As 2012 Approaches ;o)

Looks Like Winter!

The temperatures keep fluctuating from 15-45 degrees, so the pond ice continues to not be safe ...  and there is a dusting of snow that sticks, but then is quickly washed away by a downpour of rain ... it's been ideal though for working out in the woods and clearing downed trees for both the woodstove and the snowshoeing loop ... plus the travel on Christmas was ideal ;o)

Family Gathering ;o)

Girls love all their new toys ;o)

Emma just graduated from her "Clicker Unleashed" class and in January is enrolled in an "Agility Puppy Foundation" workshop at the local Humane Society ... Willow is ongoing with her Rally class at AK9C, dispite my seemingly dislexic interpretation of sign directions ... since November, both Sutter & Willow have been in a monthly winter Vermont Agility League that will now be twice a month in January and February ;o)

Emma Graduates ;o)

The year ends with the publishing of the (single copy) Golden Embers Blog Book 2

Published ;o)

... and as usual at an exhausting day's end, all colapse by the cozy wood stove for a brief winter's nap  ;o)

Pleasant Dreams Willow ;o)

Emma & Sutter ;o)

TILL NEXT YEAR...

December Happenings

Careful girls ... Ice skim on pond!

Temps have flurted with 60-70's leading into this month and then plumeted to 20's with up to 2" snow ... downside of the beauty of thin ice above is that the girls frustratingly aren't allowed outside without their human ... the last 2 stormwindows are on, the 2nd "deicer" cable is on the rear steep roof, the firewood gathering/splitting is ongoing and we're in the midst of the Holiday season:

• Oooh, invites to festive gatherings ...  calories!!! just remember "everything in moderation" ... that's why I can't get caught up in holiday baking anymore ... "willpower" of my 20's, 30's, 40's has matured to love of sweets and is further weakened after working/hiking/boating in the fresh out-of-doors ... so if it's not in the house, I'll pick a healthier choice ... RIGHT!!!!
• Finally got the makings of our 2011 Christmas card done, thanks to friend Kara and her computer talents to decorate our photocard this year ... Oooops, forgot the seasonal scarves ;o)
• Ahhhh ... sitting by the cozy woodstove to snail-mail address, computer email or online Facebook those cards to family/friends, with special messages to those we are only in touch with this time each year ;o)

We enjoyed a wonderful visit from our favorite lil' girl "Margo" ... she still loves to come and just runs/plays from sun-up to sun-down ... open the door and she zooms right in to see if everything is the same and what's new since her last visit ... the girls all wear collars with bells and orange vests ... hunters in your own woods you ask ... well anything is possible, but honestly it helps me in my eye/ear "retirement" stage of life, to locate their roamings ... I wear a whistle and the girls are pretty responsive, as they know a handful of kibble is forthcoming from the pocket ;o)

Our baby is now 7 months old and :-O  she's come into her first heat cycle ... she wasn't phased at all by wearing her "pants" to Doggie School ... no chancing off-leash work this week till we see how her classmates react to her condition "Hey Mom, the boys think I'm cute!!!!"

12 "Desserts" plus "Walter" ;o)

One of my favorite weekly things over the past 8 weeks has been puppy visits and photoshoots of my favorite Golden Retrievers at SunKissed kennels ... and Emma has been able to visit/snif/tug with her mom "Shimmer" ... it's a riot to watch them run over/wade in frigid water on the backyard  poolcover ;o)

Red Boy "Watson" ;o)

Singleton dubbed  "Walter"  ;o)

Power Nap ;-)

Our first "bonies" ;o)

Sleeeeepin' Heavenly Peace ;o)

SURROUND YOURSELF with THAT WHICH BRINGS OUT the BEST in YOU    ;-)

Merry Christmas & Happy 2012 New Year ;o)

FROM ALL of US at GOLDEN EMBERS ... TO ALL of YOU

REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON ... the CHRIST in CHRISTMAS

... FORGIVING, SHARING and LOVING ;o))

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ;o)

                                          Enjoy the abundance...

The togetherness...

and the relaxation   ;o))

Our Thanksgiving doings:

Jacob's Senior Thanksgiving Game!

Family Gathering at Niece Pamela's

November ... Fall or Winter ???

We've gone from knee-high snow to 65 degree days that melted everything away ...

Almost Gone!!!

Going...

Going...

   

There has been the thrill of watching Lyric's sister "Sorbet's" pups grow 

Willow is recovering from her Spay surgery and lil' Emma is ever so attentive ... neither can understand this "quiet/leash walk for 10 days", but we've set up a pen outside for when we're all outside doing yard chores!

 Hoping that this comfortable weather sticks around for a while ... we've brought the summer porch toys in for the winter and it's always entertaining to watch the different toy play  ;o)

Willow Can Only Watch :-(

Sutter is giving in to Emma's advances to play and they are actually running, chasing and sparring, while Willow has to watch from a leash  ;o)   :-(

Emma says "Willow didn't finish her supper"

Emma filled in for Willow in her Rally class last week and at 6 months old got cheers from the class, instructor and folks watching ... it was Emma's Rally debut ... Mom was soooo proud ;o))

Sharing ;o))

All's well at day's end ;o)

Emma Earns "Canine Good Citizen"

25 weeks old ... Sooo Proud ;o)

The 7th week of this session "The Test" ... one day after the worst October blizzard in history and the worst 10 hours of slow wet knee-high snowblowing experience in the 16 years of living at Golden Embers ... electricity had only been back on at the training center for an hour before our test ... 4 students made it to class and Emma was the first to start her test:

We walk in to the ring, greet the examiner (our instructor Ann) and Emma sits quickly as the humans shake hands ... Emma needs several repeat commands to "down", but finally is successful ... something drops behind us with a "BANG" (Emma is unphased ... good girl) ... we move on with Emma walking attentively beside me around the corner cone and we stop to greet assistant Kathy and her dog Maggie with a handshake ... "good girl Emma, to sit and stay so calmly" ... more healing, turn, sit, pass a moving wagon, stop to be patted/grommed and on to the recall.

Emma is told to "sit-stay" as I walk to the end of a 25 foot leash, wait 3 seconds then walk back to her, "Good Girl" ... leave her again in a "down-stay" and from 25 feet call "Emma Here" and she comes at a trot and sits in front of me, "Good Girl"

Last part: Emma is to sit or lay down with the examiner (who is sitting in a chair) for 3 MINUTES while I go out of  the room ... believe me, 3 minutes feels like the clock has totally stopped!!!

Best 3 words:   CONGRATULATIONS YOU PASSED, as we're handed our graduation certificate, a beautiful Rosette and a BIG yummy biscuit  :o))

Next week we begin our 3rd session "Clicker Unleashed" ... working up to Emma being "off leash"

Halloween Blizzard ;-O

Knee High Snowfall

Nature's Beauty from Inside!

Pictures worth 1000 words ;o)

Hey, Wait for Me!!!

Emma's First Snow o)

Warm by the Woodstove ;o)



As the Snow Started!

Rough Trailblazing!



So that's a snapshot of our record-braking October BLIZZARD!

Next time Emma earns her CGC at 25 weeks old ... GOOD GIRL ;o)

12 "Dessert"Pups & Emma/Shimmer Photoshoot ;o))

4am phone call "the first pup has been born" ... "Sorbet", our sweet departed Lyric's younger sister had 12 healthy, strong puppies on 10-15-11 ... we dubbed it "Piece of Cake", as there were no problems and all pups were happily nursing by 11am ;o)

Sorbet & "Dessert" litter 12 Pups ;o)

12 Lil' "Desserts" All in a Row!

5 Days Old ;o)

Emma has turned 24 weeks and had 2 exciting visits with Mom "Shimmer" ... enjoy the photoshoot ;o)

Remember Me Mom?

We're Bonding!

Playing on the Poolcover ;o)

Mom's Showing Me Her Favorite Places ;o)

Me & Mom ;o)

Sweetness x 2 ;o)

Oh and the Retirement ... "How's it Going?"
Sleeping at night, grass mowing, leaf mulching, garden cleaning, napping, beaver dam opening, classes twice a week, puppy visiting/sitting, napping by the warm woodstove, cutting firewood, cleaning the girl's car area, washing dog beds, napping ... all enjoyments of the first weeks of Retirement ... and the rainy days (unless they'll lessen the heavy snow days ahead) can stop any time now ... it still feels strange not to have to "schedule" the whole week's time ... so in a word   WONDERFUL  ;o))