Walking In Improving Weather

By this morning I was sick of the rain. It had rained non stop since Tuesday afternoon. It was so unpleasant out there that I basically went into hiding for 2 days. But of course that means more time on the P.C so more headaches and less sleep. In the long run it really doesn't help me not to walk.

The dogs have been so good really, but Kaiah exploded into lunacy last night. Come what may, I just had to do proper walks today. 

Still a bit of fog and drizzle on walk one

Clearing skies but blustery with the girls

Not quite fun in the sun, but we had a great time! 

Kaiah And Tali

Kaiah Stalking Tali 

 Woohoo Play With Me Granny Tali

And Tali said  ...  "Feck Off Kid!"

Change Of Plans

Today Ziva should have been spayed. It has been booked for weeks. Last night she started with diarrhea, she never gets diarrhea! Anyway she still had it this morning and so I cancelled the appointment. There is no point putting her through the surgery without her being 100% healthy. To be honest, she's not ill, she's happy and her usual playful self so I doubt there was any risk .. but not a chance I'm willing to take. So now we need to get her booked in again!

Goodbye George

George Michael's funeral has taken place, three months after his sudden death at the age of 53. His family said a "small, private ceremony" on Wednesday was attended by "family and close friends".
In the statement, they thanked his fans for "their many messages of love and support" following the funeral, thought to have been held in London.
Michael died of natural causes at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, on Christmas Day. The riverside cottage became a focus for fans' grief in the days after he died, as did his home in Highgate, north London
The full statement from Michael's family read: "We can confirm that the funeral of the singer George Michael took place today. Family and close friends gathered for the small, private ceremony to say goodbye to their beloved son, brother and friend.
"George Michael's family would like to thank his fans across the world for their many messages of love and support. We ask that the family's wish for privacy be respected so that they can continue to live their lives privately, away from any media intrusion."

Critiques From LLandudno

GSD – G (2,1a) 1 Tuna Com mit Tasella, balanced overall outline with good bone & substance. Feminine head, deep well made body, moved well.
O (1) 1 Lokean of Blanik, masculine headed dog with good eye & expression. Strong, well boned, deep well constructed body. Balanced outline, moved soundly. BOB, G4

Kyle

Looking Wonderful 

Wondering On Walk One

This morning I decided to go down to the derelict cottage with Nico and Jezi. It was lovely down there, but I still felt a sadness, at one point this shell was someone's home. What life had come and gone in it? Who had walked in and out through it's door? Who had slept by the fire in the Winter and hopefully had time to sit out in the sun in the Summer? I hope it was once a happy home. 

It was a lovely walk down there, but really a hike back up and I hadn't envisaged how hot it would be by mid morning, well it is only March! Getting back to the top derelict cottage the dogs started behaving oddly, as quick as a flash a cat came out from the reeds and took off cross country. I didn't see much of it, but my it was a beautiful looking cat. A Spotted Silver tabby, I think .. with very unusually black markings. Nico as usual was impeccably behaved, but sadly Jezi let herself down, threw a deaf one and took off after the sent (The cat was long gone!) I was disappointed in her, but I guess she did come back .. eventually!

By the time I was back at the van I was sweating, my legs where wobbly and I swear I could hear my heart beating ... I was glad that I'd been but the next walk would without doubt be on flatter ground!

The front of the cottage - the sun brightly shine through detracts a little from the photo. 

Walk Two and Three To Llyn Cop

 Kaiah, Loki and Tali 

 Tali and Loki padding 

Kaiah thinking about it before deciding not too!

 Asha setting off for a swim, Ziva padding

and Sammi Splashing - as she does!

Sammi, Ziva and Asha

Another Strange Season

It's now 20 days since Sammi came in season, she should be finishing, but she seems to have barely started! There has been very little blood, Loki is still eating and Nico is pretty relaxed. This morning for the first time I've had to put Loki in a kennel, but only really because I had other things to do other than stand and watch to asses them. It's all quite here. I'm use to Sammi's seasons going on for about 30 days, but usually from day 14 or so the males are getting excited and they tend to quieten after about day 22. Thank god we don't want to mate her this time, I'd be pulling my hair out!

Five Came Home Clean

 Three Didn't!

So proud

Love this photo of baby Kaiah taken at the show yesterday. Great job of standing her there Ian, thank you. I'm quite taken aback at how good she looks, maybe it takes a photo for you to open your eyes and see what you really have! She's so beautifully constructed, so balanced and those pasterns have sure improved! 

I Love her head and cheeky expression and I love her dark eye. 

But more than anything I love who she is, just a great character who's loving life and taking everything in her stride! 

BOB For Bella

 Huge congrats to Ian and Bella who were BOB at Bootle and Crosby today. 

The girl looked lovely and moved like a dream.

Loki was second to his sister in a class of 4.

Judge complemented both which was nice

Celebrations

Over the last week I sure have got myself in a state over teeth. Finding it easier to bottle it up and worry myself sick about it than discuss it, I decided not to tell anyone except Steve about my concerns. Kaiah seemed to have a missing tooth. All but one of her adult teeth had come through, her bite was looking perfect but where one of her bottom p4's were suppose to be there was just a gap. In a pet dog this is no problem, in a show dog it's a disaster. There is no point showing a GSD with a missing tooth, it is simply an unacceptable fault. Steve had me in tears by suggesting that if it didn't come through then I should sell her. He knows me better than that, just the thought of it reduced me to tears ... but the thought of not being able to show her also had me in pieces.
Two Champ shows were closing their entries last week and I just didn't know what to do. Both at £25 a class it was a lot of money to throw away, if this tooth was missing she would not be going in the ring. I decided to think positively and enter, after all I would regret it if the tooth came through later ... well guess what? Tonight it bloody has!
Proving that every pup is a learning curve I've never known a tooth be so late in coming through, but tonight the tip of the tooth has finally broken through the gum. Yes she still has a big gab, but the tooth is there and it will now hopefully catch up with the others and her dentition will be complete by the time she's 6 months.
Watch out world Blanik Jeevana will soon be entering the show ring!

We Went Back To The Tunnel

On her second attempt Linda had found the tunnel yesterday morning, but we still decided to take some of the dogs who hadn't been there back to explore on the later walk. Kaiah was intrigued and had to go in, Loki had seen it before and Tali was disinterested in it really, though as this wasn't a walk that was familiar to Tali she was very full of herself!
Steve says the tunnel was an old railway tunnel from the days when the quarry was working, and with a derelict outbuilding and piles of slate stacked at one end that makes perfect sense. It would be amazing to see photos of this place as it was then during the days when dozens must have worked here in all weathers. In recent years the quarry has been worked again, but it must be worlds apart from what the older generations went through up here.
The reason I rarely do this walk is because it's downhill at the beginning ... and what goes down, has to come up again to get home. I always prefer to start my walks going up hill, then I have more energy and then the second half of the walk is down for home. But with a large new area to explore again I think I'll be going back pretty soon.

Loki calling Kaiah to have a look ...

But Miss busy body went further than he did

And me? Na I'm not going in there

 Tali returning from exploring further down then we went. (No surprise there then)

 I must have stood and looked down here a 100 times, but I'd never been this far down .. the next trip is beyond that wall with a quick look at the derelict cottage.  

 Linda complaining - "It's too steep"

Actually to be fair the photo doesn't do justice to how steep it was. 

Come on Anti Lin, Kaiah be bored of waiting at the top, you be vevy slo

Beautiful Nico

Hard to believe he's 6 next month. 

The skinny wreck that returned from Belgium in Early Summer of 2012 is just a faint memory.

This beautiful kind dog has thrived on love and companionship. 

Someone once said of him "He's not the dog for me!" 

I'll never understand it, he sure is the dog for me!

Mother and Daughter

Mummy Sammi can see you Kaiah. 

You need a place to hide without the reflection! 

 Love the reflection

 Sammi braising herself for the attack of the black eyed mini angel 

Waiting for Loki

There Be Snow On Dem Hills

This is my favourite photo today - One for next years calendar I think! 

Sunny But Cold

 I took Tali with Loki and Kaiah today, 

I'm convinced she prefers it to going with Asha and Ziva

or maybe she preferred the location to yesterday's walk.

 Ziva, Asha, Loki and Sammi 

on home ground, but I think I had Nikki and rescue dog Llio last time I was down here.

Are the smurfs home? 

Nico and Jezi on Cilgwn mountain above Carmel. 

After The Rain

The Youngsters Love Playing In The Ditches

Kaiah's not quite convinced yet as this is pretty deep

But Sammi and Loki just love it

Love this photo of Kaiah - she so pretty! 

My Cock -Ups Continue ..

.. and this morning I'm annoyed with myself as it could be detrimental to Tali's continued well being. This morning I have given Tali and Asha each others breakfasts! In normal circumstances it wouldn't matter but with Tali's IBS anything can upset her stomach. It was too late by the time I noticed, both bowls where clean. It's been a few weeks since Tali had diarrhea, she's been doing so well.  Now I must prepare for an explosion, the only comfort will be I'll know why!
I'm not sure my other cock up is down to my dysfunctional brain, as I did make a conscious decision to do it, indeed I prepared for it. Poor Kaiah's mouth has been a little sore. Her puppy teeth are now all out and the others are pushing through her sore gums. She's chewing at anything she can find. The "anti rawhide" crowd always suggest a large frozen carrot. They take time to chew  and the cold is soothing on the gums. I thought I'd give it a go. So I put a large carrot in the freezer at lunch time and gave it to her early evening when she was alone with me in the kitchen. She loved it, but Ziva got suspicious that she was missing out and came into the kitchen. Kaiah panicked that she was going to loose her carrot lolly and ran into the middle room. Instantly I put Ziva out of the room and went to bring Kaiah and her carrot back .. but yeah, you've guess it, the carrot was gone.  So that's the second carrot she's swallowed, except this one was frozen and a lot larger! Hopefully there won't be any problems and her digestive system will gradually break it down. But one thing is for sure, despite the bad press we will be sticking to rawhide - Kaiah will not be having another carrot!