January THAW?

Pictured above is our oldest grandson "Callum" who caught this 19" BROOK Trout
 weighing in at 4 pounds!

CONGRATULATIONS CALLUM!

I'm just settling back into my routine here after being gone from Thursday - Monday at shows.  Over the weekend we were all experiencing what seemed to be a January thaw with temperatures into the mid 40's. Perfect conditions for ice-fishing!  Our daughter and family came up to keep 'grampa' company while I was away and they spent the day on the lake.  As you can see by the photo above, they caught fish!  That was Saturday and on Sunday afternoon our son and his family (sans Teri who is in India) joined grampa here for dinner and had a great time visiting.  I thought it was so nice that he got to spend this time with the kids while I was away.  Speaking of Teri, she has been in touch with John and all is going well on her mission trip, she's mentioned banana trees and elephants as well as the work with children there.  Please continue to remember them in your prayers, thanks!

The shows were busy, hectic, and fun.  We didn't do as well as I'd hoped with Pippin over the weekend.  The competition was good and while we won the blue in our class of 1 each day ;o)  we were consistently defeated by the other girls there.  I do know the judges gave Pippin a good look, she moved well, and was more enthusiastic in the ring than the last time but - she was in heat and it had effected her coat and her attitutude quite a bit!  Neither Bullet nor Pippin won any points towards their championship but Bullet did place as Reserve Winner Dog in a class of 3.  Pippin placed as Reserve Winners Bitch in a class of 2... ;o)   Paris (Pams Brit) looked very nice each day and was shown in the Open class and we were all disappointed that she did not place this time.  Izzy, was finished by Lisa and is now a champion, and also won Best of Breed. Always something to talk about at the shows and if one is not careful it is very easy to be drawn right into the midst of it.  I don't mind people confiding in me, and sharing information, or even simply needing a shoulder or listening ear.  We're all human and want to know what is going in but there is a line to be drawn when it comes to gossip and maliciousness.  I've been a poor loser in the past and probably will be again in the future, but we manage to move beyond it.  Shows are competitive and have a reputation for being the source of vicious rumors and gossip. Sometimes these things that are said are true, other times not.  I experienced my share of offense this weekend with things spoken by people who didn't realize I was within earshot, or probably didn't realize how what they said might sound to me.  I'm thankful for the gift of true friendship in my life, that doesn't change with the weather or depend upon what dog does what, when, why or with who.  I'm thankful some of these friends are also involved with showing, for they are the anchors in the harbor when verbal storms arise.  It's important to me to get along with everyone, in as much as possible. There is so much more I want to learn about showing and those who have been at it for years are a valuable source of information.  I enjoyed some downtime with exhibitors I rarely get a chance to visit with, and it was good!

Let's switch gears here!   Pictured above are Molly and Treasure, lying down in front of our woodstove in the den just a little while ago.  If you look closely at Molly, you will see the evidence of her pregnancy! She is @8 weeks and very uncomfortable, seeking either to be close to us, or lie under a chair or near the stove. Her appetite is good, and she's enjoying the addition of liver to her diet.  Molly and Jacks pups are due next Tuesday.  She is not thrilled about having her temperature taken so we use a digital ear thermometer.  I don't feel it is a reliable but so far all is consistent.  Her last litter of pups was born January 2008, it was actually the first time we had wintertime pups, and the year we put the pellet stove into the dog house.  John has been especially attentive to his Molly girl, she trusts him very much.  Molly becomes very protective of her puppies when they are first born, and we highly respect her natural, maternal instincts to be that way.  She prefers to deliver without any human assistance so as we are nearby of course, we are out of her way and there only in case of necessity.  John and I both practice the physical 'calming signals' of dogs when she is in labor.  A few years ago Julie gave us the book by Turid Ruggas about this fascinating study of dog communication.  Time and again it's techniques have proven to be quite effective especially with a whelping mother dog. It's been real helpful for us to use with Molly.

True and Piper are doing very well in the house and although we have our hands full here, we are very careful and dilegent about how we divide our time.  Of course John gets double duty working nearly nonstop moving snow here.  We have schedules for this and schedules for that but they are all very flexible.  Definitely a little harder in the winter with so much going on but this is what we do and it is our full time job, which we both enjoy.  Miss Piper fits her name of "High Flyin' Girl" quite well!  She flies and must be anchored to earth with a flexi lead when she's outside!  We have tried off leash but she's too fast... not a problem to us though!   Sweet little girl she is learning so much as is her cousin True.  He continues to respond to clicker training and is learning specific words now that I am using to mark his behavior.  I was concerned with teaching a pup so young 'down' but he will remain down while I fix his food and put it into his crate. Both pups will sit quietly before I let them out of their x-pen.  We are learning their have to go outside cues quite well.  The biggest challenge and the most important one is to teach them individually.  When they go out to play - there are group times, but there are also one on one times.  So we will crate the adult dogs who happen to be in the house at any given time so they don't monopolize the pups, and vice versa. 

Have heard from most everyone with Treasure and Gibson pups and I do have a couple of phone calls to make regarding questions about them.  Love the pictures we've been getting.  Will have to put together some more of them soon.  Two females and one male are spoken for out of Molly and Jacks pups.  We do still have a few more questionairres to review and are still accepting inquiries.  This will be our last litter for quite awhile. 

Guess that's it for the time being!  Thank you as always for your interest in ATB, take care, and God Bless you and yours!  Ann, John, and the crew