Juniper

This is the sister to "Twiggy"...so also by BPIS Ch Shelhaven Outback x Laureate Alinea (Juno) and co-bred with Pennylynn Woodruff.  She isn't as wild and crazy as her sister and prefers to take things at her own speed.  In the few days she has been here I've noticed she likes to be behind things (my legs) and underneath cover such as a crate or a chair.

So when I took her outside for the first time by herself I wasn't surprised when she ran for the bushes for cover (or so I thought).

The funny thing was, she didn't seem afraid or concerned.  She was out to kill that juniper bush!

I didn't put her there...she jumped in!  She was having a ball.

She is darling and today she got her name..."Juniper".

Twiggy's Taste of the Great Outdoors

I went to Pennylynn's last night to pick up our Juno puppies.  We brought home the two girls in the litter and will be growing out this little girl we've named "Twiggy".  She is outgoing and bold and had a busy morning playing with the older puppies and then upstairs with me, LuAnne and Foo in the kitchen.  The weather was beautiful today so I decided it was time for a taste of the great outdoors!

And taste she did.  She tasted the water in the puddle...

She tasted the snow (yucky)

Nommed her foot

Sat for a second

What's this?

Posing briefly

Found some spruce needles!  We are going to have fun with this adventurous girl...

Mud Pups and Water Rats

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

More Action Shots

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.

A Little Bit Pregnant or A Whole Lot Fat?

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

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...

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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.

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