tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63565627330995260122024-03-13T20:38:26.344-05:00A Day in the Life of a MuttJust me and my lovable mutts...Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-4732288971020873442011-12-16T04:41:00.001-06:002011-12-16T04:43:00.329-06:00A New ChapterLife as we know it, has changed. <br />
<br />
A new chapter begins with a tearful goodbye and piece of my heart now broken. But, at the same time, I am filled with a deep sense of fulfillment, accomplishment, and pride that will stay with me all my life. I know, with every fiber of my being, that I did the right thing by my dog and I have no regrets. Only gratitude.<br />
<br />
To love a dog is to make a great sacrifice. Their lives are never long enough. They bring fantastic joy to our lives, and sometimes horrible decisions to make. Decisions we owe them, decisions we owe ourselves, and decisions we hate but at the same time are grateful for. <br />
<br />
Bailey is gone. Free from his pain... free to dance in the heads of those who loved him with the very best of memories. Free to be anything and everything we remember him to be.<br />
<br />
It's a funny thing. Death is final, but memories are kind of like a toy lost under the bed. One day, out of the blue, you look under the bed and there it is - waiting for you all this time to bring a smile to your face.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Mendel, Lilly and I are moving. To a bigger house with a bigger yard in a lovely neighborhood. Young Bailey would love it here. Thirteen year old Bailey would have been tortured by the stairs.<br />
I know I did the right thing. <br />
<br />
Moving means packing things up, <i>discovering toys under the bed</i>. Yesterday, while packing some things from a shelf in my bedroom I picked up a sculpture made from coat hangers. My Dad made it in college for an art class while working to earn his Education degree. It's one of the most beautiful things I own.<br />
<br />
The description he wrote to accompany the sculpture when he turned it in makes me both heart-wrenchingly sad and unbelievably happy at the same time. After placing it in a box and bringing it out to my car I decided that was enough packing for one day and headed off for a tearful drive to the new house. The sculpture now rests on a shelf between Bailey's paw prints and his ashes. <i>Toys under the bed</i>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbO15fo8dqUOfuovLqSlP80SNOuvhOhaD_PpO5ElXLcPfW9UKVzJyGOEW9wLpOIWPl2M06oyNNWqYuMn247nwxIhRrXiqiM1zbjMykOWz8pan2MFvkvhyRvTgv6LKfayb6KIAayiwqNsO/s1600/sculpture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbO15fo8dqUOfuovLqSlP80SNOuvhOhaD_PpO5ElXLcPfW9UKVzJyGOEW9wLpOIWPl2M06oyNNWqYuMn247nwxIhRrXiqiM1zbjMykOWz8pan2MFvkvhyRvTgv6LKfayb6KIAayiwqNsO/s400/sculpture.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The accompanying paper reads:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>I chose to sculpt a dog for the simple reason that I can related well to dogs in general and this dog (Bailey) in particular. Bailey is my daughter's dog and I spend time with him each day. He is a "rescued" dog who was neglected as a puppy and grew up at the Human Society. He never learned to socialize with people and suffers the ill effects of it, to this day. The Wisconsin Liberty Dog program trained him (with my daughter, Amanda's help) to become a service dog. Unfortunately, Bailey's inability to socialize with new people (he hides in a corner and shakes when in the presence of strangers) eliminated him from consideration. If I were to complete this project I would have another sculpture of a scared German Shepherd (the other side of Bailey) cowering in the corner and shaking. </i></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>But that's is not the side of this fun loving dog that I like to think about. I much prefer to "see" Bailey crouched and ready to spring, at one of the many toys Amanda has bought him. I delight in watching my daughter and her best friend play together. The image that always puts a smile on my face is Bailey running and pouncing on his Frisbee and sliding across the floor with his front paws on the coaster-like frisbee and his rear end in the air. It is the "spirit" of the <b>happy</b> Bailey that I tried to capture. </i></blockquote><br />
<br />
I cannot possibly express how proud I am of Bailey for what he was able to accomplish in his life, or how grateful I am for everything he has given me. Bailey left his scared version in the dust and never looked back. He learned to love people and even made regular effort to befriend any stranger who looked like they could give a good ear scratch. The obstacles he overcame were many, but he never let me down. <br />
<br />
Very little in our lives was ever perfect. Even his very last day on earth was far from what I wanted for him. Bailey and I seemed to have an understanding - we never expected things to be perfect, we just took what we got and made it work, together.<br />
<br />
Perhaps that's the greatest gift he has bestowed upon me. A complete lack of need for perfection in life. An ability to see the light at the end of any tunnel, to see potential... no matter how broken things appear. And most importantly, to remember what true priorities in life really are.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm not really sure why, but it doesn't seem right to continue my blogging here. A chapter in my life has ended and it seems fitting that this chapter end as well. <br />
<br />
I will continue documenting our adventures at my new blog site - www.whitesmilingfaces.blogspot.com<br />
It's not much to look at now, but I'll be working on it soon.<br />
<br />
Until next time, here's wishing you lots of wonderful toys under your bed... <br />
<br />
Goodbye, Bailey. I miss you. I love you. I am so grateful for you. I will never forget you.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-22766962969095767322011-08-26T14:54:00.001-05:002011-08-26T14:56:59.450-05:00The Monthly Mendel - 9 Months<div style="text-align: center;">It's that time again. Another Monthly Mendel.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083688008/" title="Mendel 9 Months by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Mendel 9 Months" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6083688008_583d865840_b.jpg" width="523" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Getting ready...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083693348/" title="2 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="2" height="294" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6190/6083693348_be1d73c9bb_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This time I decided we should do things a little bit differently. We had some fun with my friend's little girl.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083616058/" title="P1010002 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010002" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6186/6083616058_6a860487fc_b.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083618316/" title="P1010005 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010005" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6083618316_d1823c40de_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083621406/" title="P1010007 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010007" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6083621406_c20a140a1f_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh dear... this is not a great start!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083630080/" title="P1010013 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010013" height="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6067/6083630080_c3a7b38802_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hug it out...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083091503/" title="P1010017 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010017" height="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6071/6083091503_5974aa91ea_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083098277/" title="P1010026 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010026" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6075/6083098277_cc3d8ed415_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083643360/" title="P1010029 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010029" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6195/6083643360_636f14afd0_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083644938/" title="P1010033 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010033" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6082/6083644938_848c7e263f_b.jpg" width="511" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083648808/" title="P1010048 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010048" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6193/6083648808_a76448010c_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083108725/" title="P1010049 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010049" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6074/6083108725_dd7005b98d_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Look out, Mom. There's a bubble trying to get you!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083112945/" title="P1010064 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010064" height="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6083112945_bedd87b4fe_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083115601/" title="P1010073 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010073" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6075/6083115601_69332bbbbc_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083660004/" title="P1010075 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010075" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6185/6083660004_daa5e0794b_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
My favorite...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083688850/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="P1010032 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010032" height="510" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6071/6083688850_5b87629e6a_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083121383/" title="P1010079 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010079" height="300" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6074/6083121383_c692ff8038_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We're outta here!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083667138/" title="P1010086 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010086" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6075/6083667138_7624e48142_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So... do you know how to open this gate?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083126841/" title="P1010089 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010089" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6082/6083126841_8b4cace133_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083128965/" title="P1010096 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010096" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6083/6083128965_519e336a70_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083130105/" title="P1010098 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010098" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6082/6083130105_20362df28e_b.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And, of course, the usual stacked pics. :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083132453/" title="P1010106 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010106" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6083132453_8900885e55_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083676632/" title="P1010107 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010107" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6193/6083676632_91e2fe1da7_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083137397/" title="P1010111 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010111" height="319" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6186/6083137397_3d11cabdd5_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A little photo editing fun...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/6083149449/" title="P1010033 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="P1010033" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6070/6083149449_16041187dc_b.jpg" width="511" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-47647549236604319492011-08-03T15:58:00.000-05:002011-08-03T15:58:58.427-05:00Specialty WeekendThis past weekend Mendel, Lilly, and I endured a grueling 5 consecutive days of shows. <br />
We have since come to the agreement that we will NEVER do this in summer again!<br />
<br />
That said, we did very well!<br />
<br />
Check out the <a href="http://photo51samoyeds.blogspot.com/2011/08/show-report-gmsf-specialty-weekend-2011.html">show report</a> on our website.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWSmjR-8qPiZTIRRR6kEiJhhuBb2hyruVaAP3_7hWpgV-gvh2ZCsQIyK90AQp2fT_VK77x60ZOvqP7H7xORa6LLh4cq5bbdIYc6LMx2UEVKwMEL03xUTPLvLv3cujYaw7c9Tsy15pyoE/s640/gmsf+weekend.JPG" width="640" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For those who don't completely understand <a href="http://photo51samoyeds.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-conformation-dog-show-works.html">how dog shows work</a>, here's a quick summary of how we did:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mendel got "Reserve Winners Dog" on 5 out of 5 days. This means he beat all the boys competing in the classes, except for one - the one who got the points. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Frustrating, yes. Encouraging, yes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Friday was a Specialty show (large Saturday and Sunday entries followed) and there were a lot of really nice dogs entered. For Mendel to have beaten all those dogs but one at 8 month of age, on the leash of an out-of-shape handler with only 4 months of experience under her belt, the weekend was really quite spectacular. Points-shmoints... that's what we say. :) It's definitely opened my eyes to just how lucky I am to have lucked into such an awesome dog. (cuz I already knew he was the sweetest white fluff ball I knew)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-31735486665143680762011-07-22T15:07:00.000-05:002011-07-22T15:07:50.952-05:00The Monthly Mendel: 8 Months<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963285937/" title="IMG_4698 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4698" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6145/5963285937_046586a269_b.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963285309/" title="IMG_4692 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4692" height="607" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6029/5963285309_02c3129597_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963841048/" title="IMG_4687 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4687" height="640" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/5963841048_9b42699358_b.jpg" width="457" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963839552/" title="IMG_4682 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4682" height="551" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/5963839552_50aeea7616_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963281659/" title="IMG_4680 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4680" height="315" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5963281659_1dd1a351ff_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963837792/" title="IMG_4677 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4677" height="503" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/5963837792_43c9a1e374_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963836768/" title="DSCN5829 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5829" height="583" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/5963836768_f19be9288e_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963277807/" title="DSCN5825 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5825" height="493" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5963277807_30cdf79532_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963274607/" title="best movement 8 mo by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="best movement 8 mo" height="279" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6125/5963274607_01c5b3f6ab_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5963830778/" title="DSCN5805 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5805" height="516" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6029/5963830778_3057fd51d6_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-31362174149365014262011-07-21T20:00:00.000-05:002011-07-21T20:00:44.178-05:00They grow up so fast. *sniff*To be honest, I think Mendel is as cute now as he was when he was a bitty baby. He's just growing into his fluff a bit more now. :) He's still sweet as can be, that's for sure.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5962282477/" title="3 to 6 mo by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="3 to 6 mo" height="1700" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/5962282477_7788a2b2b0_o.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5962838842/" title="7 to 8 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="7 to 8" height="1700" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6013/5962838842_2b6969c808_o.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">More 8 Month "Monthly Mendel" pics to come...</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-12969584135312179632011-07-20T02:01:00.003-05:002011-07-20T02:25:00.025-05:00Happy Father of Genetics Day!It's a big holiday at our house today! Even <a href="http://www.google.com/">google</a> is celebrating! Go check it out!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnB6btcjoBURXZKq1euR0w74fik_7lUWBa_JvlpIfGUrUpu3BRvpQZ4pkfbZOgIiQ2PmSFzo5Slf0drff8gzcrah43OS5nYL-zcIJ_76gCQ1xgmwxsIvyt3IuWLMzG6E3nW7r1qVXLy5R/s1600/Mendel.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnB6btcjoBURXZKq1euR0w74fik_7lUWBa_JvlpIfGUrUpu3BRvpQZ4pkfbZOgIiQ2PmSFzo5Slf0drff8gzcrah43OS5nYL-zcIJ_76gCQ1xgmwxsIvyt3IuWLMzG6E3nW7r1qVXLy5R/s640/Mendel.bmp" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">If you don't know who <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_Mendel">Gregor Mendel</a> is, don't tell me, it depresses me terribly... and makes scientists cry. Just go google him. You'll learn something. :)</div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Father of Genetics Day!</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">AND today is ALSO the anniversary of the first moon walk! No less important, but I don't have a dog named after Neil Armstrong... yet. :)</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-44495103291209169762011-07-18T20:08:00.000-05:002011-07-18T20:08:43.059-05:00Spondylosis stinksMr. Bailey has been on Deramaxx (NSAID) for over a year now and I've felt like it didn't seem to help him as much as I thought it should. His hip x-rays at only a year old showed that he had shallow hip sockets so I always knew that would be something we had to contend with as he aged. Given the way he played - no holds barred, wild and free - when he was young (and even not so young), I also knew that one day he'd likely pay for it. It's who he is and what he has always loved so I don't regret letting him go wild for even a minute.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure if I have mentioned it here before, but I wasn't particularly happy with the vet we had been going to. We decided to start going to that clinic largely b/c they accepted Care Credit and it gave me piece-of-mind knowing that when I was out of town for a dog show, etc that whoever he was staying with could take him there and he would be taken care of with no worry about payment. <br />
I missed my holistic vet. I missed her terribly. Then, out of frustration with a visit for Mendel's second puppy vaccines I decided to call the old holistic vet. My world got a whole lot brighter when I found out they had recently begun accepting Care Credit!<br />
<br />
Why I love the Holistic Vet:<br />
She asks me what I want for my pets instead of telling me what to do. I can't even express how big a deal this is to me. When Mendel and I went in for a distemper vaccine she asked me what I was thinking I wanted to do for other vaccines, if any. When I told her I was definitely not going to do more than the distemper combo at that time b/c I don't think it's in his best interest to have multiple vaccines at once, she breathed a sigh of relief and said she was happy to hear that. When I asked her what she recommended as far as his first Rabies vaccine she said she likes to see people wait until 6 month of age to make sure we're not throwing too much at them too young, at which point I breathed a sigh of relief and had to resist the urge to hug her. She answered every question I had about the other vaccines completely honestly and without the usual "spin" vets tend to give. (I don't have a problem with a vet recommending things, but I want the whole truth, not just the data that supports their recommendation.) I truly trust her to give me her opinion based on what *I* want for my pets rather than what the "standard protocol" dictates. I am so very grateful to have her back in my dogs' lives! <br />
<br />
Today Bailey and I went to the holistic vet for a check up and to talk about some different treatment options. I wasn't planning on having x-rays done because long ago I decided that I would not consider surgical options for him. As the one human who knows him better than anyone else, I feel I am most qualified to determine that it's just not what he would want. Fortunately, I trust the holistic vet completely and she suggested that we might have a better idea of what the best drug options are for him if we knew what was going on with his bones. I will freely admit that had another "by the book" vet suggested the same thing, I might not have opted for the x-rays, but because I trust her to recommend them for the right reasons I decided to go ahead and get them. I am so glad I did.<br />
<br />
As I said, I knew Bailey had some issues with his hips themselves, but I hadn't seen them in black and white since I worked at a vet clinic nearly 10 years ago. I was pleasantly surprised to see this:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5952717780/" title="Ventral by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Ventral" height="225" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5952717780_79b787d268_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5952721636/" title="Hips by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Hips" height="358" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/5952721636_da9bd6dbcf_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">If these were Mendel's hips I would be concerned, but for Bailey I'm ecstatic to see that the hips are in the sockets where they should be and there aren't a lot in the way of boney changes. For a 13 year old train wreck, these look pretty great. You can see that his femoral heads are quite flat and his hip sockets are a bit on the shallow side, but over all they're a relief. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So what's the problem? Why does he hurt?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5952717446/" title="Bailey - lateral by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Bailey - lateral" height="524" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5952717446_1c03d7fd43_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here we're looking at his spine. Starting from his head, things are looking pretty good... until we get close to his hips. Notice they get a bit closer together, and then there's this:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5952721498/" title="the problem by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="the problem" height="529" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5952721498_fa55dc6a32_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Spondylosis. Not good.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">What is happening is that he has developed bony projections on his lumbar vertebra and they are forming a bridge. For Bailey this is particularly problematic because the location of the problem is also the location of major nerve bundles that service his rear. I have noticed that he seems less "aware" of when he needs to defecate lately, and this is an issue that may continue to be a problem, but there are solutions for that problem and it's certainly not going to slow us down.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/illonahaus/3915785603/in/set-72157600313745319/">Here</a> is a really great (and sad) x-ray I found on Flickr of another dog. It shows a number of the spurs and bridge formations I am talking about so you can see the different stages of their development. At only 7 years old, x-rays like that are just heartbreaking, but it's wonderful to see that her owners are doing everything they can to keep her <a href="http://scruffydogphotography.com/blog/index.php/2009/09/17/a-little-shoot-with-my-own-scruffy-girl/">happy and healthy</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
So what's in store for Bailey?</div><div style="text-align: left;">Once the Deramaxx is gone, I don't think we're going to continue it. His liver and kidney functions look great, but I see no reason to tax his organs when it's not really bringing him all that much benefit. Right now, Tramadol is what really seems to be helping him. My next step is looking into acupuncture. I have heard a great number of stories from people who swear by it, so it might be a good option for him as long as it doesn't stress him out. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For right now, the main goal is to keep him happy and pain free so he can be as naughty as he wants to be. :)</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-89029189978107233252011-07-07T20:39:00.002-05:002011-07-07T22:09:05.719-05:00Pieces of our Hearts.. and MindsA few of my good friends have lost their dogs recently.<br />
<br />
My Bailey is 13 and on a small handful of drugs to make sure he's not hurting too much. I am fully aware he will not be around forever.<br />
<br />
When I was 22, I learned one of the hardest lessons a dog lover will ever learn and had to make the choice to put down an only 8 month old puppy I raised and co-owned. He's the number one reason I am so completely adamant about proper breeding practices and the reason I will ALWAYS put health before beauty. <br />
<br />
As an atheist, I sometimes find it difficult to find the right thing to say or the right way to impart my feelings in these kinds of situations. I don't believe in heaven or a rainbow bridge or any of the other things people will often reference when a beloved pet passes. It's certainly not that I think there is complete finality in death. I don't believe that at all. It's just not my faith that lends to the idea of an afterlife.<br />
<br />
The human brain is a most amazing thing. Because of the ability of the human mind to retain memories and voluntarily revisit those memories, it stands to reason that as long as we continue to remember someone - they can never be truly gone. And the amazing thing about memory is that we can choose to remember the most important things about those we love - what brought them joy, the special connection we had with them, the favorite things we did together...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Fact: Every time you recall a memory or have a new thought, a new connection is created in your brain. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">I find that this very connection is precisely how those we love remain a part of us.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I may have learned some very important and difficult lessons from Cain's death, but the way I remember him is the way I imagine he would want to be remembered. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5913601925/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="CainWings by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="CainWings" height="424" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5913601925_1279c9887f_o.jpg" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A friend made this for me shortly after Cain was released from his pain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It's not that I believe Cain to necessarily be an angel or to be waiting for me in the afterlife, but that when I remember him - I remember a happy bouncy puppy. I remember him free from the pain his joints came to cause him. And in many ways he is an angel. The lessons he has taught me will continue to inform my decisions and I truly hope that his life will serve as the spring board for the long and healthy lives of many dogs to come in my life. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The same goes for Bailey. I am very fortunate to still have him with me, but the number of lives he will continue to touch long after he is gone as a result of the lessons he has taught me are innumerable. He has changed every man, woman, and dog to ever meet him and because of that he will live forever.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5913606963/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN4179 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4179" height="481" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6044/5913606963_214b390373_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imparting his wisdom on young Mendel</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Recently this quote was shared on a list I follow, and I loved it so much that I decided to combine it with my most favorite Mendel picture.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11akaJy2qLioRuojYrvZCY9qiOwdZPBym5zy6UuflA4wl7FUN7QBJAmPKoHHKbF4H7_-ZWSmcek2LXq16ZXTyJtpWSQbNOI1Qwz8Pg0Zixp4xoVK_TJE2UCOF4aoYe9mUb0MwTNkEGN4n/s1600/DSC_0586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11akaJy2qLioRuojYrvZCY9qiOwdZPBym5zy6UuflA4wl7FUN7QBJAmPKoHHKbF4H7_-ZWSmcek2LXq16ZXTyJtpWSQbNOI1Qwz8Pg0Zixp4xoVK_TJE2UCOF4aoYe9mUb0MwTNkEGN4n/s640/DSC_0586.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on Mendel to view full sized</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Remembering Travler... doing one of his favorite things.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5914174574/" title="28889_1328904176412_1045185052_30737697_2394932_n by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="28889_1328904176412_1045185052_30737697_2394932_n" height="456" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5236/5914174574_845394f7a1_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And Dora, who gave everything she had... because that's what dogs do. :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="390" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iPLay5aF0Bo?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iPLay5aF0Bo?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-4192000455005066772011-07-05T13:23:00.001-05:002011-07-05T13:28:10.941-05:00Sportsman of the Year?**It took a little while for me to decide to write about this, but ultimately I just couldn't resist throwing in my two twisted cents.**<br />
<br />
Recently, the Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards titled Michael Vick as "Sportsman of the year". Of course, this enraged the masses - I don't think anybody is surprised by this. But, there's this thing about the masses. You see, I find that the masses tend not to think about things very much, they like to shoot first and ask questions later. Me, I like to ponder... <br />
<br />
If you are so inclined, I highly suggest you have a little look-see at my <a href="http://adayinthelifeofamutt.blogspot.com/2010/07/ok-lets-talk-dog-fighting.html">Dog fighting Dissertation</a> before you continue. It'll at least give you a little bit of an idea of how I tend to look at the world - I like the "why" much more than the "what".<br />
<br />
Allow me to preface this whole thing by stating that after some cursory research, I'm a little confused by the BET awards. From the beginning of the BET awards in 2001 until 2009 the award for sports was titled "Male Athlete of the Year" and "Female Athlete of the Year". If you have a look at the winners from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BET_Award_for_Athlete_of_the_Year">those years</a>, you will see that the pool of nominees has been pretty small. This is very interesting to me because as a sports fan I can tell you there is no shortage of exceptionally talented black athletes. I really truly don't get it. Who nominates these people? Do they even watch sports? Where are the college athletes? Football players? Is Derek Jeter the only black man who plays baseball? Is it a politics thing? I dunno. <br />
<br />
Then there's the question of exactly how they choose to define "Athlete of the Year". Does it have to be an athlete that is at the very top of their respective sport? Or can it be a wide receiver who only makes the pro bowl once, but is exceptionally involved in the community and is opening a school for the blind next week? I can tell you what *I* think it should be, but I'm the last person on earth who has any right whatsoever to tell Black Entertainment Television how to pick their award recipients. <br />
<br />
So on to that name change. I find it very interesting. Why is it now called "Sportsman of the Year" instead of "Athlete of the Year"? According to Dictionary.com, we have two "Sportsman" definitions to work with: <br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="4"><tbody>
<tr class="tr1" valign="top"><td class="td1" colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr valign="top"><td colspan="2"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sportsman</b></span></td></tr>
<tr class="tr2" valign="top"><td class="td2" colspan="2"><span id="hotword">— </span><b><i><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">n</span> </span></i></b><span id="hotword"> , </span><i><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">pl</span> </span></i> <b><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">-men</span> </span></b></td></tr>
<tr class="tr3" valign="top"><td align="right" class="td3n1" width="1%"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">1.</span> </span></td><td class="td3n2"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">man</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">who</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">takes</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">part</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">sports,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">esp</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">outdoor</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">type</span> </span></td></tr>
<tr class="tr3" valign="top"><td align="right" class="td3n1" width="1%"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">2.</span> </span></td><td class="td3n2"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">person</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">who</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">exhibits</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">qualities</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">highly</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">regarded</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">sport,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">such</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">fairness,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">generosity,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">observance</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">rules,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">good</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">humour</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">when</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">losing</span></span></td><td class="td3n2"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword"> </span> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I personally find that this change in name for the award is quite significant. Especially if we assume the latter definition. Should we make that assumption? Hell, I don't know - but let's do it anyway.<br />
<br />
Here it comes... are you ready for it...?<br />
<br />
*I* think this change in name is probably the one thing that makes a reasonable argument FOR Vick getting the award. <br />
<br />
SETTLE DOWN! Let me tell you why.<br />
<br />
Did Michael Vick do some disgusting, terrible, hurtful things? Yes, he absolutely did. It doesn't particularly matter why he did them in this case - he did them. The question is sportsmanship, and as an avid football fan I can tell you that from where I sit and what I have seen he has been a pretty stellar sportsman this past year.<br />
When Vick came to play for Philly he brought a LOT of distraction with him. I find he clearly recognized this and (I firmly believe he had help in this) he also recognized that the best way to do good by his team was to shut up, put his head down, and play his heart out. And that is EXACTLY what he did. He shut up, showed maturity (my gut tells me he has Tony Dungy to thank for this), and worked his ass off. That's what a good sportsman does, he takes responsibility for his mistakes and works his ass off to help his team; he cans the trash talking that hurts his team and just does his job. As far as "Sportsman of the Year" is concerned, I can't say I have too much argument against him.<br />
<br />
I understand that a lot of people will hate him forever as a result of what he did, and to some degree I think that's fair. What I think is dangerous is when people have a complete lack of ability to recognize any good someone has done because they don't like them. Arguably, this is the very reason the US government is such a joke right now - everybody hates everybody and that means that nobody is even going to consider trying to compromise. Life is not all black and white, people are not infallible, and forgiveness doesn't only help the forgiven. <br />
<br />
The real question, for me, is whether Vick will still deserve to be called "Sportsman of the Year" next year. After a great 2010 season Vick has two options (assuming the NFL players and owners can find a way to get along) - Recognize that working hard, staying humble, and acting like an adult has gotten him where he is and continue to follow that road OR take his success for granted, start strutting around like an idiot peacock and throw it all away. It's up to him, and I for one am very interested in seeing which path he chooses. I'm rooting for him, and I can confidently say I will be the first one to tear him apart if he makes the wrong choice. <br />
<br />
As for the BET awards. Well, I can't say I put much stock into them. The system seems to be very flawed, and not very representative of the huge pool of exceptionally talented black athletes out there, which I happen to think is a shame. So, in the end, I'd have to say I just plain don't much care about them.<br />
<br />
How's that for an anticlimactic finish?<br />
<br />
So, there you have it, my two cents. <br />
<br />
<br />
In other news....<br />
<br />
Mendel got Reserve Winners Dog at the Kettle Moraine Kennel Club show on Saturday and I'm working on a tough to write post. I don't know how long it will take me to write, but I'll get there. :)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-54030060516706181642011-06-26T06:49:00.001-05:002011-06-26T06:51:04.115-05:00The Monthly Mendel: 7 MonthsWe actually did get the pictures on the very day Mendel turned 7 months old, but I didn't get them posted right away. I know... you're shocked.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Let's start with my favorite</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855381017/" title="head shot 3 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="head shot 3" height="424" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/5855381017_258bb92973_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855936188/" title="head shot 4 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="head shot 4" height="400" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3172/5855936188_db8d8fce98_b.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855377257/" title="head shot 2 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="head shot 2" height="640" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/5855377257_60453770a0_b.jpg" width="435" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And now, here's my quick public service announcement: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Last month, at Mendel's first show, we were informed that we needed to do a better job of cleaning his ears. Well, more accurately the hair around his ears, because they tend to get greasy.</div><div style="text-align: center;">This time I made sure to get some dish soap and really work on his ear hair when we were getting pretty for his monthly pictures. At the time I thought it seemed like the soap was awfully bad at really working up a lather, but I didn't think much more of it. I figured maybe it was just something about his coat. Then, earlier this week I had grease on my hands form cooking and I used the same dish soap to help cut the grease and get them clean. What I learned is that I had purchased the most ineffective dish soap on the face of the earth. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Generally I make an effort to buy earth friendly cleaning products whenever I see them (and can afford them). Last time I bought dish soap I got this because it's pear scented and I love fruity scents such as peach and pear.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5872705074/" title="dishmate by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="dishmate" height="220" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5872705074_83c0ddf843_o.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Never again! This stuff is crap. It doesn't really impress me if a product is earth friendly if it doesn't work.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Don't buy it! Even if it smells good. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855373863/" title="head shot by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="head shot" height="400" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/5855373863_8ac6a724b9_b.jpg" width="308" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855918508/" title="Mendel 7 mo sit by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Mendel 7 mo sit" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5855918508_bd9431f63e_b.jpg" width="475" /> </a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855910946/" title="Mendel and me 7 mo by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Mendel and me 7 mo" height="400" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/5855910946_0d317d4b21_b.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855906392/" title="Mendel 7 mo 7 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Mendel 7 mo 7" height="352" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/5855906392_381efb123b_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855905442/" title="Mendel 7 mo best by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Mendel 7 mo best" height="568" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5080/5855905442_1547c44bfd_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855345449/" title="Mendel 7 mo 3 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Mendel 7 mo 3" height="312" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/5855345449_9f2e35428a_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5855893614/" title="Mendel 7 mo 2 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Mendel 7 mo 2" height="545" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5274/5855893614_f2feb7c01f_b.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-4594045335533794762011-06-17T09:07:00.001-05:002011-06-17T09:07:00.086-05:00The Value of a DogSamsung 46” LED-LCD HDTV: $2099.99*. Expected lifespan: 50,000 hours.<br />
<br />
Canon EOS 7D 18.0 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera: $1,899.99*. Expected lifespan: 8-10 years, maybe?<br />
<br />
Apple Mac Book Pro with Intel Core i7 processor: $1,799.99*. Expected lifespan: Many say about 4 years.<br />
<br />
Alpine 50W x 4 iPod/Satellite Radio/HD Radio Ready In-Dash navigation CD Deck for a car: $1,149.99*. Life expectancy: 4 – 10 years, maybe?<br />
<br />
Ford Focus compact car, bare bones with nothing added: $16,270** MSRP. Expected life span ~12 - 14 years.<br />
<br />
Well bred, genetically clean, healthy purebred puppy from a stock of healthy parents produced by a GOOD breeder who will stand behind him for his entire life: ~ $800-$2,500. Expected life span: 8-16 years.<br />
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Think about that for a second. Among this list of things many of us buy, the only thing that will likely be around as long as our dogs will costs us over $16,000. (and I don’t know about you, but my dog brings me significantly more joy than my car ever will) So WHY is it people look at me like I’m nuts when I say $1,500 for a puppy is perfectly reasonable? Why do people think they should be able to pick up a dog that requires literally hundreds of hours of his breeder’s time for a couple hundred bucks or less? Why do SO many people fail to see the value of a healthy, well bred companion?<br />
<br />
* prices taken from Best Buy.com<br />
** price taken from Ford.com<br />
<br />
I talk to people all the time who tell me their dog came from a GREAT breeder, but when I ask them a couple questions it becomes apparent that what they really mean is that their dog’s breeder was very friendly, easy to talk to, and more than likely MEANS well. What I find is that the buyer often knows nothing about the health of the dogs who produced the one on the end of his leash and as far as he knows, neither did his breeder. He’s likely not seen or heard from the breeder since the day he took the puppy home, and he looks at me like I’m speaking french when I ask him about OFA ratings and CERF tests.<br />
<br />
So, I ask you: Would you buy a car without checking out the spec sheet? Would you do a little research and see if there are any known issues with the model of that year before you forked over your hard earned money? If you found out that the little motor that operates the trunk latch tends to burn out would you talk to the salesman about it? Would you tell him you want some kind of assurance that they are doing what they can to prevent the problem and to know the dealership will stand behind the car should your trunk latch stop working? <br />
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What about a computer? Or a Camera? Do you go online and check the reviews to see how the products have been performing before you buy? Do you consider the reviews the company has gotten on previous products it has manufactured? Do you choose not to buy ones that get poor feedback about their quality? <br />
<br />
<i>Have you done the same kind of research when you bought a dog? </i><br />
The argument can be made that it’s unfair to compare a dog to a car, but is it? Which do you think is more important: that the car doesn’t have a faulty trunk latch motor or that a dog doesn’t end up with a debilitating genetic disease that can easily be screened for and prevented?<br />
<br />
<b><i>Who is this GOOD breeder that’s going to charge you $1000 for one of her puppies?</i></b> <br />
<br />
Truly good breeders screen for everything they can (which, by the way, is NOT cheap), and they don’t breed dogs who will pass on unhealthy traits. They screen with the most effective and up-to-date testing they can and they are always looking for more ways to produce healthier dogs. Many other breeders MEAN well – they take their dogs to the vet when they’re supposed to, they give them lots of love, and they often try to breed what they view as a “great temperament”. The fact is, meaning well just doesn’t cut it. It doesn’t prevent blindness, it doesn’t significantly reduce the chances of a dog developing hip or elbow dysplasia (among other things), and it doesn’t maintain the proper structure and temperament that will provide a great life for the dog.<br />
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<b><i>Do you really need a show dog, though?</i></b><br />
Many people say they don’t need a show dog, so there is no reason for them to buy a puppy from that expensive “show breeder”. This way of thinking is a failure to recognize the true purpose of dog shows. It’s also a failure to understand the goals and values of GOOD breeders who show their dogs. What these people often mean to say is that they do not require a “show prospect” puppy. Certainly, they don’t mean that they don’t require a healthy puppy simply because they don’t want to show it. Every GOOD breeder does something – showing, hunting, herding, trialing, sledding, etc. This is not simply for bragging rights, it is for the very important purpose of selecting the best individuals among their stock to breed. When a breeder takes her dogs to a show, they will be judged based on their structure and movement – this structure isn’t written in the standard simply for fun, it has purpose. A dog with proper joint angles will excel in the work he was bred for and he will maintain healthier joints because they are functioning efficiently and without the need to compensate for weak links. It makes no difference if you’re hoping for an Iditarod racer or a couch warmer – any dog, and any dog owner, should appreciate good health. <br />
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Nearly all litters produced by show dogs will contain puppies who will be unlikely to excel in the show ring. These dogs are often sold as “pet quality”, but the genetic health screening that went into producing them is no less valid (and no less expensive). The structure of even the “pet quality” puppy produced by exceptional parents is quite often very good. As a just-a-pet owner, what more can one ask for than a puppy who is highly likely to go through life free from the genetic problems his parents were screened for?<br />
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<i><b>What about rescues, you ask? Why can’t I just go buy a dog from a shelter?</b></i><br />
Oh, you can, you absolutely can. In fact, if you find a dog that suits your life and your home perfectly, I truly hope you do. I own two rescue dogs, and while they both had some issues when I got them, I simply could not love them more. They were both purchased as full sized young adults and I knew exactly what I was getting with both of them. The unknowns are, however, certainly something to think about when considering a rescue. For all I know, my German Shepherd’s sire was severely dysplastic and carried the gene for cataracts and heart problems. I saw no test results to say otherwise. I am taking a risk, but it is a risk I am willing to take if it means giving a loving companion a good home. $200 for a neutered and vaccinated rescue dog is a reasonable price to pay for such a dog. It is very important to recognize, though, that a $200 dog can get MUCH more expensive very quickly if he happens to have one of those preventable diseases a good breeder screens for and eliminates from her program.<br />
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<i><b>What about the “Means well” breeders? </b></i><br />
The lady down the street breeds Pugs and she only charges $7-800 while that show breeder I’ll send you to charges $1000 or more. Why should you pay more for the fancy show dogs when clearly the lady down the street is able to produce them for less?<br />
<br />
First, they’re not the same dogs. They may be the same breed, but they’re as different as a Sauder table from Walmart and an Amish handcrafted dining set. If the lady down the street isn’t doing the appropriate health testing, the dogs she’s selling are truly no different from a rescue at the pound. Unknown health is unknown health - it doesn’t matter where you buy it. So what on earth makes the lady down the street think her dogs are worth so much? She hasn’t put the proper things into them to make them that expensive (the good breeder spent hundreds of dollars on her health tests). In fact, by charging you so much money, the lady down the street is flat out ripping you off. Would you pay $800 for a dog from the shelter? Would you pay “new”price for a refurbished computer or name brand price for knock-off products just so the person selling it can make more money? Why would you do it for a dog?<br />
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By buying a dog from the lady down the street, you’re taking a home away from one at the shelter. The good breeder is producing a completely different “product” that you can’t get at the shelter. The shelter can’t provide proof that a puppy’s parents were both OFA Excellent rated, they won’t tell you that the puppy is genetically free of this disease or that one, and they won’t necessarily take back the puppy in 5 years if you are suddenly unable to keep him. This is what a good breeder produces, and it’s the reason she charges you what she does – to cover her costs. Puppies from good breeders don’t go to shelters, their contract requires it, and if the unthinkable should happen there is a whole network of breeders who will communicate and do everything they can to make sure he makes it back to his breeder or finds a suitable loving home.<br />
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<i><b>It’s all about making educated choices.</b></i><br />
When it comes down to it, choosing to buy from a good breeder or from a rescue organization are both excellent choices. Neither choice is “better”, they are apples to oranges of equal merit in the right homes and the right situations. Hopefully, this article will help potential buyers to understand the choices available to them. When we buy a puppy from the "means well” breeder, we are telling her we support what she is doing and we think she should continue. If we take the time to understand that her actions, while meaning well, aren’t in the best interest of our dogs – we can choose to direct our support elsewhere. Instead of berating good breeders for what we perceive to be an attempt to rip us off, we can seek to understand the true value of what they produce; and if it’s right for us, show our support for them by choosing to buy their dogs. <br />
<br />
Written by Amanda VerBruggen. <br />
Please feel free to share with proper citation.<br />
<br />
Read another perspective<a href="http://blacksheepcardigans.com/ruff/general/i-dont-want-a-show-dog-i-just-want-a-pet/"> here</a>.<br />
Then, PLEASE read <a href="http://blacksheepcardigans.com/ruff/general/i-consider-him-a-rescue/">this</a>. I simply couldn't have said it better myself.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-32577745109085955342011-06-15T16:12:00.000-05:002011-06-15T16:12:37.498-05:00Urban MushingRecently Mendel and I have been going for short runs in the cool morning. Well, he's been running, I've been roller blading. Since I hurt my hip flexor last month I couldn't run even if I wanted to. (Why oh why does that take SO long to heal?) We've been going partly to wear him out so can get a full "night's" sleep, but also to start encouraging him to run in harness. So far, he's doing wonderfully and having lots of fun. Lilly went with us this morning and she is less enthused about it. She thinks we go too fast because she likes to window shop for wildlife when out for a stroll. Not only does Mendel have longer legs than she does, he moves at a trot MUCH faster than she does - it's all about those <a href="http://adayinthelifeofamutt.blogspot.com/2010/11/lesson-in-canine-conformation-and-bad.html">angles</a>. I think she has resigned from our sled team. She prefers the mascot position. <br />
<br />
Here's some video from this past weekend when we took a trip over to my parents' nice quiet neighborhood for a run.<br />
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<div align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zIwOo1ETHe4?rel=0" width="425"></iframe></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">If you're interested in more info about the equipment we used, check out the post on my <a href="http://photo51samoyeds.blogspot.com/2011/06/do-it-yourself-urban-mushingskijoring.html">Photo 51 site</a>.</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-58781203971936848312011-06-13T19:27:00.011-05:002011-06-13T19:27:00.444-05:00Pool Party!It was HOT! Too hot for June, that's for sure.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820732006/" title="DSCN5320 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5320" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5151/5820732006_0560d48d99_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bailey was doing what he does best.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820647616/" title="DSCN5169 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5169" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/5820647616_89765a8ab2_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
... and Lilly was busy surveying for prey.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820644688/" title="DSCN5168 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5168" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/5820644688_91e12ab46e_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820161591/" title="DSCN5302 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5302" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2438/5820161591_3395793aa2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mendel. Well, he had never experienced such heat in all his 6 months. He was sure to melt.</div><div style="text-align: left;">So, I did what any good Mama would do... I got the pool... and the hose.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820668484/" title="DSCN5203 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5203" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2729/5820668484_e5c8f247b5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Oh my GOSH! Is that water for ME?!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820671340/" title="DSCN5208 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5208" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3549/5820671340_34720e0b29_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Oh, yes, Mama! I think I'm going to like this!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820674050/" title="DSCN5215 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5215" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5820674050_9bdd544e2d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">One foot...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820676966/" title="DSCN5216 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5216" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5238/5820676966_5f7b5d8ff1_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Two feet...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820682812/" title="DSCN5225 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5225" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3591/5820682812_370408e2df_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Oohhh... I quite like this!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lilly continued her very important job of surveillance</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820127293/" title="DSCN5233 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5233" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2118/5820127293_79685a2a5f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">while Mendel went to work in the pool.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820691744/" title="DSCN5237 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5237" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2149/5820691744_d6636e2b8f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's important to bite the water. You know, show it who's boss.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820142267/" title="DSCN5255 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5255" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5303/5820142267_b6a0d5ccdc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Then comes the digging...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820145175/" title="DSCN5257 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5257" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/5820145175_8c4b8e385d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">LOTS of digging!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820709432/" title="DSCN5264 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5264" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3330/5820709432_2ee5c939fb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820150469/" title="DSCN5270 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5270" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/5820150469_fc9dca29ce_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shake and repeat!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Us7FpAV4TgE?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It's important to let the King have a turn</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820697864/" title="DSCN5247 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5247" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2394/5820697864_701946892c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820694860/" title="DSCN5245 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5245" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2763/5820694860_f7ac19c6b8_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Then back to sun bathing for the King</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820139589/" title="DSCN5251 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5251" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/5820139589_051cc5ecf6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820717412/" title="DSCN5284 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5284" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5820717412_26bbe1a234_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lilly, never one to abandon an important job, still on the look-out for marauding wildlife.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">She didn't even stop to smell the Poppies</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820158751/" title="DSCN5294 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5294" height="640" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2172/5820158751_51495330a7_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mendel found other things to survey... like the food on the grill.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820153209/" title="DSCN5277 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5277" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/5820153209_7bc37e4000_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was a fun day had by all!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820662254/" title="DSCN5190 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5190" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/5820662254_d931da1163_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yeah, yeah, I know you saw this picture yesterday... but I just like it SO much!</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-70229646856437674502011-06-12T15:23:00.001-05:002011-06-12T15:25:35.080-05:00One's Company, Two's a Crowd, and Three's a Party!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820650372/" title="DSCN5176 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5176" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/5820650372_9a08b8b503_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820091123/" title="DSCN5179 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5179" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/5820091123_baf6af20be_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820656054/" title="DSCN5184 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5184" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5820656054_2decd37060_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820097471/" title="DSCN5186 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5186" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5117/5820097471_85eba7647a_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820662254/" title="DSCN5190 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5190" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/5820662254_c8d2fae8fe_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820665222/" title="DSCN5192 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5192" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/5820665222_ff918bffd8_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5820944405/" title="DSCN5330 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5330" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2626/5820944405_ccb2a33d1f_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-29125447359513627202011-06-07T01:18:00.001-05:002011-06-07T01:24:47.999-05:00It's finally here!Well, not really HERE, but the proof is online and that's good enough for me.<br />
<br />
For the 2 plus long weeks I have been waiting to see Mendel's win pic, I have been convinced that it wasn't going to be very good. I don't know why, and I wasn't really upset about it, I just didn't expect to like it very much.<br />
<br />
See, there are just so many choices to deal with when taking a win pic.<br />
<ul><li>Hold with the left arm or the right... or with both hands</li>
<li>Look at the dog or at the camera (this actually wasn't a question for me, I had already decided)</li>
<li>Keep your number on or leave it off</li>
<li>Put free hand behind your back or leave it loose</li>
<li>Smile or don't smile</li>
<li>Hair up or hair down... ok, not really, I don't give a crap about hair. :)</li>
</ul>In the end, I figured I'd just try out what I have seen with a number of other win photos I liked. I always prefer pictures with the handler looking at the dog and smiling, after all, the dog is the one who did the winning. :) <br />
Lucky for me my super cool friend (and co-breeder of Mendel), Drea, was there to stack Mendel perfectly for me. I wasn't afraid to do it, but if I have the pro do it then I can't be held responsible if the win pic from the first point in the litter was of a bad stack. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Uh huh, that's right, see how I did that - CYA - it's the name of the game, baby!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, without further explination and babbling, here is my most wonderful little sweet pea in his very first (and my very first) win photo at only 6 months and 4 days...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5806966151/" title="Mendel, Winners Dog, Oshkosh, May 2011 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="Mendel, Winners Dog, Oshkosh, May 2011" height="523" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5806966151_fcf4f69e13_o.jpg" width="622" /></a><br />
<br />
And once again, I would like to extend a huge Thank You to Diane Anderson for this most special win. Not only did she give us a point and some pretty ribbons, she told me she just loves my boy. <br />
She's one smart lady, if you ask me. ;o)</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-33759501887699740522011-06-05T16:17:00.001-05:002011-06-05T16:18:56.115-05:00Not a Fan of 8amI work nights. Usually I don't get home from work until about 4 or 5 in the morning. I try to stay up late on the weekends in order to keep some semblance of a schedule going. Usually I only make it until around 2 or 3.<br />
<br />
Yesterday it was ungodly hot out and the dogs barely left the house for more than a quick trip to the yard to go potty. Then, last night we went to bed at around 1am. This all lead to a house full of wired dogs by 7 this morning and they weren't taking "go back to bed" for an answer. Since I refuse to go to the dog park on the weekends after 9am (because there are simply too many dogs and too few dogs under control) I decided it seemed like a reasonable plan to head to the park. <br />
<br />
It was positively gorgeous! It was still around 65 degrees at that time, and the nice wooded park was even cooler. Mendel and Lilly ran their little tails off. I can't believe I forgot to bring my camera... but I was still half asleep. <br />
<br />
When we got home we went out in the back yard for a little bit and I realized the rising sun was shining on the dogs beautifully. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5800362504/" title="DSCN5151 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5151" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5116/5800362504_f76dcd99e3_b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So I ran in the house and grabbed the camera.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'd been wanting to get a picture of the 3 of them together for a while, now. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5800366468/" title="DSCN5154 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5154" height="600" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3606/5800366468_cf48f932e5_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, dear, Mendel.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5800390792/" title="DSCN5163 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5163" height="334" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3492/5800390792_5a726ed7ee_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5799841307/" title="DSCN5165 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5165" height="343" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2637/5799841307_a23012a456_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5799845023/" title="DSCN5167 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5167" height="310" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5799845023_b396c36e51_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I had to return Mendel to his spot a couple times, but overall I was very impressed with how well they all did.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5800385400/" title="DSCN5158 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5158" height="602" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5040/5800385400_218a039aee_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was a little tricky because with the trees behind us it was easy for one of them to get in a shadow.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5799825207/" title="DSCN5156 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5156" height="633" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/5799825207_4525f03ee9_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And here's my favorite:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5799818245/" title="DSCN5155 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5155" height="640" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2562/5799818245_b5a3acb6bc_b.jpg" width="623" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's just such a perfect representation of the three of them. Mendel and Lilly just smiling away while Bailey casts his inconvenienced glare just to make sure everybody knows just who the boss is around here.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">These pictures were posed. I asked them to sit and lay down and they did it without too much trouble. But, just to prove that they do in fact like each other enough to share the same relative space on their own volition, here is a picture I took the other day when I was cooking myself something for lunch and turned around to click "I'm still listening" on my pandora player. </div><div style="text-align: center;">My camera makes a noise when it turns on so Mendel and Lilly looked... I'm sure Bailey didn't even hear it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5801801956/" title="DSCN5147 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN5147" height="503" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/5801801956_25f91f36da_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-68969201070217062462011-05-30T15:18:00.000-05:002011-05-30T15:18:12.753-05:00PenningsI've always loved rodeos. I usually try to at least hit one up each summer.<br />
<br />
This year I get a bonus. My Aunt's new boyfriend competes in penning/cutting. This means is that the horse and rider work together to pick particular calves out of a herd and put them somewhere else. Sometimes it's into a pen, sometimes it's from one pen to another, etc.<br />
<br />
On Saturday the task for the riders was to cut 3 calves of a certain number out of the herd and then drive them down to the other end of the arena and into a pen. Their particular number was announced when the timer was started. There were a number of teams who did this in less than 40 seconds. Later in the year, I'm told, the times get so fast that you'll have to do it in 30 seconds just to place. Amazing. <br />
<br />
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<br />
Notice the orange line - it is important that a cow of the wrong number does not cross that line, or you get a "no time" for your run. Three riders make a team, so often one person would break up the herd and go for a cow of their number while the other two hold back the herd and start looking for the next cow.<br />
<br />
I didn't get any video from Saturday, but the configuration of the arena made it a great opportunity for photos. I got lots I like.<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjEh93B5uY8W_qFAm6M4VDoTJuOUWVnvBb3lMh4wsxaojWXiSIREabjDCzCG4qQOYAkO0v5Y7TQDDx30qPE90XGR3o2UzfkJLeQ6q5JZiiSqR4m_xV6npPVNXd4Y6LJo60fn52fQfhsVY/s1600/DSCN4892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjEh93B5uY8W_qFAm6M4VDoTJuOUWVnvBb3lMh4wsxaojWXiSIREabjDCzCG4qQOYAkO0v5Y7TQDDx30qPE90XGR3o2UzfkJLeQ6q5JZiiSqR4m_xV6npPVNXd4Y6LJo60fn52fQfhsVY/s640/DSCN4892.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bringing them down to the pen, just to left of this picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7XqzDbr6DSCOTotZCyH8_SZnhEmkcjNDQuYQfVIor2uE8btaK023a1K5krQIUBaOsfpqayUYheCdCzvANNjlTFjmpLEtJLBMTfAMDs1yEvlMhKY3s-6Kr0mJR5XlTdNDK7Gvau-GcDCr/s1600/DSCN4914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7XqzDbr6DSCOTotZCyH8_SZnhEmkcjNDQuYQfVIor2uE8btaK023a1K5krQIUBaOsfpqayUYheCdCzvANNjlTFjmpLEtJLBMTfAMDs1yEvlMhKY3s-6Kr0mJR5XlTdNDK7Gvau-GcDCr/s640/DSCN4914.JPG" width="404" /></a></div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrQhoGBTY4lYTp7aCq5zmgpA9fk3okO1OSKjtJ5qAld2-ry05T0HYpSNrCNLRXdSnKEpsVEzcGC1IVlYjdUlIOzOvBH3uM7oMt2VVfsUFGU2XhFv1hGg82Fgih_zoP-Tyl9eGSRRN_2Ol/s1600/DSCN5000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrQhoGBTY4lYTp7aCq5zmgpA9fk3okO1OSKjtJ5qAld2-ry05T0HYpSNrCNLRXdSnKEpsVEzcGC1IVlYjdUlIOzOvBH3uM7oMt2VVfsUFGU2XhFv1hGg82Fgih_zoP-Tyl9eGSRRN_2Ol/s640/DSCN5000.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bringing them down to the pen</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_xgNUbbTlDDjKMHEUAxcyJO1u6NuLe3oaeJQOqWuvmsiDbGKjZz4DnxUzfbHmxNl3U-H9KP-cgN2k16ghf61zrZeft47LwcVihsQQQ6dLDhmgcp84ynrc6tCK-MA7Zern-NJuXNDQ4Ei/s1600/DSCN5007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_xgNUbbTlDDjKMHEUAxcyJO1u6NuLe3oaeJQOqWuvmsiDbGKjZz4DnxUzfbHmxNl3U-H9KP-cgN2k16ghf61zrZeft47LwcVihsQQQ6dLDhmgcp84ynrc6tCK-MA7Zern-NJuXNDQ4Ei/s640/DSCN5007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTpAPzcfl4PQkVErPcWrT6D6azXWwyZQTgvKxUb8sGOX54oFhinE3tHu1wOLet66Q9JFsiNb0YVRDnWFMwpHu52LmWyq92zi-wocDEjmfj253kpQ_TlSbV4HZeeWYR5Tk_TRSYt6kLGyJ/s1600/DSCN5010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTpAPzcfl4PQkVErPcWrT6D6azXWwyZQTgvKxUb8sGOX54oFhinE3tHu1wOLet66Q9JFsiNb0YVRDnWFMwpHu52LmWyq92zi-wocDEjmfj253kpQ_TlSbV4HZeeWYR5Tk_TRSYt6kLGyJ/s640/DSCN5010.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Father and Son, eying up the herd</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOOdscmMm6RA6hNbOa1yN3h-G4nGmS-OJlqyy0Pgu31Q5GVeUy3JnQzY4Hf1mSgxZgsJeCrZRhvaTB745J-ZxjSKAtYC3Njtfyg-t2437ewy1MwyeiiWQ21Rf166QhyphenhyphenP1Y6h0O3u87yfC/s1600/DSCN4987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOOdscmMm6RA6hNbOa1yN3h-G4nGmS-OJlqyy0Pgu31Q5GVeUy3JnQzY4Hf1mSgxZgsJeCrZRhvaTB745J-ZxjSKAtYC3Njtfyg-t2437ewy1MwyeiiWQ21Rf166QhyphenhyphenP1Y6h0O3u87yfC/s640/DSCN4987.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting them in the pen. Notice how one person blocks each side while the third pushes them from behind.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Then, on the second day the sorting was a little different. This time, there were two round pens set up and joined at the middle. The job of the riders was to cut out the numbered cows one by one, in order, in 1 minute. The announcer gave you the number to start with. If a cow of the wrong number gets through to the other side, you get a "no time". There were a handful of 10 head sorts for the day. Here, check out the diagram:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlCZ719D02BhnbzwUQf5y5iqNXpid4HRl18KZIxPjUJIZ25prIQ4TX5y-4kmYbbLtKuhtNEWWsFmS7Gj_JaY6QMEWGSypn027QMdIvQVhyhVRm_kndzXnRgNAYc1mI-kvNRP63Dqxi3Ws/s1600/round.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlCZ719D02BhnbzwUQf5y5iqNXpid4HRl18KZIxPjUJIZ25prIQ4TX5y-4kmYbbLtKuhtNEWWsFmS7Gj_JaY6QMEWGSypn027QMdIvQVhyhVRm_kndzXnRgNAYc1mI-kvNRP63Dqxi3Ws/s320/round.png" width="200" /></a></div>Now, watch:<br />
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This little girl got a couple runs at the end of the day. She did a great job! On her last run she did so well she placed second in her class competing against all the adults.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatMmasI0J9wj61PZGvHYLpzMBWrSAF5wq9t8X4FRo_lN-tzYIlFJqfGTltdw_YBSdWDVdnBbYkv1b9MfOHMsgBu3aih_Qh6XzfOXaaMgYU7zbbJd55_bl1OdJFuW3I98EsQug4gE7-bZY/s1600/DSCN5107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatMmasI0J9wj61PZGvHYLpzMBWrSAF5wq9t8X4FRo_lN-tzYIlFJqfGTltdw_YBSdWDVdnBbYkv1b9MfOHMsgBu3aih_Qh6XzfOXaaMgYU7zbbJd55_bl1OdJFuW3I98EsQug4gE7-bZY/s400/DSCN5107.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spectating</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDrRKkLmemY0aDAEL9F3R2EJXKFJQSl9oqR1D6VVdqQJU5uzPRMsrHYtWOT2K-mBmqZLYdrMj3v1ch1ihPN6-D5gMMObmqInNWyMdgIhLb_JH3HrKPyubE94IucqlIHZ_o5O5sBD2GYq8/s1600/DSCN5119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDrRKkLmemY0aDAEL9F3R2EJXKFJQSl9oqR1D6VVdqQJU5uzPRMsrHYtWOT2K-mBmqZLYdrMj3v1ch1ihPN6-D5gMMObmqInNWyMdgIhLb_JH3HrKPyubE94IucqlIHZ_o5O5sBD2GYq8/s640/DSCN5119.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mendel thinks he should get a turn</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgT0yeyKRhyphenhyphennLQdXdGCNl6L-52k3FM0QVRiTx9pVAL4Hux7iQsFMQIWPbfHP3mk_yLmM9mF7sWAKMChmRYU_8DxTc31iacEycUHQJyvzMGdEeKhr5pw5_Pn0sNnFUeoPc5HvtxUGTOcKYj/s1600/DSCN5120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgT0yeyKRhyphenhyphennLQdXdGCNl6L-52k3FM0QVRiTx9pVAL4Hux7iQsFMQIWPbfHP3mk_yLmM9mF7sWAKMChmRYU_8DxTc31iacEycUHQJyvzMGdEeKhr5pw5_Pn0sNnFUeoPc5HvtxUGTOcKYj/s640/DSCN5120.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZZI_sM2e04jCoDev2MEpu92a480C1NEooAp_Kj8oBrri41fVSCoJ5hurcvsnpwenuvN_ocQ6s1S0RwAKon2wJMAbm4DnvsGZAAtqoFZMIIzCIoLYT1EQuqNRZW8vjhgjKE5Bj4ncLCMp/s1600/DSCN5125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZZI_sM2e04jCoDev2MEpu92a480C1NEooAp_Kj8oBrri41fVSCoJ5hurcvsnpwenuvN_ocQ6s1S0RwAKon2wJMAbm4DnvsGZAAtqoFZMIIzCIoLYT1EQuqNRZW8vjhgjKE5Bj4ncLCMp/s640/DSCN5125.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-63901824763704897272011-05-24T17:50:00.000-05:002011-05-24T17:50:12.454-05:00Show Report: Mendel's First Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY4bb133F7OwsW78-VhsFkRBdE9ryH4y3PzwUGPhVShpd994AdXNzkjGOMQmC988SHjmndkMzhT1yWatOAQRwBf9weKiiKNb48HB_nTl3rplef7Bls7t24E1DwuVqQ5ps-5g59o1wUK4M/s1600/225331_229581513722220_162089060471466_1104237_7006203_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY4bb133F7OwsW78-VhsFkRBdE9ryH4y3PzwUGPhVShpd994AdXNzkjGOMQmC988SHjmndkMzhT1yWatOAQRwBf9weKiiKNb48HB_nTl3rplef7Bls7t24E1DwuVqQ5ps-5g59o1wUK4M/s640/225331_229581513722220_162089060471466_1104237_7006203_n.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hop on over to my <a href="http://photo51samoyeds.blogspot.com/2011/05/mendels-first-show-oshkosh-wi.html">Photo 51 Page</a> to get the scoop!</span></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-43386900345183399592011-05-24T17:10:00.000-05:002011-05-24T17:10:59.689-05:00The Monthly Mendel: 6 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UDDoTge_0fdh4lbcJGVXe3VBttoDtczLqQ11az8_tJ126athrsMyfxvc_nFIhHFtheHvXh3FtUR-_k_zElAvavXe0eHrZ1I3pABx7OM1kK7IkgEcUyuqFBkxG6jEcAl1KoJNj8WVUoVX/s1600/best.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UDDoTge_0fdh4lbcJGVXe3VBttoDtczLqQ11az8_tJ126athrsMyfxvc_nFIhHFtheHvXh3FtUR-_k_zElAvavXe0eHrZ1I3pABx7OM1kK7IkgEcUyuqFBkxG6jEcAl1KoJNj8WVUoVX/s640/best.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNr1R6SwQZ-hUEJpjiwCdq1XUQM0cA7R4FO1aM8TaXYKV7Ignc4i4JlpDflL52K7DioMgV4Zxy7F8bbMkMFcFmJJhS7bxA8BMVXFmRJ4_aN2RQCawszJRLdqyPl5qcsnV8VPqSPPIZXTI/s1600/DSCN4509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNr1R6SwQZ-hUEJpjiwCdq1XUQM0cA7R4FO1aM8TaXYKV7Ignc4i4JlpDflL52K7DioMgV4Zxy7F8bbMkMFcFmJJhS7bxA8BMVXFmRJ4_aN2RQCawszJRLdqyPl5qcsnV8VPqSPPIZXTI/s640/DSCN4509.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY24GVFeyg9s1Texy9awGcaqnaqaspvTgbkd2lgBV0WkJXaEBzH95PnN6gYBBTu-QfVZ5K3OtKBrpjrG95kwS6-OCeWIpwzIMU8aJZ84B_hhFTjwycn7mTOQyD32cpn-IrKDOr8lEZHL3j/s1600/DSCN4511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY24GVFeyg9s1Texy9awGcaqnaqaspvTgbkd2lgBV0WkJXaEBzH95PnN6gYBBTu-QfVZ5K3OtKBrpjrG95kwS6-OCeWIpwzIMU8aJZ84B_hhFTjwycn7mTOQyD32cpn-IrKDOr8lEZHL3j/s640/DSCN4511.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tail is down? Yeah, so? I'm still cute.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFkHyclHtGuUXRpoM4izXAxf121SYmRRL2vjwI9fmRuc3CWUSFeM24EqP1z7kYt-IVdgdEaYd35kyxPToFHPzUqInr0dHnbomTDQ89Dbz07DvTOwKJ-LVJ0Fu0K5xE7a-pD3y0EbKZpA7/s1600/DSCN4528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFkHyclHtGuUXRpoM4izXAxf121SYmRRL2vjwI9fmRuc3CWUSFeM24EqP1z7kYt-IVdgdEaYd35kyxPToFHPzUqInr0dHnbomTDQ89Dbz07DvTOwKJ-LVJ0Fu0K5xE7a-pD3y0EbKZpA7/s400/DSCN4528.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWgVMCxr3BPeqF5BIYTT0U0DLictPgDbxNT-Tx2-nDWoTkbiKzPny8ic11PiwufqgZ6tGpzdQKMZAWwi1hkSaVmnWPnyoCU78EexS7YR7zhrfCicsP2T6gdmfaJ0D31CrtrkxUZp165eY/s1600/DSCN4717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWgVMCxr3BPeqF5BIYTT0U0DLictPgDbxNT-Tx2-nDWoTkbiKzPny8ic11PiwufqgZ6tGpzdQKMZAWwi1hkSaVmnWPnyoCU78EexS7YR7zhrfCicsP2T6gdmfaJ0D31CrtrkxUZp165eY/s640/DSCN4717.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We like to BOUNCE!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJkrxCnPm8fXZvCqCHBZNXnKWsc5cv9wP6VrUnl3iFxMvultff3ISWAwZXYNCWlf6Fhxb4jIvMclKOy_qF64fSamenStqUa7-0wk4hN1NaoqbkmHg-LRbp66l8SL9oCgiMk8PQskl6xYD/s1600/DSCN4754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJkrxCnPm8fXZvCqCHBZNXnKWsc5cv9wP6VrUnl3iFxMvultff3ISWAwZXYNCWlf6Fhxb4jIvMclKOy_qF64fSamenStqUa7-0wk4hN1NaoqbkmHg-LRbp66l8SL9oCgiMk8PQskl6xYD/s400/DSCN4754.JPG" width="367" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-26112172989388224642011-05-19T15:12:00.001-05:002011-05-19T15:12:49.389-05:00Getting Ready... (aka Procrastinating...)Mendel's first show is this coming weekend!!! Horray!<br />
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I haven't picked out my two show outfits for this weekend... but I will.<br />
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I haven't decided which pair of nylons to ruin this weekend... but I will. (am I the only person who almost NEVER wears nylons more than once before ruining them?) <br />
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I haven't packed every available crate I own into my car... but I will. (out of state friends are coming to show so I'm making their load lighter)<br />
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I haven't put together my tack bag... but I will.<br />
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Mendel hasn't had a bath yet... but he will.<br />
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I haven't trimmed Mendel's feet yet... but I will. (and I will not mess up because I've been practicing)<br />
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I haven't entered the show site into the GPS... but I will.<br />
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We haven't done 6 month pictures for the "Monthly Mendel"... but we will. Tomorrow. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700423783/" title="DSCN4464 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4464" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/5700423783_6d60075f7e_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We HAVE been practicing. Of course, we've been practicing at "show class", but we've especially been practicing our bounce game. We're still working on the not bouncing ONTO me part, but it's fun either way. (hoping to get some pics of the bounce game tomorrow) <br />
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Mendel HAS figured out how to use those lovely shoulders his genes gave him. Yay for sidegait!<br />
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We HAVE stocked up on some delicious show treats that can be stuffed into my bra or mouth without activating my gag reflexes.<br />
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Tomorrow my bestie is helping me with Mendel grooming, pictures, video, and driving to the show site to stake out prime grooming space at the show. This is her "adult time" that she hasn't gotten very much of lately with a 1 year old at home. Do you see what having kids does to you? Your FUN time consists of being put to work by your dog nut friend. Poor girl. I should probably buy her ice cream. :)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-31002699071100100952011-05-12T01:57:00.000-05:002011-05-13T15:36:44.423-05:00Every day is Mother's DayI spent Mother's Day at my mom's house just as I always do.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">We had lots of fun playing in the yard</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700654252/" title="DSCN4448 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4448" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5221/5700654252_d726cf45ab_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700644100/" title="DSCN4446 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4446" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5700644100_22ec2b67bf_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700638956/" title="DSCN4445 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4445" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5700638956_4b7c4864a1_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700633810/" title="DSCN4444 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4444" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/5700633810_5b0ca9fb89_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700041145/" title="DSCN4440 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4440" height="640" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2758/5700041145_f6f49e408e_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700026179/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN4437 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4437" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5700026179_1abac0c961_b.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of my new favorite pictures. You simply can't stay mad looking at that big smile.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700017109/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSCN4435 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4435" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/5700017109_1460517faf_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bailey loved getting some sun</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700583630/" title="DSCN4434 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4434" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/5700583630_8324fcb899_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Then my brother helped me get some nice stacked shots of "the Monk"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700974752/" title="DSCN4460 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4460" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/5700974752_1f88d38c64_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
My mom was impressed at how well he stood still while doing his "stand pretty"<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700408533/" title="DSCN4461 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4461" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/5700408533_fa1fdb0b61_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">I spy a very angry Bailey and Lilly who are wondering where THEIR pieces of chicken are... do you?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700433529/" title="DSCN4466 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4466" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5700433529_c004b4cc51_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mendel was VERY interested in what Grandpa was making on the grill</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700106635/" title="DSCN4453 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4453" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2334/5700106635_353635c7c0_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And, as usual, he was all smiles.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28489462@N03/5700669246/" title="DSCN4451 by 4Lioness4, on Flickr"><img alt="DSCN4451" height="628" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/5700669246_e5167906b5_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">That smiling face, it'll make you feel like every day is Mother's day... </div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-91404936526719563992011-04-17T12:52:00.000-05:002011-04-17T12:52:42.677-05:00The Monthly Mendel: 5 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Yaaaayyyy! It's picture day!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> Let's start by getting soaking wet and running around the house like our pants are on fire!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LI6DU2WhwvgNa4RpuqrbkJTVWXMvBABuu_hJdxS6CXXhXK52kPTf2-qQfxwv9xfFNmwYQVs81GTtPfgfUdPU2gnKCznIv1OAYbGe2TP8ySZj1Foh1YRS-BtCsdn6-9L0bN5Hs7-h7_lH/s1600/DSCN4331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LI6DU2WhwvgNa4RpuqrbkJTVWXMvBABuu_hJdxS6CXXhXK52kPTf2-qQfxwv9xfFNmwYQVs81GTtPfgfUdPU2gnKCznIv1OAYbGe2TP8ySZj1Foh1YRS-BtCsdn6-9L0bN5Hs7-h7_lH/s400/DSCN4331.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then, we'll move on to grooming table time. With only enough power to run one motor without tripping the breaker, a guy has plenty of time to discover cool things around the room.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Like that handsome dog over there in the mirror!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDJBpsGzVcpiNuvPE_hDBtSQ9yaGozv4B8So3wvHRQqk6-08Mol6lbO9CoS7FDWNrUIYwx_m-Jb3zDMz3dIixxqUeTrXPW6gWVstTN8gfjDMj64JgdrLGPSSDxjHfxLx4r-Rpbc2VJXp4/s1600/DSCN4337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDJBpsGzVcpiNuvPE_hDBtSQ9yaGozv4B8So3wvHRQqk6-08Mol6lbO9CoS7FDWNrUIYwx_m-Jb3zDMz3dIixxqUeTrXPW6gWVstTN8gfjDMj64JgdrLGPSSDxjHfxLx4r-Rpbc2VJXp4/s640/DSCN4337.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> Time to get down to business with the pictures!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sadly, I did a terrible job of getting him stacked this time. I think we're going to have to start doing pictures on the floor pretty soon.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6iNGupvNcwkR8DzJdO1kKNzwpIgSX0nIlswY07w-BcTkHhS-O6qW23aUUPsdayI6T2ELMX_ayT-xajED03-GS-zBB3uTh2Hxn6IVyq0H_QL3ZscFFYQ3co7vsGDDjbwCLE7aYb7e_g_H/s1600/IMG_7453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6iNGupvNcwkR8DzJdO1kKNzwpIgSX0nIlswY07w-BcTkHhS-O6qW23aUUPsdayI6T2ELMX_ayT-xajED03-GS-zBB3uTh2Hxn6IVyq0H_QL3ZscFFYQ3co7vsGDDjbwCLE7aYb7e_g_H/s640/IMG_7453.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much better stack, at least.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzi8CgueKwkyhhbz60ZgMbomrgGjLajg8_B1ki2eLQCIr_Ge9mhb4IetVZQ68agcyVgmuqtDhGWh6HznobxBFCK3P1lKSiIcG8Zc8T36ubvLUggp3biTnzYVisjMw2zwopQdd_e6TBJcAn/s1600/IMG_7475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzi8CgueKwkyhhbz60ZgMbomrgGjLajg8_B1ki2eLQCIr_Ge9mhb4IetVZQ68agcyVgmuqtDhGWh6HznobxBFCK3P1lKSiIcG8Zc8T36ubvLUggp3biTnzYVisjMw2zwopQdd_e6TBJcAn/s400/IMG_7475.JPG" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did some shots that I'll use for advertising my grooming table aprons and covers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP43sYo7HuswYEhfKHAJ7pi5XRtNt390Xpxhc8Qvsfl6ey93uXy3fUoZKQe7tsyYxrcmCJ6SstplzfAdoxvc1WM2oGs0o_uyTGwSkNyX0a0YuQdVVyPoEA5n6ibxM65CJAJ66Zd88bpNKn/s1600/IMG_7485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP43sYo7HuswYEhfKHAJ7pi5XRtNt390Xpxhc8Qvsfl6ey93uXy3fUoZKQe7tsyYxrcmCJ6SstplzfAdoxvc1WM2oGs0o_uyTGwSkNyX0a0YuQdVVyPoEA5n6ibxM65CJAJ66Zd88bpNKn/s640/IMG_7485.JPG" width="550" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hehe! He looks like such a puppy here! Love it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX_05uBVEhAdr1BkzC4jY847qQIhGJTUdEhDR4HSQMO0FZFLGPi9zvmPvIK0SagvyE4aK8dgTHp2JWtFk39OkaVzAvrMz_zh-BrbDuSXQGziFVaquVFUcR570eslGY1qijjaFkchYUh0Z/s1600/IMG_7488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX_05uBVEhAdr1BkzC4jY847qQIhGJTUdEhDR4HSQMO0FZFLGPi9zvmPvIK0SagvyE4aK8dgTHp2JWtFk39OkaVzAvrMz_zh-BrbDuSXQGziFVaquVFUcR570eslGY1qijjaFkchYUh0Z/s640/IMG_7488.JPG" width="498" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can really see the biscuit on his ears here.</td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">One of these days I'm going to have to bring Lilly to do pictures with him. I wouldn't even dream of ever making Bailey do this again - he HATES it!</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-55643337851601677722011-04-04T06:52:00.002-05:002011-04-04T06:57:13.077-05:00Stacking BlocksWe've been busy. Mostly busy having fun (which is why I haven't even started looking for a second job) but we've been working on having fun with show stuff, too.<br />
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I think that's the very definition of awesome - when the WORK part is even primarily focused on having fun! <br />
I love it!<br />
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This past weekend we took a trip to Minnesota to drop off Whitey and we had lots of fun. Mendel and I stayed at my friend / his breeder's house so he got to hang out with his mom, half brother and sister, and their grumpy big brother (who's a lot like Mendel's grumpy big brother, only white). :) He thinks his half brother is REALLY cool, and was following him around paying attention to what a guy is supposed to do at that house. It was pretty cute. I can't believe I didn't take pictures. :o\<br />
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We got some video of Mr. Mendel.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">I still feel like he's not reaching in front as much as he should, but tonight at work a great idea came to me. I'm in the process of working things out in that department.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, the main point of this post.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>See, Mendel is better at this whole stacking thing than I am. As you can see in the video, he knows how to stack. It's me that's the problem sometimes. My timing is bad on rewarding him when he stacks sometimes b/c it takes me too long to "check" that all his feet are in the right place. Then, I still move too much and wind up pulling him out of it or I reward him for a poor stack by mistake. I'm a mess, what can I say? :)<br />
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So, I found these on a website somewhere: http://www.happylegs.com/<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="510" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ooisRN8AjJQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ooisRN8AjJQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="510"></embed></object> </div><br />
Now, the reality is that a dog who is built right structurally should not need help putting his legs in the right place, the right place should be where the dog puts them naturally and where they will be most comfortable for him. I like these for ME, to help me more consistently reward my dog for a correct stack and learn better what things will look like form my perspective when he is in the right place. But I'm NOT even going to consider paying $200 for them. That's just crazy.<br />
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Another reason I like these is because I find that the concept of "muscle memory" is very valid. I do see where this might help us as a team.<br />
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So, of course, I decided to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIi9kjccuYY&feature=fvsr">MacGyver it</a>" instead of emptying my wallet.<br />
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Step one, hit up the grocery store.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CMiUFS6_ACFCUVBCWBC7rfdYWTFCZYXqYOCci70K0aNJFHFSEUCk0BAl5ifqApbiWQOg4CTyP50d46hyri6Q66EVgnyUacclSkiU7kqx1miSrOcT4bZLcfUiNkhSoa7UjhhHa0TpvfjR/s1600/DSCN4327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CMiUFS6_ACFCUVBCWBC7rfdYWTFCZYXqYOCci70K0aNJFHFSEUCk0BAl5ifqApbiWQOg4CTyP50d46hyri6Q66EVgnyUacclSkiU7kqx1miSrOcT4bZLcfUiNkhSoa7UjhhHa0TpvfjR/s320/DSCN4327.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I chose cans of something I actually use so if I decide I don't need these in a month they won't go to waste. This is one of the big wide cans, about the size of my palm on top. <br />
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Step two, pick up some of that rubbery place mat stuff to use as a non-slip surface.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP12Wnv6_7yxvbmhsHnyhNHoEWjMIjlN2aC9D9ciEFcgyu4Ogc3ospVebxdC_gBCmyKNhIYwiSYH8tcY1tIGbmffzoZjLSJtM1pMJ-g9yPESiOT1Vlk-n5E_PrxabzdLK1maC-KvNIpTEr/s1600/DSCN4325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP12Wnv6_7yxvbmhsHnyhNHoEWjMIjlN2aC9D9ciEFcgyu4Ogc3ospVebxdC_gBCmyKNhIYwiSYH8tcY1tIGbmffzoZjLSJtM1pMJ-g9yPESiOT1Vlk-n5E_PrxabzdLK1maC-KvNIpTEr/s320/DSCN4325.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I traced the cans and cut one ring for each can slightly smaller than the trace mark and one slightly larger. The smaller for use on the top and the larger for use on the bottom to make the can nice and grippy. <br />
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Then, I used double sided tape to adhere the pieces to the can.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's Mendel's second time up on his "stilts".</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="510" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cl_-DWnF0Z8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cl_-DWnF0Z8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="510"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This is a great example of why it's awesome to have great breeders/mentors. The first thing I did was send a link to the video off for advice on how to do it better next time. I've already made some improvements (like holding his collar and baiting him better to get him to pull up more over his front and setting the cans further apart) and our quick session when we got home from work was even better than the one in the video. </div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-18667226611602508282011-03-26T21:59:00.003-05:002011-03-29T18:58:13.027-05:00Chicken Liverbread You know, like Gingerbread... only different. :)<br />
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There's this thing with dogs - they like it a lot if you reward them for doing something good. I'm a huge stickler for making sure dogs get rewarded for doing good things - in fact, I find most people don't reward anywhere near enough for my liking.<br />
<blockquote>Somehow people come to the conclusion that just because a dog has been sitting on command for 3 years now, you can't tell him he's a good boy for doing it today. We all know what that's like - we often experience it at work, it sucks, and we all know it. I'll never understand why we choose to be like that with our dogs.</blockquote> One very easy way to reward dogs is by giving them food. Most dogs are pretty big fans of food.<br />
At dog shows we tend to use lots of food. There's lots of waiting and standing around and boredom at dog shows, but a handler has to keep the dog engaged and happy. Food is often good for achieving engaged and happy. Unfortunately, food often makes a mess in pockets. It'd greasy, slimy, crumbly and stinky. Some of it is in big pieces and hard to break, tear, or otherwise reduce in size and often if you do break it up it makes a mess. <br />
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There are some options out there that are less problematic, but they're also comprised of more "food-like products" that real food. I can't pronounce many of the ingredients, and if I can they are nondescript things like "meat meal" and "animal fat".<br />
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So, today, since my freezer is packed full of liver I need to do SOMETHING with - I decided to work on developing my own recipe. Believe it or not, my very first batch seems to be a winning combination. <br />
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Here's how I did it:<br />
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First, toss two cups of chicken livers into the food processor and give 'em hell. Make sure they're really well pureed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmQkGmVZE92f3hR_P8YqQqI9-vCYZqhtCklkcVxfeAw5D4hLek7dFsorBOPG02mOeD7m1HqZdklvt34npRyxEjP46LZrQI0IbH-grywkStstUNu0ZodNhuXy-T4xmZ3S0aCDUt8VTA49e/s400/DSCN4280.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It might look like a strawberry smoothie, but it sure doesn't SMELL like one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Add 1 cup of whole wheat flour and mix it in well. Then add another 1/2 cup, this time pulsing it in just until the flour is combined. Things will be looking like a pretty sticky gooey mess by now.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Place a sheet of wax paper on a pan or baking stone and place all of the "batter" onto it. The stone I used is 14" in diameter. Place another sheet of wax paper on top of the goo and very gently roll it out between the two pieces of paper into a circle about 12" in diameter.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjzpZkgl6zOen10AZOO0rSha46enSTQRQHSSFw96R8uKqFxNQisUmw7JqwYcqDCKv6ePIIK1fY9nJIDskoz2Ksk7zzTuiOhgUvHtm7dlVW6l4_WCK4ZOQjwAIh_KjHcMclO_kC75cjFvs/s1600/DSCN4282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjzpZkgl6zOen10AZOO0rSha46enSTQRQHSSFw96R8uKqFxNQisUmw7JqwYcqDCKv6ePIIK1fY9nJIDskoz2Ksk7zzTuiOhgUvHtm7dlVW6l4_WCK4ZOQjwAIh_KjHcMclO_kC75cjFvs/s400/DSCN4282.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It is VERY important that you trim the wax paper to at least somewhat close to the edge of the mixture. (I just used the stone as a guide and trimmed along the edge) The one time I forgot to trim the paper, one corner that was hanging off did singe and make an awful smell. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHO_6MH7k4z7K2q0Ufy7929_42Lx4hjI0pcArFqlwoR3fHffyz6cajT5IYB0pb4oOs-eQ1cIEExmBnVbx2g9UJOg7eGPi23rTkpojiY5JnrbMf8tDEvIZyE4vnCzWCJsoriw_lf8X9-XC_/s1600/DSCN4297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHO_6MH7k4z7K2q0Ufy7929_42Lx4hjI0pcArFqlwoR3fHffyz6cajT5IYB0pb4oOs-eQ1cIEExmBnVbx2g9UJOg7eGPi23rTkpojiY5JnrbMf8tDEvIZyE4vnCzWCJsoriw_lf8X9-XC_/s400/DSCN4297.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cook the mixture in a 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. At this point take it out, peal off the top layer of wax paper and place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. When the bread is done, all the pink color should be gone. (you can use a pizza cutter to slice down the middle and make sure it's cooked enough for your liking)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
No matter how good it sounds at the time, letting the puppy lick out the food processor bowl is probably not the best idea you will have all day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxw6OwH_ZILiHMnusg1OqslKgRDu8seJ9aLJ5wQMy2wMi3dxdWl708pZkrzfL6oHOuB-s1R3TS6aNZVpbbfTOcvfOkkChvrwCav6HUyLKUOS9JdOZM6Jxn7gHu3FkjCNYJdH-FLkZWzTd/s1600/DSCN4284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxw6OwH_ZILiHMnusg1OqslKgRDu8seJ9aLJ5wQMy2wMi3dxdWl708pZkrzfL6oHOuB-s1R3TS6aNZVpbbfTOcvfOkkChvrwCav6HUyLKUOS9JdOZM6Jxn7gHu3FkjCNYJdH-FLkZWzTd/s400/DSCN4284.JPG" width="391" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Once out of the oven, pick the cake of liverbread up by the paper and place it top-down on a board for cooling. After it has cooled a bit, peal off the other piece of wax paper. Use a pizza cutter to cut squares or whatever shape you like then allow the bread to fully cool. (Give the begging dogs a little just so they can make sure you didn't mess anything up)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXxmvCbhXD8joN4vO1Ou0d5aps1M6DhQRwtTFavAmwHVVSntBpJ-0CTtFNEtVp3NVoJXjUyogspB7Z1L1NvZJJ8o3746q7i_Iy0V7HVZHpiiE5hYw6ueYxakLnF5rcGN0M_88PhSlAznk/s1600/DSCN4291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXxmvCbhXD8joN4vO1Ou0d5aps1M6DhQRwtTFavAmwHVVSntBpJ-0CTtFNEtVp3NVoJXjUyogspB7Z1L1NvZJJ8o3746q7i_Iy0V7HVZHpiiE5hYw6ueYxakLnF5rcGN0M_88PhSlAznk/s400/DSCN4291.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div> You'll notice I left mine pretty large. This is because the point of these treats is that they are one nice big piece, but I can easily tear off a tiny piece for rewards. <br />
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These treats are NOT dry and hard. I want the treats to be soft and pliable. If you want them crunchy, you could cut them up and place them back in the oven to cook/dry out for a while. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIf8JtM6-pVBJDSYyKFOhNGzKix-R25bcxZOgSY-6BrTkEQ0H11zvQRMyuuxa6AQCGhOGnXJSdJ4OVfuhPN2hEcoFE2x5u0aqse-eHpLD_1XRrxOP4-DZFOiIzkQ5KcWtNiNJ44eNl9Ch/s1600/DSCN4292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIf8JtM6-pVBJDSYyKFOhNGzKix-R25bcxZOgSY-6BrTkEQ0H11zvQRMyuuxa6AQCGhOGnXJSdJ4OVfuhPN2hEcoFE2x5u0aqse-eHpLD_1XRrxOP4-DZFOiIzkQ5KcWtNiNJ44eNl9Ch/s400/DSCN4292.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Since there are no preservatives in these treats, you don't want to leave them out on the counter in large quantities. I suggest freezing them, then taking out a few at a time to thaw for training sessions.<br />
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Also, keep in mind that these are over 50% liver. This makes them very popular with the dogs, but pay attention to how much you're using. A bunch of these for a dog not used to them could cause an upset stomach. (this is partly why I don't use just straight dried liver) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgvXbMr0SdhK3GNXUXSjeSW-YWM3ShdcN3O9VdGmXDXbsWcKt0mQDdL2M1n6x100cBEs5B0v9mgYpjezfHapax56REJteJ93ojjEegBwa4GhBgs0puZpmaYGwtrLlyU1EwerviJt76T0Q/s1600/DSCN4293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUgvXbMr0SdhK3GNXUXSjeSW-YWM3ShdcN3O9VdGmXDXbsWcKt0mQDdL2M1n6x100cBEs5B0v9mgYpjezfHapax56REJteJ93ojjEegBwa4GhBgs0puZpmaYGwtrLlyU1EwerviJt76T0Q/s640/DSCN4293.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I intend to try making these with rice flour next, but most of the rice flour I have access to is very grainy rather than very fine ground like the wheat flour. If you try this with rice flour, I'd love to hear how it turned out. :)Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6356562733099526012.post-59448202947983911682011-03-25T21:51:00.000-05:002011-03-25T21:51:51.208-05:00Sun & Snow<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmb7B5lpd0z6CPvLfJp0UeEIXmrpluWEc7cLAkWHDx_GdYQVf-oTvNK7Ure0qP132aqLb9Z_zys-1ka1P2VlwH9yNeCvfESMwNugp5Y0DmzNxzJHyjzacM22jdKLyVMMc5_cWhuVeOT-OZ/s1600/DSCN4260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmb7B5lpd0z6CPvLfJp0UeEIXmrpluWEc7cLAkWHDx_GdYQVf-oTvNK7Ure0qP132aqLb9Z_zys-1ka1P2VlwH9yNeCvfESMwNugp5Y0DmzNxzJHyjzacM22jdKLyVMMc5_cWhuVeOT-OZ/s640/DSCN4260.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow is always the most fun when the only tracks behind you are your own</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZf5o7mHhf2DT3QaC5R0x7cwWVxoeU9TCnf6-QRGmVIzt3i-NW-44VFca6HB3yuihh2Y2wes_VeuqFceteIUjLKeeqRgRfXoaWRbSh-3_We0lSmfMp3pCf5aFMY0_H-X3RZQukx5cz-xZW/s1600/4+mo+park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZf5o7mHhf2DT3QaC5R0x7cwWVxoeU9TCnf6-QRGmVIzt3i-NW-44VFca6HB3yuihh2Y2wes_VeuqFceteIUjLKeeqRgRfXoaWRbSh-3_We0lSmfMp3pCf5aFMY0_H-X3RZQukx5cz-xZW/s400/4+mo+park.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or of the dog chasing you. :)</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZG3znql1bvZdKMxdo_baegCGg5HgCoXGJuQkHVduLleYFExkeqcFkfcWg2OO2PighItaV-hUl9FAUM5mZJ6VzxQYE_MW5X-a45FLuwxt4mJDMdxafebIp4UtNJbXw3QlDYkcozzJBLQD/s1600/4+mo+snow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZG3znql1bvZdKMxdo_baegCGg5HgCoXGJuQkHVduLleYFExkeqcFkfcWg2OO2PighItaV-hUl9FAUM5mZJ6VzxQYE_MW5X-a45FLuwxt4mJDMdxafebIp4UtNJbXw3QlDYkcozzJBLQD/s640/4+mo+snow.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weeeeee!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you think a day goes by that I don't look at him and say "Good word, you're gorgeous", you're mistaken.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBE-CuX9RXJeZ_Py-7dy2Vhudw85-akjLTyXqRQdQScbr2VulWA0zGgT24c8Q_gBfI5enPLlEGgbLXfeQnLx8YeeNH4Uilk_57LfP4Smob4WZlGLSVimHUAE593BKTkAm3AhBzJ1WFjhjY/s1600/lil+park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBE-CuX9RXJeZ_Py-7dy2Vhudw85-akjLTyXqRQdQScbr2VulWA0zGgT24c8Q_gBfI5enPLlEGgbLXfeQnLx8YeeNH4Uilk_57LfP4Smob4WZlGLSVimHUAE593BKTkAm3AhBzJ1WFjhjY/s640/lil+park.JPG" width="456" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If this doesn't crack you up, I'm afraid something might be wrong with you. :)</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">You should really click on the next two and make them big. DO IT! </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeo25P1p1OBV6MvzVrXimopb1FuzDlbpd6MEGvBT3ncytfbxvI2i989-HsnNXvTNFmmcfDkYr9I21hxEHLpPZGzOttJov_abUAwK47owov3WWuqL22seNPyX9YQkwC5DvbQBp1pCQNT8F/s1600/park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeo25P1p1OBV6MvzVrXimopb1FuzDlbpd6MEGvBT3ncytfbxvI2i989-HsnNXvTNFmmcfDkYr9I21hxEHLpPZGzOttJov_abUAwK47owov3WWuqL22seNPyX9YQkwC5DvbQBp1pCQNT8F/s640/park.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the park from the car out on the road</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraFz2iF9kn_xuFDB6kq0Choy2j8-GedyjapOCa-pYVsqivs4MKqgzyihh3NBlBF5rgCqKvuuGHaR8oSxgY6PwvMaJNnyAHdVIdEMtJ68NFhRK3Prs-zVa8wpdjkhRaJofNZ1d-5V5z0AP/s1600/lil+at+park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraFz2iF9kn_xuFDB6kq0Choy2j8-GedyjapOCa-pYVsqivs4MKqgzyihh3NBlBF5rgCqKvuuGHaR8oSxgY6PwvMaJNnyAHdVIdEMtJ68NFhRK3Prs-zVa8wpdjkhRaJofNZ1d-5V5z0AP/s640/lil+at+park.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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And look who's in town for a visit!<br />
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</div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032239659229679615noreply@blogger.com1