As I recall, there is an old expression that goes something like, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." YES! The air is dripping again this morning and there's a fog warning. If it's going to be this wet, we ought to have rain, but no such luck. Tonight the grass will get a drink. A lawn needs one inch of rain a week in the summer to stay healthy, and it's time to step in and help out. Think we've only watered the lawn 2 or 3 times so far this summer, a huge improvement from the past few years of summer with NO rain.
Audrey has grown a bit more the past week, because the flower stalks add to her height. Need to get her measured tonight as the information on her says 8 - 10 feet and she appears to be getting to the top of her range now. She's covered with dozens/hundreds of 3 inch yellow daisy-type flowers now, and as an added bonus she is a popular feeding site for Goldfinches who rest on the spent blossoms and apparently eat the seeds that are forming. If I had had a good telephoto lens I could have gotten terrific pictures yesterday noon.
The tomatoes are ripening on the Giant Tomato and her Nearly Giant partner. Think we will be freezing tomatoes this year, as the patio tomato has decided to survive (not sure if the dose of Epsom Salts helped, but it sure seems to have made a difference) and the hanging basket has tomatoes ready to pick - and no we did NOT put it back up on the neighbor's fence. A hanging tomato basket freshly watered is incredibly heavy. It's hanging from an old plum tree on the other side of the yard -doesn't get enough sun to do it's best, but it's doing well enough to provide more tomatoes than we can possibly eat.
The daphnia pond is prospering, and the fish are eating live daphnia several times a week. I really want the Limia tridens, the Alfaro cultratus and the Brachyrhaphus roseni to spawn this summer or fall. Spell check does not help with those names, and the latter two don't quite roll off my tongue (fingers?) yet.
I'm 85 points away from the next breeder's level in our fish club's breeder awards program, and I'd like to get to that level this winter. I've spawned and successfully raised 39 different species of fish so far, and am currently 32nd on the club's all time list. Because this is my secondary hobby (although it probably takes more of my time on non-show weekends than the dogs do) I have to fit in my fishy chores when I can. This winter I want to concentrate a bit harder and get those 85 points. I've still got a lot of tanks with 3 - 5 year old fish who are "pets" - they take up space I could use for breeding fish, but I get attached, and some species like Edd Puffer and the Mudskippers do not breed in captivity anyway. Some of the fish are just breeding stock, while others are strictly pets, but all of them are interesting in their own ways.
The picture is Charlie, son of Argus and Nikon, brother to Penny. Not a perfect shot, but one we got on the way home from the shows, so Jess would have a picture for Facebook. Can't wait to see how the show pictures look. This picture shows Charlie's excellent proportions, balanced angulation, beautiful neck and shoulders (and the way he flows together so smoothly over the withers) and the fact that he "stands over" his front just like his sister Penny, a trait that is unfortunately uncommon in Dalmatians. His forelegs are set under his body, rather than coming right off the front of the dog, as they do when shoulders are too straight - which is typical of the breed, and a common fault in many breeds. He also has a level back rather than the ski slope topline that goes with straight shoulders.
Jess & I took Charlie and Argus to Waukesha where we met up with Laurie and Penny who drove in from Virginia. We had a bang up weekend, taking the points in both dogs and bitches both days, as well as going breed with Argus both days. Doesn't get much better than that. I was SO proud of the puppies - although they are almost 15 months old, they will always be the puppies, I guess. Charlie picked up both majors and proved that he was a fast learner by showing quite well. Penny remembered what she needed to do, although she was not tremendously impressed with the wet grass, picked up another major and went BoS over a special both days. Two weeks off for the pups, and Charlie gets to be a pet. Penny came home with us and is on a conditioning program - actually Penny and Jess are on a conditioning program - Penny just came out of season and is a bit soft. Charlie goes jogging with Brooke & Michael, so he's already optimally fit, as is Argus who gets exercised every evening. Part of being a successful showdog is being in perfect condition - perfect coat, perfect muscle tone, perfect frame of mind.
Coming soon - the other type of judge - the crooked one, and an answer on cowhocks.
1 comment:
So glad you mentioned exercise and proper condition. How much is too much for a six month old? I jog with my just turned six month old bitch twice per day every day, about a mile and a half each time for a total of three miles per day. Plus we have a fenced in yard where we play fetch and frisbee daily and she runs and plays with the other dogs as well. She handles the jogs quite well and still has energy to spare when we return. When will it be safe to take her on longer distances?
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