The Hurrikane Chronicles

Herding Progress With Biscuit!

2011-07-03T16:42:00.001-07:00

Through the Window

2011-06-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

The "babies" Biscuit and Avery. I took these photos through a [dirty] window, and just love my "not puppies anymore" puppies! The weather finally cooled off, so the dogs spent much of this weekend outside.

Single Red-headed Female Seeking...

2011-02-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

... lovely family to adore and spoil her as she deserves. Enjoys car rides, long walks, car rides, belly rubs, frapping, and car rides.
Beauty and brains, Breezy is a happy girl, and loves to have human companionship.

She is also very silly and playful.

Breezy is devoted to keeping the yard squirrel and vermin-free, and she's an excellent patrol for suspicious happenings in the neighborhood!

Duck toys beware, The Bee shows no mercy to waterfowl of any kind, especially Mallards. :-)

One of her favorite napping spots is under furniture. I finally gave her a bed under the chair. She's not hiding, she just loves a cozy den for a nap.

At the end of the day, after playing, and being silly and just plain cute, Breezy is a great napper, and a super, duper cuddler.

While Breezy has been posted to the CWCCA listings for a while, I thought I'd share her on the blog and also provide some additional photos. She just turned 4 years old, spayed, up to date on all vaccinations and heartworm preventative. She has also passed numerous OFA certifications (hips/elbows/etc.), and she's the mother of the four beautiful girls, Avery, Fran, Kitty, and Olive.

Breezy would prefer to be either an only dog with plenty of human time, or with boy dogs. She loves a big playful sporting dog to run with, and she is not specifically needing a Cardigan home. Her favorite buddies at home are not Cardigans. She loves Hawk the Vallhund and Big Nick the Shorthair/Lab mix. She'd like a home on the quieter side of chaos, and she has shown some good herding potential in the pen.

Any interested parties can contact me at grayciemom(at)hotmail.com

Happy 4th Birthday, Kingsbury Puppies!

2010-12-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th Birthday to the Josie x Jake puppies.

Bella, Bo, Breezy, sweet Encore (waiting at The Bridge), Meme, Sydney, and Tater.

(in order of lineup: Encore, Bo, Syd, Meme's tushy, Breezy,Tater facing the camera, and Bella)

(in order left to right: Encore at back of pool, Bo, Bella, Syd, Tater, Breezy, Meme)

The first baby puppies to come live at my house (at 3 weeks old), this group was so much fun, and just a year ago, I had the adventure of having Sydney and Breezy's puppies, the first generation of Hurrikane puppies. :-)

I hope all the Kingsbury puppies have a great 4th birthday, and they get plenty of extra treats!

They Got to Move It, Move It

2010-12-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

Who, us? No, we weren't doing anything... no rabble rousing going on out here. Really? Let's let the photos tell the story...

The cousins, Avery and Biscuit, have been separated for a whole week. You would have thought it was a year. When I finally let them play together Saturday, it was a giant frap & wrestling fest.

"Hey cuz, missed you."

Notice the Vallhund observers. These two were like line judges, keeping an eye on the game, but steering clear of the wild Cardigans!

You tell him, Avery! Love Avery's eyes and Biscuit's expression!

"Told you! You might be bigger than me, but I have skills!"

A Holiday Surprise

2010-12-15T12:32:00.001-08:00

When I arrived home from work last night, I was surprised to find a gift from Andi, Breezy's "sister." It was a thank you for keeping Breezy a couple of weekends ago when the family was out of town. Inside was a really cute ornament, with all the dogs' names printed on it. You'll get a better idea of what the ornament looks like when you see Andi's talent in her artwork. :-) I enjoyed the card so much, I thought I'd share...

Here's the front of the card, with a lovely rendition of Breezy and Andi at the bottom.

And then here's the inside of the card. What a good artist, and a sweet message. :-) And that drawing looks exactly like the pretty ornament that was wrapped up in the package!

Exciting Stuff Going On...

2010-11-16T09:21:00.000-08:00

Well, not really. In fact, this was the scene on Sunday, a room full of "speed bumps" laying around. I think it's really unfortunate that my dogs lead such a tough life. Biscuit wouldn't fit in the same frame, but he's laying right at Kane's tail, creating an uninterrupted (did I spell that right?) chain of dogs from one side of the living room to the other.And don't worry, the big kids are zonked out also, but they claimed the space (and the scrunched up blankies) on the sofa before any of the shorties did.

I asked if the dogs were doing some sort of Civil War battlefield re-enactment or something, but nobody answered. It does justify my belief that one can never own too many of the wonderful Costco dog blankets, though!

VSEC Overland Park-Better Vet Care by Intimidation?

2010-08-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

OK, so normally I just post stories about the dogs and their antics. I can't say I have never ranted on the blog, because I probably have and someone would point it out to me, but in general, I just blog about a dog. But I have been really bothered by a recent trip to the emergency vet. I traveled 1/2 an hour to Overland Park because VSEC has always been my e-clinic of choice, rather than 8 miles to the local e-clinic. It's been four years since I have required emergency clinic vet care, and last Sunday, I discovered just how much can change in four years. Four years ago, I was on the road to the CWCCA specialty in Kentucky, and Julie called me to say that my Graycie girl was in distress, and she took her to VSEC. Dr. Shara Grauberger was an absolute saint that night, and VSEC saved Graycie, and they let all her friends come visit her in the hospital until I could get home from Kentucky. Dr. Grauberger called me with updates, and even asked how I was doing. Other friends had similar good experiences with other VSEC vets, so they became my emergency clinic of choice, even across town.

Fast forward to last Sunday morning, when I needed a vet right away for Kane, I didn't hesitate to load him up and drive over to VSEC, because Dr. Becker and Dr. Wingert were unavailable. Hey, they are allowed to have a day off sometimes!

When I got to VSEC, reception was in no hurry to get us checked in, but since it wasn't crowded, it didn't take too long. We were led into the exam room, where the tech asked about the problem, Kane's history, etc. Kane was never put on the big, shiny exam table, not once. The tech reached for his leash and told me they were going to get vitals and a weight, and, oh, by the way, if they needed xrays, could I just consent to it now, or did I need to have a vet come in. Well, gee, if you think my dog warrants an xray, could I please hear that from the person who went to vet school and has a DVM behind his/her name? I think I'm paying enough to get that courtesy.

The tech nods, and tells me I can go back to the waiting room, they'll call me back again. huh? Isn't the vet going to come in and examine my dog? ? Oh, well, that's all done in the back. That makes me a bit uncomfortable, not knowing or talking to the vet who is going to be diagnosing and treating my dog. However, not wanting to put up a stink, I obediently walk back to the waiting room.

Several minutes later, a young (read: looks like a teenager) vet comes out and calls me back to the exam room. He says, in a very detached tone, that they want to take xrays, because Kane is very tense around his belly, and it's difficult to get a good feel. Mind you, my dog is not in the room, I have not seen him since they took him for weight and vitals. Since I had been out of town and found broken glass when I got home, and I felt seriously out of touch with what had caused Kane to be sick, I agreed to xrays without hesitation. I am dismissed to the waiting room once again.

Another session of waiting and the vet calls me back yet again to the exam room to describe the xrays to me. No glass, no foreign bodies. Kane is still nowhere to be found, and the vet proceeds to tell me that Kane is a bit dehydrated, he has a stress colitis, and they want to do IV fluids, keep him in intensive care, and I can move him to my vet in the morning. All to the tune of the estimated $1,200. I had already told this vet that my own vet was to call me back by noon, and I did not want to leave Kane any longer than I already had (3 days away to a show). When I asked if he could get subq fluids and I would bring him back if he needed more, the vet literally could not contain a laugh, and basically told me that I could kill my dog in a matter of an hour if I didn't do the IV fluids.

The thing that bothers me most of all is that the vet was turning on the scare tactics and trying to intimidate me. He told me that Kane had had two more "blow outs" in the back since we'd been there. Hmm, now Kane had not had to go since I came home to find his accident in the house at 2:30 am, and finally again at about 6am, not urgent or explosive, he just went when I took him outside. Of course, I still did not have my dog back, so I could not refute his statement that Kane had had two accidents. This is the dog who tore the baby gate out of the doorway trying to get to the door rather than potty in the house. I declined, asked for sub-q fluids and that if my vet did not contact me and Kane was still having trouble, I would bring him back. Well, that was the last I saw of the vet, he off-handedly told me they'd do the fluids and bring the dog out, all as he was half way through the doorway, not looking back.

When I finally saw Kane again, they had given him not 100 or 200 cc's of fluid, but 500 cc. Poor boy, he could hardly walk, and I thought it must be painful for such a short guy to carry around that much weight sagging all around his shoulders. Later, when we saw Dr. Becker, he was very displeased that Kane had received that much fluid. I checked out Kane's back side, and there was no evidence that he had had any such blowout as the vet described to me. I know my dogs, and I know what I would expect to see if there were two

My total for the morning was $368.00. Not exactly a happy day for the checkbook, but I didn't think it was out of line for a specialty clinic, for exam on a Sunday, xrays (2), fluids, antibiotics ($25 for 14 Flagyl-yikes). So I'm not complaining about the cost for the day, I'm complaining because I felt like if I was someone who had a precious pet and didn't have the resource of a great vet on-call for just such situations, I might have, no, I WOULD have felt intimidated and scared enough to sign over to the $1,200 overnight stay, and I thought that this vet tried to scare me and tell me I was going to kill my dog, all to make a few bucks. It was really telling how his attitude changed once I let him know I'd stick with sub-q fluids and go on to my own vet. I was obviously not going to help him with his "quota" and cheating him out of an extra $900 on the sales board. At least that's what it felt like.

When I paid my bill, I asked if the vet clinic was still independently owned. Well, surprise, surprise, it's now a national chain, and it sure felt like it. VSEC is now a BluePearl Veterinary Hospitals partner. It certainly is no longer a "we care about your pets first and foremost" hospital.

It's so disappointing to me, and I just wonder how many people have been intimidated into unnecessary care, and thousands of dollars out of their pocket, only because their dog chose the weekend to become ill.

After my experience, I started to do a little poking around, and I have found story after story that mirrors my own, with different illnesses, but all the same undertones of vets giving a horrible prognosis, and trying to intimidate people into additional services.

Shame on VSEC Overland Park for exploiting owners who love their pets. Sadly, there are some great doctors there, but because of this last experience, I just won't be able to trust going there again, since it seems there are multiple incidents where emergency and specialty docs have been putting the screws to owners to get them to spend money. Perhaps they have a quota put on them by corporate these days, who knows. The only thing I know is that I won't be returning to VSEC for services.

Whew, I feel much better now. Not so much better that I've changed my mind about writing a letter, but better. :-)

When Good Leashes Go Bad

2010-07-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is what good leashes look like after they have spent the last three days curled up at the side of a major interstate, enduring rain and road debris without shelter.
And this is what leashes look like after they have been rescued from aforementioned side of interstate, and given a nice warm bath in sudsy water.

Let this be a lesson to all leashes out there that jumping off the roof of the car as it's driving down the interstate is NOT a good idea.

A Note from Breezy's "Sister," Andi

2010-06-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

When I arrived home from Flagstaff, I found this note from Andi, Breezy's new "big sister." It made me smile, and it also brought tears to my eyes. Can any of us want anything more for our dogs? You can click to see the note full-size. It's worth the read. I think Andi is very eloquent, and I know my Breezy is in good hands.

The note was accompanied by this beautiful art work. That's me on the left, Danielle in the middle with Breezy, and Andi jumping on the right.

editor's note: I did have to ask Danielle about the "tearing up the house" bit after I laughed out loud, and she said it was not a big deal, and Bree is behaving very well.

Happy 14th Birthday, Gizmo!

2010-05-19T03:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but Uncle Gizzer is 14 today! It's hard to believe he arrived at my house almost 8 years ago. Gizmo never acts his age, and he's always happy to play with puppies. I love seeing his smile when he's running with the puppies.

Giz might be a little hard of hearing (unless it's the fridge door opening or the clank of the dog cookie jar!), and he's not 100% with catching treats anymore, but he's doing great, and I
think he's a happy boy.

Happy Barkday to Uncle Gizzer! I'm so glad he's a part of my family.

Responsible Breeders

2010-04-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

Patricia McConnell has a great blog, and I read it nearly every day. Syd's blog will be referencing several of the posts from last week, but I wanted to post a link to The Other End of the Leash blog here, because today's post addresses shelter and rescue dogs from the perspective that we NEED responsible breeders, and we need to applaud them, not chastise them. What a refreshing concept, written by someone who is very much respected in the dog world.

http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/breeders-versus-rescues/

Reporting In

2010-04-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

The rest of the Hurrikane Crew are all alive and well. I've been neglecting the other blogs with all the opportunities to share puppy photos and stories on the puppy blog. But stay tuned, the puppy blog is moving, and Syd's about to reclaim her own blog. She says she's let me borrow it long enough, so hopefully by next week, the puppies will be "moving out" of her blog and into their own space, so I hope Syd can come up with interesting things to talk about!

The Vallhund blog is going to be updated soon, we are doing a family affair, with a pupdate from Hawk's litters. I have some photos to share of several of the Hawk puppies, from the Mele litter and the Nikita litter.

I just need to find some extra hours in the day, or extra days in the week to catch up on the blogging!

So, just some randomness, and the other day, I decided to take a photo of the dishwasher. A typical weekend load of dishes.

Top Rack...

Bottom Rack... I think about the days when I did not have a dishwasher, and I wouldn't survive now!

And now a big slurpy HIYA from Nick. He can't possibly be 11 years old. I must be calculating incorrectly, because this big goof can't be a day over 2 years old. I am so relieved that his lymphoma scare was a false alarm, but it did remind me that there's no guarantee about anything, so I've been trying to squeeze in as much special time with the dogs that I can, on top of the normal 24 hours I spend tending to them.

"You got any cookies down there?"

Maggie

2010-03-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

We didn't meet Maggie until she was about 12 years old, but she was, and likely will be, the most beautiful dog I've ever seen. She wasn't "grey," she looked like someone had powdered her with silver dust.

These are some of my favorite photos, from one of Maggie's sleepover visits to our house. She and Gizmo (Gizmo is Maggie's son from her first litter) would crawl up on one of the big dog beds and lay together.

We will miss you, Maggie, and we will always remember what a special girl you were, in and out of the show ring. And now I send my thoughts to Jacque and Don, and wish them peace as they grieve for their girl...

Uncle Nick

2010-01-24T18:22:00.000-08:00

Puppies always love Big Nick. Today we finally had some sunshine, and I turned the small dog-yard into the new puppy pen. It was supposed to be "puppies only" but I guess any dog that can jump the Xpen entry way is allowed! So Nick spent his afternoon hanging out with the babies. He is so good with them, and the puppies are definitely OK with big dogs!

I. Love. My. Dogs.

2010-01-20T09:06:00.001-08:00

I just have to keep repeating that, over and over again. I. Love. My. Dogs.

"HAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWKKK!"

Total window destruction. I don't buy expensive blinds. These are on the dog-window. And I always pull them up in the mornings at least a foot or so, because the dogs like to lay at the bottom of the bed and look out into the back yard. I just lowered them for the photo. Perhaps a pesky squ*rrel ran down the fence, or who knows, but Hawk was in big trouble. I just replaced the last set of blinds about 2 months ago.

"SYDDDNEEEEEEEEEEEY!"

This was my laundry basket. I didn't even take a photo of the floor, but you can imagine microscopic shreds of all that used to fill in this giant space in the basket. I think I mentioned that Syd is loving having puppies, and she acts like this is a second puppyhood for her. Well, I guess she's going to the extreme, and today she's crated at home, just like a youngster would be.

I find it very disappointing that when I get home, my six puppies have all used their litter box for potty, and their pen is nice and clean. It's the big dogs that I spend the rest of the evening cleaning up after...

Nick's New Perch, Happy 11th Barkday!!!

2010-01-08T09:29:00.001-08:00

So Nick has always been a litte, um, different. I really think that in his 11 years,

Happy 11th Barkday, Big Nick!

he has never realized just how big he is. I tease and call him World's Biggest Corgi because he's pretty sure he's a Cardigan.

Yesterday, I took Darby's bed out of her crate and replaced it with a towel. I didn't want the bed to get soaked with all the snow that covered Darby. I just set the bed on top of her crate for lack of better place to put it. Late yesterday afternoon, Nick was on the back of the sofa, looking out the front window. Then a few minutes later, he was sitting on top of Darby's crate looking out the window. And now, I find him just like this, almost any time he's relaxing. I guess he likes the cushy memory foam bed! He's got a cushy 4 inch foam bed in his own crate, but I guess that's not as much fun.

And please notice, this is only a 30 inch wire crate, a 300 size, for a 22 pound Vallhund! And Big Nick is about 90 pounds. Notice the top sagging? Don't worry, Darby isn't in the crate when Nick is lounging on top of it.

This is all new, because Darby's crate is normally in the kitchen. But with the Puppy Takeover , Darby has temporarily relocated to the living room.

Lump of Coal

2009-12-24T10:13:00.001-08:00

Guess who's getting a lump of coal in his stocking this year? Mr. Nick. I only took this oil-filled portable heater out of the closet about 10 minutes ago, dusted it off, and was ready to add it to the Salvation Army donation center pile. I went upstairs for less than five minutes to bring down more stuff, and this is what I found. Nick has had a love/hate relationship with electrical cords for his entire almost 11 years. He can go years without touching one, and then out of the blue, it's like he can't help himself, and he falls off the wagon... I'm trying not to be mad at him, he's probably feeling a little neglected with all the puppy-stuff going on, so at least he got some attention!

Happy 2nd Gotcha Day, Savannah!

2009-11-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

Poor Savannah. Things have been so crazy around here, I missed her 2nd gotcha day anniversary by a few days. When people ask how old she is, I now say she's "ancient plus 2" because we thought she was maybe 9 years old when I adopted her. She has fit right into our crazy family, and she still tells everyone exactly what she thinks. I might have to call her name louder, and make bigger hand signals to get her attention, but she is still happy, healthy, and loving life (especially at dinner time). Roo-roo, Vannah girl!

Corgi Blog Giveaway

2009-11-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

If you want to win a really cute customized blog header or illustration, head on over to Corgi Butts, Life with Gibson and enter!

http://corgibutts.blogspot.com/

Harvesters

2009-11-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, when Harvesters brings out the blue barrels for the Harvesters Food Drive. Our company always participates and sets up some of the blue barrels in our break rooms, and we encourage everyone to donate what they can.

But leave it to the architectural firm we share our building with to go crazy and create this display in our lobby this morning! Pretty impressive! No detail was left out.

I'm u

Lunch Time with P-Dub

2009-11-16T11:37:00.001-08:00

Today was P-Dub's book signing day in Kansas City. I just feel badly for PW that the weather turned ugly this morning, and Lori and I drove through a sleet/rain mix to go pick up our books. Oh well, she understands the weather in the Midwest!

I think I would get really tired of smiling all day, every day. It must get old, especially knowing how many days of book signing she's already done. But she never stopped smiling, so props to PW for making everyone feel like we were the only person she talked to today.

And this, friends, is what happens when you make Lori tag along and stand in a long line before she has lunch! Poor Lori, she's a great friend, I dragged her to Westminster with me (she has c*ts), and now I make her go to a cookbook signing.

Finally it was my turn. P-Dub is dangerous with a Sharpie.

OK, so truth be told, we had to do a second photo because this was the first. I think I'm physically incapable of talking without moving my hands! I was explaining to PW how I'm probably the only person at this book signing who does not cook (I like to cook and bake, just no time and no patience for it anymore) and does not have kids! :-)

The last "normal" week around here

2009-11-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

Of course, "normal" is all relative! I'm going to try to get about three weeks worth of stuff done this week, but it's the last of the normal schedule before the excitement begins. No, no puppies are due next week, but next Monday, I got one of the very limited tickets to go to the P-Dub (aka PW, The Pioneer Woman) book signing. It should be fun. And once I get my cookbook, I will promptly go through it, mark the pages, and hand it over to my friend Jen. She loves to cook/bake, and when I was in Montana, I saw a really great recipe for pumpkin muffins on PWs blog. I emailed the recipe to Jen and asked her if she could "whip these up" after I got back from Montana. I was just kidding, but when I got back to the office, Jen came in with a big pan of pumpkin muffins! Hmm, this might work out well!

And then the second fun activity for next week is, well, you Twilight fans know, Friday is New Moon. The bonus is that this dinner theatre has an age restriction, so we are guaranteed that no screaming tweens will be in our theater. :-)

Once next week is over, then it's puppy-watch for Thanksgiving week, and again the next. "Normal" life will be a thing of the past, at least for the winter!

More Bouncing Baby News

2009-10-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

More Bouncing Baby News from Breezy!

Careful, Bree, we didn't mean bouncing babies literally!

You may have read over at Syd's Blog that Syd (CH Kingsbury's It's My Alias NAC TN-N) is expecting puppies by "Mick," CH Telltail Like a Rolling Stone (WD, BOS at the 2009 CWCCA National Specialty from the Bred-by class!).

Well, more good news to share, Breezy (Kingsbury's Cover Girl) is also expecting babies, this litter sired by CH Telltail T For Two, "Smarty." Smarty has sired some lovely puppies, including the handsome Dickens. We are very anxious to welcome happy, healthy babies from Breezy on or about December 5th! While these puppies will be registered as Cardigan Welsh Corgis, I'm pretty sure they could be part Mountain Goat like their mother, always in the air, bouncing around, climbing, leaping.

It's going to be a busy winter in the Hurrikane household!

Who needs agility classes? This was taken through the back door window. When Bree gets this muddy, I call her the tri-color undercarriage cardigan. She loves to perch at the top of the Aframe and look out on the neighborhood. I think I need to build the dogs a wooden play gym like the kids have. ;-)

FedEx, Part Deux

2009-10-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

This last week, we've had deliveries via FedEx again. And hopefully, we'll have more good news to report in the coming weeks. It was not my idea to be embarking on this project times two all at the same time, (Syd's announcement on Syd's Blog) . However, with my job and travel requirements, it seemed like this was the only time to make the attempt in the next two years. Our next project is local, so I would not be traveling after little ones would arrive. And with several scheduling and shipping near-fiascos, plus the given that both girls thought it was funny to schedule for weekends, the first phase for both is now over, and the waiting begins again. I believe this could be brindle-only, as so far, there have been no red pups from this stud dog, so it will be interesting.

I'm now shopping around for the best option for a mental health facility for myself, but with Norma and Jacque as calming influences who both seem to be very positive about the possibilities, I might just make it! And bless Norma's heart, she's told me every time we talk or email not to worry, she's around to help. Now only time will tell if either of the two girls or both will be bringing special deliveries to us at Thanksgiving and beyond.

And a HUGE thank you to Paula, who has made personal visits to just about every package carrier (FedEx, UPS, USPS), and happily reports that she doesn't anticipate any further problems with any of them. ;-P She has the patience of a saint, and a great sense of humor. Amen for that!

Thing 1 and Thing 2

2009-09-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, my two sisters. As different as can be, just like my sister and I. One not wanting to be outdone by the other, and neither having any indication that they care about any plans I might make, they are going to both be in season around the same time. Bree came in first last cycle, so this time, Syd is now in, Bree close behind. And please, can you both *please* come in right before I have to be out of town for work? Thank you.

Voting again THIS WEEK!

2009-09-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

So, Loki was on the bubble, and he's in the pool for voting again this week. Please vote for Loki, and help his chances of winning, and the chances that he can donate $$$$ to Cardigan Rescue!

http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=4FA061845477361014C8036B53708F84

Vote all week, find some friends and co-workers that you can force into voting too!!!

Vote Again! Today and Tomorrow!

2009-09-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to vote for Loki today and again tomorrow. We have to make one last push to get him a bunch of votes so he can win money and make a donation to Cardigan rescue!!!

http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=4FA061845477361014C8036B53708F84

Please pass the word, and let's get Loki into the semi-finals!!!

Vote for CWCNRT Rescue - Loki! and earn $$ for CWCNRT rescue!

2009-09-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

Loki's mom Julie will give HALF of his win money to Cardigan Rescue, so please vote every day, and stand over your friends and co-workers and make them vote every day too!!!!

Loki is the cutest little guy! I pulled him from a shelter and took him in as a CWCNRT dog. I fostered Loki for a short time, and then Cheri and George (with Dudley and Taffy) took over his foster care and found his fantastic mom Julie! We love Loki, and I'm so glad I've gotten to see him a couple of times in the last month. I watched him run faster than a speeding bullet at the NADAC agility trials this weekend. So he grew and grew, and definitely outgrew being a purebred Cardigan puppy, but we are still so very glad to have helped him find a great forever home!

So, if you could spare a moment, please go VOTE for LOKI in the cutest dog contest!!! Vote every day!

http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=4FA061845477361014C8036B53708F84

NADAC was fun

2009-09-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

And she'll be posting a recap over in her own "Personal Space" over at www.sydneygooddog.blogspot.com Update sometime today, after we pick up her photos to share.

Ready or Not...

2009-09-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight Hawk and Syd are heading to a NADAC agility trial. Hawk's going to just do the fun run and see how much agility he remembers. Syd will do the fun run, and maybe enter Tunnelers or Weavers tonight. She's entering in several classes for tomorrow, but tonight they offer Tunnelers and Weavers, so we'll see.

Is Syd ready for NADAC? Or should I ask is NADAC ready for Syd? :-)

Goodbye, Pewter

2009-08-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

CH Sisterwoods Starkist Pewter

April 2, 1994 - August 25, 2009

Pictured above with her "sister" Andi, Christmas 2005

Pewter was one of those special dogs. In 2003, I helped place Pewter in her forever retirement home. Her owners, Danielle and Rich had not had a dog before, and they were interested in another Corgi I was fostering at the time, a very boisterous and active boy. That dog was placed in a corgi-experienced home, and then from time to time, Danielle would pop up at our adoption events, or send an email, just to stay in touch. When Pewter came along in 2003, I wondered if Danielle and Rich might be interested. I started off the conversation with, "OK, I know she's a little older, but really, you have to believe me that Cardigans are a long-lived breed."

Danielle and Rich took the chance on Pewter, and she moved in and took over the house . I got frequent updates, and then the best news, that little Andi had joined the family. From the photo above, you can see that the big sister role really suited Pewter. Here's the note Danielle sent to tell about Pewter's adjustment to Andi's arrival in 2005:

Just a quick note to wish you a Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and 2005 is a great year for you and Sweet Pea Foundation! We're doing very well- Big Sister Pewter is her wonderful, yet Bossy, self. She's learned that in a house with a baby- you need to be heard if you want attention. (or at least that's what she thinks... so we hear A LOT more of her lately). She's got us on a rigid schedule, but is still sweet as ever. Happy Holidays to you! Danielle, Rich, Andi and Pewter

Thank you Danielle, Rich, and Andi for loving Pewter, and for giving her such a lovely place to call home for the rest of her happy, bossy days...

Birthday Boy!

2009-08-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Happy 8th Birthday, Kane!

photo by Emily

photo by Laura M.

CH Clearview's Redhot Hurrikane CDX NJP RN VC

Whew, you've packed a lot of living into 8 short years! You're a good man, Mr. Stinky. :-) Let's see what you can do in the next 8 years. Happy Birthday!!!

Self-trained Contacts?

2009-08-24T05:23:00.000-07:00

OK, so first, the obvious. Yes, I know this is a Vallhund video on the Cardigan blog! oops. But, after waiting the full 18 hours 37 minutes it takes to upload a short video, I decided it would just stay here. :-)

The A-frame is lowered to the full length of the chains. Darby and Breezy were precariously trying to climb the full-height A-frame during a super high speed frap session, so I felt it safer to lower it.

I never taught this to Darby, she just started running up and over the A-frame, and then one time she took her ball. I don't know if she got nervous at the top and thought she couldn't "walk and chew bubble gum" to get back down with the ball in her mouth, but she dropped it, and the ball rolled down the frame. Well, that looked like fun, so Darby ran after it, and then back up, roll, chase down, etc. etc.

Maybe she does have a future in agility? Or as a circus dog?

Another Normal Girl

2009-08-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

I have to laugh thinking that any of my girls are "normal," but yesterday we got Breezy's OFA results back. Normally I would scan the pretty colored papers and post, but somewhere between the agility spare bathroom (that served as my office during the Vallhund agility specialty) and the host hotel in Topeka, Kansas, I lost half of the cord to my scanner/printer/copier. sigh.

But Breezy's elbows came back NORMAL, and that was a huge relief to me. When she was about 7 months old, Breezy was still in her daredevil phase, and leaping from the back of the sofa. The result was a growth plate injury, and a broken widdle weg. Lots and lots of crate rest and leash restrictions for Daredevil Puppy was quite a challenge over several weeks, but she healed well and it was a matter of hoping for the best that by relieving the pressure for the bone that was not finished growing, we would prevent any later elbow displaysia. Just a couple of weeks ago we took the films, and I was amazed to see that the two front legs looked identical, and you could not even tell that anything had happened to that front leg. Breezy's hips came back FAIR, not surprising since I waited until only weeks before she's due to come in season. So far, the other two littermates submitted both came back GOOD, so I'm pleased with all normal results.

Telling Secrets

2009-08-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love this dog? The sweetest moment of our adventure to the Lake of the Ozarks last Saturday, Kane telling secrets to my friend's daughter, Ashley, resting his chin on her shoulder, just checking to make sure she was OK. Of course, Ashley was up to no good, that orange tube is a water blaster, and she was parked at the edge of the dock, blasting her dad, brother and sister in the head with water! But she looks sweet in the photo, if you don't know what she's up to. :-)

I'm sure this sweet face would never be up to any trouble! And what you can't see in this photo is Gizmo cruising the edge of the dock, because Ashley had, um, a bit of "casting trouble" and her hot dog bait was flopping off the hook and onto the edge of the deck 9 times out of 10. Never fear, Gizmo was always available for clean-up duties. No hot dog went to waste!

Did You Know?

2009-08-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Did you know that when you take a Cardigan out on a floating dock and the dock is moving up and down, back and forth, the Cardigan ears don't appear to move like the rest of the Cardigan body? No matter what, Kane's ears were always in the same place, no matter how much the dock moved. The rest of his head moved up and down, but the ears remained the same. Maybe it was a balance thing? Whatever it was, it was pretty funny! More on the "Retirees plus Darby Retreat" later!

Baby Dog Flip

2009-07-20T11:55:00.001-07:00

Kane says to Baby Show Dog, "Study hard, Grasshoppuh, and you too can master the Cardigan Flip some day. Oh, and stay off my sofa, too!"

*I know, I know, the photos from my cell phone are less than stellar, but it seems like I don't have my camera anywhere near where the cute stuff is happening these days!

The Flip

2009-07-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Taken with my cell phone so the quality is bad, but just for Cathy to compare with Louis. :-) Cardi boys, they make you laugh!

Skyla

2009-07-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

We have been doing some dog show traveling with our friends Michelle and Skyla. Skyla is Darby's BFF outside of her sisters Bree and Syd. We think she's very pretty, and she loves to play.

(please note, the photo of Darby and Skyla is taken at our completely renovated Motel 6 in San Antonio. Platform beds-great for short dogs to run under, laminate flooring, flat screen TV built into the wall)

Sky and Michelle graciously hosted Darby for a week when I had to travel to Montana for work. We traveled to South Dakota for shows, and then they came along with us to San Antonio. Alas, not even Skyla was immune to the sombreros for dogs campaign. She thought maybe it was just a "Vallhund Thing" but she discovered that she was also going to have to endure the humiliation right along with her Vallhund friends.

Darby was really happy to have her friend Skyla along with us on the trip, especially when we had to stop the van and stay over an extra night in Texas. Darby's mom was really glad Skyla's mom was with us on the trip, especially when we had car trouble and had to stay over an extra night in Texas! I hated that Michelle had to miss another day of work and that we lost an entire day, but she is definitely very calm and cool in a crisis!

Kane's Weekend

2009-07-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Kane and friends stayed with the Kingsbury gang while the Vallhunds went to Texas. We were delayed with car trouble (that turned out not to be car trouble), and did not get home Sunday night as expected.

Monday morning I was texting Jacque to be sure the dogs were OK and she had enough food, etc. etc. Jacque texts me back: Your dogs are fine here. Mr Sassy Pants thought he was goin' home last night so he's in a snit here today, although breakfast seemed to take his mind off it!

Poor Kane, he really likes to keep to a schedule, and he does NOT like a last minute change in plans. I guess he was a bit vocal and gave Jacque a talking to and flea-biting tantrum Monday morning! When I picked up the dogs last night, I did not have enough crates for everyone for the short trip home. I put Kane in the front, and notice that he was not going to let me off the hook for leaving him an extra day. He would not look at me, and he leaned as far to the other side of the car as possible. He's not spoiled or anything...

HomeChicken Takes a Road Trip

2009-06-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

This is so stupid. Is it over yet??

Breezy, my sweet little red HomeChicken, took a trip to the dog show over the weekend. We went to Vermillion, South Dakota. Travelling with us were Hawk and Darby from the Hurrikane homestead, and Michelle and her Cardigan Skyla. Bree is such a homebody, she loves going for a ride in the van, and she loves visiting some of her friends' houses and her dog buddies, but she's NOT the dog who loves to go new places. So I made her travel hundreds of miles and go to a dog show anyway!!! She has a classic pout with sad eyes and ears straight out to the side.

I had no idea how Breezy would do with Skyla. Skyla and Darby and Hawk are absolute BFFs, and Bree and Darby are inseparable at home. I wasn't sure if Bree would make everyone miserable or not. But she did really great, was able to walk on a leash right alongside Skyla, and the two girls were even up on one of the beds at the hotel together for a short time.

At the dog show, Breezy told me that she still holds the opinion that smash-faced little dogs like Pugs and Frenchies are alien life forms that should be erradicated from the earth, but she showed very well in the Cardigan ring and earned Reserve to a major both days this weekend. Not bad for the HomeChicken on her first trip to a show. In her 2 1/2 years, she's shown exactly twice before this weekend. One day at 6 months and 1 day old, and then again one day last month in Gardner. Here's Bree and Skyla, watching Border Collies show on Sunday from a cool spot in the shade.

Breezy was VERY vocal in telling all of us that she has absolutely NO use for wiggling, jumping, bouncing tri-color Cardigan puppy boys named Justice, though. If you've never heard Breezy's combination whine/growl that she can sustain without taking a breath, it's quite a treat. When Justice showed up at our room to play with Skyla, Darby, and Hawk, Breezy was definitely not amused. I'm not sure she ever stopped to take a breath from her whining.

Scenes from Butte, MT

2009-06-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

Our Lady of the Rockies on the Continental Divide.

I dunno what it is, but I loved the shadow with the sunset approaching. I'm sure it's something mining related! *** UPDATE*** I asked at the hospital this morning, and this rig is called a "head frame." There used to be pulley cables from the top down to the right, and the solid part on the left was an elevator down into the mine. I learned something new today.

Seeing Montana in person leaves little doubt as to why it's called Big Sky Country. I think this week is the first week they have not had some kind of snow.

Photos of the Berkley Pit, the biggest copper (?) mine in the state (or the country, I should have paid better attention).

I just loved the brick design on this building and the amazing purple flowering vine creeping over the walls.

One Lucky Squirrel

2009-05-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

I was walking Carly this morning, and we were in the front yard. I noticed a squirrel running sort of awkwardly down the driveway next door. It looked like he had some kind of yellow flag sticking out the side of his mouth. He didn't seem startled or afraid to walk right by Carly on the Flexi leash. I watched him climb the tree, and when he came back around where I could see him, he was flat against the tree, and he was carrying an entire Butterfinger candy bar in his mouth. It was wider than his stretched out legs! I took Carly back inside and grabbed my camera. The photos aren't very good because the little squirrel went pretty high up in the tree, but I thought these were cute. He was VERY excited about the treasure he found for breakfast. I have no idea where a squirrel finds a Butterfinger candy bar just laying around, but I guess it was his lucky day!

Too bad Cooper wasn't here, it would have been a two-fer. Squirrel plus candy bar, definitely better than just a stupid old rabbit by itself!

Further Photographic Evidence

2009-05-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Of a bad Dog-mom.

Poor Kane, he was just laying on the patio, grazing on the weeds, and it started raining. His mom did not hear the rain, and Kane just waited patiently. I had to run out with the camera (rather than dry off the dog or console him or apologize for leaving him out in the rain) because his little outline with the stubby back legs was too cute for words. :-) I can almost see him with his front legs hanging off the edge of the cement, grazing in the rain.

Happy 13th, Uncle Gizmo!

2009-05-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

Photo by Emily Rose

It's PARTY time!

He's officially a teenager now! I hope this is not the beginning of back-talk and rebellious behavior. Oh wait, Gizmo's always been a back-talker and trouble seems to find him no matter where he is! Love you Gizmo! Life would be very boring without you. :-)

Gizmo got Sonic ice cream treats after breakfast this morning, and the nice people at Sonic gave us enough to share with the rest of the family. Everydoggie LOVES their Sonic ice cream treat!

If any of our doggie friends DON'T live near a Sonic, then we are very, very sorry. Please ask your parents to move as soon as possible so you can share in the Sonic treats!

And the winner of the "Oh My Dog, this is the BEST stuff ever Giant Eyes Award" goes to....

CARLY!

*Editor's Note: Nick was unable to partake in the ice cream sharing party this morning because, when he initially arrived at the party, he tried to gulp the ice cream and the styrofoam cup all together in one bite...

Signs of Summer!

2009-05-06T19:36:00.000-07:00

Notice the out of control tall-grass prairie in the yard from the over 8 inches of rain in April!

Maybe it's not officially here, but we've had a few days that actually feel like summer. Just some fun shots on a nice, sunny afternoon. Giz showing off his "summer cut." I know, it always looks like a chop shop haircut that first week or so, but he's got a lot of extra skin, and he can't stand too long on the table, so we just get the necessary fur off, and he's good to go. I love watching him after his summer cut, because he runs around and acts so much like a puppy.

Uh-oh, this is a new development in the last couple of weeks... Breezy and Darby pairing up as new BFF. Any way you slice it, this can only mean Double Trouble!!

And Syd, looking oh-so sweet from the smaller dog yard, watching the birds land on top of the privacy fence. It's almost impossible to see any resemblance in these photos to the cell phone eating creature from last week! :-)

Gizmo to the Rescue - Parade

2009-04-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Gizmo was entered in the Rescue Parade this year. He has not participated in the Rescue Parade since 2004 at the Lake St. Louis specialty. I think he really enjoyed his time in the ring. I know I'm lucky to have him. He has brought so much to the family over the last 6 1/2 years, and he trully opened the doors for me to meet some of the most fantastic people in Cardigans. Without him, I would never have had the chance to have my beautiful girls and a great friendship with someone I consider a wonderful mentor.

Thanks for taking these photos of Gizmo's special moment in the spotlight, Laura! I just realized I have *very* few photos from the specialty, because I never had my camera out. I took some with other cameras for people, but I have very little to share in the way of photos. Hey Emily, when you have a chance can you post the one of Gizzer moving in the ring? I swear, he thinks he's a show dog, and his side gait is pretty spectacular for an almost 13 year old dog with pins in his pelvis! I told Gizmo that he SURELY would have won the "Neutered, Used-to-be-Brindle-but-now-Grey, No-tailed, Deaf" Class in the Megan. Somehow that class didn't get published in the premium, though.

[Garrett's] Justice Is Served

2009-04-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Garrett let me steal Justice for some puppy playtime on Friday afternoon. The little dude is 6 months old, and he really wore out the two girls. During this entire week, Darby never got tired of wrestling and pinning Cardigans, young and old. So it was a shock to see that she had met her match in the energy department after Justice arrived in the puppy pen. Darby even tried to nap, but Justice kept provoking her to play just a little bit longer...

We Survived!

2009-04-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Sheesh, I just plugged in the computer for the first time in a week, and I'm already a week behind all those dedicated bloggers who have posted every detail of their CWCCA specialty experience!

I'm lucky to finally be home and have a giant heap o'stuff piled on the sofa, while I wait for a magic spell to take effect that will miraculously put everything away without my assistance!

Much more on the specialty later, and I did get at least a few photos. I was lazy though, knowing that Emily was taking a zillion photos, so I hope to see hers soon!

For the brief wrap-up for the Hurrikane Gang:

Kane -

finished his NJP (Novice Jumpers Preferred) agility title, with a 2nd place Monday and 1st place Tuesday. This new title also qualifies him for the Versatile Cardigan VC award from the CWCCA!
placed 2nd in Veterans obedience both Monday and Tuesday. He NQd in Open B both days, but he did provide some comic relief, especially with his slower than watching paint dry drop on recall! He's a good sport though, and he tried his best.

Syd -

skipped all her agility trials because she came in season a week or so before. sigh. little sh*t...
made the cut to the final 5 in the brindle bitch class in the Megan on Tuesday night
had fun on Saturday in Best of Breed (meaning she did nothing but showed like a superstar)
finished the LONNNNNGGGG week with an Award of Merit at the Three Trails CWC Club of KC Regional Specialty under breeder judge Gayle Garvin. Wow, what a good girl to play in the ring one last time and do her mother proud!

Gizmo -

survived eating a hole in a bag of dog food at jacque's house and stuffing himself with kibble that is not on his daily menu.
had a terrific time and got lots of applause as the Rescue Parade participant, and I think he really enjoyed his few minutes in the spotlight with all the cheering.

Darby -

was the prettiest Vallhund at the show
had a blast wrestling with any cardigan who was game to take on the undefeated Vallhund!
finally met her match when playing with Justice, Garrett's puppy. whew, she was tired, and Justice wanted to keep playing!

I hope everyone made it home safe and sound, and we'll hopefully post more details and some photos later, like MUCH later, after life gets back to normal!

And She Wins the Group

2009-04-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

At the tender age of 15 weeks!

Well, Darby had a very exciting weekend. She went with me to the Wichita shows this weekend. I decided to enter her in the Saturday evening B match just for the experience. Miss Sherri was there with her beautiful Cardigan puppies, and I said Jacque and I would help her show them. I did tell her with a wink, though, that when it came down to the Group, my priorities were with the #1 dog in my "string." HAAA. Darby was the only Swedish Vallhund, and there were 20-something Herding dogs entered in the match.

Darby did OK for her breed judging, and our judge was a sweet Bearded Collie breeder from Colorado. She was gentle with the puppies, and so patient with the babies. She was kind to Darby, and as she handed us the Best of Breed ribbon, she told me she thought my puppy was very pretty.

When we went in for the Group judging, Darby was much more lively with other pups in the ring at the same time. She was animated, and wow did she move. The judge came down the line at the end of judging, and I thought she was going to point to Sherri's pretty Cardigan puppy. But, she kept moving and pointed to Darby for the Group 1. :-) As we left the ring, the judge said that she had not seen too many Vallhunds, but what she knew was that the breed needed a well put together front, and good balance, and the ability to move and cover ground. She said she thought Darby was a really nice baby.

By the time the other groups finished up and we went for Best in Match, Darby was more than tired. I picked her up when there was one dog ahead on the table, and she curled up under my chin and thought we were done. She was very quiet on the table for BIM, but she got animated again when it was time to move. The baby Papillon won Best in Match, and it was really a cute little baby.

I think that Darby has set the bar pretty high for herself. What a good little Muffin. Here are a few pix (thanks, Jacque!). Enjoy. And keep in mind that she's never been stacked before, so I thought she did a heckuva job trying to stand like a show dog!

Wordless Wednesday. Eye/Mouth Coordination

2009-04-01T16:33:00.001-07:00

Chillin' in the Snow

2009-03-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Breezy and the puppy, just hanging out together on a sunny afternoon. If we had to get more snow, I'll try to see the fun in it, and capture the joy it creates for the dogs. It's hard to remember the fun, because all I see is the future of the mud it creates when it melts!

Successful Amputation

2009-03-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

This little guy named "Pinkie" is an all-time favorite, picked up at the Houston shows almost 2 years ago. He was invaluable in keeping a then 7 month old Sydney occupied and happy during a very busy show. I was working about 13 hour days all three days of that show. Thank goodness for Pinkie and his 8 legs, each with a squeaker, his rattle and squeaker head, and his crinkle-filled body.

Pinkie is a special guy (and washable too), not to be taken into the corner and chewed on. He's brought out for special bonding time and training and games of fetch. Last night, apparently Big Nick was able to retrieve Pinkie from the top of the kitchen counter, and within 5 minutes (it's always a matter of "Where's Nick? If I don't see him, he's likely up to no good!), I found a gory mess of fuzz and squeaker.

Quickly, I determined that Pinkie would require an emergency amputation to stop the loss of fuzz and squeak. It was the only option, lose the leg, or lose Pinkie altogether. What's a mother to do? Well, I performed the emergency amputation on the spot, and was able to stem the fuzz loss. Sadly, the squeaker from that leg could not be saved, it had squeaked it's last squeak at the mercy of Nick's strong teeth.

I am happy to report that Pinkie's smile looks just as happy today, with only 7 1/2 legs, as it did before the "accident." I just hope his octupus friends don't make fun of him. Syd was quite relieved at the positive outcome for her special friend, and I think she'll forgive Nick in time.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

2nd Trial-NOT the Charm

2009-03-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Oh dear. Friday Kane was a zippy Cardigan, enjoying his time in the limelight on the Jumpers course. I'm not sure what happened between Friday and Sunday, but Sunday we were in Carthage, MO for Syd and Kane to run a Jumpers run. Kane was up first, and well, he finished the course with zero faults, but there was that little problem of him being 20 seconds OVER course time. ARGH! It was painful, and it all seemed like slow motion. Well, it was slow motion. haa. We got to the weave poles and he would go through one and look up at me, smiling his mesmerizing smile, oblivious to the clock I could practically hear ticking in my head! I finally said to him, "Kane, we're going to run out of time, buddy!" and I heard people laugh from the sidelines. Well, good, at least we provided about 110 seconds of quality entertainment for the crowd!

There were only THREE dogs in 8 inch class, and surprisingly, they were all Cardigans! (Hi Ned, the blue merle, if you're out there) So, I moved Kane to the front, and had to run to get Syd while Ned ran the course. Syd, as opposite as possible from Kane, ran that course faster than I've ever seen her run a course. I don't know who that dog was, but she worked well out from me, she seemed to know the course without me even telling her, and even when she popped out of the weaves twice and burned LOADS of time because I had to figure out what direction she needed to go through, she STILL finished a full 8 seconds under course time. I thought I saw smoke rising from her path. Unfortunately, with a jump, tunnel, jump to go, Syd took a nasty spill coming over the back of a jump after a very tight turn. She tried her best, but couldn't correct in time and took the jump more than late. She took out the jump and herself, which got a gasp from the spectators, but without blinking, she was up and in the tunnel, and finished the course to huge applause from those watching. After our run, people came up to me and said things like, "Neat dog!" and "Wow, she's fast, that's pretty cool!" So I wasn't imagining her performance on Sunday, she was running like a fast, seasoned pro! Too bad for the bars down, but I have no complaints, I was thrilled with her performance and very relieved to know she didn't hurt herself during her less-than-graceful crash! More about Syd's Friday in Des Moines over on her blog later.... and my course maps scanned as pdf files this time, so operator error with the scanner, I'll upload them as jpg images tonight. :-) I really liked the Novice JWW from Carthage on Sunday. And obviously Syd loved it too!

Not To Be Outdone By Sister Syd...

2009-03-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Not to be outdone by PS (Pesky Sister, or Pesky Syd, take your pick) and her 2nd place Q in her first Jumpers trial, Kane entered the agility ring for the first time in at least 6 years. I entered him in Novice Jumpers, and he qualified with zero faults, a perfect 100, and 1st place in his class. Congratulations, Senior Sassy Pants! First trial, first leg. :-) He did his very best to run fast, keep the bars up, and weave like he remembered them from all those years ago. Gosh I love this dog! So Kane says, "Take that Syd. You only got 2nd place in your first trial. I'll always be the Superstar in THIS family."
P.S. The second photo is from my phone. Until I uploaded it, I didn't realize Kane was all squinty-eyed. Um, it was nothing but grey and dreary outside, so I have no idea why kane looks like the sun was beaming into his eyes! Perhaps he's just a little dramatic. :-)

Gizmo's Plea...

2009-03-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

"Carly, Come Back!!!"

Poor Gizzer, he never gets a moment of peace anymore. The puppy just loves him, and he does like to play with the youngsters, but at almost 13 years old, Uncle Gizzer needs a nap every now and then.

Tolerance

2009-03-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

Nick and Gizzer had just settled in for a Sunday morning nap after a romp in the new snow. And along came THIS.

We Are Thankful for Great Veterinarians!

2009-02-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

I just have to give a shout out and yet another THANK YOU to our favorite vets, Dr. Wingert (shown here with our buddy Bitsy) and Dr. Becker (below) at Independence Animal Hospital. I've been to several vet clinics over the years, and some I've liked, some I will never go back to. I started using Independence Animal Hospital about 6-7 years ago, and I can't imagine going anywhere else.

Our most recent visit to the clinic was last night. At about 10:30 last night, Kane all of a sudden looked like he swallowed a watermelon. No kidding, he looked like he had 10 puppies. He even had the skinny waistline because all the weight was dragging down to a bloated belly look. His gums were OK, his tummy squeaked a bit when I listened to it, and his temp was fine. He did not want to go outside, he just wanted to lay down. I thought he might be bloating, so I squeezed a phazyme onto his gums to see if that would help.

By 11:15, I knew I needed professional advice. I called the clinic, knowing there would be an on-call number posted on the machine. Dr. Wingert was on call last night, and he answered his phone on the second ring. I gave him the rundown, apologizing for the late call at the end of each sentence. He asked questions, and said he was concerned about the distended belly. I asked him if I should take Kane to one of the local emergency clinics. His response? "No, meet me at the clinic in 20 minutes so I can take a look at him myself." Most of the vet clinics in this area have an answering machine that directs people to one of the emergency clinics in town. There isn't a pager number or an on-call vet who knows you and your dog. It's only a voicemail referral to the high-dollar emergency clinic. Dr. Wingert appeared at the clinic, examined Kane, and he decided to snap a couple of xrays just to be sure everything was OK. His exam did not unearth anything terribly wrong with Kane, such as heart or kidney failure, fluid in the abdomen, or blockage. He didn't want to overlook something, and the xrays showed Kane with a ton of gas in his belly, but all else looked normal.

A shot of meds to help ease his discomfort was the total of the treatment required. I apologized profusely for not waiting until morning. Dr. Wingert said it was completely fine, and with the symptom of a distended/bloated belly, it could have been something bad. He said he knew that HE would sleep better knowing that Kane was OK, and that he didn't want to imagine what might have happened if I waited til morning and Kane had a life-threatening problem. He told me to call the clinic in the morning to let him know if Kane was doing better, or to just bring him in if he was not better.

We headed home shortly after midnight, and when we walked out the door, Dr. Wingert was already starting to check in on the overnight patients in the clinic, so I have no idea what time he got to go home. Kane is completely normal and back to his happy self this morning, and he doesn't really acknowledge or feel sorry that his mom got about zero sleep last night!

In the last few months, I've been into the clinic on a Saturday for one reason or another, and either Dr. Becker or Dr. Wingert want me to bring a dog back on Sunday for a re-check. When I showed up at the clinic on a recent Sunday morning during the time the Dr. Becker makes his rounds and checks hospital inpatients, I walked into a waiting room that was quite busy. Several people were there with their pets, waiting to see Dr. Becker. I teased him that he had to stop answering his phone, the waiting room looked like normal business hours. He smiled and said that he just hated for people not to have a vet available when they needed one, and he also hated to see people spend hundreds of dollars just to walk in the door of one of the emergency clinics.

Sometimes I take it for granted that I have such fantastic vets. But then when one of the dogs needs care outside of normal business hours, or I hear less than flattering things from people about their own vet clinic, it reminds me that my dogs (and Tigger the cat too!) are SO lucky to have the best.

Not Our Most Organized Day...

2009-01-26T05:02:00.000-08:00

... You know how some days you just want to rewind and start over? I am thinking yesterday was one of those days! Well, at least after 12:30 pm.

We went to the Lake St. Louis shows for a couple of reasons. Laura was entering with Carly, our co-own pup. I wanted to see them both, and Carly's brother Sherman was also entered. I haven't seen him since August . I also wanted to get Hawk back in the ring to practice and keep up his attention. I wanted to enter Syd just so she can DO something outside of agility practice and conformation classes. And, finally, it was time to take a deep breath and show Kane in Open B obedience again. If he's going to enter at the CWCCA specialty, we have to get some practice in. It's been two years since he trialed (at the CWCCA specialty May 2006). I had to search for his dumbell and wash all the dust off! Kane and I practiced very little before the weekend. Like going to ONE drop-in class three weeks ago. That's how "little" we practiced!

Kane showed on the dirt floor of a horse barn yesterday morning, and I got a jolt when I strolled up to the stewards table and discovered that the 4 dogs ahead of us in line were No Shows. EEEK. With a smile, the steward told me calmly that I had about four minutes and then we'd be up for our turn in the ring. I took Kane out, we played a bit in the practice arena, and off we went. Anyone who knows Kane in obedience knows that we have had on and off lagging issues in heeling. I worried that Kane would be flat and stressed. The first exercise was Drop On Recall, and, well, Kane blew the drop. He took off out of his wait like a shot, and when I gave the drop command, he slowed, lowered his head, but kept creeping. When the judge finally signaled that we failed the exercise, I gave a second command, Kane dropped like a champion, and the judge was kind enough to finish calling the front and finish. It was actually nice to blow it on the first exercise, because the rest of the run was stress free, and great practice with my dog. Second was retrieve over the high jump, and that was great. Then came heeling and figure 8. I felt a bit nervous, but hoped for the best. Well, Kane did me proud, and he was happy, up, and heeled with me beautifully. I could only see his smiling face looking up at me, but friends outside the ring said his heeling was great, and his tail was up and wagging. That made my day! He even forged a bit on the outside turn of the Figure 8. We didn't even practice this once before the trial. Kane completely blew off the Broad Jump, which was no surprise. I realized (as we were walking over to set up for the broad jump), that we had not done any practice in a LONNNGGG time. Good boy, Kane, you gave it a try! Sits and downs were perfect, so I was really thrilled with how well Kane did, considering his mother did NOT prepare him for the trial.

So, obedience was over by 11:30, and conformation was not until 2pm. We went to lunch, walked the dogs, etc. For some reason, I was walking out to pick up armbands and some liver, and I looked up to see the ONE class Cardigan dog already in the ring. ARGH. Hawk showed before Cardigans, so I completely blew his ring time. And Carly was in the first puppy btch class, and I sprinted back to grooming, grabbed her from Laura, and took off. It was close, and I arrived just as the other 6-9 puppy left the ring. SORRY LAURA and CARLY! Poor Carly thought some mad-woman had taken her lead, the way we were running. I will say that once we were at ringside, Carly was pretty animated and alert from her big dash to the ring. Nothing like having all day to putz around, and missing a 2pm ring time! We'd been at the show since 9:30 that morning. I swear... I guess it's just another day, another dog show! I'd like to say it's because this was my first dog show, but that probably wouldn't fly. :-)

Take a Boe-Woe, Nick

2009-01-23T13:25:00.001-08:00

Nick deserves to take a Bow-wow, or in Nick's case, a Boe-Woe. One night this week, everyone was sound asleep. Nick usually sleeps at the foot of my bed, unless he's snoring in my ear, sharing my pillow! On this night, I was sleeping soundly, and did not hear any commotion until Nick alerted. I awoke to those sounds we dog-moms identify immediately as "not the normal bark." Not only was Nick barking, he had jumped the gate from the hallway into the living room, and he was standing on the back of the sofa (yes, all 95 pounds of him perched on the back of the sofa like a cat). He had pushed the plantation blinds out of the big front window, and his entire body was taking up the window. I could hear the window vibrating back the low growling and barking. I did not know what time it was, but it was still pitch black, so I knew it was definitely before 6am, and something was not right.

I had not heard anything prior to Nick's barking and growling, so I eased up toward the front door, ready to peer out the two small windows at the top of the door. I anticipated seeing a wayward dog or cat, even a raccoon in the yard, or something equally as dangerous, like a trash can lid blowing through the yard with our heavy winds!

Instead, I had a major adrenaline rush when I tiptoed up to the front door windows and found myself eye to eye with a man standing on my front porch. EEEEKKKK. I hollered through the door, asking who he was looking for. In the end, it turned out to that he was looking for the same house number on the next street over, but it was still scary. And after all was over and I was way too alert to go back to sleep, I figured out that it was 4am. I never heard the man knock or ring the doorbell at all. But thank goodness Nick did, and I am definitely glad to know the Big Dog is around to watch out for us.

Zen and Zzzzs

2009-01-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, Kane, Giz, and Syd went to see their favorite vet. The dogs love to go see Dr. Perkins because she is their chiropractic/acupuncture veterinarian. This is always the most relaxing time for the dogs (and for me). Aunt Jacque gave Giz the best Christmas present ever. She gave him a gift certificate to go see Dr. Perkins for an acupuncture visit. Kane and Sydney had chiropractic adjustments. Kane gets a little hitch in his giddyup sometimes, and Dr. Perkins gets him all back together. Sydney is just fine, but since she's getting serious about her agility training, I want her to keep up with maintenance to be sure she stays healthy and happy.

Gizmo always gets his needles when he visits Dr. Perkins. Then his needles get hooked up to some electro-stimulation, and it's Lights-Out for Gizmo. The office has some really great relaxation music playing, and it's quiet and peaceful. Once Kane and Syd had their adjustments, they sacked out while Gizmo had his acupuncture.

Gizmo looks like he's mad, but it isn't because of all the needles. It was because I was trying to get a photo and he was fighting to keep his eyes open. For a dog who can't sit still for two seconds, the dog is a wet noodle (a snoring wet noodle) during and after his 30 minutes of acupuncture.

I was afraid that Giz might fall off the table today. He was completely asleep, arm and head lolling precariously off the edge. I always love the needles in his head. The first photo shows his Tinky Winky needle, and this photo shows his Antennae needles. :-) Notice the semi-comatose Kane snoozing on the floor.

Syd learned very quickly that the second chair in the room was much more comfortable than the cushioned flooring. This is about as serene as this little girl has ever been! I admit, I even take the time to relax and I often close my eyes and take advantage of the peace and quiet.

Happy 10th Birthday, Nick!!!

2009-01-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

Boe-Woe! Nick's 10 today!

2005, with his favorite tennis ball, minus the grey face.

You might be grey, and you might have to stretch a little bit longer when you wake up in the morning, but without a doubt, you are still a puppy at heart!

Good boy, Nick. You're a kitty's best friend.

P.S. We *think* Nick may share his birthday with a new baby from Sullivan, MO, but we are not sure exactly what time the text message arrived. :-)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

Mom loves you, Kane!

Congratulations, Kane (only two years late)

2009-01-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

Woops, I have no idea how I did not know this, but my laziness alerted me to yet another proud mom moment. I looked at the calendar and realized that there are only a few close-by opportunities to get Kane brushed up on his Open B obedience. I plan to enter him at the specialty in April, just to support the club, and hope he qualifies! His CDX and obedience trials are 2 years behind him. So, as I'm entering him in the Wentzville show and trying to remember his registration number, I am too lazy to actually leave the computer or go through the tedious steps to log in to my account at the AKC website to look it up. I opted to Google his name, hoping one of his show entries would pop up and I could get his registration number.

One of the Google listings was the Front & Finish obedience rankings for 2006. I opened the link and did a search through the document for his name. Kane trialed 6 times in 2006, two days in March and four days in May. He finished his CDX in 5 trials, placing 4th in Open A (class of 25 entries), and the last day winning a run-off for 3rd place in that same class of 25 entries in Open A. The 6th trial was bonus, at the CWCCA specialty, where he won 1st place in Open A. So it never occurred to me to check rankings or anything. What I discovered Friday is that Kane was ranked as the #4 Cardigan in obedience for 2006, with only 6 trials to his name that year. Huh, imagine that! :-) Good boy, Kane! I think I owe you an extra cookie, and it's only 2 years late.

Nick Loves Santa!

2008-12-29T11:21:00.001-08:00

Especially when Santa and Uncle Stacy are one and the same! Here's the "aww, how cute" photo of my three hooligans with Santa Stacy yesterday. Once we were finished with the group shot of all five corgis (over at Laura's www.coopercreekcardigans.blogspot.com) , I brought out Nick to have our family photo with Santa Stacy. Gosh, aren't my dogs all so well-behaved??? haaa

Nick was good with the idea of the photo, and he was really behaving well at first. But then, well, let's just say that he discovered that the man in the funny suit and beard was his favorite Uncle Stacy. And since Nick is 10 years old, but his energy and enthusiasm make him more like 10 months old, chaos ensued! And Kane is all about things being in order, so his expression of exasperation at having HIS photo shoot interrupted is priceless. You just gotta love a dog who will *never* grow up!

Then and Now

2008-12-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

It's been a few years since Mel, Laura, Kane, and I have been in the same place at the same time. In fact, I think it was January of 2005. So, nearly 4 years later, we got to spend the day together at Laura's house. And thanks to a nice stranger in the Walmart parking lot, we have the photo to commemorate. :-) Kane objected today just as much as he did in 2005!

Then:

Now:

Happy Holidays from the Hurrikane Family

2008-12-24T19:52:00.001-08:00

Kane, Gizmo, Sydney, Hawk, Savannah, and Nick

A very sleepy Kane, Gizmo, Breezy, Hawk, Savannah, Nick, and Tiggercat

Catnip Addict

2008-12-23T21:09:00.000-08:00

I am the reason for Tigger's new Catnip Habit. I found a cute little cat-mat made by the company that does the "Big Scary Kitties" dog toys. I thought it was cute, and it was at a close-out store for $2.00. Tigger is 13 1/2 years old, and he's never really had an affinity for catnip. I thought this might be a cute mat to put his Snugglesafe under during the winter. The label on the mat said it had catnip inside the mat.

When I put the mat out to see if Tig had any interest, I was amazed. He was definitely interested, and he could not remove his nose from the mat.

Then he started licking the mat, and his ears pointed straight back.

When his tail started to twitch, I took the mat away.

Tigger did not move from this position for at least five minutes, and his pupils were freaking me out. Once he was out of his trance, he dozed off, oblivious to all the dogs playing and barking around him.

I can just see the public service announcement starring Tigger.

"This is your cat. This is your cat on catnip."

Archive Photo- Tagged by Laura

2008-12-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

Uh-oh. I knew I was in trouble when the 6th folder in my archives was titled "Scanned Photos." My dad sent me some pictures last year that he found digging through photo albums. I scanned them in, and saved them in my photo archives. So here's picture #6 from folder #6:

Can you find me? I'm the skinny kid in the very middle of the photo. That's my Springer Spaniel, Jake, sitting in perfect a perfect Front, wearing his Santa hat. I guess I was maybe 13 or 14, and Jake and I were very involved with our obedience club, Seminole Dog Fanciers Association. We participated in a community event as kind of a "drill team" with our dogs on a few occasions that I can remember. I think we did pinwheel heeling, group recall, etc.

What will they think of next?

2008-12-05T09:54:00.001-08:00

http://www.pootrapusa.com/

I'm sorry, but this just seems a bit over the top. I bet it takes a lot longer to get the dog into the contraption than it does to do a simple baggie clean up. And in the end, there's still a baggie to deal with, and IMO, it looks like that might be more difficult to deal with and create a bigger mess. ick. I swear.

Generations

2008-12-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

Especially for Emily, a Maggie smile to help heal your heart...

Cyber Monday

2008-12-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

www.cybermonday.com

This is the kind of holiday shopping I can handle! No crowds, no fuss, and mostly free shipping. With a bonus of special additional savings every hour for a different store.

Happy Gotcha Day, Savannah!

2008-11-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

Savannah Now...

It seems like just yesterday that I picked up the dogs' Aunt Julie and headed out to Topeka, KS. We were "going to see a man about a dog." I'm pretty sure I wanted to cry during the entire drive, several times almost turning around and ditching the whole adventure. I didn't cry, because I almost couldn't let myself think about what we were going to do. {For those who never had the privilege to know her, I said goodbye to my Best Girl, Graycie, at the end of June 2007. When I explain my connection to Graycie, I would say that if Kane is my Heart (because most everyone knows Kane, and just how special he is), Graycie was my Soul. After I had to say goodbye unexpectedly to Graycie in June, I was pretty sure that there would never be another Weimaraner in our home. However, the house seemed incomplete, The Boyz had lost their leader, and nobody seemed comfortable assuming a leadership role. We were all just kind of lost.}

Fast forward to November 2007. Someone in my office wanted to adopt a dog. I directed her to Petfinder, and somehow, a listing got into my inbox. It was a listing for "Weimaraner, Senior, Female." I felt my stomach lurch just reading the header. Why I clicked on the link, I'll never know. But for some reason, I was compelled to see this dog. What I read was a Petfinder listing for a senior Weim, from a shelter in rural Kansas, west of Topeka. The shelter was merely some runs put up at the city water treatment plant. All animals were exposed to the elements, and the city had no budget for a shelter. Volunteers made everything possible for the animals who needed help.

The Weim in this photo, listed with the name "Towanda," was one of the lucky few who had found a family to foster her. She was with a lovely couple and their dogs. During another strange, out of body moment, I found myself emailing the foster family to inquire about the situation of this old Weim. I learned that Towanda was sweet and gentle, but she was pretty gimpy. It seems that she had been injured on her left side, probably years ago, and she had a bad limp in her front left. Her back left was weak, and she did not put her full weight on her back left leg. I started talking with the foster dad, Preston, and his wife Anna about this dog. Preston and Anna loved Towanda, and they had pretty much resigned themselves that nobody would want to adopt an old, crippled Weimaraner. Oh, and she had a giant tumor hanging from her chest, just as a bonus. However, I'll never forget one email when Preston said that as much as they loved Towanda, he and Anna could see in her expression that she was always "searching for something" and they felt like perhaps this dog was destined for something else. Even in this photo that Preston sent me, I can see her expression, and see that she's looking, looking for something or someone. The stories I'm sure this dog could tell.

We talked back and forth for a couple of weeks, and then set a date to meet in Topeka so that I could meet Towanda and see what happened. I was approved to adopt her, and the day to drive to Topeka finally arrived. I took Kane with me, because I knew he would tell me if this dog would be OK in our house. When we met in the parking lot at the Topeka Petsmart, I let Kane out, and he sniffed Towanda, and she gave him a glance, and then ignored him. I walked the two of them over to some grass to get some exercise, and I saw how pronounced Towanda's limp was. She nearly lurched forward with every step, but her tail wagged non-stop and she loved going for a walk. When we walked back over to where Preston, Anna, and Julie were chatting, Julie looked at me and I remember her asking, "Do you want to have a few minutes alone with Towanda so you can see if you think this is the right dog for you?" I don't remember exactly what I said, but I think it was something like, "Nope, let's put her in the van and take her home."

For some reason, I felt like maybe Savannah needed me, and the dogs and I needed her. I have a wonderful vet, and a fantastic acupuncture/chiropractic vet, and I really thought maybe we could get this girl to feeling better. So, after getting to know the foster family a bit better, and making sure they were comfortable with me, I loaded up some dog food donations for their city's foster dogs, along with some toys and collars. When we opened the side door of my van, and Preston saw the big dog crate, I asked if Savannah was good in a crate. He said he had no idea if she'd ever even been in a crate. I guess we were about to find out. I travel lots with the dogs, and I was hoping this girl would like to join the fun. Towanda needed some assistance getting up into the side of the van, but she went right into the crate, and she acted like she'd ridden there all her life. Julie and I talked about it several times on the drive home. I couldn't see the dog, but Julie assured me that Towanda was laying down like a professional crate traveller.

Long story a little less long... Towanda came to live with us late last November, and when I saw her smile for the first time, I was reminded of "Savannah Smiles" and so she became... Savannah. Now she's Savannah, S'Vannah, Th'Vannah, and just plain Vannah. And if all else fails, she'll always come running to "Cookie!" She's likely somewhere between 8 and 10 years old, but she refuses to act like a senior.

When I look at her photos from foster care, and I look at the Diva she is now, I just know it was meant to be. I'd like to think that when Preston said she seemed to have a soulful expression and was "searching for something" that maybe somehow she found it with us.

Happy 1st Gotcha Day, Savannah! We* Love You!

*Sydney would like the record to show that in no uncertain terms, she does not and will never love Savannah. Thank goodness they have a bit of an understanding, though, and can co-exist without too much drama!

There's No Place Like Home

2008-11-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

I don't know who is happier that I finally got to come home, me or the dogs. They have a great time at Aunt Jacque's (although Jacque does tell me that Don is their most devoted caretaker!), and they have a giant yard to play in. But, I like to think that they are just happy to see their mom again, and I know I'm so happy to have them back home! Now I wonder how long I can ignore the laundry or the dust that seems to have found a home while we were all gone....

Uncle Gizzer

2008-11-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

Uncle Gizzer at his akka-punker appointment last week. Thanks to Aunt Jacque for taking him to see Dr. Perkins. Some days, an old dog just needs his needles, especially when winter arrives.

I haven't posted much because I have been away from home (and the dogs) so much in the last month, and I miss my kids. I don't like to see their photos much because it makes me miss them more. However, Jacque took Gizmo for his acupuncture and sent me a photo from her cell phone, and that cheered me up lots! Can I just say again, thank dog for good dog friends!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-05T05:35:00.000-08:00

The Devil Wears Grey Velvet

2008-10-31T07:11:00.001-07:00

Savannah's First Howl-O-Ween with the Hurrikane Gang!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

Motley Crew

Baby, uh, I mean Lady, in Red

2008-10-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

My little Breezy. Breezy-bree. Brii-Brii Want to Play.

She's really growing up, almost two years old, and today she got to go on a trip with Frankie and Nick. We met Auntie Laura in Columbia, and we took some time to take photos. Thank goodness for golf courses! It's a real treat to take photos of a Cardigan on grass and not lose all the legs! Thanks to Laura for following us around with the camera, crawling around on the ground, and getting me off the fairway before the next round of golfers came through! Breezy almost looks superimposed in the first photo, but she wasn't. It was just a beautiful green, with trees changing color in the background.

So when do I have to stop calling Syd and Bree "The Puppies?" Since I raised them here, I think they'll always be my "puppies."

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Laura Wins! Raptor Trivia...

2008-10-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

OK, Laura wins! I'll be sending your $1 million prize to you right away.

"Cara" is a Crested Caracara. These birds are also called the Mexican Eagle.

Name That Bird. Hint: They are a national bird, and on a coin in one country. Her species is more closely related to the vultures and falcons than the other birds of prey. hmmmm.
*Maybe Jinnie knows*

They are not found in the Midwest, but this one was flying in my front yard today. She's 32 years old, and was hatched in captivity for a research project about this type of raptor. When she was five years old, this bird was permitted over to a raptor rehabber/educator. My good friend Doris Mager, Florida's Eagle Lady, is travelling through on her way out west to give lectures about birds of prey. I started volunteering with Doris and S.O.A.R. (Save Our American Raptors) when I was just 15. In college, I worked for the organization, and I get to see Doris every once in a while when her path crosses the midwest. She lives in North Carolina when she's not on the road. Believe it or not, Doris is 83!!! She's still going strong, and makes me feel old and tired. She's got this curious creature in her van, plus a Great-horned Owl, a Burrowing Owl, and a beautiful male American Kestrel. I'm hoping to catch some photos of the Kestrel tomorrow.

This funny bird was around when I was a kid volunteering. She always hated the SOAR volunteers, and would "heckle" us when we were cleaning her flight. She's quite the little character. See the orange skin on her face? Well, you can tell when this bird gets upset, because the skin turns yellow. They also have a very interesting call. It's a chatter, and then the throw their head backwards, and touch the top of their head to their back. I'll try to get some video of it tomorrow.

So, what is she? Anyone?

Be Still My Heart

2008-10-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

I know I may be biased, but I just can not get over the cute factor in these photos. And I would give anything to have caught this in focus, but the content outweighs the blur for me.

12 years old, 12 weeks old. Best Buddies. Gizmo and Frankie, BFF....................

Home, Sweet Home

2008-10-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

The bees have moved to Kansas. I'm happy to report that they now live at Anthony's in their very own beehive. Tony was going to meet me this afternoon in between my work and his farm, but they had a glitch with the labels for a big order of lip gloss, so I offered to bring the bees out to the farm. When I arrived, I was greeted by these two characters. The red dog was quite insistent that he check out every inch of my van, and within two minutes, he found the agility gear bag and gently removed the treat bag. Tony apologized and returned the bag to me with an appropriate amount of mastiff slobber dripping from it!

Tony gave me a veiled hat and gave me a tour of some of the hives. I was not planning to go to the farm initially, so I did not bring my camera. The cell phone camera had to work in a pinch. It was very interesting to see the hives and learn more about how the bees live and overwinter.

Tony took my bees and got them a frame box of their own, and he put just one piece of an old comb on the bottom. He says that by tomorrow, they will have spread out enough that he can find the queen. There's nothing scientific about the transfer, he just dumped the bees out. Have a good life, little bees. Make lots of honey.

One of the combs from an established hive.

The Buzz Around Town...

2008-10-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

...or, "I don't want to be a beekeeper when I grow up!"

I was out in the front yard with baby Frankie this evening after work. We walked up and down the driveway practicing walking on a leash. On our last trip up the driveway, I was looking to see if the leaves were starting to turn on my maple. Today is the first real fall-like day here in Kansas City. Rainy, blustery, and about 58 degrees.

I noticed a strange mass on my little maple. I thought maybe it was a clump of oak leaves that had gotten caught in the maple. As I got closer and closer, THIS is what I saw!

WOW! I have my very own swarm of bees in the maple tree! That was my first thought. How fascinating to see this giant mass of bees up close and personal. My second thought was that this could not be right, not with winter approaching. Where was their hive, and why are they not IN it??? I needed to call someone.

My favorite lip gloss is from Anthony's Beehive. If you have never heard of Anthony's Beehive, it's well worth reading his story, here: http://www.anthonysbeehive.com/about.htm A true success story, and I'm very happy to buy locally and support Anthony's endeavors.

It was already after 6pm, but I decided to try and call the contact number, expecting to leave a message. Dad Tony answered right away, and I told him I had a strange question. I described what I had in my tree, and he said that it did sound like Honeybees, but this was the *wrong* time of year for them. He went on to tell me that if the bees were swarming like this, their hive must have been uninhabitable for some reason. Tony said that the wild bees are falling victim to a mite that infests their hives. The "kept" bees can be treated for these mites, but the wild populations of bees are declining in the area due to these mites.

So I asked Tony what I should do. He said that these bees obviously don't have a hive, and at this time of year, they would never be able to make it through the winter. I did not want to kill the bees, or write them off as victims of the upcoming winter, because we need them. But I also wanted them to move to someone else's yard and live their lives! It was very interesting to hear about how the beekeeping works. Tony said that beekeepers identify their hives that they think will not make it through the winter, and they'll bring in a new swarm and queen to take over the hive and improve the population of that hive. Tony tells me that beekeepers come out and remove the bees, and they will take them and bolster their own populations with the new bees. Unfortunately, with the distance (about an hour) between Tony and my bees, and his work schedule, he was not able to come to Independence to collect the bees.

Then I lost my mind COMPLETELY, and I asked Tony, "How would one go about getting the bees into some kind of container to bring them out to you? With the 'one' being me?" I think Tony was amused that I was going to play beekeeper, and he gave me some options to get the bees into a container. His first option, to hit the tree with a stick and knock the bees about 7 feet down into a container did NOT appeal to me. Not when Tony told me that I should try to wear a veil. Um, I'm not sure where I last saw my beekeeper's suit! His next idea was to take something like a piece of cardboard and scrape the bees into a container seemed much better to me.

I asked my next door neighbor David if he wanted to help me with a new "adventure." He was also fascinated with this ball of honeybees, and he agreed to help. Another neighbor had some kind of hood, and then another neighbor came over to see because his dad (or was it his uncle?) used to keep bees. So we had quite a crew ready to catch some bees!

Long story a little less long, we were successful at getting the bees into a rubbermaid container, and thankfully, no one was stung. I now have a box o'bees, and tomorrow I'll put that box into another box, into another box, and I'll drive my bees to meet Tony from Anthony's Beehive. So, the next time I buy a new lip balm, it might have been made by my very own bees!

Here is the motley crew, we almost couldn't get started with our bee capturing because we couldn't stop laughing at each other! Please notice that neighbor Ray is in short sleeves, and he mentioned that he's allergic to bee stings. I told him in the friendliest way possible that if he was stung and he passed out, I'd have to drag him back onto his own property before I could call 911!

P.S. Almost three hours later, and I still have the creepy crawlies, and every once in a while I feel like I have a bee crawling on me!

The Doggone Pool Is Mine...

2008-10-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

Syd just cracks me up. She loves baby Frankie, and she always wants to play with him. Poor little pup, he can't even stop for a potty break without Syd trying to get him to play again!
This morning, I broke out the baby pool. It's going to be in the 80's today, and with winter coming, the dogs won't have much more time to have pool parties!

I wondered if Syd would be possessive of her pool, or get cranky with Frankie. I already knew he would like the pool, he must get that from his mother. His father? Well, Hawk won't even walk in wet grass, so Frankie did NOT inherit his love of water from his dad!

Here's a video I took this morning, and it makes me laugh. Syd was really good with Frankie about the pool, but notice her not-so-subtle possession of the pool. Any time Frankie wants to investigate the pool, WOOPS, Syd's in the pool. So sorry, Frankie, but this pool belongs to the QUEEN of Everything! Maybe another time. :-)

To see the video on YouTube, click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU1QWtJlLf0

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

What's Not to Love?

2008-09-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

I mean, how can anyone NOT love Big Nick...

Dedicated Dog-Mom or Complete Lunatic?

2008-09-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

Your call... Wait! Don't answer that!

I was just motivated to get back to tracking with Uncle Gizzer. He's 12 years old, and he really likes to track. He's a natural, and with the Cardigan National Specialty in the area in April 2009, I am going to try and get him ready for his TD. So, I had a few minutes today, and we've just had rain, rain, and more rain. It was a mere drizzle this evening, and I thought I'd better get the dog out for some tracking.

It didn't take long for me to realize I left my hat on the kitchen counter, and that my windbreaker was not quite as "water-resistant" as I thought it was. hmmm. I can report that my $10 marked down to $5 polka-dot rubber boots from Target worked like a charm, and my feet were dry the entire time. Hey, if you lived with Sydney, chewer of all shoes, you would think twice about spending more than $5 on a pair of boots, too...

Thanks to a couple of people walking by who couldn't resist talking to Gizmo and asking what on earth we were doing, I have a few photos to prove that I have officially lost my mind now! Is it just me, or is Gizmo trying to tell the people approaching that he's not with me, he's never seen me before, and has no idea who I am?

OH, and a note on "tracking improvisation" for you: if you are low on tracking flags, just poke around in the garage until you find a jack-o-lantern lawn ornament, it just adds ambience to the overall look you are going for!

Wussup?

2008-09-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite photos from a trip to San Fransisco a few years ago. Combined with my addiction to Photoshop. ;-P

I know, some people would love their photos of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Trollies, or any number of photos of the city built on the hills. Me? Well, I made Cyndi (I flew to San Fransisco to deliver Pembroke rescue Annie to her new mom Cyndi) stop several time so I could photograph the signs of any number of hot dog stands in the city!

We're proud of our friend Cooper!

2008-09-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Cooper's New Champion photo on Laura's blog:

My Favorite People are Dogs: Introducing CH Yardican Cardiridge Weto Woima RA

HomeChicken

2008-09-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

There IS another red dog in the Hurrikane crew... She just doesn't make many public appearances. :-)

This is Breezy. She and Syd are littermates. I was drawn to Bree the day the pups were born, and she's the funniest, silliest girl when she wants to be. If I can't find Bree, she's probably zonked out behind the chair in the corner of the living room. But that's *only* if all possibilities for fun and zoomies are exhausted!

Breezy is very helpful with kitchen chores, like helping with the dishes, and organizing the refrigerator.

Breezy comes in very handy when one of the other dogs needs a special buddy. She and Uncle Gizzer are very close. She and Hawk are worthy adversaries when it comes to frapping.

Breezy is an odd little duck. She loves to go for walks, and for car rides, but she is not exactly thrilled about going new places. I call her the HomeChicken because she's a dog who just loves being at home with her buddies.

Breezy is "part Cardigan, part Mountain Goat" according to our friend Norma, who kept Breezy at 'daycare' when she was a younger puppy. I wanted the two girls to spend time apart and have separate lives. So Norma agreed to have Bree come visit her girls a couple of days while I was at work.

Anyway, Bree can be on one piece of furniture, and in the blink of the eye, she's across the room, and she might have gotten there without touching the floor! So, it was no surprise when she was a puppy that her jumps from the back of the sofa (hey, I tried, but she's lightning fast, and impossible to catch) resulted in a growth plate injury. :-( Poor Bree, she had to have surgery to fix her broken leg, and she was homebound for many, many weeks of her puppyhood.

Because she was homebound and not really out much, I think Breezy missed out on discovering the fun in going new places. She LOVES Aunt Julie's house, and the resident Collie is her best bud. She and Jackson can play, and play, and play some more. But in general, Breezy takes a while to warm up to new dogs. When I adopted Savannah, the old-decrepit Weimaraner in November, I thought Breezy would *never* warm up to the old girl. Breezy darted quickly around Savannah, barked at her when the old girl went by the corgi crates, and mostly Bree avoided Vannah at all cost. Um, it's not like she's never seen a Weimaraner before! Graycie was here before the puppies arrived, and definitely let them know to keep clear of her personal space right up until the day she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Once Savannah arrived, it took a few months, but now Breezy thinks Savannah is just the best-est friend EVER! She's just a nut. A few months ago, I took Bree to our agility building, and tried to lure her through a tiny tunnel. The look on her face explained it all. I'm pretty sure Breezy was telling me that this was, without a doubt, the stupidest thing she'd ever seen. And I think she was looking at her watch to see exactly when we'd be going home!

So, I don't expect that my little HomeChicken will be out and about travelling the country with me, but we love her just the same, and she DOES exist! :-)

Just Chillin' with the Crew

2008-08-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting week. Basically stuck at home, working from home, and not able to do much of anything, I've seen a different side of my dogs and our usual routine. I think my everyday life is so busy, I rarely even sit down during the time I'm at home. With so many paws to keep track of, it's a non-stop "I want in, I want out, Feed me, Fill the water bowl, She stole my toy" type activities. Bark, bark, wrestle, wrestle.

But this week, it's like a time out. The dogs are calm, and they spend most of the day laying around like speed bumps in various places around the house. When they are awake and moving around, there is no frenzy, no worry that someone might miss out on something fun.

It really makes me realize that things really need to change around here. It's time to re-prioritize and direct our time and energy to things that really matter. Perhaps the last couple of weeks are a blessing in disguise?

Happy Birthday, Senor Sassy Pants!

2008-08-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem possible that my little red puppy, heart of my heart, can be seven years old today. I've come to love the little sprinkling of grey hair creeping in around the corner of his great smile.
My first Cardigan, my Novice A obedience dog, my first conformation Champion, Kane pulled me through the doorway from my lifetime in Sporting dogs to the world of Herding Dogs. I remember how I worried that people would laugh at me for moving from my comfort zone of the larger sleek-coated, floppy-eared pointing dogs. The Cardigans were so funny-looking, was I crazy? I really was looking for a companion dog for Big Nick.

Nick was about two years old at the time, and full of energy. I credit Nick for leading me to the Cardigans. I had Graycie the Weimaraner, almost four years old, and Nick the Shorthair/Lab mix. Graycie was far too sophisticated to play and wrestle too much with Nick in our new fenced back yard. Nick needed a companion, but I did not want a third BIG dog. So, I started looking for a dog that might be sturdy enough to play with Nick, and a dog who might be a good dog for agility. Nick loves agility, but well, Nick is a wild man on the agility course.

So, long story a bit less long, I researched and narrowed down the possibilities, and eventually after meeting Simon, a sweet brindle cardigan, I decided that a Cardigan might be just the perfect dog for me.

As I started my search for a Cardigan, I only had two requirements.... I wanted a girl, and I wanted either brindle or black, but definitely NOT red. No problem, right? Shortly after joining the Corgi-L email list, I was contacted by someone who knew of a performance prospect brindle puppy girl, and she was with a breeder only a`couple of hours away from me. Yay! I loaded up Graycie and Nick in the new blue minivan (Off-topic: What 28 year old, single, childless gal is totally psyched to buy a minivan? A DogMom, that's who!), and off we go to meet this little brindle girl-puppy.

When we arrived, there were two puppies available. The cute little brindle girl, and well, a red boy. The girl puppy was all over the place, ME! ME! ME! At one point, I looked for the boy puppy, and he was walking under the futon in the living room, heading to the dog bed in the kitchen. In the middle of all the activity, he just plopped himself down and went to sleep. Hmmm, my new Cardigan was going to be the third dog in the house, and with the Princess Graycie demanding most of my undivided attention, perhaps I should consider a dog who is a bit more independent. After all was said and done, the RED, BOY Cardigan puppy made the trip back to Kansas City with us, and we've never looked back!

Below, some of the photos that make me smile.

A Family Blog!

2008-08-28T17:58:00.001-07:00

I realized today that Hawk has a Vallhund-specific blog to chronicle his activities (and more recently his new baby boy!), and Syd has a blog where I journal her progress and activities. But we don't really have a "family blog" where life in general is up for discussion. So, here it is, the general family blog for Hurrikane Cardigans (and Swedish Vallhund, Weimaraner, GSP/Lab mix, Tabby, and Cockatoo). Enjoy!

Shoulder Placement for Novices Like Me!

2008-02-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

Well, shoot, I couldn't figure out why this post did not show up. It was posted in chronological order on the created date, which was 11/5. Hi, I'm Sarah, and I'm a Blogger remedial!!!

Um, so I created this post on 11/5/08, but was waiting to get permission from Norma to share what she taught me. This is similar to other posts and lines drawn, but one more important and EASY way to see the shoulder placement is the line at the lowest point of the chest. you should NOT see the lowest point of the chest in a Cardigan, it should basically be hidden by the elbows.

On request, I am posting something that was taught to me, but this time with real pictures (no more stick figure dog drawings!). I have the privilege of having some really fantastic mentors, and I get to spend time with my friend Norma Chandler, who is very generous in sharing information to help me learn more and more about Cardigans. The history and knowledge of the breed that Norma has in her head is fascinating. She has shown me photo albums from national specialties back in the early 70's, and she knows all the people, and all the dogs. The photos are not labelled, Norma just remembers all the details.

So, anywho... reading the standard and listening to people talk about Cardigans is one thing. But putting that into practice in looking at dogs is different for me. If I'm watching a dog in the ring, or looking at photos, what can I look for to give me a clue about how a dog is put together?

One of my favorite little tidbits that Norma has shared with me is about shoulder placement, and how to look at shoulder placement and guesstimate the length of upper arm. I'll demonstrate using a couple of photos. But keep in mind I had trouble putting the lines in exactly the right place, so they may be off a hair or two! Hopefully it'll give the right idea, though!

OK, as taught to me and others by Norma... a profile photo is all you need to get a first impression. The shoulders should be in line with the point where the neck blends into the topline. If you draw a line perpendicular to the ground at the point where the neck meets/blends with the topline, the line should go through the elbow of the front leg. And, if you draw a line parallel to the ground that just touches the lowest point of the chest, that line should intersect with the perpendicular line again near the elbow of the dog. The lowest part of the chest should be hidden by the front legs, and should not be visible further back beyond the front legs. If a dog can crank their head back over their shoulders, then the shoulder placement can't be right.

I'll use Bree as an example, because I have a recent photo of her, and it is in direct profile, not at an angle. Plus, she's my dog, so I can post her out here, with the good and bad. And again, you'll have to excuse the lines being a little "off" because I'm remedial with drawing the lines. but you can imagine them where they should be!
The second parallel line going across the chest is supposed to be at the prosternum, but well, I didn't quite get the line there! What Norma taught me is that you want the point of the prosternum to be higher, and when you draw a line across, that gives you an estimate on the length of the upper arm. When the point of the prosternum is low, and sometimes even seems to be pointing down, then the upper arm is likely very short. With this photo of Bree, you can literally see her shoulder assembly. Something about the reds, you can almost see under the fur! So you can see the upper arm and layback of the shoulder, and maybe that will help in seeing how the prosternum correlates to the length of the upper arm. Bree's upper arm is not as long as I would like it to be.

Even in young puppies, I could see the shoulder placement on the litter I raised (syd and bree), even though there isn't really a "lowest" part of the chest yet. :-)

So, when I see photos of Cardigans, that's the first thing I look at, since the front is really the hallmark of the breed. Of course, shoulder placement is just one part of the front, but I think an important part of the entire front assembly. At my house, Uncle Gizmo has the absolute best shoulder placement of all my Cardigans. But, well, if you've seen him from the front, well, 'nuff said. His turnout starts from the pasterns, and not just acceptable turnout of the foot. It's definitely not correct, and it's, um, pretty extreme! But we love him anyway. :-)

Well, that's it from here. Standard disclaimer is that I'm a novice, and love to learn more about Cardigans. I have learned so much from my conversations with Norma, sometimes we agree, and sometimes we disagree, but it's always a learning experience. Hope you've enjoyed a long-distance rendition of one of my favorite little tools, compliments of Norma.