ColliesHorsesArtLove

Punky & Her Relatives

Here is Topic at around 10 weeks with Jan Grillo. I bet he's a little older, maybe 12 weeks though? What reminds me of Thrill is this puppy's head is very balanced with the nice round muzzle and pretty eye setting and nicely placed stop. He had a head trim in these photos as he'd have a darker mask. What do you think? Thrill/Topic, Topic/Thrill.

Since we are on old photos......and I am in scan mode I have a few more to share.

Here is Braedoon's Hallelujah. She is behind my dogs but I can't seem to figure out what generation back. I want to say 7 or 8 generations behind Kaia. According to my pedigree book she also is a ROM.

When I was in Ventura for the shows, Martha gave me several photos she had of her dogs and more of Kaia at Los Padres CC. I showed her under Svend Jensen and I think we got 3rd in our class. Kaia was about 3 1/2 or 4 yrs old. I love these photos of her.

This was her best year for coat as she was still sleeping outside. She finished in July after getting her majors and then blew her coat about 10 minutes after walking out of the ring. I was so happy.

Do you just love the foot wear???? Omg. But, Posey Punky

Love, love, love Punky. More than....... you know what........

And here are two dogs behind her.

On the far right is Ch. Society Daytime Hero, Kaia's grandfather. In the center is Kaia's sire Ch. Voyageur's The Entertainer and on the left is Austin's brother "Harry Larry" who I honestly don't remember his registered name. I just know he was Breed at another Los Padres Specialty and Tais was BOS to Breed from the Veterans Class at 9 1/2 years old. That collie was SOOO FLUFFY I couldn't believe it but he lived in Illinois as I recall. Total snow coat.

Anyway, when Martha showed me this photo and asked me if I knew who these dogs were, I was shocked (not really sure why) to see Austin (Punky's dad) reminds me of Cardiff. Cool.

Anyway, I was so pleased to get these photos and now be able to share them here. I would not of had Punky had it not been for Sayuri & Martha. Sayuri leased Rosie to me and I was going to breed her to a son from my first Champion Lakota (Ch. Spring Entais Lakota Skies) and the boy dog didn't have good sperm so Martha suggested I breed Rosie to Austin. What a good turn of events! It does turn out the other male I was interested in had just impregnated his, um, sister (who lived with him in a pet home) and she had 2 puppies. Looking back on that whole thing, I bred into a pedigree that worked so well with Rosie and also had consistency of type and quality. And that is a good thing. And then Punky was born. And the Heavens opened up and sang "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

And Punky's pedigree ~

So there you have it!! Nighty nite!!

Never Say Never

 
All is well. But it wasn't at 5 am this morning. 

I went to bed last night possibly more exhausted than I've been in a long time. I kept an eye on the puppies and would get up and cover them with a little towel if they felt cold but I didn't actually watch to see if they were nursing. Rule #1. Don't sleep when you have newborn puppies. You can sleep when you die (and after not sleeping for nights it will seem like you will die). 

At 5 am I heard that not so familiar death cry from the little boy. I jumped up immediately to tend to the puppy and called Sue. Poor Sue. I heard she gets up early, but probably not at 5 am on a regular day. I told her to come and help me tube feed this little boy. He was so weak and had gone downhill quickly compared to the night before. We decided I should call the vet first which I did but it went to vm. I called Sue back and in a minute he was stretching his little body backwards and gasping for air. I told Sue he was dying. Omg. Poor me. Poor Sue! I told him no. I just couldn't lose this little baby puppy. At that point the vet called me back and she walked me thru to give him oxygen which I did and he came around immediately. I was warming him up and within 10-15 minutes I could hold him on Tirzah and he would nurse. I suddenly saw the event with the chicken had big meaning. That chicken was dead, nearly and this puppy was doing the same thing. But now I thought he would rally like that chicken did. I couldn't even tell you which one she was now.

I have had a few litters. Not a lot, but over the course of 22 years, I'm thinking 8 or 10 that I've whelped. I've always been hard core about never tubing, because in my mind a puppy that doesn't come out vigorous is not an ideal candidate to pass on genes. And I didn't even know how to tube. There have been a few puppies (though not a lot) that I let go see the light and some that now I wished I hadn't been so hardcore, like SeaB's two sisters that were just small and weak. Very much like this little boy was when he was born. Now that Kaia is gone and was the love of my life, I regret that decision.

So fast forward to this litter that wasn't so easy to be hard core. I have so much invested in it, emotionally and financially. Losing two right off the bat was sad, but I'm not willing to lose this baby for hard core beliefs. So never say never. Life is really too complicated.

So now the baby boy sleeps a lot on me. He's happiest when I put him on my belly and hold him. And he's finally gained weight. The little girl is sturdy and strong, and I am so happy about that.

Goodbye Beautiful Belle Star

 

Entais Belle Star

June 4th 1999 - August 15th 2011

 

My friends Marilyn & Llyod lost their beautiful Kaia daughter recently. She lived a long life but will be so missed. It is never easy to let them go. Thank you Marilyn & Lloyd for loving her so much. Oxoxoxox Diana

How Chickens Are Like Collies

They have fluffy feet.

 

Or fluffy pet feet.

And cute, fluffy butts.

They have beautiful expressions.

Ok. Forget that one.

They have "The Look of Eagles".

Awwwwhhhhh........

They have long, lean heads.

Even as babies.

They are playful in the sprinklers.

And they have beautiful outlines.

This is why I love chickens & collies.

The End.

The 125th Anniversary of the Collie Club of America National Specialty!! ~ Part I ~ The Drive & Cardiffness WINS Her Class!!!

I started this post 7 days ago because I knew it was going to be long and I'd be blogging for days, so I've decided to post in sections. Partly because Laura took about 500 photos of landscape. I am thankful for her to do such a thing but my neck hurts thinking about it and I don't know how many I can put up. But not to make a long photo blog shorter to be mysterious and not thankful for my blog photographer ~ I LOVE traveling across country and seeing different states. I also love to see how a state will change at a border, which seems to make sense why someone decided to put the border there. Cool world we live in. But, I also realize I can't have a post that has even 200 photos in it. And, it might still.

Laura and I left for Tulsa on Friday morning April 8th. We wanted to be there by Sunday afternoon, which we were. We stopped at 2 or 3 Walmarts, first to buy me more food & wine (Utah was looming), and then more food for her. We also were considering stopping for the 2 nights there and back at Walmarts, but turned out we stopped at a couple of other places. Her friend Kelly was laughing at us because we didn't have directions, but seriously, how hard is it to stay on an Interstate for 9 hours? I think what we did to get to Tulsa was drive east, turn right, drive south, turn left, drive east, turn right and we were there. We are rebels. Wild and crazy. Artists in a RV. Or Laura said something about it being a modern day covered wagon. This is probably why I love traveling. It goes way back in the very fiber of my soul. 

It took me some 4 or 5 days to fully pack Winnie. T said "You know, conceivably you could pack in one day". Would this be HIS fantasy so I can clean the ceiling fans and behind the night stands at home before I leave? Or cook him gourmet dinners because he is going to miss me tragically? I don't know, but it wasn't mine. Not in any way.

So, I packed and packed and packed, because I could. Laura brought 3 boxes of stuff in Winnie, plus her crate & Flint and she was done. I was glad to hear that she ALSO brought 5 bras though. I didn't feel like such a freak. One bra for every special outfit or something. Or the fact that we probably weren't going to do any laundry for 12 days.

Prior to leaving, Aura lamed herself up, I lamed Summer up also the same day (by tying her too long with the lead rope and she got hog tied. I am a DUMB SHIT), and Tahoe's blood work came back being only slightly better but still not good. So, T & my friend Kathie took care of feeding him antibiotics, and extra mush for him & Summer. And in this whole process of separating Aura to keep her from running on her front leg, she has been weaned from Khaliq, so Khaliq checks out Summer to nurse. That's all I need. Khaliq nursing Summer. But Khaliq's cute and non stressed. AND, she bucks, kicks and rears on top of Sabi because she doesn't get to eat Tahoe & Summer's mush. The night before I left she kicked me in the thigh having a temper tantrum. It didn't hurt much, but I wasn't on my game with going out there with a lead rope to keep her back. She gets bigger by the month. This is stuff I have to remember when I get back. Bring the lunge whip out to keep her in line.

Here is the "Protector Lizard". Pierre had it in the Toy Hauler (even with his custom sticky pad to hold him in place). The lizard had to go to Tulsa. My friend Joanne told me according to her astrological charts that taking road trips between the time we were leaving & coming home was NOT good. I told her "Thank you for sharing", hung up the phone and found the lizard. I was not afraid but figured the lizard wouldn't hurt. He's cute and reminds me of Pierre. He also winks with one eye. He would slide down into the cracks of the windshield sometimes and I'd have to go retrieve him. 

Stuffed Lana also went. She loves going to the CCA.

Donner Summit early Friday morning. Every time I go over that pass I think of munching on humans.

I drove all the way to Tulsa with this person. I don't know who she is but she is sticking her tongue out at me. This happened more than once. Then she would fall asleep and snore and drool. I played country most of the way there and back because when you drive thru the states we did, those are the clearest stations that come in. I was not complaining, but apparently Laura's favorite music is Metallica. Poor thing. 

Getting gas in Winnemuca. The three girls rode loose. Squishy & Laura's boy Flint rode in crates. It was a penis thing.

We drove 2 days thru a lot of snow and slush. It wasn't too bad, though Winnie's wiper blades were pretty messed up. I thought I could suck it up and suffer, but after the first night and a heavy snow storm that we drove thru, we were on wiper blade lookout. We finally found some in Wyoming. Massive, expensive wiper blades. Mondo blades. I did find that the more it snowed, the better the old blades worked. But once having the new ones it was remarkable how well I could see. 

 

Bonneville Salt Flats. T & I wanted to take his Viper here to see how fast it could go. I'd wear a helmet, but what fun!!!!!!!!!!

Where's Tirzah???????!!!!! I would panic several times after we had made a stop wondering if all the dogs were in Winnie. This was her favorite place to lay, right behind the driver's seat and under the couch.

Laura told me about this sign as she was in Utah a while back. It's funny ~ you can't hardly find alcohol in Utah without feeling like an addict, but apparently you can see girls dance in clubs.....what do the guys drink as they drool on the dancers??? This is the kind of stuff Laura and I pondered.

Coming into Great Salt Lake at dusk. Pretty lighting.

We finally pulled over in Coalville, UT to sleep in the parking lot of a Best Western. Laura was pretty scared as I drove because she couldn't see very well and wasn't sure I could either. I could see both the white lines on either side of the RV. No biggie. But, I guess it really was time to stop. We had driven about 13-14 hours.

Here's Winnie on the second day. This was a nice place to stay and quite cheap!! Haha!!

Utah on my birthday. I love these mountains. And, in the snow it really accentuates the detail!

Somewhere in Wyoming. This was my favorite state to drive thru, maybe because it was the first time I've been there. I especially loved Laramie ~ not sure why. The people were so nice when we got gas and they were having a gust of snowy, windy rain ~ just when Laura and I got some dogs out to walk. Tirzah & Soleil got stuck looking into prairie dog holes as I was getting soaked to the skin with the rain. They apparently didn't seem to think going to the bathroom was of utmost importance!! I was pretty pissed!

Colorado. A flat sculpture on the hill. Love it. 

Looking towards the Rockies.

Early Sunday morning. We stayed overnight in a Conoco gas station/truck stop in Colorado just before the Kansas border. It wasn't the most scenic but it was free.

This was intense. I took a photo with my cell phone & sent it to T thinking he'd be up. I forgot it was Sat. morning & an hour or 2 earlier. Poor guy. I just wanted him to know I do sometimes get up with the sun. This is on the border of Colorado & Kansas. Soon afterwards a Kansas Highway Patrol pulled me over. He was just checking to see if we were awake because the RV was swaying. Might have been the wind??????? He was VERY nice!! I told him to please be careful himself.

On the Kansas/Oklahoma border.

We're not in Kansas anymore.

Looking for cheap gas. I got the most out of the tank. Laura was getting stressed. The best price on unleaded was $3.39 in Laramie. The worst: $4.09 down the street from my house when I left. What a joke. No wonder I liked Laramie!!

Downtown Tulsa.

And this must be a Tulsa thing.....

Finally 6:30 Sunday evening we made it!! Our RV's are behind me as I take this photo. It's about a good 5 minute walk there and back. Lots of fun with 4 dogs that haven't run anywhere in days! Cardiff always jumped on Soleil and tangled all 5 of us before we even got walking. It was an ordeal. We did that walk 12 or so times.

Laura's booth. She had it set up really nice and has gotten a lot of work. I do believe my sculpture is coming home with me, but that's ok. I really appreciate her displaying it. Her booth was really pretty. Lots of gorgeous original collie art & sculpture.

The Best American Bred Trophy that Zoe won in Louisville, 2001. Beautiful! I look at it every year.

Awwwwhhhhhhh...................Zoe.............

Our setup. Kinda small. I was uncool without a banner. Hahaha!! 

The logo I did for the Collie Health Foundation.

Here is Nancy McDonald's banner with a portrait I painted for her years ago of a puppy named "BLT". Pretty!

Cardiff for a pre-groom on Monday (before her make-up). 

Soleil's FLUFFY hocks!!!

Kelly Neeley with Cyndella's Pandalicious. She was set up across from me with Laura & friends.

Hahaha!!! Bad puppy!!! My dogs have never done this kind of stuff. Ever.

Here's Cardiffness before going into her class. She was in 9-12 Month Sable & White Puppy Bitch. 

There were 14 in her class and everyone showed up. I just wanted SOMETHING from the class. 14 bitches is a 4 point major!!

Cardiff showed like a dream. I thought Helga would like her, but I've thought things like that before. She was four square and posey and solid as a rock. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before but I REALLY love this puppy!!

 

A little drink.

A little brush.

She was first in line, then pulled out first. There were probably 8 bitches out in the middle and Helga came up from the back to put bitches in front of her. Cardiff had 3 bitches in front and I was hoping for a 4th place ribbon. Then she looked at Cardiff and said "Put her in front". I love that sentence. "Put her in front".  Let me say it again. "Put her in front". I think that's ingrained in my permanent memory. So I went and there we stayed!! My little Niffness. "Put her in front". 

Brent Seymour took these photos of Cardiff in her class. He also was my bucket bitch, but he sucked at that. But since he did photograph her, I am thankful. You rock Brent. 

Later in the day.....

And THEN later that night we had the Elvis Tribute Artist Cody Slaughter sing to us. OMG.....he was incredible and VERY cute!!!! I'm like one of those old ladies who look at young boys and notice how HANDSOME they are and drool!!! He was CUTE and Talented!!! I almost went to see Elvis at the Long Beach Convention Center with my mom when I was 12 yrs old. I could kick myself I wasn't more demanding. This made up for it in a weird way. Probably because Cody wasn't all fat and bloated.....oh.....I'm so mean. But it's true. The truth hurts sometimes.

This guy even had the Elvis dimples!!

And the Porsche....

On to Stalking......

It's interesting to find out who really stalks........these are not the only ones I ran into......they either don't tell you or they just tell you stuff you blogged and then you know. Or they're brave and comment. Regardless on the flavor of stalking, I am impressed anyone goes to look. Even if they laugh. At me. Ha ha ha. He he he.

What they eat. I think this was seconds. I had seconds. The cake had pictures of collie people on them. That was weird. Then I thought about Donner Pass.....I then couldn't eat certain cakes.

I do believe alcohol was involved in this scene. Not that I'm against this type of thing. I was the one to stock up on the Merlot before arriving. Not that I partook much during the week, because I didn't. Somehow I came back with more Merlot than when I left. What a bonus.

 

Back at the RV for the night. Squishy. Not sure what he's looking at. I don't think he wanted coffee...he'd be a real blast to show then!! He'd be SUPER UPPITY!!

Squishy did well with the traveling and grooming but he again didn't get shown. He could not handle being away from the setup and having strange dogs bark at him and unknown events happen near the ring. Being an indoor venue also is not something he can handle. This makes me so sad so I do believe I am done with his career. I am not 100% sure, but I really think he just wants to be someone's house pet and live in a quiet, stable environment. I am sad, but I have to do right by him. I love him too much and a championship is not that important to me.

I kept losing Tirzah in the RV, then remembered she liked to sleep in the driver's seat behind the privacy curtain. Does this look comfortable to you? Not me!! Hahaha!!

This looks comfortable!! Soleil loved sleeping here, but once we were in bed, she was SMASHED next to me all night with Stuffed Lana. I slept like a baby every night of the trip. I tried to catch up on the HBO "Weeds" series on Netflix, but fell asleep about 15 minutes before the end of each episode. I really need to send that DVD back. I've had it for 4 months.

Here is the end of Part I.................................

High Desert CC/Apple Valley KC ~ Soleil Wins Her First Major!!!

 

I'll just start off the post with the best stuff! Soleil got her first major & Best of Winners at High Desert Collie Club under Mary Sadler. She showed AMAZING and only gave me one half-hearted bark AND kept those CUTE FLUFFY FEET on the ground every time in the ring!!! YEAH BLONDIE!!!!!!!

I will post more photos in a bit, but figured I'd start at the beginning. You know, I'm kinda a nerd that way.

I spend one week packing Winnie for the big trip down to Victorville. It was just sooooo exciting and T was very excited about it also, even though he's been very stressed with the rain. Rain means he can't work. And, no work means no money. I had a nightmare last night that I had to get a full-time job. One more week, then I'd be working Mon-Fri. I don't mean to sound like a whiner, but it was a NIGHTMARE!!!!!!!!! F O K ! ! ! ! ! 

We left by 11 am Thursday am and when we were leaving, T noticed Winnie's steering wheel was vibrating a bit. Maybe because Tirzah's head was stuck in it?? The more we drove, the worse it got. Finally about 20 minutes before Fresno it got really bad. This is after we saw a little white Chihuahua with brown spots on the side of 99. T pulled the RV over and for 20 minutes he tried to figure out how to save the little doggie (running in the medium). The traffic (2 lanes one way) was very dangerous and I just kept telling T what good would it do for me to have a little white Chihuahua with brown spots if he were dead. I hate to sound selfish, but I guess I am. We never saw the doggie again so we finally drove on.

About 5-10 minutes after that, Winnie got REALLY bad and then there was smoke coming out of the front end. T got out and looked and some kind of oil had exploded in the right front tire area. All I could imagine was that Soleil was not going to get her major, nor the boys have a chance to get one (or Cory, to finish his Ch.) Or, I wasn't able to show off CUTE CARDIFFNESS!!!! It reminded me of a trip that Julie and I took to Arizona when Punky was a young dog. We drove to AZ, I finished Lana's mom Garbo at a specialty, her blue puppy dog Liam was WD & Best in Sweeps, then got another major reserve AND I got a major on a beautiful tri bitch of Sayuri's. We drove home with 5 dogs in my new/used Astro Van I got from Martha Ramer and in the middle of the night, the tranny blew up. Because we were out in the middle of nowhere (in Beaumont ~ google that place....at 11 pm, and trying to get back for the CCA Tournament to show Garbo the next morning), Julie & I and 5 dogs slept in the van with transmission fluid all over us. But, we got Garbo's mom Linda to come save us the next morning in time to show at the Tournament. Didn't win the tournament but it was a fun trip!!

I reminisce. So sorry! This tranny memory was not something I wanted to relive with T & an RV full of dogs ~ several that I knew were going to win something!! Hahaha!!! He was pretty convinced it was a blown shock, so we drove slowly to the next place that looked like they could help us.

Well, we got to a tire place right off of the hwy and they told us our front tire was ready to blow. It was all ugly looking. Turns out, as beautiful as the tires looked, they were original (9400 miles) and 9 years old. Which means time to replace before you die going to the dog show to win the big points.

45 minutes later and feeling safe again, we were on our way. We got into Victorville around 9 pm yet driving down Bear Valley Road and into the college, we smelled brakes. One was sticking. It was a little stressful again, so in the am, after I was showered and off to groom the dogs, T left to go find someone to check our brakes. Finally, after going to 3 or 4 shops, he was able to have someone take a look see and the brakes looked good. Probably a little rust grabbing the brakes from sitting for so long. We are working the bugs out before Tulsa!!

Alton was in first at the High Desert Specialty under Robette Johns. He got RWD. He has quite a few single points, I'm thinking around 7 or 8. He's going thru a head lengthening , so is full in stop, which he's never been. His head is LONG and he has a pretty, round muzzle.

Here is Bristol waiting at ringside.

Alton ~ He was RWD under Robette & WD under Mary Sadler.

Bristol ~ She was RWB under Robette & WB under Jolynn Gilstrap at Apple Valley KC on Sunday.

Now, for Cardiffness........

Let me tell you how pleased I was with her. I have done very little training with Cardiff and was expecting her to be OUT OF CONTROL. I clicker trained her a couple of times when she was a little puppy, but have not done much since then. She is so smart and retains training like Kaia did. These shows were her first and she's just a kick to show.

She won her class both specialties and the other bitch in her class was very pretty ~ in fact I was worried about her. Under Robette, Cardiff got pulled out in Winners. Both specialties she was Best Puppy. The sweepstakes she was 3rd finalist. So, here she is! 

All that worrying about her coat......not anymore!! She is a fluff ball!!! 

Denise, who is waiting for a Cole X Soleil puppy took all of these photos ~ like 400 of them!!! It was like a movie to watch! Every step the dogs took she snapped!!! YOU ARE AWESOME Denise!!! Thank you!!!!!

Winners Bitch. In front is ultimately the winner, Burlywood Bounce Back, HIC

The tri bitch behind was Reserve ~ Gambit's Dance The Night Away.

 
Here's June Bug. She's really put on more coat since she was here in the fall. Julie entered her at both of the specialties. I told her not to show her under Robette as she'll not like her blue eye. Apparently Julie didn't hear me. Anyway, June Bug is as beautiful to me as ever & such a pretty mover!

Miriam also showed Taylor, a Cole daughter ~ Fairway Forever Elizabeth ETS. She just picked up her 2nd major in AZ last weekend. I was a little afraid of her. She's gorgeous. In beautiful condition and pretty head, body & great temperament. She got a Major Reserve to Soleil (even though the judge did a huge faux pas in awarding it to her as she forgot to bring in the second place bitch from Soleil's Bred-By class ~ Oops!!!!)

The Open Blue Bitch class

On to Squishy!!

He was entered all weekend, but since he is minored out I only showed him at the show where there was a bitch major & dog major. I could have hoped, I guess to go over specials, but didn't see him having the sustaining showmanship at the least, to do such a thing.

He was in Open Blue, in case I was going to get someone else to show him. That was a class of one.

In typical high desert style, the wind picked up in the afternoon. The good news is it wasn't snowing or extremely cold like 2 years ago when he & Soleil were 6 month old puppies. It just was annoying and I'm not sure why I didn't pull my hair back. It was loose and in my face all afternoon. It forced me to drink later.

Waiting at ringside to go into his class of 1, Squishy was really doing well, wind and all. Out of the blue came a small white piece of cardboard that smashed his butt from the rear. Any stableness of attitude just about left his little brain. I was able to play with him and get him over it to a certain extent but he wasn't great in the ring. Not horrible, just not amazing. Any of my other dogs, this type of thing wouldn't have phased them. So, it's not like something bad just happens to Squishy, he just can't handle the normal stuff in life as well as my other dogs. I'm getting used to him but still, this is not the temperament I know, nor care for.

I love this dog's side movement!!! 

Ty got RWD under Mary Sadler, but what had happened right before going in the ring is he got a whiff of June Bug and she was coming into season (who, btw.....Soleil came in today!). Anyway in Winners he was looking for her and posing up a storm. I always felt if I could get this dog to show, getting his majors would be no big deal. But he has to be there for me to present him. It's very frustrating!

Now for Soleil's photos. I don't have any of her in the Bred-By or Winners Bitch class, only BOV.

This win for her was very easy. It seems obvious from the beginning that she was Mary's pick. When we went in for Winners Bitch, she didn't have to think about it much. I think she moved Soleil with one other bitch and that was it. Soleil was on her best behavior in every way, so it made the win so much nicer, as I feel like not only does she look gorgeous right now, she deserved it in every way.

She goes around the ring pretty beautiful too!! As an 8 week old puppy, I could see her very balanced body and she never staged. As a little puppy, she looked the same.

  

After the show, we did pictures. That took a LONG time!! Poor T. He sat holding a few dogs for a while, then he had to go. He was in BIG trouble, because after I came out of the ring with Cardiff for the second show, he disappeared. After winning my major I called him on the phone and he had gone to the RV to shower. He still doesn't quite know the scoop on dog shows and staying or leaving. I think if I gave him a diagram on the show (like a plan for digging a pool) he'd understand it better. Poooorrrrr T........the big win and he was missing to fling us around in the air!

Jody & her hilarious BF Scott were driving out to have dinner with us on Friday. It was very hectic because Tony had to take the RV somewhere in the am to get the brakes checked, then help at ringside, then park the RV (because you couldn't do it on Thursday when we got there, but Friday after 2pm), and then of course, all the grooming, photos, moving x-pens to the RV for all the dogs....blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So, when we pulled out the steaks to marinate, they were still frozen. Knowing Jody & that she rolls with anything that happens, she offered to bring something. She already blasted her BF for trying to bring food saying it would "disrespect Tony and what he had planned", so he didn't. After they heard our plight, they offered to bring a few things.

Like food for 3 nights!!! We had a great time and Winnie is quite big for entertaining. I drank my Merlot and ended up getting a migraine for the rest of the weekend. It just went away today by 2 pm. So, except for the migraine, everything was really fun!!! I also warned T about the water.....and we ran out yesterday morning, so he didn't shower. He's a tropper!! That's probably the first time in his life he went 2 days without one. It's amazing the strength one can find in the face of adversity.

Before we left, we took a few photos of June Bug. Cory has a new home eventually with my friends Cathy & Robert, who owned Ray, Zoe's brother. He passed last August, so they are ready for another dog. Cory needs a major to finish, but it's more important for him to have his new pet home than be another champion for Julie & I even though it would be nice to finish him. This is a great home and that is really important. Cory is just a fabulous dog with a very, very sweet, collie temperament.

Here is June Bug ~ We took these photos right before we left on Sunday.

Tirzah sleeping under the couch, Cardiff on the bed. I woke up from the back to take this photo. Going thru the desert was very windy and a couple of times I went airborne in the back. T said I looked like "Queen of Sheba" with my fluffy pink & purple pillows. I felt like shit, so I'm sure Queen of Peuk was more like it.

Lana ~ If she had her way, she wouldn't go anywhere except just sleep on the couch.

Randy Smith Photo ~ I can't wait to get the show photos!!!

BEFORE WE LEFT.....I am putting my post out of order here......At the Apple Valley shows, on Saturday, Julie and I didn't do anything. There was a major in dogs, so I showed Squishy & she showed Cory. Ty was absolutely wonderful in the ring. He showed like he used to as a puppy and I was so happy about that. The judge never looked at him, or Soleil. I didn't enter Cardiff under her. Thank God. She won't be on my list of "Must Show Under" judges.

On Sunday, I showed Cardiff & Soleil. There were 4 bitches and both my bitches showed beautifully. The judge was JoLynn Gilstrap. I thought she would love Soleil, but Cardiff was Winners Bitch & Best Opposite Sex (to Winners Dog). They both went over a dog who got a Group 1 the day before. So now Soleil has 3 puppies with minor points. Cardiff was darling. Darling. Darling. Darling.

A couple of interesting things: One is a handler who mentioned how beautiful Soleil is ~ gorgeous head, body, blah, blah, blah ~ then you get to the blue eye. Of course, I am fine with that, as expression or tolerance of certain faults are subjective, but I'd rather have a blue eye that is easily fixable than a bad bite or poor structure, both of which I believe are much harder to fix. Soleil was bred and produced 2 out of 5 puppies with minor flecks in the eyes. 

When we were taking photos of Cardiff I asked JoLynn what she didn't like about my Bred-By bitch. It was obvious she didn't care for her. She said Soleil had too much width between the eyes. (Again, so subjective, because the day before I had a sheltie judge go NUTSO over her. EVERYTHING about her.) I asked JoLynn if her blue eye bothered her. She said she really didn't see it and no, that kind of thing doesn't bother her. So, there you have it. A blue eye bothers some, but not others, and a blue eye doesn't, but width between the eyes does. I am not a judge, and I do pay for their opinions, but I find it also interesting that you can have a bitch that is very sound, showy and ready to go, and it's this little detail......??? I was thrilled Cardiff won nevertheless and do expect that to happen. Cardiff is soooo pretty!

I also got an opinion from this handler (who thought Soleil was gorgeous until you saw the blue eye) and she mentioned that I didn't "let down" in the ring at the specialty to help the puppy dog go Best of Winners. I told her I didn't prevent the dog/handler from BOW. She had every opportunity to show him to the best of his advantage, and move him with some flair. I have insulted judges before by undershowing my winner after a nice big win and also have been blasted by those same judges. It makes them look like their choice was a stupid one.

I certainly understand that sometimes it's the only way to win a major. In fact the first dog I finished for someone (a sable smooth male) almost never had boy competition. He went BOW for almost all of his points including his 2 majors. It was a weird way to finish a dog. But, I also think it's up to the breeder/handler to show the best dogs they can, or at the right time (meaning they are ready to win) and not whine if they can't go BOW. It happened with Squishy last year at a specialty. But, in all reality, it would have been a gift. It was obvious he was not better (that day) than the bitch. So, suck it up. Now, I suppose I need to go back and read that blog post to see how much I whined or what I really said about that....hahaha!!!

So that's it. It's a LONG post, isn't it??????

My Life with Zoe ~ Ch. Entais Exotica

Zoe would have been 12 years old in June. That's a nice life, though still too short for my taste. This last month has been a mixture of hope and worry. And dread. Anticipating the end. I hate this part of having animals more than anything, but I always say we should be so lucky. I had tried one drug to see if it would shrink her bladder tumor and after a week and a half and her still peeing over and over it seemed obvious it was not working. Then Friday, over a week ago, she went out one night and I noticed she was circling over and over and over in a clockwise manner. I figured she had suffered a stroke. She affectionately got called "Sideways". She seemed to accommodate her situation as best she could and surprisingly, the other collies were very patient with her. To get back to the bedroom, she'd walk along the fence line, all the way til she got to the door. Then I had to grab her and pull her in the house before she started off in another circle and start it all again.

I went online and googled her behavior and was hoping is was a condition called "Canine Vestibular Syndrome". It is a condition that usually resolves itself in about 3 days. Could take a lot longer, but the dogs also had an "eye bounce" which she did not have. She was very alert, would respond to me the best she could and seemed to have an amazing amount of energy. I'd have to take her and make her lay down because she would circle for 2 hours if I let her.

I finally called my vet in Cameron Park and she felt the tumor which was highly suspected to be cancer, had spread to her brain. She suggested I give her one of Lana's medrol pills to see if it would help with inflammation of her brain. Tony and I laid on the bed that afternoon watching her thru the slider and just knew. He sobbed. I was stoic. I couldn't cry yet. I called the office back and let them know I probably would bring her in in the morning. That dread. Everything becomes so minute. This is the last meal. The last time she'll sleep on her dog bed next to our bed. The last time I brush her. Her last walk, even though it was alone and on leash because she couldn't walk straight. Her last car ride. Her last breath.

That night was hard. She was up every 1-2 hours. I obviously was up with her. I said a prayer to God, because I was still hoping. I told him to send me a sign that this is the right thing to do, that she would have to be so obviously better for me not to take her in. I had a dream I was at ringside and Martha was there. Zoe looked amazing. She was fat (not that she was skinny, but fluffy), and she had this big, shiny black, STRAIGHT coat. I knew it was a dream because in real life she had a bit of a wave to her coat. Tony called her "Curly"...... I woke up and felt this was Zoe on the other side, beautiful, in the condition of a young dog. Like the dream I had of Pierre on Mother's Day, two months after he passed. He was young, handsome, vibrant, in perfect condition. Like they say we are on the other side.

In the shower that morning I was washing my hair and had this awful thought that I wasn't going to see her again. That they just tell us that to make us feel better. That I'd get to the other side and they'd say "Oh, sorry! No dogs. We just say that so you wouldn't feel so horrible in your life ~ it was a ruse". Oh, that sick feeling Zoe wouldn't be there, nor Kaia, nor Roxy, nor any of my other animals. This is not my usual way of thinking. It was paranoid thinking.

My vet, Dr. Felton, must have known I had that thought, because she said to me "You know you will see her again". I said "Yes, I know". What a kind woman. She's an hour away now, but it is where I wanted to take Zoe. Zoe always loved to go into her office. She'd get all wiggly and wagging her tail. Dr. Felton spent at least 30 minutes with me, just talking with me and making Zoe feel comfortable on a dog bed. When Zoe was gone, she let me stay in there with my dog. I have never done that. Usually I'm gone, or with Kaia, it was in the back of my Saturn and I let Dr. Felton take her right away.

This time I just laid on Zoe and sobbed. I closed her eyes and rearranged her fur. She had the prettiest leg feathering and fluffy hock hair. I didn't want to leave her. I could have stayed in there for an hour just petting her. But, my horse was in the trailer, which I had planned to distract and I needed to go. And, I am going to see her again. That I am sure.

Zoe's littermates ~  From Top L to R: Belle, Stevie, Bottom L to R: Ray & Sierra, Ray. Her litter was called "Punky & the Punkettes". Belle, Stevie & Sierra are still alive.

Zoe was from my first litter out of Kaia, Ch. Entais Precocious CD. I sent Kaia with Martha Ramer & Lee Runnels to the CCA to get bred to Ch. Lochwynde Kitleigh Advocate. We ended up sending her with Peg Vohr to go to Am. & Can. Ch. Fantasy Mariner Anchorman NAJ, ROM, ROM-P. She was the first puppy born and her original name was Gladys Knight. I loved her from the very beginning, as she just had a style and personality about her that I was looking for.

Zoe's first win was a 4pt major. She finished very easily, including a huge Bred-By Speciality major under Marian Durholtz and Best American Bred at the 2001 CCA in Louisville under the late Al Forthal.

This picture goes under my favorite photos of Zoe & "Worst Photos of Myself".....The judge included!! Hahaha!!

I entered Zoe in the American Bred class. I had heard that was a hard class to get out of because people want to try and win the AmBred Trophy, which is quite a historic & beautiful trophy. It was a huge class of 24 bitches and was broken down in two groups. I had already won the 9-12 month sable/white puppy bitch class with Lana, so for me to get a look in this class would have still been a thrill. Carmen Leonard was judging and I knew she liked her when she walked up, smiled, then when I went to the end of the line, she stood across the humongous ring still staring at Zoe. My mistake is not staying on her in Winners. I was sure Lana was the dog to beat and I didn't listen to Sayuri who said "She picked Zoe right away in that class. Lana she had to think about". I could still kick myself for that decision, but what a lesson to learn!

Here's Pierre & Sayuri grooming Zoe for Winners Bitch. I was quite nervous to say the least! Lana's on the other table.

 

My little Blackie. Not a ginormous coat, but balanced. She had style in the ring. One of the few dogs that would turn inside out for you to show. And she had gorgeous movement. I clicker trained her at 5 weeks old and she blew me away with her attitude. Sherry Moss came to look at the Punkettes when they were 3 weeks old and there stood Zoe, foresquare, posey. We still talk about how she looked that day.

Our dog walk in Louisville with Punky & Lana. Everyday they had their run.

When we got home from Louisville, someone came and took photos for us.

At the CCA I was asked if I wanted to sell Zoe to a very nice Japanese woman. Price was not discussed but Pierre liked to "promote" her value and there were rumors of what I was offered. It was so funny to hear what people "heard"! Anyway, I agreed to breed her and send pick bitch to Japan, which I did. Zoe was bred to Kaia's 1/2 brother Ch. Ballyhara Strike Up The Band ROM.

Her litter ~ Top Row : Quinn, Ch. Entais Spring Quintessential (SeaB's dad & sire of 2 champions & several pointed offspring.)

Bottom Row L to R: Miku, the bitch we sold to Japan. She's 5 months old in this photo. Her name is JKC-Ch, JCC-G-C Entais Spring Misty Morn. Very, very pretty bitch, my type! Lyric, Entais A Lyrical Spring is the sable. I kept her for about 1 1/2 years, then placed her in a nice home. She was FLUFFY but too doggie for me. Gorgeous face though!

This is one of my favorite Breed photos of Zoe. She was a fun special and usually won Breed and got a Group 2 under Col. Purkhiser at a large all-breed show among several pulls in the group. 

Here she is with Pierre, his dad & I in Olancha. We were probably talking about chickens. Zoe was Pierre's favorite dog. She was Tony's also. In fact T can hardly stand to think about her. I want to share the post with him, but he gets all choked up when I mention it.

Here she is in Veterans 2 years ago. Posey Zoe!!!

I miss her little face  and her soft ears but there is peace knowing she is free from her earthly restraints. Everything will have to rearrange a bit to fill in the space she left. The issue came up of where my dog bowls get put at night when I feed. It took me two feedings to figure out that. Funny as it sounds, I have my routine and a new routine had to make sense. Which bowls go next to who's? It's related to breedings and generations and relationships. The stupid little stuff that changes with the passing of a beloved dog. Where will her collar go? For now it's next to my side of the bed. And, chances are, it will stay there a long time. And then her ashes. Next to my bed, but I have Kaia's & Roxy's there also. I know that probably freaks T out, so one day, I'll have to have a mantel. Then when I go, they can all go with me. Remember, burn me, fling me, walk the dogs, have a party. Nothing else. That is in my will. 

My little Blackie who loved to show, love to go for walks. She also loved to be petted more than most humans could do in one sitting. Thank you for being in my life and a part of my soul beautiful girl.

'Til We Met Again My Beautiful Blackie

 

Ch. Entais Exotica

"Zoe"

June 4th 1999 ~ February 9th 2011

 

Go to Pierre & Punky for your dog walk today ~

It's always green where you're going ~ I love you beautiful Zoe

4 Days of Dog Show Bliss ~ Ventura, Ca

Ok. I jest.

Soleil won her Bred-By class 3 of the 4 days and most of the time got a good look in Winners. Things got progressively better in a matter of a few hours on Sunday (the 4th day of the shows). She got yet another Major Reserve. If I said I wanted to cry right there in the ring, that wouldn't be far from the truth. I think I heard the judge say something like "a bull in a china shop" as she handed me the ribbon smiling. (Is that like "she's a little shit"?) Anyway, the judge had an accent so she could have said "Your dog is a horrible little animal."

Soleil then won Best Bred-By by default as the rough Bred-By dog didn't show up, so I stayed for that group (of course the very last one, especially exciting when I had to drive 6 1/2 hours home) but the cool news is Soleil won the Bred-By Herding Group and got to go into Bred-By Best In Show. We did not win that, a very pretty Clumber bitch won, but I was happy to be there.

Soleil seems to be a bitch that people either flip over, or they have nothing to say. She looks amazing right now, so when I walked up to the group ring, Bill Shelton was there with his Bred-By Corgi. He was so sweet because from quite far away he said "Wow, lookin' good!!!" He got second to me and was very complimentary of Blondie, as were several people from ringside. I love Bred-By and it's always nice to get compliments on dogs I've bred. After day 4 she was pretty well-behaved too.

Here is Cardiff on the table getting socialized to all the dog show doo doo.

The other absolutely wonderful thing is Secret Service finished her blue bitch Prudence. I must say that was worth the trip. And, speaking of Bred-By, I believe all of her points were out of that class. Funna Funna. BIG Congratulations to Secret Service!!!

Cell phone pic ~ so not the best. 

I decided to bring Cardiff along for a little road trip and socialization. Good thing because her name is Entais Wild Cardiff???? It fits. I really need to train my dogs. She's VERY outgoing and thought the whole trip was pretty wild. Wild and Crazy Cardiff. Omg. I really am training my horses way to much!

One of the very coolest thing about going down this particular weekend is my bestest friend Lori was visiting her parents and I was able to see her. The reason I love her so much is she laughs at everything I say, and I believe I do the same. Years ago Lori's sister and I named some collie person a name that was VERY descriptive, except we never called her that in front of her face. Well, one day on a long dog hike Lori, who didn't know this person very well got "hoof in mouth" and called her that name by accident. Her sister and I almost fell off of the trail. Suddenly the hike was excruciatingly long. I don't think anyone said a word for miles! Anyway, the other night we were laughing so hard about that we were snorting. Ok. I wasn't snorting. She was. When I see and talk to her it's like we're never apart. 

  

Ewwwhhhhh.......what a photo!!!

It was VERY windy in So. Calif. I might miss a whole lot of things about my original home, but wind is not one of them! Only in the high desert, do you have tie-downs on your gates to keep them open while you drive thru so they don't smash your car.

  

Lori with Cardiff & Soleil. She told me she'd take Cardiff home in a heartbeat. She was pretty much in love with her. She didn't say much about Soleil. See, either love Soleil or don't say anything....

Lori's always so efficient and practical about life. Since we didn't have a long way to walk the dogs, and I wanted to tire them out before going to the show, she suggested I walk way up this little, but steep hill and we'd call the dogs back and forth between us. After about 8 trips, Soleil & Cardiff were only making 1/2 the trip. By the time I got into the ring several hours later, Soleil was all rested up and obnoxious. So, the hike just made her stronger. Like training an endurance horse.

The next 3 nights I stayed with my friend Jody & daughter Kaila in Agua Dulce. That was really fun. 

After eating at my favorite Mexican restaurant in town, the next night we had an amazing dinner that Jody cooked. We also drank. Of course.

I love chicken pot pies. For my birthday when I was probably 9 or 10 my mom asked me what I wanted for dinner. I wanted this, except it was cooked in an oven which is really different from microwave cooking.

This kind of alcohol is easy to get into. The next night I had some real wine, but there was no cork screw in the house. Luckily the landlady had one. I couldn't do a second night of Strawberry White Zinfandel!

My wine glass. It goes with everything.

Now for all you Canadian Blog Stalkers......this is suppose to be the soy sauce of choice. At least for Jody. She will not use any other and has her mother bring her a bottle every time she visits. I tried it with rice and have to say....IT WAS VERY TASTY!!! So, there ya go!! Soy sauce straight from Canada! I feel like I am becoming more Canadian every day.

Then Jody and Kaila got comfy. I forgot sweats, so had to wear jeans. I was pretty jealous. Especially when I saw Jody's fluffy pink loungewear.

And feet....

The landlady's dog was missing so Jody & I went out on the ranch looking for him. She tried to stuff her little hound doggies into a pair of cowboy boots. Hahahaha!!! The fact that she even tried made me laugh!!

Anyway, she found the doggie. He was locked in the horse trailer where she thought he was. Small little Jack Russell. Coyote bait.

After dinner we watched (a new show to me) "Freaky Eaters". Ok. That show freaked me out!!! We watched the Russian girl who lives on cola and has been for the last 15 years. (She was 20.) Some 30 cans a day. I guess she gets her fiber from twinkies, cookies & ding dongs. She did not want help. So next time I accidently down a whole box of cookies, but end it with a salad. or something like that, I won't feel like a freaky eater. Just....OMG.......I feel so  n o r m a l . . . 

Speaking of Freaky Eaters. I left Zoe home with Tony and she's off and on with her food. He was so great with all the animals and one night (might have been after the screw-top wine) he said he was cutting Zoe's raw, meaty bones into small pieces (and searing them with garlic powder & parmesan cheese). I thought he said he was chewing her bones up for her. God he's amazing!!! Hahahaha!!!!!

While I was in town, I walked my dogs twice a day at Vasquez Rocks. Oh how I miss that place!!! I used to walk there 5 or 6 times a week for an 1 1/2 hours. Kaia was a baby (3 months) when I started taking her and she's just lose her mind. She's split into the hills, I wouldn't know where she was, then all of a sudden she was right behind me, then off again. She always checked in with me constantly, then I'd see her high on a ridge chasing coyote or bunny scent. Such great memories. Punky.....I miss Punky.....

This was Cardiff's first time there. I was able to get quite a few photos of them with the sun low in the sky. 

Cardiff LOVES to pounce!!!

I love this shot of Soleil!

The moon, still up.

Fluffy little collie butts!!!

Early Sunday, I drove to Quartz Hill to watch Kaila compete in a gymkana. She is almost 8 yrs old and has qualified for the state finals. She is so adorable and the nicest child I have ever been around. And Jody says "Because I raise them like that". I know Jody well so it's not a shock to me how her child is like this. Her baby does not bitch, whine, complain or have temper tantrums. She does her chores, and always has a great attitude about virtually everything. Jody just doesn't put up with any disrespect so her child always knows where she stands. What a breath of fresh air!!! 

We had a very late ring time on Sunday, so I was able to go out and see Kaila compete. She won her first round, then got several 2 places & I think a 5th place. Kaila rides a HUGE (16 hands) horse named Brownie who they are doing a lease with, so he's virtually her horse. Anyway, here are some photos of them. I DID NOT want to leave, so hopefully I can see her again when I'm down, and am planning on seeing her at the state finals.

 

This is Billy, another horse she rides. Good boy! We walked around the neighborhood with the dogs one night.

Here she is practicing with Brownie the day before. Love this photo with the dust & sun! Look at that kid's form. Beautiful posture & leg placement for a little child!

Wild Cardiff at the gymkana. She is VERY friendly!! I have ill-behaved collies.

Here's Kaila & Brownie in their winning run. 

Little, little babies get to run also at these events but they have an adult take them thru the course on a lead. I think they call it Leadline. I LOVE this horse & tack!! That would be me if I was 3 or 4 yrs. old.

This wouldn't be me. But it's cute....isn't is???

I try and take my camera everywhere. This was funny!

This is a horrible photo because I had the setting wrong, but she's a little bay arabian that has to have Khemosabi behind her. She looked so much like Ali'i! 

Kaila & Brownie.

Aaaaawwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....................my trip really was blissful.................

My Favorite Christmas Ornaments

Christmas Eve is my favorite holiday of the whole year. It was the one time that my family was all together and everyone was in a good mood. My dad got the tree, usually for free because he'd go when the lots were closing down looking like a homeless person in his dirty & torn work clothes. We'd decorate the tree, then have a Swedish type smorgasbord of food and "glogg" (glurg). My grandma & mom's cousin Marian would come over and lots of friends would stop by. Fun, house was clean, food was amazing and we always opened presents that night. It was an Estonian tradition and my dad was all about that. As time went on, our family seemed to disinigrate especially with my mom dying. She was truly the glue that held our family together and try as we might have, it was never the same. My dad had been diagnosed with manic-depression right before she died and soon after she was gone, I had to leave. For me it was like "Gone With The Wind" when Scarlett comes back from the war to Tara. Except she stayed to rebuild the family & home. I couldn't. I was out of there 6 months later.

Even though this is my favorite holiday, I still cry alot in December. Coming up to it brings up so much emotion and God knows, and I know, it's hard for a lot of people. And, gosh, my poor father, leaving his country, and never seeing his mother again, or his siblings, one brother he never met who was born after he escaped from Estonia. No wonder he fell apart. He wasn't a good communicator so when he was diagnosed with the manic-depression, he wouldn't shut up. He was talking for 24 hour spurts and writing his life down on pages and pages of indecipherable scribble. It was too late. So sad. He died a broken man.

A N Y W A Y . . . . those Christmas Ornaments.......I know there are others, somewhere in a box in some faraway home but these are the ones I brought here. Those warm and fuzzy reminders of a warm & fuzzy life (at least on Christmas Eve). If I could find my mom's Nativity Scene, these beautiful & delicate porcelain figurines of the Baby Jesus, Wise Men, etc, I would be a happy camper. That could bring really old warm & fuzzy memories into Christmas of my mom & childhood.

I have a lot of these type ornaments. I love the style. And the color, thou they are in a lot of different colors. I'm not sure if that is dust on the top of this...but it wouldn't surprise me. I told T when we moved here ~ "Please keep that maid of yours"....

I love these. There are 3 in different colors. Alicia and I bought them when she was living with me.

The Christmas Pig. Alicia's choice. It has wings!!! If Pigs Could Fly!!! This one not only is flying but holding a red ornament!

From Jolene.....who lives in IglooLand.......awwwwhhhhh......we have no snow Jolene just MUD.

Laura Weiss's ornament with Soleil & Squishy (& Zoe?).....it's on the window sill because it bent my tree in half.

A Suffolk Sheep (from "Crate & Barrel"). I got several ornaments at the store in Phoenix, AZ on a dog show trip Martha & I went on. She, Lee Runnels & I all got the bitch majors and those Arizonians were so nice. Just showed up with all their bitches to make majors and we took them every day. (I also apparently got a major on Lana's dad Topic, Ch. Society Niteridge Hot Topic thou my memory escapes me.)

Martha & I  were going to write a book called "From Chalk to Champion" because Kaia had NO HAIR, but she was so showy and moved so well. The judge was James Reynolds from Canada. Anyway, we chalked up Punky so thick her fur didn't move, AT ALL but it worked! I had just met Pierre and bought several gifts for the tree and his girls who I hadn't met yet. And, does this one have dust on it???? OMG!

Another Crate & Barrel wooden dove ornament. I have several of these in different colors. They used to hang from my drawing table light during the year.

One of Pierre's Army Men.....he had lots of them!

Pierre & I got this when we first got married. I honestly don't remember who gave it to us but I always loved how elegant the design is.

So sweet.....I'm taking care of this until Chantal wants it back......

The Bain Bear........

The Christmas Peacock ~ Alicia & I picked out 2 Christmases ago. 

And now my FAVORITE favorites!!

The Punky Angel. I have two of these.

These two ornaments were won by Kaia at Antelope Valley Kennel Club when she was about 3 years old. I showed her and Topic for Martha. I was Winners Dog with him and Winners Bitch with Kaia. I loved that show as it was in the High Desert in December and often times there was snow on the ground. You could get Hot Toddies and do Christmas shopping for all your dog friends at the vendors. Now all these shows are consolidated at one location and it's lost some of the spirit for me, though the fact that I don't live in Southern California might be a problem also. 

Anyway, Punky with a halo & wings. She was like that from the minute she was born. So, in case I haven't mentioned lately how much I still miss her..........

And, next to the Punky Angels.....this one from Crate & Barrel ~ Aaawwwhhhhhh.......so beautiful!