Tub of Love...he makes us smile.

It's In Their DNA

2011-02-26T18:35:00.006-05:00

We're crate training the teenagers and to teach them to be clean I've been getting up at 6 am to let them out. Well this morning I overslept and was an hour late, which meant three crates needed to be washed. After the crates were washed, I bathed and dried the pups and then took their ears out of their braces (they need to be changed periodically), did nails and fluffed them up. We put "Lola" on the table and took some photos of her at 13 weeks. She was only moderately cooperative. Finn was worse and so I said to Pete I'd take them out for a walk (their first) with the camera.

Got your tail!

Finn McFluff and Lola

Lola found some dried plants to taste...

...and some more

I'll try pulling this out!

What?

Checking on her brothers

Lola chasing Corbin

This was the first time the pups have experienced paparazzi and Corbin wasn't too keen on the camera. He kept his eye on me and felt better if he hid in the bushes!

Lola scouting for trouble

Found them! Finn McFluff on the left, Rehannah and Corbin

Lola and Corbin

Corbin on right, Lola, Finn and Rehannah

Corbin top, Lola and Finn

Same order...looking for Rehannah the ringleader

AAAAKKKKK! I couldn't believe it! All four wandered over and despite my efforts to call them away they all had to check it out...it's in their DNA! I was mortified...all that effort gone to waste...(sigh)

I didn't take many pictures...I was too worried about getting these guys back into the house. It was minus 9 C, there wasn't supposed to be water (and mud)!!!

Eva Pups: Blue boy, larger girl

2011-02-21T16:11:00.007-05:00

Another few hours spent in pursuit of photo records of our puppies. I find it necessary to set their ears, groom them completely as if they were an adult going to a show and take photos at about eight weeks to get an idea of what we have. Pete and I have done this from our very first litter. Prior to setting the ears, I'd place them all as pets!

So this is the blue boy, yet to be named. He is a beauty, and has only improved as time has gone on. He is not large, being in the lower half of the safe zone on the chart. He didn't like me much a few weeks ago and so I made him my project. I brought him upstairs with one of his sisters and would feed him chicken wieners and cheese. The light bulb went on right away!

Since his excursions upstairs, he thinks I'm the bees knees. He is very adoring and makes eye contact constantly. He is pretty adorable...:-)

A bit of a lean going on here...

Such a pretty face!

This one is pretty close to perfection in my view

Back to the point I was making about doing their ears and grooming. This morning this gals ears had come undone and were hanging. She looked like a coonhound...and I said to my friend we have three show prospects plus a brood bitch. Did her ears, bathed and chalked her and gave her a head trim and she amazed me. She is more than I'm used to, but not really overdone. Her size is still fine, measuring 9 3/8 (nine weeks tomorrow). Shows to go you...

Very full muzzle and a one piece head

I'm glad we persevered with Eva and gave her one last chance. I'll be forever grateful to Jennie Hynes for her efforts in getting her bred to her beautiful stud dog.

It is going to be VERY busy around here this spring!

Eva Pups: Sushi and Eden 8 weeks

2011-02-20T19:19:00.006-05:00

We finally got around to taking pictures of some of the Eva puppies. This is the litter by GCh Rosmoor Protocol ROM x Laureate Longoria. We place two beautiful black boys, and are growing out four for now. We only did up two of them, but hope to get pictures of the other two shortly.
This is the stunning blue girl we are calling "Eden". Her registered name will be Laureate Everlasting.

She is the smallest, and has been so kitten like I almost called her "Kitty"... (Eden is better)

There was a haze over the sun, but she didn't need sunshine to sweeten her eye. She isn't all sugar and spice though...she loves to beat up her blue brother. Interestingly she will also curl up next to him. She appears to know they are the same colour. Today after being fluffed up I put her on the floor and she got "stuck" in the mirror. She was totally in love with her reflection! :-)

This one just doesn't take a bad picture...

We took pictures of "Sushi" shortly after. It had become overcast, and the temperature was minus 11C. She shivered, bunched herself up and basically didn't want to participate. We snapped a few pics, but weren't happy with the results and brought her back in to have a nap. A few hours later the sun came out and I said to Pete we ought to try again. This time it was like, no problem...I know what you want. She posed and was a star!

I tell that story for the people who think we do something magical to make them stay. Sometime it just doesn't work and you have to take a break and do it another time. I also include this photo which wasn't cropped to show that we use things to get their attention. I lost my large turkey feather that I used in the past, so I improvised and found an dried sedum in the garden and waved it around...I also used my gloves for some shots.

We think these girls are coming along nicely and showing a lot of promise.

Her off side has all the flash...

More Action Shots

2011-02-02T14:28:00.007-05:00

I love taking pictures of the dogs running in the snow and in water. There is something about the spray that is exciting to capture. I had another look at the photos I took yesterday and was surprised that I had missed some really good ones.

Miley taking a break from the action (but not for long)

Wild eyed Emma-Lou

Paris ploughing through

Little Taboo's butt in focus. It is rare to have her in the photos as she is usually harassing me from behind. She and LuAnne were just behind me in most of the photos with Taboo taking delight in barking at me the entire time!

Here is her cute little behind again...

Paris

Stormy and Mayer both needing a head trim, but again I can't resist the snow action going on...

I can't believe I missed this one...it might be my favorite of the entire shoot. Little Bridgie getting a snoot full of snow.

Because I get asked so often, I'll tell you that I shot these photos with the Nikon D300 body and this lens.

Calm Before The Storm (Photo intense)

2011-02-01T18:35:00.009-05:00

The weather channels are warning of an imminent snowstorm. So after chores were done and errands were run the sun came out.

I took the opportunity to take the dogs out back...they had cabin fever after yesterdays cold spell.
A lot of pent up energy put to good use!

Eva and Stormy. Eva had her staples removed and has made a full recovery from the mastitis. She has an incredible resilient personality...we just love this girl.

Emma starting to coat back up after her singleton litter. Miss Trix is not in the photos as she is away at "school" learning how to be a show dog.

Eva with Stormy and Taboo

And they are off again...

Stormy - Miley collision

Le gang...Stormy, Mayer, Emma, Taboo, Bridgit, Cocoa, Valerie, Paris, Bunny and Eva

Shuffling it up a bit...see if you can tell who they are...

A bit of a traffic jam

Crazy shot, but makes me laugh...

Paris and her son Mayer looking like dolphins in the snow

You can see Paris' coat is trimmed from her recent litter...

Eva being told off by Paris

Fuzzy butts often collect branches...

I called to them and Miley was the first to come...

These are in backward order...blogger isn't letting me shuffle pictures around and I can never remember to load them back to front. Anyway...you get the picture. She is pretty cute.

Stormy hop

Stormy blazing a trail

This picture cracks me up too...Eva in back and Stormy coming this way

Juno

Juno again with the mother daughter team of Valerie and Cocoa in back

Mayer, Cocoa and Stormy in the powder

Valerie being pursued by her daughter Cocoa

Joined at the hip

It is on days like today when I realize how much I love my life with dogs...

Paris Pups - 8 weeks

2011-01-22T15:05:00.003-05:00

The Paris - Digit puppies got bathed, blown dry, tattooed and Vet checked yesterday. A big thank you to Gisela for your help! It was a very big day for them and they handled it well. Today I figured we better take some snapshots of them before they got too dirty again. Here is our pick from this litter. The boy with the blaze. No name chosen for him yet...

A cold day (minus 17 C) so we just put the table out the door and took some shots for the record.

A beautiful puppy with a very familiar look...

Leaning in...

The bigger plain faced boy

The smaller girl

Eva Pups: 4 weeks

2011-01-19T12:24:00.008-05:00

Eva is on the mend and her babies are starting to turn the corner. They still look to me to be younger than their actual age, but I have no doubt they will catch up in the next few weeks. They love their food and are eating well. Above are the three girls who were not too sure about the noises I was making!

They eat with such gusto, that they end up crawling in the bowl and smearing it on their paws and their faces. So it was time to clean them up and give them much needed mini baths. I didn't give Buzz the full spa treatment as he had his bath and blow dry yesterday. He just got a warm cloth over his face, so he wasn't included in the photo shoot today. Above is the blue girl. She is a little doll.

Bi black boy and the blue boy. The blue boy was the smallest at birth and is really coming along. I like how he feels today; he's very solid and well built. The bi black boy is a feisty little guy.

A very soft face, much like the blues in this family...

Four B's

2011-01-18T12:36:00.006-05:00

Baby "Buzz Lightyear" from the Eva - Kenshe litter. This little guy wasn't thriving and at about ten days of age needed sub-Q fluids and bottle feeding to keep him going. He is now a mighty pound and a half. He and his littermates were suddenly weaned as Eva developed mastitis and was rushed to the Vet Sunday night. She will be fine, but will need bandage changing and lots of care for the next week or so. The little ones are starting to catch on to the idea of eating from a dish.

Bunny baby boy at nearly 4 weeks. The three Bunny babies are thriving and now climbing over the barrier to get to their mom and today got to her food dish also. Time to start weaning these little ones.

Bunny's brown baby girl

The boy...looking similar to Miley's girl at the same age.

All three...

I'm also resting a bit now before these babies are going full steam. (I'm also accepting newspaper donations!)

Miley Pup 8 1/2 weeks

2011-01-16T15:19:00.006-05:00

The yet to be named Miley pup is prettier all the time. Her size is fine for her age, so we'll continue to grow out this girl as one of our show hopefuls. I made more effort this week and gave her a bath...her first. While I could tell she wasn't in love with the idea of being soaking wet, she didn't fuss too much.
A blow dry and some powder and then out in the - 15 degrees Celsius for some pictures.

She was a bit cold and wasn't pulling herself up...can't really say that I blame her! She is looking a lot like her mother at this age...but also consistent with what her sire "Digit" (Am Ch Brandina Carmylie Double Digit) is producing.

Show side

Very plush...
The glamorous life I lead ;-)
(I had to post this because despite how bad I look, isn't she the cutest thing???)

Miley's Pup 7 1/2 weeks

2011-01-09T13:59:00.005-05:00

Belated Happy New Year. One of my resolutions was to cut back the time spent on my "virtual life" so I can focus more on my real life...hence the lack of updates.

We have been busy with all our puppies and enjoying all their stages. After the last post of Miley's pup begging Paris for some milk, we transferred her over to Paris' litter. Miley didn't skip a beat and went back to her normal routine. Miley's puppy benefited from having littermates and a doting grandmother who took her in and mothered her like her own.

Now 7 1/2 weeks of age, size is still a question. She measured 8 inches today, so we'll have to see how she grows in the next few weeks.

It was her first time outside so we didn't take time for body shots. After these quick snaps I put her down to get a feel for the snow and she didn't seem to notice anything was different. I tried to take photos, but as fast as I was running backwards, she was running to catch up!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T11:52:00.004-05:00

Christmas came early for us here. Ch Lynphil Major Distraction had two girls and a boy yesterday sired by Am Ch Brandina Carmylie Double Digit. Mother and babies are doing very well. The boy is on the right in the group shots.

Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season.

Eva's New Puppies

2010-12-22T11:37:00.004-05:00

Aerial view of our newest litter sired by GCh Rosmoor Protocol x Laureate Longoria (Eva). Eva is our Notorious daughter and this litter is very special to us as she missed the first three times bred. We knew we had to try once more as two of the breedings had been with chilled semen, something we haven't had luck with (yet). Last night I felt like we'd won the lottery. Such a nice size litter and even in both sex and colour. We are absolutely delighted.

The fellow in the middle looks either bi coloured or he's going to have very dark tan...the blue male is on the left. Twelve hours old and I think they spent a lot of time wandering looking for their mother. Eva is unsure of what to do with them yet and spent the night circling the box trying not to squish them.

The girls...

The first tri girl. This one took quite a while before she gasped her first breath...I was worried. I just love her, she is very fancy on the off show side...

Girls

More of the girls

The boys...

Lots of black in the box

Christmas came early for us!

Happy Holidays

Are You My Mother?

2010-12-15T11:54:00.007-05:00

I introduced Miley's puppy to the Paris litter yesterday and it was a precious moment. They wanted to nurse from her and she seemed intrigued by them. So hoping to duplicate this on camera I put them all together on a piece of fleece.

Well they hadn't been fed recently and I soon realized this was not going to be a successful photo shoot. They must have learned yesterday that Miley's pup wouldn't provide food so they were hunting all around the fleece for milk. Miley's pup didn't quite know what to make of these guys with their faces planted in the fabric.

I went to get Paris and it took the pups awhile to lift their heads up and realize their Mom was there. Miley's pup wondered if there was enough to go around. :-)

The Only Child Gets The Milk

2010-12-14T13:49:00.002-05:00

Miley's girl will be 4 weeks old on Thursday and she is has benefited from having her mother all to herself.
Singleton puppies are often larger, so we're not too worried about size (yet).

She is still as sweet as can be. We'll see if her size moderates once she is on solid food.

Twin Otters

2010-12-12T16:14:00.003-05:00

Our guests were driving down the driveway when we looked out the window and saw TWO otters! (see post below)

They just seem like such joyous animals. It was pouring rain, and they were rolling around having a ball.

Once again marking his territory! They slipped into the water right afterwards...

Otter Sighting

2010-12-12T14:15:00.005-05:00

The last time we saw the otters by the creek was Nov 30, 2008; see the pictures here. We had been preparing for visitors when we spotted two of them out the window. By the time the guests arrived they were gone.

This time as luck would have it, we had guests here and they spotted the otter! A quick dash to grab the camera and he was gone.

Soon he emerged from the water with his catch...

Nom nom nom

I didn't realize we had big fish in the creek...

Making a mess...he left some and the crows came and polished it off.

Seeing the otter is a rare and special treat; I'm glad our Australian nephew was able to see it!

Creekside Damage Control

2010-12-08T10:47:00.010-05:00

Pete spent a good part of this summer trimming and clearing out dead branches and trees; it is an ongoing task and could be a full time job. He noticed the other day that one of the large willows by the creek sheared off in the high winds we had last week and went down to have a look.
It hadn't been down a day or two that a beaver came upon it and started using it to sharpen his teeth. Notice the small trees surrounding it that have been taken down also.

This tree had some mesh protection by the former owner, but had outgrown it. We had not wrapped the big willows thinking they were safe...I guess not!

Their teeth are so sharp it looks like they can cut the small branches with one chomp. Beavers are incredibly destructive rodents, and while I thought they were pretty neat when I was a kid, I've since changed my mind about them. Now they are just a nuisance.

Wrapped and hopefully safe. Pete said that the small trees were taken away. I don't know where the beavers lodge or dam is.

Snapshot from the balcony today. We have just a dusting of snow compared to our friends in Southern Ontario who have been hit with almost a years worth of snow in the last few days. The beaver better not touch the oak trees we planted (and wrapped) or it will be made into a hat!

Paris Pups at One Week

2010-12-03T13:21:00.002-05:00

Paris' newest litter is divided in two by size. We have the two littlest ones weighing around 10 ounces and then the two big boys at 15 and 16 plus ounces. They were a bit grubby this morning, so they all had their first bath and blow dry. I kept them in the "incubator" (a large cooler with a heating pad) to stay warm, but you can see the little girl wasn't quite warm enough yet. She went back in with Paris to stay warm.

She is still the smallest, and she appears to me to be one that could be on the smaller side at maturity. Just a hunch. All I can do is observe, while I have people waiting patiently in the wings for me to decide which puppy is for them.
The biggest boy on top. These fellows are fat and doing well on their mothers milk. I wonder if the big boy going to be big later, or moderate once he is weaned. It is a waiting game...lots of time for things to change.

Contentment

2010-12-03T10:37:00.003-05:00

Miley's puppy is 15 days old and her eyes have started to open. She is so placid and content, sweet and totally lovable. She is the polar opposite of Trixie, our single puppy from our last litter who took one look at me and screamed! (Thankfully Trixie is much better now.)

I love this age; they are so perfect.

A Little Bit Pregnant or A Whole Lot Fat?

2010-12-02T15:46:00.005-05:00

In Juno's case she's fat. Twenty-seven pounds of plump puppy free belly. She in now officially on a diet!

Paris Pups Day Three

2010-11-29T10:49:00.006-05:00

I was sick a good part of last week and had a low grade fever. I had spent the day in bed Friday sleeping, hoping to have energy for when she gave birth. Well, it didn't do me much good as I was not feeling well at all by the time the puppies arrived. Luckily Pete stepped in and that Paris is such a good mother. All I had to do was record weights and remove dewclaws and then go back to bed. There are 3 boys and a girl in this litter that was born Friday night. Two of the boys are bigger and then there are these two, the small darker boy with the blaze and the female which are quite a bit smaller. The female has actually lost ground to this boy who had the smallest birth weight. Now she is the smallest, so I'll be keeping my eye on her to make sure she is getting enough.
Holy narrow depth of field! Was trying out the 50mm f 1.4 lens for the first time, and was surprised at the result. The little girl is on top.

Settled down for a nap
Cute toes

Now the two bigger boys. The fellow yawning is the largest at the moment at around 10.5 ounces. He has a half collar, with an extra splash of white behind his shoulder.

Sooooo sleepy!

The bigger boy saying "back off bud"

Hugs

Half collar showing his little flourish of white which doesn't join into the collar.

The bigger male with full collar

Miley's Pup

2010-11-27T15:28:00.003-05:00

On November 18th Miley gave birth to three puppies, with only one surviving. It was a heartbreaking night; for Pete, my Mom and myself and for sure, Miley. The two males that followed this girl where fully formed, very large and it seemed they were just a little too long in coming out. It wasn't the kind of labour that you think there is trouble until it is too late. Sigh.

Anyway, must move on and we have a beautiful girl. She is pictured above at 12 hours old.

Pictured today at nine days old, she is 15 ounces and so squeezable!

I hope this singleton turns out as well as our last!

Remembrance Day Walk

2010-11-11T15:14:00.014-05:00

It was a beautiful November 11 which is Remembrance Day in Canada and also the date 15 years ago that we lost my grandmother, Hilda Borgfrid Aston at age 97. The dogs don't know any of this of course...for them it was a day like any other. A day to celebrate being alive and being able to run free.

Madame Trix at 3 months. I've lost track of the exact age in weeks...probably 14 or so.

I didn't try to fill in the pink on her nose, I think she already took a tumble! Hoping the rest of the pigment comes. Her mother "Emma" took some time before her nose leather turned completely black.

Back lit "Mayer". The group found some water; what else is new!
Foo dividing the pack...Bridgit and Cocoa

Cocoa heading her off!

We headed towards Fox Hill and paid our respects to the former owners German Shepherds buried at the base of the hill.

Ch Lynphil's Major Distraction aka "Bunny" enjoying the view from the top...

Stormy always has a great time on our walks. She was particularly silly today, pinging against my legs quite a few times. I think it is because she spent some time on the table getting her ears and nails done before our walk. Can you believe how high set her ears are? Incredible!

Little miss muffet. Trix had her ears done also, but in Japanese tape.

Looking cute and coating up. She is going to have a huge coat. I didn't bathe her before the walk, but you can still see the length and thickness of it.

June-bug (Juno) who is in whelp to our visitor "Digit". She took it easy on the walk and spent most of the time right by my leg. I didn't bring Miley out as she is full of puppies and due in about a week.

Crazy little Bridgit makes her own fun. She is the sweetest and most loving girl, but is a bit obsessive compulsive. She will do laps before coming in for dinner, nose down. She does the same thing out on walks. Everyone is usually in a group and Bridgit is off running and sniffing the ground. She must run twice as far as the others!

(Bunny) Foo still has rabbit ears!

Mayer showing pretty good reach and drive considering he's trotting on a pile of dirt!

And lest we forget why we have the opportunity to walk freely in our beautiful country...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Playing in the Dirt

2010-10-19T16:24:00.007-04:00

I headed out with the gang knowing our neighbor had plowed a strip in the field. (Pete spend the weekend cutting this field in preparation). I wanted to have a look and see what the dogs thought of it.

No surprise, they took to it like ducks to water...or pigs to mud!

Mr Miki

"Smiley Miley"

Trixie even ventured down to check it out...
Here comes the Sheltie express!

Oh dear...

Trying to stay clear...

One more...

Little Trix sticking her tongue out! Phew...made it.

Sigh

Found something!

A fun place to play...

Emma's Pup "Trixie" at Seven Weeks

2010-09-20T16:22:00.005-04:00

Our usual pictures of the puppies with no hands in the picture didn't work with this little monkey. Too bad I couldn't have recorded a sound track when we were taking these shots as she was grunting and groaning the entire time! Just a wee bit of a complainer...I said to Pete that she takes after her "step-Mom"...he didn't catch on right away I was talking about myself!

So she is 7 weeks less a day to be exact. If you go to the labels and click on Emma Pup, you can follow her progress from birth.

She is coming along very nicely. Her nose pigment will fill.

Size is good...

Pretty profile...

But not happy about being a model!

However, the camera loves her! We were surprised these turned out as well, considering the attitude she was giving us!

Happy to have the photo session over with!

Miss "Trix" is going to keep us hopping. Leash work starts tomorrow!

Emma's Pup at Six Weeks (less a day)

2010-09-13T17:15:00.009-04:00

Six days older than the last photos and it was Emma's Pups second time in the garden.

She wandered and nibbled on some leaves but soon had her sights on something much more interesting to do...
Trucking over to the truck!
What to do, what to do...
When in doubt, give it a taste!
Nom nom

OK, that wasn't the tastiest, now what?

This has promise; first I'll stand on it to make sure it knows I'm boss!

Tastes not too bad

It is something you can really sink your teeth into and more fun if it wiggles...

AAARGGGHHH!
OK, what's next?

((This little one has been the most difficult singleton I've raised, but I have seen some signs of sweetness. She gave me a small lick on the cheek on Saturday and today we had a good little roll and she let me rub her belly...yeah!))

Emma's Pup at Five Weeks

2010-09-08T17:09:00.008-04:00

I took Emma's girl out yesterday to take her pictures. It isn't easy when you are alone and there are no littermates for her to interact with. So I would place her down and back away and she'd hop after me. I managed a few quickie snaps. This one is cute, though not in focus.
Seen from above...pulling grass. Plunk her and run... She obliged and sat. Actually, I think she just wanted to sit. She isn't the most obliging puppy; she is downright ornery. I joked on the Facebook page that her name would be Laureate Dominatrix..."Trixie" (probably not...but shows where we are at the moment temperament wise).
Left eye (or do you call it her right eye) is definitely blue.
Other eye looks to be brown.

She is a little devil with a blue dress on! Maybe if I name her Laureate Miss Congeniality she will grow into her name...

Labour Day Weekend

2010-09-07T10:16:00.004-04:00

The weather wasn't the most cooperative, but on Saturday Pete went out with the tractor and did a bit of mowing. He mowed around the hayfield and this little bit in front...
He mowed behind the hedge...
...and into the field beside.

I came out to check on him and bring him a snack...

Broken in...

Oops...milkweed pods in the bucket

First load dumped! (that saved a lot of work!) haha

Off down the road to the lower field...

We hope to keep a handle on the latest weed pest, wild parsnip. It has cropped up everywhere and will cause sun sensitivity and a bad rash if you touch its inner sap.

Sure kept him busy. The tractor now has 6 hours on it.

Boys & Their Toys Part Two

2010-09-05T15:49:00.004-04:00

Pete's good friend Bill has gone to work in Abu Dhabi for three years, so was selling his bike. I had always liked Bill's bike better than Pete's current one because it is more comfortable for a passenger (and it is good looking). So this baby came home today...move over tractor! Pete's Triumph is for sale, if anyone wants a flashy red sport touring bike.

Boys (& Girls) And Their Toys

2010-09-04T09:25:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Pete and I were like kids at Christmas time; we couldn't wait for the arrival of our new toy. It arrived at four and we both ran out to meet the driver. I said to him, I didn't think I'd be so excited to get a tractor; but I can just imagine all the possibilities. Some of the ideas are cutting the field behind the hedge in preparation for the new dog paddock, removing stumps, moving stone; you name it, it is going to make our life a lot easier.

So even in the rain, we had to test it out! Pete is using the seven foot wide lawn mower.

This is the field we want to fence off for the dogs...so might as well get cutting!

I even had a turn! It is too much fun. Pete is out there now; and I'm about to join him. Green Acres is the place to be!

Emma Pup: Graduation to Solid Food

2010-09-01T10:31:00.005-04:00

I'm always amazed at how these little guys go right at it when introduced to solid food. This was Emma's pups first experience with mush and even though it was pretty firm, she dove in.

This is adult dog food that was soaked overnight mixed with a small amount of formula and warm water, whirled in the food processor until smooth.

The benefit of being an only child; she isn't wearing too much of it!

Got Milk?

2010-08-24T13:43:00.005-04:00

Since I started supplementing Emma's girl with a bottle she has relied on two feedings a day. She can drink about 3/4 of this little bottle without coming up for air!

Afterwards she is a little milk drunk!

And stuffed like a tick!

A good time to take pictures as she wasn't trying to get away. Now three weeks of age she has been hearing sounds for a few days.

Cute little ears...

...and toes!

Her pink nose is starting to get some pigment on the bottom, but still has a long way to go. Still trying to decide what to name her. Emily, Leanne...any suggestions?

Oh Miki You're So Fine

2010-08-21T22:38:00.008-04:00

Three weeks ago I dropped off Miki to handler Diane Biggar for socialization. He wasn't walking on the leash very well at that point, and strollers, clapping and other "oddities" bothered him. Well, the little fellow has come a long way...

Entered for fun at the Thousand Islands Kennel Club (TIKO) dog show, he did great his first time out. Winners/Best of Winners/Best of Opposite Sex/ Best Puppy in Breed for 3 points. He went on to win Best Puppy in Group!

I didn't go the first day, but went today. Just before Shelties were judged there was a downpour. I stayed in my car with the wipers going watching as the Hound Group was judged. The poor dogs wondered why they had to go around in the rain. It more or less stopped, but when the Shelties went in, it started up again. Miki isn't much of a mudder, but did well enough to win Winners Dog. I went in with my jeans and pink boots and handled him to Best of Winners and Best Puppy in Breed. So off to the Puppy Group!

The rain held off and he showed like a little trooper.

Judge June Penta awarded Miki Best Puppy in Group. She just loved him.

On to judge Gerard Penta for Best Puppy in Show.

Final look...

Best Puppy in Show! I said to her as she was leaving the ring that she was a rock star! She has handled our dogs five times in the ring and has won points all five times!

Diane and Miki; he just adores her!

Thank you Diane!

Addendum: Miki scores a hat-trick, winning WD/BW and on to Puppy Group the Sunday to finish!

Emma Puppy @ 10 days

2010-08-13T09:43:00.006-04:00

Thanks to Connie for her help while we were out of town for a few days. We had started supplementing her with a bottle, as she just wasn't gaining weight like she should. With Connie she gained over three ounces in the three days we were gone. It seems she has turned the corner and is now doing really well. She is over 14 ounces and very plump. What is also helping is that Emma has become more motherly and is cleaning her; something she didn't do at first.

Interesting to see the colour change from the photos of her at three days old.
What is also noticeable is the black around her right eye is much more solid now...so she looks like a raccoon with two eye patches!

It is not apparent to my eyes when I look at her, but in these shots it sure looks like she is a bi-factored blue; the tan is becoming visible on her cheeks and a dot above the eye.

Retirement and the Next Generation

2010-08-06T15:28:00.008-04:00

We took "LuAnne" (BISS Am/Can Ch Laureate Louisiana) to her last show on Sunday. At every stage of her life, she has been a breeder's dream. She won Best in Specialty Match under the late Mona Hartwig in 1996, and at that show there was a group of breeders that wanted to start a syndicate of ownership; they said we could keep our names on her as well! Haha! She was brought out only once to an all-breed show as a Special and won a Group First. We wanted to reserve her for Specialties and only showed her selectively. So, over the years she won 13 Specialty Bests including the Canadian National, and four BISS at the DCSSA Specialty (every time she was shown). At ASSA, she won Best of Opposite Sex in 2005 and two Awards of Merit from the Veterans Class...in 2006 and 2009.

It was hot and muggy...hard on the old girl. Pete wet some little cloths and put them under her feet to help cool her down.

Line up with BIS Am/Can Ch Shelhaven Sweet Seduction and Todd Foley, BISS Am/Can Ch Toven Rikadon Makin' Waves with Shelley McHugh-Boumans, LuAnne and the Winners Dog, Avebury Grandgables The Graduate with Guy Jeavons.
Tom Coen looking at the dogs from the other side...
Keeping my eye on the judge...

Showing her outline which was always one of her strengths. She still has a strong back, and lovely elevation of head. She won Best in Specialty...a fitting way to end her career!

On Tuesday, LuAnne's great-great granddaughter "Emma" gave birth to a single puppy. We knew there was only one puppy, having had her up to the Vet for an ultrasound and X-Ray. We only hoped the baby would be female; and we are happy to say she is. It took her about two minutes before she took a breath and an hour or so before she was breathing without effort.

Pretty sure she is bi-blue...time will tell. I haven't seen any brown under her tail. My fingers are crosses as that would be so fitting!
Sired by Ch Lynphil Timeless Piece http://www.lynphilshelties.com/jasper.htm

Emma 17 months

2010-07-28T08:51:00.004-04:00

Pete took these photos of little miss "Em" (BPIS Can Ch Laureate Embelish) at the Western New York Specialties...I posted the ringside candids last month, but felt these should be showcased as well. Lately I have been posting most photos to Facebook, as it is easier to upload large amounts of pictures. It has meant I have been neglecting this blog; I'll try to rectify that...:-)

Cocoa Has Been Busy

2010-07-22T18:24:00.004-04:00

Cocoa has a busy social calendar....attending Birthday parties, taking puppies to the market for socializing (with Miki above) and then hitting the road for shows.

She just returned from Vermont...this could have been her tour bus! This rolled in to the motel we were at and two guys came out; must of been the bus driver and the camera man. :-)

First show was held outdoors in the prettiest of locations. Summer shows don't get much better than this. Shelter from the sun (and later the rain), a ring surrounded by mountains and good company.

We packed up and headed down the road to Burlington VT where we welcomed the air conditioned building. Cocoa showed great and went on to win Group 2nd for another point.

Cocoa looks pretty pleased as the judge handed us the ribbon and a cheque for $100. We bought a directors chair from a vendor and will have Cocoa's photo embroidered on it.

Back home she is busy chasing her half sister Juno through the clover...

And trying to avoid the thorny raspberry canes!

Fur flying! She and just about everyone else here is blowing coat. Hopefully she can get the last two points to finish in the US before she is wearing a bikini (and gets her photo on a tour bus)!

Creekside

2010-06-29T20:31:00.002-04:00

We have been seeing more deer in the field and in the creek recently...and then we saw the reason why. The little one had been "stashed" on the island; something we've seen in the past. She won't stay in the area for long, so it is a real treat to see them around.

Pictures taken with the 150-500mm lens. It was an overcast day and we find the results with this lens are best in bright sunshine...hence the lack of sharpness.

Boo's Birthday Bash

2010-06-27T21:31:00.006-04:00

It was LuAnne's birthday today...she turned 14 years old.

A little confession. Like many pet owners our guys all have nicknames. LuAnne has been called "Boo" almost all her life...or Boo Boo. Gabi is Gibby (pronounced Jibby) or Jib Jib.

I wondered what to make for this special occasion. She isn't a real big meat eater...and I wanted to make a cake. Since it is strawberry season, I thought I'd make shortcake. We'd have it with strawberries and I'd put some green beans on hers!. Green beans are her favorite...go figure. It must be why she looks so good!

So we invited a few in to celebrate her birthday...and then a few gate crashers. Joining Boo were Foo (Bunny), Widgie (Bridgit), Junebug (Juno), Mokie (Cocoa) and Paris (but you have to say that with a lisp...Parith).

First were the appetizers...arrowroot biscuits with peanut butter and cottage cheese.

Nom nom. They were messy but a big hit!

More please!

I only gave them one small shortcake to share. I didn't want to deal with upset tums tomorrow...

LuAnne got the majority of it!!!

The cake and whipped cream was the first to go...these guys aren't as fond of the beans as Boo.

It was a good party...Gabi's is next; she'll be 15 on July 17th.

Road Trip: Toronto, Stockton NY, London, Hamilton

2010-06-25T20:26:00.007-04:00

I had two girls entered four days in Stockton NY (south of Buffalo) and planned on bringing Paris, Cocoa and the two youngsters along for socializing. Car packed, I did a MapQuest search Tuesday night to find the best route. Travel time was estimated at over 7 hours going via Syracuse or 8 1/2 hours through Canada. By that time, after washing the girls and packing I didn't feel like going at all! Pete suggested I call my friend Brenda and meet somewhere (like Hamilton) on Thursday and drive the last leg together in one vehicle. I ran it by Brenda and we were able to park the car at a friend's, so it seemed like this was a go. Since I had to fit my dogs/gear/luggage in Brenda's Van, I decided to leave three at home and just take Cocoa. It was a decision I was later very glad I made!

Wednesday I drove through some torrential rain, but it was nice and sunny once I got to Toronto. I didn't bring the camera, so these grainy photos are taken with Pete's cell phone!

Toronto was preparing for the G-20 summit, so the city was getting fortified with chain link, concrete barriers and the cows were gone!

In this patch of very long grass are usually five grazing bronze cow sculptures. They were removed for security reasons. I exercised Cocoa here in the afternoon while it was full of people, and she was not at all phased by city life. Later on (when these shots were taken) I wanted to find where they put the cows. They had been relocated across the street to a very small patch of grass. I took Cocoa over to see them and she went "whoa what the heck are you doing here?" She was scared of them, and then she was edgy on her walk after seeing the creepy farm animals!

In the lobby of the Royal York Hotel. She was a perfect guest...

She loved the bed...

Out the window there was a demonstration. Drums banging, chanting. It was hard to know what they were going on about...but there will be plenty more of that in the next few days... You can see the barriers between the train station and the hotel. The police were out in force on bicycles and they were also in the lobby by the entrance. It was a little unnerving.

She could get used to this life!

Cocoa looking for room service...

(((From here the story has no pictures...)))

The following morning we called for the car and when I got down, the Valet said "you have a problem". Yep...a flat tire. He found a pump and pumped the tire while I exercised Cocoa and then when he tried to put the stopper on the valve, the air kept coming...we had a leaky valve. So with the morning subway commuters looking as they marched past, the Valet changed the tire. I called Brenda and said to go on ahead. "Oh no, that's OK, I'll wait" she said.

Off to the dealer to fix the valve in the tire. Cocoa came out and we went to the show room. This dealer also sold Aston-Martin's and I suggested to the receptionist that perhaps they could give me one since I shared the name! (hahaha) An hour or so later I'm underway. I call Brenda to let her know I'll be there in an hour. Ten minutes later I'm calling her again...bumper to bumper traffic! Once again I urge her to go on without me, but she wouldn't hear of it.

Finally I make it to Hamilton and we load my stuff (lots and lots of stuff) into her Van. It is going to be tight to make it to the show on time and I'm counting the dogs in front of Shelties and determine we could possibly make it. Brenda gets us there with five minutes to spare! The Old English Sheepdog is in the ring and then as we are changing I see the Shelties beginning. A quick spritz to dampen the girls coats and off we run to ringside. Some frantic brushing and in we go. Sable girls are first and Cocoa wins the class and then Brenda goes in the big AOAC class with Keva and she wins also. Back for Winners and Cocoa takes the points with Keva going reserve!

We show the next day with Keva going reserve and the judge thinking Cocoa is fat! (She wasn't fat, she was fluffy) :-) We stay to watch groups and BIS, and I notice my arm is starting to swell. The swelling continues and by morning it is clear that I can't show that day and we make plans to pack up after Brenda shows her girl and finds a handler for Cocoa. Keva once again takes reserve and Cocoa wins her class. She finds handlers for the Sunday show and a ride back to Canada with breeder-friends.

As Brenda is from London and works at the Hospital there, that is where we went. A few hours wait in Emergency and they were pretty sure my arm was infected and that I'd be staying a few days. I have to admit, I was pretty worried as the swelling continued despite the antibiotics. However, the next day it was determined it was thrombosis so they put me on blood thinners and I was discharged Monday afternoon..

Brenda got home from work Monday and drove me to Hamilton where I spent the night with a dear friend. I got home finally on Tuesday with Pete meeting me in Perth...he'd been so worried the entire time, he couldn't wait any longer!

We're having a quiet couple of weekends and then might get going again to shows mid July.

Thanks to all the fellow exhibitors for helping out and my deepest gratitude to Brenda (for everything.)

Emma: Western NY Specialties

2010-06-25T20:15:00.004-04:00

Time has been flying by; I can't believe we're almost through June already! I've been down to the US three weekends running, with barely time to unpack before it is time to pack up again. I still have no planters out front, but may remedy that this weekend.

Pete and I went to the Western NY Specialties just the other side of Rochester the weekend before last. We had a few of our girls and were delighted that miss "Emma" won the bred-by class both days. She is just 1 1/2 years old and still immature, but her quality shone through.

She is a natural show girl though, which makes her a lot of fun!

Her off side...

Cocoa: St Lawrence Valley KC

2010-06-07T11:18:00.007-04:00

Cocoa and I headed to Clayton NY (just across the US border) in the only car that was fit for travel...Pete's Boxster! I tied her to the door on the passenger side, in case she decided to jump on me while I was driving, but it wasn't necessary as she was a great passenger. I think she would have preferred if the garmin hadn't chosen the back way to the show though...as it had a lot of twists and turns! I was able to fit my grooming table and a soft crate in the back trunk and my grooming supplies, cooler and clothes in the front trunk. Pete came to the show on Sunday, and that meant Cocoa was on my lap. She was such a good sport, much like her great-grandmother Gabi. She just made herself comfortable and snuggled in for the ride. I think she appreciated the extra hugs on the corners!

Cocoa in the group ring. She won best of breed both days and two Group 2's

Down and back for breed judge Mrs. Betty McHugh
Going around for judge Polly Smith

Cocoa is such a personable girl...she showed like a trooper and did everything we asked; but when it got time to go home, she really didn't want to go back in the car!

(I notice that it is time for a shopping trip...my red suit is in most of the show photos!)