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))

Willow Passes Her CCA

 GMGRC Photo ... Willow (R)

On Columbus Day weekend, after baths for all and all car bedding washed, we were packed and left in the 5:30am foggy darkness and headed to Northern Vermont for 20 month old Willow's "Canine Certificate Assessment" ... 3 AKC judges independently evaluated her, as compared to the "ideal" Golden Retriever and she earned 83 out of a possible (near impossible) 100 points  ;o)   It was a sunny warm day and the folliage color was just supurb ... perhaps we'd camp overnight and explore the north country and enjoy a leisurly trip home!

? Bees or Mushroom ?

Just 48 hours prior, Willow had a severe allergic reaction to ? bees in the wild Asters or a dust cloud from a ruptured "Puff Mushroom" while out playing ball after supper ... Benadryl for 4 days finally brought the hives swelling down!

Emma 5 1/2 Months Old

Willow & CCA Rosette

Emma continues to "grow like a weed" and recently started thinking that she owns the recliner ... OhYa!!!!

She continues to amaze me in "doggie school" with her sitting calmly for greetings, downs-out-of-site and heeling at my side while weaving amongst the other classmates ... good girl ;o)

Enjoy their photo story ;o)

Willow & Emma Sacked Out!

You Could Have Saved Me Some!

Sparring!!!

My Show is On!

Grooming ;o)

Sutter, Emma and Willow invite you to come back to see more of our Fall excursions ;o)

Emma 5 Months, Starts CGC, Willow in 2nd Rally Session, Retirement ;o)

What a Pretty Girl ;o)

The Geraniums have lost their summer blooms and Emma is almost too big to photograph on the picnic table, but we'll see how it goes!

Emma 5 Months

Willow & Her Toys ;o)

Emma had her 2nd week of "Canine Good Citizen" class this week and Willow is about to start her 2nd" Rally" Obedience class this week ... maybe prejudice here, but Emma seems to be fantastic in all our training together and we're continuing to LOVE working together ... on the other hand, it's taken Willow and I a little longer to mesh as a team and get the moves down ... in Rally, the team walks along a course with sign markers that tell you what to do ... "Halt, Sit", "Reverse Direction","270 degree Turn", "Weave Cones", "Halt, Down, Forward, Fast" etc and the moves get increasingly more difficult and complicated as you progress! We were entered in our first Rally trial in October (OMG) but had to drop out hours before the closing hour because we couldn't get a motel room in the area (dog show/leaf peeper reservations) ... considered car-camping, but the nearest campground was miles from the showsite and heaven forbid if it was really cold or it rained with 3 dogs!

Emma & Margo Gang-up on Willow!!!

Willow is Such a Good Sport ;o)

   Foster Margo continues to enjoy visit time with us and as you can see the "playtime" is non-stop between the almost one year old, the 20 month old and the 5 month old ... lots of fun retrieving and swimming at the pond, running & chasing thru the woods, plus helping with lots of property chores ;o)

Who Dug This Hole?

Then there is this unappreciated project of theirs ... digging of a hole under the porch to get a mole ... and by golly, they got it and killed it ... "Good Girls" I guess ;o)

Emma & Willow At Day's End ;o)

Cute Pup & AK9C Pumpkin ;o)

Apple Pickin'

Catchin' a Nap With Sutter ;o)

But no matter what adventures the day has brought ... there is always a sister-snuggle to end the day ;o)

 Oh ya ... RETIREMENT ... it's now only 5 days away and we're all very happy about all the upcoming time home together at GOLDEN EMBERS ... without a schedule and with the freedom to do whatever comes up ... YIPEEE!!!

ONE CHAPTER of LIFE CLOSES and ANOTHER ONE OPENS ... bring it on  ;o))