HURRICANE IRENE: When Oceans Rise...

(Pause PlayList to the Right before playing)
Still

Words and Music by Reuben Morgan

Hide me now

Under your wings

Cover me

within your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar

I will soar with you above the storm

Father you are king over the flood

I will be still and know you are God

Find rest my soul

In Christ alone

Know his power

In quietness and trust

ATB at the Dog Shows: An Expression of Friendship


(Pause the PlayList to the right; there is a soundtrack.)

Well, there was an ATB road trip to shows in Fitchburg this past weekend. Julie and I headed out with Thistle and Pippin and met up with Pam, her mom, and True and then with Dawn and Alex. About a half hour out of Fitchburg on the highway a vehicle with Maine plates caught my attention and sure enough! We were driving side by side of Pam. Too funny and we couldn't have planned that to work if we had tried. Dawn was already at the show sight and I finally had a chance to see this handsome liver and white 3 month old half brother of Pippin and uncle to Hemis and Thistle. (Don't you love the relationships here?!) All I can say is there will be some more very magnificent pups in the field and show in the near future which will include J & A's Magnificent Obsession of Acton of course! After setting up Dawn took Pippin to finish her grooming for the evening Brittany Specialty and the rest of us checked into a nearby motel. It was a great weekend spent with dog folk and dogs. I enjoyed catching up with many people and sitting ringside to cheer friends that were in the ring - most especially Pippin and True. Pam handled him all weekend and presented him quite well. His 1st indoor show and away from home for a week this was quite an experience for my True puppy who did come home with 3 white ribbons for 4th place. (Well, he actually did defeat another Brittany; there were 5 entries one night!)  Pippins class was a lot more competetive, I think there were 9 girls for the judge to consider. Friday and Saturday she was not in the ribbons but on Sunday she placed 3rd out of the entire class seriously defeating some beautiful Brittanys. Dawn came up for the Friday night show just for Miss Pippin at the Central New England Brittany Club (a shout out to Peggy Aguiar and Linda McCartney Roy for all their hard work to make it such a nice Specialty show).   Julie handled Pippin Saturday and Sunday. I'm really very appreciated and also quite blessed to have the support of such dear friends. True is very lean and muscular right now and has dropped alot of coat. Considering he's been in the field almost daily since April it's quite understandable. This is not the best condition for showing him and I don't think I'm going to ever pull him out of his summer training mode again. His structure and form is so similar to Treasure's. We have always had to work very hard to keep any 'meat on her bones' so to speak because no matter how much she eats she was always lean - until her pregnancy. Anyhow! Late winter and into Spring is the time seem to be the best time to show him. He's going to be expected to work especially hard this fall so I do prefer he remains lean and muscular to do his job. I think too in retrospect that I probably should not have been so anxious to show Pippin again after pups regardless of who was judging. She just wasn't in prime show condition but speaking of that - she is doing very well in her field work and John's probably going to enter her in a hunt test. I did take some really nice photos at the show this weekend which I'm still working through. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the video I made which speaks to the very special friends we have in our life that do so often  help us out. This is not all inclusive but shares some of the highlights and hopefully a measure of the appreciation I feel in my heart about this past weekend. More than anyone could ever know - I want to be the one handling my own dogs - but rarely is it possible. Neither Osteoarthritis or Lyme Disease are respectors of persons, or their belief systems!

Take care and God bless you always, John, Ann and All Things Brittany

Bird Dogs Afield Interview with Bob Paucek

Here is a really great interview of our friend Bob Paucek. With over 60 years of experience training pointing dogs, Bob has quite a story to share.  Filmed on Bob's training grounds, I thought this was especially enjoyable because of the time John has spent with Bob the past few years.  Hope you will enjoy this too.

2 Short ATB Videos: Hemi & Jack Summer Morn / Whoa & Show training

(Don't forget to pause the PlayList box in the right corner!)

A fairly busy day for us here, and I wouldn't even be blogging about it except sometimes you have to stop in the middle of  busy-ness and as they say, smell the roses. In this situation there are no roses involved but there is a Jack and a Hemi involved.  I am packing up for 3 days of dog showing.  My show checklist has been printed off and it is nearly all crossed off. Just a couple of more things to do.  Not to mention that today is the Maine Bird Dog Club grounds work day and I'll probably skip up there at some point.  Even so, no matter how many chores or errands need to be done and regardless of dishes in the sink or the laundry pile in the bathroom, not to mention one final groom for Pippin before we leave - all these things - cannot keep my eyes off of the beautiful and simple joys that our Brittany dogs bring to me.  This morning was no exception. And Hemi started it all by deciding to lay down across my bare feet, keeping them very warm as I checked e-mail, Facebook, etc.

( I hate to wear shoes so even when the weather gets colder, I am still barefoot.  Crocs are my choice of footwear most of the time because I don't have to deal with ties, laces, a shoe horn or whatever.  I am happy that Maryann gave me a new pair of blue Crocs for my new birthday. She is happy too because I embarassed her when I wore my old beat up green ones. This is also why my last pair of sneakers was a gift from her.  I do not have a whole closet of shoes, my shoes do not match my outfits, I do not care about the latest style in footwear, and when I buy a pair of shoes it is most always for practical reasons and the shoes... well of course they are very basic and practical.  The Borne leather sandals I bought at the Kittery Trading Post cost $85.00 when I bought them back in 2000.  I wore them to where while in Israel that year, when I literally walked the same roads that Jesus Christ once walked upon in Jerusalem.  My Merrick leather shoes were in that same price range when I bought them at L.L. Beans a few years ago. They were recommended to me because of my osteoarthritis. Last but not least I splurged again this spring on footwear when I bought a pair of muck style boots made by Crocs.  Just perfect.)

Shortly after Hemi's nap on my toes he walked around trying to find something to do to occupy himself while I typed away. He is a great puppy and really does keep himself amused and busy.  He's not demanding and will often simply find a toy or a bone to play with. Eventually he walked over to the porch screen door and gently pushed on it with his nose.  That's one of the ways that 14 week old Hemi communicates that he has to "go outside".  JackDog heard the screen door slide open and followed Hemi outdoors and pup thought this was so cool. His mother along with Treasure were crated with their dishes of dog food and a fresh pail of water. They were essentially having a break from Hemi and vice versa.

I will admit. I was impatient. I wanted to finish up what I was doing. I wanted to continue on with my proposed plans for the morning before it turned into afternoon and the pressure of getting ready to leave tomorrow hit full force. Hemi didn't 'go'.  Jack didn't 'go'.  I stood on the porch waiting for the tell tale sign of a dog doing it's business. It never happened.  But something I could not have anticipated did.

I watched as Hemi and Jack shared some really special moments together. We really can learn a lot from dogs you know.  They can take a simple thing like having to go to the bathroom and turn it into an adventure! Seriously. I'm not sure they ever actually went, or maybe they didn't really need to. Maybe there are more precise and subtle behaviors involved when it comes to specific requests that dogs make to go outside.  I think that must be the answer.

Anyway, I was a captive audience as my camera caught the most simplest of dog behavior between an adult male dog and a male puppy dog.  Beginning to end.  And so I have sharee it with you. Hope you enjoy.
Take care and God bless you and yours always -you know we appreciate your interest in All Things Brittany! John, Ann and the crew

PS  Here is a quick clip of Hemi as I work with him regarding a natural 'pose'!  I am blending early 'whoa training' with early 'show training!'



Seasons Change

This beautiful liver and white Brittany puppy is "Crickett's Hunter" from our very first litter of pups born in 1990.  He was right around the same age as "Hemi" in this photograph.  I had just raked a pile of leaves in the backyard and Hunter took the opportunity to give us a real photo gem. Don't you think he looks a lot like Treasure?  I always have and they are related by the "belly button theory" as most of our Brittanys lead back to Hunter's grandparents.

I'm writing on the backside of yet another totally enjoyable weekend spent once again with family, good friends, and with neighbors. The only problem is time is passing so quickly these days that there are still so many others that I had planned to visit with before the summer passed us by. Not that I am rushing things or anything like that but I do want to mention that there are trees on our road with leaves at the tippity top that are already changing color! And my last trip down to the berry patches revealed that some very small but beautiful maple leaves had fallen to the ground.

In years past I would often pick up the very first leaf that I discovered as fall approached and set it aside. I've always looked at my own life as a series of seasons; seasons of growth and maturity full of various experiences. Sometimes we are aware of what season we are in. For instance, when our daughter graduated from high school and was headed to college I knew as a mom I was in a season of letting go so that I could be prepared emotionally and spiritually for whatever the future would bring and where God may lead me. When our first grandchild was born it was on the horizon of a brand new millenium, also the year marking our 25th anniversary and a trip to Israel. This was a season of personal growth as well as digging deeply into my heart and spirit, asking God to show me the way. Which He did.

Things leveled out and one season came to an end and another began. Eventually leading to where I find myself now. Seasons of the heart and the spirit do not coincide with the natural seasons but we can learn so much when one of them is coming to an end and another is about to begin. I remember clearly a specific season winding down in my life when it was time to leave my job behind for various reasons. Full of uncertainty as to what the future held but confident that it was time for a change. A single leaf fell from the majestic oak tree that shaded the path leading away from the office to the parking lot. I picked it up and held it to my nose, savoring that wonderful musky scent of a fallen leaf. Closing my eyes I simply thanked God for this gentle reminder that He's in control. In control of everything. As surely as it was time for that leaf to fall to the ground so was it time for things to begin to line up and fall into place for another season in my own life.

Seasons change from one to the next whether or not we are ready or if we want them too. Think about that pile of cordwood out in the driveway. Even if we're not ready to stack it and put it on the porch before the temperature drops, those temperatures will drop just the same and we will either be opening the door and walking a few steps to get wood for the stove - or walking out into the cold weather, across the yard to get an armful. So it is with the spiritual aspect of personal seasons. It is enough to be aware and recognize the sign(s). It is much better to be prepared for them. So I'm not really sure why my blogging tonight took this direction. I was going to write about the particulars of a particularly enjoyable weekend and talk about Julie and Bullet, Pam and True, Hemi and Thistle, John and All Things Brittany including our grandaughters birthday party. Maybe I'm inspired by a recent lunch with a longtime friend I'd not seen in way too many years and listening to the story of what she has been through for the past couple of years. Now she is on the threshold of her own change, finding herself in a place she never dreamed she would be. A "place" where God took all the difficulties of recent years and turned them around for His purpose, and as a result is blessing her through them. She wouldn't be who she is now if she'd stayed in that prior season but neither would she have experienced the reality of knowing indeed - God is always in control. Especially those times we all have when nothing in life makes sense at the moment. Be blessed this night readers. Know that whatever is going on in your heart, that all it takes is a teeny bit of faith - the size of a mustard seed - to see you through. Faith in One Who knows and loves you more than you could possibly believe. As the leaves begin to change color and fall, with summer slowly transitioning into the beauty of autumn, think about your own seasons of life. Be still. And know. That He is God.

Take care and God bless you always. More about the Brittanys next time I promise. ~ Ann

ATB: Brittany Gun Dog Training / The Dog House(s)

Bullet points a chuckar, holds his point while John searches for the bird, relocates Bullet who again holds steady as John flushes the bird and shoots.

John has some new sunglasses with a mini-DVR recorder built in. They are called 'spy glasses'. He wanted to be able to show Julie how Bullet is coming along while he is here with us. The quality of recording leaves something to be desired in consideration of John wearing the glasses while training! It is long and unedited. I did not want to cut anything out although I could have cleaned this up a lot but I chose not to. All of crew are working hard this summer - some in hopes of achieving their Junior Hunter, others to finish what was started in working on Seniors, perhaps a field trial or two, and there are those like Molly and Wish now who simply get out and enjoy a good run with no pressure. I'm encouraged for John and thrilled for the dogs.

You really never know what the Brittanys are going to do from one day to the next really. And you especially never know how they will do in a field competition or test. What you do know is what your dog is capable of and you work hard to bring that out and fine tune it with each outing. As multiple dog owners we do have a responsibility to our crew here to give them the life they deserve. As surely as we know what they are capable of we also know beyond any shadow of doubt how much they love us. This works both ways. Love for them and from them is a constant. This means that there is an even higher priority here - and that is for our Brittanys to always be treated with the utmost respect, love, and devotion. This means not only giving them ample opportunity to run freekt like the wind in a bird field, taking them into the woods to hunt wild birds during hunting season, or having them romp and play in a pond - it means they are a daily part of all that we do in one way or another.

As I type there are 4 of them very close by. Jackdog lays in front of the door and looks longingly out the window, a bit miffed John has gone on errands and did not take him along. Usually Jack gets to ride shotgun whenever the truck leaves the yard. My bare feet are being warmed by Pippin who is draped across them. Treasure is 'hunting' from window to window throughout the house. And little britches is up on the couch chewing on... chewing on something which I'll go replace with a toy. As surely as I just moved across the room so did the movement of each Brittany in the house at the moment. Now it is Hemi who is laying on my feet, amidst attempts to reduce the number of toes I have. Treasure lays in front of the door, Jack lays in John's chair, and Pippin... she just came back to reclaim her spot occupied by her puppy. Hemi won't move so she resigns herself to lay with him while speaking with him in repetitive gentle grring undertones about her obvious displeasure.

This scene changes daily. I think it's great that there are people who have upwards to 10 dogs in their house all at the same time. But I don't think it's great to let them rule the roost and run wild and free inside. Especially multiple pups. Although there's times when we may have 2 approximately the same age I still don't think it's the ideal situation. Just my opinion because I've experienced the reality of it. We enjoy having all of the dogs in the house, just not all at the same time! When they are inside though, they are welcome on the furniture, sleep on our bed, and occassionaly even eat people food as John cannot resist sharing whatever he happens to be snacking on. (They know I won't do this - so they all sit patiently at his feet waiting. I do not enjoy a dog in my face when food or a beverage is involved and they seem to know it!)

Some animal rights organizations define responsible dog ownership as not using kennels to properly and humanely house dogs safely. It is hard to believe that not only do some breeders actually agree with this, but there are those who demean the use inside/outside kennels and say that they would never have their dogs in one. Well, I'd never go off for the day and leave my dogs running loose in my home and I am not likely to leave them crated for long and uninterrupted periods of time.

Part of our proper animal husbandry kennel management is rotating the dogs from kennel house to people house. When our Brittany crew is involved with daily gundog training they do not go from the field into our house. They come home, run down to the pond, take a few laps around the yard and CHOOSE to return to their cushy multiple dog house aka a kennel. Due to the attributes of the Brittanys low maintainence wash and wear coat it's just not necessary for a daily bath. Their grooming needs include an inspection via a fine tooth comb to seek for any uninvited guests (ticks), a check of toes and pads for cuts, a look at their beautiful eyes, and then physically feeling them all over. I hate flags on the end of a Brittany tail so those are trimmed off and we prefer all over field cuts for the summer. Grooming also means keeping toenails clipped, ears and teeth clean. Apple Cider vinegar on a cotton ball keeps the ears clean and odor free. Fresh knuckle bones from the butcher keeps teeth clean, white, and pretty much tarter free. Of course this grooming routine changes a bit if the calendar reveals it is almost time to go play in the ring again. But a Brittany is not a 'foo-foo' dog,the breed standard clearly discourages excessive feathering. All that fluffy feathering simply is not practical for a hunting dog as beautiful as it may be. Speaking of keeping our Brittanys clean,they all do enjoy the occassional bath of course but most often they will be rinsed off outside via our portable propane heated camp shower. Anyway, our physical home extends to the big dog house to our small grooming studio which also transforms into the perfect whelping area. Suffice to say, both John and I enjoy spending time in these places as well.

Well so much for my ramblings this morning. Time to get on with day! John called to say he's bringing home cucumbers and asked what ingredients I needed for Bread & Butter pickles. I love to make them and my recipe won 1st place at the Rochester Fair years ago. Have a great day, take care and God bless you always! John, Ann, and All Things Brittany - inside, outside, and in between side.

My Birthday Reflections: Part 1

You know the forwarded emails we all get?  Do you read them all?  I read a lot of them but I confess not all.  Even so, from time to time there is one that REALLY sticks out to me.  And this is one of them. I received it this morning from "Kathy".  The timing is perfect - in fact so perfect I dare to say a "special delivery GIFT from God".  He gave me another special delivery GIFT this morning too, the beautiful simplicity of His creation.  These are GIFTS only when the heart recognizes them as such. And I do. Especially because it's my birthday. Now I didn't say that to elicit a birthday greeting response (although by 9 a.m. I had received so many awesome greetings from friends and family via email and also on Facebook!).  I said this because I'm always open to the way God chooses to speak to us.  Maybe I don't always walk that walk and talk that talk but I am open.  The photo above is a collage I just made from the simple act of sitting on my porch within my camera, and opening my eyes.  The 'forward below' I share because it opened my heart.  Too much of what is written below is true.  Today, I really need to think about some of these things as I turn that much closer to another big "0" in a few more years!

"Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those people on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you? How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said , 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.


Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas.. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to...not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say?

And why are you waiting? Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask 'How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi'? When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift...Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over." Author Unknown

HEMI: 12 Week Old Brittany Puppy Fun In the Field

(Pause the PlayList to the right before viewing, there is sound!)

12 week old Hemi's early fun field training continues. This time he's let off the check cord with his bell and runs free with very little guidance. A Bobwhite Quail lies in the grass awaiting discovery. At this point in time young Hemi knows his name and when off leash will usually come when called. He is accustomed to wearing a bell collar in the field. Little britches has casually been introduced to birds. He has sat observing the sights, sounds, and scents of our finished gundgogs via several trips to the field with them. The only interaction has been when the big dogs come back to cool off. This video shows the result of our efforts in taking things very slow as Hemi successfully points the bird and continues on with enthusiasm. A major milesone with no need to rush things from this point on. He clearly has been awakened and we look forward to yet another exciting journey with a Brittany from our breeding program! We enjoy a casual approach to gundog training which pays off in the fall during bird hunting season. And besides, Hemi is CUTE CUTE CUTE! Hope you really enjoy this, I know we sure did and DO!  Take care and God bless you and yours as always, John, Ann and All Things Brittany

True: What A Difference A Year Makes

J & A's Keeper of the Stars of Acton JH

Sire: CH Gibson JH

Dam: J & A's Dreams Come True of Acton

(Inset: August 20, 2010; photo credit for July 31, 2011 pictures to Garret Booth)

True and Piper enjoyed an unexpected treat yesterday by way of running over on the training grounds of Greys Outfitting.  Garret Booth invited John to join him in the afternoon.  Piper needs some specific fine tuning and it's always good to get another trainers advice.  True on the other hand literally went along for the ride.  

I was really blessed this morning to see the larger photo of True posted on Facebook along with the following comment written by Garret: "This is True Short from J&A Brittanys. What an incredible dog. Head high points, great class in his run, and all hunt. GREAT WORK JOHN AND ANN. True came to visit with John Short from J&A - no training needed folks. What an honor to see a great dog work hard and really do his owner right."

It has been a recent pleasure to finally meet Garret personally who has trained 3 J&A Brittany dogs owned by others.  We met due in part to his friendship with Bob P., self proclaimed owner of the 'Best Brittany in The World', "Remi" who is out of Jack and Chrissy.  Bob and his family also own 'Boog' who is full brother to True.  "Max" who is another Jack puppy with Molly, and well loved by his owner Mark K., was also trained with Garret.  Folks who want their Brittanys trained for hunting often ask for our recommendations.  Other than my recommendation to work with John, we are always happy to suggest other trainers we believe share philosphies that are similar to ours. And it makes us very proud when those same trainers complement our dogs based on their interaction and observation of them in the field. Such as what Garret said about True. That's an opinion we highly value for sure.

Hope you enjoy seeing the two photos above of my True puppy who is now 19 months old.  Isn't he something?  Take care and God bless, John, Ann and All Things Brittany

(Emphasis on my because John needs to remember this next time he thinks about stealing True from me! Just kidding, I wouldn't have it any other way - John prepared and trained True for his true purpose in life and will continue to pursue a Senior Hunting title with our boy along with the same for Jack and Bullet this fall. We're looking at some field trials and hunt tests and I am looking to have some fun playing in the ring with True soon!)