Time

Time, where does it go?

It doesn't seem like its been 6 yrs since I lost my Kyra. .. nor that it's been 11 yrs since she gave me my second litter or almost 17 since I joined the Borzoi world. .where does the time go?

It seems the older I get, the faster it flits away from me.

Sometimes I think we wish it away. . we're wishing this small lump of clay known as a newborn puppy would hurry up and grow up so you can pick who was staying, then you're wishing they're old enough to do something with, forgetting to enjoy puppyhood, then you're wishing they're old enough to give you the next generation, and then before you know it, their inky black face is now staring lovingly up at you with a gray mask and eyes clouded with old dog cataracts and you're wondering where that beautiful gait went as they stiffly get up, their bones sore with arthritis. . .and then suddenly you're staring into their sweet face, tears rolling down your face as you say good-bye.

This really hit home last year, when I was letting my sweet Dei go. . .she didn't live anywhere near as long as I wanted. It didn't feel like it'd been almost 11 yrs since she'd been born into my hands. . it seemed only a little whle ago she was chasing her brothers around the pasture, her puppy curls as white as the snow they played in, and definitely not three years ago that she gave me the NCIS litter.

It doesn't seem like Ms Touchet should be officially 13 yrs old. It seems like just a few years ago that she came into my life, a silly shy California girl who had no clue what to do in the first showfall she was in, but now she's creaky and cranky, and the oldest dog in the house.

So, where does time go? And is there any way to slow it down. . .maybe stopping to sniff the roses. . but I'm not sure. . .

year of the little black bitch

To my internet stalker: you might want to skip this, you will find this boring, I'm using my right to brag :)

The title is how a friend termed this year. .. and it has been the year of the little black dog for me.


Eighteen months ago, I was looking to place said little black dog. . but when the only performance home that came up was not a home i wanted to place a dog in, Bonnie Dalzell convinced me to keep Jenny. . and I'm so glad she said "let's co own her" Who knew those would be words I'd be sitting here being thankful for.


I've had running dogs now for 11 yrs and had some nice dogs in that time. Obie was a great coursing dog, but he never could figure out the racing game, always holding back waiting for the bunny to turn, Gossip was a great racing dog, but plastic was not her forte. .she thought plastic was for pansies. Jenny's father wasn't something to sneeze at, but after he ran his back off, he was never able to achieve his potential, partly cuz his body never recovered from getting sooo sooo sick, but partly cuz I was afraid to run him if it was over 80.

But Jenny is a dog of a different class.

I knew she was keen: she'd had some very successful practices, but I had no idea what the next 9 months would bring when I took her out in March. .I'd been just looking to get the needed points to qualify for the International Invitational (II), nothing else. The II was close to home and I wanted to go since they were holding it during a reasonable part of the year, so was only hoping to get those 20 needed poitns.

Not only did she get those points, she then went Best of Breed, nad then on to Best in Field at her very first ASFA trial(then came into season LOL). Few weeks post season, she went on to win BOB the 2nd day of the II, which tickled me pink to bring home that gorgeous Pyerun trophy.

Her next time out coursing was AKC, where she picked up three majors and then had a BEAUTIFUL BIF run with a really awesome whippet: they were stride for stride thru a number of turns and suddenly she put it into a different gear and blew him out of the water. She added a 2nd BIF ribbon to her trophy wall. .she then went to the Region 8 Invitational where she went BOB on both days, bringing home the G'kar memorial trophy and then not setting a food down wrong, came away with the Reg 8 Best in Event Plaque and the Alleghany Derby trophy and a new FCH title. Next time out, she won the Grand Prix cup, and then went down to win BOB at the REg 4 saturday trial . For 2011, she only ran at 9 ASFA trials, but should be ranked near the top 10. ASFA's much slower at getting rankings out than AKC or LGRA/NOTRA is.

She spent most of the spring racing, only being beaten by Doro post slump, and I was soooo looking forward to when she was back on her game to see those two go head to head. Unfortunately his untimely loss just before the fall season started put a kabosh on that, but her and Focus still had some exciting racing. She finished her GRC in the Spring, her SGRC early fall, and picked up a total of 47.50 NRC points for the year and is #1 LGRA Borzoi, #2 hound. . .I sure would've loved to've seen her run against Gossip. . .amongst other greats. .but she's holding her own. . .

Wish i could've gotten her to the AKC Coursing national as well as that she hadn't been in season for the BCOA National, and would've loved to've seen her run the grand national, but she's still young yet, so who knows what the future will bring :)

It's definitely been the year of my little black dog. Next year, we'll start Rally and work on finishing her LCM & FC, and even try Oval in between trips into the show ring. . :) I'm so very proud of her. . .

So, Congrats to my little black dog: MBIF, BIE Mielikki Dir Shepard at SIlkenswift FCH, SGRC