What’s New

Hi all,

I hope I’m not intruding too much on the jubilation that is going on right
now at FFT. However, that being said, I will!

I just received a phone call from the FFT gang. Apparently I’m missing a
celebration. Ch. FFT Fernando went Best in Show today. I don’t know where, as
I couldn’t get to the phone in time to ask any questions. I can tell you
from experience, I believe him to be an exceptional representation of the
breed. I would like to offer my congratulations for a BIS well deserved. It is
very nice to, once again, see our absolutely fabulous breed win a Best in
Show.

Cheers to the winners,
Darby

Ask us! Just ask us! How did the shows go?

Yippee!! Fernando was awarded Best In Show Saturday. Best In Show!! And, hey, we even got to celebrate because it happened Saturday!

This an achievement of a life-time. Breeder/owner/handled Best In Show dogs are few and far between.

A painting of the now-famous motel….after all, it’s where the Best In Show dog resided the weekend of his big win…

We had a blast. The young dogs - many on a ‘training trip’ did great. Ethan, Chloe, Rumor and Savion picked up a major each. Between the cameras of Melissa, Ginny, Vickie and me, there’s lots of fun photos. But, butt, where are they? Stay tuned!

Darn work anyway. It always interferes with fun.

Yep. That’s where I’m headed, along with Julie, Melissa, Ginny, Vickie, my sister Kelly and her friend Ingrid. Seward, Nebraska. Why would we all be going to Seward? Why in April? After all, it’s not the 4th of July. Now that would be a reason to go to the 4th of July capital!

You guessed it. Dog shows. What else would lure us to meet in Seward?! This isn’t a big dog show…nothing like the Specialties in Minnesota or the Rocky Mountain Classic in February. Conformation is judged in one of the only two closed sided buildings on the fairgrounds. Getting grooming space ‘inside’ is a feat, one Vickie has mastered. She has also reserved three motel rooms, side by side, with a grassy area right outside the doors. A small park adjoins the motel, backing right up to our rooms. Perfect! Our Lady of Reservations, I affectionately call her.

The motel itself is one of those old Ma and Pa kind, the kind you rarely see these days - unless it’s on Colfax, being rented by the hour. About 5 years ago a young couple purchased it. Their tender loving care in renovating something from the past is evident. For me, I love these kinds of places. Character. History. Not the same ol’, same ol’ you find with the chain hotels and motels. The owners had packets made for each room last year, containing dog treats and a handy hairbrush/mirror for a people treat. This meaningful gesture was certainly appreciated! It’s nice to know the dogs are not just tolerated, but welcomed.

The dining options in Seward are limited. Pizza Hut is about as good (if you can use that word to describe it) as it gets. A couple three years ago, after eating a meal Vickie titled the Fried Feast, we decided to cook our food in the motel. The rooms have a refrigerator (or maybe Vickie made those appear - she has the capability!) and a microwave.

The purpose of this trip, this weekend isn’t ‘winning’. It’s a great midway place for Julie and me to meet, to see the youngsters living with each other, to evaluate their growth, to exchange dogs. It’s something we do at least once a year, maybe twice a year. Why not do it in conjunction with a dog show, especially one with a relaxed (as long as you have grooming space!) pace, a relaxed energy. It’s a great way for the canine youth to experience dog shows, a travel trip, building their experiences so when it’s time to put ‘pressure’ on them in the ring, they don’t have a meltdown. In fierce competition, a dog must be able to handle the intensity, the competitive energy. Not only handle it, but continue to show off. Some dogs are born naturals, but most must learn.

So, hi ho hi ho, it’s off to Seward we go!!

The painting of Raji Susan mentioned in her comment yesterday… 

Katy sent this to me, along with the following note:

 A photo of Lily Joy taken a day after her birth…

Lily Joy’s birth was bittersweet, as her sibling didn’t live. Life, glorious, often big, is fragile…particularly the process of entering this world, whether you be goat or dog. Katy’s words:

Covered now in lines and creases
Tickets torn in half
Memories in bits and pieces

Remember Traces? The version I listened to was sung by The Letterman. A google search shows the song writers are Buddy Buie, James Cobb and Emory Gordy.

As mentioned before, I’ve been buried in homework for the Library of Memories class. The past two weeks my spare time has been spent going through old photos, placing some of them in category drawers in the Library of Memories system. I’ve come across all kinds of great things to blog! …which will have to wait. Time. That darn time thing! It’s important to me for you to know that I haven’t forgotten the blog. I love the blog! Doing work for the course, I’ve made it ‘my own’, as our instructor encourages. Part of that is actually building blog material into the system.  My response to your comments may be slow coming, but please know I”M HERE learning, working to make this fun place even better.

Remember when I mentioned Sondra enlightened me about how to dress for the ring, marching me to a Target across the street from our hotel in Houston? Here’s a photo, taken at a later dog show, with me in my pearls. That’s Sondra on the left.

Time is breathing down my neck. There are puppies to feed, trash to haul to the top of the driveway and dogs in need of grooming. Does anyone know of a course on Slowing Down Time? I’d like to take it after I complete Library of Memories in June.

After mom died in 1997, my sisters put me in charge of the family photos. These, along with ‘memories in bits and pieces’ were organized and filed ten years ago. Yesterday doing homework for the Library of Memories class, knee deep in memorabilia, ephemera, photos and personal memories, I came upon the following card in the dad folder.

Inside the card..

My dad was nine years old in 1942. That is not his handwriting. I wondered about the significance of the card. Why was it saved? Who sent it? I shared the card and my questions with our friends Kevin and Melissa as we feasted on Chinese take-out. They suggested it was an art project with assistance from a teacher. That would explain the handwriting. Palmer method, for sure. A light bulb went on! Could dad have drawn the picture? Quickly I retrieved two wood burnings by dad…

It’s a barn and farm implements with mountains and pine trees in the background. The scan isn’t great, but look at the style. Look at the trees. Look at the snow on the trees. Look at the snow on the ground.

Here’s a piece he titled…

This was done looking out the bay window in the kitchen of the farm house, the house where my sister Lori now lives. Notice the two cats sleeping in the window. Look at the trees, cottonwoods instead of pines. Look at the snow on the ground.

Katy, Kevin and Melissa’s daughter is also an artist. She’s been asked to illustrate a book. There was no question in their minds that the three pieces were done by the same person. And that a talented nine-year old could easily draw with skill.

What do you think? 

I just have to share! Nate has coached the University of Colorado’s club swim team for the past two years. Nationals - the culmination of the American Swimming Association - University season - were held last weekend in North Carolina. The association is comprised of student-run swim clubs from colleges and universities across the country, founded in response to the elimination of collegiate varsity swim teams.

From the website: The 4th Annual American Swimming Association University League Nationals Championships proved to be a powerful display of the growth and rising level of competition of collegiate club swimming this weekend, where only 14 of 50 ASA U. COLLEGIATE CLUB SWIMMING RECORDS were able to withstand the onslaught of record-breaking swims at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Koury Natatorium.  

Colorado dominated the meet, winning the men’s, women’s, and overall team competitions and sweeping all four relay events in record time.  Rounding out the top three in the team competitions were UNC-Chapel Hill and Penn State with second and third place respective finishes in all three divisions. Eighteen clubs and 310 swimmers participated in all, making this year’s ASA U Nationals the largest and most competitive ever.

Nate was really, really proud of his team and swimmers. He told me they worked hard in practice and the many, many personal bests are evidence of their hard work. Here’s the team…that’s Nate in the white dress shirt and tie on the left.

Here’s what The Campus Press had to say… including some quotes from Nate.

Here’s a youtube video about the team, including a brief interview with Nate.

A first. Today I’ve done something for the first time. Admitedly, once before I attempted a dual sired litter. But that was done by Dr. Hess, at her clinic…and were AIs, not natural breedings. Kham ma was ‘back-up’ because of Katu’s age and sperm production. Conception did happen, but the puppies were resorbed. Technically I’ve never produced a dual sired litter.

Chandra - Vajra and Arsha’s sister - lives with her dam Garma at my friend Bobbie’s house. Panchen is Chandra’s sire. Chandra is a beautiful Apso. I’ll get photos while she’s here. I had been going back and forth, back and forth about which dog would mate with her. You know the situation, compounded by the probability that this will be Chandra’s only litter. Do I use Keeper? Or do I use a Gompa male?

Initially, weighing all the factors, including past success - or lack thereof - I decided the sire would be Keeper. During the Chandra handoff, after explaining my decision, Bobbie pointed out the obvious. Try another dual sired litter. Last night Chandra mated with Keeper. This morning she mated with Kham ma. DNA profiling will sort out the puppies.

Bobbie did mention the word slut, with the dearest of meaning.

The pedigree/s.

Vickie wrote: The following is an article by Cindy Cooke as published on the UKC site.  If you think this can’t happen in your city, you’re wrong … dead wrong.  Pay particular attention to the ordeal an ethical/responsible breeder (and rescuer) was subjected to and how the City of Littleton, Colorado basically held a gun to his head, including forcing property inspections outside the City’s jurisdiction!!