Best If Used By December 2003



Mariah will be arriving on 11/21

 
Because I had yesterday off work and the weather was still relatively warm, my list of chores included mostly outdoor activities, primarily yard work. As Ron was doing the trash he observed that he only had one bag for the trash hauler, so if I anything I planned to throw out, I might want to start a second bag.  Challenge!  Every now and again I get into a Throw It Out Frenzy.  Because I have a good friend who fits the definition of a Hoarder, I live in fear of ending up that way, and my large old house is full of "things" I've accumulated over the years.  It's actually pretty neat most of the time, but I could do a better job of going through cupboards, closets and drawers on a regular basis.  I took Ron's suggestion as a challenge, and came up with three grocery bags of trash, plus another one for the Good Will.  The major cleaning was the kitchen island/breakfast bar where I store small appliances, napkins, plastic cups and other miscellaneous items, and cleaning under the kitchen sink.

Last summer I decided to buy grass seed, and because I did not get it planted I stashed it under the bar.  Yesterday I discovered THREE bags of grass seed, including the newest one.  There was also nice carton of Iced Tea that we never got around to chilling and drinking - too bad the label said "best if used by October 2007".  Had it been that long?  I knew there was a big tub of Margarita Mix, the kind where you add Tequila and freeze.  I'd been planning to take that along on a show weekend when friends were motor homing, but never remembered to take it.  Certainly something like that would not have an expiration date, but it did.  "Best if used by December 2003".  Oh my!

My bicycle sat out all last winter and I didn't want that to happen again this year so asked Ron if there was a spot for it in the garage.  He suggested that if I got rid of the old Schwin (I've had it for at least 30 years) there would be room for the newer bike that I actually ride.  We put the old Schwin out in the alley for the "borrowers" who come by and pick up useful items that are left out.  Ron came in to make a "Free" sign and by the time he got back out the bike was gone.  Works really well, as long as you remember not to leave items you actually wish to keep out in the alley. I lost a wonderful old galvanized sprinkling can that way!

Let's Start This Week All Over Again . . .

This is my pup who is still known as Light Pink

Yesterday was very definitely a "lost" day.  I got through it, but sure don't remember it!  Didn't sleep well on Thursday, got in late on Friday, sat up and talked, and then the pups yelled off and on all night (and pups being crate-trained in the room next to the guest room, well . . .), slept well on Saturday night with the pups moved to the barn, and got in after midnight on Sunday - and had to catch up with Ron, look over the mail, etc.  IF I had not had to go to work it would have been a lot easier!  Am too old for this.  Went to bed at 8:00 PM last night, got up at 11:00 to send the dogs out and turn off the fishroom lights, then went back to bed.  Feeling Oh so much better today.

The weather is supposed to be fantastic today, so I may use up some of my scarce vacation time to get in some yard work.  Thursday is a Holiday for us, but the weather is due to be "seasonable" instead of sensational by then.

Check Back Later Today

What a Fun Weekend! A quick trip down to Florida to see the Argus/Sugar pups and pick my stud fee puppy. Stayed with Janey & Rick and had a great time. The pups were lovely and there were several that show great potential as show dogs. We did face shots and stacked pictures which I will get posted tonight or tomorrow. The pups had not been worked on the table so the pictures of several could have been better, but they turned out OK. Eight weeks is not the optimum age for stacked shots either – we prefer doing them at 6-7 weeks. I particularly liked the fact that the girl I am taking goes together so nicely. Generally, pups that “fit together” easily into a stack are the pups with the best structure. We spent a lot of time in the yard just watching the pups move and interact – well constructed pups can trot nicely by the age of 8 weeks.


The patch boy was a heart-breaker. We always joke that the patches are often the best pups, and this time it was most definitely true. What a lovely boy. Wonderful structure and great cosmetics too. He may be going to a performance home which would be just perfect. It’s nice to have the lovely patched pups seen, even if they can’t be shown in the breed ring. There were several very handsome boys and I was tempted, but went there planning to select a female and I found one that I liked a lot. Not quite as cute as several of her siblings, but sound structure, a great outline and a lovely personality. She’ll arrive in a week or two, and in the meantime I had better pick a name. All the pups wore colored rickrack collars to identify them in the litter, but I don’t think I need to call a pup “Light Pink”. 


Weather was too cool for the locals, but near perfect as far as I was concerned, near 70 with only a light breeze and a cloudless sky. It froze Saturday night, their first frost of the season, but is due to be 83 by Wednesday – too hot for me. Glad Mother Nature provided such lovely weather while I was there. I saw a lot of Ch. “Sugar”, mother of the pups. She’s such a sweetheart and very well named. I also saw Sugar’s dam and her parents . Sugar’s sire is a dog I have seen numerous times, known for his lovely disposition and the quality of his offspring.


I didn’t get home until about 1:00 AM, so getting up was tough this morning!


Argus spent the weekend with Jess & Don and the Shepherd girls and it sounds as if he had a great time. His kids had a good weekend, with GCh. “ Pauli” picking up 4 Bests of Breed AND 4 Group placings in Indiana, and Ch. “Nati” earning her Grand Championship in Ohio, shown by owner Ann. Argus now has 3 daughters who have already earned the new Grand Champion title (Argus has his too). If you have been reading along with me, you might remember Pauli (known as Bad Pauli) and Nati (known as Naughtia) when they lived here. Both turned out well and are much loved by their owners. Not sure if the new girl stays or goes to a co-ownership home of her own. Depends on how she develops and what Tess P.’s litter contains.

Off To See The Puppies

This is one of the girls.

OK now, what have I forgotten?  Just printed my eticket and boarding pass and need to look over all the printed material I downloaded from Travelocity and USAirways.  Measured my small suitcase and it fits the size limits so I can just do carry on.  My Netbook  is in the laptop bag, and instead of a purse I will use my fanny pack.  Camera battery charged, cell phone ready to go - must remember to pack the charging cord though.  It will be nice to have the Netbook while I am doing a layover in Charlotte.  I used to fly quite a lot, especially when I first started judging, but flying is such a hassle now I no longer approach it with excitement.  Flying only makes me nervous because so much can go wrong - not with the the flight itself (I figure if the plane crashes, well, when you're dead you're dead - right?) just all the paperwork, security check in, flight cancellations and delays.  I'd absolutely hate having to spend the night in an airport!  Ever since I found myself in Auckland, NZ without a boarding pass and only 50 minutes to catch the flight to Brisbane (we were rerouted but they forgot to give me a boarding pass for the second leg of my trip) I get a little panicky about such things.

Fish club meeting last night.  I should have stayed home and done chores but really wanted to listen to Gary Lange talk about his adventures looking for Rainbowfishes in Indonesia.  Sorry to be missing the get together at Mike's tonite!  It's tough balancing two expensive and time consuming hobbies.  Got some nice plants last night for just a few dollars, and bid on and won some rainbow eggs that Gary brought along.  The fish should be fabulous if the hatching and grow out go well.  Also swapped some of my L. vittata for some of Dale's Ameca splendens.  The sole surviving Jenynsia lineata seemed delighted to have tankmates.  Normally I would have quarantined any new fish, but I had a tank with just the one elderly resident.

OK, time to finish my laundry and packing.

Babies On Board

Two weeks to go

Here's Tess P. with two weeks to go.   She's normally a hard-bodied dog with lots of tuckup, so it's hard to guess how many pups she is carrying.  Paula thinks she looks a bit bigger than she did with her previous litter.  Because Tess P. is middle-aged, we're hoping for a reasonable sized litter of 5-7 pups.  They are due late next week.  Cross your fingers please.   If you are on my tentative list for a puppy, please let me know if you are still interested.

Too many Tesses 
This could be confusing!  Tess P. has pups due next week, while Tess C. (who lives in Oregon) has pups due in 6 weeks.  Both were bred to Argus.  Gotta remember to use the initials with the names!  Tess P. is a daughter of our Watson, and her dam is Madurhason & Dakota breeding.  Tess C. is the girl who was bred to Argus last fall and produced some very handsome pups including "Tia" who just went Best In Sweeps and Winners Bitch at the Northern California Specialty at 9 months of age.  Because that litter turned out so well, her owners decided to repeat the breding - and I get a stud fee pup this time (and will also help to sell any companion quality pups if there are more reservations than pups in Tess P.'s litter).

Let The Standard Be Your Guide

This comment was posted to my blog about a week ago and I thought it would be a perfect topic.

About there being "high" tails in the breed...what about low set tails? We showed a bitch a few months ago and she took reserve. The judge commented that he liked her spotting best and he felt her temperament was "remarkable" but he said her tail was too low. We'd never been told this before so I asked him what he meant and he said the back should go straight across to the tail, whereas our bitch's rounds off a bit at the rear. Her rear end looks almost identical  to the the dog named (name removed). So I am confused. I see nothing wrong with my dog's tail, but according to the judge, when their rear "slopes" like that it is a major fault. What do you say about that?

What I would say is that everyone needs to read and understand the AKC standard for their breed.  It amazes me how many exhibitors haven't a clue what our standard calls for.  The standard is our "blueprint" to what our breed should look like.  It helps us plan our breedings to improve or enhance the various characteristics of our dogs and to select the right pups as show potential.  Judges are also supposed to know and understand the standard for every breed they are approved to judge.   Also, we are talking about two separate features here, the croup and the tail.  Although bad tails generally go with bad croups, they are two separate entities.  The standard says -

The back is level and strong. The loin is short, muscular and slightly arched. The flanks narrow through the loin. The croup is nearly level with the back. The tail is a natural extension of the topline. It is not inserted too low down.  It is strong at the insertion and tapers to the tip, which reaches to the hock. It is never docked. The tail is carried with a slight upward curve but should never curl over the back.

Poor croups are very common in the breed, and generally go with bad tail carriage, and are judged based on how serious the problem is.  It is not a major fault, but affects the basic structure of the dog.  A dog with a steep croup can not extend it's rear legs properly which shortens up the stride.  There is a reason for all the structural features called for in our standard.  Our goal is a dog that can trot effortlessly for long periods of time.

The dog she questions does indeed share that same fault.  If I could change one just thing about her to make her a better Dalmatian, that is precisely what I would change, but judges are judging the whole dog, not just it's individual parts.  If a dog is faulty in one area but particularly good in many other areas, it will most likely win in the ring.  No dogs are perfect, and all judges have some faults that bother them more than others.  You have to look at the whole dog, how it is presented, what condition it is in, how it moves and what kind of temperament it displays in the ring.  Although a steep croup is a fault, as is a high tail carriage, they are only part of the picture described by the breed standard.

Hope that helps.

Sinkhole

This sinkhole opened up on the boulevard

The city came out to look at our sinkhole yesterday, or rather the neighbor's sinkhole - thank goodness.  A section of the boulevard has been settling for years.  It's on the end next to the Cat Neighbor's yard, although we always mow that section of the boulevard as well as our own.  My beautiful, carefully tended oak tree (purchased to replace an elm that succumbed to Dutch Elm disease) separates our section of the boulevard from the neighbor's.  Every year we added additional dirt and some grass seed to that piece of ground, until this year when the hole got MUCH deeper.  After each heavy rain it settled even more, and we kept waiting for the neighbor to do something about it.

As the sinkhole got deeper, I started worrying that someone would step in it and break an ankle.  The hole was at least a foot deep, but because of the grass and falling leaves it was not very obvious, and was next to the neighbor's sidewalk.  I finally asked Ron to put a stake and flag in that spot and I would call the city.  But who?  The Department Of Sinkholes?  I found an email address on the city's website, explained the problem and got a prompt response that it would be routed to the Street Maintenance people.  A week later someone from the city came out and spayed the white circle around the hole and added another flag.  They also painted a white spot in the middle of the street and one on the neighbor's sidewalk, presumably to show the location of some sort of pipe.  We were VERY relieved that it went in the neighbor's house, and that the line ran off to the side of my oak tree.  One of the reasons I had reported the problem was my concern for the tree.

Yesterday a man from the city came out again.  Ron saw the city truck, and the neighbor's partner go out to talk with the city employee. Ron joined them (out of curiosity) and heard the unfortunate (for the neighbor) news.   Although the city had to do some kind of a smoke test to confirm the break in the sewer line, it was the neighbor's responsibility to have it repaired.  Ugh.  That would include digging up and replacing as much of the pipe as was necessary.  Even though the boulevard is city property, the water and sewer pipes are the responsibility of the householders.  Ron observed that the other person was NOT happy about this.

Apparently, the break was allowing the dirt to wash into the pipe, which was why it why the ground was settling.  It was probably getting worse because the tree roots were growing into the hole.  The neighbor has no option and has to have it repaired/replaced.  He also mentioned that rats can get into the pipe and enter the house that way.  I've always heard the stories of rats in the toilets - apparently that is a possibility.  Wow.
The city employee also said the the City Arborist would come out to check on the tree, as the boulevard trees are a valuable resource and need to be protected.  I was most relieved to hear that!

So, I will stay out of the neighbor's way in case she decides to lash out at me.  She should have reported the problem herself, but I was the one who finally did it.  Am sure this will be an expensive project.   Also a messy one, so hopefully they will get this done before winter settles in.  This happened once before, over 30 years ago, on that same sewer line and it was a real mess. 

Ah, the joys of home ownership!  I'm waiting for someone from Pella to give me an estimate on a new patio door.  Not an inexpensive project, but probably a lot less than digging and replacing a sewer pipe!

Recipes

Tried two new recipes on Sunday and both were a waste of time.  I'd been saving them for several months, with great anticipation, so it was a real let down.  I'm always looking for a tasty low-fat version of Macaroni & Cheese, something nostalgic but healthier than the real thing.  It needs to be orange, creamy, cheesy and with the right "mouth feel".  Although I love Mac & Cheese, Ron has cholesterol issues (and had a quintuple by-pass years ago) so it is not something that I am comfortable serving.  He enjoys Amy's brand Macaroni & Soy Cheese, and although it smells delicious, it is NOT like the real thing.

This recipe used a creamy base of Vidalia Onion, garlic & Greek yogurt, along with low fat Cheddar, whole grain pasta, seasoning, plus Parmesan and Panko on top.  It was rather a bother to make and the resulting mess was pasty, curdled, pale and bland.  It was edible but definitely nothing like the real thing.  Amy's would definitely win a taste test over this disaster.

The Black Bean & Corn Salad also sounded tasty, and I thought the lime juice & olive oil dressing would have a much better flavor than it did.  Different seasoning might help it, but I'm not going to bother playing around with it.

The dogs will enjoy the last of the Mac & Cheese for breakfast, but the salad will hit the trash.  What a waste.  Oh well, I've got a  whole drawer full of recipes to try this winter and a few of them will get added to my list.  For those who asked, . . .

No-Crust Pumpkin Pie (with the changes that I used too).

• 3 eggs (I'm going to use Egg Substitute next time)
• 1 c. sugar (I used 2/3 brown, 1/3 white)
• 1 c. milk (because we only have skim, I used fat free condensed milk which has more substance)
• 4 T. flour
• 1 16-oz. can pumpkin (just pumpkin, not pie mix, and the cans are actually about 14 oz.)
• 1/2 t. salt (left it out)
• 1 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1/2 t. cinnamon - I used lots more.
• 1 t. pumpkin pie spice - again, I used more.

There were no mixing instructions, so I mixed it up as you would a regular pumpkin pie.  Used a deeper glass pie plate (would use a tiny bit of Pam next time) and baked it for an hour at 350 degrees which was perfect.  I liked it both warm and cold, for dessert as well as breakfast, with whipped cream or plain. 


 

What A Nice Weekend!



Julia caught this nice shot of  Jess & Penny


Jess arrived home safely from Atlanta, and Laurie along with Penny & her mother Nikon got back to Virginia where they were welcomed by Belle & the cats.   Sounds as if they had a fantastic time!  Penny will spend the winter at home growing up.  For all the winning she's done, Penny is not quite 18 months old, and still needs a bit of maturity.  Laurie will take her through a basic obedience class, for manners and for something to do over the winter.  Penny is a busy dog and needs a job!

Jess was very complimentary about the temperaments on the Dals she saw all weekend, but much less complimentary on the tails.  High tails continue to be a problem in the breed and are very distracting on an otherwise lovely dog.  However, bad temperaments are a far more serious problem.  An ugly tail only affects a dog's show career.  He can still be as a wonderful companion.  A bad temperament affects a dog's ability to function as a companion, especially if the dog's attitude problems include aggression.  Additionally, many shy dogs will bite if they feel threatened.  There is absolutely no room in the show ring for timid or aggressive dogs, and those temperaments can also be hereditary.


Mudskippers are such fun!




Lost a friend this weekend, one of my last two mudskippers.  Love my Skippers, funny little fish with leg-like fins and googly eyes.  I'd had those two for over 4 years, but knew the one was failing when he stopped eating.  His companion is eating very little now, and no longer spends his time stuck to the wall of the tank watching me work in the fishroom.  Those little skippers come from the mud flats of India and the gentleman I purchased mine from said he has not been able to get any recent shipments because of heavy rainstorms in the area.  Promised to let me know when he got more in.  Can't imagine now having Skippers in my fish room!

We took my mother out to dinner on Friday, do her favorite Mexican restaurant.  She enjoyed her combo plate and Margarita, and loves to get out.  Hopefully her November will be better than last year when he hurt her foot and eventually ended up in the hospital and a nursing home.  She's done well since returning to her apartment, so hopefully this holiday season will be healthier & happier for all of us.  When I picked her up for church on Sunday she brought me part of an apple pie she had baked the day before.  No one makes better pies than my mother, even at the age of 86!

All The Planning Pays Off . . .

When Delta Dash would not take Penny home because the AR-influenced employee decided she was too tall for a #400 crate, Jess & Laurie came up with an alternate plan.  They decided to meet in Atlanta for the Dal Specialty and three all breed shows.  A good panel of judges, all 4 of them worth showing to.  Their goal was to try and finish Penny's Grand Championship.  It all hinged on being able to take Penny along as excess baggage, and of course there was no problem checking her in at at the ticket counter.  It was the same way before NW was taken over by Delta.  The cargo people & the VIP (now Dash) people are just a bunch of knotheads, but because that happened, Penny had the chance to add to her already excellent record.

Penny is not quite 18 months old yet, not quite mature, but sound and beautiful.  She has a particularly nice front (forechest & shoulders), excellent breed type, and a good attitude and we anticipated that those 4 judges could recognize that - they did!

Penny was Select at the Specialty, losing BOS to the Veteran Bitch who was a star during her show career, and is an excellent showdog.  She moved up to Best Of Opposite the second day, and thrilled us on Saturday and Sunday by going Best Of Breed under judges we thought would like her (but things do not always turn out quite as you expect . . .)  She defeated several of the top professionally-handled Dals in the breed each day. 

And so she finished her Grand Championship in style, in straight shows, and is probably the youngest GCh in the breed.  Jess and Laurie had a wonderful time too, so all their planning paid off!

I told Argus that the worth of a stud dog is based on the quality of his daughters.  I guess Argus has proven his worth, with GCh. Pauli & GCh. Penny, and the other lovely girls.

Puppy Fix Soon . . .

Whew, just spend an hour on line making reservations to fly to Florida the first weekend in November. Want to see the Argus/Sugar pups "in person. Two bitches and one dog puppy really catch my eye. I'll add some pictures of them soon, as a photographer visited Janey and the babies last weekend.

Argus & I have an appointment at IGHAH in an hour, as it is finally time to send a "shipment" off for Tess C. Hope the repeat breeding produces something as nice as it did last time. Little Tia is a beauty. Can't wait to see her at the National next year.

No updates from Paula about Tess P. who is due in 3 weeks. She should be showing now, but is very hard-bodied and fit. The last 3 weeks is when the unborn pups really start to grow. Hoping for black girls, but I suppose we will get liver boys and I will fall in love with one.

Jess & Penny flew off to Atlanta for the Specialty, without a hitch. Strange isn't it, that a crate that was not large enough to fly Delta Dash a month ago, is perfectly OK for flying as excess baggage? The AR people must not have infiltrated the ticket counters yet! Flying with dogs is really a crap shoot.

Curly

Ah, the smell of a new perm.  Nothing quite like it.  Thank goodness!  I remember getting home perms as a child.  Rods so tight they made my eyes bug out, nasty stinging perm solution that ran down my forehead and into my eyes that  couldn't close, and the resulting mass of kinky gummy curls that no one could even get a comb through.  The smell that lingered for days. . .

Having been born with super fine, amazingly straight, and overly defiant hair, and not very much of it, I've had more than my share of perms over the years.  Unfortunately, I inherited my mother's hair, what I refer to as "crappy hair".  Thin, fine & difficult.  I remember HER mother having the same hair, although being confined in those little pin curls every night, it's understandable that her hair was in rebellion.  Mom's father had very little of the stuff, so it's hard to say what his was like.

Dad's family had wonderful hair, thick, wavy, but the kind that grays early.  Dad wore crew cuts for many years and hated it when his hair got long enough to even touch his ears.  Although the pictures in my album show him as a teen with wonderful wavy hair, sometime in his early working life he decide to make a change to ultra short.  Later in life he grew it out again, and until his death he took pride in his thick, wavy beautiful gray hair - just like his parents who passed on the good hair genes.

So dad got two doses of "good hair genes", but how did my daughter Jess inherit Grandpa's hair?  Her father has a minimal amount of hair (although his brother once had a fabulous mane of thick red hair, so there was some good hair in the family).  Jess ended up with hair so thick that it needs to be "thinned" when it is cut.  Outrageous!  Not fair!

And now my computer has been highjacked by Trend Antivirus and it won't let me do anything else with this blog.  Who owns the damned computer anyway?   I sometimes wonder if it's controlled by aliens.

Dog Show Fix

Argus is smiling - he got to go to a dog show!

Nope not fixed dog show, but dog show fix.  Argus & I have been sitting home for six weeks while he recovers from an injury, or injuries.  We've done four vet visits, x-rays and exams, controlled walking, some treadmilling, Theraball work, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and Arthisoothe Gold.  We've also changed Argie's routine so that Ron no longer sends Argus out - he has trouble controlling the dogs when they see a squirrel in the yard so they tend to race across the deck slipping and sliding, and fling themselves off the deck.  We've had some minor injuries in the past, so we've made some changes here.  I also installed a "baffle" at the bottom of the deck steps so the dogs have to slow down before racing to the dog yard.

After the last vet visit which included acupuncture, Argus was no longer lifting up his right rear leg when he stopped.  He's been doing that occasionally all summer, but it got much worse in late August, and we could not find the reason.  Finally Dr. A tried acupuncture down his spine and in certain places on that hip.  He has not held that foot up since then, and his topline looks better too.  Whatever it takes!  Magic, even!

So yesterday we gave it a try and drove down to Mason City to show to a judge we have never even seen before.  Not sure what made me enter the show a month ago, wishful thinking I guess.  I take this seriously and try to think positive.  I KNOW my dog is good, and I just hoped that his issues were treatable.   Even after 6 weeks off he was still ranked #6 in Group points and #3 in breed points, despite being shown far less than most of the others, who are with professional handlers and often shown every weekend.  I spent a lot of time "loosening" him up before we showed and he felt great in the breed and wagged his tail furiously as the judge - he was obviously glad to be back.  Another good performance in the group, and when we were "pulled" I was pleased to have made the cut.  When she pointed to us for FIRST, I knew all the work had paid off.

Pumpkin Pie, Oh My!

Pumpkin pie for breakfast - what a treat! I've been thinking about pumpkin pie but also thinking about the calories. We don't often do desserts, but every now and again I have a craving for one. Odd that we never think of pumpkin pie the rest of the year, but in the fall it's a different story. Perhaps it's because of all the pumpkins stacked up in the stores and laying the the fields, and all the Pumpkin Festivals they seem to advertise this time of the year.

Making a traditional pumpkin pie without the crust seemed like a way to cut at least the fat calories, but I did a search on the Internet for a Crustless Pumpkin Pie and found one that sounded good. It went together easily, although I made a few changes. I ALWAYS make changes to recipes, and if they don't turn out I can just blame the recipe rather than my changes. This time I substituted half brown sugar for the cup of white sugar, fat free condensed milk for the cup of whole milk, and extra pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Could have used egg substitute too, but it was frozen so I used the real deal. The recipe includes 1/4 flour and is supposed to make it's own crust. It was easy to put together, was just the right amount for the rarely-used glass pie plate and appeared to be done when the timer went off after 60 minutes.

Wow! It was very good!  Doesn't really make a "crust" although I guess you could call the cake-like edge a crust. Rich, moist, spicy and very pumpkin-y. Definitely a keeper of a recipe. We both enjoyed a piece before bedtime, and later I had a dream about pumpkins. Wonder if I could have a piece for breakfast?  Hey, I'm adult and I can eat what I want to eat. I can tell myself pie for breakfast is healthy too, and it certainly is no less healthy than a sweet roll or bagel with cream cheese. Maybe I'll even have a second piece!

Have a great day!

The Eyes Have It!

"Silly question for you. I was reading an earlier post about eye color and it brought a question to mind. Are green eyes acceptable in Dals? I have a liver pup and her eyes were bright blue two weeks ago when I brought her home but it appears as though they are now taking on a greenish tint. The standard says brown or blue eyes so if they turn green, will she be disqualified from showing?
Thanks so much!"

Argus's mother Olivia has beautiful eyes!

Although the genes that allow Dalmatians to be either black or liver (and we will leave a discussion of lemon, orange, brindle, blue & tri-color for another time) also affect the color of the eyes, there are modifiers that affect the shade of that color. The eye color on black dogs may range from virtually black to very pale yellow, while the eyes on liver dogs range from deep brown to the same pale yellow, or virtually colorless. In general, black dogs have brown eyes while liver dogs have gold or light brown eyes. (Both blacks and livers may have blue eyes of course, but that’s a separate issue.)


In general, black dogs with dark eyes can produce liver dogs with dark (for a liver) eyes, while liver dogs with the dark eyes may produce blacks with very dark eyes. Light eyed blacks are often blamed on the fact that there may be liver in the pedigree, but that is only because breeders tend to accept light eyes on livers. While livers can not have near-black eyes, they can have dark eyes. By accepting pale eyed livers, we will also get light-eyed blacks. Many liver Dals have darker eyes than blacks.

Guessing eye color on Dal pups can be difficult, but my experience has been that the eyes on black spotted dogs will only get lighter (never darker) while the eyes on liver dogs often will darken with age. If the eyes on a liver pup show a narrow rim of dark gold around the pupil, or if they appear green at 8-10 weeks of age, they will normally be darker liver eyes. If the eyes are a light hazy bluish gold, they will generally be lighter, but they will normally darken somewhat by maturity.  People are often concerned when they see a distinct green color in the eyes of a liver spotted Dal.  Although greenish eyes do happen in a few breeds, I have never seen or heard of it in a Dalmatian.

The Last Day Of Summer, All Over Again



Forecast for today, 77 and sunny.  It's been an amazing month with temperatures 20 degrees above normal and several record-setting days.  Tomorrow it cools down to the mid-60s, still well above normal.  We've had no rain since the 3+ inches several weeks ago, which is perfect for the farmers who are harvesting crops, but the trees, lawns, and perennials need fall moisture to get them through the winter.  We watered everything last week and will pay particular attention to the flower beds, trees & shrubs this week.  The Tiger Eye Sumac is in prime color right now, redder than it was when I took that picture, but the leaves drop quickly and it will be bare in a week.



Tess placing in the Group as a youngster.

Waiting to hear from Paula about Tess.  Because Tess is older, fertility will be a bit more of an issue, but she should be showing by now.  Hopefully I will hear from Paula today with the affirmative. She said Tess sure acted pregnant, right from the beginning.

One of my Facebook friends is a Dal owning photographer in Florida, and she will be going over to Janey's to take pictures of Tess's pups.  Can't wait to see what she gets.  The pups are a month old and it's a perfect time for them to have visitors too.  Wish I lived close enough to drop it!

Argus has a Vet appointment this afternoon for a follow up and some chiropractic work.  I'll stop at Jess's office on my way over so she can gait him and I can see how he is moving.  Unfortunately, I don't think he is improving.  I still see the same issues, a stiffness in one stifle and a tendency to let his topline drop when he gaits.  Something is still not right with him.  He hasn't been as wild and crazy the past two days either, which tells me that he is hurting.  Somewhere.

Nice Day For A Picnic!



Josie & Penny are Cousins, and certainly look it!

 Jess & Don invited us out for a picnic on Sunday. We picked up my mother who made her famous potato salad & a home made apple pie, and included Josie in the group as well, so she could chase her Frisbee and play with her cousin Penny. Josie rarely goes anywhere, and although she does not love riding in the car, she sure had a good time at Jess's.

My mother enjoys picnics and really seemed to have a good time.   I think it's very cool that she still makes The Best potato salad & apple pie at the age of 85+.  We brought several bottles of wine, but the best wine was a bottle of French that Don had gotten as a gift.  It had been sitting around for years, and was outstanding.  Ron copied down all the information off the label, but doubt we will ever find it again.

The Tiger Eye Sumac is gorgeous!

My Tiger Eye Sumacs look fabulous right now.  When they color they put on an outstanding show, but it only lasts for a few days and then the leaves drop.  This year I actually got some pictures before that happened.  It's been in the lower 80s the past few days, amazing weather for Minnesota in mid-October.  We need some rain, but the weather is perfect for harvesting.   Ron watered the lawn on Friday, and we'll give the flower beds another dose today as it's important the shrubs & perennials be well hydrated going into winter.

A number of puppy inquiries this past week.  Just waiting to hear from Paula that Tess is definitely pregnant.  Hope Janey sends some updated pictures of Sugar's pups today!

Too Nice For Blogging

The tomatoes are ripening quickly.

"No time for blogging," I said, but I DID post a book review to the raw foods blog and added pictures to yesterday's block.  Weather is so lovely, this will be a work in the yard day.  Tomorrow we are picking up my mother and driving out to Jess & Don's for a picnic, most likely the last one of the year.  The weather continues to be sensational.

Last night I froze tomatoes for winter use,  They will be a nice addition to chili or hotdish.  Tonight I may just try the Fried Green Tomato recipe sent in response to my posting on green tomatoes.

Something's Fishy

Drat, the blog is done but no time to add the pictures.  Guess that can wait 'til this evening, along with the links.

What a “Fishy” week! Seems as if “all things fishy” have kept me busy. I guess it’s really about time to concentrate a bit more on the fish anyway, as I would like to achieve my goal of reaching the next level of Fish Breeder in the Minnesota Aquarium Society’s “Bap Program”.

Breeder Award Program Introduction, via The Minnesota Aquarium Society website.

Breeder’s Award Program exists to encourage members of the aquarium society to breed fish and share knowledge concerning the spawning and rearing of fish. Additionally, it provides the means to recognize the achievements of society members concerning the breeding of fish, to promote an interest in and make available a wider variety of fish. Finally, BAP seeks to make more members active participants in the society.


The BAP Committee consists of the BAP Chairman, the BAP Data Keeper and additional club members as designated by the Board of Directors.

Everything is back to normal now.

The week did not get off to a very good start when I was doing water changes on Monday and got distracted by a phone call. At the time I was pumping water from a 34 gallon aging barrel into a 20 gallon tank (from which I had siphoned out about 5 gallons of water), a chore that normally takes a few minutes. It was not the first time I’ve forgotten to watch the water level, but it WAS the first time I ran one of the aging barrels dry. Ugh. The shop vac, mop and emergency towels got quite a work out, but the fishroom floor was very clean by the time I was done! Because the tank I was filling was on the 3rd shelf, water ran into tanks on the 2nd and 1st shelves as well, causing them ALL to overflow. Fortunately the fish stayed away from the overflow and none of them ended up on the floor. The water ran out the fishroom door and across the basement toward the floor drain, but most of it just puddled up along the way. That is precisely the reason I built a fishroom in my basement. The tanks were originally in an upstairs bedroom – where inattention would have caused a much larger problem.

Two of the new Bettas are sparing with one another..

Two weeks earlier, I had purchased 5 new Bettas from a breeder in Thailand. They were purchased through Aquabid, and paid for with my PayPal account. The fish were shipped the next day to a transhipper in Colorado whose job it was to clear the fish (and many others) through customs, repackage the fish (fresh bags, clean water), and send them on to the buyers. I contacted the transhipper immediately to check on costs, but never heard back from her. I’ve had previous dealing with her in the past and knew that she was not real prompt in her response to emails, but 10 days later I had still not heard from her despite 4 emails inquiring about my fish. The seller in Thailand also tried to contact her, with no response.

Suddenly on Wednesday I got a phone call from her, with some excuses about “sending out an invoice” that I must not have gotten. Nope, I didn’t get it, nor did I get any response to my emails . . . I bit my tongue, she promised to ship my fish out that day, and agreed to send her the payment that evening. The fish arrived safely the following day, in good condition, and are now living in boxes on the top of one of the fishroom shelves. I’ll move the females to a tank later, but the males may stay in boxes. Because Bettas breathe air, they do not necessarily need cycled tanks. Remember the Beanie Baby boxes? Small acrylic display cases, perfect for keeping Bettas as long as the water gets changed often enough, at least 2 or 3 times a week.

Thanks Tiffany, I love the castle.

And last night there was a fish club meeting. Minnesota Aquarium Society is a very active club with many members. Our meeting are well attended and we host excellent speakers from all over the country and beyond. Just recently we hosted Neale Monks from Great Britain, who spoke on Puffers and Oddballs, real favorites of mine. Last night’s speaker spoke on West African fish & aquarium plants, which was also quite interesting. I also picked up a very cool castle to put in one of my tanks. One of our club members is very talented and creates all manner of items to put in aquariums, some that are useful such as spawning caves and others just for fun.

Puppies!

Such pretty babies!  This is the 3+-week old Argus/Sugar litter enjoying real food.  It looks as though they will wear as much as they ingest, but no doubt Sugar will be more than happy to clean up afterwards.  Such a cute age!  Sorry I am missing these pups, but I hope to fly down and see them in a couple of weeks.  There are several nice girls in the batch for me to pick from if I decide to take a pup.  Of course I'd rather have another Dal boy, but when I do it has to be liver.

Paula said last week that Watson's daughter Tess was acting pregnant, so there may be more pups on the way.  This is a breeding I really wanted to do, and I purchased Argus with the idea that he might work well bred to Watson descendants.  New Champion "Echo" is from just such a breeding (see below).

And to make things even more exciting, "the other Tess" mother of beautiful "Tia" will be bred to Argus again.  Her owner just called last night to tell me that Tess was in season and she'd decided to repeat the breeding.  It will be chilled semen again, since that was quite satisfactory last time.  The possibility of another stud fee pup, so I may go from being "pup-less" to having a houseful.

Argus & I paid a visit to Mary-with-the-magic-fingers yesterday and he made a donation to our frozen semen "bank".  The storage fee is the same no matter how many "breeding units" are stored, so we decided to add to our stockpile.  Because my beloved Rob was sterile shortly after he turned 6 years of age (and still managed to sire 60 champions), I'm taking no chances with Argus.   Argus thoroughly enjoys the "procedure" and Mary always jokes that she will add him to the book she writes some day.  He does not need a bitch in season to tempt him - looking at some accommodating canine through he doorway is enough    Last time it was a neutered male Tibetan Terrier, this time it was a recently spayed Golden cross.  Oddly, he is not at all horny otherwise, just knows why he is at the clinic.  Saves a lot of time!

Argus's 12th Champion finished last weekend.  "Echo" also sports a CD in obedience, a NA in Rally, and a TD for completing her tracking title, definitely a multi-talented girl!  Congrats to owner-trainer-handler Carol Wells!

Received the following question on my blog, and it's a good one.  Out of time now, but this will be a great topic for tomorrow's blog.

Silly question for you. I was reading an earlier post about eye color and it brought a question to mind. Are green eyes acceptable in Dals? I have a liver pup and her eyes were bright blue two weeks ago when I brought her home but it appears as though they are now taking on a greenish tint. The standard says brown or blue eyes so if they turn green, will she be disqualified from showing? Thanks so much!

Fried Green Tomatoes?

Not something I have ever eaten, or wanted to eat, but I think Fried Green Tomatoes may be on our menu this week!  This pile is just part of the green tomatoes that are sitting on a table in the basement.  Some will ripen and be frozen for chili or hot dish this winter, but some will have to be eaten green (if at all).

Ron took down the volunteer tomatoes in the dog yard so the dogs are pleased to have their yard back.  Josie and Watson could not be left out unsupervised as they enjoyed hunting mice (or chipmunks) in the tomato patch.  Argus & Coral were more inclined to respect the fence I put up around the plants.

Fried Green Tomatoes don't sound very healthy, but they are said to be tasty.  I found some recipes on the Internet so may have to give them a try.  Bet they'd go well as a side with Chili.

Such a nice weekend!  Ron & I went antiquing and had a blast.  Before I started campaigning Argus we did a lot of antique shows and shops.  Guess we'll be able to do more of them again next year.   We don't buy a lot but love looking at "pieces of history" and particularly enjoy chatting with dealers who know their stock and have a passion for it, especially for old household gadgets.  We actually purchased a lamp this time, a charming brass lamp by the Rembrandt Company.  It will work perfectly in the corner on the "fish table" where I display fish collectibles - no I do not buy them, but get them as gifts and some are pretty cool. 

I love the old 50s Formica and chrome dinettes.  Wish I'd had a place (and the money) for this table!  It was in amazingly good condition and the chairs were lovely.  These tables take me back to my childhood, and the story of how I took one of my figure skates and used the front of it to punch small holes in one of the brand new plastic chairs.  Guess the Devil made me do it!  The family that owned this table must have had better behaved children - or none at all!

On a different note, it is amazing how much better a Dalmatian can do in the show ring once its nose & tail are "fixed".   What a shame.  Think we can blame the handler in most cases.  These things happen in other breeds, but it REALLY bothers me when it happens in MY breed.

Musing

Is there anything cuter than puppies?  Just love watching them wrestle with one another, everything done in slow motion.   These are Sugar's pups at
2 1/2 weeks.  Wish I lived close enough to visit!  Hope Janey sends lots of pictures!  Good news so far, all pups hear, no blue eyes, nice markings, and most of the eye and nose trim is already finished.

Because mama Sugar has a blue eye, I'm particularly pleased that all pups have dark eyes.  Although blue eyes are acceptable according to the U.S. Dalmatian standard, most Dal breeders prefer two brown eyes.   I've owned top quality blue-eyed Dals in the past and finished titles on many of them, including three consecutive generations of blue-eyed champions.  I rather like the way blue eyes look, but if I keep a puppy it will have to have two DARK brown eyes, not just brown, but DARK brown.. While it's not necessarily true that blue-eyed Dals are deaf (even though we get asked this quite often), blue eyes and hearing issues tend to show up in the same litters.  It's argued that this is not true in all bloodlines, but my own experience certainly matches up, and my blue-eyed Dals generally did a higher percentage of deafness.  I once bred a bitch with a single blue eye to a dog who (I did not know at the time) was a high producer of blues himself.  I got 2 double blue-eyed pups, 3 single blue-eyed pups, and 2 deafs - the deafs were unfortunately the 2 brown-eyed pups - but the relationship was still there.  That was before we had BAER testing available, but I am quite sure that some of those pups were also unis.

The other blue-eyed bitch who was bred to Argus was a double blue and her litter had 2 single blue-eyed pups, but fortunately all 5 pups had bilateral hearing.  Some breeders do not accept blue-eyed or unilateral hearing bitches for breeding, either because they do not believe that they should be bred from or because they don't want to take a chance on their stud dog siring blues, unis or deafs.  I don't agree with that notion, and feel that good bitches should not be discarded simply because they blue-eyed or a uni. They just need to be bred more carefully.  There are always males in this breed who do better than average hearing numbers - most of them do a higher than average percentage of patches, but produce good hearing numbers no matter how they are bred.  You can produce blue eyes or deafs even when breeding from brown-eyed bilateral stock.  We have tools (such as BAER testing) to help us reduce the incidence of deafness, but because the whole thing is related to the extreme-white-piebald color gene (that all Dalmatians have), we will not eliminate deafness without changing the look of the breed.  And who wants a solid black or liver Dalmatian?

Blue Screen Of Death

Twice in the past week the Blue Screen Of Death has come up on my computer.  I've been working along when suddenly the screen goes black, and then THE screen comes up.  In each case my computer has rebooted fine and everything still seems to be working, but something is wrong.  What?  What can I do?  I run virus software and keep it updated, I also run another program for spyware and malware.  I never click on suspicious links.  OTOH, perhaps my computer is just plain tired!  It gets an awful lot of use . . .

I've been thinking how much of a person's life resides on their computer(s).  Most of my pictures, all of my correspondence, so many articles I have saved, my contracts, and my address book.  I don't track my finances on my computer, but do almost everything else.  I DO have a little backup drive that I use periodically (as I did this week after the first blue screen), but I don't even know if it works!  I just followed the directions and trust that Clickfree actually did what it was supposed to do.  I ought to KNOW that I can't trust either advertising or technology!

So what's the option?  Reams of paper and boxes of pictures?  Nah, guess I'll just rely on technology.  Or maybe investigate an on-line backup service so I can have two sets backup that I probably can't figure out how to access or use.  Sigh.  Folders of letters and boxes of pictures might have been easier!

A Proper Celebration

"Cassie" finished her Championship on Sunday and is enjoying an appropriate reward - her first cheeseburger!  I hope her owner John had one too, or better yet a nice steak!  Cassie is Argie's new champion offspring and finished her title novice owner-handled.  John's daughter got the first few points, then dad took over and he and Cassie were quite the team, although they didn't get to the shows very often.  Cassie finished by winning her 4th major (take at least two major wins).  We love seeing new people finish their own dogs and only wish we had been there to cheer them along, but John & Cassie live in Florida. 

Cassie's mother Reggie was bred to Argus via chilled semen - we never had the privilege of meeting and entertaining Reggie.  The semen was collected here, processed & packaged and shipped off to Reggie's vet in Florida.  This has been done in livestock for years and is becoming more commonly used with dogs now.   Because shipping is so expensive, weather is often an issue, and particularly because the airlines are so difficult to deal with, chilled semen breedings (and frozen as well) are becoming increasingly common.

Things are looking better with Argus.  I picked him up yesterday and took him over to Jess's office so we could work with him and see how he is stacking and moving.  He's been on buffered aspirin, Arthrisoothe Gold, leash only walks (one to two miles a day), daily stretching, and NO wrestling or tugging with Josie, no treeing squirrels, no flying off the deck.  When he goes into the dog yard it's only with Coral who I KNOW won't wrestle or tug with him.  We're also using the Fitness Ball for a few minutes every evening - he LOVES that.  Jess and I both agree that things look much better.  He's standing more squarely on the leg that was injured, and carrying himself a lot better when he moves.  He's surviving the restricted activity a lot better than poor Josie is.  Nothing she likes better than tugging with Argus!

Another weekend shot, but after a cold start Saturday morning it really was a nice one.  Trees are starting to color up now, and the fall flowers are at their peak.  My Dahlias didn't do well during the miserably hot summer, but are making up for it now.  The Begonias and the Sedum are also looking lovely.  One oak tree on the next block is bright scarlet, but the rest are still very green.  Many of the Maples are multi-colored, and lovely mix of orange and green.  Hopefully we will have good color this fall.  I'll have to find an excuse to do a road trip to somewhere, just to see the colors.

Dinner on Friday evening at The Barbary Fig, a Mediterranean Restaurant in St. Paul.  We had liked it in the past and enjoyed it again this time.  The location was originally an old house transformed into an excellent deli that we used to visit regular when Jess was a small child - wow, that must have been 30 years ago.  Barbary Fig has been there for quite awhile.  Not sure why we don't go more often as we like that kind of food.  Just too many places to eat, too little time!  I had an appetizer of warm olives sauteed in oil with garlic and cayenne - excellent!  My entree was a bit different and I had Tangine Of Rabbit, I think the first time I had eaten rabbit.  Cooked with sweet potatoes and dried cherries, it was very good.

Saturday afternoon we picked up my mother and visited Pine Tree Orchards to buy apples.  Mom wanted Harrelsons and I bought Honeycrisps.  We'd both have bought Regents had there been any.  Pinetree has a wonderful bakery too, so I purchased Apple Cookies, mom bought Apple Donuts, and Ron got a loaf of Apple Bread.  We all enjoyed a slice of their excellent Apple Pie.  Wish I'd purchased a pie to bring home.  We normally go to Aamodts, but their pie is so bad I was a bit suspicious.  This pie was awesome, even the crust was good.

I had a long list of chores for the weekend, but didn't do a very good job of crossing things off. Too many of the chores required staying inside (things like dusting and vacuuming). There will be plenty of time for indoor chores later, but for now I will enjoy as much lovely fall weather as possible.

One thing that happened was not on my list - I ordered some Bettas. My fishkeeping affliction started with just one Betta, but I've been Betta-less for about a year. Lots of other fish, but no Bettas. I had removed the link for Aquabid.com off my computer screen to cut down my temptation to check in and look at available fish. This time I checked in anyway, saw a two lovely Red Dragon HM males, contacted their seller in Thailand to check the availability of matching females and bid on the two males. Got them and ordered the three females as well. They were shipped on Sunday to Linda Olson in Colorado, a Transhipper who clears the fish through customs, repacks and sends them on. I should have my new fish later this week!