News on the car is not good and it may be totaled. Just what I need is a car payment. Don't really even have time for car shopping right now. We'll see what my insurance company has to say today. As the cost of everything goes up, and my salary as a state employee does NOT follow, things will be getting tighter around here.
Trying to get things in order for my trip to Australia in two weeks. I'm going to spend some time in Cairns and visit the Great Barrier Reef before flying back to Brisbane to judge Dalmatians. Australia and New Zealand are the two countries I have always longed to visit, and although I can't really afford the extra days, it would be foolish not to visit the reef. This is probably the only time I will get to that part of the world, and all reefs are gravely endangered by global warming. Just the smallest rise in ocean temperatures has a grave effect on many of its inhabitants.
SO MUCH to get done before I can leave. Ron takes good care of the dogs and fish, but I always worry about all of them - Ron too. As long as I write comprehensive lists, Ron can manage the fish pretty well, but not being very interested in them, he needs thorough instructions. The older dogs he is fine with. Argus will stay with Jess & Don and the Shepherd girls, but Ron says he can manage the pup. I think I will see if the neighbor kids will walk her and play with her in my absence.
The puppy is doing well. She's been so easy to housetrain, and has only had one accident indoors so far. She's great in a crate, and very bold and outgoing when she goes visiting. We've really enjoyed her so far - except for old Sidney who has little time for pups this age. Of course the pups always identify him as the Alpha Wolf and insist on sniveling and groveling for him, which drives him crazy.
Coral is scheduled for a CT scan next week, in hopes of identifying the reason for the continual drainage from her left nostril. Expensive dental surgery to remove a tiny piece of tooth root did not solve the problem. The estimates from the Vet School were impossibly expensive, but my wonderful vet found a private clinic that would do the same work for a much more reasonable price. Ron is inclined to just let this be, but I would feel terrible if something serious was going on, that we could have identified and treated.
Old Sid is hanging in there and doing quite well at 12 1/2+ plus. The warmer weather has really made a difference in him. Today is finally supposed to be warm enough for him to have a bath outdoors. He can't manage my steep basement steps and really needs a bath, so I will run a hose from the laundry tup and bath him outdoors in warm water. He carries tons of coat, and when he sheds it is massive! I should be able to remove a lot of that dead coat when he is being rinsed off, and because he can stand on the concrete he will have good footing. If my back is up to the job, I'll bathe a couple of the others too, probably on my grooming table which is water resistant.
Also need to do 30-40% water changes on 35 aquariums tonite and tommorrow. I normally do each of the tanks every week, but of course I missed a week when I was at DCA, and will miss a couple of weeks when I am in Australia, so I need the tanks and their inhabitants to be in as good a condition as possible before I leave. I've decided that the fish hobby needs to support itself a bit better, so I by-passed a chance to go in on a group order of fish from Mike Hellwig. Really bummed by that as there are several species available that I really want, but this is not a good time to add fish. Rick is keeping several pairs of the blue peppered lyretail platies for me until I get back, as I want to concentrate on them this summer, but that's all the new stuff I plan to add for awhile.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The Rest Of The Trip
May 1, 2008
We were mugged at the ring entrance and I've never been hugged by so many people in my whole life - they just kept coming. It was such a thrill, and many of those who took the time to congratulate us have been friends for years. Argus got a little too wired up with all the excitement and was jumping up on people too, as I tried to settle him down. When Jess was through being congratulated for Daisy's Award of Merit, she came and took Argus from me and put him on a down-stay so he could catch his breath and settle a bit before pictures. Several people offered him water, and although he was too excited to drink, sips of water poured in his mouth helped him stop panting.
The photos went well, and although it is certainly not our best picture, it is adequate. I should not have kept Argus standing so still on the platform for as long as I did. It's a rather "static" shot, and to me Argus looks best when he is getting ready to launch after a squeaky toy! That's how I always see him in my mind.
Mr. Bivin was very complimentary, and said that Argus was "everything a Dalmatian should be". He put his face down to Argus, who kissed his cheek.
We stayed for the Awards Dinner of course. I normally head for home right after breed judging at the National, but for some reason I did not check out of my room this year. When Argus won the breed, I was informed that we WERE staying (no arguments from me there) and we had a very nice time at the dinner. We thought about going to the bar afterwards, but instead we stayed in the banquet room and chatted with friends, then walked the dogs and finished up packing so we could leave early the next morning.
The trip home was easy, the weather was good, and we sure had lots to talk about! Both Jess and I went back to work on Friday, to avoid facing a week's worth of work on Monday!
This was truly and thrill, and something that I will relive many times - with a smile, I'm sure.
We were mugged at the ring entrance and I've never been hugged by so many people in my whole life - they just kept coming. It was such a thrill, and many of those who took the time to congratulate us have been friends for years. Argus got a little too wired up with all the excitement and was jumping up on people too, as I tried to settle him down. When Jess was through being congratulated for Daisy's Award of Merit, she came and took Argus from me and put him on a down-stay so he could catch his breath and settle a bit before pictures. Several people offered him water, and although he was too excited to drink, sips of water poured in his mouth helped him stop panting.
The photos went well, and although it is certainly not our best picture, it is adequate. I should not have kept Argus standing so still on the platform for as long as I did. It's a rather "static" shot, and to me Argus looks best when he is getting ready to launch after a squeaky toy! That's how I always see him in my mind.
Mr. Bivin was very complimentary, and said that Argus was "everything a Dalmatian should be". He put his face down to Argus, who kissed his cheek.
We stayed for the Awards Dinner of course. I normally head for home right after breed judging at the National, but for some reason I did not check out of my room this year. When Argus won the breed, I was informed that we WERE staying (no arguments from me there) and we had a very nice time at the dinner. We thought about going to the bar afterwards, but instead we stayed in the banquet room and chatted with friends, then walked the dogs and finished up packing so we could leave early the next morning.
The trip home was easy, the weather was good, and we sure had lots to talk about! Both Jess and I went back to work on Friday, to avoid facing a week's worth of work on Monday!
This was truly and thrill, and something that I will relive many times - with a smile, I'm sure.
Such A Good Time We've Had
April 29, 2008
On Tuesday evening Jess and I agreed that it was one of the most fun Nationals we had ever attended. Although we would have appreciated the organized Hospitality Rooms that were a DCA tradition for years, there were plenty of opportunities to socialize with friends. Because judging started early each day, we were generally back in our room by 11:00 PM - most nights!
I've always thought that dinners with friends are one of the highlights of DCA week, and this year was no exception. Because DCA is primarily during the week, it is not hard to get seating for large groups which makes things easier. I enjoyed the traditional trip to Bonefish Grill (I went three times the previous year), a fun Mexican restaurant, and the excellent Chinese restaurant right across the highway from the Drawbridge Inn. Our group Genuine Dalmatians (folks who do not support the backcross at this time) had a really great dinner at the latter.
Many were anticipating fireworks over the backcross issue, but all went well and DCA President Dr. Garvin kept the Annual Meeting running smoothly. The backcross group, who refers to themselves as the LUA group brought along a number of dogs who go back to the Dal/Pointer cross, but unfortunately it appears that the addition of Pointer genes still affects the spotting. I have yet to be convinced that LUA dogs will ever be marked like purebred Dalmatians should be - it is ironic that the genes that affect the metabolism of uric acid in the breed, are apparently tied to the markings that ALSO make our breed unique. Although some of the backcross dogs were less ticked than in the past, they still do not have the clear and distinct markings called for in the standard.
Tuesday evening was the Top Twenty, and we really enjoyed watching it this year. Because Argus should be eligible for that event next year, I may enjoy it less as a participant! Some of the dogs and handlers looked particularly good, and when the winner was announced at the Awards Dinner on Wednesday, I thought the choice was a good one and well deserved.
After the Top Twenty, we joined friends at the bar, and had a wonderful time. Everyone seemed to be in great spirits, and suddenly it was 1:30 AM and we had to get up in just a few hours!
On Tuesday evening Jess and I agreed that it was one of the most fun Nationals we had ever attended. Although we would have appreciated the organized Hospitality Rooms that were a DCA tradition for years, there were plenty of opportunities to socialize with friends. Because judging started early each day, we were generally back in our room by 11:00 PM - most nights!
I've always thought that dinners with friends are one of the highlights of DCA week, and this year was no exception. Because DCA is primarily during the week, it is not hard to get seating for large groups which makes things easier. I enjoyed the traditional trip to Bonefish Grill (I went three times the previous year), a fun Mexican restaurant, and the excellent Chinese restaurant right across the highway from the Drawbridge Inn. Our group Genuine Dalmatians (folks who do not support the backcross at this time) had a really great dinner at the latter.
Many were anticipating fireworks over the backcross issue, but all went well and DCA President Dr. Garvin kept the Annual Meeting running smoothly. The backcross group, who refers to themselves as the LUA group brought along a number of dogs who go back to the Dal/Pointer cross, but unfortunately it appears that the addition of Pointer genes still affects the spotting. I have yet to be convinced that LUA dogs will ever be marked like purebred Dalmatians should be - it is ironic that the genes that affect the metabolism of uric acid in the breed, are apparently tied to the markings that ALSO make our breed unique. Although some of the backcross dogs were less ticked than in the past, they still do not have the clear and distinct markings called for in the standard.
Tuesday evening was the Top Twenty, and we really enjoyed watching it this year. Because Argus should be eligible for that event next year, I may enjoy it less as a participant! Some of the dogs and handlers looked particularly good, and when the winner was announced at the Awards Dinner on Wednesday, I thought the choice was a good one and well deserved.
After the Top Twenty, we joined friends at the bar, and had a wonderful time. Everyone seemed to be in great spirits, and suddenly it was 1:30 AM and we had to get up in just a few hours!
Off To The National - Dalmatian Club Of America
April 26, 2008
Oh, such a long trip and such lousy weather. We left about noon on Friday and encountered rain in Wisconson and drove through torrential downpours near Madison and Janesville. There was so much rain on the freeway that it felt as if I was driving through a river, and I could feel the mini-van wheels spinning beneath me. The rain was so heavy at times that I could not even see the road. Because the storm front extended in a long line from Texas to Michigan, we could not drive out of the rain, and I finally called in quits somewhere in Illinois, about halfway between St. Paul and Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.
We found a nice Super 8 across the street from a decent restaurant - awesome home made chicken noodle soup! We unloaded Argus, Violet and Sydney, brought in the two pop up crates, and Argus slept on the bed for the first of six nights. We turned oun The Weather Channel and found out that tornados had gone through Wisconsin right behind us!
The weather was much better on Saturday and our trip was uneventful. We particularly enjoyed the beautiful flowering purple trees in southern Indiana, and arrived at the Drawbridge Inn mid-afternoon, in brilliant sunshine. The first person we ran into was Linda McSherry, Violet's owner, so they were quickly reunited.
Our room was ready and looked good, and the beds were even comfortable. Our room was down a level from parking, which meant schlepping our crates down the stairs, or going the long route so we could use the dolly - we chose the latter!
The Welcome Party was well attended, and we had a great time connecting with old friends, and meeting people that we only knew through ads and the internet.
Oh, such a long trip and such lousy weather. We left about noon on Friday and encountered rain in Wisconson and drove through torrential downpours near Madison and Janesville. There was so much rain on the freeway that it felt as if I was driving through a river, and I could feel the mini-van wheels spinning beneath me. The rain was so heavy at times that I could not even see the road. Because the storm front extended in a long line from Texas to Michigan, we could not drive out of the rain, and I finally called in quits somewhere in Illinois, about halfway between St. Paul and Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.
We found a nice Super 8 across the street from a decent restaurant - awesome home made chicken noodle soup! We unloaded Argus, Violet and Sydney, brought in the two pop up crates, and Argus slept on the bed for the first of six nights. We turned oun The Weather Channel and found out that tornados had gone through Wisconsin right behind us!
The weather was much better on Saturday and our trip was uneventful. We particularly enjoyed the beautiful flowering purple trees in southern Indiana, and arrived at the Drawbridge Inn mid-afternoon, in brilliant sunshine. The first person we ran into was Linda McSherry, Violet's owner, so they were quickly reunited.
Our room was ready and looked good, and the beds were even comfortable. Our room was down a level from parking, which meant schlepping our crates down the stairs, or going the long route so we could use the dolly - we chose the latter!
The Welcome Party was well attended, and we had a great time connecting with old friends, and meeting people that we only knew through ads and the internet.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Dalmatian PR
We were invited to take some Dalmatians to the Mall of America for Toddler Tuesday. This is an event that draws 200 - 300 little kids and their caregivers, and this particular Tuesday featured a Dalmatian coloring contest, and a promotion for the Disney Dalmatian movie coming out in DVD. And real live Dalmatians to pet!
For events like this, it is important to select the most unflappable of dogs, as they will be mugged and hugged and poked and prodded, have their feet run over by strollers, and their tails and ears pulled by excited toddlers. We try to do these events whenever possible because we believe very strongly in promoting the image of Dalmatians as good family dogs and companions. Dals recieved a very bad rap following the popularity boom of the late 80s and early 90s. There were indeed lots of "bad" Dalmatians, because there were bad breeders and bad owners. (More on this later.) All the many thousands of good Dalmatians never made the news . . .
We decided to use "Stella" (OTCH Stella By Starlight UDX) bred by us and owned by Colleen Christianson, and my dog "Watson" (Ch. Paisley Pragmatic CGC). Stella is a retired obedience champion and has worked as a therapy dog. Watson is a small, sweet gentle guy with a totally unflappable personality. Both dogs were absolutely awesome, and performed flawlessly. We had a steady line of little ones coming through to pet the dogs for well over two hours, and they never stopped wagging their tails. Both dogs did tricks for the kids, and we answered questions about the breed. Many people commented on what lovely dispositions both dogs had. We got some of the "I thought Dalmatians were bad with kids" comments, while the dogs were doing their best to prove that was not the case. We just explained that there are bad dogs in all breeds, and that dogs must have inherently good dispositions and be properly socialized with children. The average well bred, properly socialized Dalmatian is an EXCELLENT family dog.
On the fishy front, I tried my hand at fish dentistry last night. Among my almost-50tanks of fish, I have two puffer fish. Edd is a green-spotted puffer, and Bucky is a South American puffer. Puffers need to eat hard foods (like snails in the shell) to keep their beaks/teeth from growing too long. When I purchased Bucky he already had the problem, and I was not able to get her to eat snails to wear her beak back. So I had to do surgery! Rather a scary process, but it was that or watch her starve to death. Clove oil is used to anesthetize fish, and beaks can be trimmed with a nail scissors. It only took a few minutes, and Bucky seems to be doing fine. Now I will hang out my shingle - "Fish Dentistry"!
For events like this, it is important to select the most unflappable of dogs, as they will be mugged and hugged and poked and prodded, have their feet run over by strollers, and their tails and ears pulled by excited toddlers. We try to do these events whenever possible because we believe very strongly in promoting the image of Dalmatians as good family dogs and companions. Dals recieved a very bad rap following the popularity boom of the late 80s and early 90s. There were indeed lots of "bad" Dalmatians, because there were bad breeders and bad owners. (More on this later.) All the many thousands of good Dalmatians never made the news . . .
We decided to use "Stella" (OTCH Stella By Starlight UDX) bred by us and owned by Colleen Christianson, and my dog "Watson" (Ch. Paisley Pragmatic CGC). Stella is a retired obedience champion and has worked as a therapy dog. Watson is a small, sweet gentle guy with a totally unflappable personality. Both dogs were absolutely awesome, and performed flawlessly. We had a steady line of little ones coming through to pet the dogs for well over two hours, and they never stopped wagging their tails. Both dogs did tricks for the kids, and we answered questions about the breed. Many people commented on what lovely dispositions both dogs had. We got some of the "I thought Dalmatians were bad with kids" comments, while the dogs were doing their best to prove that was not the case. We just explained that there are bad dogs in all breeds, and that dogs must have inherently good dispositions and be properly socialized with children. The average well bred, properly socialized Dalmatian is an EXCELLENT family dog.
On the fishy front, I tried my hand at fish dentistry last night. Among my almost-50tanks of fish, I have two puffer fish. Edd is a green-spotted puffer, and Bucky is a South American puffer. Puffers need to eat hard foods (like snails in the shell) to keep their beaks/teeth from growing too long. When I purchased Bucky he already had the problem, and I was not able to get her to eat snails to wear her beak back. So I had to do surgery! Rather a scary process, but it was that or watch her starve to death. Clove oil is used to anesthetize fish, and beaks can be trimmed with a nail scissors. It only took a few minutes, and Bucky seems to be doing fine. Now I will hang out my shingle - "Fish Dentistry"!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Playing Catch Up Again
So much has happened in the past two weeks, with hardly a spare moment for blogging.
Violet was bred to Argus on Valentines Day - how appropriate. Babies are due April 17th, which should work out perfectly. The pups should be about 10 days old when I have to leave for DCA (the Dalmatian National). By that age they should all be strong and doing well, and Violet will still be doing all the work other than daily handling. Makes it a lot easier for poor Ron. They will be 6 weeks old when I leave for Australia to judge a Dalmatian show (and do some touristing, of course) and the pups will stay with Jess and Don for that week. Perfect timing for car rides, new surroundings, and lots of new friends. All the extra experiences will help to assure that the pups are particularly confident and well adjusted.
Hard to believe that these will not be the World's Friendliest Puppies! Violet loves everyone, and has just the type of disposition we prefer. Like Argus, and her grandpa Watson, Violet assumes that everyone is her best friend.
Violet was bred to Argus on Valentines Day - how appropriate. Babies are due April 17th, which should work out perfectly. The pups should be about 10 days old when I have to leave for DCA (the Dalmatian National). By that age they should all be strong and doing well, and Violet will still be doing all the work other than daily handling. Makes it a lot easier for poor Ron. They will be 6 weeks old when I leave for Australia to judge a Dalmatian show (and do some touristing, of course) and the pups will stay with Jess and Don for that week. Perfect timing for car rides, new surroundings, and lots of new friends. All the extra experiences will help to assure that the pups are particularly confident and well adjusted.
Hard to believe that these will not be the World's Friendliest Puppies! Violet loves everyone, and has just the type of disposition we prefer. Like Argus, and her grandpa Watson, Violet assumes that everyone is her best friend.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Tired Of Winter!
Dog Walking
NOT fun when it's -14 degrees for the last walk of the night and the first walk of the morning. Because Violet is in season she is not running with my dogs and is confined to the basement. Not lonely or boring for her there as my fish tanks are in the basement so I spend a good deal of time down there. However, we walk visiting ladies four times a day as it is good for their physical and mental health -but less good for mine! Violet is actually quite sensible about the whole thing and after a couple of blocks she turns around and heads back. Learned the route right away and takes me directly home when she's had enough of the cold. I'm sure when the weather warms up a bit she won't be willing to settle for such short walks.
Not Quite Ready Yet
I've introduced Argus and Violet twice so far, but she is not quite ready to be bred yet. Pretty close tonite, but probably just a day early, so hopefully she will stand tomorrow. That will make for an extra busy day, as I will be having dinner with my mother and watching Westminster dog show on her TV (I don't have cable). It's a "family tradition" for us, and we both enjoy it.
Painful Afternoon
Had hoped to work on my website today, but spend the afternoon moving furniture and laying bedroom carpeting. Hope I am not too stiff tomorrow AM when I have to get up and walk Violet! The poor website always seems to be put off because something else needs to be done.
Time to go feed the fish, walk Violet, and go to bed.
NOT fun when it's -14 degrees for the last walk of the night and the first walk of the morning. Because Violet is in season she is not running with my dogs and is confined to the basement. Not lonely or boring for her there as my fish tanks are in the basement so I spend a good deal of time down there. However, we walk visiting ladies four times a day as it is good for their physical and mental health -but less good for mine! Violet is actually quite sensible about the whole thing and after a couple of blocks she turns around and heads back. Learned the route right away and takes me directly home when she's had enough of the cold. I'm sure when the weather warms up a bit she won't be willing to settle for such short walks.
Not Quite Ready Yet
I've introduced Argus and Violet twice so far, but she is not quite ready to be bred yet. Pretty close tonite, but probably just a day early, so hopefully she will stand tomorrow. That will make for an extra busy day, as I will be having dinner with my mother and watching Westminster dog show on her TV (I don't have cable). It's a "family tradition" for us, and we both enjoy it.
Painful Afternoon
Had hoped to work on my website today, but spend the afternoon moving furniture and laying bedroom carpeting. Hope I am not too stiff tomorrow AM when I have to get up and walk Violet! The poor website always seems to be put off because something else needs to be done.
Time to go feed the fish, walk Violet, and go to bed.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
New Family Members!
New Arrival
Violet arrived yesterday and will be staying with us for the next four months. Linda McSherry flew in from Maine and brought Violet along with her. Linda came to attend a baby shower for her daughter Christy, and Violet should be ready to breed this weekend - how's that for perfect timing?
Like Argus, Violet has completed her all her health testing and has been assigned her CHIC number. She is BAER bilateral (hearing), CERF normal (eyes), and OFA good (hips). We try to breed from only the healthiest and best tempered Dals. Responsible breeders are "the guardians of the breed" and the decisions we make now can have a major affect on future generations. For that reason, only the healthiest, best tempered dogs should be used for breeding, and the closer they fit the breed standard the greater the chance that they will pass on the desirable characteristics of their breed. Argus and Violet are both American & Canadian Champions as well as having wonderfully outgoing dispositions.
We are so pleased that Linda was willing to let Violet come to Minnesota to have a litter with Argus, Violet is a grand daughter of our beloved Watson, and when I purchased Argus it was with the idea that I wanted to breed him to several Watson daughters and grand daughters, in hopes of combining the best traits of two of my favorite dogs.
Mother Nature 1, Sue 0
I was supposed to be in Indianapolis this weekend, but entered the shows with the idea that I would go only if Mother Nature cooperated with dry roads and reasonable temperatures - she didn't. So instead I got to enjoy a new batch of Angelfish babies.
New Babies
It's pretty cool to watch a cloud of about 50 tiny babies swimming around their parents. Angelfish are cichlids, and like other members of their family, are programmed to raise their youngsters rather than ignore (or eat) them like many other kinds of fish. Because Angelfish have been commercially bred and artificially hatched for so many years, most have lost the instincts to parent. I purchased my fish from a breeder (yep, there are fish breeders too) who specializes in Angelfish, and who breeds fish with natural instincts that can successfully raise their young. He would be the fishie equivalent of a show breeder and responsible hobbyist, and is very involved with breeding quality Angelfish. He's also available to mentor, just as responsible dog breeders are.
Violet arrived yesterday and will be staying with us for the next four months. Linda McSherry flew in from Maine and brought Violet along with her. Linda came to attend a baby shower for her daughter Christy, and Violet should be ready to breed this weekend - how's that for perfect timing?
Like Argus, Violet has completed her all her health testing and has been assigned her CHIC number. She is BAER bilateral (hearing), CERF normal (eyes), and OFA good (hips). We try to breed from only the healthiest and best tempered Dals. Responsible breeders are "the guardians of the breed" and the decisions we make now can have a major affect on future generations. For that reason, only the healthiest, best tempered dogs should be used for breeding, and the closer they fit the breed standard the greater the chance that they will pass on the desirable characteristics of their breed. Argus and Violet are both American & Canadian Champions as well as having wonderfully outgoing dispositions.
We are so pleased that Linda was willing to let Violet come to Minnesota to have a litter with Argus, Violet is a grand daughter of our beloved Watson, and when I purchased Argus it was with the idea that I wanted to breed him to several Watson daughters and grand daughters, in hopes of combining the best traits of two of my favorite dogs.
Mother Nature 1, Sue 0
I was supposed to be in Indianapolis this weekend, but entered the shows with the idea that I would go only if Mother Nature cooperated with dry roads and reasonable temperatures - she didn't. So instead I got to enjoy a new batch of Angelfish babies.
New Babies
It's pretty cool to watch a cloud of about 50 tiny babies swimming around their parents. Angelfish are cichlids, and like other members of their family, are programmed to raise their youngsters rather than ignore (or eat) them like many other kinds of fish. Because Angelfish have been commercially bred and artificially hatched for so many years, most have lost the instincts to parent. I purchased my fish from a breeder (yep, there are fish breeders too) who specializes in Angelfish, and who breeds fish with natural instincts that can successfully raise their young. He would be the fishie equivalent of a show breeder and responsible hobbyist, and is very involved with breeding quality Angelfish. He's also available to mentor, just as responsible dog breeders are.
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