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.

We are now in Little Rock, Arkansas, home of the Clinton Presidental Museum and the DVG Nationals. Our young dog Solo is scheduled for obedience and protection tonight; we hope he does well.
We have had wonderful weather, warm with sunshine! Great to drive the almost 1000 miles in the little Honda Fit ($75 in gas!) and to stop for Pit BBQ along the way! More info tomorrow!

Congratulations again to Janet and young Rey on his first leg of his AKC PT (pre-trial test in herding) at the ABdFC National Specialty! We head south today to Little Rock, Arkansas to support Solo at the DVG Nationals. Both Solo and Rey are Una's puppies; the only male puppies she's had!

A few pictures from our trip to Istanbul.


This is one of the three structures left from the inside track of the Hippodrome....one of the others, a twisted pillar with 3 snakes at the top was destroyed by a drunken tourist some years ago. That is Anthony with me having our visit documented.










This is the Janissaries Band, what is left of the famous army of the Sultans - disbanded after a mutiny of the army. The drummer is particularly flamboyant; the band plays nationalistic and military works - all very dramatic!





Here, inside the enormous Bazaar - over 4000 shops - near to the equally amazing Egyptian or "Spice" Bazaar. There were literally thousands of people here; too many for us to do much actual shopping although Jim did seem to manage to get some spices and a table covering.











Outside the famous "Blue Mosque" - this is the men's side, the women's side is on the opposite side of the building. Turkey is something like 99% Muslim but it was interesting to see how few women wore head coverings other than in the Mosques themselves where it is considered good manners. The call to prayer was heard 5 times per day but it was not as though the city came to a halt for prayer - it was much like here in the U.S. - people are to varying degrees more or less religious.








The beautiful and famous Ayasofia ~ this area is all lit up at night with pastel blue and pink lights, very beautiful and much used by visitors and locals as a park for people watching, resting, snacking and by the many, many cats who inhabit the city.

A nice note from Larry out in Oregon with a picture of Magnus from our Schwartzi x Lark litter of 3 years ago!











and also one of Vespa (Cyrano x Ruby) down at the racetrack in, I think, Florida. Vespa is Josey's dog who helps him with his mobile laundry business.

Trouble with Ducks :)

Since having constant problems with my webserver, I've decided to begin to make updates via this blog.

We traveled to Istanbul, Turkey in early October, having a wonderful time with the friendly people, fascinating architecture and great food in this country. My son Seth attended a local farm auction for me while we were gone and picked up a Kubota tractor with some attachments - something I've needed for a long time!

The dogs are doing well - Trouble got a leg in AKC Started Sheep, Riker's back competing, Stryker continues to have fun with agility, Ziva is getting ready to start trialing and we have plans for our 2011 litters underway. Solo goes to the DVG Nationals this weekend; I"ll be driving down for support and will update from the event site if I have internet access.

Go Rey!

Congratulations to Briarlea Rey de la Luz on his HT title at the 2010 ABdFC National Specialty!