Life with The Horde

I Did What to the Cat?

2012-01-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

Grace, the cat, doesn't get a lot of time on the blog but she does exist and I do care for her. She's been around for 14.5 years - predating the dogs by 5 years!

This fall, I took Grace to the vet for a check up and while she was there we cut her claws. Most people don't think about cutting their cat's claws but, if you have an indoor cat who doesn't use a scratching post it's not a bad idea to do it occasionally.

Today, I cut Grace's claws again. While I was doing it, several things popped into my head. In no particular order they are:

- It's a lot easier to cut Grace's claws than any of the dog's toenails. Her quicks are way back.

- Damn! Grace's claws are REALLY long!

- It's a lot harder to cut Grace's claws than any of the dogs toenails. When held on her back, Grace becomes completely boneless and just sort of slides through my hands/arms.

- Where the hell ARE Grace's claws. Between being retractable and her being long haired, finding her claws can be a challenge.

- Might be a good idea to keep Grace's uncut claws away from my face while I am cutting them.

If you have a cat, take a moment to check out their claws - if he/she will let you - and if they need it, give them a trim. The furniture you save may be your own!

Manscaping

2012-01-22T18:39:00.000-05:00

Bogey was starting to look a little shaggy so I decided to do some manscaping on him this weekend.

Making those feet look a little less like a Snowshoe Hare's.

Not being a show dog, he really doesn't appreciate being asked to spend time on the grooming table. When it was all said and done this is what was left.

Can it really be called manscaping if you remove this much hair?

And this is how the handsome boy looked.

A little less crazy grandpa hair coming out of and around his ears as well as tidier feet.

Dog Shows and Champions

2012-01-14T22:28:00.000-05:00

This weekend there was a cluster of dog shows in Fredericksburg, VA. A cluster means that there are several days of shows, usually sponsored by at least two local kennel clubs. This was a five day cluster, starting on Wednesday and ending tomorrow, Sunday. Georgia was entered Friday and Saturday and she did well; garnering two more points toward her championship.

It takes 15 points for a dog to become a champion. Those points are earned by defeating other dogs at shows. That sounds pretty simple but it isn't always. You see, at least 6 of those points have to come from what are called 'majors.' A major can be worth 3, 4 or 5 points, depending on the number of dogs shown and the region the show takes place in. The AKC has divided the country into 13 divisions and, based on a rolling 3 year count of entries, they publish a points schedule every May. You can see the current schedule here.

Dogs that are not yet champions are known as 'class' dogs and the points schedule applies to them. In each breed the dogs entered are shown first by sex, then by age or special classes like American Bred, Bred by Exhibitor or Amateur Owner/Handler. The winners of each of the age or special classes go back in to compete for Winners Dog/Bitch - that's where you earn the points. Then Winners Dog & Bitch go back into the Best of Breed round, with dogs that already have their championships (specials), to compete for Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex and, for the class dogs/bitches only, Best of Winners.

The AKC actually has a pretty good explanation of how to count points here. I'm referring you there because trying to explain some of those scenarios can get a little hairy! Best of Winners was important to us this weekend because Georgia was the only class bitch entered - therefore, there weren't any points available to her because she didn't defeat any other girls. By going Best of Winners, she was able to get the points that applied to the dog entry for the day. Winners Dog still got a point but, because Georgia did too since, in essence, she was judged to be the best of all the non-champion dogs entered. It's called "crossing over" and in areas where the points schedule hasn't caught up with what actual entries are like, it can save your bacon - allowing you to win points when normally there wouldn't be any.

If all this didn't make sense, read it again :) Then, don't worry about it. It took me at least a couple years just to understand the concept of crossing over. I still don't completely understand scenarios where class dogs/bitches go Best of Breed over specials.

Georgia is entered in another show on January 28th in Doswell, VA. There are 2 class dogs entered and Georgia is the only class bitch again. Under the current schedule, that means she won't get any points for going Winners Bitch but, if she goes Best of Winners she would get another single point. The other interesting part of this entry is that she also has the opportunity to go Best of Breed which buys her a turn in the group ring. Oops, I didn't explain the groups did I? Well, we'll save that for another post......

Only Six Left

2012-01-10T18:02:00.000-05:00

Well, after tomorrow that is. Tomorrow, when I fly to Alabama for a job interview, I will only have six states out of fifty that I haven't visited. The remaining six are; Alaska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and Vermont. When you move around a lot, you keep track of things like that.

I can also tell you all the states I've shown dogs in (conformation, agility and herding); Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Kansas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine and Connecticut. Not too bad, I say.

I had two phone interviews last week, one last night, and received an email to set up a time for another phone interview in the next week. Things are picking up....

Stick a Needle in My Eye

2012-01-05T08:12:00.001-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's already 2012. Time really does go faster the older you get.

For Christmas last year (2011) Georgia gave us the gift of coming into season; seems the girl is on a 7 month cycle. That means that this week she is in standing heat and her father, Sam, is a wreck. Fortunately, we don't allow the two to spend much time together anyway so we aren't also dealing with having to separate them. Poor Sam knows she's here though and he paces around the house quietly whining. It really only gets annoying when you are trying to sleep. He's also spending a lot of time checking out Ginny & Moira to see if, just possibly, they might be interested in a little hanky panky. Poor old man.

On and off for the last several years I've had Sam treated with acupuncture to help relieve his arthritis pain. I've always been impressed with the results however, I'd never had acupuncture myself so I didn't have a good sense of what it actually felt like.

About a month ago, I started having pain in my right elbow. It was annoying but not too terribly bad so I ignored it, as I often do when plagued by minor pain. The pain got progressively worse though and I suddenly realized I was suffering from tendinitis in that elbow. I have no idea how that happened but, there it was.

I tried all the usual treatments; alternating cold and heat, anti-inflammatories (Traumeel and Arnica), pain relief (Tylenol) and whining. None were really working so I thought I'd give acupuncture a try. Hey, it's worked for Sam!

During the actual treatments I've been surprised at some of the things that have happened; odd sensations in parts of my body that have no apparent connection to my elbow (burning in my left heel), waves of energy that feel almost like a chill passing over my entire body and yesterday, while I was concentrating on breathing correctly, I burst into uncontrollable sobs. It makes me wonder how Sam feels when he has the needles in, especially when they are hooked up to electro-stimulation to enhance the effects!

I've had two acupuncture treatments so far and, while the elbow still hurts, the pain does seem to be getting better. What I've really been impressed with though are the side effects. I sleep better for at least two nights after a treatment, Moira is more relaxed for a couple days after I am treated, and my overall mood seems to be better too. Basically, I'm just finding that I feel more balanced and calm.

I have another appointment next week - I hope we can scale back the frequency of appointments soon since they aren't inexpensive - and am looking forward to it. Now that I have a personal understanding of how acupuncture feels and works I will be much more likely to use it for the dogs.

The Year In Review

2011-12-30T20:19:00.000-05:00

I can't believe 2011 is already coming to a close. To say it's been an eventful year is a bit of an understatement, I think. So here are some things I am grateful for as 2011 winds down:

- Sam is still with me and doing great.
- Ginny too is doing well - not acting her age at all.
- Moira continues to get better and better at agility - a sport we BOTH enjoy.
- Bogey & Georgia are happy, healthy little dogs that bring a lot of love and laughter to my life.
- I'm no longer in a job that makes me miserable. No one should cry on the way to and from work every day.
- My prospects for finding a new job in 2012 are looking up and, even if that doesn't pan out, I have a fall back plan.
- I have an understanding house-mate who has been wonderful and supportive this year. We had so much fun being unemployed together!
- My family has been very supportive as well. No recriminations from that corner.
- I have terrific friends, some of whom I've never met, who read this blog and comment. Thank you for all your wonderful comments.
- I have terrific friends who don't read my blog but have still been wonderfully supportive this year.

I know listing these things seems a little clichéd but I have to tell you all that one of the things I learned this year is to acknowledge the things that are important to you. It's much too easy to dwell on the negative things that are in your life. If you take a moment to see the positive you will have more energy to put toward creating more positivity.

Happy New Year!

It Never Fails....

2011-12-20T19:44:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago I posted that I had decided to listen to the Universe, follow my heart and go back to school to become a vet tech. I'm still working toward that but, in the quirky way that the Universe works, I have received several emails and phone calls recently from companies I applied to - and one I didn't apply to - asking to schedule interviews. I'm entertaining these calls and requests for interviews because, honestly, the idea of being able to make some significant money is pretty darned attractive right now. Becoming a vet tech is very noble but it probably wouldn't pay for the dog habit - at least not to the extent that I would like. We'll just have to see what happens.

Clinical Observation

2011-12-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

Part of the application process for vet tech school is getting 16 hours of clinical observation in with a licensed vet. With as many years as I've had dogs, I have way more than 16 hours of observation but I never thought to document it so now I am doing it officially.

Back in October, my regular vet let me observe Ginny's dental and the surgery to remove the mass on her chest. I was also allowed to observe another dental, tooth extraction and mass removal on a cat. I still need a few more hours of observation and this Monday I was lucky enough to get some in with a different vet.

Central Virginia is horse country. Maybe not as much as northern Virginia but there are still a lot of horses here. One of my agility classmates is an equine vet and very graciously allowed me to tag along Monday while she made farm calls. SO interesting, and so very different from small animal veterinary treatment.

The first call of the day was for a colicky horse. By the time we got there, the owner had already administered a dose of Banamine to the horse intravenously. First observation - horse people keep lots of drugs on hand and know how to administer them intravenously, intramuscularly and subcutaneously. It turned out that the horse had a case of gas colic due to an abrupt change in hay. We pumped a bunch of water and then mineral oil into his stomach, left the owner with instructions regarding feeding and turn out then moved on to the next call.

James Madison's Montpelier estate also happens to be a very well known racing stable, thanks to Marion duPont Scott the last owner of the estate. There are lots of Thoroughbreds on the estate training to race on both the flat track and in steeplechase races. The practice that my friend works for services the racing barns at Montpelier and sends a vet to the barns almost every day of the week to take care of those horses. Just like dogs who are being shipped to other states, horses need a health certificate to travel out of state to races. We filled out several of those for horses that would be racing in other states in the near future and also rechecked a horse that had been castrated recently.

Next on the list was a visit to a 'community stable' for a pre-purchase inspection of a pony and to check on a pony that had a bad wound just above her ankle. Interestingly, before you purchase a horse you pay for a vet to give it a thorough examination. The vet checks not only the basics - like any wellness exam - but also checks the horse's gait looking for any signs of lameness and rechecks things like heart sounds after the horse has been cantered for a bit. Unfortunately, the pony we were there to check did not pass inspection. He had some lameness in his left shoulder and when his heart rate was up he had an arrhythmia.

The pony with the ankle wound was another surprise for me. When she was treated initially, the vet placed a catheter in her neck so the stable manager could administer antibiotics and other drugs intravenously. I know that is sometimes done with small animals as well but I think it's a pretty rare owner who administers the drugs themselves rather than take the pet back into the vet. The pony's wound was healing well but there was some lingering infection. We left a bottle of antibiotic/antimicrobial spray for the wound and instructions to keep it clean and covered for another week.

Our last call of the day was a sad one. A horse owner had an old (14 years) Coonhound that needed to be put down. As a favor, the vet was stopping by to do that. The owner held the dog's head to keep him calm and I made sure the vet could easily access the leg for the injection. It was emotional but, as my friend said, you focus on the fact that you are alleviating suffering in an animal and that helps you get through it.

All in all, it was a great day. I already had an idea that horse people are fairly self-sufficient when it comes to treating their animals for minor issues and this was confirmed. When they know what they are doing, which most seem to, it really helps hold vet costs down. The vets also seem to trust that these folks know what they are doing and are more likely to provide horse owners with common drugs to have on hand in the event they are needed; antibiotics, anti inflammatories and even mild sedatives. Have you ever tried to get a small animal vet to give you a prescription for antibiotics 'just in case?' Large animal vets also rarely, if ever, use techs. The owner acts as the tech; holding the animal and helping with the procedure. It's an interesting difference but not one I'm sure would work well with small animals. Too many dog and cat owners actually make their pets behave worse and not better when they are involved in veterinary treatment.

Hopefully, I'll complete the last of my clinical observation hours before Christmas. Then I will forward everything to the college and wait.

Follow Your Heart

2011-12-07T18:25:00.000-05:00

"The best thing you can do in life is follow your heart. Take risks. Don't just take the safe and easy choices because you're afraid of what might happen. Don't have any regrets and know that everything happens for a reason." - Unknown

Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I often say, "Everything happens for a reason." The last seven and a half months have been difficult for me and a real wake up call.

When I left my job in April, I thought I would have another job in three months and that my life would continue on the path it had been on before. The three months came and went and I still wasn't working. I had phone interviews, lots and lots of phone interviews, but very few call backs. I networked, I revised my resume, I applied for entry level jobs, I applied for jobs in parts of the country I had no interest in moving to and I kept telling myself that 'everything happens for a reason' and I just hadn't found the right job yet.

During the last seven and a half months I've also spent a lot of time with the dogs. A lot of time. I've watched Sammy struggle with aging, I've watched Ginny start to go deaf, I've watched Moira become increasingly confident and reliable in life and agility (although she can still be a bit of a nut job), I've watched Bogey grow into a boy-dog with many of his father's most beguiling traits and I've watched Georgia go through the teenage uglies and start to mature into a really lovely bitch with intelligence and personality to burn. Part of spending all this time with the dogs has also included treating lots of minor injuries and ailments too - especially for Sam. And this is where following my heart has come into the picture.

For years, friends who aren't 'dog people' have watched me with the dogs and asked why I don't do "something with them professionally." I've always responded with, "I'd love to but there's no money in it." Well, guess what? After over seven months of not really making any money, I'm ready to do something professionally with dogs - and cats, and guinea pigs and, whatever.

I am in the process of applying to the veterinary technology program at a local community college. My application is due at the end of January but I won't know until April if I've been accepted (they only take 40 students each year.) School will start in August. After two years, I will be able to sit for the state boards and, hopefully, become a licensed vet tech. From there, I'd like to become certified in canine physical rehabilitation so I can work with dogs recovering from orthopedic surgery, or plagued by arthritis and , of course, the canine athletes I love so much. I still need to find a job in the meantime but I can focus on finding something local and it doesn't have to be a 'career' position.

UHM (who got and accepted a job offer last week) has been incredibly supportive of this plan - even though I know it scares her a bit. If I'm being completely honest, it scares me too but I think I have to follow my heart on this one and remember that everything does happen for a reason.

Self Medicating

2011-11-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

With the holiday season upon us, I thought I would share some common household medications that can be used for dogs as well. As always, you should contact your vet before giving any medication to your dog long-term but these are pretty safe to use in situations where getting to your vet right away is not an option.

Product	Common Use	Canine Dosage
Buffered Aspirin	Pain relief, anti-inflammatory	18-12 mg per lb every 12 hours.
Benadryl	Treats allergies, itching, etc.	½ mg per lb every 8 hours. Max dose 2 mg per lb.
Hydrogen Peroxide 3%	Used to induce vomiting after accidental ingestion of toxic items.	1-3 tsp by mouth every 15 minutes until vomiting occurs. DO NOT induce vomiting if it has been more than 2 hours since ingestion.
Dramamine	Reduces motion sickness.	Up to 50 mg every 8 hours.
Pepto Bismol	For diarrhea, vomiting and anti-gas.	1 tsp per 5 lbs every 6 hours.

Hopefully, you won't have to use any of these this holiday season. Also, as The Chronicles of Cardigan pointed out, pureed pumpkin is also an excellent way to treat diarrhea and/or constipation but typically works a little slower.

Bogey's Tips for the Upcoming Holidays

2011-11-18T10:56:00.001-05:00

If you're looking a little shaggy...

Make an appointment with the groomer. Tell her to take a little off the sides...

And top, and bottom.....

If you'll be dining with family, it never hurts to dress up a little.

But be sure to bring along your favorite fan wear to change into for the big game.

New Picture

2011-11-10T18:39:00.000-05:00

Monday afternoon we had stunning weather. Moira was lying in the front window, soaking up the sun when I took this picture. She has grown into such a lovely girl. She reminds me a lot of her mother.

Power Twins - Activate!

2011-11-09T10:55:00.001-05:00

At the 2010 National in Pennsylvania, we met Becky Dean and Drew. Drew and Moira are half sisters - their mom is Honey. The girls seem to share more than a mom though. They are very similar in personality and physicality too. At that National, Becky and I agreed that we would have to get together again to run both girls at an agility trial. We were supposed to visit Becky & Drew in Ohio this spring but the work situation got the best of us. Instead, they were able to make the trip here last weekend to run Pairs at the Madco trial with us. What a great time we had!

The run resulted in a Q and a first place! And the girls, once again, got along famously. More trials are in our future.

Fabulous Fall Weekend

2011-11-07T11:31:00.002-05:00

This weekend Moira and I ran in the annual Madco Agility fall trial at Misty Mountain Campground in Crozet, VA. This was our first USDAA trial last year and we've come a long way since then. The night before the trial I watched this video of our Jumpers run last year:

Not pretty, really not pretty.

This spring, we ran in another Madco trial and here was our Jumpers run at that trial:

Better but still not great.

Saturday morning was frosty and COLD! Just the kind of weather that makes little red dogs act crazy. However, Pu Head must finally be growing up because we had a great run and we Qd! Unfortunately, there were technical difficulties with the video so I don't have footage of the run. What I do have footage of is our Sunday afternoon Jumpers run. A few bobbles and a knocked bar but it is such a vast improvement over last fall and even this spring that I am just thrilled.

Having video of our runs is a wonderful thing. I only have one or two videos of Sam's agility career and, while they can be painful to watch, I love having them. Unfortunately, there are so few that I can't really see a progression in our partnership and training. With these videos of Moira, I can see how we are progressing and improving and what we need to work on too.

For Spring, the goal is to be able to enter Standard and a few other classes. Next post - Power Twins, Activate!

Happy 6th Birthday Moira!

2011-10-31T08:13:00.001-04:00

Slideshow customized with Smilebox

Companion Post to "Choices"

2011-10-29T22:22:00.002-04:00

Below is a link to what I think is the best blog post ever about the love and guilt associated with having to euthanize a dog - for any reason. Patricia McConnell is an animal behaviorist and dog trainer whose books, DVDs and blog are invaluable to anyone who owns a dog and has a desire to better understand that dog.

Love, Guilt & Putting Dogs Down

Choices

2011-10-28T08:28:00.001-04:00

I'll get back to my 'Treating People Like Dogs' theory soon but today I wanted to talk about choices where our dogs are concerned.

Yesterday, Ginny who is 12 years old, had surgery to remove a mass from her chest. The mass was involved in a mammary gland and was causing the nipple to leak a clear, brownish fluid. That was the reason I chose to have the mass removed. What I did not choose to do was have the mass sent to pathology to determine what it was. While it would have been nice to know, definitively, what we were dealing with it also wouldn't have changed anything for me. If it was cancer, I wasn't going to put Gin through chemo (assuming that might have helped) because she is 12 years old and, honestly, I can't afford it. If it wasn't cancer, there's no guarantee she won't get cancer. It's a non-issue - I'm going to continue to treat Ginny just as I always have; doing the best I can to maintain her health and quality of life.

Sam has gotten a lot of extra meds in recent months. I'm choosing to give him these because, overall, he's still doing very well and his quality of life is really good. However, in choosing to give him these meds I also had to weigh potential long term side effects; increased risk of bleeding, potential liver damage, etc. He's 13 years old. At the absolute outside limit, he might live another 3 years. I don't think the meds he is taking are going to shave years off his life. If giving him the cocktail of meds helps him have more good days than bad in the time he has left, then I choose to do that.

Today we have the most incredible things available to us to improve and lengthen our dogs' lives. With all those improvements we also have a responsibility to make hard choices. Those choices aren't always about the dog though. Several months ago, I read a book called "Merle's Door." It's a true story about a rescued dog and the long, happy life he lived with his rescuer. Toward the end of Merle's life he starts having the kinds of health issues that a lot of old dogs do and the question of euthanasia came up. His owner asked himself a series of 9 questions from the book Active Years for Your Aging Dog by Bernard S. Hershorn, DVM. In addition to these questions, Dr. Hershorn also emphasizes that the dog's chronological age should never be a factor in the decision. That means young or old, you need to ask and answer these questions honestly and make a decision based on them. The 9 questions are:

1) Is the condition prolonged, recurring or getting worse?
2) Is the condition no longer responding to therapy?
3) Is your dog in pain or otherwise physically suffering?
4) Is it no longer possible to relieve that pain or suffering?
5) If your dog should recover, is he likely to be chronically ill, an invalid, or unable to care for himself as a healthy dog?
6) If your dog recovers, is he likely no longer to be able to enjoy life, or will he have severe personality changes?
7) Can you provide the necessary care?
8) Will such care interfere with your own life as to create serious problems with your or your family?
9) Will the cost involved become unbearably expensive?

I think it's a great list of questions because it addresses both the dog's well being and the owners'. In one way or another I ask myself these questions, or a version of them, every time I have to make a choice about my dogs' health. They don't take the emotional element completely out of the picture but they do help mitigate it somewhat and allow me to make decisions based on what really is best for the dog - not just what will make me feel better.

I Have a Theory...

2011-10-08T21:35:00.002-04:00

First, I hope you like the new, fall-themed look of the blog. I loved the previous blog background and it carried me ably through spring and summer but, with the advent of cooler temps and falling leaves, I felt like it needed a change. Thanks to Elizabeth at The Chronicles of Cardigan for the inspiration. You'll notice there is a new quote in the header and another quote in the right sidebar. I'm going to try to change these out regularly as there are literally hundreds of great dog quotes out there.

Now for my theory. This is a theory I've held for several years. It's one that UHM says I should never talk about in public but, UHM is a human resources professional so she has to say things like that. I believe that all the principles you use to train your dog can be applied to managing people who work for you. There, I've said it. I think you should treat people like dogs.

I'll go into more detail in subsequent posts but, right now, what are your thoughts on my theory?

An Auto-Generated Email? Really?

2011-10-05T14:59:00.001-04:00

Finally heard back from the company that flew me in for an interview over a month ago. Today I received an auto-generated, anonymous email from a "Staffing Representative" indicating that while "many aspects of your background are impressive" there were other candidates whose qualifications were more in line with their current needs. Oh, and I got this barely an hour after I sent an email asking for an update to the HR flunky who had arranged my whole trip, and, by the way, where is my check to reimburse my expenses for the trip?

I'm ok with not getting the job but, I really think if you actually bring someone into the offices to interview they deserve the courtesy of a phone call and an opportunity to solicit feedback if they didn't get the job. See what the electronic age has done to us?

So, the hunt continues.

The Most Important Ingredient? Time!

2011-10-03T13:57:00.001-04:00

I've been at it again. Last week I baked off some pie pumpkins, scooped out the flesh, ran it through the food processor, drained/strained it and then froze it. Now I will have fresh, real pumpkin to use in recipes throughout the winter. Or, I can give it to dogs who need to 1) lose weight, 2) stop pooping, or 3) start pooping. It really it a multi-purpose vegetable.

Today I made some fresh marinara sauce using tomatoes from last summer and zucchini from this summer. Then I mixed it with some ziti and cheeses to freeze pans of ziti to be popped in the oven at a later date, when we don't feel like "making" dinner.

Later in the week I expect I will get more pumpkins and apples too that will need to be processed into food stuffs for the winter months.

Yes, I've done a lot of canning, freezing, baking, cooking, etc. this summer. A few of you have commented that you are so impressed with that. It's nice of you to say but, I have to share a secret with you.... NOTHING that I have made this summer takes any particular skill or equipment. If you can boil water, follow a recipe and set a timer you can make all of the things I have made and make them just as well as I have. The only ingredient I have right now that most of you don't is time.

When I was working full time, I very rarely froze, canned, baked or cooked much of anything. When (notice I'm saying 'when' and not 'if')I return to work, I'm not sure I will continue to do all these things. Sure, UHM and I will still make supper for ourselves and, if I have a little time on the weekend I'll whip up a dessert that will last through the week. But, I have to tell you that I am not entirely certain I will make the time to do all the things I've done this year. It's takes a full day to can 20 lbs of apples into applesauce and pie filling. If I only have 2 days off a week, I'm not sure I'll want to spend one of them doing that.

Still, those of you who don't currently feel like you have the skill set to freeze fresh green beans or make your own applesauce I would encourage you to try. It's a wonderful feeling to sit down to a meal and know exactly where some of the items on the table came from and how they were made. Plus, the flavors simply don't compare to anything you buy in the store.

First Craft Project

2011-09-21T13:16:00.001-04:00

Last week I posted that I was looking for new craft projects to keep me occupied during the colder weather. When UHM and I were out tasting apple cider and buying apples last week, we also stopped by one of our favorite antique stores, The Covesville Store. Like most 'antique' stores, it's a mish-mash of nicer, truly antique pieces mixed in with thrift-store-type items that aren't really worth all that much. While I was poking around in the store I found a box full of "vintage" cookie cutters and had an idea. I bought several of them and today got around to trying out my idea. Below is a picture of the result.

What do you all think? It's a cross between a wind chime and a mobile. If you saw it at a craft fair, would you buy it? What would you pay for it? Any suggestions on sprucing it up a bit? I have some other ideas for something similar but need to spend more time on the mechanics. Let me know what you think though.

I Pulled Out the Turtlenecks

2011-09-16T19:03:00.001-04:00

First - no word on the job front. Very frustrating. For the life of me, I can't understand why a company would go to the expense to bring me in for less than 24 hours (over $1k) and then not call! On the flip side, they haven't called to say take a hike either :)

This morning was the first chilly morning we've had. I think it was around 42 when we got up and it never got warmer than the mid 60s today. A really beautiful fall day! And what do you do on a beautiful fall day? Well, you convince your UHM to drive to the local apple cider brewery for a tasting! We drove about 45 minutes south to Albemarle Cider Works and tasted the four varieties of apple cider they produced in 2010. These ciders remind me a lot of sparkling white wines - not really my thing - but were all very good. My favorite was the Ragged Mountain Cider which was the sweetest of the group. They also had apples picked in their orchards available for sale. We bought 20 pounds; a mixture of Suncrisp, Grimes Golden, Jonathan and King David. The apples are actually grown by Vintage Virginia Apples. They grow over 250 varieties of apples, many of them heirloom varieties. Guess what I plan to do for the rest of the weekend? Can applesauce and apple pie filling, that's what. The pie filling recipe I have uses butterscotch schnapps!

Also in honor of the cooler temps, I made my favorite chicken pot pies; the filling includes artichoke hearts. The recipe makes enough for 6 pot pies so I end up freezing 5 of them for future meals. This recipe also happens to have one of my favorite pie crusts. When I was a kid, my mom always made 'pie crust cookies' with the trimmings and excess dough. We usually had sweet pies so the cookies would be sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Tonight I tried something a little different, since I was in a savory mood. I brushed the cookies with an egg wash and then sprinkled them with garlic salt before baking them off in a 350 oven until golden brown. YUM! A lot like home made crackers, only better!

Now that the cold weather is getting nearer, I'm looking for projects to keep me busy inside. I'll probably can some more apples before the end of November and there will be pumpkins to bake off, puree and freeze too. I also have a few ideas for inexpensive craft projects. If you all have any favorite cold weather crafts (besides knitting or crocheting), please share.

If you'd like my recipes for canned apple pie filling or chicken pot pie, let me know. I'm happy to share. Time to dig into the pot pie.

200th Post!

2011-09-11T15:32:00.000-04:00

In August of 2009 I published my first post on Life with The Horde. A little over two years later, we're still here and even have another Horde member, Georgia.

I had really hoped that this post would bear good news about my job search but, unfortunately, I have not heard back yet regarding my interview down south at the beginning of the month. Please keep thinking good thoughts for me.

Yesterday I took Moira to some agility run thrus at a place not too far from where we live. She was a WILD dog but that's to be expected after an entire summer off from agility. I was really pleased with her jumping though and she always came back to me so that's good too. Part of the reason I went for the run thrus was to meet up with Stacy Sties of Canine Icer. Stacy is a local gal who makes neoprene wraps that can be used for applying heat or cold to various parts of canine athletes. She also makes custom wraps that can hold weights or rigid/flexible supports for canine physical therapy.

Stacy measured Sam for a pair of hock wraps to help him stay up off his pasterns a little more. As he's aged, I've noticed him rolling back on his rear pasterns more and more. This week I took him to the vet because he has developed an interdigital infection on one rear foot and some cysts on the inner edge of the other. The hope is these wraps will help stabilize and support him a little better to take some of the pressure off his back feet. At 13 I expect him to have some issues and arthritis is one of them but I could tell his feet have really been bothering him lately and this seemed like it might help.

Sam's hock wraps.

After only an hour or so they seem to be helping and he doesn't mind them at all. The right one doesn't want to stay up where it should - may have to do with his bone structure and we might have to make some adjustments to it - but the left one is staying in place perfectly. He should be able to wear them almost all the time so we'll see if there is any improvement in his feet and gait.

I know many of you have athletically inclined dogs who have suffered injuries that require the application of heat or cold. I would encourage you to check out Stacy's website. She has some standard sizes but will also make custom sizes - important with the corgis, of both persuasions, who have slightly different proportions. Her pricing is reasonable, especially considering the personal attention and prompt delivery, and she's an agility and herding person too so she knows what we ask our dogs to do.

Hopefully, the next post will have news about the job hunt.

No News is Good News

2011-08-29T20:00:00.001-04:00

I'm finding it difficult to find things to blog about these days. I seem to be posting more and more 'sound bites' on FB than coming up with meaningful topics to blog about.

Yes, we had an earthquake last Tuesday. I was at James Madison's Montpelier volunteering when it hit. That put me less than 30 miles from the epicenter. I volunteer in the Dupont Gallery in the visitors center. The damage in the visitors center/gift shop was minimal. The gift shop had a lot of cleaning up to do as breakables well, they broke. In the Dupont Gallery, lots of pictures were catty-wampus and the chandeliers swung quite a bit. I think that is probably the strongest earthquake I've experienced and while there have been some pretty good aftershocks, I've only felt one of those. By the way, the damage to Montpelier itself was limited to some cracked plaster and chimneys, nothing structural.

At the end of last week, everyone on the East coast braced for Hurricane Irene. The track the storm took left us with some fairly strong winds and just a little rain - we didn't lose power. Our friends to the east, in Richmond and on the Virginia coast, saw a lot more damage and rain. Fortunately, as far as we know, everyone is ok but the clean up will take a while.

Thursday of this week I'll be boarding a plane for a flight south. I have a real, face-to-face job interview with a large company on Friday. I don't want to say who yet but, think good thoughts. It seems like a wonderful opportunity for me in a lot of ways; career advancement, location and, oh yeah, I'd be employed again. When I know something, you all will.

And, last but not least, agility classes are scheduled to resume on September 7! I am so excited. Moira does so much better when she has a chance to get out of the house and visit with her agility friends.

My next post will be something special so be sure to check back......

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut....

2011-08-23T10:18:00.002-04:00

Coconut, that is or, rather, coconut oil. A few weeks ago a Beardie friend posted on FB regarding the health benefits of coconut oil for the dogs (Dogster Post). So I did a little on line reading to determine if it was something I wanted to try. For the last year or more Sam has had terribly dry skin and no amount of supplements seemed to be helping - not even salmon oil.

After determining that coconut oil wouldn't harm the dogs in any way, I went ahead and bought a small jar of Virgin Coconut Oil from Whole Foods. My first surprise was that when I opened the jar the oil had solidified. Coconut oil solidifies at 76 degrees or lower so, when I took it out of the highly air-conditioned store, it was in a solid state. It has fluctuated between liquid and solid since I brought it home but it doesn't need to be refrigerated.

This weekend I groomed all the dogs and, for the first time in over a year, Sam's skin wasn't dry and flaky. He's been getting 1-2 tsps of coconut oil, daily, for the last 3 weeks. His coat feels great too, very soft and silky (I know, that's not really correct for a Cardi). Overall, I'm thrilled with what I've seen. Coconut oil doesn't have the anti-inflammatory properties that salmon oil does but it seems to have a lot of other benefits so I think I will continue giving it.

Do some research for yourself and see if it is something you want to add to your dog(s) diet.

But is it really a sport?

2011-08-18T15:35:00.001-04:00

Over the last few weeks, UHM and I have had lots of conversations about things that are objective vs. subjective. UHM is a highly competitive person who has always played sports (although if you ask my mom, golf isn't really a sport). The sports she has played are of the objective variety; golf, soft ball, field hockey. Either you make the putt, or you don't; you score a goal, or you don't; you hit the ball, or you don't. You don't get any extra points for doing any of those things stylishly. There is a referee or 'judge' involved but he/she is there to make sure the rules are followed and is rarely expected to make a subjective call.

While not a sporting type myself, my competitive endeavors have usually been more subjective in nature. I was on the forensics (speech) team, played in the band, a member of the livestock judging team and showed livestock. Those experiences make the ups and downs of showing dogs - while still sometimes frustrating - a little more understandable to me. The judges in speech competitions decided, subjectively, who had the better speech. We competed for first chair, second chair, etc. in band and the director was the subjective judge of who played better. Showing and judging livestock, like showing and judging dogs, is extremely subjective. It is an individual's interpretation of which animal best represents the breed or style of animal currently favored.

Given the conversations UHM and I have had, it seemed serendipitous when my friend Karen, at Dog Show Newbie posted a link to an article/editorial on DogChannel.com. In the piece, the writer likens breeding and showing dogs to art more than sport and I think he's right. What's really great is, the piece was written by a long-time Cardigan breeder; Paul Chen of Afara Cardigans. Take a couple minutes to check it out and see if you don't agree with his thoughts - as well as get a chuckle out of his description of what it's like to breed and show dogs.

Adequan

2011-08-15T12:40:00.001-04:00

My dogs have taken joint supplements off and on for years but it's really only been in the last year or so that I've been consistent about giving them. I got better about it right around the time that Sam was prescribed Tramadol for the pain associated with arthritis. We were reluctant to put him on a straight NSAID because, at the time, he was having some kidney issues.

The vet and I had discussed other options for dealing with arthritis in the past but it had really gotten to the point that, for Sam to continue to enjoy life, we needed to make a decision. The NSAIDs still had the concern associated with kidney damage so Dr. Hillary and I talked about Adequan.

Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) is a sort of injectable version of the more common oral supplement, glucosamine. When Adequan is injected, the joints preferentially take it up and it provides additional cushioning in those joints. It acts as both a treatment and preventative for arthritis.

Last week we finished the four week loading dose period with Sam (2 doses per week). The first few weeks I didn't see too much difference in his behavior. Around week three I started seeing him feel a lot better on his shot days. After the 6th dose I saw a real and extended period of time where he was feeling great and it has continued. Today he had his first maintenance shot. He'll get one shot per week until it seems like that is no longer effective - then we might increase it. He still gets Tramadol on the nights when he seems particularly sore but those are fewer now.

Sam's arthritis is too advanced for this to act like a preventative but it is making him more comfortable and, at just under $8 per shot, it's affordable for me. My vet agreed to teach me how to give the shots (the packaging calls for intramuscular but recently it's been determined that subcu works too) so I don't have to make a trip to the office all the time. Drs. Foster & Smith has the best on line pricing for Adequan that I've been able to find and shipping is free on prescriptions.

I'm a firm believer that all dogs should receive a joint supplement, even as puppies, and especially dogs that participate in any sports (agility, herding, fly ball). With what I've seen and read about Adequan, I would even go so far as to replace an oral supplement with the Adequan when a performance dog starts to age. I'm considering starting Moira (who'll be 6 this year) on it in the next couple of years.

Talk to your vet about arthritis in dogs and Adequan. While there can be some mild side effects, and not all drugs work for all dogs, I've been really happy with the changes I've seen in Sam since he started on it. For more information on Adequan you can visit the Novatis website, http://www.adequancanine.us/index2.shtml.

On the Road Again

2011-08-12T09:43:00.001-04:00

Bogey and I leave today to retrieve Georgia from North Carolina. UHM and I dropped her off with Liz (her breeder) and Marian (pro handler and wonderful lady who whelped G and her siblings) last Sunday. Georgia has been at Dog Show Boot Camp/Cheer Camp for the last week. She's entered in the Greensboro cluster of shows which started on Wednesday and go through Sunday.

Wednesday G was reserve winner's bitch, yesterday nothing and today Cardis were on at 9 but I haven't heard anything - which usually isn't a good sign. She'll show tomorrow and Sunday and then we'll head home.

Wish us luck!

Class Pictures

2011-08-05T10:25:00.001-04:00

Ahh yes, summer is coming to a close (at least chronologically if not meteorologically) and thoughts turn to back to school. New school clothes (my personal fave), new school supplies (lunch box anyone? or are those passe?) and class pictures.

I won't share any of my old class pictures. I think they are all in storage anyway and, generally speaking, incredibly unflattering with the exception of 5th grade. In the spirit of those class pictures, we took the dogs to Chris Green Lake yesterday to get some head shots. Let me just say that Moira and Bogey are terrific models, the rest of them are difficult to work with. Sam is too excited about being out of the house, Ginny is too excited about having grass to eat and Georgia is still too young to really want to hold still. None the less, here are some of the better photos from today....

Sam, he's actually an alum. Can you guess which fraternity he pledged?

This is an oldy, but goody of Gin. She just didn't want to have her picture taken.

Moira. The other really good shot of her looked like a mug shot.

Bogey. Doesn't this look like your classic 'senior portrait?' The pensive, staring into space look.

And our 'first grader,' Georgia.

On A Tear

2011-07-31T18:51:00.001-04:00

I've been on a grooming tear for the last three weeks. It was prompted by Georgia starting to blow coat with a big cluster of shows coming up. So, for the last 3 Sundays she's been brushed, blown out, bathed and then blown out again. Oh, and had her nails done too. And, as long as I had the grooming table out, everyone else got some attention as well. Today, Sam & Ginny got baths too.

Even though I end up inhaling and ingesting a lot of dog hair when everyone gets groomed like this, I actually enjoy grooming the dogs. It can be incredibly relaxing to have a dog up on the table. I get very focused and quiet and, fortunately, most of the dogs can relax on the table too. The only one I worry about is Sam because, as he's gotten older, he's not always sure where his rear end is. He has a tendency to let that back end drop off the table so I have to keep an eye on him and adjust his positioning a lot. I'm thinking about buying a table that has a larger top and is slightly lower to make grooming him a little easier. Of course, that will have to wait until I'm working again but, window-shopping for dog gear is always fun :)

Oh the Agony...

2011-07-25T19:24:00.001-04:00

Job hunting is brutal - I probably don't need to tell most of you that. It's almost a flashback to those painful days in elementary school PE when the games required picking teams. You wait anxiously to see if you will be 'picked.'

In today's job market it's especially painful because virtually everything is done electronically so you really have no idea if the "application" you filled out is actually being viewed by a human or merely checked by some computer program for the appropriate key words. One of the job sites even has this wonderful/horrible tool that allows you to see how many candidates have applied for that job through their site and gives you some pretty amazing demographics regarding education, years of experience, required salary, etc. It's positively frightening.

Last week I ended up having 3 phone interviews for 2 possible jobs. One of them we are in the midst of trying to schedule a 4th phone interview. The other I got a very polite email today indicating they are looking at other candidates but, thanks for my interest and oh, here's a special discount code to use the next time you shop our website.

The on line applications can be brutal too. Most companies give you the option of down loading your resume but then they also ask you to fill out a work history section. Ugh! I hate repetitive work. One of the jobs I am in the running for does a couple of different on line tests. One is the Predictive Index test. This is where you are given a list of 75 words and then asked to identify those that you think others would use to describe you. Then you are give a second list of the same 75 words and asked to indicate the ones you believe best describe you! The second test was 125 mixed questions encompassing reading comprehension, math, and logic/ethics. Each question is timed but there is no time limit. What does that mean? Do they look at how long it took me to complete the number sequence questions vs. the word definitions and decide if I can do math or not? The logic/ethics questions were all doubled up too; first, what is the "best" answer, second, what is the "worst" answer.

If you manage to snare an interview, be prepared for lots of different interview styles. Myself, I tend to be a conversational interviewer. I have a good idea of what I want to know about you and I try to have a conversation that gives me that information. In my opinion, those are the most natural and comfortable interviews for everyone involved but they do require some skill. Then there are the predictive interviewers; "Give me an example of a time when....." Please, I BEG of the human resources professionals out there, DO NOT let your hiring managers use this style. Phone interviews are hard enough as it is but an hour of "Give me an example of a time when" questions will put even the most patient and desperate job seeker over the edge.

When it seems like you might be close to the coveted 'face to face' interview, you start sweating the wardrobe question. The vast majority of companies today have embraced a business casual wardrobe. My last 3 employers followed that rule and, consequently, I have very few dressy business clothes. So now you find yourself spending money to buy clothes for an interview. Clothes that are dressy enough for an interview but not so dressy you 1) look totally out of place when you arrive at the office and 2) might have a chance of wearing again. Oh, and what if you are flying in for the interview and someone wants to take you to dinner the night before or breakfast the morning after? Then you need 2 outfits to wear. The old saw about dressing for the position above the one you are interviewing for apparently still holds true too. I am now the proud owner of a black suit (skirt & jacket), a blouse to go underneath the suit, a pair of tan trousers and a multi-colored more casual style jacket. Fortunately, all of them can easily be worn someplace other than a job interview. I think I would have had a coronary if that weren't the case.

As much as I am enjoying my 'summer vacation' this year, I am also looking forward to going back to work. I'm not sure how much longer I can stand the stress of job hunting.

Awards, Interviews and An Observation

2011-07-20T12:55:00.001-04:00

First, a big thanks to my friend Karen of many blogs including Shaggy Dog Stories, Dog Show Newbie and Blog Dog to name a few. She nominated my little ol' blog for a Versatile Blogger Award. I would happily put the award/badge in this post but I am a total blogging idiot and can't seem to figure out how to make that happen :( So I'll leave it at a flattered, thanks! You and the Beardies are some of my favorite folks. I know there are some rules associated with receiving the award but I pride myself on being a rule-breaker so I'm going to ignore those :)

Good news on the the job-hunting front. I have two phone interviews this week. One is this afternoon w/the hiring manager for the position I applied for. If I do well, it might result in an invitation to visit the company offices. The second is a screening/first interview with an HR person to see if I can put together an intelligent sentence or if someone else wrote my resume :) The two positions are similar - planning managers - but the two companies are very different. One is primarily brick & mortar and the other is exclusively web. One is in the midwest and the other is in the mountain west. Right now I'm feeling like one is a better fit for my skill set but the other might be a better fit for my personality. We'll just have to see.

And now for the observation. In dogs we talk a lot about operant conditioning - where a dog offers a behavior and it is reinforced with a reward. There is also classical conditioning - where something occurs and that causes the dog to react in a particular way. The most famous example of classical conditioning is Pavlov's dogs - I really hope I don't need to explain what that is. Anyway, we've had some classical conditioning going on here that I hadn't noticed until yesterday and it's pretty damned funny.

I've mentioned before that Sam now wears a wacker packer, weenie wrap, belly band - whatever you want to call it - most of the time. He's not having problems with incontinence, he just seems to have forgotten that marking in the house is NOT allowed and with new carpet in the living room, I'm not taking any chances. Sam's man-thong is secured with Velcro, which makes a distinctive ripping noise when it is pulled apart. Again, I really hope I don't need to explain this....

Yesterday, UHM was getting ready to go outside to do some yard work. She was putting on her work gloves, which have Velcro fasteners at the wrists. As she opened the fasteners, Moira went crazy. She ran to the back door, barked and carried on like her world was ending. Moira going crazy and barking is nothing new but I was puzzled why she acted like that when no one had made a move toward the back door. And then the light bulb came on over my head.... The sound of Velcro. Since Sam doesn't wear his weenie wrap outside, the sound of Velcro being ripped apart precedes every trip the dogs make outside. When UHM put on her gloves, Moira assumed everyone was going out.

That story is really only sorta funny but it does serve to illustrate that we train our dogs every day in lots of little unintended ways. Think about that the next time you can't figure out why your dog is doing something......

Official Birthday Portrait

2011-07-18T19:32:00.002-04:00

British Royalty get official birthday portraits so why shouldn't the Queen of The Horde has an official portrait as well? Today is Ginny's (Cardiridge Red Ginger 'Spice') 12th birthday. To celebrate, UHM and I took her up to the community pond in our subdivision to take some pictures. Then we brought her home to have soft serve ice cream with the rest of the family. Gin is aging really well. She's just starting to show signs of stiffness in her joints and it seems she's probably lost some hearing but, like many red heads, she's aging well. Hard to believe this girl didn't finish her championship but she made it clear fairly early on that she didn't really want to be a show dog.

Pretty darn good stack for a girl who never got a single point!

My Mary Poppins dog - Practically Perfect in Every Way

Great Green Bean Bandit

2011-07-14T19:41:00.001-04:00

This is the first year UHM and I have had a vegetable garden and we've been thrilled with it so far. We've harvested beets, lettuce and green beans - lots and lots of green beans. We almost can't keep up with the green beans.

The other day I got a phone call from a friend whose husband is an avid gardener - 'Come up and pick some beans!' Well, I didn't want to be rude so yesterday afternoon we headed out to their place. They live in the Blue Ridge foothills on land that has been in the family for probably a hundred years and have a HUGE garden. I'll give you a sense of the scale - 100 tomato plants. It's all grown strictly for pleasure. They eat what they want from it, can a good deal of it and give the rest away. We came home with at least 50 lbs of assorted vegetables - including 4 plastic shopping bags of green beans. Guess how we spent today?

You may remember the green bean extravaganza from last year. We had another cooler full of beans again this time and my Green Bean Bandit made another appearance.

So far this evening we have canned 7 pints of Dilly Beans (pickled green beans) and another 7 pints of plain green beans. When I finish this post, I'll be going back to the kitchen to work on blanching and freezing the rest.
Tomorrow I'll start on the 20+ lbs of tomatoes - both red and green - that need processing (while UHM picks more green beans from our garden). I might be done with everything by Sunday......UHM doesn't think so.

Shaving the Cat

2011-07-05T11:45:00.001-04:00

One word - Don't.

I should probably add some detail here, huh? Grace, my cat, is a 14 yr old DLH (Domestic Long Hair). I've always been lucky that she hasn't had issues with matting but lately, my luck has run out. I know it's getting harder for her to keep herself clean and the upshot is she is getting a lot of mats. She doesn't like to be combed or brushed out so the only option is to cut the mats out. That's not a big deal if it's a mat here or there but in the last couple weeks it's become more of an issue than that.

I already spoke w/Dr. Hillary about sedating Grace and shaving her but, hey, it was a long holiday weekend and I am a DIY kinda gal. I have an electric clipper so why shouldn't I attempt this on my own? Number one reason? The electric clipper I have is designed to shave out paw pads on dogs, not shave down an entire cat.

Grace now has a big bald spot on one side. This morning I went after some more mats with my thinning shears. So, basically, Grace looks like a drunken groomer got a hold of only one side of her. Thank goodness it's the side she usually sleeps on!

When Dr. Hillary gets the clinic open, I'll stuff Grace into a carrier and run her down there to have everything evened up. In the meantime, someone should probably take my scissors away.

Old Man Dreams

2011-07-04T14:19:00.001-04:00

It's no secret or surprise that Sam is aging. As part of that process he's sleeping more and deeper than he ever has and sometimes he chooses to sleep in out of the way places. Sometimes we even lose track of where he is because he sleeps so soundly he doesn't move when we move dogs around.

That happened on Saturday evening when UHM forgot Sam was sleeping in the hallway and let the Baby Dogs (Bogey & Georgia) in the house. Sam and Bogey don't get along and aren't allowed to interact. Up until recently, Sam hasn't been overly fond of Georgia either. He's not a big fan of the kissy, kissy, licky, licky thing puppies do with older dogs. He has some very strong ideas on personal space. That seems to be changing though as Georgia matures and becomes a GIRL and not a puppy. So when the Baby Dogs came in the other night and Georgia got to Sam before I could I found Sam flirting with her but with a rather perplexed look on his face. I can only assume she woke him out of a sound sleep and Sam was too befuddled to realize what was going on. I'd like to think he saw her something like this.....

Right Click to Cue Music in a New Tab

BTW, UHM was able to grab Bogey's collar before he ran up on Sam and the dream turned into something else.

Of Awesome Vets

2011-07-01T20:52:00.002-04:00

I just have to brag on our vet a bit. Her name is Dr. Hillary Cook and, in our opinion, she is the best vet ever.

I started taking the dogs to see Dr. Hillary when I lived in Orange. Initially, she just saw Sam for acupuncture treatments but it wasn't long before she started seeing all the dogs, and Grace, for general care. When Bogey joined the family, he started going to Dr. Hillary too. Last fall Dr. Hillary left the clinic in Orange to strike out on her own and open an integrative clinic in Crozet. It's been a long haul getting the clinic open but, she's finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

In the meantime, she's been making house calls. Do you know how cool that is? With the exception of Sam's surgery this spring, she's come to the house for nearly a year now to take care of the dogs. She was here yesterday, along with her new vet tech, Tara, for some annual check ups. Four of the five dogs needed testing for heart worm and the girls all needed vaccinations; rabies only for Ginny & Ra, but the works for Georgia since she's show dog and exposed to lots of nasties. We also sedated Ra so we could get her toenails clipped and Dremeled. I know that seems extreme but, it's the only way to do her nails that doesn't cause undue stress and injury for everyone involved.

Dr. Hillary's new clinic, Crozet Animal Wellness Center, should be opening by the end of July. If you are in Central Virginia and looking for a wonderful, progressive and integrative vet give Dr. H a call.

Dr. H with Bogey during his first vet visit.

The Weekend

2011-06-27T19:53:00.001-04:00

We had a great weekend here in Central Virginia. Georgia was entered in the Virginia Kennel Club (VKC) shows in Richmond so we got up at ungodly hours both days to drive to The Showplace (which is actually kind of dumpy) to take a run at picking up some more points. We didn't have any luck on the points but we did get to see some friends and relatives and I think I've finally managed to explain to UHM, in a way she can understand, how the AKC points system works. Next shows will probably be in August.

We also picked more beans and beets in the garden. Tonight UHM made southern-style beans for herself (read cooked until they are a disgusting shade of pale olive and have the texture of mush). I don't understand southern-style green beans, I really don't.

Georgia's Slow Mo Moment

2011-06-22T16:48:00.004-04:00

Cue Music (Right Click to Open in a New Tab)

I don't know if this music makes Georgia more sophisticated or not....

Click photo to see in full screen mode.

Bogey's Baywatch Moment

2011-06-21T19:18:00.005-04:00

Baywatch Theme Song (Right Click to Open a New Tab)

So he's in a hay field in Virginia not on a beach in California but, The Hoff ain't got nothing on BoBo.

Click to see Bogey in full screen mode. It's pretty impressive!

This is one of the images taken last week at a photo shoot with Dwight Dyke. Dwight shoots a lot of the photos used in breed specific calendars. We were invited to bring some of the dogs to be photographed with the understanding that it wouldn't cost us anything, all we had to do was release the rights to the photos. In exchange, we got some great pictures of the dogs and we can use the images any way we want - as long as we don't sell them.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-06-16T18:07:00.001-04:00

It's mid-June and we are starting to see results from our efforts in the community garden. Today I harvested the first of the green beans and beets. They will grace my dinner plate tonight.

On Monday, UHM and I drove out to Afton, VA, to pick sweet cherries. I drove out there again today because, apparently, nearly 18 pounds of cherries wasn't enough. I picked another 9+ pounds today. I've canned jam, cherry butter and whole cherries in light syrup. I'm waiting for the last batch of cherry butter to cook down right now.

Tomorrow I'll be making bread & butter pickles. Those are one of UHM's favorites and my mother happened to send me a terrific recipe for them.
What wonderful item are you harvesting or getting from your farmer's market right now?

Father-Daughter

2011-06-08T08:47:00.001-04:00

I think this is my favorite photo from the birthday party.

Ginny, from Sam's first litter, and Sam.

Cardi Party 2011

2011-06-06T20:42:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we hosted a Cardi Party of epic proportions to celebrate Sam's 13th birthday (May 31st). In attendance were 16 Cardigans, ranging in age from 9 weeks to 13 years old, 1 Border Corgi (ok, she's a Border Collie but we renamed her so she wouldn't feel left out) and 1 Aussie. It was a mob scene but everyone had a lot of fun and no one cried or ended up wearing a cone so I felt like it was a success.

We had frapping, watermelon, cake, and lots of fun talking dog. Sam got lots of emails wishing him a happy birthday and I read each one to him. He barked back at me - surprising, I know.

Huge thanks to UHM, Liz H., Liz B., Elizabeth, Heather, Robin and Sarah and all their assorted dogs, kidlets and better halfs for making Sam's party so much fun. You can see a smattering of images from the party on Flickr but there were so many that I couldn't upload them all this month - stupid limits. Watch The Chronicles of Cardigan and Nick the Cardi, International Man of Mystery (yes Liz B., I'm shaming you into a blog post) for even more images. Blogger is having some sort of issue with uploading photos directly to blog posts so I'll update this later with a couple of my favorite shots from the day.

PS- I forgot to mention that the wonderful folks at Sammy Snacks, where Sam's cake came from, also very generously provided party favors in the form of samples of their snacks and dog food. Everyone went home with some to try.

"Mojo: The libido. The life force. The essence. The right stuff. What the French call a certain... I don't know what."

2011-06-03T20:22:00.002-04:00

Much like Austin Powers, Sammy got his mojo back today. Our 1 o'clock appt with Dr. Dove proved that the surgery in March was a success. There wasn't a lot of volume (he's 13 and he only has one testicle!) but what was there was good quality and sufficient for freezing. The thousand dollar testicle WORKS!

She Kept Her Panties On

2011-05-29T12:47:00.001-04:00

The Holiday Weekend

2011-05-27T22:21:00.001-04:00

For you poor working stiffs out there, I understand this is a long weekend. I hope you enjoy it :) The Horde started the weekend with a small success. Miss Georgia got her second point today at the Hampton, VA, show under breed-judge Janet Robinson (Snowdonia).

In other Georgia news, she is in season. At this point, that doesn't really mean much to anyone but Sam. He is absolutely gobsmacked by her beauty and enticing aroma. He sings, he tap dances, he tries to make the tips of his ears cross in his efforts to express to her the degree to which he finds her alluring. It's a little pathetic to watch him try to impress her since she's still young enough that she doesn't really know what all his posturing is about. Being the unscrupulous dog-mom that I am, I plan to take full advantage of Georgia's condition and Sam's infatuation. Today I called Dr. Dove's office to make an appointment for Sam to be collected on next Friday. Sam has never really needed incentive to do his business at Dr. Dove's office but since Monday will be the old man's 13th birthday and he's down to just the one testicle, I figure it can't hurt to give him a little encouragement, something to strive for, even though he won't be allowed to consummate the relationship in that way. I'm considering it a belated birthday gift for the old man.

Strawberry-Palooza 2011

2011-05-23T18:02:00.001-04:00

UHM and I spent some time this morning picking strawberries at a local U-pick farm. This is the second year we've done this so that we can have strawberries year round. Last year UHM went a little crazy with the strawberry picking and we came home with around 50 lbs of berries! We restrained ourselves this time and only came home with only 20 lbs. After everything was processed, that amounted to 17 pints to go in the freezer and a quart or so fresh for immediate consumption. We also bought some fresh rhubarb which I chopped up and froze for rhubarb crisps to enjoy long after rhubarb season is over. There are 3 qts in the freezer now.

I inventoried what was left in the chest freezer from last summer's bounty and we have some peaches and strawberries to be eating soon. I think there are 6-7 qts of peaches still in there and another 4-5 qts of strawberries. Guess I have some baking to do - or maybe peach or strawberry daquiris....

Better Late than Never

2011-05-16T12:04:00.001-04:00

There's been a lot going on these days and sometimes things just get overlooked. Such is the case with Moira's performance at the Madco Agility USDAA trial April 29-30. We were 0-3 over two days but the girl still loves agility and we get a little better each time. Moira goes into sensory overload very easily so high energy environments, like agility trials, can cause her to lose focus very quickly. She's been like this since she was a puppy and while she's definitely improved with age, her arousal level can still go off the charts at the drop of a hat. I'm fortunate that it manifests as a dog who can't settle or focus and doesn't want to meet new people, rather than one who becomes reactive to other dogs. In fact, when Moira is like this she couldn't care less about other dogs - there are too many other things she needs to keep an eye on. Anyway, here is some video of our jumpers runs that weekend. Please take note of the awesome rear crosses in the second video.

I don't have another trial planned until fall but there's a possibility I might slip one in sometime this summer. It just depends on a lot of things.

The Last Vacation

2011-05-13T14:49:00.001-04:00

UHM returned home on Wednesday and we are getting back into our normal routines; or as normal as routines get when we are both unemployed. Never fear though, we are working on a plan. A plan that involves baked goods and beverages. As things evolve, I'll share more but right now we aren't far enough down the path to reveal any real information. In the meantime we are spending time at our garden plot, hoping all the veggies we are planting will provide us with an abundance of produce this summer.

So, here are a couple pictures from our recent sojourn to SC. We were only able to go away for a bit because UHM's parents own a home down there. Otherwise, vacations are a thing of the past for us.

Do you know how difficult it is to get 2 women and 2 dogs to look at a camera at the same time?

Georgia's other means of transportation this trip. I'm afraid she may refuse to ride in her crate in the Dawg Yacht now.

There's No Place Like Home

2011-05-06T21:50:00.001-04:00

I've been away since Monday, visiting UHM's parents in South Carolina, at the beach :) There are advantages to being unemployed - I can go to the beach in the off-season when there's virtually no one there but the weather is still good enough for me to lie in the sun and add a few more wrinkles to my face.

Anyway, I got home this evening. UHM won't be home until Wednesday. When I arrived home I was greeted by three ecstatic dogs. Moira woo-wooed me, Ginny ran around grabbing chewies and Sam barked a lot and jumped on me. Sam is old, Sam's back hurts, Sam shouldn't jump on me. Sam will be getting a double dose of Tramadol tonight. Grace, the cat, slept through all this but has been awake for the last hour complaining about nothing. That's Grace. At 14 she's allowed to complain a bit, even if it is about nothing.

For those of you who are my friends on FB, you'll know that Georgia has a yacht. We saw it while we were lunching at the marina on Tuesday. It's a nice yacht. If you click on the image you should just be able to make out Georgia's name on the yacht.

When UHM returns with the camera next week you can see Georgia's other 'toy.' Here's a hint though, it's sporty and cherry red. The Princess is acquiring quite a lot of toys.

Save the Date - A Birthday Party/Samily Reunion

2011-04-28T17:43:00.001-04:00

This is a tiny bit early, and I'll post it again but....

For those of you in the area who would like to celebrate the old man's 13th birthday (May 31st), we're having a party/Samily reunion on Sunday, June 5th. The start time is dependent on when Cardis show at the Charlottesville-Albemarle KC show. While Sam LOVES to open presents, he's asked that donations be made to CorgiAid, Inc. instead. He'll be perfectly happy ripping up tissue paper to celebrate becoming a teenager.

Personalize your own digital invitation

The White House Ain't Got Nothin' on Us

2011-04-24T21:05:00.001-04:00

Video of the first annual Heathen Horde Easter Egg Roll. Only Bogey & Georgia got to participate since they are the least likely to start a row over food. Oh, and Bogey got his summer buzz cut this week - which is why he looks so funny but, he'll thank us as the temps and humidity start to rise!

Batten Down the Hatches

2011-04-17T17:25:00.003-04:00

Update: Seems we were very smart to protect the shrubs. This morning (4/21) I watched Georgia repeatedly circle one of the protected azaleas. When she couldn't find a weak spot in the cage, she decided to try digging under it. Brat!

You may have heard there was some wild weather is this part of the world yesterday. Fortunately, we escaped with high winds and a ridiculous amount of rain. The rain did wash a lot of the mulch and gravel down the hill in the back yard but that is fixable. However, we are still preparing for some wild times here at The Ranch.

Georgia returns home on Tuesday. She's had a great time at her first National Specialty. She's not bringing home any ribbons but she got to see her mom do really well at the show and she got to spend time with her Aunties Liz, Marla, Diana and Mac. Apparently a few people even offered to buy the Princess! Not that we would ever sell but I think if Liz had ended up having to replace a cell phone on this trip she might have been tempted :)

In preparation for the return of Georgia, UHM and I did some yard work today. The young, tender shrubs in the back yard are now wearing crinolines of wire to protect them from the predations of the baby dogs. And to think we used to worry about deer eating the plants.

Azaleas along the left side of the yard.

Azaleas directly off the deck.

A row of Hydrangeas along the back.

Not Dog Related

2011-04-16T08:39:00.001-04:00

I bet you all thought that I had no life outside of dogs, not true. I am blessed to have some of the most wonderful neighbors on the planet too. There are four women in the neighborhood who have become dear and treasured friends. They are all incredibly smart and funny too. There is an archaeologist, a biologist, a speech therapist and a construction project manager. Pretty amazing, huh? Leslie, the archaeologist, is also a passionate crafter. She's incredibly talented and last night we got a preview of the small quilts she is taking to her first craft show on Sunday.

Leslie machine quilts and her designs are quite contemporary; think Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel. If you have a few moments, visit her store on Etsy or her blog Harvest Crafts. Or if you happen to attend the Spring Bada Bing craft show in Richmond, VA, tomorrow, watch for her and say 'Hi.'

Video of the National!

2011-04-13T22:33:00.002-04:00

Domino Video, the professional video company that is shooting the National this year, was kind enough to share some clips with the CWCCA website. You can see Lucy (Georgia & Jon's mom) in the Megan at Show Results. Scroll down to see video of Puppy Sweeps, Veteran Sweeps and the Megan. Lucy is the second red dog to come in the ring.

National Update - Day 1, Sweeps

2011-04-13T16:07:00.002-04:00

Marla called this morning to give me her assessment of Miss G. She stands by her original opinion of a year ago but does say that we are going to have to be patient while the girl grows up. See Miss G comes from lines that mature slowly but that's actually a good thing. It means that, while it will take longer for her to reach her full potential, there's a good chance that once she reaches it she will be really competitive in the breed ring for a longer period of time.

So, the results from this morning's 15-18 month sweepstakes class are that our girl wasn't in the ribbons. It's ok with me though, I know that in a couple of years she will be just as successful as her mom and grandma (who's won the National TWICE!).

Tomorrow Georgia and her mom, Lucy, will be shown in the brace class. Brace is where two dogs from the same breeder are shown together to demonstrate the consistency in the breeder's line. Georgia and her mother are nearly carbon copies of each other so this should be fun. Hoping someone at the National will get pictures.

Houston, We Have a Winner

2011-04-13T07:05:00.001-04:00

I'm thrilled to report that last night Georgia's mom, Lucy (Ch Aberdovey's Infatuation), was awarded Best Red Bitch, Best of Opposite Sex to Best Cardigan, and Runner Up to Best Cardigan in the Megan Competition at the national Specialty.

The Megan is a champions-only match held each year in honor of the first breed champion Cardigan. It's the only time Cardigans are separated and judged by color with the best dog and bitch of each of 4 colors going back in to compete for Best Cardigan (the final class is an 8 dog lineup). It's incredibly prestigious to win any of the color classes not to mention the big prizes. It's especially exciting for a red to do so well.

Today is the start of regular showing with both puppy and veteran sweeps. Those begin at 9am standard time. I will be anxiously awaiting news of how Miss Georgia does. She's got some awful big paw prints to follow in!

Winds of Change

2011-04-08T18:42:00.000-04:00

News from the work front. As of 2pm this afternoon, I am in the home stretch of this particular chapter in my work life. Effective April 22, I will no longer be employed at Plow & Hearth. It was an interesting 4 years and I learned a lot, I really did. It's just a little depressing that it feels like another career dead-end for me. I had really hoped that my next position would be that of Director of Inventory Control somewhere but I don't think that will be the case.

So the winds of change are blowing, I just don't know what direction yet.

This, That and Who Shot the Cat (No one, it's just a saying!)

2011-04-04T20:22:00.003-04:00

I know, the blog is woefully out of date. No posts since March 19th, a snowy header photo....It's all just going to hell in a hand basket. I'm sorry not to have posted in a while. It's not because nothing is going on, believe me. Living with a Horde of Red Dogs means there's always something happening. I just haven't felt much like posting these days. Work is not good right now and a lot of things are up in the air for me. I'm hoping that the next couple of weeks will bring some sort of resolution to the situation.

UHM and I both got new smart phones last month and, so far, Georgia has not gotten a hold of either one of them. Although there was a particular look of delight in her eyes when she saw me using the new phone. Her eyes were saying "Ooooh! Look, a new chewie just for me." G leaves for the National this weekend. She's going with her breeder, Liz. She's entered in 15-18 month sweeps, bred by and brace (with her momma, newly minted GCh Aberdovey's Infatuation). Be sure to love on the baby girl if you see her at the National - but keep a tight hold on your cell phone, camera, etc. This will be the first time she and Bogey have been separated since she came to live with us in September. I have a feeling there is going to be one lonely little boy dog in the house.

The odd spring weather we've been having has meant Moira's agility class has been cancelled several times in the last few weeks. That means Moira is being a holy terror at home. Lack of focused exercise is not good for any of us. I know, I should be taking her for walks but, see paragraph 1 and work. That, added to the odd weather has deterred me from my parental duties. Saturday she was so wound up that she ended up pitching an absolute hissy fit when the BC that lives behind us was in his yard. He wasn't running or anything, he was pooping. Moira was barking as though he had an entire flock of sheep, a tennis ball and a frisbee back there.

Ginny is, as always, practically perfect in every way. She is due a vet visit for a dental and removal of a growth on her chest. The growth looks to be involved in one of her mammary glands but I've been keeping an eye on it and it's not growing nor does it feel like it's attached to anything. I also haven't found any other lumps so I'm not panicking. Sam's Thousand Dollar Testicle put a big dent in the bank account and I need to get a little more $$ ahead before there is another surgery.

And then there's Sam. So far his recovery from surgery is great. He feels good and he's flirting and playing with Moira and Gin a lot. It will be another few weeks before we can try collecting on him again to see if the other testicle can still produce viable sperm. I'm kind of waiting on G to come into season so he has a little encouragement :) He's also still a cranky old man on a regular basis and feels the need to pee in the front room when he is mad about something. I want to get the carpet replaced in there this spring and then he will have to wear a Weenie Wrap (or Wacker Packer) for the rest of his life. He's also going to be featured on a redesigned website. Problem Solvers is a sister brand to Plow & Hearth. The brand was started several years ago then all but abandoned for the last few years. The new owners are resurrecting it and part of the resurrection is a new website. The site will go live in a little over a week with a new department called "Pet Solutions." Here's the header of the landing page for the department:

Click to biggify.

I'm not even sure how to feel about this - or the fact that, at least on my monitor, his tongue looks grey.

Spring Redecorating!

2011-03-19T19:05:00.000-04:00

To heck with spring cleaning! I'm going to do some spring redecorating. About two years ago, UHM and I painted the kitchen with Sherwin-Williams 'Sassy Green' which, depending on your monitor, is either a really cool color or looks like a sick avocado. I can assure you, on the wall it is really cool. At the time I wanted to do some kind of window treatment but just never got around to it - and UHM is all about light so she tends to avoid a lot of window treatments.

Lately, the harsh look of that window has been bothering me. Today, I convinced UHM that a valance would look great on that window - that it would 'soften' the look a little without impeding her view or our ability to use the window as a point of egress. Here's where there is Cardigan content - the window is large enough and low enough (and it slides) that we use it as a means of entering and exiting the house when we don't want dogs to crowd the doors trying to get in or out. Sad, I know.

Anyway, we were out and about today and, since I was driving, I drove us to a fabric store! The store is actually a quilting fabric store but since they have so many gorgeous fabrics I knew we would find the right one - and we did! It's Michael Miller's 'Anjou Pour Vous' and is part of his French Journal collection. We got a contrasting fabric to do a border as well - a bright tangerine - that will really pop against the Sassy Green.

I'm not a particularly skilled seamstress but I feel pretty confident that I can sew straight seams and hems then use curtain clips to hang this. Maybe I will even be able to get it done before next weekend! Pictures when it's completed!

Tomorrow we are going to Richmond to visit with Nick of Nick the Cardi - International Man of Mystery. Bogey wants to see his great nephew again (he met him briefly in Chattanooga). There should be some good photo and video ops.

More Samily to Stalk - er Follow

2011-03-16T14:23:00.000-04:00

Sam's great grandson, Nick, has started his own blog! Take a minute to stop in and say hi!

Nick the Cardi - International Man of Mystery

SPRING!

2011-03-13T17:19:00.000-04:00

If today is any indicator, Spring is just around the corner. Guess I need to start thinking about a new photo for the header on the blog. I spent some time today taking pics of all the dogs. The Baby Dogs I shot from inside the house. The Big Dogs I shot while I was outside with them. Sam is incredibly difficult to take pictures of. He never stops moving and he always wants to be near me. Ginny is a terrific model although she only seems to have one pose; I have dozens of pictures of her in this same pose from the last 8 years. Moira is tough to shoot too. She's also a perpetual motion machine and her tongue never seems to be in her mouth. Here are what I think are the best shots of the day. Little or no editing here....

Sammy

Ginny

Moira

Bogey

Georgia

Another One Bites the Dust

2011-03-09T18:13:00.000-05:00

Last night UHM had to say good bye to another cell phone. We're not sure if it fell out of her sweatshirt pocket or if she left it on the coffee table but Miss G found it.

Fortunately, we had a spare phone from the time UHM dropped her phone and broke it. We'll see how long that one lasts......

Air Moira Ready for Takeoff

2011-03-05T18:35:00.000-05:00

This weekend is the first agility trial of the year. It's an AKC trial hosted by the local kennel club and happens to be the trial where Moira got her first Q last year.

We didn't pick up any Qs today - someone gets entirely too amped up - but we did have some really nice moments in both our runs. I was especially pleased with JWW as the course was wicked for novice dogs - no less than 4 rear crosses! She read and executed every rear cross perfectly! I love having a dog that can do rear crosses.

Here's video of our Standard run. Check out the air Girlfriend gets going over the A Frame - and the "Whooo" you hear from the crowd. She was FLYING.

The Thousand Dollar Testicle

2011-03-03T19:31:00.000-05:00

A week ago I posted that Sammy was having "man troubles." Today we took steps to, hopefully, cure those troubles or at the very least make them moot.

The trouble Sammy was having was caused by something called a Sertoli Cell Tumor (at least that's what we think)in his right testicle. All boys have Sertoli cells in their testicles. These cells produce lots of things but the one that was causing the problem was estrogen. See, when there's a tumor, estrogen production goes into overdrive and that's not good for a boy. It causes a myriad of problems but the important ones for Sam were a drop in sperm production and what sperm were being produced were malformed. It's hard to be a stud dog, even an old one, when you aren't producing enough viable sperm.

How do I know all this? Well, because of the $200 vet visit two weeks ago to initially diagnose the tumor. A week after that was the $90 second opinion consultation and sonogram with Dr. Dove. Dr. Dove's recommendation was to remove the affected testicle - a unilateral castration. He indicated there's about a 30% chance that doing that will allow the other testicle to recover from its estrogen overdose and resume sperm production.

Then there was the $185 pre-surgery blood workup. For those of you keeping track, we're up to $475 now.

Today was the surgery and I picked Sam up this afternoon. To be fair, not everything on the bill pertained to the testicle - there was $75 for flushing his tear ducts and removing a wart/growth from his neck. They also did his toenails while he was under, for which I am deeply thankful. Total today? $505.43! Gasp, choke, look at tech incredulously! What happened to the $298 estimate from last week? Well, it seems that having the testicle biopsied is over $200!

Now, to be fair, the vet's office didn't charge me for a "full neuter" and the tech pointed out several times that he can still be called a male - which made me chuckle as I was less concerned about that than if they removed the correct testicle. They also didn't charge for the nail trim - how generous.

Yes, I know that all those figures don't quite total $1000 - factor in gas for driving to all the offices and your there.

Sam is doing ok tonight. He's clearly sore and tired though. I've given him half a Previcox and a full Tramadol so he can just chill. He's asked to be called "The Uniballer" from now on and wants to write a manifesto.

How Is It Possible

2011-02-27T19:26:00.000-05:00

That this...

Is now this...

All Trade Fairway Xceeds Par on his 2nd Birthday.

And he's still sweet enough to share cake with his baby sister.

This ISN'T the Playboy Mansion

2011-02-25T20:24:00.000-05:00

We've been busy lately; mostly at work but some of it has involved vet visits too. Sam has gone to the vet twice in the last week about "man troubles." He's an older guy and these sorts of troubles are to be expected. Don't worry though, everything is - or will be - ok. There will be a post on all this next week.

Last night we drove up to Gainesville, VA, to see Dr. Dove. Dr. Dove is a great repro vet and also happens to co-own Hickory, the Deerhound who won Westminster. Oh, and Dr. Dove is pretty easy on the eyes too. It's too bad I'm usually in his office for him to give Sam a hand job. But I digress....

Last night's appointment was a second opinion on Sam's current "man troubles." We discussed Sam's virility - at length - with the conversation finally coming to, "When did he sire his last litter?" Sam's last litter was the New Year's Day litter that produced Princess Pretty Pants (Georgia) as well as Jon Farleigh. That was a little over a year ago, when Sam was 11 1/2 years old. Dr. Dove's response?

"Wow! That sort of makes him the Hugh Hefner of the dog world!"

So now I have this indelible mental image of Sam wearing satin pajamas, reclining on a circular bed surrounded by young, nubile bitches in season. I don't think I'll explain to Sam who Hef is.

Pieces of Flair

2011-02-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

In the movie Office Space, Jennifer Aniston's character is reprimanded by her boss at a TGIFridays-style restaurant for not having enough "pieces of flair" on her uniform. "Flair" being cute pins or buttons with pithy sayings. She pretty much tells her boss where he can put his flair.

Moira has a great piece of flair on her crate that stays in the car. It's a sign that gets a lot of attention. On a white background are three words in bold black print: "Warning: Strange Dog." Somewhere I have a picture of Ra in her crate with that sign on it but I couldn't find it tonight.

Last month at the Fredericksburg shows there was a vendor making crate tags, kennel signs and the like. UHM and I had discussed getting all the dogs crate tags engraved with their names so dog sitters and the like would know who was who - at least as long as they were in their crates. So I picked out colors appropriate to each dog, paid my $37.50 and got crate tags for everyone. Now all the dogs would have a little "flair" on their crates.

The tags came with white plastic jump rings to attach them to the wire crate doors. I attached all the tags to the appropriate crates and when we got home the next day, Ginny, Georgia and Bogey had all removed their crate tags from their crates. Ok. Ginny's & Bogey's could be rehung with the existing jump rings but I needed to get new rings for Georgia. So I bought metal ones and reattached her tag. A couple days later, Ginny & Bogey actually broke the white plastic jump rings so their crate tags sat on the counter for a while.

At the show in Atlanta there was another vendor selling crate tags. I got some new, metal jump rings from him so I could reattach Ginny's & Bogey's tags. I did that last night. When I got home today, Bogey's tag was fine. Ginny's, however, looked like this:

See the metal jump rings at the top? Those were a smaller, lighter version of the rings you put your house or car keys on. They were 2 complete circles.

I think it's safe to say that Ginny doesn't want any flair on her crate.

Georgia On My Mind

2011-02-08T22:09:00.002-05:00

Gosh, it feels like I'm just not keeping up with my posts these days. Last weekend was the Adventure in Atlanta. UHM, Georgia, Bogey and I drove down to Atlanta on Friday for shows on Saturday & Sunday. Then we drove home Monday via Chattanooga to visit The Ocho and their family. Bogey and Georgia are actually great uncle and aunt to The Ocho.

All in a all, a good weekend. Georgia was one of two girls in the 12-18 month class. The other was her sister, Lilly. Georgia won the class both days. The Saturday judge asked Liz, who was handling Lilly, if the girls were sisters :) Wonder what made him think that? Because I am a bad dog mom and completely disorganized when it comes to taking pictures, I missed the opportunity to get shots of the girls and their mother, Lucy, together at the show. UHM did take video of the girls in their class though. As soon as I download it to the slowest computer on the planet, I'll post a link here.

Fortunately, there was someone at the show on Sunday with a good camera taking pictures. Many thanks and kudos to Carol, aka Norman's Mom, from Norman's Daily Bark. She very graciously sent me pictures after I sent her an email via FB - even though she had no idea who I was. Below is my favorite - don't you think it looks like I have great legs? :)

On the down & back.

When she wasn't at the show with me, UHM spent time this weekend visiting with friends and watching the Super Bowl. I spent my non-show time making sure Georgia didn't destroy anything in the hotel room. I'm pleased to report that the only casualty was a paperback book that I was reading. The good news was, I was re-reading it so I already knew how it ended.

I'm not sure when the next show will be for Miss G. Moira needs some Mommy & Me time here in the near future. Our first agility trial of the year is the first weekend in March - I got the entry confirmation today. Time to get training with the PuHead!

A Busy Day at the Dog Show

2011-01-30T18:51:00.000-05:00

The Princess was entered in a show in Doswell, VA, today. Our ring time was 8am which necessitated a 4am wake up call (Ugh). We arrived at the show around 7:45 only to learn that the judge scheduled for today had taken ill and there was a judging change - and a ring time change. New ring time? 11:45am. Not amused.

Fortunately, we had friends and family to visit with. Elizabeth and Jon Farleigh of The Chronicles of Cardigan came to the show to cheer for Miss G. Also visiting were Builder Mama and her son. We really appreciated the company and had a great time talking dogs in general and Cardigans in particular.
Georgia and Jon are littermates - you can see a little family resemblance in this photo.

We also took some pictures w/Brother Bogey (who is really a half-brother).

Then it was time to get ready for the ring.

We came out of the ring with Reserve and some nice comments from the judge. He said she's a nice girl who just needs to mature some. Since she's just barely a year, I can't argue with that.

When we got home, we tried for some free-stack shots. This was the best of the lot. She's not stretched out as much as she should be and, unfortunately, she appears to have twigs growing out of the top of her head :) I really need to get a copy of Photoshop and learn how to use it.....

Next weekend it is off to Atlanta and, hopefully, a major or two!

What to Call this Post?

2011-01-25T21:03:00.000-05:00

The Usual Suspect
Persistence
May I Have Another, Please?

Yes folks, stripped of its protective covering UHM's work-issued Blackberry has become a casualty of the reign of Princess Pretty Pants. This is phone number three for the Princess. The first was a joint effort by Georgia and her siblings when they were puppies. The second belonged to the dog sitter who watched the dogs for us over Thanksgiving. The Princess has officially used up her allowance for the next year - she's not going to have any spending money at the National now.

Sunday at the Dog Show

2011-01-16T17:26:00.000-05:00

Today was our third day of showing this week. I think I'll let a picture say a thousand words.....

L-R - 1st place 12-18 month bitch
   Winner's Bitch
   Best of Winners
   Best of Opposite Sex

For the non-dog show folks among you, that means Georgia was the best girl in the ring today. The Best of Opposite Sex award is super important because she beat a dog that is already a Champion to get it. We call that 'going over specials.' Many thanks to judge Patricia Hess for finding us in the line up.

On the way home I saw this sign that just cracked me up:

Sorry for the crappy photo quality; all I had was the cell phone. The business name is "Wags-N-Wheels" it is a critter & car wash. I actually pulled in to see just how this was supposed to work. The "critter" wash is a separate building where, it appears, you can do some DIY dog washing. The car washes are either the coin-op kind or a drive-thru. The initial visual was incredibly funny though.

Why It's Important to Use Protection

2011-01-12T19:14:00.000-05:00

Georgia strikes again! This time she went shopping in UHM's purse and came up with her work-issued BlackBerry. Fortunately, the BlackBerry had a silicone skin on it. The skin was the only thing damaged. I'm not so sure UHM thinks that is a good thing. Sometimes it would be nice to be incommunicado.

Good Guests Help with Clean Up

2011-01-08T17:16:00.002-05:00

Today The Horde hosted lunch for one of their favorite aunties, Auntie Karen. Karen lives in Dillwyn, VA, and she came up for the afternoon to have a belated birthday lunch. We ordered live mussels and lobster from Maine as the appetizer and entree, respectively. I also made roasted red potatoes and pulled some green beans from this summer's bounty out of the freezer. Dessert was a rhubarb crisp.

The Horde helped with lunch preparations by inspecting the lobster for quality:

After lunch, I had some help with the clean up:

This is Katie. She is a member of the Samily tree as well. Her daddy is Conner (Ch Woodrose All Things Considered HSAs), who is a Sam son. Karen brought Conner along as well.

We had 7 dogs here today and they are all related through Sam. There were 6 red dogs and 1 brindle. Four of the six are half-siblings. The siblings ranged in age from 11 1/2 (Ginny, from Sam's first litter) to 1 (Georgia, from Sam's most recent litter). We were able to let all the siblings run together in the back yard but it was too tough to get a picture of them all together. I tried for video too but they were never in the frame together and Conner kept jumping on me - I'm his favorite auntie. It was quite a sight to see all those red dogs running amok :)

Off the Deep End

2011-01-05T16:51:00.000-05:00

It's official, I've become a dog show whore. Today I ordered chalk and mousse for my dog - those are hair products.

January starts the winter showing season and Georgia and I will be out quite a bit. We are showing 3 days next week in Fredericksburg, VA. One day at the end of January in Doswell, VA. The first weekend in February we are journeying to Atlanta for a weekend of shows. It just goes on and on.

In order to do all these shows you need a boatload of equipment (or a Yacht-load, as that is what my mini van is known as - the Dawg Yacht). Tables, blow dryers, combs, brushes, collars, leads, crates, crate pads - it goes on and on. Then there is the "product." Shampoo, bodifier, Wella Kolestral, chalk. I don't use this much product in my own hair!

We won't even talk about what all this costs in entry fees, gas, hotels, etc. Anyone who thinks you can make money showing and breeding dogs is nuts. What you can do is make great friends, learn to win graciously, accept defeat gracefully and spend time with some of the best and sweetest animals on the planet.

I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

Georgia's First Birthday Cake Experience

2011-01-02T20:50:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know that 3 minutes of dogs eating cake is a bit much but I got a Flip for Christmas and this was the first time I used it. I promise, I'll get better at this. WARNING: Bogey barks 2x.

All in the Family

2011-01-02T14:45:00.000-05:00

Sending a shout out to Georgia's brother, Jon Farleigh, and his family on their new blog The Chronicles of Cardigan. Stop in and say "Hi" to this member of the Samily.

Just a Few Hours Early

2010-12-31T18:44:00.000-05:00

An early happy birthday to Princess Pretty Pants (Georgia) and her litter mates. Tomorrow is their first birthday! My how time flies.

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The Best Laid Plans

2010-12-31T07:33:00.001-05:00

Today's post was going to consist of my reflections on 2010 and my hopes and dreams for 2011. Five Red Dogs have deemed it otherwise.

UHM is in Pasadena, CA, this weekend watching her beloved Wisconsin Badgers play in the Rose Bowl. I dropped her off at the airport at 5am yesterday and she will be home around 4:30pm on Sunday - if all goes as planned. In the meantime, I have the care and feeding of the entire Horde.

I don't think I've ever mentioned the fact that the Horde don't all get along with each other. Sam cannot interact with Bogey or Georgia, at all. Moira and Georgia don't care for each other either. Dog movement within our home is a carefully choreographed dance of opening and shutting doors and baby gates to move groups of dogs from one space to another. It's fairly easy to accomplish with two people. Alone, you are in an almost constant state of motion to keep everyone fed, pottied, happily engaged with appropriate items to chew, etc. You would think that night time would be the easiest. Sam, Ginny & Moira sleep in my room with me. Bogey and Georgia sleeping in UHM's room - alone.

Our dogs are crated during the day while we are at work. For that reason, I am reluctant to crate them at night - even in circumstances like these where there is a lack of supervision. I should have crated Georgia last night.

Georgia has a history of chewing on inappropriate items. Even as a little puppy she and her siblings destroyed a cell phone. She's chewed a variety of inappropriate items since she came to live with us with plastics being a favorite: the dog sitter's BlackBerry being the best example. UHM had "Georgia-proofed" her room though and I made a second pass before bed last night. Everything was secure.

Moira got me up at 4 this morning. I let her, Sam & Gin outside and checked on the baby dogs. One of UHM's pillows was on the floor, sans pillowcase. The pillow was fine. The pillowcase was shredded. Ok. Picked everything up, brought the big dogs in, secured them in my room, let the baby dogs out. Eventually got everyone back in the house and secured in their appropriate rooms. Then tried, unsuccessfully, to go back to sleep.

6:45am, I heard a 'thunk' in UHM's room. I didn't bother to investigate because, what could they possibly have gotten into?

7:15am, the big dogs want to go out again. I let them out and then check on the baby dogs. This is what I found....

So, I'm up now. Bogey and Georgia are in the living room. Bogey is quietly working on a chewie - he's such a good boy. Georgia is barking at nothing. Sam and Ginny are in the office with me. Moira is in the front room, barking at nothing because Georgia is barking. Everyone needs breakfast. It's going to be a long 4 days.

15 Minutes of Fame

2010-12-28T15:01:00.000-05:00

Sam is getting another 15 minutes of fame this year. His photo is once again included in the PH catalog.

Here's a link to the product page.

This is his second appearance in a PH catalog. His first was in the Spring 2010 catalog and can still be found on the site here.

Super Cute

2010-12-27T11:29:00.000-05:00

Now that the holidays are almost over, I have a little time to share a great shopping find that UHM made. The company is Best Friends Studios and they have some super cute pet-centric items that can be customized and personalized.

UHM got me the Preppy Dogs Argyle Notecards and the Bright Floral Dog Breed Luggage Tags in Lime.

The thing I was most impressed with is the fact that after UHM contacted them about a Cardigan silhouette, they actually returned her email and added a Cardi to their line up. Talk about great customer service!

I hope you all will repay their willingness to expand their product line by shopping with them.

Laughing At Or With Me

2010-12-21T19:37:00.002-05:00

Today was one of THOSE days. It started innocently enough with Moira getting everyone up at 5:30, as she always does. UHM and I went through our usual routine of getting ready for work, although UHM needed to leave a little earlier than usual. She left and I finished up with the dogs - letting everyone out in shifts, filling water buckets, etc. And that's where things went awry.

When I went to crate Bogey and Georgia, I realized we were out of treats. Horrors! I grabbed a few pieces of kibble to use as treats and called the youngsters into the room where their crates are. Georgia went in her crate, then Bogey went in his. As I gave them each a couple pieces of kibble I noticed that someone had spilled a bunch of water in B's crate. That really needed to be mopped up before I put him in there for the day. I trooped back to the laundry room, with Bogey following me to get a towel. I mopped up the crate, trooped back to the laundry room with the wet towel and then got a new towel to go in his crate. B went in his room and I moved on to getting the rest of the Horde in the house and crated.

Late this afternoon UHM calls me and asks, "Do you know what YOUR puppy did today?" That's always a bad sign. Apparently, in my distraction over the lack of treats and wet crate, I forgot to latch Georgia's crate. She took advantage of the freedom to wander the house, raid the litter box and spread litter and clumps of cat pee all over the house. This was discovered when the dog walker arrived midday.

When I got home this evening I avoided all the piles of kitty litter scattered throughout the house, let the big dogs out in the backyard, changed my shoes and got the baby dogs out of their crates. While I was in my room changing shoes, I realized Georgia had been in my room earlier in the day and pottied herself on the rug. GREAT! Something else to clean up. I took the baby dogs out the front door for a quick potty break and then headed back into the house to start the clean up. But first, I needed to take a bio-break myself.

While I'm in the bathrooom, I hear the unmistakable sounds of Georgia chasing/harassing Grace the cat. Grace is elderly and can't move as fast as G so I jumped up, hollered at Georgia to "leave the kitty", struggled to get my pants up and bolted out of the bathroom intent on saving Grace.

While I'm hollering at Georgia and trying to catch her so I can crate her until UHM gets home, I hear someone say my name at the front door. Thinking it was UHM needing help carrying in groceries or something, I responded with a rather loud and nasty "WHAT!!!!!"

It wasn't UHM. It was one of our lovely neighbors, her husband and their teenage son, who is home from college, coming by to deliver a Christmas gift to us. I'm standing in the living room, screaming at both the dog and my neighbor with my jeans unzipped when I realized just who was at the door.

Of course I pulled my sweater down over the unzipped jeans, apologized profusely, accepted their lovely gift, got the jar of homemade chocolate sauce out of the fridge that was our gift to them and promised to see them Friday evening at a get-together at their house. I wonder if my blush will have faded by then?

From Our Home to Yours

2010-12-15T07:15:00.001-05:00

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Panic Room

2010-12-12T18:30:00.000-05:00

This is our third winter with UHM. One of the things I love about this house is that it has a fireplace. There is just nothing better than sitting in front of a fire on a cold day. When we've lost power it has been the sole source of heat in the house, as well as the oven for baking potatoes. When we want a special treat, we toast marshmallows in it.

Of course, with fire comes a certain amount of danger. Yes, we've had holes singed in carpets and blankets from popping coals. And there was one incident w/a flaming marshmallow and Ginny - don't worry, she didn't get hurt but she did have to spend some time licking melted marshmallow out of her coat.

This year Moira has decided the fire is truly, truly dangerous. Moira is well known for taking the smallest thing and blowing it way out of proportion. For example - "The water bowl has moved! I can't come in that room now." The fire phobia is puzzling and really extreme though.

The fire has never bothered Moira before. She's been oblivious to the snapping, popping and dancing lights. To my knowledge, she's never touched a burning spark or been hit by one either. This year though she will literally try to climb the walls to get out of the room with the fireplace. When she does get out of the room, she retreats to the other end of the house, preferably UHM's bathroom, and barks nonstop. We've taken to calling it the Panic Room. As is, "Where's Moira? Oh, she's in the panic room."

Anyone else have a dog with this kind of phobia? What have you done about it? Moira is pretty immune to Rescue Remedy and even 5mg of Valium barely touches her. Thoughts blogosphere friends?

Has it really been 5 years?

2010-12-04T19:53:00.000-05:00

I was just looking at the calendar and then at Sammy and realized that it was 5 years ago this weekend that we embarked on his career as a show dog. Well, we'd been to a couple shows prior but this was the weekend when we finally put some big points on the board - back to back 4 point majors at the shows in Worcester, MA.

That Friday night I drove Sam up to Michele Neubauer's house to be bathed and groomed by Lori Kopreski. On the way home, I saw a shooting star and thought, "Maybe that's a sign." Turns out it was. If I remember right, it snowed like crazy that weekend too. Lori was frantic thinking Sammy's coat would go berserk with the humidity. It didn't - we were able to brush the snow right off and you couldn't tell he'd been out in it.

On Saturday, an unknown Canadian judge pointed to Sam for WD and BOWs. Then on Sunday Mr. Lester Mapes found him for WD. For all but one point, Sam was handled by Lori Kopreski.

It's also been five years since my dear friend, Sam Gardner Sr., passed away. He died, unexpectedly, just 4 days after Sammy got his majors. I was so pleased he knew when he died that Sam was on his way to becoming a champion. He and Sammy were buds and it was thanks to Big Sam that Sammy came to live with me and stayed with me - even when Marla wasn't sure I would be able to handle the big, red dog. To this day, every time I or one of my dogs enter the breed ring, I send a little message up to Big Sam. I ask him to help me be a good handler, to help my dog to behave and to help the judge find my dog when it comes time to hand out the points :)

Next weekend Sam's youngest daughter, Georgia, is heading to shows in Winston-Salem, NC. There are 3 point majors both days. Maybe she'll follow in her father's footsteps and take the points both days. I'm watching for a sign and frantically sending Big Sam messages.

Travelogue - Part 2

2010-11-30T21:23:00.000-05:00

UHM and I made it to Jamaica right on time and with no trouble. It was a very long day but we were happy to get to the resort, indulge in a rum drink, wander around a bit and then get ready for dinner. After dinner, I have no memories - I pretty literally passed out and slept until 9:30 the next morning.

Friday was spent lounging by the pool and sipping on rum and fruit juice concoctions. It was positively lovely. Friday night we took a shuttle to another restaurant on the property. A really lovely restaurant high on a hill overlooking a golf course and the Caribbean sea. About 2/3 of the way through our meal, one of the restaurant managers stopped by our table to chat and be sure we were enjoying ourselves.

During the course of the conversation, UHM commented that she was sorry we had arrived when the light was failing because she really wanted to show me the "Monkey No Climb" trees on the course. The manager looked at her oddly and said, "What kind of trees?" UHM replied, "The Monkey No Climb" trees. They have thorns on the trunk so the monkeys can't climb them."

Again, the manager was puzzled. She asked where UHM had heard of these trees and UHM replied, on her last visit to the island the golf caddies had told her about them. Then the manager began to laugh - long and loud. The caddies had been pulling UHM's leg. There are no monkeys on the island of Jamaica so why would there be a tree called the Monkey No Climb tree. There are palms on the course that are difficult to climb but, to the manager's knowledge nothing like the tree UHM described.

I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. It was such a classic case of the locals amusing themselves at the cost of the tourist.

Now, to give UHM credit when we got home I Googled "Monkey No Climb tree" and there is a species of tree called that but it is not native to Jamaica and, as far as I could tell it doesn't grow there either.

Moral of this story - if a local tells you something that seems pretty cool, it might be a good idea to research it before you go telling anyone else about it.

Travelogue - Part 1

2010-11-29T20:34:00.000-05:00

UHM and I decamped from VA for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and indulged in some sunshine and rum in Jamaica! We had a wonderful sitter stay with Sam, Ginny, Moira and Georgia. Bogey went to stay with our regular dog-walker where he can run and play all day with his dog pals.

Our flight left bright and early Thursday morning. Ok, it wasn't bright - it was just early. 5:30am to be exact. Ugh. Then we had a 5 hour lay-over in Charlotte, NC. I love the Charlotte airport. It's just a nice, newer-feeling airport but 5 hours in any airport is too long. That's especially true when facilities has turned down the heat in the airport in anticipation of the holiday crowds. I was freezing!

While waiting in line at Starbucks I saw a young woman accompanied by a man about her own age and an older gentleman - he was probably in his 50s. The young woman was dressed in a very cute but lightweight blue dress and flip flops. I told her the dress was adorable but that she was going to freeze if she had to wait long for a flight. She replied that, at the moment, she was actually quite warm. The older gentleman added that she had just been "legally groped" by the TSA.

I replied, "Gee, how come that never happens to me?" To which the older gentlemen replied......

"They only want the young ones. We know how it is."

And thus, my illusion of youth was shattered in Starbucks at the Charlotte airport.

Regression Analysis

2010-11-20T09:12:00.000-05:00

Three weeks ago I was super pleased with how Moira did at the MadCo Agility trial. The last couple agility classes haven't been anywhere near as good.

I know that part of any dog training is regression. You think you've got everything pretty well nailed down and then your dog decides that she's never heard the word down before or never seen a tunnel in her life. That's where we are right now. Moira has decided that it's ok to blow me off in class.

I have to work very hard at the beginning of each run to get her to connect with me - something that hadn't been a problem for quite some time. The beautiful down-stay that we worked all summer on - and that still exists at home - has disappeared in class.

On the plus side, she's jumping beautifully and, when we do connect, her runs are quite pretty (I still look a little like Phoebe). It's just such a let-down from the stunning run-throughs we had a month ago. I really thought we were at a place where we could 'go to the next level' and start working on more advanced things. It's especially disappointing that this is happening at the start of winter when we won't be able to practice as much to try to work through these issues.

No-Sew Crafty Project

2010-11-13T15:15:00.000-05:00

This is a project I've been planning for a little while. I just needed to have a weekend at home to get it done. I love patchwork quilts and I love the whole Shabby Chic color palette but I don't have the $$ for real Shabby Chic and I don't have the patience to quilt so I came up with this idea.

I bought 8, 8x8" artist's canvasses at Michael's and then I went to a couple different quilting stores and bought fabrics that I loved in my color way. I stretched the fabrics over the canvasses and stapled them into place, making sure I had nice, neat corners. Lastly, I hung them on my bedroom wall in a checkerboard pattern using my wall color, a very, very pale pink, as the background/solid squares.

Now that it's on the wall, I think I'll buy some picture frame molding and build a "frame" around it, just to finish things off.

I've recently bought some pretty simple quilt patterns that can be sized down to table toppers or wall hangings. I may try making those and doing the same sort of thing - buying a canvas to stretch the finished top on for hanging. After all, it's coming up on winter and I should have time for these kinds of projects, right?

Graceful I Am Not

2010-11-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

Ra and I had agility class last night - our first since the Halloween trial. At one point our instructor took me aside and suggested I watch the video from our first run (Saturday) again. Here it is....

Patty, our instructor, pointed out that my arms are flailing all over the place and that could very well have been why Ra went so wild and had such a crappy run. Hmmmm. Watching it again, I am strongly reminded of this.

Anyone else think my running style bears a strong resemblance to Phoebe's?

Idle Hands

2010-11-10T14:06:00.002-05:00

They say that idle hands are the Devil's tools. I think the Devil has had to find other tools lately as I've been busy, busy, busy.

Moira's agility trial and birthday on Halloween weekend were a lot of fun. Here's a video from her run on Sunday. This was the better of our two runs that weekend. We are in the background to start. My instructor shot the video and she was closer to the end of the course than the beginning.

Then my mother came into town on the 3rd for a visit. Friday we took Sam to see Dr. Dove (aka The Glove) in Gainesville, VA. It was past time to get him collected on and frozen. Fortunately, Miss Georgia cooperated by being in season and giving Sam something to think about..... who needs Playdog when you have the real thing!?!

The 6th was the 76th running of the Montpelier Hunt Races in Orange, VA. If you've never been to steeplechase races and want to see them close up and personal, I highly recommend coming to these races. There aren't too many things I can think of that are more thrilling than standing on the rail watching equine athletes thunder past you. It helps that you can have an adult beverage in your hand and share the fun with friends too!

Sunday Ellen (mom)and I drove over to Williamsburg, VA. We had a nice time there doing a little shopping and just visiting. Ellen flew back to MO yesterday.

So, there you have a quick recap of the last 2 weeks. Now it's time for the holiday rush at work and who knows how much time I will have to post. But you might get some fun pictures from the Thanksgiving weekend.......I'm hearing reggae and thinking about drinking rum.......

When Good Dogs Get Mad

2010-10-23T18:44:00.000-04:00

Today Moira, Bogey and Georgia got to go on an outing to the Mattaponi KC agility trial. Sam and Gin stayed home. Unfortunately, the day ran long. This is what Gin thinks about that....

The tote bag was hanging from a shelf support near Gin's crate so she had to work to get it. Now I get to clean up the mess. Serves me right.

A Change of Venue

2010-10-19T17:18:00.000-04:00

Moira is entered in an agility trial this weekend. She's actually just entered on Saturday and the only reason I entered the trial is because a friend from New England is judging.

Anyway, the trial was supposed to be held at a horse barn in NoVa. We went to a trial there earlier this year and didn't do well at all. The noise was more than my girl could deal with. Over the weekend I got an email indicating that the horse barn was closing and they were looking for a new trial site. Wow! That happened fast! Those of you who are on trial committees know how far in advance these things are planned. To lose a venue barely a week before an event is crazy-making.

This morning I got another email indicating a new trial site had been secured. All in all, I like this site LOADS better. We will be journeying to Morven Park in Leesburg, VA. If you click on the Mansion and Grounds and scroll down you will see a map of the grounds. The trial will take place in the area known as "The Green." How cool is that? What a beautiful place to spend a fall day!

I Am a Convert

2010-10-18T12:04:00.000-04:00

First, thanks to UHM for the guest post while I was out of town at the dog show. Second, no we didn't get any points :( but, as a neighbor pointed out, Georgia got some "experience under her collar." So did I, for that matter.

Now, on to my conversion. My job does not require me to dress up. If I did, people would wonder if I had a job interview. I am quite happy wearing jeans to work every day - although sometimes I change it up by wearing khakis or cords! Dog shows are a different thing though. I feel obligated to look nice at dog shows. My mentors have taught me that looking nice- even wearing a little bling - is a good thing. For fall/winter shows that also means wearing stockings. You know, nylons, pantyhose, whatever your mother taught you to call them. Mine called them stockings. I hate stockings. I was never so happy as when company dress codes started to relax and I didn't have to wear them. Now I have to wear them again - and for DOG SHOWS! It's not like I'm even getting paid to dress nicely.

Knowing I would need stockings for this weekend, I gritted my teeth and bought a pair. Only I didn't buy regular, control-top, light support stockings. I took a chance, I listened to what I've been seeing and hearing in the media for the last several years and I bought Spanx. Only I didn't really buy Spanx, I bought the Target brand, designed by the same woman who brought us Spanx. The name they sell under is almost embarrassing - Assets. Yes, I bought some Assets. Ok, that makes it sound a little better.

Saturday morning I showered, shaved my legs, blow dried my hair, cursed because I didn't bring what little make up I do wear and then prepared to do battle with my Assets. Anyone who has ever pulled on a pair of stockings knows it is a procedure fraught with danger. Your nails can go through the fabric, you can snag them, you can get a leg twisted, if you don't pull them up just right the crotch ends up around your knees and no matter how many times you try to adjust them, it stays around your knees. So I carefully pulled on my Assets. And I pulled them up, and up, and up..... Yeah, these are what is tactfully known as "shapewear" folks. The design is such that if you get the wrong size you can wear them as pantyhose, girdle and bra all in one. Fortunately, I had the right size and still needed a bra.

I got everything adjusted and then I pulled on the skirt I also bought at Target - on sale for less than $11. The skirt that fit nicely without shapewear. The skirt that was now at least a size too large because all my "shape" was being beautifully compressed by my Assets. I am a convert. Anything that can make me a size smaller -and not cut off the circulation to any vital parts - is ok and worth the money in my book.

I won't be wearing Assets all the time but I will buy a couple pair for dog shows and other events. I guess it's really true what our mothers and grandmothers tried to tell us. Having a good foundation garment makes all the difference.

Herding Boot Camp

2010-10-17T09:57:00.000-04:00

D took Bogey and Georgia to Maryland for the CCWCC Specialty this weekend. I, UHM, quite happily remained at home with the rest of the Horde. I was "invited" to make a Guest Post in her absence, so this is my first attempt to entertain and engage you.

Regular readers might know that I have only recently become acquainted with Cardigans and have fallen head over you-know-what for their quirky and laugh-inducing personalities. I've been thinking about my limited exposure to their herding abilities, and how much I've become to love it so quickly. Unfortunately although I've taken both Bo and G to be instinct tested (see photos from G's introduction last weekend - thanks Dana!), and Bo has had a few herding lessons, it hasn't been enough for any of us. I crave that first herding “fix” feeling again -- not only could I (who knew nothing!) see that Bogey was hooked, but I also can’t forget the thrill of that occasional moment (I think once) of smooth perfection amidst the bedlam and confusion of a chasing dog and stampeding sheep. Alas, our herding lessons seem to be over in a flash. If only we lived on a sheep farm.... I'm looking for a very focused learning opportunity for both Bo and me. A weekend isn't enough for us.
Has anyone been to a herding boot camp before? What was it like? Would you go again? I'd love to hear your thoughts pro and con for such an experience.

Birthday Party Invitation

2010-10-11T12:28:00.000-04:00

Moira's 5th birthday is just a couple weeks away - Halloween, to be exact. This year we will be celebrating by attending our first USDAA agility trial.

This is an open invitation to all our Cardi/Blogger friends to join us at the Madco Agility trial, October 30-31, in beautiful Crozet, VA. There is still time to enter the trial and I haven't heard that it's filled yet. We'll set up a tent and tables and share birthday cake and treats with all our friends on Saturday. I think there will be separate cakes for the dogs and the people :) but the treats will be from Sammy Snacks in C'ville and can be shared across species.

Even if you aren't an agility addict, we'd love to see you there!

What's in a Name?

2010-10-09T19:35:00.000-04:00

The dogs that live here are known, collectively, as The Heathen Horde or sometimes just "The Horde." Pretty much everyone knows them by that name. At the 2009 National, UHM was walking them for me when someone stopped her and said, "That's The Horde but, you're not Dina." Dogs that we are fond of but don't live with us are called "Associate Horde Members."

Last weekend I met a lady who has 3 black dogs - not sure of the breed(s) that she calls "The Legion of Darkness." I thought that was spectacularly funny.

Anyone else have a name for their group of dogs? I know there's the Trio of Trouble out there and Moira, Scout and Grace are sometimes referred to as the Trio of Terror (they're Halloween babies, after all).

A Close Look at a Big Weekend

2010-10-03T19:16:00.000-04:00

So it was a big weekend for at least a couple members of the Horde.

Sam had another modeling assignment on Friday. We were in and out in about 10 minutes because he's such a pro :) Look for his photo in the Winter edition of the Plow & Hearth catalog. He's demonstrating the efficacy of a pet barrier.

Saturday Georgia and I went to our first real show together and she picked up her first point by going BOWs. She also got a very nice leather lead as a prize. We're searching for the equivalent of Show Frog - preferably in better condition than he is in this post. Today we tried Show Donkey, Show Giraffe, Show Puppy - none of them made the grade. Maybe we will just have to wait for a bigger show - and a major.

Today was the 2nd day of the show and G was WB (only bitch) but that was it. It's ok though because there weren't any points available. The judge was P. Levi Marsman and what a lovely man he is! I would show to him any day. Afterwards, we stopped at a state park near the show grounds. They were having a Fall Festival that included a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. So Georgia got to search for the Great Pumpkin....

It's not either of these.......

She finally decided on this one....

It's Semi-Official

2010-10-03T06:45:00.000-04:00

InfoDog has posted the results from yesterday's Warrenton KC show in Millwood, VA. Georgia picked up her first point by going WB/BOWs. By the way, all three class dogs are related through Sam. The 6-9 Puppy Dog is a Sam great-grandson and the Open dog is a Sam grandson.

Cardis are on at 10 this morning. The entry is very small so there aren't any points available but it's a good opportunity for me and Miss G to work on our skills.

Time to feed the big dogs and then start getting myself ready.

Puppy Up! Walk

2010-10-01T14:52:00.000-04:00

Several months ago I posted about an organization called 2 Dogs 2 Thousand Miles that is raising money and awareness for canine cancer research. At the time, I pledged to take part in their 2 Million Dogs campaign. The idea being that if 2 dogs can walk 2000 miles then it should be nothing to get 2 million dogs to walk 2 miles.

The first 2 Million Dogs Puppy Up! Walk is scheduled for November 7th and will be held in several cities. There's actually going to be a walk in Richmond, VA, just about an hour and a half from us. I am going to do my darndest to take part in it. Too many dogs lose theirs lives at too young an age to cancer.