Happy 9th birthday

Nine years ago yesterday, I welcomed into this world my 2nd litter. . .not knowing what to expect, but having high dreams, I definitely didn't expecting the whirlwind ride they have given me. I can't believe it's 'only' been 9 yrs, but so much has happened in those 9 yrs. . .Happy birthday to the Mielikki Queen litter!

DC Mielikki A Kind of Magic SC, LCM, ORC, SGRC-Sherita Hogan-too many accomplishments to name,
FC Mielikki Spread My Wings SC, LCM-Robin & Al Schemel-NCC BOB for 2002
BIF FC Mielikki's Somebody T'Luv SC, FCH-Bonnie Dalzell Regional BOB I believe also in 2002
Mielikki's Prophet's Song GRC
Mielikki Scirocco at Silkenswift -Bonnie Dalzell
Mielikki's Can't Stop Me Now, JC-Di & Jim Ryde
Mielikki's Dragon Attack JC-Amy Hough

And at the bridge, but still sorely missed
BIF FC Mielikki's My Fairy King MC, FCH, CGC-my first BIF, #2 Borzoi 2004 in AKC coursing, and my best bud
Mielikki's A Day at the Races SC-left me way too soon due to complications from pneumonia/dog flu. . but gave me my heart dog

That litter of 9 brought me a lot of fun and a lot of good friends, and have brought a lot of laughter into their owner's lives. . .and took me places I never thought to go to when I went and bred to their sire, Bonnie Dalzell's wonderful Blaze. I only wanted one nice running dog, and am so pleased with how far they all went. Happy 9th Birthday!

Training puppies

The last two weekends have been good ones. Weekend before last we had a practice in the front field, I was able to 'cert' a number of dogs, now knowing they will run clean, they can come with me. These included Crivens(Brother of Wizard), Bagheera(Touchet's nephew out of her half sister), and I was also able to run three of the four pups still here. The boys had blazing runs, completed an entire 400 yd course on full trusters, will running like babies, but lookd good. Ziva ran, not as nicely, but did come in for the kill and took off with the bunny LOL Seeing the two boys run, if John decides not to take Gibbs AKA Wizard Junior, he may stay here, he's a nice boy, and very keen, or I may keep Tony. . LOL that's all I need is another boy, but with Umbra dying, there's a spot to fill.

Then last weekend it was Jenny's turn. Soo, this is the first litter that has had the benefits of being near boxes. Anyone who races can probably tell you about that one(in my case two) dog they owned that was a sonovabitch, to get into a starting box. I SWEAR Races grew an extra set of paws, and his brother has managed to turn his big heavy ass around in the box numerous times. . their half nephew Carrot is JUST as bad, so this weekend, when I had extra room in the dog mobile for lil Ms Jenny to ride along. So off we went.

First thing in the morning, we walked around the box, with me rapping the metal door and top with my knuckles, if Jenny reacted, it was ignored, if she came up despite the noise, she was praised.

After everyone ran, with Tipperary putting in a nice FTE entry, she finished 5th I believe, but since she is very submissive and lacks confidence, the fact that she passed Grins in the last race made my day. She'll get it, and will be goign back out with me this weekend. Grins showed the youngens how to do it, and barely losing to a nice fast male (Lemans put on the speed last 2 lengths and passed Grins). He's still a PITA to get off the bunny, but as long as the boy wants to run, eh can run. Well, after that was all done, I went over to the box with my jackalure. Opened the back door, tossed the bunny in

Jenny looked at the stall, then up at me, stepped one step in, then two, grabbed the bunny and backed out. Now, normally you don't want them learning to back out, but since I was trying to get her to have confidence going in the box, I kept doing that. We went thru this a bunch of times, until she wasn't pausing to get the squawker.

THen it was hand her off to a stranger, open the front of the box, and head down the track. David Milne pointed her thru the stall and the Lure Operator(LO) bopped the bunny. Jenny wennt thru the box, looked around, a bit confused, until the LO bopped the bunny, then she took off like a bat out of hell. Even tho she overshot the bunny, she came back and attacked it. She then retrieved it all the way to the box so a friend's IW puppy could chase the bunny. I was so very very pleased with her! There was an adult Borzoi there who didn't handle his first run thru the box as nicely as she did!! I am so glad Bonnie co owns her, she's going to be a lot of fun, in the ring and on the field!

And to end a good day, she was a great puppy in the car, no chewing on anything, a littel grumbling cuz she's not used to sharing space yet, but otherwise, a very good traveling puppy. She won't get to go with me often, but they all will get exposure to BOnnie's box next month at PVBC. . .if it makes my life easier once they hit running age, why not?

fort hood

I usually don't use my blog to rant on things non doggy, but recent activities in the news has just gotten my dander up.

I am a military brat. My father was in the Airforce, his mother was in the marines, his step father was military, my Step father retired from the Airforce. My sister was a marine, my brother wanted to be in the AF so bad but couldn't because of health reasons. I never joined, cuz I don't deal well with dick heads telling me when to jump, how high to jump LOl

This jack ass who joined the military, Nidal Malik (no, I'm not goign to call him by his rank, he doesn't DESERVE his rank!) KNOWING there was a possibility of going to war, and then getting upset and going on a shooting spree should be hung by his balls from the nearest tree.

People like him and those who go AWOL cuz they can't get out of going to war really piss me off

What kind of MORON joins the military and then gets upset when they get deployed to a war. WTF do you think the military is for? Plant flowers and kiss booboos? Give me a freaking break. They want the benefits, but they don't want the work that has to go with that free education, and when faced with the scary task of going to war, they become giant babies.

My step father was deployed quite a bit to this useless war Bush and his predecessors started. I am so glad he's now retired and has no chance of being recalled to duty, as yes, it was hard, but we were proud of him, and we supported him and wouldn't've asked him to skip out on his responsibility.

I personally, wish they had killed Malik. .. he doesn't deserve any better. . how dare he go in and shoot innocent bystanders, who had nothing to do with his inability to get out of his job, his responsibilities. . so many families devastated because of this idiot. I have no sympathy for him. . .every time i hear his name, I see red. This moron got his medical training PAID for by the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and he repays us by shooting our citizens. Unfortuantely, rotting in jail is too good for him.

If you don't want to go to war, don't join the military. It's that easy.

This type of crap just gets to me. .. it's a slap in the face of every military person who ever stepped into battle, whether they wanted to or not, because they were proud to serve their country. . .it's unfreaking believable that some asinine moron would join the Armed Forces, and then get angry because they were required to do their job.

To any military reading this: hats off to you. I'm proud of you, and what you do. . I may not support the war or the decisions that lead you there, but I support YOU!!!

And to those affected by these atrocity. My heart and thoughts are with you. . .

Gossip

realised with all the crap that's gone on in the last few weeks and fighting this damn cold(a fight I am losing as is obvious by the fact I came home early from work and went straight to bed), that I didn't post this.

I convince PVBC to sponsor a high scoring Borzoi in OB/Rally this year and felt I had to support the club by entering. So I did. . .and Gossip left her brain at home LOL Sit? What's that? When she refused her jump twice, I knew she just wasn't 'in it'. .. something I've never dealt wtih with her. .. and I wondered if it was hormones? She is just now 9 wks post season. IT was also unusually warm after a long week of cool weather, and the wind was high(outdoor show).

Sunday, I almost left her at home, same judge, why mortify ourselves again?But the weather was noticably cooler, no rain, but cooler, and she was more upbeat, so I said what the heck. Entry was already paid for, and as Bonnie said maybe she'd give me extra points for being masochistic enough to come back LOL

Gossip didn't do everything as she normally did, but she DID work, unlike the previous day. I didn't care if we didn't qualify at this point, I wanted to get all the way thru it to prove to myself we could do it. When we left the ring, the judge mentioend she was MUCH happier to work that day then the previous day, and handed us our first RA leg!!!! :)

We're taking time away from the rally ring this fall, with Umbra being sick, car problems and racing, not enough money to go around, but we will be practicing some more in hopes of adding an RA to her name :)

Sunday's a dog show, hoping she behaves as nicely as she did last time. I respect this judge, he's willing to do what HE wants and screw politics, so here's hoping :)

cancer

cancer sucks

When someone you love has untreateable cancer you live day by day.

And it sucks.

Umbra's still going. I get up each morning wondering if today is the day. He's still bright eyed, alert, breaks into his show dog trot. he still comes for snuggles, and he still tells me he HATES being in the kennel during the day. He's not eating as much as _I_ want him to eat, but he's eating. He has kibble available all day which he nibbles at, and has been getting whatever he will eat, from baked chicken, to bologna to smoked turkey. In the last 2 days he's eaten 3 lbs of raw burger & a lb of raw turkey. I don't care, as long as he eats. He's not tired yet, he's not quitting yet, but i know it's only time.

Only good thing about this cancer is, if it takes him before he's ready to quit, it will be quick. He'll have a heartattack, OTOH, hate for him to go alone. Some days, I wonder if it'd be better not to know, rather than wondering if today will be the day. . each morning before I leave, I give him loving and tell him I love him, each evening when he goes into his crate, more of the same.

So many great memories created by this silly boy. I'd so wanted to play in the specials ring with him, but my life went in the toilet the year he finished and I never got the time. I'm so glad Kari got the picture of him for GNY in May. . .her reasoning? You never know when the last time will be. . and she was sooo right. He wasn't shown much, so there never were a lot of show pictures. My favorite is still one Janice Butkowsky took at a small show in NY.

They get old so fast.

And so, we take each day one at a time.