Running Wilder-in my dreams

Sheepish

2012-01-14T07:40:00.000-06:00

Some of the hair sheep here in the cove. It is wicked cold this morning. Hard for me to believe I will be 50 in two weeks.

Abrams Falls and Fall TM convention

2012-01-14T07:11:00.010-06:00

That Archie he does clean up well.

The inimitable "Umbee" Silken Windhound extraordinaire.

Fall is a beautiful time to hike in the Smokies or just to drive through Cades Cove if you have a chance.

October 2011 we (Archie and myself) went to the Toastmasters International District 63 convention/competition there are some photos here from that. That was a Friday and Saturday night then on Sunday we had the day free so we buzzed over to GSMNP and did the Abrams Falls hike. It's around 5 miles round trip, and not terribly difficult but very scenic. I actually got a photo of two wild turkey males squaring off which was kind of cool. The fall color was just starting to become evident although it wasn't as widespread as it would be probably two weeks later. While Umbee did not get to go on the hike (Dogs are not allowed on the trails at GSMNP) he did get to go and loves to travel. Enjoy!

You cannot please everyone

2011-04-11T21:25:00.004-05:00

I know I am getting older because I am way too mellow, and it takes way too much to start a fight with me or for me to hold a grudge. The one thing I'd like to briefly grouse about here is that I don't understand this modern world where everyone has to take their private conversations, problems or WTF ever to facebook or to blog. Whatever happened to just pulling up your big girl panties and deal with it. I have to say my friend Archie is a very good influence for me as he is a big believer in "just let it go" if it isn't something that really has a long term impact on your life. What dogs we breed to what dogs probably does not, who uses our dogs probably not, who likes our philosophy on dog breeding or not , doesn't make two shakes of a lambs tail. When you are younger that may be harder to accept but seems to be easier with age. You do what you think is right because it is right, not because someone is looking or what someone thinks. You say what you mean when asked although you may lace it with kindness if the person looks as though they need it. Damn I am getting mellow.

Wow, it's been awhile

2011-04-09T22:34:00.004-05:00

I have been scarce here lately. Here at the Borzoi Nationals in Lawrence, KS our happy dances for the week CJ (FC Avalon WNS Rising Sun SC, FCH) won the national LGRA meet , woohoo! Lots of nice ribbons and prizes for that. He was also the highest scoring Field Champion there too. CJ was also 3rd in FCH stake at the ASFA trial there too. I was kind of surprised he did not make the cut in the BBE class but I am not good at predicting dog shows. Tory ( DC Avalon Victoria Cross SC FCH) won the Veterans Stake at the BCOA ASFA trial and gave the open a run for the money in the BOB runoff, She was completely ignored in BOB but after watching that judge for three days, I knew there wouldn't be anything we entered under her that would be of even a vague interest. I will say the judge was very easy with the dogs and kind to all. RTee (Avalon Artemis FCH) who got totally screwed at the ASFA trial in prelims by the lure operator and then had a super high final score was 2nd of 4 in Novice class at the national to the bitch that was eventually RWB there so that was a nice surprise. Py (DC Avalon Victorian Pyre SC RE FCH GRC RTD2 TDI TT ) won the stud dog class at the futurity and was pretty much ignored the rest of the week. No surprises there His youngun Tanforan whose registered name I cannot get right (Oxota Avalon Tanforan at Starswift ) picked up his CGC, a 3rd in his futurity class and did make the cut in 12-18. Thank you to his owner for letting him stay for the stud dog class and letting me show him. Another youngun Myka (Avalon Oxota Ruidoso) was also third in her futurity class before getting ignored the rest of the week. Maira (CH Avalon Highland Mary GRC FCH CGC) was 4th 10 + regular veteran bitches class, woohoo and even better I got to see her mom Athena/Katya who is over 14 years old ! So put another one in the books, I'm so glad I made it and got to see my friends Josie, Debb, roomed with Leo, Doug, Suzanne, Diana E., Mary C. , Lynn Wall , Susan V, etc. So many peopl,e I don't get to see very often and they are all such grand folk. God bless everyone who helps get this together. Took 5 dogs through the eye clinic, 4 through the heart clinic, Diana bought me a beautiful bracelet with a handpainted Borzoi on it , won lots of neat things. The hot tub at the pool made it a REAL VACATION for me. It was awesome. Now back to the real world, work Monday, LONG ASS drive tomorrow too.

A day of rest?

2011-01-21T09:43:00.002-06:00

Took yesterday off because my foot that I had hammertoe surgery on in November was really swollen on Wednesday. Talked to the doc and he said I really needed to elevate it so even though I do elevate it at work I stayed home yesterday and forced myself to stay in bed until 10:30 am with it up. It looked better than it has since the surgery after that.

Then the racing around began, I had an appointment to take Chupa and Oscar in for their rabies shots and a last combo at 11 am. So off I went then remembered after spending an hour there talking to my vets wife Linda that I also needed stamps so across town and then back home. Got home, changed vehicles loaded the other one with trash (living rural I have to take my own off), took off trash went to bank ( forgot to take check I needed to deposit on the first run to town) then stopped by coop to get 3 bales of grass hay for the sheep. Got home unloaded hay into catch pen where they eat, went in got the dewormer for pups, dewormed them then put them back out. Filled up all my self feeders, cleaned one of the dog runs that has been under snow forever it seems, repaired one side of one of my dog buildings with a hammer and nails.

Now I can come inside out of the 33 degree weather. Wash dishes, vacumn do two loads of towels in the laundry room, swab Tory with her DM kit, then fill out the information to reorder a registration application that someone with a puppy lost, send in a transfer on a bounce back dog that is coming home, fill out paperwork on 3 sheep I sold last week and prepare a puppy packet for a puppy that is leaving tomorrow. Look at options for upcoming field trials vs dog shows. Wonder which I'll pick.

Finally sleepytime

The next generation

2011-01-10T05:20:00.009-06:00

At the BCGA ASFA trials Dec 17 and 18 I managed to practice and then certify what I hope to be part of the next generation of Avalon Borzoi (coming up on #49 January 28th so can't help but wonder how many more generations I have the stamina for). Then two weeks later I brought her back out for her first real competition, and I am pleased to report that "RTee" appears to have the same back as her father and grandfather before her, and more than a passing interest in chasing plastic. She came home with two firsts and 48 ASFA points. Now to ease her through open without her getting interfered with, always a worry when running open dogs.

Photo at the top of this entry Nov 2001 FC Silkenswift Camus Dark Realm MC, LCM2,SGRC2,V-FCH, ROMX (BIF DC Mufasa Midnite O' Silkenswift SC, LCM ORC x Silkenswift Isis O' Shadlows JC) aka "Neechee"

Middle photo by Dan Gauss January 2007 BIF FC Avalon Dark Voyager of Ryhka SC, LCM (Neechee x Deuterium's Selenium of Ryhka SC, FCH, GRC, ORC) aka "Vger"

Bottom photo by Lee Gearheart December 2009 Avalon Artemis ("Vger" x Avalon Solarra SC, JOR, FCH) .

Another little potential superstar waiting in the wings (just certified with ASFA) is Avalon Talinn (Riven x Autumn) Lee got some photos of her as test dog at these trials that look so much like her grandsire Darkling it flight it was startling.

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away

2010-12-27T17:39:00.004-06:00

I used to think that being stoic in the face of pain was this wonderful, admirable trait. At the age of just under 49 it is not a trait, it is a myth like those you read in college English that the Greco Romans created. You remember it but you certainly don't believe it.

The hammertoe surgery has been sheer hell. First it was way more painful than advertised, the first 48 hours after the general anesthesia wore out it felt as though my foot were in a lawn mower with a blow torch on it. Oh yeah man they give you good drugs, bah ha hah, percosets taken as often as possible didn't touch this pain. You might as well eat M&M candies at least you would enjoy those. Then it became infected (probably because it is standard to wrap it and not look at it for a week) , then the two antibiotics I was on didn't match the culture ( Augmentin and Bactrim do not touch pseudomonas a.) So there I was and there I've been. Doc originally told me Dec 29th for the pins to come out, that has moved to Jan 4th . F U C * it all. Killed my trip to NM dead in the water. So I go through THREE FREAKING HOLIDAYS with this AIRCAST on (low profile my @$$, it is over 2 inches tall so even with a super high rocker sneaker on my right foot I have limped like Quasimodo and everything in my back, hip, knee and ankle are out of line) and steel rods in my toes. The difference between my surgery and this photo is that mine was on the left foot, got infected and also had incisions across the base of my toes ( which is what got infected) due to how crooked those joints were. So I have had to do Thanksgiving including Black Friday shopping, Christmas and now New Years with this freakshow of a shoe and pins on my foot. At least now the 4 weeks of Cipro antibiotic (which by the way is like eating a gut grenade in terms of projectile body fluids) have apparently killed the pseudomonas which was attempting to assimilate my foot.

Also during that time I have flown to FL for the region 7 regional (a fine one it was! and I lived through the extra attention from the TSA folk at both airports fine), attended 4 days of lure coursing in Calhoun, GA and am going to 4 more days of it. Archie will be driving down Thursday night so at least I'll have help on Friday and Saturday with Tory, Vger and RT ( who certified at the last trials). God help me the first two days though.

Had a great Christmas though spent time with my son, his wife, her family, Archie and some of his friends. Got some great clothes, earrings and necklaces for Christmas! Finally bought myself an elliptical machine since it will be God knows when before I can put serious miles on this foot that still has a wound on top of it and no skin over it. The Nordic Track monster is now in the den in front of the TV awaiting my pin removal after much work by Archie putting it together.

It is rather funny when I first went to the doctor/surgeons office after surgery I said I bet I am one of your worst patients, oh no they reassured me certainly not, well after it took 3 visits to remove the stitches, with me going OH MY GOD THAT HURTS, gritting my teeth, holding my leg and occasionally whacking the wall with my palm, they no longer reassure me when I say that at my visits. They just look at me and say I hope you took some pain pills before you came in.

On the dog front news: My old dog Neechee who will be 12 in February is still alive and well, puttering about, sniffing girls and telling the youngsters off. I certified two youngsters at the last trial, and may have some others in the spring too. Keelo who turned 9 on Dec 10 sired a litter of 4 pups in August. So far thank goodness all the DM tests from my dogs have been clear, but I still have at least 3 to do here (Genie, Cholla and Tory). I do not understand why these folks who do have carriers turn up don't test the parents. It is not about finger pointing, it is about letting people know so they will test offspring or littermates of the carrier parent which is not going to happen without the tests.

So a lot to be thankful for even with the surgery(I am keeping the foot thank God), Archie and I still enjoy each others company, my old man Neechee is still with us, 3 dogs of mine finished their AKC conformation championships this year, two of them dual champions! making their mother eligible for the BCOA register of merit ( when I get the paperwork together), had another dog finish his ASFA FCH , his brother got both his conformation majors this year, and it was in pretty limited showing or coursing. My father dying in March kind of took the wind out of my sails for a while but life has to go on.

WTF?

2010-12-08T17:42:00.001-06:00

I do not understand how these people can sleep at night and vote like this. Let the ones with money keep it? While denying the SS increase to those who really need it? How in the hell did they get voted in? This is a crying shame whoever voted for this should be ashamed.

Never have hammertoe surgery

2010-12-08T09:39:00.002-06:00

On Nov 17th I had hammertoe surgery on the 3 middle toes of my left foot. Kwires were put in to stabilize the bones which had been cut and rotated to straighten the severely deformed and fused joints. They sent me home at lunch after the surgery and I was given a walking cast and told it should be fine for what little walking I would be doing on it for the next week. Well, fine if you call stepping on a landmine OK. When I put my foot down that night to go to the bathroom I discovered I could no more put weight on that than I could run a marathon. I had to crawl/drag myself on my butt to the bathroom. This went on for 2 days until I finally called the surgeons office and said maybe you guys think this is OK but I have blisters on my hand and abrasions on my hiney from scooting on the carpet to go to the bathroom or kitchen. What were you thinking sending someone who lives alone and will be alone all day home without any crutches. So they sent me crutches. That was at least some improvement.

Nov 24 I went back to the surgeon and the toes were extremely red and puffy no exudate but he put me on Augmentin. I was motivating around pretty well on crutches occasionally putting the foot down and taking a step or two. So the next day Archie and I went to Myrtle beach SC for Thanksgiving holiday (4 days) and we did pretty much nothing which was great, lots of rest with my leg elevated, we left once a day went out to dinner. I rode over there in the back seat of the truck with the foot elevated.

Dec 2 I went back to the surgeon in theory to have stitches out, and while the redness and a lot of the puffiness was gone, uh oh the bandages were yellowish green or greenish yellow, now I have had animals for a long time and that is not a good color for any mammal to produce. I said look I am no doctor but that is real infection. He changed me to Bactrim 2x a day as I had just about finished the Augmentin and this time did a culture ( what he should have done the first time). He told me the results would be back Monday Dec 6 and hopefully the Bactrim would be fine but if not he would call in another Rx. I asked him if it would be OK for me to go back to work, no he said not until I know what you have here. What about my trip to FL this weekend, I am flying. Fine he says as long as you clean and change the would dressing daily and keep it elevated as much as possible and take your Bactrim. So I did, cleaning with saline solution in squirt bottle (contact solution) sterile gauze dressing etc. Monday I am back in TN and I call and say what's up. Another uh oh, what you have Miss Moore is pseudomonas, I am calling you in a prescription for Cipro and you cannot go to work this week. I will see you Thursday Dec 9.

So here I am freaking out after I read all the literature on pseudomonas. The Cipro is complicated to take, has to be 6 hours after anything like a multivitamin or calcium or dairy product (like yogurt which I live on) so I have to take it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Then you can't take those vitamins or calcium or eat any dairy for 2 more hours afterwards or it interferes with absorption of the Cipro. Cleaning the wound is just vile although there doesn't seem to be a lot of pus now and thanks to my friend Mary Childs who is a home health care specialist nurse for her advice as the doctor gave me no real instructions for how to do it. I am armed with saline solution, q tips, Rx silvadene, gauze and wrap for it. Those who are inclined please say a prayer for me. This is scary stuff for someone like myself who has never missed more than 2 weeks of work and that was after gastric bypass surgery.

New Schedule

2010-11-29T15:27:00.004-06:00

Boy it has been awhile. I have been busy. The CA/NV/AZ trip was a whirlwind and I still have photos from there to post eventually.

In October and part of November I had a houseguest (Zao-Avalon Zip Line Express JC) come stay for about 4 weeks for shows, he went to 6 shows, picked up 2 majors and one reserve to major including a supported entry BOB win over specials competition. He's back home in OH now.

Nov 5 and 6 Archie and I had a weekend of rockclimbing with his son Alyn making it on Saturday. Probably some photos at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=124210564299924 if you are on facebook. It was great fun got to rappell 70 feet the first day then 170 I think it was the second day.

On November 17 I had hammertoe surgery on 3 toes on my left foot for what my Dr. calls "impressive deformity" all this 25 mile a day hiking hasn't helped my long time problem but I knew the surgery would be really painful and so put it off and off and off until it has become impossible to ignore. I was right, it does hurt, I am praying my healing will continue so far so good but let no one tell you this surgery and recovery is easy or painless. It is neither. I thought I'd be back at work this week but Doc said no. Stitches come out this Thursday .

Dec 3-6 I will be in Florida. My mother is picking me up at the airport this Friday in Clearwater, then judging during day at the Region 7 regional ASFA trial in Brooksville on Sat and Sunday (Dec 4 and 5) flying back early Monday morning and hopefully going straight back to work we'll see what Doc says this Thursday.

Dec 11 and 12 Archie and I are supposed to finish Christmas shopping up in Knoxville.

Dec 15-19 Calhoun GA ASFA trials (BGCC & BCGA). Hopefully some of my youngsters will certify and the real youngsters get to practice although I will still be in the boot so limited mobility

Dec 25 Christmas with my son and his wife and inlaws here in WHite Co. TN! Whoohoo! Archie is coming and then I think we will also do Christmas with Val and Dave (his ex wife and her boyfriend).

Dec 29-pins come out of my left foot and hopefully I can wear soft tennis shoes and then we leave immediately for NM to return Jan 4th LATE night and back at work the 5th

Jan 15-16 judging ASFA trials in Camden SC for CLCS

Mar 1-5 MARDI GRAS!!! Going to MS/LA need I say more?

Mar 19-20 judging AKC trials in Florence TX-flying down for that

Mar 24-27 I believe this is ACoD in Nebraska

April 3-9 BCOA national in Kansas

July 17 judging Borzoi sweeps in Nebraska

Lots of blanks not filled in and of course there is always the possibility that something will happen but right now these are my plans.

Saturday 09/25/10 Sequoia NP to Lone Pine CA hostel

2010-09-28T00:31:00.006-05:00

Out of Tulare early to drive to Sequoia NP. A chance to see the BIG trees. Oh boy. Well, we missed the planned turnoff but drove to Sequoia via the backroads in Tulare and wow what an agricultural center. Mile after mile of vineyards, orange groves, lemon groves, pomegranate groves in addition to the not so exotic apples and peaches and cherries. It was amazing to see the scale of irrigation required for such big commercial farms. No wonder they are alway fighting with LA for water rights.

Arrived in Sequoia and took photos of what else but big trees. Photos to follow here once I'm home.

Drove from Sequoia to Lone Pine CA hostel (the Mt. Whitney portal hostel I think is its full name) through Bakersfield CA , about a 3.5 hour drive on the interstate.
I have to put in a plug for the interagency visitor center in Lone Pine. We thought we might be too late to get our permit for the climb and called them and they have a night box they agreed to put it in if we were not there before 6 PM.
Hostel is clean and very convenient on main street in Lone Pine and you can see Mt. Whitney from the balcony. Only got about 4 hours of sleep after going out to eat in a very quaint Western themed cafe , ate light had 5 chicken wings, Archie had salad and Guiness.
One really cool thing about the hostel is that you can see Mt. Whitney from the balcony of the hotel. Very cool. Another very cool thing is that their coffee is good enough for me to drink black which is a rarity indeed.
Only a few hours before we must be up and head for the trailhead.

Sept 24 2010-Beatty NV to Tulare CA via Death Valley NP

2010-09-28T00:18:00.003-05:00

got out of Beatty pretty early Friday morning and first checked out Rhyolite ghost town 4 miles West of Beatty and on the way to our ultimate destination of Death Valley . Photos will follow once I am home will add them here. We both love ghost towns and old cemeteries so we have photos of both.

Then on to Death Valley. WOW beautiful drive. We drove out to Badwater Basin the lowest point in North America and the second lowest in the world ( only the Dead Sea is lower). Parked and walked out into it . We also checked out the Devil's Golf Course (more photos) and saw the neatest thing there like a spring coming up through the ground which is covered in salt of all kinds. Did the scenic Artist Drive through a canyon then drove on through into California on way to Tulare. Death Valley was incredibly miserably hot in the bottom of that valley, eyow doen't matter its a dry heat 110 is hot anywhere. Note to self my GOD gas is high in CA and it is SUPER HIGH in this national park over $4.30 a gallon thank God we didn't need to buy any for the Jeep Compass Archie has rented for this trip.

We drove across the Southern part of the Sierra Nevadas on way to Tulare. Talk about a spectacular drive. Lots of switchbacks though, high altitude driving but roads are all clear.

Today miracle of miracles the hotel reservation worked out , tomorrow we will drive over to Sequoia take a few photos then head to Lone Pine.

The Road to Mt. Whitney, Nashville to Vegas

2010-09-24T09:17:00.002-05:00

First of all Happy Birthday to my son Mike! He is the big three OH today! Mommy loves you. I can tell you I feel much perkier today than I did 30 years ago today. He was 9 pounds 4 oz eeeyow!

Yesterday I was trying to get ready to get on a plane in Nashville at 6:30 PM to fly to Sin City on our way to Whitney. Everything conspired to slow me down. Then Archie who was going to work until 11 worked until after noon THEN went to his house had a Rx filled etc etc. I did manage to drop my house dog off at a friends and my house keys at the sitter. We did manage to get on the plane although in his hurry to get through he had left one of his knives ( a Swiss Army knife) in his carry on so were were stopped in the Nashville airport, briefly detained like the middle aged terrorists that we are and he had to surrender the knife as he did not wish to check that carry on.
Then after getting to Vegas and driving up to Beatty the hotel I had reservations at I couldn't get anyone to come to the door so at 1 am I am hotel shopping. Believe it or not the Motel 6 there which is the only major chain WAS SOLD OUT so we ended up at the Stagecoarch Hotel and Casino ( I refuse to let this steal my happy.)
I am out of the shower and shortly we will be on our way through Death valley NP. Photos probably after I get back as I don't know how to send then via cell phone and I don't have a universal reader on my laptop.

My Fall Schedule

2010-09-18T10:17:00.004-05:00

Starred dates are tentative right now dependent on weather or other things. While there is usually someone ( my house and dog sitter ) at my home number when I'm not available it isn't someone who could answer any questions ( like dog questions) and chances are they won't answer the phone either since they have their own cell phone, so better off to call my cell or email me or text me. If you're a friend you have my email and can easily get my cell number by emailing me. Thought in light of all the sad stuff lately I'd post a happy photo of BIF FC Avalon Dark Voyager of Ryhka LCM from the year he was #1 ASFA. He does love his plastic. Now if only I can finish packing and cleaning house, taking off trash and getting the computer clean that I am donating to my church.

Sept 23-Oct 3 Vacation and Peak Bagging-Whitney,Boundary and Humphrey God willing

Flying to Las Vegas on Sept 23rd.

Return Oct 3rd and back to work on the 4th. I hope to figure out how to upload some photos while I'm gone as we are going to see Death Valley, Sequioa, Mt. Whitney, Mt. Boundary, Caliente NV, Zion NP, Monument Valley, South rim of the GC, Painted Desert, Humphrey Peak, Lake Mead and the dam and the Vegas strip. Sounds like one of those canned vacations but it should be great.

Oct 9-10 had thought about NW Arkansas shows but we have out of town family coming in on Saturday and it would be pretty rude not to be here when they got here! so I will be around the house on 9th , and after church on 10th

Oct 15-16-17 Toastmasters District convention, an excuse to get really dressed up !

Oct 23 and 24 dog shows in Atlanta

Oct 30 and 31 dog shows in Marietta

Nov6-7 through 14th in Wyoming ** weather permitting might be able to do some transport for folks

Thanksgiving weekend -Archie has a place booked in Myrtle Beach SC, wahoo, I've not been there

Dec 2 and 3 (region 7 regional in Brooksville Florida)

Dec 9 and 10 ASFA trial Calhoun GA Borzoi club of Greater Atlanta

Christmas at home then off to New Mexico for New Years Day events

End of the Summer blues

2010-09-17T11:07:00.003-05:00

Things can always be worse I know but this week I had major "suckage" early on. 6 weeks ago one of my 10 week old puppies broke a tibia. The vet put a cast/sling on it prognosis looked good. We changed the sling 3x over a period of 6 weeks and it came off last Friday (10th). Sat and Sun she was easing weight onto it, confined of course for the next few weeks to a small area for a few more weeks. On Monday she rebroke it just standing on it, her pressure sores from the last cast were just about dried up, I could not put her through this again and I said goodbye to her at my vet's office. So I spent all week pretty depressed about things, feeling like giving up ( being a middle aged female probably contributes to the tendency to feel this way anyway) and not doing things that needed doing as one does when you're down. At any rate I know I am not the only person who lost a Borzoi recently that really hurts over this but I needed to say goodbye Bailey, Godspeed little cheerful puppy. We miss your waggy tail and happy outlook. Being a dog owner and occasional breeder is really a downer sometimes.

Things that make you go hmmm? or WTF?

2010-09-05T10:03:00.003-05:00

Someone I was talking with mentioned some other person who had gotten "their dogs" from puppy mills. I had to bite my tongue not to point out that they had also recently gotten a dog from one of the people the other person had. My mama used to say if you can't say something nice be quiet, at least people will think you are nicer. "nuff" said.

GSMNP-the Chimneys our second visit

2010-08-29T08:07:00.010-05:00

January 2009 on what I think was our 3rd date or so we went to Gatlinburg the weekend before my birthday and hiked the Chimneys, it was icy and we didn't attempt the rock scramble at the end, but yesterday (Aug 28) the weather was inviting and so we drove up the 3 hours or so drive to do the hike. While it is only 2 miles to the end where the Chimneys formation is, it is a rough, steep and scenic 2 miles with several bridge crossings of rushing mountain streams. We start with a couple of photos of us at the beginning of the trail on one of the bridges. Archie really enjoys cheesy photos so I oblige and take them. The one where he is kneeling is a little joke we have about "go on save yourself its too late for me" when we are on some really long taxing hike. The next photo here is looking DOWN from halfway up the rock scramble to get to the summit. You can get about halfway up and then there is a point where climbing up exposes you to a fall in either direction of several hundred feet. Now there are foot and handholds but we had to stop there a few minutes, have lunch and watch some younger folks navigate the problem before we felt like attempting it. We also had a spectacular view so took a photo of that too, had to be kind of careful though because the ridge is so narrow and you are so high up that I didn't want to look around too much and get freaked out. Other than banging up my left knee, we ascended to the top from that point with no problems then a nice young man at the top took photos of us sitting on the summit and I took one of Archie's traditional Superman pose ( I declined to pose as Wonderwoman standing up there) and I began to worry about getting down this wicked series of slanted tilted rock steps that are about 60 degrees tilted so I found another way down ( near the old path up on the right side) and climbed down. DON'T is all I can say, while we made it unscathed except some elbow banging the last photo here that looks steep is looking straight up from the bottom of how we climbed down. At one point over halfway down this climb I swear I wanted to have a meltdown but I talked myself out of it because there was nobody gonna rescue me but me at that point. It was a great adventure but I won't do that again. It did give me more confidence that I'll attempt the last section of Angels Landing when we are in Zion National Park on vacation in September.

wahoo! Tarzan's 6th Coursing Championship

2010-08-09T20:15:00.005-05:00

"Tarzan" finished his LCM2 on August 8 2010 at the age of 9 years and 3 months. He is now known officially as DC Avalon Jungle Fever MC,CDX,LCX,RAE2, LCM2,V-FCH, TT, CGC . Tarzan was the FIRST RAE titled Borzoi (there have been others since but he will always be the first ). He won the Borzoi Club of America National Triathlon in 2005 and 2009 placed 4th in 2006 and 2007 (did not go to the national in 2008) and placed 2nd in 2010. He has also won the Borzoi Club of America's annual versatility award (AVA) twice, was High in Trial at the BCOA national trial in 2005 from Open B, and is in the Borzoi Club of America lifetime versatility hall of fame. Anything that Paula or I pointed him at he said well if it will make you happy I'll give it a go. It brought tears to both of our eyes this last weekend to see him run with so much enthusiasm. Here are some photos taken by Jennifer Batson at the trial if you'd like to see him, he's the heavily spotted tri colored dog in the pictures. Thanks Jennifer! Thanks to everyone who has said kind words about him too from the bottom of my heart and my friend Paula's too. He is pretty special to us.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31056435&op=1&view=all&subj=100000167844984&id=81901837#!/album.php?aid=2028811&id=81901837

Davis Mountain Pennsylvania our 14th state high point

2010-08-06T12:13:00.003-05:00

PA is proud of its high point as was WV (come on MD get some pride in yours! and make it easier to find) . It was later in the day, there was an actual breeze and it was cool amazingly so we didn't have to get the girls out of the van to walk over and take the photos and climb the observation tower for this one. It was only an hour and a half or two from MDs. Lots of exhibits on top of the observation tower too.

13th High point Backbone Mt. MD

2010-08-06T12:11:00.004-05:00

So a couple of hours after the WV high point at Spruce Knob we found ourselves at Backbone Mt MD in absolutely nowhere. It was not easy to find or well marked, nor easy to find a parking place for. We had to hike about a mile into a national forest there all uphill to get to the marker. The dogs liked getting out of the van and thank goodness it was a completely shaded walk because it was HOT. So number 13 out of the way ( number 2 for the day) on July 23, 2010.

12th Spruce Knob, WV 4863 feet

2010-08-06T11:51:00.003-05:00

On July 23, 2010 Archie and managed what he likes to call a "Trifecta" of high points (WV,MD and PA) on our way to Littlestown for a lure coursing event. The two Borzoi who went with us are Afanasii Belozor Surreptitious SC (the brownish one) and DC Avalon Victoria Cross SC (the black and grey one). It was very hot so when we got out of the van the girls also got out and got to hit the high points. This first one is Spruce Knob WV and we drove to the top, got the girls out and actually got to walk them up the observation tower to the top of it. The first photo is one of the many views from the top of the tower, if you go you must walk to the top of the tower and take photos, it is lovely.

Tory in the foreground and Genie in the back.

Hiking and high pointing partner extraordinaire Archie Doby.

OK so that behind us we headed for the MD high point not very far away but Jeeze Louise was it a beeyatch to find and no fancy pics to be had from there either.

Mild Rant

2010-07-25T23:42:00.003-05:00

Did three high points since the last posting here will put photos up this week but this is a dog related rant. You know just when I think that some people may finally be turning into decent humans, I go out of the area and run into others who know them and they tell me Godawful atrocious things that are being said by the people I am trying to give the benefit of a doubt.

This weekend I talked with someone who is new to the breed or relatively so, and who has had another Borzoi person say horrible atrocious things to her and I quote, "That puppy is a freak, probably isn't purebred. Looks like a collie mix you should send it back." "I think that dog is a dwarf, there is something wrong with it." Said dog is in size for the breed and while she is on the smaller side around 26.5 to 27 inches and shorter on leg than my preference she doesn't look very different from some of the other Borzoi person's dogs. I don't know if people realize it but when they talk so mean to others and say such things about other people's breedings ( and let me say none of these dogs have anything of mine in their pedigrees) it only makes them look as though they have an agenda to push their own dogs off on people. Then later on another person there at the event I was at ( who doesn't even own Borzoi) referred to the the aforementioned negative person, as a nasty mean tempered person who only speaks ill of others. I didn't let this spoil my weekend but I had really hoped that there had been some great change in this persons life and that they were nicer now to people. I guess I need to keep praying on that instead of blogging.

Black Mountain, KY -11th high point

2010-07-14T05:26:00.006-05:00

On July 10th we drove up to Black Mt KY, elevation 4139 feet around 4 hours from here and oh my in the middle of coal mining territory there. There were these huge coal conveyors crossing the state road in several places. At any rate we had a little impromptu picnic at the top, no real scenic photos from the top because it is covered with trees but I did get pictures of both of Archie and myself at the plaque there, the USGS marker, the old lookout tower there ( you can no longer get up because if you look the last TWO sections of stairs were removed and the FAA radar tower up there. All in all a fun day trip and we got to DRIVE to the top but we will pay for that plenty this fall trying to hike Mt. Whitney. Wahoo our 11th high point.

I dream of Genie

2010-06-28T18:56:00.005-05:00

Well it looked like a good title. I have a visitor here for a bit, Afanasii Belozor Surreptitious JC who is from the litter bred 3 years ago by Rebecca and Tim Neal, myself and our friend Suzanne Liggett. Genie always had a lot of lure interest got her JC, got ASFA certed but Suzanne isn't exactly thrilled with lure coursing so she never made it out. I took her this 4 day weekend I was judging to Powell TN, she got her QC on Friday, ran on Saturday got a point, ran Sunday and Monday and got 2 more SC legs. Hope to get her to some ASFA trials before she eventually goes back to Arkansas .pretty girl was pointed in the ring as a puppy showing in BBE. She is a Neechee granddaughter on her dam's side.

10th highpoint! Mt.Rogers Virginia 5700+feet

2010-06-15T21:46:00.003-05:00

Saturday June 11th was scheduled to be overcast near Mt. Rogers, with thunderstorms expected at some point, but Archie being the intrepid and optimistic adventurer headed North from Pigeon Forge TN at 5 AM that morning. We arrived at the AT parking lot near Elk Garden, parked the truck and geared up. I found that carrying a heavy pack is ruinous for me so I only carried a 2 liter camelbak and couple of snacks for the 9 mile round trip hike. It was probably around 70 and overcast or just below 70, made me glad I had a long sleeve shirt over my tank top. In the photos above you can see the overcast sky and if you look carefully at the one with the fence post in it you will see the road below and a parking lot where the truck is as we headed up the AT.

The meadows in this area of the National Forest are beautiful, we did not see any of the infamous wild ponies that the Forest Service keeps here to help keep the grassy areas open but we sure saw signs of them!

The AT here is much more gradual and sloping uphill than the Smoky Mt sections of the AT we have been used to hiking. THANK GOD! because when the skies finally opened up we had enough to deal with all the buckets of water pouring down without a steep rocky, scary trail

It was POURING rain and thundering when we summited but I managed to protect my camera and get one picture of Archie on the summit. Me, myself and I did not care for any photos on the summit, I just wanted to get OFF OF THAT MOUNTAIN. Roundtrip of 9 miles completed between 8:30 AM and just before 2 PM. Whew!

Beautiful country I will say that.

My vote for CRAZY OF THE WEEK!

2010-06-03T21:25:00.002-05:00

Republican representative Young of Alaska says BP oil spill is NOT an environmental disaster. Well, only if you are one of the millions in the Gulf of Mexico depending on fish, shrimp, oysters or tourism for your livelihood it is a disaster. Only if you are any sort of ocean living or ocean going mammal, bird, reptile, fish, or mollusk is it a disaster. I guess the bastard has never seen anything like this
http://www.bradenton.com/2010/05/23/2306982/hundreds-of-birds-coated-with.html

or he can't read.

I'd love to see him have to be coated with that crude oil and lie on a beach in South Louisiana right about now. This is only ONE oil rig disaster. I believe there are around 4000 in the gulf. Pray there are no more.

9th high point Mt.Mitchell,NC

2010-05-31T06:57:00.003-05:00

view from top of Mt Mitchell

Another Mt. Mitchell view

on Deep Gap trail, that is not a level trail in front of me it is a long way down across that rock slab

at the top of the Eastern world

view from Deep Gap trail somewhere

Deep Gap trail start

Archie is about to climb down that rock slab.

On Saturday May 29, Archie and I drove to Mt.Mitchell State Park, and did the summit as a drive up (photos will be added here as soon as I get home). We wanted to get a good hike in though so decided to do the Deep Gap hike across the ridgeline of the black Mountains here. We meant to do the 4.5 mile out and back that ends at Cattail Peak but ended up hiking past that and making it around an 11 mile hike. (And a hard 11 miles that involved climbing some ropes, scrambling across slabs of rock etc). Saw some lovely vistas and it is probably about the highest hike to train on in the Eastern US with the entire length of it being over 6000 feet in altitude so we may come back for it again later this summer. The photos of us on the trail are from the same spot, he just took the one of me after he climbed to the bottom, there was quite a bit of scrambling and turning around backwards and climbing down. The two plaques are elevation plaques for two of the 4 high peaks we crossed on a ridgeline. There is one photo taken from the last peak where you can see two of the first ones we hiked over on the ridgeline.

Oh my darling Clementine

2010-05-17T21:29:00.003-05:00

OK so here she is, what will hopefully be some protection for my sheep from the *&^$%$ coyotes here. Clementine a 9 month old gray spotted with white jennet. She looks to be around 12 hands or so high.

Hmmm, an equine version of a wookie?

Elephant Rock State Park MO

2010-05-09T21:14:00.005-05:00

Neat state park in MO. We had to do a little rock scrambling there.

8th High Point MO-Taum Sauk Mt. 1772 ft

2010-05-09T21:01:00.005-05:00

Here are various photos from our 8th high point in MO on May 7 2010. We visited the observation tower across from the park ( 120 ft high) took some photos then went into the park to the high point and surrounding area and took some more.

MO high point Taum Sauk Mt our 8th

2010-05-08T22:19:00.002-05:00

Will have photos next week on Friday Archie and I visited Taum Sauk Mt in MO, it was our 8th state high point since we started this quest. Very pretty and scenic place ( but not like our Smokies) . We also visited elephant rocks state park in MO and Fort Davidson. We took several photos and those will be up next week. Archie and I did a bit of rock scrambling at elephant rock SP (if you are in the area it is really unique and a beautiful spot for photos.

Also went to a dogshow in Gray Summit, met with my friend Diana Embry and her husband Dwight ( they are always so delightful !) she took home her new puppy Athena and Veenus got a ride with Diana too. Her new owners are picking her up on Monday. Keelo went out to MO to hang out with Diana while his nephew Cipher is here for the next several months showing. Cipher showed like a dream today but didn't get the nod. That's OK. Tory won open class of 3 and lost to the bred by bitch whose owner spent the entire time we were in Winners class when it was time for my dogs individual exam squeaking a squeaker (of course she didn't do this while stacking her dog). Needless to say I was and am still irritated.

Disney Vacation April 2-7

2010-05-02T19:47:00.009-05:00

Just a few photos from Disney, my son Mike, his wife Tara and I hit all 4 parks Animal World, Disney Studios, Magic Kingdom and Epcot in that order. The first day at AW we were all there from around 9 AM until 6 PM. the other 3 days I left at the 6 PM shuttle and the kids stayed until whenever ( I think they closed Magic Kingdom and Epcot to see the laser light show, parade and fireworks). I enjoyed it but my "age" is showing. At 48 I just cannot stay up until 1 AM on a regular basis anymore nor do I even want to. The photos are of myself with my son and his wife Tara where there are people and there are a few of the animals at Animal Kingdom. It was such a blessing to spend time with them but it was rather quickly on the heels of my father's passing and funeral so it was kind of difficult to "consume" it all at once.

Doggy News

2010-04-24T10:23:00.008-05:00

Avalon Solarra SC, JOR, FCH, conformation, LGRA & NOTRA pointed went to live in Missouri with Laurie Florio a couple of weeks ago to be coowned by myself. Laurie has previously shown standard poodles and been a poodle groomer and I think she'll find Borzoi MUCH easier!

Avalon Athena pictured here at 7.5 weeks (DOB 12/27/09) is moving to Missouri the second weekend in May to live with my longtime friend Diana Embry of Willow Wind Borzoi. Athena is a great granddaughter of CH Willowwind's Love at First Site JC, ROM aka "Dottie" cobred by Diana, myself and Dawn Kelly years ago.

Avalon Aphrodite aka "Veenus" is going to live in Kansas with longtime friend Diane Montague who also has Avalon Walkin in Memphis aka "Joy".

Avalon Ryhka Firefox Vikirnoff (asfa ptd) went to live with his cobreeder Mary Lee Jenko on April 23rd . Love at first sight for those two. He was born into her hands as she was actually the one who whelped the litter, and when she lost the boy she had picked from it, seemed like a good thing for us to coown Fox who has never met a stranger. He'll be at the national this year in Novice dog class. I hope he behaves.

While Mary Lee was here she fell in love with Avalon London who she is going to call "Merlin". He is going to be a Pennsylvania boy now too. After her having so much bad luck in the last few months we hope he is going to be of great good cheer to her.

More Catching Up

2010-04-24T09:54:00.002-05:00

So in the space of just over a month (from Feb 25 to March 30) I had a lot of stress some good, some bad, some planned things that I unfortunately could not reschedule
Let me recount the ways

*I lost a number of my sheep including my handfed lamb when one of my dogs got out
*I lost a dog to an accident after it escaped (no I am not ready to talk about it so don't bother asking)
*I had an abnormal mammogram requiring a biopsy
*I had a puppy die with its new owner due to unknown reasons (test results inconclusive)
*I had to attend the ASFA board meeting and ACoD in San Jose, not a bad thing but a big stress in the middle of all this.
*My father died while I was at ACoD and due to it being spring break I couldn't get an earlier plane home
*I had a biopsy the day after I returned from ACoD (praise God no sign of cancer)
*a huge family issue erupted over my father's death (I refuse to participage in such things)
*had a vacation planned with my son (who I had not spent a week with since his junior year of high school) that just was not going to be put off (I am pleased to say that it went great and he, his wife and myself had a wonderful time in FL)
So I am still reeling from some of the things that have happened since the end of February quite frankly, and rejoicing over the biopsy results and spending time with my son. It has been a very stressful time in bad and good ways. I want to thank all my friends for their words of encouragement and kindness during this time though. Guys you are great I don't know what I'd do without you all.

San Fransisco, Alcatraz et al.

2010-04-23T21:29:00.006-05:00

fog on the day we drove over the Golden Gate bridge though

Archie at the bridge

me at the bridge

we had not ever eaten at a Hard Rock so decided to

tunnel from the military days of the prison

prison viewed from the ferry

San Fran viewed from the Rock

prison recreation yard

old military morgue

The lighthouse you can see the city behind it.

Our ferry captain

The bay bridge as viewed from the ferry we lucked up and had no fog on the day we went to "the rock"

sign on the admin building

ASFA's Convention of Delegates was in San Jose, CA this year. Archie and I went. I'd never been to CA, we both work in a prison ( I'm a teacher he's the accounting manager ) so of course we went to see Alcatraz (also drove through the up and down streets of San Fransisco and across the Golden Gate bridge before we flew back. Alcatraz was originally a military prison , the tunnel photo is from the old part of it. American Indians briefly occupied the island in 1970-1971 after it was closed, and the spray painted signs still attest to that. It is administered to by the National Park Service, you ride a ferry over and get to wear a headset with neat tour information and walk around to your heart's content. The view of the bay and the city is beautiful but I could not help but think what a horrible, cold, detached place to confine people. The day we drove over the Golden Gate bridge was really foggy but got a couple of good photos. Free to drive North over it and $6.00 to return to the city on it. Saw my first redwood trees, wow are they big, and managed to get a photo of a Western gull at Alcatraz. Unfortunately it was a traumatic weekend, I knew I had a biopsy coming up the Tuesday after it ( I had a "hot" mammogram) and on the Sunday of ACoD I got a phone call from my son that my father had died. My last couple of months have been kind of full of traumatic events so I have really kept to myself about most everything. Thanks to all who were kind during this time though, you will never know just how much it meant to me.

Mississippi High Point Woodall Mt 806 feet

2010-04-23T21:07:00.005-05:00

Archie and I hit Woodall on the way down to Louisiana where I was judging two days of AKC trials for the Louisiana Kennel Club. LKC always has great trials, wonderful hospitality and atmosphere. I love the folks down there and the Bauhms are the most gracious hosts ever. Archie is from MS (but the coast) so we hit the high point in his home state here. The high point is sort of behind a subdivision up a dirt/gravel road, we are kneeling on the surveyer mark there, no signs or log in sheets.

Feb 18 2010 South Carolina High Point

2010-04-23T20:55:00.006-05:00

Sassafras Mountain, 3560 feet

Like to never found it, the sideroad is almost nothing, pretty much a drive up only maybe walked a quarter mile up this snow covered trail to it. This is high point #6 for us done on our way back from the Florida vacation to Daytona. (TN, GA,AL,LA,FL high points before this)

February 17, 2010 Merritt Island NWR

2010-04-23T20:40:00.007-05:00

Way cool I caught about a dozen brown pelicans diving at one of the briny creeks at Merritt Island

OK even cooler I caught this osprey on the beach, at least that is what I believe it is, this is as close as I could get before it flew away, a big big bird

We did a 6 mile nature walk through the marsh, lots of birds

black vulture-slightly smaller than his cousin the turkey vulture, not quite as ugly either since his bald head is black

Ah another opportunity to take a lighthouse photo, this is Ponce Inlet Lighthouse in Florida, taken on the day we drove over to the Merritt Island National Wildlife refuge, took photos of several other birds not here but most of those are photos of herons and anhingas and other ducks I've already got photos of. Merritt Island was donated by NASA and you can see it across the inland waterways of the NWR

St. Augustine Feb 16 2010

2010-04-23T18:54:00.005-05:00

St. Augustine has a lot of bang for the buck, there's the old fort which is a national park, the old town (photos here of an old drugstore, hospital, cemetery, and the two oldest houses in St. Augustine)

There's also a beautiful bay, marina, lots of sailboats ( you can see the lighthouse in the photo across the bay from the fort above)

The St. Augustine lighthouse is beautifully refurbished, including the keepers cottage that I have a photo of the back of here. If you visit St. Augustine the lighthouse and the old fort are the two must go places.

Feb 15, Daytona Beach FL

2010-04-23T18:00:00.006-05:00

OK here are lots of shorebirds where we walked several miles down the beach on the Monday after the race. I think I have the species right from digging through my Kaufman field guide to North American birds but the big gray gull has me stumped although it is probably another immature Herring gull. The ruddy turnstones are in winter plumage. I matched the royal tern because of the leg and beak color same with the ring billed gull

The immature herring gull above was BIG fully a third bigger than the bonaparte and ring billed surrounding it. He had found a nice crab to munch on for breakfast.

This is the old boardwalk it looks as though it is being refurbished, might be neat to visit once fixed up.

This is my stumper. If it isn't an immature herring gull someone please tell me what it is?

ah the rare Larus mississippius archiea walking the beach

The Sanderlings and turnstones flocked together.

Feb 14, 2010 Daytona 500!

2010-04-23T17:34:00.005-05:00

OK so Archie and I had never been to a NASCAR race and decided to start with the premiere event the Daytona 500. We arrived early were parked like cattle, shuttled onto transport pods of various sorts ( I think they commandeer every public transportation bus including school buses for this event) then taken to the track. It is BIG and confusing, and hard to find people who work there to direct you to the right grandstand. We could not find ours well it was on the OTHER side a half mile away so we had to leave go find another shuttle to get there but Harry Connick Jr sang the Star Spangled Banner and that rocked. Outside the track we were greeted with all the colorful trailers of the drivers like Jeff Gordon #24's trailer above (GO JEFF, DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!)

It is amazing how difficult (nay impossible ) it is to take photos of cars doing over 150 miles an hour. We were pretty close to the track as you can see, I had to wear earplugs for the entire race.

A race that started at 1 in the afternoon and was supposed to be over with during daylight hours.................................

Obviously as this photo of a wrecked car right in front of our bleachers attested to it did not finish on time. Yes those are flames licking underneat that car.

Wrecks in the daylight too and yes there is an infield lake that some poor waterskier was skiing on the entire time the race went on. TOO COLD FOR ME!

Then the sun set and it was lovely ( but cold) and a couple of hours were spent patching a hole in turn one. I think they could have called the Van Buren County TN highway Dept and gotten it fixed faster.

Alls well that ends well, we had a great time, got to yell and scream with all the NASCAR fans, had great seats, maybe we'll go to Taladega next!

Vger pups

2010-02-08T19:55:00.003-06:00

Vger (BIF FC Avalon Dark Voyager of Ryhka SC, LCM #1 ASFA Borzoi 2007) and Lara (Avalon Solarra SC, FCH, JOR) pups at 6 weeks. They actually behaved pretty well all things considered. Here's the girl who is staying here, RTee, who looks very much like a tri version of her father, and a lot like her aunt Mattee (FC Avalon What Matters Most SC)

My Schedule

2010-02-05T10:17:00.003-06:00

Of course all of this is God willing and the creek don't rise (or more accurately assuming my job permits) as my mama used to say, also have some blanks here that will fill up most likely as time goes by.

Feb 6-7 Dogshow Atlanta
Feb 13-19 Daytona, FL
Feb 20 & 21 ASFA trial Atlanta
Feb 25-Mar 4 NM
Mar 6-7 AKC trial Louisiana
Mar 13 & 14 show in Franklin TN
Mar 20 & 21 -not sure but either Louisivlle or a 1 day ASFA trial on 21st in GA
Mar 25-29 -ASFA ACoD & BOD meeting
Apr-17-18 AKC trial Perry GA judging
Apr 23 & 24 judging at Hanover PA

God's Eye Candy

2010-01-30T00:07:00.003-06:00

I don't care what kind of noise they make during summer breeding season, peacocks are God's eye candy. I always wanted one when I was a kid and lived in town. Once I moved out to the boonies, I acquired some as soon as I could find them. Fancy Boy here was hatched here, his parents unfortunately are gone, flown off to parts unknown but if they hatch somewhere they stay there. I have a female I call Cleo ( the girls do not make those noises that so unnerve people but they are not quite as fancy either) who is a black shoulder. Maybe this year I will have some eggs hatch again. I do so love peachicks.

#48 came and went painlessly

2010-01-29T18:26:00.003-06:00

January 28th, 2010 was my 48th birthday. Let me tell you about how that 24 hours went. First on January 27th as I am picking up my ID card and leaving work, they have a note stuck on it, "your passenger rear tire is almost flat". Crap, I am 37 miles from home (or any sort of a garage). Fortunately there is an airhose at the checkpoint so I pull up to it and Jeremy, a young fellow I work with hops out and airs up the tire. I thank him and head straight to Walmart in Sparta pulling into the parking lot at 6:10 PM, I walk in and ask about getting the almost new tire plugged. The kid walks out and says oh no it is too close to the side wall we can't do it. Fan freaking tastic so I leave and go home. The tire is holding air so I get to work on my birthday, have a pretty good day at work. After work Archie takes me to Outback in Cookeville where I have 2 margaritas, and order their 6 oz sirloin with a blue cheese crust and green beans (YUMMY and enough left over for lunch the next day). I got this lovely pear shaped smoky topaz necklace from him. It is set in sterling and surrounded by shiny things , so I guess I'm like a mynah bird, I talk a lot and like shiny stuff. What can I say? After we get back home there is a small bottle of extra dry Korbel champagne from Christmas that we didn't open so I opened it and we finished it off. I slept the sleep of the guileless and innocent (so shut up all you who know me)

So this morning the 29th I still have air in the leaky tire and I head to take off the trash. By the time I get back from doing this, the snow has caused my valley to look like this. Into town I head for dogfood, sheep food, chicken food and to have the *&^%$$ tire plugged. I stop to get gas and can't get gas the computers are "frozen" . What in the hello is going on with me here? Anyway, I go to my local garage and my first good news, they can plug the tire, YAY! So I walk the block from the garage up to the local Walgreens so I won't be bored to death. I pick up some sundries I needed and walk back. Second piece of good news they fix my tire for free since I frequent them. Praise BE! Then on to the CoOp, load the Corolla up with feed and back home to the snowy valley. I cannot tell you how many wrecks I pass or how slow I have to drive to stay away from the people sliding all over Hwy 1. It was scary but I didn't actually have any problems driving in the mess. So home I am, everything is fed, watered and tucked into somewhere they are pleased. Looks like I am tucked in for a cold weekend, maybe I can get some updates on my website done!

Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness

2010-01-18T19:08:00.004-06:00

10 more miles yesterday, rocks, river, an old cemetery

MLK day hike, Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wilderness

2010-01-18T19:08:00.003-06:00

Drove up to White Co/Cumberland Co line today to the Bridgestone /Firestone Centennial

Wilderness area. (big corporations donated over 100,00 acres after not finding a way to profit with it). Archie parked @ 4.6 miles from Caney Fork River and we hiked an ATV trail down to it and back. Lovely country side, lots of neat rock formations, a roaring white water river at the bottom and an old cemetery where there weren't even names on the markers. Lots of fun, try it if you are in the area.

Black Mountain Hike, TN

2010-01-16T21:31:00.005-06:00

Archie and I are really pretty serious about training for the Mount Whitney hike in Sept or Oct this year so we headed out while the nice weather was holding to try and get a hike of around 9.3-9.5 miles done today. Had a late start as the fellow who bought my 4 goats ( YAY! I no longer have goats those alien ruminants that test your patience, are the worst parents ever and live to think of escaping) called and said he'd be here late but by 11:30 AM we were on the trail. (link above). We did the loop around the top of the mountain then hiked down the mountain on the 3.8 mile section of the Cumberland trail then hiked back up it. Jeeze Louise another Navy Seal in training hike although not straight down it was a constant slope down then after 3.8 miles of that a constant slope up. Great rock formations, old house remains, an old springhouse, a cave, creek crossings, overlooks, you name it this trail has it although as I laughed hysterically I though maybe a bit early in the season for a 9 plus miler but we made it with no injuries or major pain although I am feeling "stove up" as we say in the South and a bit stiff tonight as is the Arch. Will be trying a similar sort of hike on Monday as it is a holiday and we'd like to get two pretty serious hikes in this weekend if the weather will hold off raining on us. Right now it is just pouring rain but didn't during our hike. Our time was decent 5 hours on the nose for it, not bad considering the last 3.8 miles was all uphill.

My Cats

2010-01-04T21:43:00.004-06:00

For those who haven't met them the Siamese lookalike is Peaches given to me over 10 years ago by my friend Vickie Littleton, the black one is Beevis who was picked by myself from a litter of wild kittens at my friend and coworker Nancy's house because he looked so much like President Clinton's "Socks" and the gray kitten is Neon who came running out a couple of months ago when I was looking at vans at the Dodge place and the salesman said she had showed up several days before and was going to get run over. Of course I could not leave her. Beevis has been the head puppy trainer for several years now and will put the fear of the feline in most any puppy who gets too fresh with his biggish fifteen pounds or maybe more black butt.

Brasstown Bald or How I spent New years Day 2010

2010-01-04T21:05:00.008-06:00

The best laid plans of mice and men...............

Had read up on the Southeastern High Points and several of them are drive ups, Brasstown Bald in Northeast Georgia is listed as one of these. A very respectable 4784 feet we decided to drive down on NYD to GA and then drive up to the parking lot at the base of the high point to hike the last 0.6 mile to the observation tower at the top.

Right.....

We arrived at the intersection of GA 180 and the 3 mile 180 spur that goes up the mountain to the park to find that THE SPUR WAS CLOSED and had a big iron closure thing bolted across it. It was around 3 PM eastern time. Archie is like well we have driven 180 plus miles what is a 3 mile hike. There were two cars that pulled in the parking lot there just as we did and a party of around 8-10 twenty somethings bailed out of their cars and began the ascent after we did. My God what a steep road, wikipedia says the average grade there is 11.2% it is the steepest of the ascent routes. I didn't know that until I read it later but I remember thinking it was unbelievably steep.

At any rate the sun had just begun to set by the time we got to the top, the two parties of youngsters behind us had long given up the chase to bag this high point long before the first of the three mile markers were ticked off. We snapped a couple of photos and ran up the tower, lovely but no photos from there due to the lighting. Dark now and it was only around 28 degrees when it was light, I had a turtleneck and pullover on with my elmer fudd hat and some lined suede gloves. Underdressed for the weather no doubt.

Eleven percent downhill in pitch black darkness and freezing cold was more fun than anyone should have on New Years. No alcohol involved here, we were stone cold sober. At one point my knees protested so much that not only was I walking down this 11% grade with my hands under my arms as I couldn't feel my fingers in the cold when they were only in my pockets but I was descending backwards down the middle in the dark because it was way easier than walking forward downhill. It was a lovely view at the top. My advice go in warmer weather if you plan to hike what is known as Jacks Gap as we did.

Sunday December 27th 2009, Cheaha Mt, AL High Point

2010-01-04T20:24:00.005-06:00

Cheaha Mt has its own state park and also lots of rock climbing areas that we hiked down to and took photos of (the Pulpit Rock trail and Rock Garden trail but we only made it to Pulpit because I was FREEZING). There is an observation tower at the highest point. It is between I 20 and I59 east of Birmingham in the Talladega Mts which are southern foothills of the Appalachian Mts. There is also an entrace to the Appalachian trail here that we took photos of ( yeah I thought it ended in GA but they swear in their blurb on the trailhead that it really ends here) It's a lovely park and if we are ever adept enough at rock climbing to top rope we will have to come back here to climb.

Saturday December 26th-Driskill Hill, Louisiana High Point!

2010-01-04T20:08:00.008-06:00

Driskill Mt is just south of I20 and outside of Arcadia, LA. It's about a 1 mile hike into privately owned property across a ridgeline on a well marked trail. There's another well marked trail that goes through the woods and up the ridgeline a bit more challenging and that is the one we opted for. At the high point there is a pretty lovely overlook ( who would have thought that 535 feet would produce an impressive overlook but here on such flat land it does). It was a nice day after Christmas for us.

A few more Louisian photos

2009-12-24T13:31:00.003-06:00

Cafe Du Monde (our Romanian waiter is in the photo behind Archie and me in the Cafe) his cousin and cousin's wife and the New Orleans Skyline at night, also a picture on the riverfront. Do not miss the Cafe, neither the coffee nor the beignets will disappoint you.

Garden District photos of New Orleans

2009-12-24T13:17:00.005-06:00

Here are some photos from the Garden District and also a picture of the trolleycar we rode in.

New Orleans

2009-12-24T09:17:00.003-06:00

We went to New Orleans on Tuesday had beautiful warm weather didn't even wear a jacket. Archie's cousin Max and his wife Sherry went with us. We walked the Riverfront that was built for the Olympics, the moonwalk, also walked all over the French Quarter, took photos and ateonJackson Square then rode the trolley to the Garden District, then had coffee and beignets at the Cafe Du Monde, and took some interesting photos on Bourbon St.

Britton Hill, Florida High Point

2009-12-24T08:28:00.004-06:00

Hard to imagine another one has come and will soon pass. Haven't been able to get to my blog for a bit. Work was really busy and this week on vacation I have very limited internet access ( it isn't in the condos we are in here actually). Ziggy is now over 50 points and has two placements ( a first and a second) towards his ASFA title. Hope he picks up some more this coming weekend in GA.

My hiking and climbing partner Archie and I have decided to see how many of the high points in the US we can make. Of course we did Clingman's dome. This week we did another of them Britton Hill in FL, photos here.It is a whopping 345 feet above sea level, and while it isn't a mountaineering expedition, it is one you have to go to if you want to start checking them off. We are going to drive to Lake Charles, LA tomorrow to visit Archie's daughter and his grandchildren and will hit LA's high spot Driskill Hill ( spot where Bonnie and Clyde were killed) on the way back to TN.

We went to New Orleans Tuesday and will put that in another blog entry with photos from there. It was great fun and just what I had hoped for.

My housesitter says I have 5 baby lambs, (there were 3 when I left). He said they are all up and playing.

Ziggy

2009-11-29T20:33:00.007-06:00

Ziggy ran today and was 2nd of 4 so he has 2 of his placements now and 54 of the required 100 points. The photo was taken by Umarapiti. Ziggy is in the blue blanket at the top. The red dog is Fox who managed to behave and qualify although he didn't get points on Friday, and at the bottom is Cholla who ran well enough on Sunday and behaved thank goodness and qualified for his first 4 ASFA points. All went well

Last weekend

2009-11-28T09:48:00.003-06:00

went well, Ziggy ran alone got 4 more ASFA pts and experience on the lure alone last Saturday,

Yesterday, 11/27 he ran at the MAWA trial that was the day before the regional (91 dogs ran) and was 3rd of 5 after 2 runoffs so now he is up to 42 pts and one first. His prelim today was only so so but he ran hard and clean which is always a worry with young Borzoi. Fox got his first field trial experience yesterday too and ran clean so for that we are very very thankful!

Just discovered a truly dreadful website. People of Walmart , oh MY GOD like a train wreck you don't want to look but you can't look away.

Headed Out This Morning

2009-11-21T04:32:00.004-06:00

Hoping for good weather, headed to Cartersville for an ASFA trial with Ziggy dog. Hope he behaves. I always worry until they get out of open and then sometimes after that. Had a pleasant surprise last weekend when he picked up 28 points and a first at his first trial.

Two New Horse Paintings

2009-11-20T20:26:00.002-06:00

Some of those fancy Gypsy

V
anner types

More new paintings

2009-11-18T20:34:00.008-06:00

The only thing to do when everyone is going crazy is what relaxes you which is painting for me. Here are four new ones. One I call Old Town Pueblo, Sorrel in the morning ( maybe I'll paint some more horses), and two on 5x 7 inch panels, Big Bend TX and spring in NM

Such Furor

2009-11-13T10:43:00.002-06:00

My God you would think we were sacrificing virgins on Main Street to read the heated posts that have erupted since ASFA accepted Silken Windhounds to run in Limited Stakes ( an exhibition only status stake) . Sure they did start out as Borzoi crossed to small lurchers but 5 generations later of DNA typing and breeding one to the other you would think that this would be a moot point. No one is trying to replace any breed with them, no one is saying they are an ancient breed, only that hey we'd like to bring them out and pay the money and let them run and then go home with them. Other than breeding type to type and DNAing every single dog used in breeding, I cannot imagine what other requirements would really be needed to insure a registry is "secure". If I were a drinker, I think I'd be doing that.

Two New Paintings

2009-11-10T22:24:00.002-06:00

A "lone bull" and my interpretation of White Sands, NM

Wahoo! Stryx wins a major!

2009-11-08T10:28:00.006-06:00

Heard that Stryx (Avalon Valkyrie Stryx O' Pendragon JC, FCH) pictured here won her first major yesterday in Springfield MO under sighthound breeder judge Charles Trotter owner handled by her breeder Debb Meyer. I am SO proud of both of them. Stryx' sire is our DC Avalon Kilimanjaro Delsol SC,RN,LCM3,SGRC and her dam is CH Avalon Irkalla of Davidoff. She is a cute little (28 inch) self mahogany brindle and now needs a 3 pt major and 2 singles to finish. Her brother Syrus finished in the ring about a month ago and is ASFA pointed as well. Thanks to Rebecca Neal for this lovely photo

Make Lemons of Lemonade

2009-11-08T07:48:00.002-06:00

Well my PBR weekend got blown out of the water but instead of being glum, I decided to make the best of it. Went to work Thursday got a lot accomplished and scheduled new projects for November and December. Friday I groomed some of the critters, cleaned house some, took off my trash, the usual array of fun. Had a great pork tenderloin ( marinated with garlic and pepper) in the freezer so thawed it and invited Archie over for dinner. Tasty O.

Saturday morning we got up took a 2 mile walk with Zee dog and Vger in preparation for my upcoming trip to NM the first week in January (hopefully) .Then we thought we'd go shopping and did. Found some cool bargains, and actually got to climb a mobile rock wall around 25 feet high that was in front of a store having a promotion ( it had a self belayer) then came home found one of my critters (Cholla) had an injury on inside of his right front leg so cleaned it and gave him a shot of long acting penicillin hoping to set him right.

We will be doing the rock wall thing again, that was way fun. The people there seemed pretty excited to see two middle aged people do it as the only ones previously in line were small children and college kids.

Unfortunately this morning (Sunday) I got ready for church headed out the door and found Cholla hopping around on three legs so the leg isn't better looks like he goes to the vet tomorrow, will have to leave work early.

Jon Daily rocks!

2009-11-06T17:05:00.002-06:00

Oh my God this is SPOT ON satire. Would love to see Glen Beck's response

The Decisions of a Dog Breeder

2009-11-01T15:55:00.003-06:00

As you progress through any hobby, hopefully if you stay involved you get "better" in some way at your hobby. For me the consuming hobby since 1985 has been Borzoi. When I first got one that year, I didn't think about breeding the breed but in 1991, I bred my first litter of one puppy. Well, you only need one if its a good one. Barney was that. He was my first homebred champion and field champion, a Best in Field winner and winner of the Borzoi Club of America triathlon in 1995. He set the bar pretty high both for any dogs that would follow and for me I think as a breeder. Wrong pedigree he shouldn't have run, it shouldn't have been a good combination,I shouldn't have been able to do the things that I (a perpetual peon in the dog fancy)did with him. He was the one that taught me a lot, like YOU CAN TOO do that but YOU WILL NEVER DO IT if you don't show up and try.

The longer you live the more you realize you don't know about some things, and the more you realize you don't have to know everything, you just have to know the difference. There is very seldom only one "right" way to do things although many people want to believe that and not only believe it but they want to sell that bill of goods as a fact. Not me, I am nothing if not a believer in a good bit of laissez se faire in others day to day lives. Mother Theresa had a great quote, I believe it goes something like this, "Judging others makes you too busy to love them." I think the second option is the better one.

Nebraska

2009-10-31T21:42:00.002-05:00

It is COLD here and windy. Fun trial and over at noon. Tomorrow a little bigger. I'll be flying home tomorrow night getting home around midnight after a two hour drive from the Nashville airport.

Omaha,NE

2009-10-30T20:06:00.002-05:00

is COLD and rainy. Brrrrrrrrrrrr. The flights to Memphis and then on to Omaha were on tiny little planes that only seated 60 people. Eeek. Scary.

New Paintings

2009-10-30T06:17:00.004-05:00

Ok been wanting to paint something purple so went for Tucumcari Mt in NM at sunset. Then as a project did an Alpine lake alongside someone else. Theirs is significantlydifferent of course although they both started the same. Last but not least, a North Florida swamp.

Winter Itinerary

2009-10-29T20:53:00.002-05:00

Oct 31-Nov 1 judging an ASFA event in Omaha,NE
Nov 5-Nov 8 ProBullRiding finals in LV,NV
Nov 13, 14, 15-Columbia KY for ASFA (I think)
Nov 21 & 22-open
Nov 26-Thanksgiving (one with Archie and his children and grandchildren, and hopefully one with my son his wife and her parents, egads too much food to think about)
Nov 28-ASFA Region 7 Regional judging
Nov 29-ASFA trial GA
Dec 5 & 6 AKC show in AR (maybe this is tentative)
open the rest of the month probably working Christmas and Christmas Eve to build comp time hopefully will leave Dec 30 for New Mexico and be gone through Jan 8 or 9.

GA Lighthouse

2009-10-22T22:31:00.002-05:00

My first lighthouse.

Latest Painting

2009-10-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

A fence in West Texas. Enjoy!

SNAKE!!

2009-10-21T22:00:00.003-05:00

Common garter snake that is. Last Friday I am trying to get ready to leave for a couple of nights in Nashville for the District 63 toastmasters convention ( by the way I won 3rd place in the humorous speech contest at the district level there) and Archie picks up a bag of garbage in the kitchen that I was going to take off before we left and he says "Hey there is a snake in here". He is pretty calm, I am not. I run in there and lo and behold there it is. He says you want me to kill it? My guts are saying kill the thing but fortunately (for the snake) my head said hey those things eat mice and bugs. It's a garter snake. So I said no don't kill it. He's like so um what are you going to do with a snake? I caught it in a tupperware container and threw it outside. Boy do those things have a temper it continuously tried to strike at me through the plastic container. Blech

SCREAMFEST

2009-10-10T22:56:00.002-05:00

Oh my GOD! My mother is visiting me this week doing some house hunting for possibly moving from FL. She had found this haunted house here in Sparta open on weekends until Halloween. I checked into it found that it was being run by some Farmers Association and benefitting the Agricultural Relief Fund. So after watching PBR on Versus tonight (Wahoo Marchi did make it to finals!) at 9 PM we set off for the haunted house ( barn actually). Thinking that it would be some cutesy made up thing and hokey. Well, I spent 20 some odd minutes of solid screaming at the top of my lungs. I think I blew out a vocal cord ..... or two. Man, it was dark, I couldn't see where to go, there were things that felt like spiderwebs hanging in my hair, at one point there was a room of what looked like snakes everywhere and snake noises. I'm not wanting to walk forward and then there are people running out with chainsaws and machetes. I am screaming as loud as I can trying to create a wall of noise I to repel them. My mother is behind me pulling on my jacket with both hands screaming when I do. At one point she says oh my God never listen to me, oh my God this was a horrible idea. I'm screaming they're everywhere my God I can't see how to get out of here. At one point as she is pulling on my jacket and it comes unsnapped I briefly give thought to running out of my coat I am such a chicken, OH MY goodness it was a great scare. If anyone in the middle TN area is a fan of haunted houses, I highly recommend it.

Egads

2009-10-07T20:11:00.002-05:00

You know if you are ever waiting for a bitch to come in season SHE WON'T or a different one will. Sigh........ waiting and have been for Charo or Autumn to come in and they show NO signs but Lara may be. Lara is Avalon Solarra SC, FCH, JOR and the plan is to breed her to BIF FC Avalon Victorian Pyre SC, RE, FCH, GRC, TT, CGC, TDI RTD next spring so of course she is challenging my plans.

Lighthouse Rock painting Palo Duro SP TX

2009-10-05T23:25:00.003-05:00

Last November I visited Palo Duro SP in TX on my way to NM. Took a bunch of photos including a couple of the rock formation called "the lighthouse" there, thinking I'd want to paint it or have it painted. Just painted it. Just realized it looks like a huge sandstone penis. Oh my.

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

2009-10-02T19:05:00.003-05:00

Just heard from my friend Susan Van De Water of Del Sol Borzoi that our Tigress (Avalon Tigress in the Dark JC, FCH, GRC, CC ) won her second conformation major today at a show! Wahoo! Thought I'd inflict her photos on ya'll. She is

an open field coursing champion with three takes, a straight racing champion, an ASFA field champion and winner of the Borzoi Club of Greater Atlanta triathlon (conformation match, straight racing and lure coursing) in 2006.

A new painting

2009-10-01T21:07:00.004-05:00

As you all recall I have picked up a brush again and am painting so here to bore you some more, cottonwoods on a river somewhere West of the MS river where there are mountains

Rock Climbing photos

2009-09-29T19:46:00.008-05:00

This could just be titled EEEK! I was expecting baby climbing stuff and this is what they tried us on. Needless to say this one was a bit much for both of us. Here I am about 10 feet or so off the ground working a "pitch" that I did manage to climb. It was only a 5.5 difficulty as opposed to that one on the left that is a 5.9 but that was HARD ENOUGH for me. This is ARchie working the same sandstone bluff. Then here's our photo at the raffle where I won a WICKED nice backpack from Mountain Hardware and on the left is the Uclimb group we were with. The guides were all great and we do hope to do some gym climbing before taking it outdoors again.

My recent paintings

2009-09-29T19:32:00.003-05:00

Here's a fun piece I call "Tribal" 8 x 10 acrylic with some Southwestern symbols mixed with a couple more familiar religious symbols. Then there's the "Flaming Cottonwood" also an 8 x 10 acrylic. The "West TX church" is an 11 x 14 so my scanner does not show the entire piece. It is missing most of the cholla on the right side and half the mequite tree on the left and some grass in the front of the painting. Took a photo of this little church in my wanderings last November while in TX, thought then it would make a neat painting.

Some new paintings I recently acquired

2009-09-29T19:13:00.007-05:00

Here are some paintings I had painted by Russell Freels who has painted several of my dogs and one of my friends dogs I've put them up here before First on the left is Vger (BIF FC Avalon Dark Voyager of Ryhka SC, LCM) who was #1 ASFA Borzoi in 2007. Below is this lovely adobe style house that I am wild about, and wanted since I just love all things Southwestern.

Then we have this neat piece done from a photo I took on a trail in the Smokies near Newfound Gap.

Last is my belated birthday to myself a 16 x 20 done from an assortment of photos I took in NM and West TX into which myself and a couple of my Borzoi have been "inserted". There's also a little inset showing the detail of me and the dogs. Too cool. Wish I had this kind of ability.

Rock climbing or Middle Age Crazy?

2009-09-16T20:39:00.002-05:00

The link is to the area where we had two days of rock climbing classes last weekend. I thought you know it is titled UClimb "learn to climb" so baby stuff right?

Wrong.......... climbs are graded from 5.0 being the easiest and just past scrambling without equipment to 5.15 which is the hardest one in the world currently that has been climbed ( of course that will change). I figured we would start with 5.1's or 5.2's etc.

Try 5.7s or 5.8s which of course NO WAY COULD I GET more than 3-5 feet up. Talk about banged up. Archie and myself did however manage to climb 3 5.6 climbs in Red Rock Gorge KY.

Will we do it again ?

You betcha. Probably in a gym though before going back on a rock wall.

Mt Sterling, NC hike labor day weekend

2009-09-16T20:14:00.003-05:00

ayee, my God, it was steep, probably the most consistently steep trail we've been on up there. We only met one couple on it, they were on their way down. They said, "Good luck making it to the top we gave up". Anyway, 2.7 miles and you gain over 2,000 feet in altitude, it is just some over 5800 feet. The above link has a photo of the mountain. The tower at the top of Mt. Sterling is probably 80 feet tall. It turned cold, the wind was screaming over that mountain so I said, hey let's go up there and eat our trail mix and jerky out of the wind so we did and spent about half hour having lunch in a pretty cool spot with some great views!

Scottsbluff

2009-09-16T20:12:00.000-05:00

OK, the buffalo may be hokey but what the hey

Fancy Boy one of my peacocks

2009-09-16T20:10:00.002-05:00

It has been a moment or two since I inflicted a painting on you. I did this one a couple of weeks ago. It's my 5 year old peacock Fancy Boy.

Alum Cave Bluff and Mt LeConte

2009-09-14T22:29:00.011-05:00

Labor Day weekend we went to Pigeon Forge and stayed Fri, Sat and Sun night. Saturday morning we got up and hiked to Alum Bluff from the trailhead ( not from the hotel hah ha). We got a late start hitting the trail around 10 am but it's nice to sleep in once a month, ayeee. Here's a couple of photos of us at the trailhead. The bluffs are HUGE those are people in the foreground towards the bottom. I had to take a photo from the bottom of the bluffs because otherwise you just can't get them in it. After hiking to the bluffs we hiked on to Mt LeConte, it's a bit over 6600 feet in altitude, pretty big in this neck of the woods. The trail up there may be the best for views and excitement in the entire park. Steep, narrow, rocky with great views and steel cables to help your footing on the scary parts. You can see cables to the left of the photo with the tree that has berries on it. On the left is a photo looking down at the dropoff from the trail. We finished the 11 mile or so trek by 6 PM so around 8 hours total and that included a stop at Alum Bluff on the way up and back and a 30 minute lunch at Le Conte sitting in a swing eating trail mix and jerky, drinking water out of a Camelbak!

SWEET

Labor Day Weekend 2009 and Fall Itinerary

2009-09-04T07:31:00.005-05:00

First the Itinerary
Sept 5, 6 , 7 -hiking SMokies
Sept 13, 14-2 days of Rock Climbing school at Red Gorge River, KY
Sept 19 judging Borzoi Sweepstakes in Atlanta, GA
Sept 26-27- nothing, canceled my canoeing trip with the boss, my Mother says she wants to visit and wanted me to cancel something and that was the first thing I could take off my plate
Oct 3-Toastmasters District contest Springfield TN
Oct 4-judging ASFA in Knoxville
Oct 10 & 11 another free weekend
Oct 16 & 17 -Toastmasters District Conference in Nashville
Oct 24 & 25 judging AKC trial in Reidsville, NC for MAHA
Oct 31 & Nov 1-judging ASFA trial in Omaha, NE flying out on Oct 30
Nov 5, 6, 7, 8 -Professional Bull Riding Finals in LV, NV
Nov 14, 15-free weekend
Nov 21-22 -free weekend
Nov 28-region 7 regionals Calhoun GA, will drive down to attend this
month of December is free for now

Today I am trying to get ready for 3 days of hiking in the Smokies. Hope to have lots more photos to upload when I get back..

A brief doggie moment

2009-08-31T05:46:00.004-05:00

After a bit of a sucky year losing a couple of dogs to accident or ailment, I am going to look on the bright side here. My 2009 litter ( the X pups) are pretty lovely (all 2 of them) so I am sharing a photo here thanks to my friend Leonore with whom they are right now. The male who is pictured is Trek (Avalon Xpedition) and the girl Xpo (Avalon Xplorer) are in New Mexico growing up, Xpo will be making her way to Montana this fall to another good friends home and Trek is in the land of enchantment for good. I relish his growing up with a good friend where he can someday chase jackrabbits. They are a handsome pair to my eye. Their sire is BIF FC Avalon Dark Voyager of Ryhka SC, LCM and their dam is Avalon Radioactive Dreams SC who needs 1 single point to finish in the ring. Thought I had saved the photo of the girl but it must be saved somewhere else.

Jackson Day in Tennessee

2009-08-30T08:25:00.000-05:00

Once a year the TN Democratic Party has a "Jackson" day to honor President Andrew Jackson who is widely considered the founder of the modern Democratic party ( although I think that may really belong to Jefferson). At any rate Archie and I went this year. The keynote speaker was President Clinton, with speeches by Vice President Al Gore, Governor Phil Bredesden, former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Brilliant evening, and I would encourage everyone who is having the Republican propaganda about health care thrown at them to please READ information from other sources for yourself. There is NO DEATH PANEL, all of these things are the only agenda the Republicans have to prevent everyone from accessing health care since they no longer have the votes for a filibuster they have to try and scare the masses so that everyone runs and tells their congressman, oh no Obamacare for me. Read the offerings for yourself. The link above under Jackson Day has links to explanations about the health care reform bill. I managed to get a couple of photos of Clinton while I waxed nostalgic thinking of how good things were for this country both here and abroad when the Bill and Al show was in office. My retirement investments were doing well, I was probably online to retire after 30 years, of course once W took office and tanked our financial system, and borrowed from SS that doesn't look remotely possible anymore. Gas was just over a buck a gallon, I did a lot of traveling. Another thing of the past. Clinton spoke with that wonderful accent, and wry sense of humor that even 8 years of being hounded by the angry party could not manage to squelch. He reminded the audience that the Democrats are the can do party and that they "only hire us when this country is in a world of hurt". When Clinton/Gore was in office over 22 million jobs were created, during the booming W years 2.5 million were created. For the "spending party" Clinton/Gore managed to save money and have a surplus during their administration, but when the Republicans were completely in charge during the W admin. we have the biggest deficit and biggest government EVER. Don't let the Republicans ever claim to be for small government after that fiasco unless you gag right in front of them.

Gran Quivara Ruins Painting

2009-08-28T20:34:00.003-05:00

The above link has some more photos to Gran Quivara. This is the last of the Salt Missions paintings, I did it a little larger (9 x 12) . I was a bit worried about how different it is but actually it was a lot of fun to work and easier than the two first ones.

2nd of the Salt Missions "Abo"

2009-08-28T20:29:00.003-05:00

Here's the 2nd of the Salt Missions, Abo. I've been working on it and Gran Quivara on my lunch hours the last week or so.

Painting Delicate Arch, Arches NP UT

2009-08-21T11:51:00.004-05:00

This is one of the places I hope to go see next year on the big tour of the West either right before or right after the bull riding finals.

Facebook

2009-08-21T09:53:00.002-05:00

I think the above is a link to my Facebook page. I debated adding one of these BUT the cool thing is it is so easy to upload and tag photos so what the hey it's free.

PBR Clysdales (Express Clysdales)

2009-08-18T21:23:00.007-05:00

Another cool thing about the PBR events is when the OK black Express Clysdales show up. The horses were at this event, and the 6 below are the world champion 6 team draft horse precision driving hitch for this year. The arena wasn't big but the horses WERE. Oh MY! It was amazing to watch those horses turn in tight tight circles and figure eights in that small arena. There was also a session of meet and greet the horse outside so of course I was sucked into that being an ex horse owner and forever and always horse lover. The big black gelding I was petting liked me and started nibbling on my belt.

PBR Nashville Augsut 15 and 16

2009-08-18T21:15:00.009-05:00

Archie got to see bullriding for the first time this weekend. I took some photos not as good mostly as the ones I took in Vegas last November but I am still learning this new camera. All PBR events start with lit letters and flash like this. Then we get down to the bullriding. There was plenty of that to be seen. Forty great bull riders on the Built Ford Tough Series, and the top 15 ride 2x on Sunday.

Quarai painting

2009-08-18T20:22:00.005-05:00

I decided what I really wanted as my next project was the three Salinas missions that my friend Nancy and I visited last November while in NM. I had taken a lot of photos of them. Now that I am playing with acrylics I have found several I think I'll paint, Quarai is the first of them. By the time I retire I should have plenty to put up in the coffee shop.

Enjoy

It's Official

2009-08-15T09:48:00.002-05:00

Did not want to mention this anywhere until we were sure we could go but ...........on August 29th President Clinton will be in Nashville for a fundraiser for the Tennessee Democratic Organization (more specifically Jackson day as Jackson is considered the founder of the modern Dems by many). Anyway, Archie had heard about it and wanted to go, told me about it and of course I wanted to go unfortunately I had missed every opportunity to see him while he was President. Last night Archie got tickets for it. Wahoo!! so I am going to see Bill at the end of the month! An excuse to shop for a really nice dinner dress too!! Even better!

PJs in public or somethings sure have changed

2009-08-14T20:02:00.003-05:00

These days there are all kinds of lounging pajamas to be bought at any store that sells clothing. TJ Maxx, Sears, Kohl's hell even Walmart has some great pajamas. When I was a kid pajamas were what we put on right before we went to bed. We might stay up and watch TV in them for a bit, but then off to bed with you because you weren't "dressed". If people came over you jumped up and ran and changed clothes. Mama never wore her gown around neighbors or visitors at home. There were a couple of exceptions to this rule of course. It was acceptable to be seen in public in your pajamas in two circumstances:

a. Your house caught on fire in the middle of the night when of course you were wearing your pajamas, and in order to save your life you had to race out into the public eye in your PJs.
b. You were stricken with some disease or ailment (perhaps had a heart attack or maybe just a "fit") in the middle of the night and did not have the strength or the sense to change into proper clothing before the ambulance arrived.

Now I go to Walmart and there are people wearing pajamas there shopping in the produce department. Archie and I were at a hotel in Nashville and we went downstairs for the continental breakfast and lo and behold there were scores of hotel dwellers in public having breakfast in their PJs. Someone recently told me that they were interviewing someone for a clerk position,and the gal showed up for the interview in pajamas. The interviewer told the interviewee to come back when she had time to put her clothes on.

What happens to folks that causes them to wander away from home in their nighties? Do they just get lost? Damn, I was headed to the kitchen to make some coffee and the next thing you know I'm in Walmart buying motor oil? Is that like losing your sense of direction or your moral compass? Or your common sense? WTF?

Devil's mittens

2009-08-13T20:55:00.003-05:00

This is a pretty liberal interpretation of the mitten buttes in Monument Valley but what the hey, I'm a liberal kind of gal. I hope to go visit them for real next November but until then photos and travel information will just have me living vicariously. Just finished this piece today. Have another one started of an arch in Arches National Park that I hope to work on this weekend.

My students are aware of my someday hoped for desire to retire out West somewhere. I have laughingly told them that I hope someday to be retired and run a little coffeehouse where locals and tourist can come, and today between my students rolling the idea around and myself rolling it around we either came up with a name or a slogan for this future entrepreneurship. Bad Paintings, Good Advice and Great Coffee or maybe Great Coffee, Good Advice and Bad Paintings. Go ahead and weigh in if you have an opinion on it.