weekened of dreams

After last month, I decided I needed to have fun, a weekend of laughter, joy, fun with friends, etc. . .with that in mind, I made vacation plans, verified them with Kari, a good friend and the handler I use, and waited impatiently for them to come about.

This last weekend we took off , our plans almost ruined by a bad reaction on my part to a bug bite. . .after a go ahead from my dr after an xray to rule out a broken foot, we hopped in her big white van and went to Ohio's Madison OH cluster with three Borzoi :)

My mini pony, err, 9 month old moose Borzoi puppy Duckie (Mielikki HiNote Secret Agent Man) was RWD at the hound specialty, RWD to a major, took his third point and was again RWD, with lots of compliments :) He's such a sweet petunia plucking, dandelion destroying, clover chewing puppy. He also placed in the rather large (10+) puppy group both days we showed(We called it quits due tot he heat Sunday), with a 2nd on Friday in a pretty big group & a 4th on Saturday :) He's now got 3 points and is being put up to mature and grow into the legs he suddenly grew LOL

My Bounce, (Silkenswift Bounce Into First Dawn SGRC) who's had an awesome last 9 months with winning the LGRA Nationals meet, as well as our breed nationals LGRA meet, placed 1st in FLight B ASFA trial at our nationals, and RWB at our supported entry, was WB at the hound specialty and then again on Friday, for 7 points(giving her three majors), and then RWB on Saturday, Sunday's judge didn't like her, but that's ok, we were happy to share the wealth and got the two majors that were available :)

Then our Special Briar, (CH Zharkov Teine briar SC) who was AOM at our Nationals this year with almost 100 specials, was BOB at the hound specialty and SD for 9 points and two of his majors :)

Yeah, we pretty much flew home :)

No, it didn't make up for the loss last month, but it's given me a lot of reasons to smile this week :)

Good bye to my sweet clown

No longer will I see your face
No longer will I see you Grin
No longer will I hear the snap snap snap
Of excitement and glee just for me

No Longer will I hear you snort
No longer will I see you dance,
No longer will I see that gray plum tail
wag wag wag in your silly prance.

Never long enough, too hard to let them go,
Tears flow so freely, but I do Know
That it's time to let you go.

I still remember the day you chose me. .I had nothing to do with it.

Bonnie told me to return PC, who was a sweet boy, but had not turned out. .. he didn't run, wasn't show quality, and she had the perfect pet home for him. So I brought him back, and she let me choose between the boys in that litter. . you chose me, when we pulled you out for me to interact with you, you draped yourself over my knee, looked up at me, clacked your jaws and grins, your eyes glittering, and said
"You are mine"

I tried so hard to find an elegant name for you. Not only because Bonnie threatened jokingly to repossess you if I gave you a cursed name but because Borzoi are SUPPOSED to be elegant. So I tried hard, but I
couldn't find a name that fit you other than your puppy name "Super Grins". . .and thus you were dubbed "Grins AKA Grinnies"

As a friend said later in life, it fit, as you were a silly, goofy, dork of a boy.

First week I had you, you put a hole in the door of my brand new Explorer. . little did I Know, that was just the start of our adventures.

You were crazy, fanatic for the bunny. The bunny was your nemesis and you lived to kill it, to the point I learned the hard way when you almost killed yourself at the II, having ran your back off.

You would stand at the line and scream and clack your jaws like a 90 lb whippet. I in fact called Bonnie one year and asked where the hell the whippet was in your pedigree as you were NOT normal whatso ever. One
competitor used to complain you intimidated her dogs. Once the bunny moved and you wers slipped
you were quiet and deadily to kill it.

You would often grab the line behind your back teeth and refuse to let it go. . The Centennial National we did everything, grabbed you by your boys, blew in your ear, water in your ear, in your nose, Tom Golcher grabbed the line to make it slack, at which point you released it and bit again to get a better hold.
Catching his thumb in the process. It took cutting the bunny off the line  to make you happy.

I ran you for your JC that day with a muzzle on, to keep a reenactment of the earlier days runs, and a long time Borzoi fancier came to me after you came in on the end like a banshee, Slammed your face into the ground, and flipped over and on your back, that "it had been a long time" since she'd seen a borzoi like that. . .

You finally outgrew the face smack/back flip, but the damage to your neck was already done, which caused you to be semi-retired, and then permanently retired.

Car rides were your favorite thing to do outside the bunny, and the memory of you hanging out my window, grinning at the pedestrians the day I got lost in Manhattan will be forever in my mind. You were only happiest with your face into the wind.

I was never afraid if you were with me. You scared more than one person away with your huge Cheshire cat grin.  You  grinned, you clacked your teeth, you snorted, your pranced. There was entire routine to your grinning.

None of your puppies do that

You weren't fancy, you weren't elegant, what you were, was made for running. Not everyone's cup of tea, but you were my fuzzy goofy boy who could make me laugh at the drop of a hat

You were my court jester. . no matter how crappy my day was, I could rely on you to make me laugh with your grinning antics. .

Not sure what I will do now that the court jester is gone.

Race swift, race fast, I never thought you'd be the last brother left in this litter. . and my heart is broken.

ER thought it was pancreatitis, and within a week he is gone. . he had such a gargantuan presense, the house is so damn empty without him.

FC Silkenswift Rider of the Storm SC, FCH, GRC, ORC
9/9/02-6/3/13

Thank you Bonnie Dalzell from the bottom of my heart for my boy.

Secrets Secrets

Been busy with work and enjoying the four kiddos. I can't believe they're 4 months old. Thought I'd share photos of them, some newer some older. Hopefully weather's nice enough that I'll be able to get more.

There were four pups, two boys, two girls. The white & red boy Mielikki HiNote Secret Traveler has moved to VA with Nacht and the Erdmans. He's keeping them busy! Sounds like he has an obedience career ahead of him as well as whatever else he wants to do!

HiNote Mielikki Secret Intrigue AKA Blondie, just off a few weeks crate rest
from an injury.  Waiting on the perfect home!

Blondie playing with their "Tante" Pickle Hill's Cashmere.
 Cashmere LOVES puppies, doesn't matter who they belong to!

Blondie being silly, sorry, can't flip it LOL

And somewhere racing around the yard being stupid that day, she managed to rip a toenail out.
She's lucky she's cute LOL

My two keepers. Mielikki HiNote Secret Agent Man AKA Duckie, my tankie red brindle,
And his sister Mielikki HiNote Can't Keep A Secret AKA Scarlet, co owned with Margaret

LOVE his little brindle face

Starting to teeth, but loving what I see here!

Scarlet, the wiggle worm, just shy of 4 months!

So very very happy with these babies!

Beautiful at Any speed

Almost 2 yrs ago, Bonnie gifted me with Bounce. This girl reminds me of her great grandmother Kyra, and is just an amazing little creature. . .whether at a gallop, or at a trot, she is IMHO breathtaking.

But this is one of the best show photos if not ever of my dogs. She went WB two out of three shows last month, RWB to a major the third. Not bad considering she hasn't shown since last May where she went Best Op in Sweeps at the MAHA hound specialty. First shows as an adult.Got fingers crossed she can get that second major out of the way next weekend!

2012 in review

2012 was a year of ups and downs.. 

The downs, for the first time in a while, were few. . .I hurt my knees, again, one which may need surgery after three different dogs slammed into it. . meaning I at least for now, have to give up showing my own dogs. . .this may not seem like much to some, but to me, it is disappointing. I have three DC quality girls, and promisng youngsters, and may have to sit outside the ring and watch them. I have a wonderful handler in friend Kari, but I'd much rather do it myself

The last pup from my 2nd litter passed on at 11.5. . .quietly, in her sleep. Couldn't ask for a better way to go, while her nephew Payton was not as lucky, but he passed away in the hands of a good friend at too young of age at almost 7.

But the good things made it worth while

Bounce's 1st coursing Major(5 points) coming within weeks of her first show major, and then me handling her to Best op in sweeps at the hound show down South. (I hurt myself the next time out :P) She then went on to to finish her GRC by beating Jenny three times and finishing the year by winning the LGRA nationals. My first dog to be awarded that nice win!

Payton being awarded Reserve Winners Dog at the Borzoi Club of Greater NY specialty, and then picking up almost all his points in limited showing with Kari. He lacked only his major when he left. My heart goes out to his still grieving owner. 

Jenny's finishing her FC with a fourth major, then on to finishing her SGRCII and then on to win the NOTRA nationals! She is now in training for Rally and I hope she'll be out showing this year in between running.

Ziva picking up her 2nd coursing major and some singles, and finishing her SGRC, as well as picking up a few singles in the ring. Best thing is seeing her blossom into a confident young lady who enjoys the show ring with Kari.

Gibbs wowing his mom with a major win first time out on the field. The look of shock all three times he's done well has been worth the placements more than anything.  He also cleared all his health tests, and has his Chic #

Nacht moving on to a great home, where she's been out coursing, picking up a point or two in AKC and working on her LCM, she's now training in Obedience. The love that little girl has on her face for her mama makes that placement worth everything.

Secret finally running hard and finishing her GRC. .. as the oldest girl I'm running by 2-5 yrs, I never expected her to finish, so it was a nice surprise to happen, especially considering how haphazard her running was. Very much a princess, if she had no desire to run that day, everyone knew it LOL

Bella growing into a lovely lady, finally, no longer all legs, has her GRC, and will be working on her coursing title this year.

And Mr Maui doing great work as service/therapy dog, going to hospitals, being read to by kids, visiting the veterans homes. 

But the biggest high of the year, was welcoming Secret's little Secrets into this world. . Duckie reminds me so much of his Aunt Gossip and great Uncle Obie, it's no surprise to anyone that he is staying here. Scarlet is a spitfire to the Nth degree, and those who know me will shake their head and say no surprise she's staying either. She will be co-owned with Margaret and live with me. The other boy, Traveler, has moved on to live with Nacht in the wonderful hands of Wendy & Frank. Keen, handsome, and smart as hell, they're goign to have a lot of fun with him, while Blondie grows out here some more until the absolutely perfect home comes along. She self stacks and is also keen. I am soo happy with this litter