It's Been a While

2012 was a year of great trips, fabulous meals and good times. Although as a breeder, I will probably remember it most as a year of loss.  Loss that was inevitable, and loss that came from out of the blue and left me numb.  It isn't something you ever get accustomed to, and when it happens in waves it can rock you to your core and make you wonder why you subject yourself to it.  In the process I lost my voice; hence the lack of posts.  I think slowly by putting one foot in front of the other, things have gotten better and I am ready to face the world again.  I've even picked up the camera and started capturing the gang on their romps in the back fields.

 

 

Rehannah loving the fresh snow we had in December

 

A chickadee and nuthatch being fed during the deep freeze of last week.

 

I was amazed at the clarity of these pictures as they were taken through my dirty window with the 70-200 hand held.

 

Hope for the future..."Hilton", who will be formally known as Laureate Be My Guest.  We are delighted to share this beautiful boy with Gisela and Phil Aston, who lost their boy "Pirate" last year.

 



It Was a Dark and Dreary Day

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.

Sweet Sixteen

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?

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

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.

Remembrance Day Walk

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.

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

Poodle Grooming 101

I travelled to Syracuse with Bunny for the weekend to attend a grooming seminar given by Alan Waterman, a well known Poodle handler. It was a two day workshop, with the first day devoted to the puppy trim.

This was the puppy used for the demonstration. She'd never been scissored before...This is pretty much the after photo...showing how to emphasize angulation in rear, to cut in the loin and belly area and also the neck and front legs. Alan did one side of her, and then we had to work on our puppies.

The following day concentrated on showing us how to put a Poodle into "pattern". In this case, the continental clip. Poodles must be shown in either the continental clip or the english saddle clip once they turn a year old. This girl had her birthday the week before, so she had to get her "big girl" trim. Roughing in the clip. and making the front bracelet...Alan starts off by making the pom-pom on the hip square and will round off the edges later.

The reasoning behind the elastics on the topknot are to keep the long hair away from the dogs mouth and eyes. This hair is later held with elastics and hairsprayed up to give height. The hair on the ears are likewise protected, but they go further by wrapping the hair and folding it up, so it doesn't drag on the ground, or get chewed off by the dog.

I didn't get any photos of Bunny at the seminar, and I joked she'd be coming home in a continental clip, but decided I needed the practice with scissoring. So it took me two days, and her hair kept getting shorter and shorter trying to even out the chop marks! Oops!!!

I just put her on the deck a few moments ago to show her new "do". A bit radical...and went a bit too short, but the good thing about hair is, it grows!