KLAD Cockers & Photography

Project 52 - Week 3 - The Hip

2012-01-20T02:00:00.000-07:00

So, 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!

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.

I had a fabulous time taking these pictures . . . so thank you for suggesting this.

Treat. Now. Ah, good human!

Crooked due to facial paralysis (on the left - her right), this photo almost makes her look straight again.

I promise Mom, I didn't do it!

Okay, what's with the camera?? How come I can see your face still?

As this is a blog roll, please visit Ali Peterson's blog at Skyy Blue Photography Blog and keep going through the links until you end up back here. Enjoy some fabulous photos!

Dream Come True

2012-01-13T18:15:00.003-07:00

November 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.
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.
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.

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.
The hotel is booked (the Affinia Manhattan). 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.
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.
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.
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.

Project 52 - Week 2 - Newness

2012-01-12T02:00:00.000-07:00

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.

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?

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 . . . )

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.

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.

Jack wants to know if I'm proud. Am I? Huh? Huh? Huh?

For more furry goodness, please check out Melissa McCabe's blog at http://blog.unleashedpetportraits.com/2012/01/newness.html

Goals for 2012

2012-01-08T18:10:00.001-07:00

So, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 . . .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Project 52 - Meet the KLADs

2012-01-06T02:00:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you'd like to see more photos of the KLAD kids, as well as learning more about them, please check out http://www.kladcockers.com/

To see more wonderful Project 52 photos, please continue on to Terran Bayer of Westway Pets' blog at http://www.westwaypets.com/blog/?p=545

Enjoy!

A New Venture

2012-01-04T18:40:00.003-07:00

A 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!

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.

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!

2010-10-04T13:47:00.002-06:00

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.

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.

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.

Dogs are funny!

Updates

2010-09-02T09:04:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd write a quick blog post updating folks on the various things going on in my life.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

Sad News

2010-08-24T21:44:00.000-06:00

Please pray for my brother and I, as well as our father's other family.

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.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

At the Hop!

2010-08-14T23:18:00.003-06:00

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.

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!

My Niece

2010-06-18T18:47:00.001-06:00

Today's entry is not diet-related at all. It's a post of memories.

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.

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.

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.

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, though

Dog Show Weekend Report

2010-06-11T21:48:00.002-06:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

More Flowers

2010-05-29T20:13:00.002-06:00

Backyard Photos

2010-05-18T20:25:00.003-06:00

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.

Thankful Thursday

2010-05-13T18:54:00.002-06:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My Heart

2010-05-11T13:44:00.003-06:00

Man, I LOVE this dog!

Ch Silverwood's Northern Light Am Can CD, RN, CGC

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!

Kids Say The Funniest Things

2010-05-10T15:20:00.002-06:00

I 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.

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.

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."

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.

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!

Okay, Sometimes It's The Small Stuff

2010-05-07T13:52:00.000-06:00

I'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.

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.

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.

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!

Okay, rant over . . . enjoy your weekend folks :)

Manual Photos

2010-05-01T17:37:00.004-06:00

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.

It's Official

2010-04-29T08:30:00.000-06:00

I'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.

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.

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!
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.

Next week we'll be talking about creative composition of photos, and I can't wait to see what I learn from that!

An ordinary object

2010-04-26T19:57:00.002-06:00

Photographed to be made unusual . . . Not sure if I achieved anything breathtaking, but it was fun shooting tennis balls!

The And Police

2010-04-23T13:18:00.002-06:00

Yesterday 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.

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.

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 And Police would come and arrest me. The And Police? 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.

My Furkids

2010-04-16T22:44:00.002-06:00

The Old Dog, looking pensive

That's not 'tude, that's just how he rolls . . .

The grace & elegance of a princess

Haughtiness defined.

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!

Great Class!

2010-04-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

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.
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.

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.
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 http://kladckrs.zenfolio.com. The latest pictures are in "My Dogs 2010."

Next week I start a 6 week class all about digital photography. It'll go into lighting, composition and more. I can't wait!

Walking The Dogs

2010-04-01T13:22:00.001-06:00

Last 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.

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).

Movie Report

2010-03-25T09:05:00.000-06:00

I saw four movies while I was on holidays (three on the plane and one in the theatre).

The Blind Side - an extremely good movie, definitely worth watching. I thought it would be just another sports movie, but it's not. Sandra Bullock definitely deserved her Oscar. I highly, highly recommend this one!

Alice In Wonderland (3D) - This movie was one I'd been looking forward to for ages. I think I expected something similar to Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, or the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies. It had Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, but really, it was different than those other movies. Far less light-hearted and more serious. It wasn't bad at all, but different than I expected. If you like movies directed by Tim Burton, check it out.

Up In The Air - This was a movie I wasn't sure about seeing, since it got mixed reviews with people I know. It wasn't horrible . . . but it wasn't fabulous either. Really, it was just okay.

New Moon - The second movie in the Twilight series, I mostly watched it because I've read all of the books. It was okay. Definitely geared towards teenage girls. If you want a light-hearted movie (fluff), it's good. If you're looking for in-depth plot development, you may want to look elsewhere.

From Vancouver

2010-02-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

So we're not perfect!
We never claimed to be perfect
That means we’ve learned to be humble
We say excuse me and I'm sorry as well as please and thanks.
Even when its not our fault we apologize.

Sure one arm of the torch didn't rise,
But when the earthquake struck Haiti,
Canadians raised their hands to say we’ll help.

And yah, there is a fence around the flaming torches,
But you can walk right up and shake hands with our prime minister and most famous Canadians.
We put Gretzky in the back of a pick up, in the rain, not surrounded by police and he was okay.
By the way... the great one is Canadian and HE wasn’t complaining!

We do have security at the games, of course, but most people don't even have a gun they have to leave at home.
The medals ARE under lock and key but our doors and our hearts are open to the world. I

t has been pointed out that some buses broke down last week, but let’s not overlook the fact that our banking system didn’t.
We didn't get the "green ice maker" right this time. but we will, eventually
Just like we did when we invented the zamboni.

Citius altius fortius
If you don't reach higher how do you get faster and stronger ?

Was the first quad jump perfect? S

hould we not have given snowboarding to the world "in case" it didn’t take off?

So, big deal one out of four torch arms didn't rise.
Good thing we had 3 more!
It’s called contingency planning!

But remember the Canadarm works every time in outer space, and insulin turned out to be okay.
We couldn't change the weather but maybe we can help to stop global warming.
We don't have the tax base of the US or the power of the Chinese but, per capita, we ponied up for some pretty kick-ass venues in the worst global recession ever

Sure, some folks couldn't afford tickets but our health care is universal.
We have shown the world that we can raise our voices in celebration and song but moments later stand in silence to respect a tragic event...together spontaneously and unrehearsed.
What's more, we don't need permission from anyone to have a slam poet, fiddlers with piercings and a lesbian singer tell our story to the world while our multilingual female Haitian- born, black, head of state shares a box with her first nations equals

We’ve shown the world that it doesn’t always rain in Vancouver, that you can strive for excellence but not get hung up on perfection
And we’ve learned what it feels like to be picked on by some no namenewspaper guy and we don’t have to take it lying down!

So the point is not the snow, or the hydraulics or a couple guys being 5 minutes late to a ceremony
We know we’re lucky that these are the biggest problems we had to deal with in the last couple weeks.
So take your cheap shots.

Guardian newspaper and cynics of the world
We're bigger and better than that.
What's more we're finally starting to believe it!

Do you believe?

Creature Comforts - Cocker Rescue Raffle

2010-02-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

Baby it's cold outside, so come on in.

We are running a raffle for our current dogs and the ones we expect to be bringing in. The puppy mills in Amish country are starting to dump their dogs again. Usually they require lots of vetting and time to adjust to a new way of living. We have one of them now and she's just so darn grateful for anything you give her.

Another small (do it all yourself) rescue is joining in on this raffle. It's Oklahoma Cocker Spaniel Rescue, run by Robin.

As always, we appreciate it when you forward this to your friends, family and co-workers. It really helps to spread the word.

There are some really nice items up so, please take a look and purchase a ticket or two. I must ask though, that you don't use the words Raffle, Tickets or Chances in any part of your paypal payment. Just the name of the item. We got into a little bit of a pickle one time, so we hope that doesn't happen again.

If you have any questions on the items, please feel free to send me an email.

Thanks again for your support.

Here is the link for the raffle: http://www.cinfundraising.com/

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-02-18T13:51:00.001-07:00

Well, as you all know, I was away for 10 days, gallivanting around Houston and Louisiana. While I had a most wonderful time, I came home to a stack of work so tall I couldn't see over it! The project that I work on is approaching a major milestone, which means lots of work to have presentations ready for approval, nail down the schedule and have an accurate and detailed estimate. Fortunately for me, my Project Manager is a really good guy that's easy to work with. The team that I work with is pretty good overall - there are always going to be a few personality conflicts, but so far it's been managed really well. Anyhow, the gist of this is that I'm flat out at work . . . moreso than usual.

Zumba classes finished last Monday night (February 8th), so I have a couple of Mondays to myself. Classes start again on March 1st, and I'm really looking forward to them. It's surprising how easily I picked up the basic steps - although I wouldn't call myself coordinated, by any stretch - and how much I enjoyed the first session.

My big time-suckers are my volunteer activities, especially the Board of Directors that I sit on, for the local SPCA. When I joined the Board in October (as Secretary, cause there's nothing like jumping in with both feet!), I had no idea what kind of time demands would be placed on me (and the rest of the Board). For a few years, it looks like things haven't been managed very well. Records are sloppy, budgets aren't done, and there are no endorsed policies to be found. The Board has been working like mad to get policies in place, to protect the Board, SPCA employees, volunteers and the community as a whole. While we've made progress, there remains a lot to be done. I've been attending at least two multi-hour meetings a month, and done outside work on stuff as well. I don't begrudge the Board my time . . . I committed and I'm passionate about ensuring that the SPCA is run well as a business, and that the staff and animals are provided for. I have found the time commitment slightly overwhelming, though.

The dogs take up a lot of time too, but I don't consider them time-suckers. It's everything else that's taking my time from the dogs. I LOVE spending time with my dogs, working on training and whatnot, and I feel like I haven't had the time to do that properly lately. With the cold weather, we've been limited in our activities too. With the sun out longer and the days getting warmer, I'm hoping to be more on track with training and just enjoying my dogs.

You may see limited blog posts from me while life adjusts . . . but I promise I haven't disappeared and don't mean to be neglecting my faithful readers either. Bear with me, and I'll be back on track soon, I promise!

Where I've Been & What I've Done

2010-02-09T13:06:00.002-07:00

To my faithful blog readers, I'm sorry that I've been absent for so long without any word of where I've been or what I've been doing. Work got busy, and then before I knew it, I had a trip to Houston to take for work, and then a mini-vacation in Louisiana.

Houston was great . . . the temps were very mild, in the 15-20 degree Celsius range. Yes, on the positive side! I really needed that warmth, although there were a few times that I was chilled (embarrassed to admit it, though). My co-worker and I took the opportunity of a trip to eat out at some nice restaurants. The first night we ate at PF Chang's, which is an asian-fusion restaurant. I ate at a PF Chang's in Indianapolis 5 years ago, and remember the food as being absolutely wonderful. I was so looking forward to our meal in Houston, but I am sad to report that it was lacklustre at best. Our waitress was outstanding - great personality, very attentive, and funny as heck. But the food wasn't anything special, and that was disappointing for me. The second night we went to The Cheesecake Factory (not to be confused with the Cheesecake Cafe here in Alberta) and the food was great. Service, eh, just okay. But our meals were really good.

The Wednesday night was a small group meal, with some folks that we work with in Houston. We went to a small pub/restaurant called The Goose's Acre, and the food was wonderful. I had macaroni & cheese, but it wasn't the standard meal that your mom makes. Gourmet cheese & noodles, and soooo yummy. But the most wonderful thing about The Goose's Acre was my new favourite drink - the Jager Barrel. Jagermeister & root beer. OMG, what a fabulous drink that doesn't taste boozy at all! I sucked two down without even noticing it - but then I stopped, for fear of being sloshed in front of co-workers. Thursday night was a whole group meal at a Brazilian restaurant called Americas. The food was absolutely wonderful - I had a piece of steak done churasco style (my spelling is probably wrong) and it was delicious. For dessert I had these warm beignets with coconut ice cream that was pure heaven. I would recommend that restaurant to anybody.

Friday the workshop ended, and I flew to central Louisiana to visit with some long-time friends of mine. We met online through a Cocker forum, and have met once before. They are fabulous people, and their hospitality was unmatched. I was made to feel like a member of the family, not just like a guest. We ate many excellent meals, most of them homemade. Crock pot roast beef with potatoes, fried catfish and pistolettes, chicken & sausage gumbo and more. I'm sure I gained weight from all of the wonderful food, but it was worth every mouth full! And my friend's mom (a TRUE Southern belle!!!!) made me a red velvet cake from scratch. It was actually melt-in-your-mouth good. Wow - I didn't know cake could taste so good.

On Saturday my friend and I went to the annual dog show in her city (talk about good timing for my visit!) and we had a really nice day. We watched the Cockers, I met some local Cocker people, and we spent most of our time watching obedience. I saw my very first corded Standard Poodle in the flesh, which was cool! Saturday night we went to Tunk's Cypress Grill (I think) and had a succulent meal. Crawfish linguine - yummy!

Sunday was incredible. In the morning we took a 3 mile walk with the dogs, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the morning. I know it was cold for most southern folks, but I loved every second of it. The scenery was beautiful (photos on Facebook and my Zenfolio site), and we just chatted and enjoyed each other's company. The best part of Sunday was the hot air balloon flight, though. My friends crew for Bob Pulaski and his balloon Ski Lift, so they convinced him to do a flight so that I could go up. We watched the weather fervently, hoping for clear skies and low winds. Mother Nature definitely cooperated, and I had the experience of a lifetime. The flight was unbelievable. For those of you that say you're afraid of heights - you have nothing on me. I am possibly the only person that was terrified of the "Soarin' Over California" ride at Disneyland, and I hated the CN tower with the glass floor. It scared the crap out of me. Somehow, being up in the balloon wasn't scary at all. The basket is extremely stable - no swaying or moving around - and it's so pretty and peaceful up there. I was even able to look over the edge of the basket without feeling sick, dizzy or afraid.

Our flight was just over an hour long, with a few fun moments. We did run into some trees (technically called "dragging") in an attempt to slow the balloon down a bit in anticipation of landing. We chose three landing sites that then became unavailable to us because the winds changed our direction. Our landing had a bump and a bounce before we ended up on the ground with the basket on its side (and us on our hands and knees LOL). We were followed by spectators almost the whole way, and by the time we landed, about 7 or 8 vehicles were following the chase car to watch us land. It really was an awesome adventure, and I highly recommend it to anybody.

Monday and Tuesday were quieter days. We took things easy, spent time with my friend's parents and co-workers, and just enjoyed the dogs, cat, chickens, ducks and each other. It was a great visit - not rushed or busy or strenuous. Relaxing and just what I needed.

Wednesday I flew home, with a nice, long 6 hour layover at the Calgary airport. I ended spending a bunch of time working, since I really didn't have anything else to do. It was nice to get home, although I did enjoy my time down south. Since getting home I've been busy with the usual stuff - work, committees/Boards, etc. I finished up the first session of Zumba classes, but am already signed up for the next two sessions. So life continues on as usual, busier than all get out.

Walk Away The Pounds

2010-01-21T19:36:00.001-07:00

After hearing raves about this program from several of my fitness friends, before Christmas, I ordered Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds DVD. This DVD has four levels of difficulty - one mile, two miles, three miles and four miles. Some of the programs use the weighted balls, and some use resistance bands. The DVD didn't arrive until the new year, and with my new fitness classes, I hadn't had a chance to try it.

I was feeling very tired all day today, and actually fell asleep on the bus ride home (not city transit - employer-provided transport). So when I got home, I decided to try the one mile walk, for a little pick-me-up. When it initially started I actually thought it might be too easy, but that 18 minutes is actually *quite* the cardio workout! Not like my BL Cardio Max DVD or the Wii BL game, but I was still sweating and had an increased heart rate.

What I really like is that the DVD is simple enough (no complicated steps) that my mom and I could do it together. She needs to ease into fitness, and this could potentially be a good way for us to motivate each other.

I have to say, I'm looking forward to trying the two mile walk sometime soon!

Zumba - Class #2

2010-01-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

So last night was my second Zumba (latin dancing) class. I was half worried and half excited - the first week was fun, but it was crazy-fast, and I spent a lot of the time trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing with my feet, arms, hips and butt. It felt like everything was moving in opposite directions, but at the same time. The first session we had (last week) was with a stand-in instructor, because ours had gone on a surprise holiday trip. I was interested in seeing what our regular instructor would do with us.

She was GREAT. She took the time to show us each of the steps before starting the songs, which also gave us time to catch our breath in between dances. Believe me, it's a lot of cardio, so time to catch your breath is required. I still felt like I looked like a seizure patient while she looked sultry and fluid. But at least I wasn't spending most of my time hopping from foot to foot, trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I actually felt somewhat coordinated. AND . . . the biggest thing of all is that I didn't feel like dying at 8 minutes in. Yeah, I was red, sweaty and out of breath . . . but I felt okay.

I did get pretty hot near the end, but I had started the day feeling kind of crummy, so I think the two are related. I had fun, I felt semi-coordinated, and I had hope that by the end of two sets of classes, I might remember all of the steps, in order.

Unfortunately I'll be missing the next two classes as I'll be traveling for work (and sneaking in a small vacation at the same time), but I'll be back for the February 8th class, and I'm already signed up for the next set of classes too, starting in early March. Who knows, maybe I'll finally learn to enjoy group exercise classes!

Double Your Fun!

2010-01-12T13:43:00.003-07:00

Today I am making two (yes 2) blog posts! One of the email lists I belong to has asked people to send in funny dog stories. The first one I sent in was a post I made last week about Quigley (A Trifle-ing Matter). This week the story comes from way back in my past, but it's a keeper for sure!

I have been racking my brain to come up with funny stories, and I found one that definitely fits the bill. After high school, I lived as an exchange student in Esbjerg, Denmark, through the Rotary Exchange program. My counsellor and his wife owned a beautiful Old English Sheepdog named Olga - I did training classes with her, bathed her, brushed her and spent tons and tons of time with her. I really loved that dog. One day I took Olga for a walk, and stopped by a friend's house to watch a movie. We were in the basement, watching the movie, and Olga was laying on the tile floor in the entry way, to cool off. We heard the front door open and close, and before we could even get to our feet to see who had come in, we heard a high-pitched scream of terror. Both of us raced up the stairs, taking two at a time. When we got upstairs, we saw our good friend, who was quite pale (which was a feat, since he was of South American origin, with the rich, tanned skin). He was laughing so hard he was crying, and we were trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

It turns out that when he came in the house, he saw Olga and assumed she was a rug (she was sleeping with her head down). When she picked up her head to see who had come in, Henrik screamed.

That story still makes me giggle . . . poor Olga had no idea what the commotion was about!

Zumba Report

2010-01-12T09:57:00.001-07:00

Well, as you know from reading this blog, I survived my Zumba class last night. I will say, it was touch and go there for a while, but I managed to pull through. Although I've been walking a lot since June 2009 (at least 3 times a week, plus other activities), I don't have a lot of cardio endurance. That became painfully clear at about 10 minutes in to the 60 minute class. I was gasping, my chest was burning and my legs felt like jello. My footwork coordination was severely lacking, and when she encouraged us to keep up with the arm movements, I felt completely inadequate. I am just NOT that coordinated.

But despite all that, it was fun. I laughed a LOT - the instructor looked sensual and fluid, while I appeared to be having a seizure. She could move her hips in ways that I can only dream of. Her feet appeared to have a mind of their own - hey, so did mine! (they just didn't have the same mind as hers LOL). The two girls that I went with and I shared lots of disbelieving looks as the instructor danced. But we did our best, and really, I don't think we were any worse than most of the people in our class. There were no real "performers" in the class . . . nobody had hips or feet or fluid movement like the instructor.

I was exhausted last night, and I had the best sleep I've had since before Ange left. So that was good. And when my mom asked if I was going back for next week's class, I was shocked. Yeah, it was tough, but I'm not quitting! In fact, I signed up for the next session too! So I guess you could say it was a success . . . and if I learn a few latin dancing moves after 10 weeks of class, even better!

It Starts Tonight

2010-01-11T09:13:00.001-07:00

Tonight I'm trying something new. I'm taking my very first group fitness class. Okay, I did do water aerobics once, but it was drop-in, and mostly to keep my mom company, so I don't count it. Tonight my Zumba class starts. I'm going with a co-worker and two of her friends, so that'll make it more fun. I must admit, I'm excited and nervous at the same time. It's a 60 minute class - if I can hardly handle a 30 minute workout on the Wii or on a DVD, how on earth will I cope with 60 minutes? Granted, some will be warm-up and cool down (please God, let both of those be nice and long), but still . . . I hope I can keep up with the girls.

I did super well on fitness last week. Two walks, one workout on Wii Biggest Loser, and two days of shoveling the driveway and getting rid of the hard-packed snow and ice. I feel really proud of myself, as that's the first time I've done something active (above and beyond my daily activity) since October, when I had all the issues with my ankles. And honestly, it felt GOOD to be keeping busy. The dogs aren't complaining about the walks, either!

So wish me luck tonight . . . I know the key is staying within my range of ability, but let's just see how well I can do that without having a heart attack LOL

Biggest Loser on the Wii

2010-01-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

So today was my first time trying out the Biggest Loser game for the Wii system. I got it for Christmas, but was really busy with company and family. Lame excuse, I know, but whatever. At least I tried it before June 20 Having read the reviews on this site, I thought it might not be challenging enough. The threads I've read have been pretty evenly split between people liking it and not liking it.

I put the game in the console and got ready to see what would come my way. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. It was QUITE the workout, and this was on the easiest level. The warm-up is 6 minutes, the main workout is 20 minutes and the cool down is 8 minutes. My heart was pumping and the sweat was pouring off me. Some of the exercises were hard to do in terms of the Wii Fit board "reading" my movements, but since I'm a trained physiotherapist, I know the correct body movements.

My overall impression is that it's definitely challenging (much more so than the Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus) and much easier to do than Jillian Micheals' original boot camp game. If you have a Wii, it might be a good way to mix up your routine!

A "Trifle"ing Matter

2010-01-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

I have American Cocker Spaniels - anybody familiar with this breed (and most Sporting breeds) knows that they are ruled by their stomachs. My old dog Quigley (now passed on) was the most food driven dog that I have ever known. He was a very mellow, pedantic dog, even in his younger years, yet he could perform acrobatic feats to obtain food when he wanted to. Some of the stuff he ate was the stuff of legends - an entire box of Bran Buds cereal, a box of Fruit & Vegetable supplement bars, ant traps and more. But the story below is my favourite one.

It was a summer barbecue that my folks were hosting, because it was my best friend's first trip to the city I grew up in. All of our family and friends were invited to come and meet my friend, since they'd heard so much about her. My mom's best friend wanted to do something special for me, and since she's the most incredible cook/baker I know, she decided to make a fruit trifle. She used fresh fruit, full cream, and shaved Bernard Callebaut (high end) chocolate on top. It truly was a thing of beauty. We put it on the dining room table, along with the other food, and everybody went into the backyard to eat.

We were all eating, laughing and having a good time when we realized that Quigley was conspicuously absent. He was a champion beggar, so we knew something was up. My mom asked "Where's Quigley?" and as if on cue, he came running out of the house, very nonchalantly. What made it funny was his whipped cream feet and beard! Now, Quigley was black, so it's not like he could hide the evidence, but he acted like nothing was out of the ordinary - he always walked around like Santa Claus! Everybody was shocked into silence, and then my mom raced into the house to check on the trifle. It had two very distinct paw prints in it, and I swear to this day you could see the lick marks where he'd been self-indulging. My mom's best friend was devastated, because nobody except for me would try the trifle. I figured that I live with so much dog hair and spit that a bit more wouldn't hurt. I could see why he enjoyed it!

Quigley's been gone for more than 3 years now, and I miss him all the time. This is one of those stories that keeps his memory alive for us (my family, friends and I), and it's one that never fails to make us smile and laugh.

Thanks for letting me share!

Resolutions

2010-01-06T13:12:00.001-07:00

Every year, shortly after midnight, my family shares with each other what their resolutions for the year are. Typically they're things like lose weight, eat better, spend less (or save more), etc. Lofty goals that often fall by the wayside in February, if not January. In the past, I've found the process of choosing what to resolve for the year somewhat stressful. I mean, when you think about it, these goals are supposed to carry you through 12 months. 365 days. However many hours that adds up to (yes, I'm too lazy to pull out my calculator). I've never wanted to be that person - you know, the one that deliberately chooses softer goals that are easier to attain.

This year I made one resolution, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, it didn't stress me out. I resolved NOT to have resolutions. Yes, I have goals and things that I want to accomplish, but none of it is a real change from what I've already been doing. I want to continue with the progress I've made with SparkPeople. I haven't lost tons of weight, but my lifestyle is different than it was 7 months ago. Exercise IS in my vocabulary now, and it's a part of my daily life. There are still days that I slack off, but I think about it all the time.

I have a long way to go - including learning to eat healthier and to be even more active. But at least I'm on the right road. That's something that I'm proud of, because this time last year it didn't even cross my mind that I could actually enjoy walking or doing DVDs or whatever.
So that's my non-resolution decision for 2010.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-23T14:56:00.002-07:00

Farley, Grace, Jack Jack and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you (my faithful blog readers) a Merry Christmas! This card was done by a good friend of mine named Cindy. You can see more of her work on her website - http://www.photoartpawtraits.com/

We have Jack Jack, Farley and Grace, from left to right.

On a side note - Jack Jack is no longer afraid of the fountain. I placed it on a bath mat, and that seems to be working for now. He isn't running up for a drink, but he will drink from it without too much encouragement. So that's progress.

It's The Small Things

2009-12-21T11:22:00.001-07:00

So, this past weekend I finally broke down and bought the dogs Christmas presents. All year long my mom complains about dog toys laying all over the house, so I vowed not to get them anything this year. My plan was to do homemade cookies instead. Well, my MOTHER was the first one to cave . . . she got them holiday-themed tennis balls and some other toys from the vet clinic (they carry great toys there).

A lady that sells pet supplies as a home business had an open house this weekend, with 30% off everything. I needed dog food anyhow, so I went to her place. The dogs have LOTS of presents now. I bought a Premier "Kibble Nibble" for Jack Jack, since he loves toys that make him work for his food. Farley got a "Pentapull" toy with squeakers and made of nylon. Grace got a Tough Turtle puzzle toy. It won't matter - Jack Jack will steal it from her anyhow.

The big thing that I bought (well, my mom and I are splitting the cost - she's such a good doggy grandma!) is a Drinkwell Platinum water fountain. I have wanted one for the dogs for ages, and it was on sale, so I took the plunge. Grace and Farley walked up, looked at it, and had big drinks. No issues, other than Grace dunking her ears in the water. I need a room-sized placemat to catch the water dripping from her mouth and ears. She looks like a Loch Ness Cocker!

Jack Jack, on the other hand, is completely convinced that it's a Cocker-Spaniel-eating-monster. He took one look at the fountain and retreated to the far corner of our kitchen, shaking and tail tucked. I sat on the floor in the kitchen for quite a while, trying to calm his nerves and ease his worry. He watched the other two dogs have a big drink, and so he got brave and took a drink. Well, as soon as the water "chugged" in the reservoir he backed RIGHT off. Poor guy . . . he's totally convinced it's evil. I wish he wasn't such a scaredy cat! Anyhow, I did hear him later, drinking out of it when nobody was around. Of course, once it chugged, he quit drinking, but I didn't hear the frantic scrabble of nails on laminate. In the meantime, I have an alternate source of water for him.

Any suggestions on a huge placemat or something else to catch the water from my Loch Ness Cockers that insist on dragging their ears through the dish and walking aorund with water dripping from their lips???

My Beautiful, Special Girl

2009-12-20T18:37:00.001-07:00

Grace had her last therapy visit of the year yesterday morning, so I spent Friday night bathing, drying and trimming, to make her even more beautiful than usual. She had a wonderful session this morning - she managed to win over two residents that initially didn't want to see any dogs at all. It was pretty cool to see them enjoy her visit by the end of it.

Yahoo!

2009-12-17T13:31:00.002-07:00

After an entire week of deep-freeze weather (at least -30, and quite often much colder), we are finally seeing warmer temps. Don't get me wrong, it's still brisk at -16 Celsius today, but at least this is walking weather! Jack Jack will be so, so, so happy to go for a walk tonight. He's been standing with his nose pressed to the front entryway closet doors, begging me to take him for a walk, every single day. The cold weather doesn't bother him one bit.

I've been babysitting some Pugs for family friends (they live across the street, thank goodness). One is an 18 month old male, and the other is a 6 month old female. Two very cute, very sweet dogs. Also very snorty. The noises they make are just unreal! Their barking sounds like strangled shouting or something - it's an odd sound for sure. The Pugs have been hating the cold weather, so there have been quite a few accidents inside. With the warmer weather, they're pottying outside more, which is also a nice treat for me.

The countdown to Christmas is on, with just 8 days to go. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. My shopping is done, I just have wrapping and labelling to do. Hope you're well on your way to being done shopping too!

Irony Reigns

2009-12-11T18:53:00.002-07:00

I'm pretty sure I have posted blog entries with the word irony before. Or maybe Murphy's Law, since that's another one I use a lot. Yet again, I have been affected by my friend Murphy.

As you know, I bought a new car two weeks ago. A beautiful 2008 Dodge Avenger, brand new (never sold). I picked it up on the Tuesday after I bought it, and drove it around happily for a few days. Love, love, love it! The heated seats and command start are a blessing.

On Monday (this week), it got super cold. Like, -35 or something ridiculous like that. I tried to start the car Monday after work to go out and do some errands, and it wouldn't turn over. I plugged it in and let it sit, but no dice. Dead battery. Bummer. My dad had it boosted and driven up to the dealership for them to look at. I got all kinds of different calls from the dealership about the possible issue. Whatever, I just wanted it fixed. On Thursday my dad called me from the dealership to tell me that he had good news and bad news.

The good news was that they replaced the battery on my car. Good stuff.

The bad news? While some schmuck was moving my car, they banged it up and did some nice damage to my rear bumper. Now a new rear bumper is on order, and it should be replaced in the new year.

Sheesh! The damage sucks . . . but I guess at least the dealership put the first scratch in her. Hopefully that takes care of any damage for a very long while!

I Learned Something New

2009-12-09T08:53:00.001-07:00

About myself! I learned that once I turn something into a habit, it really sticks! Yesterday when I got home from work it was -10F. Brrrr, right? Yes! But despite the cold temperature, I really wanted to take my youngest dog for a walk, so I bundled up (longjohns, hat, mitts, down jacket) and off we went. It was cold, but I felt great!

In the past (in my old life, I guess you could say), I never would have contemplated walking in that kind of weather. I was a fairweather exerciser at the best of times.

I'm proud of myself. I hope that this means that I've made a permanent lifestyle change. If so, I see nothing but better health in my future! And a less hyper dog, who LOVES his walks.

Slight Scare

2009-12-07T15:52:00.001-07:00

So, on Friday night it was SUPER windy up here in the Great White North. I took the dogs outside, but the wind was a bit much for me, so I came inside and waited for them to finish up. Farley came in quickly (hey, he has no hair!), but Jack Jack and Grace were being uncharacteristically slow. I couldn't figure out what was taking them so long, so I went outside to check, and saw that our gate was open :( The wind must have blown it open, because we're all very careful about closing it.

Of course, my heart was racing . . . Grace is a runner, but will ALWAYS come back when called. I knew they hadn't been gone long (max of 7 or 8 minites), but I was worried that if Jack Jack got spooked, I'd never find him. With all of the inflatable lawn ornaments out right now, he's easily spooked. I ran out the front door, calling the dogs. Grace came running from about 3 doors down, smiling and wagging. Life is just an adventure to her.

I couldn't find Jack, and I could feel the tears welling up in my throat. I called and called and called him, getting more frantic with each call. I'm sure it was only a few minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. Then, like a magical apparition, he came around the corner of the house. What I think happened is that he was wandering in the neighbour's yard when he heard me calling out the back door. As I ran to the front of the house, he ran to the back door. The wind must have been carrying my voice away from him.

Anyhow, all's well that ends well, but that was darned scary for a few minutes!

What A Pain In The . . .

2009-12-04T09:05:00.001-07:00

So, a friend had recommended that I try the Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD. I ordered it through Amazon, and finally tried it on Tuesday night. First of all, what a workout! Wow! I was sweating by the end of the warm-up LOL Secondly, I am still sore today, especially in the glutes, adductors, hamstrings and quads. I decided not to do the DVD last night - I took a walk instead, hoping it would help ease the muscle soreness. Not so much. I'm going to try to do the DVD tonight, but I'm not sure my legs can take it!

This weekend is a busy one for me. Tomorrow morning I have a haircut booked (hooray!) and then tomorrow afternoon is my work Childrens' Christmas Party, so my mom and I are taking my two nieces to that. Tomorrow night I'm hoping to catch a movie with some friends, and then go home and get some SLEEP. Sunday I HAVE to groom my youngest dog, and I have a meeting in the afternoon for an organization that I volunteer for.

Talk about being on the run!

Canine Artist Terry Stanley

2009-12-02T09:31:00.001-07:00

I commissioned three paintings by artist Terry Stanley, and she sent me photos of them yesterday. All I can say is WOW! She has a beautiful eye for the soft expression of a Cocker, and I couldn't be more thrilled with what she did for me. You can see her website at http://www.terrystanley.com/ - her prices are VERY reasonable, and her work is outstanding. She has done artwork for several of my friends, and all of the paintings turned out beautifully.

Thank you Terry, for capturing my "babies" in such a beautiful manner. I can't wait to frame these side by side and display them with pride.

Yesterday

2009-11-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

I had a GREAT day yesterday! My young niece (5) is in town for a visit, and we picked up her 8 year old sister to have a day with them. We took Mackenzie (older) to swimming, and then we went to visit my dad at work (Chrysler dealership), and I ended up buying a NEW CAR! It's a 2008 Dodge Avenger, but it's never been off the lot. It's fully loaded (sun roof, DVD, heated seats, 6 CD player, heated/cooled beverage holder, leather interior, etc), but it was "on sale" so they could move it. I pick it up tomorrow, and I can't wait!!!!

Last night was the Santa Claus parade, so we took the kids (my mom and I). It was about -3C, which is actually nice for here, but by the time the parade was over we were all VERY cold. I had to use my heated blanket to get warm last night.

Not sure what's on tap today, but I hope it's not as exciting as yesterday!

Kids In Motion

2009-11-26T20:35:00.002-07:00

Thank you SOOOOOOO much to Polly Bennett for this pencil artwork of my kids, Jack Jack (with the toy) and Grace. I love it!

Back On Track!

2009-11-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting back on track! For most of the month, I have been sidelined due to a mysterious ankle ailment that has caused joint pain in both ankles.

The doctor, chiropractor and I thought that it was likely my new shoes (New Balance cross trainers), but none of us were sure, so I was on strict orders to avoid being on my feet unless I was going to work or letting the dogs out. I have really missed my walks, and the dogs have been getting cabin fever too.

This week I decided that my ankles are finally 98% better, so I have started walking again. I feel re-energized, and the dogs are thrilled! The weather is really moderate for this time of year (high 20's), so I'm finding the walks very refreshing. It feels good to be getting back on track!

Awesome Holiday Ideas

2009-11-24T20:03:00.002-07:00

A friend of mine that lives in California is an extremely talented photographer. Part of what she does is create holiday cards and items with her photos on them, as well as offering to create goodies with your own photos on them. Her website is http://www.dogbreedz.net

While Cockers hold a special place in her heart (she started San Diego Spaniel Rescue), she photographs all breeds, and is very willing to work with you to create a special memento.

Check out her website today - even if you don't order anything, I think you'll enjoy her photography.

Magazines

2009-11-23T18:33:00.002-07:00

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved magazines. The glossy, brightly coloured covers and the feel of the slick pages sliding through my fingers got me addicted to buying magazines. I think I inherited some of it from my mother, who also loves magazines. Today I thought I'd list a few of my favourites, in case you're thinking of buying your favourite dog-lover a magazine subscription for the holidays.

Whole Dog Journal - no paid advertisers keep this publication from appearing slanted towards one lifestyle or another. All viewpoints are presented (within reason) and all sorts of articles are included. For the positive trainer or holistically-minded, this is a must-read. http://www.whole-dog-journal.com

Modern Dog - a Canadian publication, the ads and gift ideas are always trendy and hip. The articles run from substantial research to fluffy pop media. Obviously filled with pictures of dogs, I love the "fashion" pages. This magazine does a breed feature in each issue, and they're always well-written. http://www.moderndogmagazine.com

The Bark - this is a West Coast USA publication, with a very west coast slant. I love, love, love the regular columnists (including Patricia McConnell PhD, who is my idol), and the articles are deep and inspiring. This magazine includes some great fiction as well. http://www.thebark.com

The Cocker Classic - how can I not promote the only Cocker Spaniel specific magazine out there? Published every other month, it is in full-colour, and it has some excellent columnists (check out the "Canada Corner" column!). http://www.cockerclassic.net

Canine Review - another Canadian publication, this magazine is geared towards show people and their dogs. It is filled with ads for all breeds, big and small, and it includes show updates from coast to coast. It also includes the Top Dog stats for conformation and obedience. A great all-round "show dog" magazine for Canada. http://www.canine-review.com

Canadian Dog Digest - a relative newcomer to the Canadian dog magazine scene (it's three years old now, I think), this magazine hit the ground running. It's beautifully put together, with full-colour pages and gorgeous ads, similar to the major publications in the US (ShowSight and Dogs In Review). The columns are great, especially the features on prominent breeders and dog show clubs. http://www.cdndogdigest.com

Hope this gives you some food for thought, and if you haven't heard of any of these magazines, please check them out. I promise you, you won't regret it.

Snowbunnies

2009-11-22T18:28:00.002-07:00

Question Of The Day

2009-11-21T15:10:00.002-07:00

Well, we've had about 4 inches of snow today (maybe more) so I just got my daily cardio workout by shoveling our driveway and the back deck.

This leads me in to the question of the day - yhy is it that the driveway seems so short when trying to park several cars there, but it seems miles long when you have to shovel? Seriously, it seemed like no matter how much I got rid of, there was just a longer and tougher job ahead of me. UGH!

I hope it quits snowing now, as I'm not sure I'll be able to lift my arms to shovel tomorrow. have a good one folks!

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-19T13:54:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's that time of week again. This week I am thankful that I can read. I am fortunate enough to live in a country where public education is free (some schools may charge nominal fees for books or supplies, but no tuition) and the education received is good. Yes, the quality varies from school to school, but overall, we (as Canadians) have the opportunity to learn the basics of math, science, language and history/social studies.

In Mexico, there is a fee to attend school. The country is mostly poor, so there are thousands of kids that never get to learn to read, to add and subtract, or learn their heritage. These kids go on to be young adults with no real aim or purpose, and as adults, they will never really get ahead in life, because they aren't equipped for working. I know that Mexico isn't the only country that this happens in, but I have personal experience with Mexico, so I'm referencing that.

I love to read. Reading teaches me something new on a regular basis. I read auto-biographies, educational (non-fiction) books, almost all kinds of fiction, and even young adult literature. Reading provides me with an escape when I need it, or even encouragement when I need it.

I am so glad that I learned to read, and that my mom fostered a love of reading.

Good News

2009-11-16T21:47:00.002-07:00

This past weekend, in addition to seeing an off-Broadway production of A Chorus Line, I took Grace and Jack Jack to an eye clinic. Basically, breeders take their dogs to these clinics to ensure that their dogs are free of eye diseases like cataracts, retinal folds, extra eyelashes, etc. I go every year, but this year I was late getting to a clinic, because it seems like there aren't as many as there used to be.

Anyhow, bright and early Sunday morning I brought my kids to be examined by a CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation) certified vet. Both dogs tested absolutely normal - free of any eye defects at this time! Yahoo! That is me doing the happy dance, and breathing a sigh of relief for another year.

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-12T20:24:00.002-07:00

Today I'm thankful for something that seems miniscule, but I am trying not to take stuff for granted. I'm thankful for the health insurance that comes with my job. I have an extended dental plan that covers the majority of any dental work I need done (including cleanings and exams every 9 months). My dentist has recommended that I get a night guard to prevent me from grinding my teeth at night. The pricing of the night guard is just shy of $500, so it's not a small amount. Fortunately for me, my dental insurance covers the cost, so I won't be out of pocket right before Christmas.

It's small, but right now it feels like a lot.

Lest We Forget

2009-11-11T08:26:00.001-07:00

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.

Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throwThe torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields.

- John McCrae

Thank you to every man and woman that has fought for our country and for our freedoms. Your sacrifices will not be forgotten. Today is your day to be remembered and thanked.

My favourite headline today

2009-11-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Those of you that are Canadian are most likely well aware of the governing party's "Economic Action Plan." If you're not familiar with it, then I doubt you watch TV. The ads have been on incessantly for weeks now.

So why do I care? The irony is just TOO good not to share with you on this fine Monday afternoon. This is by far the best headline on http://www.cbc.ca today.

'Canada's Economic Action Plan' signs painted in U.S.

A member of the B.C. legislature wants to know why the provincial government is paying a Washington state company to make road signs extolling "Canada's Economic Action Plan."

Way to support your country during a time of need! I just love that we're making work for the Americans, who, by the way, don't want their government to allow the import of our so-called "dirty oil."

Yet another reason to laugh today.

Bus Etiquette

2009-11-06T19:15:00.002-07:00

When you ride the bus to and from work everyday, you realize that there is such a thing as bus etiquette. I don't take public transportation - the company that I work for provides bussing to all employees and contractors. I catch the bus at the same place and same time every day.

Similar to airplane etiquette, it's common courtesy to ask the person behind you before flinging your seat all the way back. There's an order to how people disembark (get off) the bus. Being quiet is common courtesy, as quite a few people use the 45 minute ride to sleep or read. Cell phone use should be limited to emergencies, and music/movies are played through headphones.

Today after work I sat in my usual seat (when you take the bus every day, you get into a habit of sitting in the same place every day). Several "new" people board the bus, each sitting in their own seat (despite the fact that it's obvious that they know each other). The guy in front of me was sitting in the outside seat (I always sit on the inside), and without even a glance behind himself to see if somebody was seated behind him, he threw his seat back. He didn't slowly put it back, he pushed the button and threw all of his weight into it. He did have the grace to turn around and apologize to me. Fine, no big deal.

Well, normally people put their seat in the upright position when people start getting off. This way the people disembarking don't have to fold into a pretzel to get around the seat that is flung back. Of course this gentleman couldn't be bothered to set his seat upright, even when I shoved it with my hand and my knee. When I looked behind me as I was leaving the bus, he just stared at me.

I'm sorry, but have some freakin' manners! Seriously! People like that make riding the bus a pain in the hind end. I hope they don't get on again Monday.

Ankle Update

2009-11-04T18:33:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I went to the doctor to talk about my sore ankles. I quit wearing my New Balance shoes a couple of weeks ago, and while I have noticed some improvement in my ankles, they are still painful. I still haven't found any rhyme or reason to when they're more painful ~ it doesn't seem correlated with the amount of time I spend on my feet. While I was at the dog show a couple of weeks ago, I expected to have very sore ankles, and I didn't. They were a bit sore, but not out of the ordinary.

Anyhow, after some discussion with the doctor, we decided that it was either the new shoes and the angle that they're putting my foot at while I walk, or else a combination of the walking and the shoes. Personally, I find it weird that the walking would just be bothering me now, when I've been at it since early June, but doctor knows best, right?

My doctor's recommendation is to take a break from walking, and then to slowly re-introduce the shoes, to see if they aggravate the ankles again. We did pinpoint the pain to the actual ankle joint, NOT the tendons or ligaments surrounding the joint. We talked about it being auto-immune or something like that, but then other joints would be involved.

I'm not keen on taking a break from my walks - I've done SO well at getting into a routine that I miss the walks on days I don't go. I'm still debating that advice (don't tell my doctor!). But I will re-evaluate the shoes and figure out if I need to get new ones. Again. Anyhow, just wanted to update everyone.

Does This Scare You?

2009-11-03T12:37:00.003-07:00

Every day when I have a free minute, I read the daily news headlines on my Blackberry (my other right arm LOL). I like to have at least a cursory knowledge of what's going on in the world. My headlines include Canadian news, US news, world news, technology news, entertainment news and health and science news. In the technology news section was the following headline:

Lawmakers Seek Ban On Laptops In Airline Cockpits

Call me paranoid, but isn't it terrifying that pilots (or co-pilots) are allowed to have laptops in the cockpit? Shouldn't they just be concentrating on flying the plane? I mean, I know that it's not like driving a car, which requires awareness of passing traffic and other drivers. But still, don't they have to watch the gages and stuff? Make sure the engine is working and that the plane is at the right altitude and stuff?

Maybe it's just me . . . but I find the thought of pilots surfing the net while flying my plane frightening. And that Northwest Airlines flight that overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles due to pilot inattention proves that it happens. What next?

Happy Weekend!

2009-11-01T13:01:00.001-07:00

I hope everybody had a wonderful Hallowe'en! Ours was pretty good. We got about 6" of snow yesterday (started in the morning and continued all day and throughout the night), so my mom didn't think we'd get many kids. However . . . she wasn't counting on the kids waiting ALL year for free candy! I knew we'd get a few. We got around 45 kids, lots of them wearing cute and clever costumes. Yes, most of the kids had their costumes over their snowsuits . . . we're used to that here in the Great White North . . . it happens regularly that we have snow before Hallowe'en.

The two younger dogs were in their crate with bones to chew on. I'm trying to clean their teeth without having to put them under anesthetic. Jack Jack has particularly yucky teeth - he was born with some kind of defect in his tooth enamel, so it attracts plaque like nobody's business. The bones are helping, I just have to keep it up. Farley was gated in the basement, but he could still see the doorway, and he barked at every kid that we gave candy to. I honestly think he enjoys it - that's his way of greeting them. Most of them were "impressed" with our vicious dog LOL None of them have the slightest clue what a teddy bear he is!

I shovelled the driveway last night (shared the job with my mom), and then did the deck and driveway again today. Good cardio exercise! Then I took the dogs for a walk through the snow - I think it's at least twice as much work slogging through the snow . . . but the dogs had fun, and I enjoyed the fresh air and exercise.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Happy Howl-O'Ween

2009-10-29T17:13:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-28T18:50:00.001-06:00

Mysterious Ankle Ailment

2009-10-27T15:35:00.002-06:00

I have never, ever heard of this happening to anybody before, and a Google searched revealed nothing, so I thought I'd reach out to the World Wide Web for information.

Since early September I've been wearing All Rounder shoes by Mephisto. They're a Mary Jane style, but a bit high in the back, so I find they rub on my Achilles tendons somewhat uncomfortably. It's not painful, just irritating. So in early October I decided to go shoe shopping. I wanted runners or sneakers with good tread, for walking the dogs every day. I knew that I didn't need top-of-the-line shoes, but I didn't want to cheap out either. I ended up buying a pair of Natural Balance #645 cross trainers, for just over $100. Out of all of the shoes I tried on, they were the most comfortable by far. I wore them to work a bingo later that evening, and my feet felt great. Sore from standing, which is par for the course for me, but no other pain.

Thanksgiving weekend I bought a pair of insoles to put in the shoes, since I am a pronator (my feet tend to roll inward somewhat, flattening my arches). I paid $25 for the insoles - I got them at a sporting goods' store.

By the Sunday, my ankles were sore, but not along the Achilles tendons. The pain was on the front of my ankles, where the tibia (shin bone) meets the top of the foot. It's not an electric or shooting pain, but it's not a dull ache either. Since then (the day before Thanksgiving), my ankles have been sore. They didn't start out swollen or bruised, but I do think that my right ankle is just slightly swollen on the front, and behind the inside ankle bone). The right is more painful than the left, but both are sore.

Thinking that it might be the new shoes, I wore a completely different pair of shoes for the dog show (Josef Seibel shoes). I did find that my ankles were way less sore. However, they are still sore, especially the right one. And now that I'm back home, they're almost as sore as they were before. My theory is that it's some kind of tendonitis that developed from wearing the shoes. It's not muscular pain, and it's not bone pain (at least, I don't think it is). Any guesses or ideas? I do have a doctor's appointment next week to get them looked at, if I don't have to go to the ER before then.

Time Flies . . .

2009-10-26T20:25:00.002-06:00

I think I've used this blog post title more than once . . . typically when life gets the better of me, and I seem to miss out on posting on my blog. It just seems like every now and then the universe implodes, and my time just disappears. Last week (and the week before!) was like that. My favourite co-worker (well, I have two favourites) informed me that he wouldn't be returning to work on our site anymore. He's from the US, and due to tax complications, he had to go home. I'm mentally able to do my job without the early coaching and mentoring he provided me, but I will miss the mental and emotional support. He's still available via email and telephone, but it's just not the same.

This past weekend I had a dog show to attend. I have been in somewhat of a dog show dry spell - my last show was in early June (except for my trip to California, but I didn't show anything there). Before June I showed in early April, so it's been a sparse year for shows. Anyhow, when I go so long between dog shows, my expectations grow. I start thinking of dog shows on a more glamorous and industrious way than they typically actually happen. Fortunately (for me, anyhow), this past weekend didn't disappoint one bit. Oh yeah, there were still some of the usual scandals or what have you (scandals is the wrong word, but whatever . . . ), but everybody managed to play nice and get along. We had some beautiful dogs being shown in our breed, and a nice big entry. We had a number of dogs in obedience (more than usual), and a few successes, which is always a positive.

Personally, I had a really nice weekend with my girl Grace. Gracie passed all three days to earn her Pre-Novice obedience title, officially known as the PCD in the Canadian Kennel Club. It is a pass/fail class that judges the dog on modified Novice Obedience commands, making things easier for the dog and handler. It is not required to have a PCD in order to compete in Novice, but it's a good class for new dogs or handlers. Gracie is now known as Silverwood's Elegantly KLAD PCD, RN, CGN - bred by Valerie Richardson and Vicky Bennett, and owned, loved and trained by me. Her sire is Am Can Ch Buttonwood's Crown Royal, and her dam is Ch Silverwood's Pretty In Pink. Gracie is my therapy dog, as well as an agility dog in training.

I am so proud of Grace and everything she has accomplished for me. She missed out on puppy classes and foundation obedience classes - she was home-schooled and suffered from my own lack of knowledge. Despite me, she's a pretty dog to watch (when the mats are clean and she isn't sniffing for food), and she never hesitates to trust me and to do what I ask of her. I hope to have her ready for Rally Advanced and Novice Obedience next year, in time for our National specialty.

We also had our club's Christmas party (yes, yes I know it's early) . . . we took advantage of the nice weather and the great location (Camrose has a new casino that was a FABULOUS venue in which to have our dinner) and got everybody together in one spot. It involved a gift exchange, awesome food and a ton of laughs. I don't usually get to attend the party, because I hate braving the wintery roads in November, so I was glad to take part this year.

All in all, it was a great weekend that exceeded expectations. Who can ask for more than that?

Thankful Thursday

2009-10-01T20:14:00.002-06:00

Last week I went back to where my mom grew up (we call it The Farm) for my grandpa's funeral. It was a sad week, obviously, but in other ways it was a good week. I am so VERY thankful for the family I have. As my blog readers know, I'm close to both of my parents, so being thankful for them is a given. But I am very fortunate to have a close-knit extended family too. We don't email or call regularly, but every time we get together, it's like we were never apart.

I saw cousins that I haven't seen in several years . . . but I honestly felt like we hadn't missed a beat. Some are married with kids (kids I hadn't seen before, other than in pictures), but still, our relationships are comfortable like they've always been. Other cousins are more distantly related (primarily by marriage), and yet we act as though we're as close as *true* cousins.

I love the feeling of having a large, warm, welcoming family. I'm sure others would feel smothered by the constant presence, interrogation and whatnot, but I find it comforting. I'm not sure if it's because most of them live so far away, so we see them infrequently, or if it's more that my mom always taught my brother and I that family is above all else. Either way, it was really, really good to catch up with my cousins, aunts and uncles, despite the sad circumstances.

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Birthday Old Dog

2009-09-30T20:53:00.002-06:00

Family Values

2009-09-29T19:40:00.003-06:00

Today some of my co-workers and I were discussing how families and family values have changed over the years. I'm not that old (even if my nieces think otherwise LOL), and I have noticed a huge difference in how families operate these days. When I was growing up, we had supper together every night, at the table. Not in front of the TV, not reading a book or the paper, not in our own rooms. We ate, we chatted about our days at work and school, and we shared clean-up duties.

I see a lot of families now that eat on the run, eat in front of the TV, or that eat on their own, independent of each other. How on earth can that foster communication between family members? How will you know what's going on in your parents'/kids' lives otherwise? Too many kids seem to be adrift in society . . . no anchor in their home life to keep them stable, and no values coming down from parents.

I'm not a parent, so commenting on parenting techniques is just going to sound lame and out of place. I get that. But it drives me crazy to see kids (of all ages) hanging out at bus stops, in parks or at the mall. No supervision, and nobody to answer to. Kids texting frantically, desperate for the next piece of gossip or celebrity news. Why aren't they at home, learning about household chores or spending time with their family? What good can come from hanging out with no distinct purpose?

You know what scares me? The fact that I'm a young person and yet most people would think that I sound ultra-conservative and like a fuddy-duddy. It's so frustrating!

And that's my rant for the day ;)

Goodbye

2009-09-20T16:16:00.003-06:00

Today has been a tough day . . . I got woken up with the news that my Grandpa Fred had passed away in his sleep. My mom was taking it very hard, and I think I kind of went into shock. It's not like it was unexpected - he's had Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's for years, and has been in a long term care facility for the past 8 years. Still, he's been a fixture in my life for 31 years, and I guess I kind of thought that he'd always be around. Ya know?

Tuesday we head out for the funeral (it's an 8 hour drive each way). The two younger dogs are going to a local boarding kennel, and the old crankpot will be staying with a good friend. We'll be home either Saturday or Sunday, depending on what's going on at the farm.

Hug the ones you love, and always tell them you love them.

Small Step For Me . . .

2009-09-18T20:35:00.002-06:00

HUGE step for Jack Jack! I hope this brag isn't premature, but Jack Jack has had an excellent week, in terms of other dog encounters. Jack Jack is a sensitive kind of guy. So sensitive that the idea of coming face to face with another dog scares the dickens out of him. Normally he gets very reactive - barking (sounds almost like a shriek), lunging and hackles raised to the sky. We've been working diligently on this for months, with little apparent progress. We've taken to walking along the fence outside of the dog park, to avoid these stressful (for both of us) encounters.

Tonight after supper I took Grace and Jack Jack for a walk. I don't know why, but I decided to walk through the dog part, with the dogs off leash. The few people (maybe a dozen) with dogs that were there were clustered on the other side of the park. Immediately Grace and Jack Jack took off running towards the group of people and dogs, so I called Jack Jack back. He turned on a dime and came towards me (MEGA praise!). We walked about halfway through the park, past a big stand of trees, so he couldn't see the gathering. Once we got past the trees, I noticed that a dog was closer to us (had crossed roughly half the distance) and Jack Jack saw the dog once I did. He peeled away at top speed.

This was the moment of truth. I called him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at me. I could literally see the wheels turning in his head, weighing his options. I called again, in a happy voice, and he turned and came to me. He didn't bark, jump or react to the other dog at all, even though he got within about five to six feet of it. WOW! WOW! WOW! This is huge for him!

Earlier this week I was walking Jack Jack (left Grace at home) and we went around one of the outdoor ice rinks. I didn't see the lady walking her two small white dogs until we were almost face to face with them (well, about five or six feet apart). I started talking to Jack Jack to keep his attention, and he walked with me past that lady with her dogs without acting out at all. I was thrilled with that! It's a big step forward for my little dude.

I sure hope this is the beginning of an upward trend. He's such a sweet dog, and I think he'd be more fun to walk without the reactions and freaking out.

A Good Day

2009-09-15T18:28:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had one of those days where everything just seems to fall into place at work? People come to you with questions or issues, and you can actually help them figure everything out? I had one of those days today. When working on projects, work days can be frustrating because nothing is the same from day to day. You can never really predict what people will need help with, or what issues you will be faced with. Today was NOT one of those days.

I was busy from the time I got in until the time I left. Not swamped, mind you. Just steady. I did stuff that I knew was useful and productive, and everybody was pleasant. The stars lined up perfectly, and I had a fabulous day. It was a good feeling to get stuff accomplished and crossed off my list, while still feeling unrushed.

Hope you had a good day at work too!

Beautiful Weather

2009-09-14T13:12:00.002-06:00

At a point in time where we should be approaching fall in Northern Alberta, we are experiencing some glorious summer weather. And it's about time, too! We had such a cool, wet, grey summer that it hardly felt like summer at all. I guess Mother Nature figures that late is better than never, and I can't say that I disagree.

Saturday morning Grace and I had her third practicum visit for the therapy organization that we want to work with. She did extremely well (again!) and passed the evaluation with flying colours. She is so sweet, loving and even-tempered that everybody loves her - residents and staff alike. It's like she was born to be a therapy dog, because it's when she really shines. Now she's officially a member of the Paws FM team. I am so proud of her.

Saturday night was the Opimian Society (http://www.opim.ca I think) dinner. The theme was South Africa - so all of the wines were from South Africa, as was the menu. And what a menu it was! The appetizer was braised python and tofu. The "salad" was arugula with octopus (not calamari, either - REAL octopus) that had been marinated in lime and red wine for three days. The main course was ostrich with a corn risotto. Dessert was an apricot malva cake that was to DIE for. I was nervous about this meal ahead of time (it's pretty exotic, and I'm such a conservative eater), but it turned out to be pretty good. Python doesn't have much of a taste - it seems to absorb the flavour of what it's cooked with. It was kind of flaky, like fish. Octopus tastes like what it's marinated in, and it was chewy, but not too rubbery. Ostrich was the biggest surprise - it was just like beef. So yummy and the risotto was the best I'd ever had. That apricot cake was unreal . . . soooo tasty.

Sunday was a quieter day for me. Hot again, so I stayed inside as much as I could. I gave Farley a haircut, ran a few small errands, and spent time online. Stupid FarmTown is sucking away my life LOL

Hope you had great weather where you live, and that you took advantage of it as much as you could!

AWOL

2009-09-09T19:11:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I wasn't really AWOL . . . I knew where I was, and so did almost everybody else. But I couldn't come up with an equally attention-catching blog post title, so this is what you get.

Last week I was down south in Calgary for work. The project that I'm working on is getting ready to move into its next stage, so a lot of work is being done to optimize the current estimate and schedule. The working sessions were okay, but it was the after-work sessions that were fun. Monday night we had supper at a restaurant called Teatro, which was amazing. Gourmet food, and tasty too! The red wine wasn't all that shabby either. Tuesday afternoon we did a group trip to Banff (yes, the mountains!). I spent some time in downtown Banff, and then the group met for supper at the Maple Leaf Grill. Another fabulous restaurant, and they could not be held responsible for the ensuing snafu. Due to a major electrical storm, the power at the restaurant went out. For an hour. Even the emergency lights. It was all very romantic, with red and white wine and flickering candles. Too bad I wasn't interested in getting romantic with my co-workers. Still, it was an adventure.

Wednesday and Thursday nights I got together with some very, very, very good friends (you know who you are!). We had supper at Open Sesame one night, and The Barley Mill the second night. Both meals were excellent, and I highly recommend Fruli (strawberry beer!). We went and saw "The Goods" on Wednesday (cheezy, predictable "plot" but great laughs) and "500 Days of Summer" on Thursday. More of an indie flick, we all really enjoyed it. I'd highly recommend it!

My weekend was (predictably) busy. My mom and I ran errands on Saturday, and on Sunday I assembled our new computer desk. It was a monumental task, but I had no left over pieces (always a good thing!) and it looks beautiful. Monday I worked. Yes, it was Labour Day, so I laboured ;)

Hope everyone behaved while I was away!

Deja Vu All Over Again

2009-08-30T19:40:00.002-06:00

Those of you that have been faithful blog followers of mine from the beginning might remember me posting about my puppy Billy taking a flying leap into the hot tub as I was closing the cover. I did a quick search for that post, but couldn't find it. I distinctly remember writing it, but whatever . . . maybe the blog Gremlins took it.

Anyhow, today it was hotter than hot outside (for Northern Alberta), so we were all out enjoying the sunshine. We all know that winter is coming sooner rather than later, so we're trying to soak up as many rays as we can while they're still around. Anyhow, my dad was barbecuing steaks for supper (can you say yummy???) and my mom and I were soaking our feet in the hot tub - we just rolled up our capris and dangled our feet in. I couldn't see Jack Jack anywhere, so I called his name. He came flying up the steps of the deck and did the doggy version of the cannonball right into the tub! He swam to the edge and then I hauled him out.

So far Grace is the only dog of mine (well, except for Quigley) that hasn't jumped into the hot tub. Everybody else has done it at least once - Keeley, Billy (many times!), Farley and now Jack Jack. It must be an initiation thing or something . . .

On another note, I bought the dogs a Nina Ottosson (http://www.nina-ottosson.com/) puzzle toy. They're made of wood, and they encourage the dogs to think and play and use their brains. I wasn't sure if they'd be able to figure it out (it's The Brick, if you visit the website). I was surprised to see that the dogs figured it out quickly . . . especially Jack Jack. I honestly think that the clicker training has taught him to think and reason things out, and that will help him with these kinds of games. I figure that mental stimulation is always good, so I'm glad the dogs like this thing . . . it's just another way to keep them occupied.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Disheartened

2009-08-28T11:50:00.002-06:00

So, for the past 6 or 7 weeks, I've been making a concerted effort to be more active. My goal has been to get out and be active for at least 30 minutes, at least 5 days a week. For the most part, I've been successful at meeting that goal. Most days I take the dogs for a walk, since that benefits the dogs as well as me. Some days I head out on the bike, taking Jack Jack with me for company. And other days it is yardwork or something else that becomes my fitness activity for the day.

Last night I thought I'd get on the Wii Fit, just to see where my weight is. I haven't weighed myself since early July, so I was pretty sure I'd lost a pound or two. Imagine my surprise (and dismay!) when I saw that I'd gained 3.5 pounds! I know it's not a lot, but still . . . I've been working hard and really, honestly thought I'd see a reward for that work (yes, yes being healthier is a reward in itself, but come on, I wanted to see a weight loss too).

I won't quit being active, because I know it's good for me and it's great for the dogs. Guess it's time to really get serious about what I eat, since the bump up in activity didn't cut it. Sigh.

Something To Say

2009-08-26T18:11:00.002-06:00

Well, it's official . . . I've been blogging for three years and have hit 400 posts, and I still haven't run out of things to say! Wow! I would never have managed to continue this blog without hearing from my faithful readers (who put up with bad humour, rants, and all kinds of weird stuff). Thank you for sticking with me and for reading my writing.

I find that I can express myself better in writing than I can verbally. The words just seem to come together much more nicely for me when they're whirling around my head instead of just spilling out of my mouth. Someday I dream of writing a book (about Cocker Spaniels - I know, it's a big surprise), but until then this is my creative outlet.

I hope to be blogging for a while yet . . . and I can't wait to write about my 500th post!

Clicking Away

2009-08-25T10:10:00.002-06:00

So, I've been having a lot of fun with this whole clicker training thing. I have the most fun with Jack Jack, because he clearly enjoys the challenge as much as the reward, and he will try all kinds of things to see what I want.

He now licks his lips on command about 75% of the time when I say "yummy!," after less than a total of 20 minutes of training. He'll get more consistent as we keep practising and working in various areas. He knows that when I say "Go to your bed" he should find his dog blanket and sit on it. He picks up the dumbbell (no cue added yet) and touches a step stool. I want to progress to him putting his front feet on the stool, laying down on the dog bed and picking up and holding the dumbbell. I know we'll get there :)

I've been working with Grace as well, but she is not the type to try anything for a treat. She has been clicker trained since she was a baby, but I used mostly luring (instead of shaping), so she's used to relying on getting direction from me instead of figuring out what I want. This makes our progress somewhat slower . . . but it's coming along. She has learned to go and sit on the dog bed . . . I'm not sure she's completely associated the sit with the bed, as sometimes she sits OFF the dog bed and looks for a click/treat, but it's coming. I'm not sure what we'll work on next, but maybe 101 Things With A Box.

This has taught me to be more observant of what the dog is doing, since clicker training (shaping) is all about catching your dog doing something, and clicking that action. This has also taught me better timing (clicking too late or too early reinforces the wrong action). And it has taught me that dogs can learn fast if they really want to!

Clicker training doesn't have to use treats as a reward. You can use praise, play or anything else as a reward. In fact, every time you ask your dog to sit before opening the door to the backyard, this is called using the Premack Principle - which is that if the dog does one thing, they get to do something inherently rewarding. Another example is taking your dog to the offleash park, and occasionally calling them back to you, and then releasing them for more play. Every time you call the dog and then release it to play, it learns that coming when called means FUN!

The theory is that the clicker runs on a pathway through the brain's amygdala, which is the most ancient portion of the brain. Responses from the amygdala are fear and startle responses (like us being afraid when we hear a car backfire, thinking it's gunfire). You don't learn those responses, they're just a part of you. For some reason, science is showing that when an animal is clicker trained, they retain the responses longer, and the responses become ingrained.

A real life example is Jack Jack, who is very afraid of other dogs. Even when he's walking past the dog park (we don't go in, we walk along the outside of the fence) and he starts barking (aka freaking out) at another dog, I can get his attention and calm him down by having him give me a high five. That was one of his earliest clicker trained behaviors, and he NEVER fails to respond to my cue (my hand, fingers up and palm forward in a "gimme 5" signal).I know I sound like a fanatic (and maybe I am!), but my experience has been so positive with this method of training. If I can ever answer questions or provide links to resources, please ask!

The Sound of Silence

2009-08-23T14:00:00.002-06:00

You wanna know how I know summer is almost over? My 4.5 year old niece has gone home to her parents, to get ready for the new school year. My parents left to take her home this morning. As sad as it is to see her go (we've certainly enjoyed her energy and antics over the past several weeks), I must admit that the silence in the house is wonderful. Given that we are three adults living in the house, the most noise we're used to is the television and the occasional outburst from the dogs (you're right, with Farley, it's more than occasional). With my niece here, there is almost never silence. She fancies herself an opera singer, so she's always singing an aria somewhere . . . or a kids' song, if she has a particular favourite that day. When everybody left this morning, I finally understood the oxymoron of deafening silence. I turned off the TV and could hear the thoughts running through my head!

It's a cruddy day today - cool and grey. I haven't been able to motivate myself to get moving yet, but I need to. I was supposed to groom dogs today, among other things, and I've accomplished nothing. Sigh. Well, a trip to the post office and to get groceries, but nothing truly constructive. Mind you, after the hard labour of last weekend (think garage clean-out!), a day of nothingness is kind of nice.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Thankful Thursday

2009-08-20T14:44:00.003-06:00

Farley - When I think back to getting Farley, I made almost every mistake in the book. I allowed my landlady's dog to beat up on him, I used jerk & pull obedience methods and I gave him some pretty bad haircuts. Still, he has loved me and given everything he could to me, every single day. I am thankful for our good night and good morning routines. That's our time, since the other two sleep in crates. I look Farley in the eyes and tell him how much I love him and how much I appreciate every day with him. He sneezes on me (he aims for my glasses I think!), licks me, turns around 3 times and snuggles in for the night. In the morning, he covers his eyes and groans when I turn the light on. He wags his tail slowly, and wakes up in his own time, coming to make sure that the evil, killer socks are chewing my ankles off. Those moments mean the world to me.

Grace - I am so thankful to Grace for helping piece my heart back together after Quigley died and I sent Billy to Mare. At that point my heart was a bleeding, broken mess, and Gracie-Lou came into my life and wove it back together. She was a very naughty puppy, but she always checked to make sure that her antics were making me smile instead of scowl. Despite not enjoying obedience, she learned quickly and tolerated my fumbled clicker training attempts. In agility, she excels despite me (certainly not because of me!) and she seems to know what I want of her even if I can't get the right words out of my mouth. She is a serious, sensitive soul . . . meant for healing and caring and loving. She is the epitome of a therapy dog, and my niece Tashie's bestest friend ever. She tolerates everything, and uses those deep brown eyes to tell me she'll take more, as long as it means I love her.

Jack Jack - This dog is my Farley understudy. I honestly didn't know that you could love two dogs so much and so intensely all at once. It's true - you can. Despite Jack Jack's fears (most of which are deep-rooted), he wants so badly to please me that he'll try almost anything (except approaching nasty black garbage bags). He has joie de vivre that I haven't seen since I had Billy . . . and I didn't fully appreciate it in Billy, due to my other struggles at the time. He is smart, fun and so very loving. He is always checking to make sure Mom is close by (that's me!) and that I'm okay. He loves Grace and tolerates Farley, but he adores me above all else. I am so thankful for him to allowing me to polish my clicker training and behavioral training skills on him, and I'm glad that he has slowly gained confidence and interest in the world around him. I love his big heart, his soft eyes, and his desire to be with Mom at all times.

Even on the days that I would gladly PAY somebody to take my dogs, I am thankful for what I learn from them, and for how much they give of themselves. They are my comfort on rough days, my sunshine on cloudy days. They have taught me to live in the moment, and to forgive those you love. They have also taught me to play often and to play hard. They're good dogs, and I'm awfully glad they're mine.

My Busy Weekend

2009-08-17T09:55:00.003-06:00

I did more shaping with Jack Jack and Grace over the weekend - I actually find it VERY addicting to be able to train simple behaviours in 15 minutes. I taught Jack to lick his nose when I say "yummy." It's quite cute :) I taught Grace to target to the palm of my hand in a matter of minutes, which will be helpful in a whole bunch of different situations. I also finally brought out the weave poles again, after a super long break. I left them quite open, and she went through them successfully 4 times before I ended the session. I have to work on getting them closed, but at least she didn't look at them blankly. That could have happened - it has in the past. So we'll see how that goes. A new agility session starts in September, and I want it to be successful for us, so that means putting in way more practice than I have over the summer.

My mom has decided to get a new garage door (ours has been broken for years), so we had to clean out the garage this weekend. It was a HUGE job - the garage was literally packed to the rafters with junk of all sorts (we're ALL packrats in the worst way). My mom did the bulk of the work, but I did some too, and also cleaned out my shed at the back and the area where I have my dog stuff in the basement. We took 7 loads to the dump, of which I assisted on 4 of those loads. I was so sore yesterday I could hardly move! And I got heatstroke on Saturday from working withoutt a hat and without drinking enough water. I know a LOT better than that! But the garage looks awesome now, and the new door should be installed sometime this week. My next project is de-cluttering my bedroom, which scares the dickens out of me, but will be great when it's all done.

Let's just say I'm thankful to be at work today, where the most strenuous thing I have to do is work in Excel!

Clicker Fun!

2009-08-12T09:12:00.001-06:00

So, I just finished reading Karen Pryor's latest book "Reaching The Animal Mind" (awesome, awesome book guys!), and decided that I wanted to try a shaping exercise with the clicker, instead of the luring that I had done to get my guys into the correct position. One of the standard games that clicker trainers use for shaping is called "101 Things With A Box" - basically you sit in a room with few distractions, a box, a clicker and a hand full of treats. Then you start clicking your dog for any interaction with the box, with the goal of a particular behaviour (two feet in the box, pushing the box, etc).

I didn't have a box, so I used the dogs' little couch as my object, and I sat down to work with Jack Jack. First I clicked him for looking at the couch. After a couple of times of that, I asked him to actually touch the couch with his nose. Success! Then I clicked for front feet on the couch . . . all of this happened within about 5 minutes or so. Once he got that figured out, every now and then he'd put one paw on the couch and then look at me, to see if I'd reward him for that. I could literally see the wheels turning in his head! Finally I got him to the point where he'd be on the couch with all four paws, and that's where we quit for the night. In about 10 minutes I shaped him to stand on the couch with all four feet. His tail wagged madly the whole time, and his eyes were sparkling.

I worked with Grace after I put Jack Jack in the crate . . . we didn't get as far as all four feet on the couch, because she's far less willing to experiment than Jack Jack is, so I had to do more clicking for looking at and then sniffing the couch. But she had fun, and it was good for all of us.
If you have clicker savvy dogs, I encourage you to try shaping . . . it's a great mental workout AND it's fun!

What A Night - Redux

2009-08-11T11:27:00.001-06:00

Really, you'd think we'd had enough issues last week . . . but I think it was our weekend to be tested by the powers that be.Friday morning the sewer backed up again . . . thankfully this time it was shower water, so nice and clean. Much better than the "grey" water we got on Wednesday night. We cleaned it up, left my dad with money for more Drano, and then headed out of town.

Half an hour out of town, my "Check Battery" light came on in the car. There are no service stations (with more than just fuel) within 3 hours of my hometown, so we just kept driving until we found a slightly larger centre. Stopped at a garage to have it looked at - no problems with the battery. The guy figures it might be a loose connection. Whatever, at least the car is safe. Friday night we went for supper with my Aunt & Uncle, to celebrate their 40th anniversary. It was a really nice meal, and we had a great visit with them. They're good people.

Saturday night we saw the Lipizzanner Stallions, which were amazing. Talented horses, talented riders . . . it was very cool. I'd never take a 4 year old again, as she was bored and so she wouldn't be quiet or sit still, but the older kids enjoyed it. After the show we sat up late visiting with my brother and his fiancee.

Sunday we got up relatively early and drove home. It was an uneventful drive.Sunday afternoon the sewer backed up AGAIN. And it was bad this time . . . it came up through my toilet and everything (I live in the basement). Fortunately I'm looking after a friend's house, so I just took the dogs and stayed at her house, to get away from the smell.

Monday morning the plumbers came and used their tools to push whatever blockage we had far, far away. Cost almost $800, but if it worked, I'm happy. It's nice to be back home and in my bed. I don't want any more adventures!

What A Night!

2009-08-06T11:03:00.001-06:00

Holy crap, what a night last night.

First of all, Jack Jack is just being ridiculous about Grace, who's in heat right now. One of them was in a crate pretty much at all times last night, just for my own sanity. I thought my mother would kill him . . . he was howling for Grace during the day, I guess. Took him for a bike ride to see if using up his energy would help . . . not so much. Thank God it's almost over. Just a few more days, by my calculations.

Went to the chiropractor, because my upper back is sore (again). Had forgotten my wallet in my work bag and couldn't pay. He was good about it (I've been a patient for 5 years now), but I was embarrassed.

Watched "Next Food Network Star" - uneventful, thank goodness.

Went downstairs to go to bed, and the sewer had backed up into the basement. There was an inch of standing (dirty) water in the laundry room and out into the hallway. By the grace of God it did not go into my bathroom, the pantry or the furnace room. It was so disgusting! So then my mom and I spent over an hour fixing the issue and cleaning up. Everything had to be washed in bleach (floor, baseboards, etc) and now there are dozens of towels to wash. It was not fun, and of course, after that, I had trouble sleeping. Thankfully it appears to be fine this morning.

I almost stayed home today, just to recover from my night!

Karma Can Be Nasty

2009-08-04T20:00:00.003-06:00

Remember when you were little, and you'd be driving your mother up the wall, and she'd say to you "Someday I hope you have a kid just like you!"? I remember that, clear as day. However, since I have absolutely no desire to have kids, I doubt it'll happen to me. But . . . my brother has a few kids. Okay, five altogether. And yeah, one of his kids is an awful lot like him.

His second-youngest daughter is spending the summer with us . . . my dad is VERY close to her, and so they both enjoy her being here. We've had her for about a month already, and with every passing day I realize that she is JUST like her father was at this age. Busy, non-stop, always moving and always making noise. She loves to sing, talk, yell and make any other amount of noise. Sometimes it's endearing, sometimes not so much. She loves to argue with authority and she questions everything.

For those folks that don't believe in genetics playing a part in temperament and personality, I can prove otherwise. Honestly, my brother hasn't been busy like this since he was little (no not just a few years younger, but a LOT younger) . . . and yet, it's like going back in time. It's almost kind of eerie, really. So yeah, karma can be a real bitch!

Reasons to pay attention while mowing the lawn . . .

2009-07-27T20:22:00.002-06:00

Lessons learned from cutting the grass this weekend.

1. The obvious is so that you don't run over your toes (of course, if you're being safe, you have shoes on, and wouldn't catch your toes anyhow).

2. So you don't accidentally cut down your mother's flowers (this did NOT happen, by the way, but it could).

3. So you don't run over the newly-seeded areas and rip out the grass before it has time to root.

4. So you don't run over the power cord, trip the breaker in the garage, lose your power source and have to shell out big bucks for a new cord. Really, it could happen to anybody. Not necessarily me or anything. I'm just saying. Really.

FYI - safety first.

Book Reviews

2009-07-26T14:23:00.002-06:00

Recently a friend loaned (lent?) me two of her books. Both were books I'd seen on the shelves at Chapters, but for one reason or another, I hadn't picked them up. I love getting the opportunity to read stuff that I would normally pass by - sometimes that's the best way to find a favourite new author.

Lullabies for Little Criminals

A Canada Reads award winner, this book takes place in Montreal. It's the story of a young girl and her father, and their difficult life. He's a junkie without a decent job, and her perception of the world is coloured by the way she was raised (and saying she was raised is a stretch in itself). It's very well-written, and despite the somewhat dark subject matter, it's a quick read. It's a book that's tough to put down once you've started it. Not for the faint of heart, or anybody who would rather pretend that there is no seedy side of life. Sorry, I can't remember the author's name, but I think her first name is Heather.
Rating: B+

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Another book whose author I can't remember. I really should write that information down, or look it up on the Net before I start these posts. Anyhow, the story is about twins born on a very snowy winter night, and the father making a snap decision that will forever change his life, as well as the lives of his family and his daughter (whom he gives away due to her having Down Syndrome). It's not like there are a lot of twists and turns in the story that keep you on the edge of your seat, but it's very well written and it draws you in like a familiar friend. A bittersweet ending almost leaves you wanting more. I really enjoyed the book - more than I thought I would when I read the back cover.
Rating: A-

Speaking For Spot

By Nancy Kay DVM (why is it I never have trouble remembering authors' names when they've written dog books?). A great book for any owner that has ever question veterinary care. Nancy Kay guides you through vet visits and lets you in on what questions to ask and what kind of answers you should be getting. She does cover a few specialized areas of care, such as dogs with cancer, but the book is a great way to save a bit of money on caring for your dog, while being your pet's advocate when they need you the most. You can check out Nancy's website at http://www.speakingforspot.com
Rating: A+

People are stupid!

2009-07-24T18:19:00.002-06:00

Normally I really like the people I work with (and I'm using the words "with with" to indicate all of the people in the trailer I work in), but right now somebody is really ticking me off. I should stop here and say that it could just as easily be the night cleaners or other people randomly wandering through our trailer (it happens!). I normally keep bottles of Diet Coke in the refrigerator, so that I can have a cold drink every day. I buy 6 packs of bottles at the grocery store and keep them cold until I want one. While I was on vacation, somebody drank TWO of the bottles! Now, who would go into a communal fridge and just help themselves? That is so wrong!

But it gets better (or worse, depending on your perspective) . . . Because the cafeteria isn't easily accessible, I tend to bring frozen dinners to have for lunch. There's no way I can remember to go outside to the deep freezer to get one every day, so I typically bring them in on Mondays. I know I had enough this week, because I bought 5 of them last weekend while grocery shopping. Lo and behold, when I go to get my lunch today, my last frozen dinner is GONE! Now, in my opinion, that's worse than stealing my drinks, because now I have no lunch. AND, I took lunch much later than usual today, so I couldn't even go to the caf to buy something,

Why do people think they have the right to take what's not theirs? There's nothing okay about it! Get off your lazy butt and go buy your own drinks and your own lunch . . . your lack of planning doesn't mean I should suffer.

And that's my rant for today.

I'm Still Alive, I Promise!

2009-07-22T20:46:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone!I'm sure by now you all think I'm dead . . . I've chatted with one or two of you, and worked on your farms on Farm Town, but otherwise have been pretty much AWOL for a while now. Fear not, I'm still around, just busy as all heck!

Since starting this new job I've done an inordinate amount of traveling, as all of you know. I've been to Houston twice and Toronto once, and there's more travel coming this fall. Home has been busy, because my niece Tashie is here for the summer, which means less time online and more time outside (when it's not raining). She's finally learning to ride a bike (with training wheels) and that takes a lot of work.

On July 8th I flew to Pomona, CA for the American Spaniel Club summer show. I spent 4 wonderful days at the show, soaking up the beautiful dogs and meeting a ton of people (from the Zim forum, and from email lists that I belong to). I spent some time narrating for the DVDs that get made of the show, and lots of time visiting people. Jack Jack's black sister went to live in Australia, and her owner came to LA for the show, so I spent some time with her. My pictures are all up at http://kladckrs.zenfolio.com/

The Monday (July 13th) we went to Disneyland (Jackie, Ange and I). We had an awesome time! Ange and I had never been, so Jackie was our tour guide and we spent a blistering 14 hours there. It was so much fun, and my pictures are also up on the Zenfolio site.

Since getting back, I've been on the run at work, as well as being busy spending time with the dogs at home. They've been feeling kind of neglected, what with me being on the road so much, so I've been trying to spend as much time as I can with them.

100 Reasons To Love Canada

2009-07-01T19:43:00.002-06:00

What's not to love about Canada? Not much, but when asked about what they DO love, our readers shared hundreds of favourite things about our home and native land. Did yours make the list?

We Canadians love our health care and hockey. And don't keep us from our Tim Hortons coffee -- preferably with beavertails and butter tarts. From the rolling Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, we boast about our hearty multiculturalism and polite people. When Kathy Ullyott, Homemakers Magazine's editor-in-chief, asked you to share your top 10 favourite Canadian things, our e-mail inboxes overflowed. There are many things that make us proud to live in the Great White North, including our crazy Canadian weather. Sure, we complain about it, but we really cherish beautifully coloured leaves in the fall, snow-fort wars in winter, cherry blossoms in spring and lakeside vacations in the summer.

From the thousands of suggestions we got, we culled this list of 100 reasons to love Canada -- beginning with the 10 that were named by the most readers:

Readers's top 10 Canadian favourites

10. Tim Hortons "Coffee addicts unite! ... Who can resist rolling up the rim?" wrote Anne Shelton of Toronto. Yes, we love Tim's coffee, Timbits, Iced Capps frozen cappuccinos, sour cream cake and maple doughnuts -- spelled d-o-u-g-h-n-u-t-s, please, not d-o-n-u-t-s! (See item 56 on this list for more on Canadian spellings.)

9. The beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains, "...still mostly untouched. You can go hiking without running into crowds of people." (Lasha MacLeod, Sherwood Park, Alta.)

8. Fresh water That includes our lakes to swim and fish in, clean drinking water, rivers, streams and ponds. "The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway are proud parts of our history in discovering the country," said Terri McBride of Hunstville, Ont.

7. Hockey Included in "Our Game" are CBC's Hockey Night in Canada -- both the show and its former theme song -- as well as national teams: The Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens, Cheers to our women's teams too. In Canada, hockey is "the sport that brings friends and communities together," said Kim O'Reilly, Calgary, Alta.

6. Health careBarbara White of Barrie, Ont. said it best: "Having a husband diagnosed with cancer at 33 and, 10 years later, still waking up beside him and watching our children grow together makes me thankful every day that I am a Canadian. I have not had to get a second or third job, still have a house without having to sell it all in order to pay medical bills!"

5. FreedomWe're overwhelmingly grateful for our freedom of speech and religion; for our nation's independence and democracy, and for our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Linda LaRochelle from Port Alberni, B.C. wrote in to say: "In Canada, a democratic country, we enjoy the freedom to live our lives pretty much as we choose."

4. Our changing seasons"Canadians enjoy talking about the weather and are often disgruntled by the extreme heat and cold. But the changing of the seasons gives us not only something to talk about, but also to look forward to." (Cheryl Telford, Newmarket, Ont.)

3. The Canadian characterYou described Canadians as friendly, polite, generous, warm, open-minded, forgiving, humble, welcoming, caring, curious and honest. "It's the people that make a country great and we have a great country with outstanding people -- young and old." (Beth Corrigan Jenish, Oshawa, Ont.)

2. The landscapeVast, clean, diverse and green -- those are some of the words you used to describe our home and native land. "Whether travelling east to west or west to east, we truly have a beautiful country to be proud of," said Cheryl Telford.

And...1. Multiculturalism "From our people, our landscape, our culture(s), food, etc., the very fabric of Canada is a patchwork quilt, full of colours and textures and richness," says Linda LaRochelle, Port Alberni, B.C.

After your top 10,* your lists of favourites took on a more personal flavour. And speaking of flavour, we do love to eat, drink and be Canadian! Here are your toasts to Canadian tastes.*The balance of your top favourites are listed in no particular order

11. Culinary variety "The availability of food from around the world, including locally grown produce." Catherine Charnell, Victoria

12. Maple syrup "Dripping freshly brewed maple sap onto frozen snow for that wonderful taffy treat - awesome!" Louise Aspden, Utopia, Ont.

13. Poutine "Who would have thought fries + cheese curd + gravy could be an out-of-body experience?" Ashlee Mackey, Houston originally from St. John's, N.L.

14. Beef "Best beef in the world, from Alberta." Marybell Ritchie

15. "Canadian beer is the best, hands down!" Jennifer Rayment, Bolton, Ont.

16. Seafood including P.E.I. lobster, Atlantic salmon, Newfoundland chowder, "Atlantic Coast Lobster and BC salmon." Pat Greer, Aylmer, Ont.

17. "We have real bacon. Canadian back bacon." Patricia Fretz, Courtice, Ont.

18. Nanaimo bars "So traditional and so B.C.!" Alana LeSueur, Surrey, B.C.

19. Fresh produce "An abundance of homegrown fruits and vegetables." Karen Mitchell, White Rock, B.C.

20. Saskatoon berries "on ice cream, with fresh cream, on their own as you mow by the bush, mmhmm." Barb Beck, Wetaskiwin, Alta.

21. Wines "Yes, we have some of the best in the world and for many of us, right at our doorstep." Susan Fox, Thornhill, Ont.

22. Butter tarts "You can't find them anywhere else! It's the treat friends from the U.S., Britain and Australia want when they set foot on Canadian soil." Jo-Anne Page, Toronto

23. "Any farmer's market on a Saturday morning." Carrie Chenier, Etobicoke, Ont., (a transplanted Northerner)

24. Icewine "Mmmmm..." Kristi Briltz, Regina

25. Beavertails "Delicious and just part of being a Canadian." Katrien Reed, Belleville, Ont.

26. Fiddleheads "Nothing heralds spring as much as a steaming plate of freshly picked fiddleheads served with butter and a side order of pork." Anne Glazier, Bathurst, N.B.

27. Smarties (originated in the U.K., but made in Canada!) "Do you eat the red ones last?" Jaclyn Nelson, London, Ont.Canadians may not be as flag-waving as citizens of some other countries...or are we? All of these distinctly Canadian icons and national symbols got lots of "votes."

28. "It does us no end of good here to see and have an excuse to salute the flag of Canada -- a hockey game (yes, on ice!) or a Maple Leaf Ball." Shairon Burton

29. The maple leaf "So unassuming, so clean and so elegantly simple -- so reflective of Canadians." Willy Wilkins, Richmond Hill, Ontario.

30. The beaver "Our national animal is hard-working and has a strong sense of family." Christine Peters, Edmonton

31. Money "Brightly coloured bills and unique coins" Lynda Colvey, Cold Lake, Alta.

32. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) "So proud, independent, brave...they make us feel safe." Erin Purdy, Ottawa

33. O Canada! "I feel pride in my heart each time I hear our national anthem." Sandi Larson, Cold Lake, Alta.

34. Parliament Hill "The grandeur of the place added to the lasting memory it created in my parents' visit to Canada. Their photograph in front of the parliament buildings will forever be present in my living room." Cynthia G. Garcia

From natural wonders to unique species, from the majestic Atlantic to the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains, there's no question that Canada puts the "great" in "great outdoors."

35. "Our national and provincial parks" Sandra Kropinske, Kamloops, B.C.

36. Niagara Falls "It's spectacular at night. Canada is fortunate to have a wonder of the world." Tracey Ilnisky, Gilbert Plains, Man.

37. Oceans "The smell of the Atlantic Ocean (with icebergs and humpbacks in the background of course!)" Ashlee Mackey, Houston, originally from St. John's, N.L.

38. "Fresh air and blue skies -- you can truly appreciate it after you visit some dirty steel towns." Suzanne Michal, Ottawa

39. "Our caring about the environment." Chris Sherlock, LaSalle, Ont.

40. "Watching the Northern Lights dance across the winter sky." Sandi Larson, Cold Lake, Alta.

41. Highway 60 through Algonquin Park "Watching for wildlife, namely moose, hidden within the lush landscape is one of our family's favourite pastimes." Louise Aspden, Utopia, Ont.

42. "Red dunes on the beaches in P.E.I." Lisa Mallia, Toronto

43. The Trans Canada Highway "It allows us to discover all that our beautiful country has to offer. Take the ride!" Anne Shelton, Toronto

44. "Skiing in the morning and going to the beach in the afternoon." Fiona Baxter, Ottawa (formerly of Banff, Alta. and B.C.)

45. Canoeing "There's no better way to reconnect with the natural world and so many wonderful lakes and rivers on which to do it." Bernadette Hardaker, Orangeville, Ont.

46. "Cottage country -- i.e. beautiful Muskoka, lovely Tobermory, sizzling Sauble Beach." Vivian Lee, Toronto

47. Wildlife "We have everything -- moose, deer, rabbit, beaver, squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, etc." Joyce Poyton, Hamilton, Ont.

48. Polar bears "This bear is twice as big as a lion or tiger...OH MY!" Pat Greer, Aylmer, Ont.

49. Canada Geese "Each time I hear their calls soaring above and see the unmistakable "V" formation I remind myself how grateful I am to be Canadian." Louise Aspden, Utopia, Ont.

50. The loon "Hearing their eerie love song invokes a sense of peace and wonder within me." Louise Aspden, Utopia, Ont.

51. "Sideways snow." when you live with it, you never think you'll miss it." Ashlee Mackey, Houston, originally from St. John's, N.L.

52. Autumn "Love that crispy clean air and the crazy quilt of colour." Shairon BurtonDoes Canada have a unique culture and heritage? You'd better believe it! And here are some of its hallmarks, identified by Homemakers readers as among their favourite things about Canada.

53. Diversity in history and heritage "Canadians have a diverse and rich heritage from our ancestors. It's instilled in us that we must leave a mark as Canadians on our planet." Connie Grant, Saint John, N.B.

54. Bilingualism "What an advantage to know another language -- especially good for solving crossword puzzles!" Mary Danieli, Burnaby, B.C.

55. "Our First Nations...a great heritage, a rich culture, a great people." Ruth Witt

56. Canadian spelling "The letter U -- I love sending e-mails to my U.S. friends with words like colour, favourite, and humour. A special mention for the letter Z (zed)." Jennifer Williatte-Battet, St. Joseph du Moine, NS

57. Family Whether you gather at your local Tim Hortons or during Canada Day or Victoria Day celebrations, you cited family as source of Canadian pride.

58. We actually say, "eh." Tammy Taylor, Oakville, Ont.

59. Canadian comedy and our sense of humour."Canada has some of the funniest quirky comedians from French Canadians, Newfoundlanders, Nova Scotians, First Nations...Russell Peters, Shaun Majumder." Barb Derick, Ottawa

60. Canadian literature Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables was a popular choice. "Robertson Davies, yes, and Alice Munro and Margaret Laurence and Margaret Atwood...we have so many wonderful writers in this country." Lily Gillespie

61. Local talent "Uniquely talented Canadian actors, directors, writers, artists representing!" Vivian Lee, Toronto

62. Canada Day fireworks "Unites wonderful people of all ages and cultures in this great country of ours." Danielle Vincent, Gatineau, Que.

63. "CBC radio and TV keep us in touch with our awesome country and with the other nations of the world." Ruth Witt64. "Homemakers magazine I can't wait for the next issue!" Brenda Critch, Lindsay, Ont. [Well, really, how could we resist including that one?!]

Of course, Canada has scores of native sons and daughters, of whom we're all justly proud. Here are just a few that rated special mention:

65. Terry Fox "A true Canadian hero." Nicole Okano, Richmond, B.C.

66. Mr. Dressup "Although Ernie Coombs passed away a few years ago and Casey, Finnegan, Aunt Bird and Alligator Al are all tucked away in a special chest. Our children will always remember the many skills and information they learned from the show." Jo-Anne Page, Toronto

67. Pierre Elliott Trudeau "He was an inspirational leader." Shammy Singh, Toronto

68. A prime minister [Stephen Harper] who apologizes. "The prime minister's apology to the aboriginal peoples who attended residential schools is a wonderful accomplishment and a step in the right direction for the future." Eileen Lucas, Fort McMurray, Alta.

69. David Suzuki "He is fighting the most important fight there is today...to save our place on this planet." Bernadette Hardaker, Orangeville, Ont.

70. "Mike Myers "Canada's greatest ambassador." Linda Lee, Moncton, N.B.

71. Musicians "Jann Arden, Bryan Adams, Sarah MacLachlan, Great Big Sea, Loreena McKennitt, Barenaked Ladies, Chantal Kreviazuk, Terri Clark, Nelly Furtado, Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, Shania Twain, Tommy Hunter, Chilliwack, Loverboy, Nickelback, The Rankins, Diana Krall, Avril Lavigne, the list goes on and on and on!" Linda LaRochelle, Port Alberni, B.C.

72. "Proud artist Emily Carr." Lynmarie Hubley, Kingston, Ont.

73. "The talented artists and the people who support them." -- Jeanette BearssCanmore, Alta.

74. Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven "These artists really had it all together. Their paintings capture a true feeling of what Canada is and how vast and different its landscape can be, even in just one province." Katrien Reed, Belleville, Ont.Peace, Order and Good Government: It's enshrined in our Constitution; it's something we're famous for worldwide -- and, in one way or another, it made the lists of dozens of our contributors.

75. Education "Even with budget cuts there are still many excellent English as a Second Language programs offered in many schools, community centres and religious institutions in cities and towns in our magnificent country." Jo-Anne Page, Toronto

76. Our military "Thank you for the fighting, the peacekeeping and the ultimate sacrifice of your lives to make this world a better place for my children and myself. " Barbara White, Barrie, Ont.

77. Order and citizenship "We don't assassinate our political leaders...we,"pie" them instead!" Christine Peters, Edmonton

78. Democracy "I love being able to vote in a democratic society." Linda Klages, Hanover, Ont.

79. "The economy and opportunity that Canada offers to her people. We can aspire to a sound future. Students can find vocational training at a reasonable fee and most could afford to take some type of post secondary training education." Sharon Thurston, St-Anicet, Que.

80. Pensions "How many countries take care of its older generation like we do? At some point we will enjoy the Old Age Security Pension and Canada Pension Plan." Susan Scriver

81. Transportation "Subways and buses, trains, ferries, cars, and planes to take us anywhere in our vast country within a matter of hours instead of weeks, like in pioneer times." Sharon Thurston, St-Anicet, Que.

82. Clean roads, cities "I love that our highways and streets are kept clean of litter. " Lasha MacLeod , Sherwood Park, Alta.

83. Safety/sense of security "I feel safe in my community and trust in my neighbours." Laurie MacNeil, Cleveland, N.S.

84. Peace "Our peace-loving nature, known throughout the world." Linda Chaput, North Bay, Ont.

85. Opportunities "It's the land of opportunity and the best place to live on Earth." Gloria Shields, Port Hope, Ont.

In many ways, Canada is a nation of communities, and many of our readers cited local landmarks, hometowns and home provinces as inspiring patriotic pride.

86. "The streets of old Quebec City." Ashlee Mackey, Houston, Tx originally from St. John's, N.L.

87. "We have 13 beautiful provinces and territories to explore. The beauty is incomparable to anything or anywhere else." Peggy McPherson, Windsor, N.S.

88. Ottawa's Rideau Canal "I never feel so Canadian as when I am skating on the Rideau during Winterlude." Katrien Reed, Belleville, Ont.

89. "I love the CN Tower lit up at night. Your eyes are drawn to it like a magnet." Susan Scriver

90. Toronto "This city is amazing! The galleries, the theater, the community, the Toronto Maple Leaf fans!" Suzanne Creighton, Toronto

91. Calgary Stampede "I lived in Alberta for 13 years and loved when the Stampede came to town. It brought the wild west to us for 10 days." Roxanne Zinck, Sussex, N.B.

92. "Free multicultural events at Harbourfront, Toronto." Patricia Lewis, Toronto93. Prairies "Grain fields and grasses that look like waves as they change direction with the wind." Kathleen Alexander, Saskatoon

94. "Ottawa and the Tulip Festival." Cindy San Antonio, Whitby, Ont.

95. "Vancouver is one of my favourite cities. It is so diverse and has beautiful scenery right in town!" Lasha MacLeod, Sherwood Park, Alta.

96. Muskoka "Canada's area of magnificent lakes, rocks, flora and fauna. Boating, swimming, fishing, golfing and cottaging in the spring and summer. Walking the trails and viewing the changing of the leaves in the fall and skiing, skating and snowshoeing in the winter. Lucky us!" Jo-Anne Page, Toronto

97. "The beauty of British Columbia" Sheila Kawahara, Thunder Bay, Ont.And finally -- drumroll, please -- unique entries we couldn't resist!

98. Pineapple Crush. "I think it might be a Newfie thing." Ashlee Mackey, Houston

99. "Elk jams in Banff National Park." Fiona Baxter, Ottawa

100. Ketchup chips -- "Not much to say except YUMMY!" Susan Paisley

Happy Birthday!

2009-06-29T10:23:00.002-06:00

Today I want to send out happy birthday wishes to a good friend of mine. I won't name her, but if she reads this, she'll know who she is. She's a quiet, unassuming person with a heart of gold. Although she doesn't show her dogs (she has two Cockers), she's always supportive of the local clubs, and is willing to lend a hand or donate something for an auction. She'll carry your stuff, hold your dogs and even film you while you're in the ring.

She's a GREAT mom, a wonderful dog mom, and a superb friend. I hope she has a most excellent birthday today, and that her husband and daughter spoil her rotten!

Agility Fun Match

2009-06-27T19:31:00.001-06:00

So, most of you probably don't know that I live in the middle of nowhere, in Northern Alberta. There are never dog shows, fun matches, trials or anything like that here. Everything is at least 5 hours away, if not further. Fortunately, the lady that I was working for when I taught Rally classes took it upon herself to organize a NADAC fun match today. There was one Standard run, one Touch'n'Go and two Tunnelers runs. I didn't know about the match soon enough to make all four runs (another appointment), so I only got to do the Tunnelers runs with Grace. She's been training in agility since the fall, and in the last 8 weeks has only attended two classes (I've been away so much for work).

The first tunnelers run was . . . interesting. She started out well, but kept refusing to enter the dark tunnel . . . so I skipped it and continued with the course. It was in a horse barn with loosely packed dirt, and I lost my footing (and was WAY out of breath), so I took a tumble. I did a lovely somersault and hurt absolutely nothing, but got all kinds of applause LOL We finished the course smiling and laughing. It really wasn't bad for her first agility run EVER.

The second run was better (but tougher). I had to do a front cross, and it went really well. Grace wasn't super fast, but she was accurate, and we ended up being the second fastest small dog for that run! She even got a prize :-D Overall I'd say it was pretty successful, and it got me pumped for future agility trials!

The End of an Era

2009-06-25T18:38:00.002-06:00

This is going to be repetitive for those of you that read a lot of online blogs, but wow! Michael Jackson has passed away . . . an icon of the 80's and 90's, and of pop music in general. I still feel blown away that he has died so young, and right before his planned series of retirement concerts.

Running through my head are several top hits - Thriller being the most predominant one at this point in time. His face will always be irrevocably linked to a single white glove, moonwalking and the pelvic grab, with the high pitched "oh!" It seems surreal that his life just ended, so suddenly.

Everybody, go and hug your loved ones and tell them you love them. This just goes to show that you never know what's coming, or when the ride we call life will be over.

Lesson Learned

2009-06-22T20:11:00.002-06:00

I learned a very important lesson the other night. I want to pass it along so that others don't suffer like I did.

When training your dog for agility (weave poles in this case), put the other dogs in the house. This could save your life. Or at least the knees of your pants (or capris). I was running Grace through the weave poles the other night, cheering her on because she was nailing them over and over again (not quite straight, but oh so close now!). I guess Jack Jack wanted to get in on the action, because he ran right in front of me. I was full steam ahead, and didn't see the blonde blur under my feet. Thank goodness the grass is soft, because I did an elbow and knee plant . . . and I'm pretty sure I flew through the air first.

After calling the dog some choice names (I'm sure the neighbors enjoyed that), I rolled onto my back and looked at the sky, simultaneously testing my various body parts to ensure they were attached and functioning as intended. Then I got up, called Jack, apologized for calling him nasty, insulting names, and quit for the night.

Lesson learned. Train one dog and one dog only!

The Jewelry Box

2009-06-21T20:36:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you guys, but when I was little, one of my favourite things to do was to sit with my mom and go through her jewelry box. She always had the best stories about the things in there, and hours would pass by as we took a stroll down memory lane. As I got older, it was something that we did less and less often, usually because either she or I (or both of us) were busy. I didn't really think about it that much . . . because as you know, when you get older, life changes from being about dreams and fantasies and memories and becomes more about reality and the facts of life (no, not just those facts people - get your minds out of the gutter!).

Anyhow, my mom just got back from visiting her best friend and was telling me about how her best friend's dad was divvying up her mom's jewelry (her mom passed away earlier this year). It got my mom and I talking about what to do with various pieces of her jewelry when the time comes for items to be given out. That conversation evolved into a visit to the jewelry box (well, drawers now, as she has many mementos collected). It was very cool to be going through her precious items, just like we've done so many times before. It made me feel like a young kid again, and I enjoyed hearing the stories attached to the various items, even though I've heard those stories before. They're the kinds of stories you can never hear enough times.

I'm so thankful to have this wonderful relationship with my mom, where we can sit and fall into old habits and memories and have it feel completely natural. I just wanted to share my appreciation for something that doesn't get done often enough . . . quality time with the most important person in my life.

Movie Reviews

2009-06-18T18:47:00.002-06:00

Movie #1 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

A light-hearted movie (as most Adam Sandler movies are), it actually has some good messages embedded in the physical gags and stinging one-liners. I really enjoyed the movie, from the "still in the closet" son to the sexy lawyer's uber-gay brother. If you're looking for a movie filled with laughs but a few good moments too, I recommend it. I can't say the ending will surprise you, though.

Movie #2 He's Just Not That Into You

Guys, run far, far in the other direction! This movie is NOT for you. It is a chick flick in the truest sense of the word. But, as far as cheesy chick flicks go, it's not a bad one. The girls get the right guys in the end, the jerks get theirs, and it ends in a feel-good manner. No surprises, again, but good for a night with friends, in fuzzy socks, flannel pajamas and wearing face masks.

Movie #3 Gran Torino

Okay, I had totally prepared myself to not like this movie. I may be the only human on earth that isn't a huge Clint Eastwood fan, but that's just how it is. Yes, Clint plays another crusty, old guy that practically screams "Make my day" without actually saying those words. But in this movie we see a hint of the softer side, disguised with sarcasm, growling and grunts. The movie sends a good message, and despite some less-than-stellar acting in the supporting roles, it's a quality film. And unlike the other movies reviewed, I think the ending will surprise you.

The good part about traveling lots is getting caught up on movies!

Wordless Wednesday - Dog Show Candids

2009-06-17T17:50:00.002-06:00

Fun in the Sun

2009-06-14T21:09:00.003-06:00

I bought the dogs a toy called a "Hurl A Squirrel" which is a fabric and rope frisbee . . . I hadn't had a chance to play with them with it, because I've been away so much. When I took them outside with the toy, I realized one small problem . . . Farley doesn't share. Every time he gets the frisbee, he takes off with it, to chew it up.

Bit the dogs appeared to have fun anyhow . . . enjoy!

Things To Remember

2009-06-13T15:08:00.002-06:00

Have there ever been little quirks about people that you thought you'd remember forever? A particular saying or habit or whatever? I got to thinking about my nieces and nephew, and how quickly they're growing up, and how easy it would be to forget the little things that were unique to them as smaller kids.

My first niece . . . the first niece or nephew is special. It's really the first time you feel that kind of love that can only be between your sibling's child (or children) and you. You get to spoil them excessively and be the fun one. When she was really small, she'd say "hippohommas" instead of hippopotamus. It was too funny! And one night she told everybody we were having roast beast for supper, instead of roast beef. She used to be very quiet and shy, but as she grows up she's coming out of her shell, and we're having lots of fun together. She really loves helping me with the dogs, and even picked up the dog poop in the yard last time I was away - without anybody asking her! She's extremely smart, and math is her favourite subject. How cool is that?

My second niece . . . the first biological niece. Her family came to live with us for a few months just after she was born, so she's the first baby that I spent any real amount of time with. Her first word was "soup!" and she would grin and laugh like crazy when we said it. She has always said that Farley was her bestest friend, but she does love all of the dogs, and they adore her too. She loves gummies of any kind, and will eat almost anything at least once. She is very closely bonded with my dad (her poppa), but she loves everybody, and always wants to talk on the phone with us. She was a super good baby. Her terrible twos weren't a lot of fun, but she's a great kid now.

My third niece . . . . actually the oldest of the group, but she came third. She's a really neat young lady that is in between being grown up and a kid still. She tries to be cool, but sometimes I catch her playing with lego or watching cartoons and thoroughly enjoying herself. Her love is horses, although she likes dogs and cats and other animals too. We get along well because I treat her like an adult, and I think she appreciates that.

My nephew . . . the only boy (other than my brother), he has his fair share of issues. Legally blind and deaf in one ear, as well as a host of other issues, he's had to fight to survive. He's a pretty hearty kid, though, and is catching up quickly. He's walking now, which we weren't really sure would ever happen. If you say "Should 'a had a V8", he will smack himself in the forehead, just like the commercial. It's too funny.

My fourth niece . . . the youngest of the crew, she is one of us through and through. Give her some food (or a bottle) and she's happy. She is a very good baby - she almost never cried the whole time we had her over Christmas. She loves to snuggle and hug, and she has a beautiful smile. She's always hungry (just like us!) so she often tries to steal her brother's cookies, so he's constantly defending himself from her. But it's okay, because he used to steal her bottle when she was too little to do anything about it.

The kids grow up so fast that I feel like I'm forgetting as much as I'm seeing every day. I don't know what compelled me to write about them, but I think it's about preserving memories, so I don't forget who they were, even as I continually re-learn who they are.