tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203859942024-03-23T11:47:04.409-06:00KLAD Cockers & PhotographyA breeder and exhibitor of American Cocker Spaniels, I am involved in obedience, conformation and writing articles about this wonderful breed!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.comBlogger473125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-36885687202419038162012-01-20T02:00:00.000-07:002012-01-20T02:00:06.218-07:00Project 52 - Week 3 - The HipSo, another week into the year brings another Project 52 assignment. I have to say that I have enjoyed these assignments immensely. What a fabulous way to think outside the box, which is most definitely not my forte!<br />
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This week's assignment was to shoot from the hip. I had no idea that this was a method of photography - I thought it was just a comment to make about a person that is a straight talker. I probably shouldn't admit this, because it makes me sound a little bit dense, but it's true. Shooting from the hip is a form of street shooting where the photographer holds the camera at hip or waist level and shoots upwards. People don't tend to notice the camera as easily, and so it's a bit easier to get more candid photos. It's not an easy way to shoot, because you can't frame your shots, so you have to depend on post-processing to achieve your desired look.<br />
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I had a fabulous time taking these pictures . . . so thank you for suggesting this.<br />
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Treat. Now. Ah, good human!</div>
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Crooked due to facial paralysis (on the left - her right), this photo almost makes her look straight again.</div>
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I promise Mom, I didn't do it!</div>
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Okay, what's with the camera?? How come I can see your face still?</div>
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As this is a blog roll, please visit Ali Peterson's blog at <a href="http://www.skyybluephoto.com/blog/2012/01/project-52-from-the-hip/" target="_blank">Skyy Blue Photography Blog</a> and keep going through the links until you end up back here. Enjoy some fabulous photos!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-63390628826944203422012-01-13T18:15:00.003-07:002012-01-13T18:15:41.585-07:00Dream Come TrueNovember 15, 2011 was the best day of my life. Keep in mind that I'm fairly young, never married and I don't have kids. But still, even if I had those things, that day would still have been completely and utterly amazing.<br />
A bit of background first. First of all (in case you don't know me), I am involved in the sport of showing dogs. I have been involved with dog shows for 12 years now, with Cocker Spaniels. I'm not as active in conformation (the beauty pageant side of things) these days, moreso with obedience and rally, but I still love all of it. Secondly, I love musical theatre. My best friend does too, so we're always talking about taking a trip to New York to see a show on Broadway. It's been a dream for both of us for a long time. Every time we discuss it, we put it off, just because it's not an inexpensive endeavour. Thirdly (is that a word????), the greatest dog show in North America is the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, held annually on the second Monday and Tuesday in February, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The cream of the crop are shown there, and it is THE show to attend for dog show enthusiasts.<br />
Yesterday I was sitting at my desk at work when the Facebook Messenger notification pinged on my iPhone. A friend was asking me if I could get time off in February. She wanted to take me to Westminster to see her dog show, as he was invited as one of the Top 5 in the Breed. Oh my goodness, really?????? She wanted to take me? My heart stopped, resumed, pounded and spent a great deal of time in my throat. I literally leapt out of my chair and ran out of my office (okay, there may have been some skipping involved in that running) to tell my friend what had just happened.<br />
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Yes, my friend is taking me to NYC to attend Westminster. She is literally making a dream come true for me. I was so high last night and I felt so good, I could have done anything. I'm still in a state of shock, but it's a good shock.<br />
The hotel is booked (the <a href="http://www.affinia.com/New-York-City-Hotel.aspx?name=Affinia-Manhattan&cid=E-20080425-AFFM" target="_blank">Affinia Manhattan</a>). My flight is booked. The Westminster tickets have been purchased. I spent an hour on the phone with my friend that night, just giggling and being 12 years old, flooded with excitement and unable to contain it. I am really going to be there, on the green carpet, beside some of the greatest dogs in North America! For 2011 the Number One dog in the US is a . . . Cocker Spaniel. His name is Beckham, and he is one of the most beautiful dogs I've ever seen. Better than that, he's not a machine or a robot. He's a happy dog that LOVES to show, and he adores his handlers. To think that he could possibly win Best in Show at Westminster is thrilling enough . . . but to be there???? Oh my gosh, how freakin' amazing.<br />
I really didn't think my day could get better than that, but it did. When I told my best friend the thrilling news, she was excited for me. But it got better, it really did. While I was at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned (visions of incredible dogs going through my head), my best friend booked a flight to NYC for the Saturday and Sunday preceding Westminster, so that we could fulfill a shared dream of seeing a show on Broadway.<br />
I am so happy, excited and bursting right now . . . in less than a month, I'm going to have so much greatness going on that life will seem dull by comparison afterwards.<br />
Wow. Just wow. Thank you to my special friend for making me feel so very special and loved and amazing. I hope to God I can do that for somebody else some day, because it was the most amazing thing ever.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-81712849520605126132012-01-12T02:00:00.000-07:002012-01-13T09:00:29.286-07:00Project 52 - Week 2 - Newness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So this week (Week 2 of Project 52) had a topic of Newness . . . . I had a terrible time figuring out what I was going to take pictures of. Yes, it's a new year, but that just didn't inspire me. I wanted something clever and well outside the box. Thankfully my co-worker was able to spend some time brainstorming with me, and I came up with something.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73WH5lgMNur1ATPkPGfKfhhJ94GZhK_CCgTylaAGBYIDTgiMUOwI_W1DNBl65i-_zQA82ZriOTfmbewiCq_nNDo0WkhE99p-lY1DRcSr6kFNhdPmrPd0vJGyqxeyQtgF4d5wCDQ/s1600/Newness_Jan9_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73WH5lgMNur1ATPkPGfKfhhJ94GZhK_CCgTylaAGBYIDTgiMUOwI_W1DNBl65i-_zQA82ZriOTfmbewiCq_nNDo0WkhE99p-lY1DRcSr6kFNhdPmrPd0vJGyqxeyQtgF4d5wCDQ/s320/Newness_Jan9_2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As you look at this picture, you may be wondering which part of it inspires thoughts of newness . . . Obviously the toy has been loved, the bowl is dull from use, and the kibble and clicker are unlikely to be the focus of this post. So what is it?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, something I've been wanting to teach my dogs for ages is to pick up their toys and put them away. So tonight I started teaching Jack Jack (the "baby" of my crew) a NEW trick! Aha! Newness enters the picture (okay, that was a bad pun . . . )</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jack Jack tries to figure out what to do with the toy. If you're not familiar with clicker training, what I did tonight was tried to shape his behaviour. Initially I clicked at him for looking at the toy, then pawing at it, then nosing it. Then I upped the ante and clicked for him picking up it.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He figured out that I wanted him to pick it up fairly quickly . . . at this point (after 15 minutes of training), he's still dropping it as soon as I click, but we can strengthen the behaviour with more reinforcement. I thought he did well with the NEW trick.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jack wants to know if I'm proud. Am I? Huh? Huh? Huh?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>For more furry goodness, please check out Melissa McCabe's blog at <a href="http://blog.unleashedpetportraits.com/2012/01/newness.html">http://blog.unleashedpetportraits.com/2012/01/newness.html</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-21770635588914837812012-01-08T18:10:00.001-07:002012-01-08T18:10:31.552-07:00Goals for 2012So, you may have noticed that I didn't call this post "Resolutions for 2012." It seems like in the past, I'd make resolutions on January 1st, and then have completely and totally forgotten them by the end of February, if I even made it that long! Last year I decided to set goals. Before you jump in to tell me that goals and resolutions are the same thing, let me assure you that I know that. I am, after all, a writer with a decent vocabulary ;) But for some unknown reason, the world goal seems to place much less pressure on me than the word resolution does.<br />
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In any case, I set three goals for myself last year. I think that overall, I did well with achieving them. I promised myself that I'd volunteer less and therefore make more time for myself. My sentence (errr, term) with the local SPCA ended in May, and I chose not to remain on the Board of Directors at that time. That freed up a significant amount of time. I didn't add any more commitments to my plate, so I'd say I volunteered less and made more time for me.<br />
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My second goal was to make new friends, which I did. Most of my new friends are online friends, but I don't feel that there's anything wrong with that. I have some very close friends that started out as online friends.<br />
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My final goal for 2011 was to continue to advance my photography skills as well as to advance my photo editing skills. I took the most advanced photography class that the local community college offered, and I spent as much time as I could snapping pictures. I have no doubt that both sets of skills have improved, through sheer numbers if nothing else.<br />
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So on to 2012. How can I follow up such success? It's a bit scary, sitting here with almost an entire year ahead of me, so full of promise, excitement and unknown. But the idea is to set goals despite not knowing what's coming. I think it helps me feel like I might just have some small amount of control over my destiny. So here goes . . . <br />
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Goal #1 - Learn to do more with Photoshop. I want to learn how to build simple ads for myself, and how to do more effective editing for my photography clients.<br />
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Goal #2 - I want to do twice as many client shoots in 2012 as I did in 2011. It shouldn't be hard - I just did five client shoots in 2011, and I plan to do more advertising to really get my name out there this year.<br />
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Goal #3 - Spend special one-on-one time with Farley every day. Let's face it, the Old Dog is 12. He's not going to live forever, no matter how much I bargain with the Gods or plead with him to never die. It's going to happen, and I don't want my final memories of our time together to be negative. So every day will include special cuddling, me telling him I love him (I don't care that he can't hear me), and me giving him a bit of what he wants.<br />
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Goal #4 - Earn Grace's RAE (Rally Advanced Excellent) title, and earn Jack Jack's RA (Rally Advanced), RE (Rally Excellent) and PCD (Pre-CD) titles.<br />
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So, as lofty as those may sound (and some are rather un-quantifiable), they are my goals for 2012. I hope to have as much success this year as I did last year.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-36544334991887952012-01-06T02:00:00.000-07:002012-01-06T02:00:05.902-07:00Project 52 - Meet the KLADs<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meet the KLADs! I call them the KLADs because my other hobby is breeding and showing American Cocker Spaniels . . . and my kennel name is KLAD. These three dogs are the heart of my kennel, and the light of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The oldest KLAD is Farley. He is formally known as Can Ch Silverwood's Northern Light Am Can CD, RN, CGC. He is a Canadian Champion, and he has American and Canadian Companion Dog (CD) titles in obedience, a Rally Novice title in rally obedience and a Canine Good Citizen title. He is now 12 years old, and he is my heart dog.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NbWEBmJz52w/TwZYFhS2ogI/AAAAAAAAAig/rxX2-9P7I9Q/s1600/Jan5-4860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NbWEBmJz52w/TwZYFhS2ogI/AAAAAAAAAig/rxX2-9P7I9Q/s640/Jan5-4860.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The middle KLAD is Grace, also called Gracie-Lou. Her formal name is Silverwood's Elegantly KLAD PCD, CD, RE, CGN, TDI. She competes in obedience (PCD and CD), rally obedience (RE = Rally Excellent) and holds a Canine Good Neighbor title, as well as being certified through Therapy Dogs International. She is 5 years old, and she is a working therapy dog. She is a gentle soul. Her only truly bad trait is her insatiable hunger and her stealing of anything even slightly edible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The baby at KLAD (who is almost 4, so not really a baby) is Can Ch Calla's All Bets On KLAD RN who just finished his show career and is starting his rally obedience and obedience career. He is the one I take the most photos of, because he's very pretty to look at, and he knows it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you'd like to see more photos of the KLAD kids, as well as learning more about them, please check out <a href="http://www.kladcockers.com/">http://www.kladcockers.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">To see more wonderful Project 52 photos, please continue on to Terran Bayer of Westway Pets' blog at <a href="http://www.westwaypets.com/blog/?p=545">http://www.westwaypets.com/blog/?p=545</a></span><br />
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Enjoy!<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-40631762646878174762012-01-04T18:40:00.003-07:002012-01-04T18:45:39.908-07:00A New VentureA lot has changed since October 2010, which is when I last posted to my blog. The biggest change has been my venture into the world of pet photography. Not just as a hobby, which wouldn't be new news at all, but as a business. I obtained a business license from the municipal government and hung my shingle out for all to see. I didn't do any real advertising, so my first 8 months of business were slow. I did do six shoots, though, and I know that all of my clients were happy with the outcome. For 2012, I plan to do some advertising and some mini-sessions (short sittings with small online galleries for clients to choose photos from) to get my name out there. I'm really excited about this venture!<br /><br />Part of my challenge for 2012 is to spend some more time developing my photographic eye and style. To that end, I'm taking part in something called Project 52, where a group of pet photographers take a photo (with a particular theme to it) and then link to each others' blogs. <br /><br />I hope to be posting to this blog more actively, so those of you that have enjoyed my writing in the past, please keep your eyes peeled for nuggets of humour as 2012 progresses!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-61143894621911333962010-10-04T13:47:00.002-06:002010-10-04T13:49:03.466-06:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjlkssOADfGaBXXmjEWHESsLu0wqBA3zjCDBRr69zaazdUtOvGOwY_TK1rxM9Tx4Wcu1Hq_46PJmh3dOydBTcNOiMY3MD16jr5Y81wH_t7bqfMNm8ZcwvFb6LPrnJOfOh0dHBVg/s1600/FarleyCookie_Oct2_10.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjlkssOADfGaBXXmjEWHESsLu0wqBA3zjCDBRr69zaazdUtOvGOwY_TK1rxM9Tx4Wcu1Hq_46PJmh3dOydBTcNOiMY3MD16jr5Y81wH_t7bqfMNm8ZcwvFb6LPrnJOfOh0dHBVg/s400/FarleyCookie_Oct2_10.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524280039533708770" /></a><br />I love this picture of Farley with the cookie on his nose. It was a tough one to get. He’s know the trick for forever – hold the cookie on his nose until I release him, and then he flips it into the air and catches it. He’s been doing it for years. Well, I had the bright idea of taking a picture of one of the tester cookies on his nose. I tried at least 8 times on Friday night, but he kept flipping the cookie as soon as I let go (while holding the camera in front of my face, which is no easy thing to do!). He’s way too smart for me – I mean really, why wait for my command? I’m obviously not dropping the camera, so I couldn’t correct him. I finally got one shot (I’m sure the neighbors thought I was crazier than usual, as I’m threatening Farley with his life if he doesn’t hold that cookie while I focus and take the picture). It wasn’t a great shot, so I wanted to try again on Saturday. Hah! We went through the entire thing again . . . although fewer times, thank goodness.<br /><br />Gracie is a doll as usual . . . so easy to live with. She did, however, get out of the yard the week before last? I had left work early to take Jack to the vet (his gums were all red and inflamed) and was working in the computer room at the back of the house. It was a beautiful day, so I had the door open, allowing the dogs to hang out outside if they wanted to. I was working away when the doorbell rang – it was a friend from down the street. He said to me “one of your dogs is running around the neighbourhood. Immediately I thought of Grace, as the boys are WAY too clingy to go anywhere without me. Sure enough, I go down the street and call her, and she comes running. She was totally happy and relaxed – she saw nothing wrong with exploring. Thank GOD it was mid-afternoon with very low traffic. It took me two days to find the gap in the fence. The Friday after that (Wednesday was the initial exploration) I was trimming dogs in the backyard, as it was gorgeous weather and my grooming area is not available for use right now. As I’m doing clipper work on Jack, I realize that Grace is nowhere to be seen. So I call her, and she sticks her head back in through the gap in the fence. I used my obedience jump board to block the gap.<br /><br />The funny thing is, if I take her for a walk (just her, without the boys) she heels beautifully, even off-leash. Weird that she’d run away when in the yard, but that she wouldn’t seize the opportunity when off-leash.<br /><br />Dogs are funny!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-32613528845651024792010-09-02T09:04:00.000-06:002010-09-02T09:05:05.344-06:00UpdatesI thought I'd write a quick blog post updating folks on the various things going on in my life.<br /><br />1. I'm coping very well with the death of my father (not to be confused with my stepdad, whom I refer to as my dad). I had a few rough days early on, but my emotional roller coaster seems to have come to a complete stop, and I feel like I'm on much more of an even keel these days.<br /><br />2. Farley continues to do okay. He has good days and bad days, but regardless of his mental state he's always happy. He's taking SAMe to support his liver, Omega 3s to support his brain and kidneys, and Anipryl to help prevent confusion. I'm not seeing much change (if any) with the Anipryl, but it's early days yet.<br /><br />3. Grace has recovered beautifully from her spay operation. Within a couple of days she was totally back to normal, as if she had not just had major surgery. It boggles my mind that she bounced back so quickly when women spend weeks recovering from a hysterectomy. I guess if I ever get spayed I should have my vet do it LOL<br /><br />4. Fall is most definitely in the air. Overnight our temps are pretty close to the freezing mark, although we haven't had frost yet. August has been a write-off with more rainy days than not. It's been so wet that I haven't been able to cut the grass in the backyard, and it now looks like a jungle. They're forecasting a couple of days of sunshine, so I hope I can get that grass mowed before my dogs disappear in there one day.<br /><br />5. I'm tired. Really, really tired. Which means I'm not exercising enough. When I get up and move, I sleep better and feel better. Hopefully with the cooler (but DRY) weather, I can get out with the dogs more, and get back into a good fitness routine. July was scorching hot and August was soaking wet. Maybe September will be just right?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-62459079568835879852010-08-24T21:44:00.000-06:002010-08-24T21:45:19.271-06:00Sad NewsPlease pray for my brother and I, as well as our father's other family. <br /><br />On Saturday night I got a phone call that my biological father passed away unexpectedly, from a massive heart attack. He was 64 years old. We have not had a relationship over the past 10-12 years - my parents divorced when I was about 6 years old, and he was in and out of our lives while we were growing up. I did visit him while I was in university, but then we lost touch. My feelings are all over the map right now, and I'm just trying to think it all through. I think that right now, my mourning is for the relationship that we never had. Now we never can. I always thought that losing him would be effortless, since we had no relationship or closeness. I'm surprised at the intensity of my emotions right now - sometimes I'm completely fine, and sometimes I have the lump in my throat and just want to cry. <br /><br />Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-48199030789298300062010-08-14T23:18:00.003-06:002010-08-14T23:21:26.745-06:00At the Hop!One of my very favourite blogs is the FIDO Friendly blog. FIDO Friendly is a very cool dog magazine, and the blog is updated daily with product reviews, hot news and all sorts of other topics. I have guest blogged there twice (talk about proud!), and am looking forward to writing for them again in the future.<br /><br />FIDO Friendly is taking part in a blog hop. A blog hop is a linky list that is SHARED ON MULTIPLE BLOGS. When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the exact same list appears on each blog. Basically you'll see a long list of pet-related blogs (primarily dogs, but there are some funky kitty ones too), and you can add your blog too!<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=39435"></script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-3786908780615186992010-06-18T18:47:00.001-06:002010-06-18T18:47:52.126-06:00My NieceToday's entry is not diet-related at all. It's a post of memories.<br /><br />Today my niece graduates from kindergarten. Now, when I went through school (and it wasn't that long ago!) we didn't graduate from kindergarten. We had a Grade 8 graduation, because after that we were in high school, and then we had a Grade 12 graduation. Kids these days have all kinds of graduation ceremonies to celebrate their passage into the next stage of their education.<br /><br />I really, honestly can't believe my niece is even old enough to be graduating from kindergarten! I still remember when her mom was pregnant with her, and seeing that first ultrasound picture. I remember having no real idea of what I was looking at, but feeling something swell up inside of me nonetheless. I remember the day she was born - holding this brand new life, that somehow already looked like her grandma, my mom. I remember the first time I babysat her, and being totally freaked out about looking after such a young child. I remember the time I was looking after her and she rolled off the couch - I almost had a heart attach right then and there.<br /><br />So many memories, it's amazing that my heart and mind can hold them all. She used to love the word "soup!" - it would always make her smile. She has loved dogs since before she could talk, and they have loved her back equally as much. Her Poppa (my dad) is the light of her life. She thinks and feels everything passionately - there's no holding back for her. She's smart, funny and she loves to sing. She lacks pretension or falseness, because it just isn't a part of her life.<br /><br />I guess that this post is about time passing more quickly than I'd like. But mostly I'm writing it to dedicate some time thinking about and loving my niece. I wish I could be there for her graduation today, but I have to work. Today will be her day to be the center of my thoughts, thoughAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-66805294640397341092010-06-11T21:48:00.002-06:002010-06-11T21:51:13.223-06:00Dog Show Weekend Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEcET_cQebmFYpyg3m-7wnE2NoRZXF8RgBsx0mRjoBv9DE1S3_frl_SP2A_5PoCxhfj173ES2xi7af9oCbdVrkFOTHEVdK_PXdw3X3yRUYz1e-DiZ7oQtlS7b4HqK9kJobojFSw/s1600/Grace_HITx2_June2010.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 311px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481729604520658418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEcET_cQebmFYpyg3m-7wnE2NoRZXF8RgBsx0mRjoBv9DE1S3_frl_SP2A_5PoCxhfj173ES2xi7af9oCbdVrkFOTHEVdK_PXdw3X3yRUYz1e-DiZ7oQtlS7b4HqK9kJobojFSw/s400/Grace_HITx2_June2010.jpg" /></a><br /><div>This is a dog show weekend report, in layman's terms (hopefully). The weekend consisted of four all-breed dog shows (Friday through Monday) and two Specialties. A Specialty is a limited breed dog show - usually limited to a single breed. In our case, we had the American Cocker Spaniel Club of Canada National specialty (the premiere show for our breed in Canada for 2010) and the Midwest Cocker Spaniel Club specialty.<br /><br />I had hired a handler to show Jack for me, so that I could concentrate on showing Grace in obedience and rally obedience. My handler ended up not showing Jack in the end (it was a mutual agreement), so on Friday I showed him in conformation (beauty pageant) and showed Grace in two Rally trials. I was running around like crazy! In between the trips into the ring, I had to groom Jack and get other stuff done too.<br /><br />Saturday I showed Grace in Rally and obedience, then showed Jack in the Specialty show. Jackie showed him in the regular show, and I helped show some other dogs. Saturday night I was totally wiped. Saturday was the National specialty, which took most of the day. My 5 year old niece came and showed my old dog Farley in Junior Handling (a special class for kids, non-competitive). Everybody enjoyed that - they made a very cute team.<br /><br />Sunday I groomed Jack and showed him in the Specialty. I showed Grace in two obedience trials, but skipped the regular show. I was just too tired.<br /><br />Monday I skipped the show altogether and drove home. Smartest move I ever made, since it rained at the dog show, and I got home a day early.<br /><br />Jack Jack won his class every time he was shown, but got no points. Those darned teeth aren’t helping things at all L He showed well and had fun, even though he wasn’t feeling well. I noticed that his mouth smelled bad, but never thought to check it. Turns out his lower lip folds are infected (especially on one side). I feel so bad for not noticing sooner, poor guy. I went to wipe his mouth on Tuesday night and he cried. I’ve been cleaning it and it seems to be improving a bit, but I’m taking him to the vet today in case he needs antibiotics. Poor little dude.<br /><br />Grace was a superstar. She passed two out of three rally trials. She would have passed the third one (and earned a new title), but her stupid handler (me!) missed a station, so we failed. In obedience, she passed all three trials with awesome scores (equal to around 90% if you look at it that way) and won two High in Trials. That means that out of all of the Cockers that competed, she had the best scores. I was so proud of her – you have NO idea! I never expected that we’d have such an awesome result. She got some really large ribbons and some lovely prizes, so that was nice.<br /><br />Overall it was a good weekend, but very exhausting. Lots of grooming and tons of prep work for the cookies and goody bags for each exhibitor and stuff. I am still pretty tired, but a few more nights of good sleep will help with that. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-76066818312829728632010-05-29T20:13:00.002-06:002010-05-29T20:15:03.394-06:00More Flowers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6xkfZhUCq-FRNTjMYEdB7t5O2j4aXt9HgNRDshdlOmNMYUj1t-0V8jZwNRJIw03J4t9DR2MYaGGP1wwGXnI2dbYVpAYxNW-QfCPfbGcUnbn-mJg3JpzSZCAg3W1PjmVHatoWJg/s1600/Petunia4_small.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 389px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476880753103950658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6xkfZhUCq-FRNTjMYEdB7t5O2j4aXt9HgNRDshdlOmNMYUj1t-0V8jZwNRJIw03J4t9DR2MYaGGP1wwGXnI2dbYVpAYxNW-QfCPfbGcUnbn-mJg3JpzSZCAg3W1PjmVHatoWJg/s400/Petunia4_small.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBV5r-SDp5adduTuiIAI-dc-zp6fcrEh7OHMSkNqFwjdgJdC55P9GbVC9wt4M_GtK0_g2aLMsLLewgvhpdjqKBiMqdrTStkUEKjbFkrGUSAIn7JZb14rlYN6ymaxoRgQjLFsp_Vw/s1600/Petunia3_small.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 354px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476880747370425090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBV5r-SDp5adduTuiIAI-dc-zp6fcrEh7OHMSkNqFwjdgJdC55P9GbVC9wt4M_GtK0_g2aLMsLLewgvhpdjqKBiMqdrTStkUEKjbFkrGUSAIn7JZb14rlYN6ymaxoRgQjLFsp_Vw/s400/Petunia3_small.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCd5iuslt4dwUNNR31s6NyfGwV2mqihr1L351KW07IlatYROY79dOB24ciVyyBZ_pyqD-jV-8-iD1NWqBRW1g2aKVYgWocVvTdeBYRJ8jPnw-q2NkFmavtkCsyBSEH_tqr9MJGSA/s1600/Petunia2_small.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 317px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476880744252255090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCd5iuslt4dwUNNR31s6NyfGwV2mqihr1L351KW07IlatYROY79dOB24ciVyyBZ_pyqD-jV-8-iD1NWqBRW1g2aKVYgWocVvTdeBYRJ8jPnw-q2NkFmavtkCsyBSEH_tqr9MJGSA/s400/Petunia2_small.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OuRXcRPmiwWEgbxjbxelXFROHqbbzOnPCzsYW6OrpExK_WPDJNiqGkqQs6_G4Nmc_AHKMs0muBT7eSRnmucbC7YMQFqA1rvfvNjVWPyOpa3upymrIZ3V0W31sbDL3dTtQjvdIw/s1600/Petunia1_small.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 337px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476880733359701058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OuRXcRPmiwWEgbxjbxelXFROHqbbzOnPCzsYW6OrpExK_WPDJNiqGkqQs6_G4Nmc_AHKMs0muBT7eSRnmucbC7YMQFqA1rvfvNjVWPyOpa3upymrIZ3V0W31sbDL3dTtQjvdIw/s400/Petunia1_small.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-36724799590520603442010-05-18T20:25:00.003-06:002010-05-18T20:29:47.536-06:00Backyard Photos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivP2HnJ8ZriNYTURpx3SlmEBEeYzOAPF53ahK9XsMSPWtqgM4yrzMDWJUKzCayfjwxeyb1bxbtP6-QHCwdQmqQeXDvxubi75PmucF92i2vGPzUiEVhQnwqHGyrZ67xH7Wu8_w1Yw/s1600/Robin2_May14_10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472802161358719778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivP2HnJ8ZriNYTURpx3SlmEBEeYzOAPF53ahK9XsMSPWtqgM4yrzMDWJUKzCayfjwxeyb1bxbtP6-QHCwdQmqQeXDvxubi75PmucF92i2vGPzUiEVhQnwqHGyrZ67xH7Wu8_w1Yw/s400/Robin2_May14_10.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hIB0-vz_WkOyYPzgXLSeew_-2HPwgisy0HV62Kn5EcnTLRZT8Gmr9Ynof64F6LE-IicEDJdnZcmmYfmQtWa4DgqoHb3k5VRWx2xAMou5QThCT1r_nndrjXgQS3kdJS1ZkQluXg/s1600/Robin_May14_10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 274px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472802155667650290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hIB0-vz_WkOyYPzgXLSeew_-2HPwgisy0HV62Kn5EcnTLRZT8Gmr9Ynof64F6LE-IicEDJdnZcmmYfmQtWa4DgqoHb3k5VRWx2xAMou5QThCT1r_nndrjXgQS3kdJS1ZkQluXg/s400/Robin_May14_10.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkjyqo1fT1bzGKR3y5YSvh78nu66s4VQM8VL1gtoeSa0D38syNdeDyorja4zciJzYGYymDKjJrkGBA4rLR6wOyS1g9c0mD0mXV0mvKZXWQ3ZsurV1qY7mV_WSmug8lzGY59hjVA/s1600/FloweringCrab2_May14_10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472802151991023794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkjyqo1fT1bzGKR3y5YSvh78nu66s4VQM8VL1gtoeSa0D38syNdeDyorja4zciJzYGYymDKjJrkGBA4rLR6wOyS1g9c0mD0mXV0mvKZXWQ3ZsurV1qY7mV_WSmug8lzGY59hjVA/s400/FloweringCrab2_May14_10.jpg" /></a><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472802143399839506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsU7xbxSOkn91d7AR912gylPsLInRAnq9MJ3B1LfsrLizDARiz7Xf_I_zkZjHVYjSBtB-18cOU8Q5ncfBm7AAXGw3_eVDLImj9CvX5_E6O5okSLoDW5Y78ps-qOLIz1Zmccr4Ew/s400/FloweringCrab_May14_10.jpg" /><br /><div>I got my new lens on Friday - an 18-200mm lens. I wanted it as a more versatile lens for doing both close up and zoom photography. So far (in very limited use) I'm very happy with it! I won't bore you with more dog pictures - here are some backyard photos.</div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-67480560119956776142010-05-13T18:54:00.002-06:002010-05-13T19:18:10.786-06:00Thankful Thursday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJl46B3CZ3DQReBkVjEElIf1ry6g4wtnBhc24AzDoYJThAGS3aRkORhUdZGmTNfvRHvps_g7wwpG8EGI_au30HKUUIOswY2mnpl9SjLqyVXXRIdAr5CWP4B1zVx8B6rRLM1KrCNw/s1600/Grace_May1_2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 293px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470928768205733538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJl46B3CZ3DQReBkVjEElIf1ry6g4wtnBhc24AzDoYJThAGS3aRkORhUdZGmTNfvRHvps_g7wwpG8EGI_au30HKUUIOswY2mnpl9SjLqyVXXRIdAr5CWP4B1zVx8B6rRLM1KrCNw/s400/Grace_May1_2010.jpg" /></a><br /><div>It's been a long, long time since I did a Thankful Thursday post. I know I've said this before, but I felt like they were becoming trite and contrived (no, I didn't read the thesaurus before writing this post!), and so they weren't fun to write anymore. But today I feel inspired again.</div><div></div><br /><div>Today I'm thankful for Gracie-Lou-Who, my little girl dog. Grace is the quiet, mellow one in the bunch. She is content to be loved, and even if she's not getting your full attention, she's content to be noticed. She's a very gentle, loving soul.</div><div><br />When I first started training her in obedience, she was a marshmallow. If I applied any pressure at all (not physical corrections ever, but even just a verbal reminder), she'd shut right down. It wasn't very easy for either of us, but I couldn't let it go. Eventually I started clicker training her, and it was the answer for both of us. She started to enjoy training, and I started to enjoy training her.</div><br /><div>She has since earned a rally novice title, as well as a pre-novice obedience title. For all of the trials we competed in, her head was up, her tail was wagging, and her eyes were sparkling. She wasn't perfect (handicapped by her handler), but she was happy. And a happy dog is always fun to watch. Now we are gearing up to compete for her novice obedience title and a rally advanced title. Every day when I reach for the training bag, she races to the front door, with a doggy smile. She runs out the door with zeal, and is eager to work with me.</div><div></div><br /><div>I am so thankful that this girl is always forgiving me. She has forgiven me for not teaching her things right the first time, and she has forgiven me when I've given my attention to somebody or something else. Instead of pouting, she simply forgives and forgets, and loves with her entire soul.</div><br /><div>When I look into her deep, brown eyes, I see only love, trust and devotion. No matter how late I am from work, or how long I make her wait for supper, she always shows those same feelings. And for that, I am thankful.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-88508615071715590822010-05-11T13:44:00.003-06:002010-05-11T13:49:42.866-06:00My Heart<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ahOu_FxYBSZXwStWH-YU-KJmizKTWupYb7sZDmFLfLg-gRSkRyWZUDF2Yrg8weFsIgmmogqg1i_TinVuzgJyWkG_UON52jhA1L9QwNEBvVhkTq2hdIWfxLUO86cXqMm8ccVWUg/s1600/Farley_TennisBalls.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470101723397287090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ahOu_FxYBSZXwStWH-YU-KJmizKTWupYb7sZDmFLfLg-gRSkRyWZUDF2Yrg8weFsIgmmogqg1i_TinVuzgJyWkG_UON52jhA1L9QwNEBvVhkTq2hdIWfxLUO86cXqMm8ccVWUg/s400/Farley_TennisBalls.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXUylSMpcxam-arfDe4rZcj3KeR7GeQOhzFK807zNR2nJbWyK1ol6UOuXcjSpRv104_WjF9EgYteoa9-6QDMBOufDAFYRlyiv8DEqYAsgjKa28rNRfq6grsS-W8Vq9elwmnJw8w/s1600/Farley_April4_08.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470101719873167538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXUylSMpcxam-arfDe4rZcj3KeR7GeQOhzFK807zNR2nJbWyK1ol6UOuXcjSpRv104_WjF9EgYteoa9-6QDMBOufDAFYRlyiv8DEqYAsgjKa28rNRfq6grsS-W8Vq9elwmnJw8w/s400/Farley_April4_08.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIztxojaRaQ65gjRI0Rt4FFFUEQNdR-8VDlj5KuVlOQLxRRFbXEj-pBbZyPE2TFIXH2d-V83jYJJZQPc8Wc88qLJC4ZilXZpR3dSxbaNTwdhPC6JvJJL7mwyrbMAvcZdC9PLHPqw/s1600/Farley_May10_10.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470101718020050482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIztxojaRaQ65gjRI0Rt4FFFUEQNdR-8VDlj5KuVlOQLxRRFbXEj-pBbZyPE2TFIXH2d-V83jYJJZQPc8Wc88qLJC4ZilXZpR3dSxbaNTwdhPC6JvJJL7mwyrbMAvcZdC9PLHPqw/s400/Farley_May10_10.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Man, I LOVE this dog!</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Ch Silverwood's Northern Light Am Can CD, RN, CGC</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">I took the third picture last night with an aperture around f4.0, no flash. Lots and lots of crappy pictures, and that one good one. He's a handsome dog!<br /></div><div align="center"></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-87363142935320251712010-05-10T15:20:00.002-06:002010-05-10T15:29:24.312-06:00Kids Say The Funniest ThingsI want to start out by wishing all of the moms out there a happy Mothers' Day. Whether your kids are human or furry, I hope you had some special time with them yesterday. My dogs were very sweet - they got me a card and gave me some money to buy myself (or possibly them!) a treat. Such thoughtful dogs. I didn't even know they got an allowance! I'm cutting off their treat and toy supply until they pony up some money.<br /><br />But really, today I wanted to write about a couple of very funny things my 5 year old niece has said over the last little while. She really does have a wicked sense of humour. A few weeks ago she was up visiting us for my company's Family Fun Day (around the time of the "And Police" post). She was walking around with my mom, sticking her belly out as much as possible. For those of you that haven't seen my mom, she's a bit overweight. Whatever, no big deal. Anyhow, when my mom asked my niece what she was doing, she replied that she was walking like Baba. OMG, I almost wet my pants when I heard that! And of course, you can't laugh, because you don't want her saying that kind of thing to just anybody. Anyhow, my mom just kind of laughed it off, and we forgot about it.<br /><br />This past weekend my mom and I went to visit my brother, his girlfriend and my niece (and the dogs, let's not forget the dogs!). My niece ended up staying overnight in the hotel room with my mom and I, as a special treat. She shared the bed with my mom (let's face it - I've been single a LONG time, and I just can not share my bed with anybody other than a Cocker Spaniel). She was sprawled on the bed as my mom got ready, and my mom told her to move over. She looked at my mom (I was in another room - the hotel room was a suite) and said "Is that because you're kind of big, Baba?" Again, I'm crying with laughter, but trying to be quiet. My mom just said "Yes, it's because I'm kind of big."<br /><br />We want to discourage her from saying stuff like that, since the general population doesn't appreciate comments about their weight or the size of their belly (although being a cute 5 year old takes a bit of the sting out). However, she's not saying it meanly, just matter of factly, so how do we explain the nuances of social acceptability? It's not easy.<br /><br />Anyhow, my abs are still a bit sore from laughing (does that count as exercise?) so I wanted to share with my faithful readers. Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-55120043864863782402010-05-07T13:52:00.000-06:002010-05-07T13:59:06.671-06:00Okay, Sometimes It's The Small StuffI've always thought that I was a little bit OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Ever since I was a little girl, I've liked order, straight lines and geometric shapes. A picture hanging slightly crooked will drive me nuts - I have this need to straighten it. Similarly, I like things to be neat and tidy (those of you that have seen my room need not comment OR laugh out loud). My desk at work is tidied at the end of every day, and my most commonly used areas (other than the bedroom *sigh*) are tidied and neatened up regularly. That's just how I work.<br /><br />At my place of work, I think I'm going slightly crazy. We have a ladies' bathroom on the first floor with four stalls and three sinks. There is always toilet paper on the floor - every time I go in there. I have yet to figure out why people can't just pick it up? People throw their paper towel towards the garbage can and miss, but just leave it on the floor. Why? I seriously doubt that they'd leave the same mess at home.<br /><br />In our little kitchen area, there are always dirty dishes in the sink. Now, if people want to wait to wash their dishes until the end of the day, I can deal with that. However, some of those mugs and bowls sit there for days, with cold, gross water in them. Ewwww! Again, I can't imagine that these people would leave such a mess at home (although I could be wrong). I've been known to leave dishes overnight, but I rarely leave them more than that.<br /><br />It's gotten to the point that I now utter a small sigh of disgust when I enter the kitchen (which is also the printer/copier room) or the bathroom. Why oh why are people so messy at their place of work? These "small things" are driving me nuts!<br /><br />Okay, rant over . . . enjoy your weekend folks :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-52683233625592922682010-05-01T17:37:00.004-06:002010-05-01T17:43:39.769-06:00Manual Photos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKVvYHE0645GdoU2hcF_yHC3UAnShRkgURo3j12AMAoS9VUaW95Nd5xV5i8zmM3MGxAGZ4KEbsfEFCNt83cXURni6a5pU3_yFHQnZGNR2gA4x9lKjWp_o8pKQnLXk9EHlFrHYew/s1600/Kelly_Grace_May1_2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 287px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466450446064512162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKVvYHE0645GdoU2hcF_yHC3UAnShRkgURo3j12AMAoS9VUaW95Nd5xV5i8zmM3MGxAGZ4KEbsfEFCNt83cXURni6a5pU3_yFHQnZGNR2gA4x9lKjWp_o8pKQnLXk9EHlFrHYew/s400/Kelly_Grace_May1_2010.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQp5ABcZnjmARc7QYjIWCZAnyIMEzUm6exJ-p8G-oNaoHrDF738puvHolnt4uwheL_x2rHbI2WmcHusOqxyYB3eoXJlQxabVdj1ar2PrnBF-TehqWW9qQpclEepDCm-IEhsfo0Q/s1600/ThreeDogs_May1_2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 252px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466450438173034994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQp5ABcZnjmARc7QYjIWCZAnyIMEzUm6exJ-p8G-oNaoHrDF738puvHolnt4uwheL_x2rHbI2WmcHusOqxyYB3eoXJlQxabVdj1ar2PrnBF-TehqWW9qQpclEepDCm-IEhsfo0Q/s400/ThreeDogs_May1_2010.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_R4-m-XqI29rpvMmRp7VpjjijZvFkVZ5z3k_F5JVeDiq27Q9vhNjM4K-wLLRURlug3d0A9kDRbAilwsjU911Ez96k6wYqNDEFAVBqX3YK65o2hyR6sO_53i0CSZpAMNNqaM-zVA/s1600/Grace_May1_2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 293px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466450427268961170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_R4-m-XqI29rpvMmRp7VpjjijZvFkVZ5z3k_F5JVeDiq27Q9vhNjM4K-wLLRURlug3d0A9kDRbAilwsjU911Ez96k6wYqNDEFAVBqX3YK65o2hyR6sO_53i0CSZpAMNNqaM-zVA/s400/Grace_May1_2010.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsStNHO7JqaZfD9kwpY_MxY0b5XGOvaya0covtRwF6HEKGCYWZbjKuYr_8nHwnf0eUdtXbbqU-d94enS1WbG0YGQ8bNRKM1IYEo5TCTkJUE57WsN0hqudhS0zHnSoqzx9sfprMxw/s1600/WetTree_May1_2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 279px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466450419001788354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsStNHO7JqaZfD9kwpY_MxY0b5XGOvaya0covtRwF6HEKGCYWZbjKuYr_8nHwnf0eUdtXbbqU-d94enS1WbG0YGQ8bNRKM1IYEo5TCTkJUE57WsN0hqudhS0zHnSoqzx9sfprMxw/s400/WetTree_May1_2010.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>No Auto for this girl anymore! I shot these entirely in manual . . . using the shutter speed to adjust to the aperture (f-stop) I selected. They were all shot with my external flash as well.</div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-4621229341581735402010-04-29T08:30:00.000-06:002010-04-29T08:31:25.776-06:00It's OfficialI'm a nerd. Now, those of you that have known me a long time will not be surprised by this comment. For those of you that are surprised, let me just say that it's only because we haven't known each other that long. I try hard to be cool (who doesn't??), but my nerdiness does shine through on a regular basis.<br /><br />Last night was Week 2 of my Certificate in Digital Photography course. On the way to class, I wasn't as excited as I'd hoped. I'm really, really busy, and I was feeling tired and wanting to go to bed. Boy, am I glad I didn't skip the class! Last night we focused on Exposure - lighting, shutter speed, aperture (the size of the hole that the camera takes the picture through) and sensitivity (ISO - film speed). You wouldn't think that talking about that stuff could take 3 hours, but it did. In fact, we went over the allotted course time AND didn't get through everything.<br /><br />I think the most exciting thing for me last night was taking a picture with my camera set on Manual. Now, for most photographers (at least semi-serious) this isn't anything to get excited about. But for me, who's always used idiot-proof cameras, it gave me a real feeling of empowerment and excitement. Not only did I shoot in Manual, but I understood how and why!<br />The other simple pleasure for me was the critique of the photo that I submitted for the Week 1 assignment. We were told to take a picture of an ordinary object in an unusual way. I had a lot of trouble with this assignment - I just couldn't get inspired. On Sunday, while photographing Jack Jack in the backyard, I started taking pictures of an orange tennis ball among the grass and dead leaves. I did a recomposition shot (focussed on the ball, kept the shutter button pressed halfway down, and then re-framed the picture so the ball was in the lower left quadrant of the frame). It turned out well, but I kind of thought it lacked inspiration. Well, the teacher said he thought it was quite good, so I felt good about that.<br /><br />Next week we'll be talking about creative composition of photos, and I can't wait to see what I learn from that!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-63911224996353654562010-04-26T19:57:00.002-06:002010-04-26T20:02:57.881-06:00An ordinary object<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVBFcD3TyVkA_3paOosV0yF30s5QMCOalaxi_u7qvraLxXrB32PRuVwfE7yM6RokkxQFa2JZHc_wHJqBrRxyayU1eu3I24UOt52B36eNs1HXU3T7v6tnEaP2jYzu6fxjzH1mP_w/s1600/047.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464631797709474434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVBFcD3TyVkA_3paOosV0yF30s5QMCOalaxi_u7qvraLxXrB32PRuVwfE7yM6RokkxQFa2JZHc_wHJqBrRxyayU1eu3I24UOt52B36eNs1HXU3T7v6tnEaP2jYzu6fxjzH1mP_w/s400/047.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5voUAGshslYib795Zo8eAojt1HD-U99Qt2AXYWLteDc5C1p-Et7E79tgQSRaacV9qyr9LbEjawM2ESjB3r0OnNTRrFwt4wpjUWmPKhhBMlRmuFKM9kNYcJlBWMwYZMfdxE0QcA/s1600/044.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464631783927504882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5voUAGshslYib795Zo8eAojt1HD-U99Qt2AXYWLteDc5C1p-Et7E79tgQSRaacV9qyr9LbEjawM2ESjB3r0OnNTRrFwt4wpjUWmPKhhBMlRmuFKM9kNYcJlBWMwYZMfdxE0QcA/s400/044.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCgor0sLAniw3y9QCk-hyauV9rNnBlGhKaNILiz7WHDH2kZaSg5UrmEJITgwyf6WpLtGAblb52pif1jpWEEWhkmSnqzXRC8KFrIa_QTR0dPGNkaGWxcwMtOzUmDKrQGV_F8gkrA/s1600/046.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464631776721020178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCgor0sLAniw3y9QCk-hyauV9rNnBlGhKaNILiz7WHDH2kZaSg5UrmEJITgwyf6WpLtGAblb52pif1jpWEEWhkmSnqzXRC8KFrIa_QTR0dPGNkaGWxcwMtOzUmDKrQGV_F8gkrA/s400/046.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Photographed to be made unusual . . . Not sure if I achieved anything breathtaking, but it was fun shooting tennis balls!<br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-32573581383674301622010-04-23T13:18:00.002-06:002010-04-23T13:24:07.486-06:00The And PoliceYesterday my mom, Old Dog and I made the road trip to go pick up my niece from my brother's place (four hours away, one way). This weekend is the company-sponsored Family Fun Day, with all kinds of games and activities for kids, a petting zoo, entertainers, lunch and awesome prizes. Every year for the past four or five years, my mom and I have taken the kids, and this year is no exception.<br /><br />The road trip was pretty uneventful. Farley chewed on a bully stick for most of it (say, 6 hours) and stayed away from my seatbelts (last time I made this road trip with him, he chewed the back seatbelt for four hours, in the old car). He was a pretty good dog, and he enjoyed the ride. Mom and I listened to satellite radio and talked about all kinds of stuff.<br /><br />The trip home was a bit more entertaining, since Tashie asked every 20 minutes if we were there yet. I used to laugh when TV sitcoms would show kids asking that every five minutes. Now I know better. It's not funny! But some of the conversation was funny. Like my niece informing me that the year is "two thousand ten," NOT "two thousand and ten." She told me that if I say it the wrong way, the <em>And Police</em> would come and arrest me. The <em>And Police</em>? Wow, I guess her teacher is zealous about how the kids say the year . . . mom and I laughed so hard we cried (which isn't completely safe while driving at highway speed). Something about the solemnity of how she said it made it hilarious. It probably loses a lot in the re-telling . . . so I guess you had to be there.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-15394702041217639332010-04-16T22:44:00.002-06:002010-04-16T22:48:54.030-06:00My Furkids<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJe2VCbMVG6JnKP98trc_kOO3f3z4P8SoT-UfYqPNIjXJALyWdZqQxKx8E7ZI1oPFCkemotWrOu3HHXJTOxeJOJRdgaaa9DX8TkidFk5jRP-AKFiJdwWP7EPIEKnXPWLHgGN-WQ/s1600/OldDog2_April16_10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460962957716478434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJe2VCbMVG6JnKP98trc_kOO3f3z4P8SoT-UfYqPNIjXJALyWdZqQxKx8E7ZI1oPFCkemotWrOu3HHXJTOxeJOJRdgaaa9DX8TkidFk5jRP-AKFiJdwWP7EPIEKnXPWLHgGN-WQ/s400/OldDog2_April16_10.jpg" /></a> The Old Dog, looking pensive<br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlXKsh7-BNT_kiffsNy2BsOTDdw4J8KhZ1uUzHRJkSl0j8YAsoFUjVMyRQ7zXxx_I-RN6bth5wWI0ksZjiGf-ZnLVkbiy5y_CHls6nU9_NufzwZO4QgmlTCSoDJhNQVoDhSFuXA/s1600/OldDog_April16_10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460962954242279490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlXKsh7-BNT_kiffsNy2BsOTDdw4J8KhZ1uUzHRJkSl0j8YAsoFUjVMyRQ7zXxx_I-RN6bth5wWI0ksZjiGf-ZnLVkbiy5y_CHls6nU9_NufzwZO4QgmlTCSoDJhNQVoDhSFuXA/s400/OldDog_April16_10.jpg" /></a> That's not 'tude, that's just how he rolls . . .<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi657tbzK6jSvfqtQxwOkDOt1mH_aC9c9cL_fsvmETBzAH0MqQdYgXN3ylOSwiWSEnBcRK5JI32LQO3tfZo20Bl0E3km8TZmrrtFkSALP0PWt0-xsk-vPA5dBKnCLQExLC3jT__dA/s1600/Grace_April16_10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460962949830232066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi657tbzK6jSvfqtQxwOkDOt1mH_aC9c9cL_fsvmETBzAH0MqQdYgXN3ylOSwiWSEnBcRK5JI32LQO3tfZo20Bl0E3km8TZmrrtFkSALP0PWt0-xsk-vPA5dBKnCLQExLC3jT__dA/s400/Grace_April16_10.jpg" /></a><br />The grace & elegance of a princess<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLcJMtggoXQ87mcpVMVwM2Y6cvEcUfRdkRyL3H0UF_8MuY-qmSdK2J90rvvdPoPpwDrGyAXcXWyYa5jOpKzsdV70bIrmiS0aH058fim0OwX-r7CaSneEp-hpza2KnfoR7SIVOTQ/s1600/JackJack_April16_10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460962943464733026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOLcJMtggoXQ87mcpVMVwM2Y6cvEcUfRdkRyL3H0UF_8MuY-qmSdK2J90rvvdPoPpwDrGyAXcXWyYa5jOpKzsdV70bIrmiS0aH058fim0OwX-r7CaSneEp-hpza2KnfoR7SIVOTQ/s400/JackJack_April16_10.jpg" /></a> Haughtiness defined.</div><div> </div><div>All shots taken with my Canon Rebel XTi, with a 28-80mm lens (f2.8:4.0). I used a lens hood due to the brightness of the sun, and shot on TV with a shutter speed of 1/160. I have already learned from my photography class, and am having fun experimenting!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-46869780325705325422010-04-15T10:00:00.000-06:002010-04-15T10:01:28.554-06:00Great Class!So, besides dogs and reading, one of my passions is photography. I'm a novice photographer with a good camera - which can be a dangerous thing! I've had my Canon Rebel XTi for 2 years now, and have had a ton of fun with it. I now have four lenses for it, as well as an external flash and a cordless remote. I've shot everything from pets to people to plants to buildings. Even though I've gotten lucky and had some good shots, I've been wanting to take a class for ages.<br />Well, I finally did it! I finally took an "Introduction To SLR Photography" class the other night. It was a 3 hour session, and not at all expensive. It was taught by the owner of the local photography shop and studio, and he was excellent. I've read many websites and books about aperture, shutter speed, ISO and more, and never really understood any of it well. The way that this fellow taught the class put it all into perspective for me, and I can finally try out some of the other settings on my camera, instead of letting it do everything for me.<br /><br />He had a great handout for us, which I supplemented with my own notes too. He had several examples of how changing one setting can totally change a picture, which was very helpful.<br />I got home on Tuesday night totally pumped about taking pictures. Last night I took a few quick snaps of my dogs (well, the two youngest) and am pleased with what I got from just playing around. If you're interested, check out my photography website at <a href="http://kladckrs.zenfolio.com/">http://kladckrs.zenfolio.com</a>. The latest pictures are in "My Dogs 2010."<br /><br />Next week I start a 6 week class all about digital photography. It'll go into lighting, composition and more. I can't wait!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385994.post-17482943707395824122010-04-01T13:22:00.001-06:002010-04-01T13:24:13.199-06:00Walking The DogsLast night I took Farley for a walk, and convinced my mom to come too. She has type 2 diabetes and is very overweight, so she's trying to make changes to her life. We did a short, slow walk, because that's what she could handle (and the old dog is too stiff for much more). Then I took Grace & Jack Jack for a more brisk, challenging walk, so that they could get some fresh air too. I'd had one of "those" days, and I needed the air to blow out my bad attitude.<br /><br />Anyhow, Jack Jack is in long coat because he's going to be shown in June by a handler. He decided to find the muddiest spot, with the most dead leaves and twigs, and roll around like a buffoon in it. He is now filthy and full of stuff. But he was one HAPPY dog! I washed up Grace & Jack Jack up as much as possible, and the water was just disgusting when I was done. It was seriously almost the consistency of mud! Full baths coming on Friday (or maybe tonight).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00973434885942494302noreply@blogger.com0