With freezing rain coming down this morning, the decision was made to stay home rather than go toward Minneapolis for training. After sliding around doing chores (the goats inside, thankful for a warm and heavily straw bedded barn) we worked dogs - Solo is picking up his french commands slowly - especially the changes of position - although he's game to learn. He is also less than amused by the muzzle but is generally a good sport about it all. He's a really fun dog to work along side. Indoors, I have put a couple of loaves of wild rice bread up to rise and already roasted a chicken for supper.

I had an email from North Pond Restaurant in Chicago this past week inquiring about buying our 2011 lamb crop; I replied that I would need to see what the season brought before committing but it would be great to have them all go to one destination! We have been steadily upgrading our lamb flock to all Dorpers - they are one of the 'hair' sheep, thus don't require shearing. They also are short sheep, great for those of us who don't want to deal with sheep the size of ponies! Some people feel that the hair sheep breeds have meat that is more mild than 'wool' sheep. We certainly can't argue, the lamb from this year is tender and mild. Here's a link: www.northpondrestaurant.com

Briarlea's Life Is A Breeze RN MX MXJ NAP NJP MXF NFP has been invited to the Eukanuba AKC Invitational in Long Beach, California. Good luck to Breeze and Maggie!

Cranberry Fruit Conserve - you might have seen this on the Google page, it is delicious!!!

From Barefoot Contessa Parties!

• 1 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries, cleaned
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cook the cranberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the skins pop open. Add the apple, zests, and juices and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the raisins and nuts. Let cool, and serve chilled.

Makes 4 cups.

Sleet, freezing rain, icy roads - looks like early winter has arrived! Meanwhile, down in Florida, Reg Cobb and Nina CDX finish their Rally Excellent title! Nina is from Ali Shaba de Tremaudan SchH3 and Briarlea Luna de la Luz CD FR2; she has been working in Utility also so we're hopeful she titles this coming year. Reg is in his 70's and has been a Bouvier owner for many years now with multiple High in Trial awards to his credit.

5 months old now, Solo and Ruby's pups!

Noche'
Briarlea Reina de la Noche'











Tillie in Montana

Congratulations to Jet on earning his AHBA HTAD Started Sheep title today! Here's a picture from when he was just a baby, wearing his little red coat. He's a handsome young fellow now at a year and will be available to a trial or ranch home once he's trained up some more.

My grandson Anthony and Birdie this summer in Royalton, Minnesota. Birdie is from Schwartzi de la Saulaie Maraiche FR1 x WTCH Briarlea Lark of High Rolls CD TD PT and is scheduled to have puppies in 2011!

Went to the Guthrie yesterday to enjoy the old Hitchcock '39 Steps' with my mom and my sister - it was great fun! I did manage to get home -- with cheerful assistance from one of the Minneapolis Policemen after driving around for 40 minutes trying to get back on I-94!

It's truly cold here today, the buckets are frozen and the dogs would really prefer to be inside, thanks! I've started touch pads with Solo - restarted, really, since I'd done foundation work with him as a puppy, but he needs review! I also made liver treats from the 8 lamb livers we had saved from this fall - the house smells still from that process but we know the dogs will love them!

Congratulations are in order for Nancy and Terry Culley as Bennie earned his Novice Agility (NA) Title this weekend as well as his Novice Agility Jumpers (NAJ) title. Looks like he finally figured out how to lift those back legs!

The first snow of the season arrived last night; it's a heavy, wet snow which we trust will not stay on the ground too long! Here is Noche' at her new digs where she's on probation for a few weeks until we see how she adapts to a home with a Doberman buddy named Merlin. The dogs here have been careening around the pasture in the snow and are now drying off for a while before the early evening forces us all indoors.

Carol Walker sent this picture of her successful BH with Spice with judge Louis Vanderpol. Congratulations again to this hard-working team!

Also, here is a link to Solo's routine with Joanne; it's heavily edited for time...btw, that is Butch Henderson and Sirius in the background.

Congratulations to Terry and Riker on her Nov Jumpers Pref title. She seems to be back to her old self- but I think Terry is going to leave her in Preferred. Riker was ill for a couple years with something - a back injury? - and is just starting to get back into the swing of things.

In the meanwhile, young Bennie who is pictured to the left (Trouble's brother) got a leg in Standard...he still is knocking bars -- but fewer and fewer each time so--- he's sitting on 2 titles.....with 3 trials left to go this year....fingers crossed he'll move in to open in 2010!

This past winter in New Mexico I experimented with painting retablos - this one is on the side of the machine shed and while I admit that St. Francis looks like an astronaut, it gives the barnyard a certain aura :) I might try painting some others this winter; in the meanwhile a design for one of the floors is in mind - maybe Iznik tile designs??








And here, while I have my camera out, is the new tractor with the serious snowblower attachment! It's delightfully warm out today; I took the dogs for a long run through the creeks and pastures and worked them before deciding it was time to get back to cleaning up the yard and helping put the place in order for winter.

My sister Patty asked for this recipe:

APPLE SLICE

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

Sift (or just mix) together.

Add 1 cup shortening - I use cold butter; cut it in with a pastry knife so that the pieces of butter are about the size of peas. ** I don't put it in the food blender so that the pieces are like cornmeal since it just isn't as flaky that way. Sometimes I use my fingers to cut it in but again, the heat from my hands gives it a different consistency.**

Beat 1 Egg Yolk in a measuring cup - add enough Milk to bring the level up to 3/4 cup. Mix this with the flour/butter mixture until it's just holding together.

You can either use this now as a pie crust - it makes enough for a double crust pie - or continue on for the Apple Slice recipe:

Divide dough in half. Roll out, put in a large sheet pan. Some people like to put 1 cup of crushed cornflakes on the crust, I think it makes it tough, but go ahead and try it if you want.

Slice up your apples, mix with 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix them all together in a bowl and then spread on the crust. I generally have them sliced pretty thin and then make 2 layers of apple. How many depends on the size of your apples and the pan. Roll out the remaining dough, put it on top of the apples. Beat the egg white which you've reserved from the crust and brush over the top of the crust. Bake at 350F for an hour. While its still hot, drizzle with 1 cup powdered sugar/water glaze.

Congratulations to Carol and Spice (from Schwartzi x Lark) on their BH! Way to go!

Here at the farm we are rolling up hoses and trying to hook up the snowblower on the new tractor in preparation for winter. I took Noche' and Trouble out to work stock yesterday - Noche' is only 4 months old but she is very sensible and covered the 3 ewes well, bringing them to me. She's really too young to 'do' stockwork, so I kept things very controlled so that she didn't get hurt or frightened (not a problem, she says!) She leaves for her new home next week which is conveniently near us; we'll be able to help the new owners with what could be a handful of puppy.

Trouble is working great; her outruns are starting to come together and she keeps off the stock far enough so they don't run me over now. She's got so much presence that often at trials the stock will run to the corner of the arena when they see her get out of the truck. A problem at trials, that's for sure...but at home she's a great help doing chores.

A picture gallery of Solo at the DVG Nationals!
Thanks to Joanne Fleming for training him to SchH2 and these wins!

In my mailbox today: a certificate from the American Bouvier des Flandres Club awarding me a "Distinguished Breeder of Merit" award for Top 20 Performance Dogs.

Briarlea Nina De La Luz CDX RA picks up a leg in Rally Excellent. Nina lives in Florida, is owned by Reg Cobb and is from our first litter with Una by Ali Shaba de Tremaudan SchH3. Nina's sister Breeze RN MX MXJ NAP qualified for Top 20 this year. She also lives in Florida - with Maggie Bennett.

Solo did well enough to win high scoring Schutzhund 2 and High Tracking Dog at the DVG trials - we're very proud for him! We drove to Memphis, Tennessee to deliver my friend Doreen's Kelpie for breeding and had the most wonderful BBQ ever at the Whole Hog BBQ on the way down. Yum!! Then it was back in the car for the long drive home which was uneventful but llloooonnnggg.