Thursday, December 31, 2015

New Years Eve


Good and bad as always to ring out the previous year.  2015 will always be the year my mom passed away and the year Joanne's cancer took a turn for the worst.
Of course there was good in the year, Ash came home to live, and I got a job which I am looking forward to starting in the New Year. It's been rough living on one income and thank God I have family members that are able to help when things get too bad.  We couldn't have survived otherwise. 
2015 is also the year Lync was bred and hopefully 2016 means the pitter patter of puppy dog paws :)
My wish for 2016 is they find a cure for Cancer, the nasty life sucking disease that I hate with all my heart.
I hope my friends and family remain healthy and happy.
To you and yours, Happy New Year!

Friday, December 25, 2015

Christmas 2015

All I could manage for a tree this year
Merry Christmas everyone.
I say it but I don't really *feel* it you know.  It's hard when your husband is working all night long, then sleeping all day long to get into the spirit.  He woke up long enough to have supper with me then back to bed, so I have spent Christmas Eve , Christmas Day and Night alone .  Then there is the fact that I am missing my mom something horrible :(  I just want to call her and see her and talk to her again.  Most days I am doing fine but then the grief takes its hold and I am a mess.  It feels like I will never get over her not being here to guide me and help me. It's like I have lost a portion of myself way deep down , down where it hurts so bad I could scream.
But, life goes on, like it or not, I will get through it, the good and the bad.
I hope 2016 is better then 2015.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

F*** Cancer

The bravest person I know
Thinking of my sister Joanne as Christmas draws closer.  She has been hospitalized for the 4th time in a few months, in all likelihood she will not be out for Christmas.  She continues to be in excruciating pain and I feel so helpless.  Her Cancer has spread to pretty much everywhere. I wish I never left Thunder Bay now, that I was still there to hold her hand while she goes through this.  She has her wife and my brother and sister in law but I know she would love to have her two sisters as well :(
I am scared , more scared then I've ever been for her, the Cancer is winning.  If you could say a prayer for her I would be grateful, she needs all the help she can get right now.

Monday, December 21, 2015

End of a Chapter

The beautiful weathered door to my moms house
Today my moms house gets a new family.  I have only ever known this house.  It has been in the family well before I was ever born, my Baba bought it, then my Uncle John took it over, then my mom.  We did think of keeping it in the family but it just wasn't meant to be.  If I was still in Thunder Bay I would have taken it over, but I cant keep wishing for things that can never happen.
I am so sad but at the same time glad it is going to be over soon.  It has been such a long 6 months for my sister in law Wendy , brother Brian and sister Joanne.  They have been working so hard to clean out the house and prepare it for sale.  I have the easy job even though my heart has been with my family as they went through the hard job of cleaning out the house.  Even Debra drove down and helped do some of the cleaning out.
Sometimes I think I will scream it hurts so bad. I know my mom would be proud of us all for doing what we thought was the best for us all, and as promised mom we have gone through the entire process without an argument.  This is one thing my mom made us promise before she passed away, that we would all get along and have no petty fights like so many families do under the pressure of losing a loved one.
Rest in peace mom, we are going to be just fine xoxo 

Moms pink house, her favourite colour

Saturday, December 19, 2015

New Job!

After months of looking I finally found a job!!  I start in January and it is at the Superstore bakery!  I'm not baking but rather doing bagging and setting up first thing in the morning.  It shouldn't be too hard for me to wake up at 4 am lol, at least I am hoping it wont be!  I work till about 11 or on some days until 3, I hope I dont have too many shifts at 3 as it will be hard on the dogs at first.  The dogs have only known me to be home since 2013!  The fun thing is that in awhile after I have worked I will be trained to decorate cakes, how fun is that!?
I am also nervous as I haven't worked in so long but I have confidence in my ability to learn new things.
So here's to a great beginning to 2016!!

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Christmas Ornament

Last night was our last breavement group and we got to make a memorial ornamnet for our loved one that has passed away.  I enjoyed creating something with mom in mind and I hope she likes it :)
Mine has 2 stones in it, one the teardrop that I got when it was my night to talk about mom, the other is a rose one that I chose as that is moms favourite flower.  Mackenzie made some beads and I  chose a heart shaped one to also put inside.
I am going to miss going to the group every Tuesday night but now I have some tools to help me deal with my grief.


Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Lync's Gotcha Day

Lync came into our lives 2 years ago today, enjoy the video ......



Monday, December 14, 2015

Whos your daddy?


Autumn

Beautiful Autumn

Lync is going to be a daddy, I hope!  We have been waiting since September for his girlfriend to come into season and she finally did 2 days ago.  That means her owner has to make the drive here from BC and be here near Christmas.  We are hoping to do the breedings and she can head home Christmas day.  I am so excited , I have never owned a dog that has had a litter.  Two of my collies were used, Drake and Tate but they never produced so fingers crossed for lots of Flatcoat babies in the New Year !

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Job hunting

Lately I've been looking for a part time job, it is not fun or easy!  I wish so many times for my accident to not have happened and that I still worked at my old job but that is not to be.
Mostly I am looking due to boredom, the days are all the same and there is only so much you can do.  I actually sent in a resume to a grooming job and I hate grooming even though I did it for 30 years, duh!   In a perfect world I would find a nice part time job, something dog related.  I would love to work in a vet clinic, just helping out behind the scenes.  fingers crossed something comes up for me in the New Year!

Thursday, December 10, 2015

This years Christmas tree



This year I decided not to go to the effort of putting up a full sized tree, for one I just wasn't feeling it, this year just doesn't feel like years past, most of it has to do with loosing mom and the fact she wont be here for Christmas,  it's just so hard when the center of your world and the glue for the entire family is no longer here , I am incredibly sad. The other reason is the dogs, mostly Ash, but our house is quite small and I just worried that the tree would topple over when the three of them were wrestling in the livingroom together.
I put up the teeny tree that I bought 2 years ago when I had my car accident, it is decorated with hand made ornaments that I made plus ornaments of moms that graced her tree for many years as far back as I can remember.  There are 2 new ornaments on it, one being a football for Brad and a Collie for me, that's it.  Hopefully next year we will have more Christmas spirit and a full tree will be put up once again.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Group

For the last eight weeks I have been attending a grief group at the Family Services.  It is a small group of just 4 and next week is our last night.  I am going to miss going there!
The group has focused on giving us tools to deal with our grief once we leave.  For the first time last night I couldn't do the exercise.  They wanted us to imagine our loved one coming toward us and presenting us with a gift, then after the loved one would leave.  There was no way I could do it, it felt as if I would be loosing my mom all over again, then after we were to mold our gift in the clay they provided.  I ended up molding a pink cloud, moms favourite colour, and a sign for peace on it.  I like to imagine mom is at peace finally, happy to be reunited with her loved ones.
Next week we are making a Christmas ornament in memory of our loved one.  I am looking forward to it and already have some ideas of what I'm going to put in it, and on it.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Sold


Mom and Dad
Well its finally almost over, all the work and tears, my moms house finally sold yesterday.  I have mixed feelings about it, I am glad it has sold, that my family can finally move forward and not have to worry about it anymore, but the other part of me is very sad and hates that it even had to be sold, that it couldn't just stay in the family.
My Baba bought that house before I was born, when she died my Uncle John kept it, when he died my mom bought it.  It has seen alot that house, good times and bad times.
I hope the lady who bought it enjoys it and is surrounded by all the good memories the house has.

Mom and Bessie

Sunday, December 6, 2015

All Gone !

Hurray, yesterday was the last day I heard any coughing from Ash so all 3 dogs are now cough free!!  That doesn't mean they are not contagious however, so 2 weeks from today my life can be back to normal with the dogs, back to classes will be awesome, I miss them and it gives me something to do at night and keeps their minds working and boredom free too.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Kennel Cough Day 11

Well the kennel cough is still present in my house, Lync has gotten over it and I havent heard him cough in a few days now, Kort will cough once in a blue moon if he gets really excited or barks for a long time, Ash is still coughing but he also started to cough 3 days after the other two. 
It will still be 2 weeks minimum before the dogs can go anywhere other dogs might meet up with them, as they are still considered contagious. 
Some of my friends dogs are still coming down with it even now so this nasty virus is making sure it hits everyone!
Ash is still eating and playing normally which is good as his cough does seem a bit worse then what the other 2 had.  I am thankful it is not as bad as Lync got though with all his vomiting on the first day, that was horrible!!
Hopefully it will just be a couple more days for Ash and we can get back to out normal walking routine!  The dogs will be so happy I cant wait!!

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Photo Shoot


The same as the blog title but with some fun graphics

Handsome Lync

Sweet Kort

Cheeky Ash
On Sunday the dogs had a photo shoot  to raise funds for a local dog rescue.  The results were wonderful!  The one for my blog name was one and above here are the favourite ones from the three boys.  Thanks to Lorelei Photography !!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Kennel Cough Day 3

The boys are doing better, by that I mean I don't have to clean up foamy mucous off the floor anymore  :)  Yes it is gross, kennel cough is gross, the dogs are still coughing if they play or if they bark but at least they were able to sleep through the night and get some rest.  I've been giving extra Vitamin c and probiotics to up their immune systems to fight it off quicker and with hope that Ash doesn't get it at all!

Monday, November 23, 2015

Kennel Cough

 Kort and Lync have kennel cough, so far, Ash seem to be ok other then a few sneezes, he doesn't have the bringing up of foam and mucous every 10 to 15 minutes.
Below is the best article I found on the condition, it does however say, "it is an unproductive cough", I beg to differ on that point!
  It is a great inconvenience to everyone, my entire circle of friends dogs seem to be coming down with it.  It started from what I know at a dog show and an agility trial.  Some of those dogs came to the Red Deer dog show before showing symptoms, then some of those dogs came to the Lethbridge show where my dogs went.
Poor Kort was only there 1 day and he is the one having the most problems, Lync and Ash were there all 3 days.  At any rate I am very tired, I don't do tired very well, I woke up this morning before 4 am.  Kort kept me up all night, with the occasional hacking from Lync, so I figured I should just get up as I wasn't getting any sleep anyway.
I couldn't feed Lync yesterday as he kept vomiting, even some bread of the I tried wouldn't stay down .  He had a bit of food this morning and so far so good, I will feed him again at lunch then supper again if he keeps it down.
Some of my friends dogs have not gotten the cough and I certainly hope it stays that way for them, I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

What is Kennel Cough?


Clinical cases of Kennel Cough are usually caused by several infectious agents working together to damage and irritate the lining of the dog's trachea and upper bronchii. The damage to the tracheal lining is fairly superficial, but exposes nerve endings that become irritated simply by the passage of air over the damaged tracheal lining. Once the organisms are eliminated the tracheal lining will heal rapidly.

The most common organisms associated with Canine Cough are the bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica and two viruses called Parainfluenza virus and Adenovirus and even an organism called Mycoplasma.

Kennel Cough in dogs will stimulate a coarse, dry, hacking cough about three to seven days after the dog is initially infected.  It sounds as if the dog needs to "clear his throat" and the cough will be triggered by any extra activity or exercise.

Many dogs that acquire Kennel Cough will cough every few minutes, all day long. Their general state of health and alertness will be unaffected, they usually have no rise in temperature, and do not lose their appetite.

The signs of Canine Cough usually will last from 7 to 21 days and can be very annoying for the dog and the dog's owners.

Life-threatening cases of Kennel Cough are extremely rare and a vast majority of dogs that acquire the infection will recover on their own with no medication.

How is Kennel Cough Transmitted?


The causative organisms can be present in the expired air of an infected dog, much the same way that human "colds" are transmitted. The airborne organisms will be carried in the air in microscopically tiny water vapor or dust particles. The airborne organisms, if inhaled by a susceptible dog, can attach to the lining of the trachea and upper airway passages, find a warm, moist surface on which to reside and replicate, and eventually damage the cells they infect.

The reason this disease seems so common, and is even named "Kennel" cough, is that wherever there are numbers of dogs confined together in an enclosed environment, such as a kennel, animal shelter, or indoor dog show, the disease is much more likely to be spread. The same is true with the "colds" spread from human to human ... they are much more likely to occur in a populated, enclosed environment such as an airplane, elevator, or Even a chance encounter with a carrier of Kennel Cough can transmit the disease. office.

All it takes for contagion to occur is a single source (infected dog), an enclosed environment, and susceptible individuals in close proximity to the source of the infection. Infected dogs can spread the organisms for days to weeks even after seeming to have fully recovered!

Even in the most hygienic, well ventilated, spacious kennels the possibility of a dog acquiring Kennel Cough exists. Kennel Cough can be acquired from your neighbor's dog, from a Champion show dog at a dog show, from the animal hospital where your dog just came in for treatment of a cut paw. So try not to blame the kennel operator if your dog develops Kennel Cough shortly after that weekend stay at the kennel! There may have been an infected dog, unknown to anyone, that acted as a source for other dogs in the kennel.

Many dogs will have protective levels of immunity to Kennel Cough via minor exposures to the infective organisms and simply will not acquire the disease even if exposed. Other dogs that may never have had immunizing subtle exposures will be susceptible to the Bordetella bacteria and associated viruses and develop the signs of coughing and hacking.

How is it Kennel Cough Treated?


Many dogs that contract Kennel Cough will display only minor signs of coughing that may last seven to ten days and will not require any medication at all. The majority of dogs with the disease continue to eat, sleep, play and act normally -- except for that annoying, dry, non-productive coughing that seems so persistent.

It is, however, always a good idea to have any dog examined if coughing is noticed because some very serious respiratory diseases such as Blastomycosis, Valley Fever, Heartworms and even cardiac disease might display similar sounding coughing. Your veterinarian, through a careful physical exam and questioning regarding the dog's recent environment, will be able to establish if the dog's respiratory signs are from kennel Cough or some other respiratory insult.

Treatment is generally limited to symptomatic relief of the coughing with non-prescription, and occasionally prescription, cough suppressants. If the dog is running a fever or there seems to be a persistent and severe cough, antibiotics are occasionally utilized to assist the dog in recovering from Kennel Cough.  It can happen that secondary bacterial invaders will complicate a case of Kennel Cough and prolong the recovery and severely affect the upper airway. Therefore, the use of antibiotics is determined on an individual basis.

How is Kennel Cough Prevented?


Many dogs, exposed to all sorts and numbers of other dogs, will never experience the effects of Canine Cough. Some dog owners, though, prefer to take advantage of the current vaccines available that are quite effective in preventing the disease. Usually these dog owners will have to board, show, field trial, or otherwise expose their dog to populations of other canines.

Since the chances of exposure and subsequent infection rise as the dog comes in close proximity with other dogs, the decision to vaccinate or not to vaccinate varies with each individual circumstance. Generally, if your dog is not boarded or going to field trials or dog shows, you may not have a high level of need for vaccinating your dog against Kennel Cough.

Conversely, if you plan to board your dog, or protect it from exposure, remember to vaccinate a few weeks prior to potential exposure to allow full protective immunity to build up.

If your dog happens to acquire Kennel Cough, it will then have some immunity to subsequent exposures. The length of time these natural exposures and the vaccinations will produce protective immunity will vary greatly. How often to vaccinate seems to have a subjective and elusive answer.

Be aware that vaccinating with just the commercial Kennel Cough vaccine alone (contains only the Bordetella agent) may not be fully protective because of the other infectious agents that are involved with producing the disease. Some of the other agents such as Parainfluenza and Adenovirus are part of the routine multivalent vaccinations generally given yearly to dogs.

The intra-nasal Bordetella vaccine may produce immunity slightly faster than the injectable vaccine if the dog has never been previously vaccinated for Kennel Cough.

It is generally assumed that the intranasal route of inoculation works the fastest in getting protective levels of immunity established. However, studies have indicated that in dogs that have been previously immunized by either the intranasal or injectable route and that have some level of immunity already present, vaccination by the injectable route actually boosts immunity faster than the intranasal route.

When the injectable vaccine is given as an annual booster (to boost any immune levels already present) the maximum effects of the vaccine will be achieved five days after the vaccination.

So when should the intranasal route be utilized? Some veterinarians suggest that it be used only in unvaccinated dogs and in young pups receiving their first vaccination. In these unvaccinated animals the first immunization would be via the intranasal route and then two additional inoculations by the injectable route are given. Then yearly injectable inoculations are given to enhance the protective levels of immunity.

Friday, November 20, 2015

2 years already!


Brad and I on our 20th anniversary this year :)
Today is 2 years that my van slid on black ice and I crashed into a cement barrier, I have so many emotions today going through my head.  I thank GOD for my life and that my broken sternum didn't kill me, as it could have ruptured the aorta around my heart.  I don't think Brad could have handled loosing me, I'm not sounding smug, just telling it as it is.

I haven't worked since that day.  I have suffered clinical depression/anxiety ever since but am finally digging myself out of that !! I have been looking for work but not successful so far , I think it will be a good idea to do something outside of the house finally.  I enjoy my days at home with the boys but it would be nice to socialize with adults too lol !

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Lync's Official Photo

Here is Lync's Professional photo from his 4thin Group win! Still flying high over the win :)
Ch Blazingstar Galwey WC CGN HIC and his breeder Liz Saunders

Monday, November 16, 2015

Dog Show


Making Ash look Handsome!

Waiting to enter the ring

Handsome Lync in the ring, taken by Amanda Labadie

Friday, Ash took the point in Breed and Lync showed well but wasnt looked at in the Group.
Saturday, Ash took Reserve, Lync was pulled for Group but ended just out of the ribbons in 5th place, Kort was shown in Veterans Obedience and came away with a 197/200 and a Highest Score in Class !! He was so happy to be in the ring again and he did so well for me!
Sunday, Ash took the point again so he is now up to 6 points.  Lync not only took the Breed but he took a 4th in Group as well!! sooooooooooooooo exciting! It was a very strong group so I was extra excited!

I over did things last week, bathing and drying each of the dogs, then grooming them and showing them on Friday, I could barely move come Saturday.  I asked my friend Pat Kopec to show Ash for me, and Lync's breeder came and showed Lync for me.  I am feeling somewhat better today but still have pressure in my chest from my old van accident injury, I'm going to ask for a MRI to see just what is going on and why I still have so much pain from a 2 year old injury.

In the Group Ring, taken by Amanda Labadie
Next show is in January, a Collie Specialty, I am just taking Ash up so that will be so much easier on me, Amanda will look after the other 2 boys.  Liz and I will share a room so it will be so much fun!  I hope to loose some weight by then and also get this chest figured out as well as managing my fibromyalgia better.



A happy Breeder and Owner !

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Dog Show Weekend

It's finally the weekend of the local dog show, I have gotten all 3 boys bathed and ready, my van is packed with all my dog show stuff and I'm pretty much ready to go! Tonight is a Rent A ring so I will take Ash in and run him around a bit, get him used the the show building, I will also walk him around a bit to get used to all the dogs and new sites. I should actually bring Kort and practice a sit stay but I want to put all my attention on Ash as he is the new guy.
I have Liz to show Lync on Saturday and in the breed on Sunday then I will show him in the group.  It takes alot of stress off me having her to show him , it gives me more time to work with Ash and groom him, and not have to rush into the Sporting ring to show Lync.  I hope Ash is a good boy and doesn't bark too much.
Set up starts at 2 pm so I will go a bit earlier to unload all my dog stuff, find my spot and set it up, Ash can stay in the van until I  do. Here is a picture of the boys all groomed up and ready!, so handsome :)


Sunday, November 8, 2015

Puppies!

Lync's breeder Liz has a new litter of puppies, they are now about 7 weeks old !  I have been visiting them since they were just 3 days old :)  I always feel very close to the litters because of it and they know me which is fun in of itself.  Yesterday they had their temperament tests done by Amanda and I got to be a helper which was great fun and I learned alot by watching.

A month a ago I bought the litter a bunch of Halloween themed toys to be used for their October portraits, Liz does weekly portraits of her litters.

Here are the results, enjoy!










Monday, November 2, 2015

Tate



One Year Later.......

How I have missed you, your gentle nature, your calm mature presence, your silly bark, your "take my own sweet time", to do anything attitude.  How did a year go by without you?
Lots of changes, mom died, remember how you would steal her oven mitts or tea towels when we went there, just because they smelled like roast, we have a new puppy, we got him because of you....he was born with a big black neck just like yours, and funny thing, he steals tea towels....

Miss you everyday Tater Dog , always remembered, always loved, always in my heart.....



Sunday, November 1, 2015

Church

I finally did it! I went to church :)  I have been meaning to for quite some time now and just never managed to get there.  I picked the Southminster United Church, it is one of the oldest churches in Lethbridge,
Here it is back before we even had a paved road where it sits!
Here it is now .....
The Pastor is very young and came and introduced himself to me right away, his sermon was very uplifting and not all boring , I think I'll stick around awhile :)

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Group

Since I have been having such a tough time with the death of my mom I have decided to join a bereavement group.  We meet on Tuesday nights and it goes for 2 hours.  Last night was my second class and I find it very helpful to be able to talk about mom and get what I need by having people listen and validate my feelings. 
I can cry if needed, and it doesn't feel dumb, or like I'm being foolish. 
I can't talk about who is in the group but it is a nice small group of just the 4 of us.  I can tell you I am not the oldest which really surprised me! 
The room is cozy with comfy chairs and nice smells from oils they have going in an infuser.  There are 2 instructors, I guess that's what they are called, they help keep the flow going so there is always something to discuss.  I wouldn't think I was the kind of person that would get something out of the group but I am and I'm glad I signed up for it . I am already looking forward to my next session.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Tracking videos

Got my camcorder working finally so have a couple of tracking videos to post

This is Kort, he had 2 turns and is defiantly ready for longer tracks with more turns.....


This is Lync, he is doing awesome for just starting his tracking career.....
 I am so proud of both of them and I am sooo loving tracking again!

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Tracking

I've been tracking with Kort for a month, and just started Lync, going out this morning , there is a light frost on the ground which is perfect for laying a track, video to follow :)

Wouldnt you know it but my video camera had issues yesterday, I was so disappointed as I had someone willing to video for me to, we used her i phone but I was unable to download all of the track :(

For Kort I did a track with 3 corners, I used food on the corner and he nailed each one, then I use food drops of about every 10 steps otherwise.  I am thinking of stopping the food but using more articles as his tracking is stop and start and circling for the food, not just straight ahead pulling, I'm ready to roll for next time and hopefully the camera issues will be resolved.  Korts track aged for an hour before I actually ran it so he was a good boy!

For Lync I just did a straight track with food in every step for about the first 10 , then after that about every 3rd, this is his 2nd ever track only and his tail wagged the entire time, I think he enjoys this !! Lyncs track was 50 steps and aged for 40 minutes so I was very pleased with how he handled his too!

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Ash at 9 months


pictured at 8.5 months
Ash is quickly maturing into a nice boy.  He has a gorgeous head and muzzle, his ears are doing well but I still keep them glued to insure they stay that way.  He has a solid topline, a lovely long neck, and is balanced in front and rear.  I am taking him to two shows the beginning of November, one being our local show that we have just once a year.  It is also a Collie/Sheltie booster so that will be extra fun.!  He has a solid temperament but this will be the first time I have showed him indoors, I am expecting him to be quite excited so I better get to the shows early so he has time to settle down and relax.  It is so much fun having a puppy to show again! 

Monday, October 12, 2015

Home

I arrived home from Edmonton at 5 pm last night, I have 3 huge boxes of stuff from my mom's house sitting here, I dont wasnt to go through them yet,  It is just so painful, my heart hurts so bad.  Everything I get smells like her, I hope we are doing the right thing, selling her house I mean, but what else were we to do? It make me think of one day when I pass away, people going through my things, giving them away, dividing everything up, it makes me ill to think about it. I try to keep as little as possible so it wont be the job that we are having to go through with moms things.
I know mom is in a better place free from pain, but I am selfish and want her back, I want to call her up and say Happy Thanksgiving.

My grief counseling starts on Oct 20th, to my surprise it is a group of all older people, I thought I would be the oldest, apparently not.  I guess you are never too old to grieve for your mom :(

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Day 9

Dianne and the boys
Tonight Debra comes home from Thunder Bay, the dogs and I are ready to go home, we leave in the morning !! I will have company on the way home , Michelle who lives in Edmonton is going to visit Liz so she is catching a ride with me.  That will be great to have someone to talk to on the ride back. 

On Day 7 I went to Edmonton to pick up Dianne and together we went out to her farm to walk the boys.  It was so beautiful out there, and open land as far as you could see, absolutely beautiful, plus the weather has been so nice, we were able to walk with no jackets and the dogs just ran and ran!  After we went and watched Dianne's husband help with farm chores and drive a great big truck :)

We took lots of pictures which I have here.  On the way back I stopped in to see Duffy who is Korts litter brother!  They look and sound so much alike!  Dianne sent me home with a care package of yummy homemade jams, tomato sauce and fresh garden tomatoes!

It was such a great day and I hope to visit back soon!!  thanks for a great day Dianne!!!

Run!!!!!
me and the boys

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Day 5

Today is Day 5 caring for my sisters pets and home as she takes care of moms personal belongings back in Thunder Bay.  I am a bit homesick and ready to go home but still have 4 more days here.  While I love her dogs I still miss my own house and my social life, as small as it was, I still miss it .  At least at home I could go out and do classes with my dogs , or training, club meetings etc.  Plus it is hard to not have anyone to talk to for days and days, it makes for very long boring days.

Today I went out walking with the dogs, even though I wasn't going to walk all 3 together, the walk I take is almost an hour and I am not doing that twice, I just lack the energy to do it,  Today I made sure I had Lync harnessed up pretty well so there was less pulling.  I didn't let any of them go off the sidewalk and sniff, they had one pee and that was it, I was lucky today that I only passed one person walking a dog.  I went waaaaay off the walking path and that did the trick, no crazy barking dogs.  When I get home it will be a different story, I will do 2 walks , or if I am not able I will have someone come to walk Lync.  I am sure I can manage though.  Lync is much better walking on his own without the other dogs so I will do that, take him alone and then the 2 collies together.

If my knees werent so bad I could get my bike out but soon it will be snowing and that will be impossible too.

Anyway tomorrow I might go out to a couple of pet shops in the area , that should be fun.  Well that's about it for now!

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Day Two

Well I arrived in Edmonton at supper time last night, Debras dogs & cats were very happy to see me and mine were happy to get out of the van, they really are great travelers though.  I got the 6 dogs and 3 cats calmed down the got them all fed, and put outside, then it was time for me to have a glass of wine! 
Unfortunately it was pouring rain and super windy and cold when I arrived so I didn't walk my dogs. Today is better, its cold and windy but its not raining.

I woke up super early this morning , like 5:45, so I will hopefully go to bed  bit earlier tonight.  I am still trying to get a routine for myself as well as for feeding everyone, and where to feed everyone!  By the time we are all settled in it and have it all figured out it will probably be time to come home lol

At any rate I am enjoying the dogs and the change of scenery and we are having a good time.

Friday, October 2, 2015

I'm Offf!

This morning the dogs and I are off to Sherwood Park to look after my sisters house as well as her pets, 3 dogs and 3 cats! I will have my hands full!
Debra and Gene are driving to Thunder Bay to help with the packing of my moms estate and ready it for selling.  I just couldn't do it.  The house has been in the family for 60 years, first my Baba, then my uncle John, then my mom.  It has seen alot of history this house but it is time to let it go now and carry on with our lives.
I hope Debra takes lots of pictures as I will at least want those for my memories.

Monday, September 28, 2015

New Technology for Lung Cancer

 Once again my sister faces having more radiation as her tumor in her lung has grown.  They are stopping the chemo for now while they plan the radiation treatments.
Recently Joanne and Jane heard of a new way of treating lung cancer metastasis, it is called Cyberknife,  It basically can radiate the area at higher does and leave the surrounding tissue alone.  I have posted a link below if you wish to read about it.  I just wish she didn't have to go through any of this, that she could have her life back , but I guess God has other plans for Joanne , fingers crossed she can get an appointment to see someone in Hamilton.  I am not sure if there is much of a waiting list but I bet there is.
www.cyberknife.com

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Field Training

Yesterday Judy and I headed out to Keho Lake for a walk and some field training with our dogs.  We had 7 dogs in total and they had a blast!  We have been so lucky that the weather has been very warm for our first few days of fall !

I decided it was time to begin the off leash portion of our training.  The next level Lync will be competing at is the WCI , or Working Certificate Intermediate.  It is done all off leash and you need to have total control over your dog while he is off leash. This means walking up to the start and the dog cannot break and go for the birds until told to do so, easier said then done!! Flatcoats are so exuberant, and they love doing the fetching of the birds, so you really have to work at having them not break as it would be a failure in a test.

 I took Lync from the van, asked him to heel and he heeled with me to the start and sat when I stopped, when  the first bumper was thrown it was too close to Judy so she had to re throw it, Lync broke and started off for the bumper, I gave him firm NO! and he stopped dead in his tracks and sat back down, good boy!! After that he was right on, only going when he was told,  I am so loving the field training!

Heres a short clip , it is a bit shaky as I was videoing and giving commands at the same time lol

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Happy Birthday to Me

Well it's arrived, my 55th birthday, even though I feel like 30 in my head, my body feels 55.   Maybe I can get senior discounts now!
I spent the day alone except for the dogs, , I opened the 2 cards I had and read my birthday wishes on Facebook.  It just isnt the same , its like no big deal anymore.
I took the dogs out to Keho Lake for a run , video follows the post, I had to add music as the wind was horrible sounding.  Bought a bottle of wine as requested by my sister in law who tucked 20 dollars into my card, then came home and poured myself a glass.  Brad woke up ready for work at about 3, we chatted a bit and then he left, I ate my birthday pie for supper with my wine ., the wine was good, the pie was gross, that'll teach me,  anyway I figured I could eat anything I wanted on my Birthday so I did.
So that's about it, one more Birthday come and gone.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Pre Birthday



Tomorrow is my birthday, I'll be 55, my husband is working so I'll have the day to myself.
I don't want my birthday to come, it reminds me of the fact that there will be no card from my mom, no phone call from her really early in the morning, waking me up with her voice saying, " I always forget you're 2 hours behind"  It's a reminder that my cousin Judy died at the age of 42 on my Birthday .

I will try to do smething nice for myself, I've been thinking of going to the church around the corner from me , it scares me to go alone though, I shouldnt be scared, its just Church, but lately I have been feeling a pull to attend, to go back to my Faith.

I was on Facebook this morning and a random " game " came up, it was "what message does Jesus have for you", not even kidding, So I thought what the heck and clicked on it

Heres the message....

What you have lost -he has found
In him you find what you love and that which is eternally connected to you,
what his hand revels.

Maybe I will go to Church.,..

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

First Track

This morning Kort and I went out and tracked, well he tracked a straight line of 50 paces lol.  We haven't been out for close to 2 years as I just couldn't get myself committed to going.
Recently a friend asked if anyone was interested in tracking with her and I jumped at the chance to have someone to go out with once again.  The next thing we knew many others said they wanted to get involved and learn how to track their dogs, so we formed a little group .

Last night was our club meeting so we thought it would be a great time to get together before the meeting, seeing as it was at the College that's where we went.   It was pouring rain so I left Kort at home thinking I would help those that needed help to get their dogs started.  By the time we got to the College the rain had stopped, perfect weather for tracking!!

This morning the grass was still nice and moist so the conditions were ideal again.  As soon as I put Kort's harness on he started whining, he knew we were going tracking.  I let him follow my steps to the scent pad, once he got there he didn't even notice the food on the pad, he just stared straight ahead, he knew there was a track there.  I put my hand down to show him the pad and a light bulb went off, he carried on going from step to step .
I had food in every step for about half way, then every 2nd or third, before the end of the track I didn't put any food down at all so he had to track about the last 4 steps to find the jackpot.  I was very pleased with how he pulled into the harness never once raising his head up from the task at hand.

Now hopefully I will go at least twice a week, I will eventually be aging the tracks and adding distance and turns but today was all about building up his confidence again and I think I achieved that!

Here's our track from this morning......

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Holiday Monday

Yesterday Judy and I met up with Nicole and Lloyd who drove up from Medicine Hat to visit.  They are doing research on their next dog and the Flatcoat is on their list.  They have always had Springers and English Cockers so a Flatcoat would be quite a change, for one they are much bigger, and 2 they have a tail, and the tail never stops wagging! 

We went for a nice walk in the coulees , Kort and Ash came along as well, then we did some training .

Lloyd with Lync

The whole gang



When the walk was over we went to a little field to show our training, we did singles first, that is where the thrower just throws one bumper and we send our dog immediately to pick it up, pretty easy, they have to bring it in and sit at our side while holding the bumper

After everyone had a chance to do a single we tried a double, Lync is just learning the double.  The thrower throws one bumper, the dog has to mark where it lands and remember as then the thrower turns and throws a second bumper.  The second bumper is picked up first, then we send for the second bumper that hopefully the dog has marked and remembered where it has fallen, Lync aced it, such a good boy!

Marking the bumper
The send
And we're off!
Returning with the memory bumper, good boy!!
I never thought I would enjoy field work as much as I do but I just love it, it is fun and challenging and Lync loves it as well!!

My boy and I :)
A good way to spend the holiday !