Sara's Journal

And then she went on to show this weekend and get a Reserve Winner's Bitch ribbon on Saturday. The judge pronounced her a very typie bitch with good attitude and a fine head!

When you think of vacationing in AZ, you don't often think of doing it in Prescott, but it is 15 degrees cooler there than here. Normally by this time of the year we are in Alaska for our annual vacation which takes care of the feeling you get this time of the year in AZ. The feeling that you are just melting day by day as the 100+ degree heat just keeps coming. So, even though Prescott is not Alaska nor is it the vacation get away I was craving, it got me out of the heat, was more scenic than I thought and we had a great time with some friends.

Doing what you ask? Going to a dog show of course....that would be the only reason one might find me in Prescott, AZ. We hardly ever go to this show because it is usually in between the Alaska trip and the Golden Retriever National. Many Golden people skip this show in favor of the national. Many non National goers skipped it this year due to a Parvo outbreak. So, in the end we had just enough dogs/bitches to create a 1 point show. (it takes 15 points to get a conformation championship).

However, this has been one of the most fun shows that we've been to in awhile. Not only because I won back to back BEST OF BREEDS!!! But because it was like the shows from way back when, when our group of dogs friends was a tight knit bunch. Allow me to explain myself just a bit further - When we first started showing the boys, Ashby and Bailey, we met some great friends who were all showing their dogs. We'd set up together, visit, get the dogs ready, show and visit some more, shop the vendors and then plan where we were going out to dinner that night. And when the National came around we'd all plan to go, stay in the host hotel, go to the dinners and in general have a great time. But somewhere over the past few years, that feeling seems to have faded from our dog show life. So, it hasn't been as fun as of late. So, it was good to get back into that swing.

I got really picture happy this weekend so I will continue the story below the cut (I finally learned how!) complete with tons of pictures! But before the cut, I'll give you a little idea about what kind of hotel we were in and a picture of my Best of Breed boy, Wrigley

Things are HOPPING along here at the Nice house this week! Mom is in town from TX and we have been taking the shopping challenge and succeeding quite well. G has taken to cooking and doing all the honey do's [in shock as I typed that]. And we are doing brunch with my Grandmother (Dad's side), Aunt and cousin. Enjoy the holiday with family.





Happy Easter!!!!

Well, before my little BC Foster went to her new home I took the Easter Shots and boy did she have fun! She loved the eggs and the grass too. She had so much BC energy that day that I had to call in G to help me put her in the basket. She thought the eggs were just as good as the balls, except they yeilded treats. You see I thought if I put some dog cookies in an egg that it would make a great attention getter and reward holder. I may have created a far to exciting toy...



Here's what she did next after throwing it in the air and losing it in the grass:



As I said, she had quite a good time and then I must have taken too many pictures because I also got this:



In the end, she had several cute pictures, which I will post on Easter, but here's one for now before we talk about my golden models!



Ok...so after Morgan had her way with the set I turned the Goldens loose on it. Now, I've been taking pictures for a long time and my original two models were very tolerant and well behaved. I thought they passed down their patience with me to the younger generations, but I'm pretty sure they left out the two youngest! My Exuberant, excited, part time dog, Wrigley has a tail that just doesn't stop wagging and he thinks it's all about him, which is a great trait for the show dog side of him, but not for modelling!



So finally after many many tries at several different poses, we tried this one:




But the puppy was exhausted and the older two annoyed... ;) But Wrigley is determined to have Emma join in the fun:



So he shows her his ears. Meanwhile my husband is sitting on the other side of the curtain listening and I'm sure laughing because all he has heard for the last 20 minutes has been - Wrigley - sit, Wrigley, RIGGS - sit, no not there...over here...leave Emma alone....and so it goes.... the life of a dog photographer and her models!

Ok...well, I got out all my St. Patty's day stuff and well, some days you just have to have the luck of the Irish and the patience of a saint to get the right shot! And it seems that I have neither today. As you can see above, Emma, loved the clover.

I was doing really good, just asking them to sit or stay or something and made it all the way to where I was going to try getting all 5 of them in the picture, while standing on my last nerve when someone knocks at the door. FCOL I wanted to shoot whoever was at the door because all of them got up and started barking at it and I gave up. It turned out that it was a solicitor. Hubs was nice enough to get up and answer the door, hearing that I was on my last frazzeled nerve w/the dogs and ran him off with the following conversation:
'Are you selling something'
'Yes sir'
'Great well, we don't have any money.'
To which the guy turns, goes back a little and takes in the view of our entire house and looks back at him...
'God Bless You Sir.'
I swear I saw the slew of bad words running through his head. I'm sure they were nothing compared to what they would be had I unleashed the herd of Goldens on him in my frazzeled state!

Ok...so here are a couple more outtakes...I'll process the rest and put them up...but I'm thinkin' you'll have to wait until St. Pat's day for the good ones!

S

Ok,
So, it's 9:30. I haven't walked the dogs, I've only fed them. I've had 3 cups of tea and I need to take St. Pat's Day pics of the little BC and I'm still in my PJ's. However I have good music in my ears that should be inspiring any minute now.

I've been talking back and forth via email with V this morning. She is Emma's breeder and owns Duncan's sister Tessie, Princess Tessie that is. I should mention that since Princess Tessie is the mother Emma's litter theme was "Royal", meaning you had to have that word in her AKC name. You see since Emma is a show dog, we named her: Sparkle Nice's 1 Royal 2 Watch. As in keep your eye on this stunning bitch in the ring. (In the show world, if you don't say bitch to denote a girl - you get laughed at...so...) So anyway so, I was talking with V this morning about the entries and setting up for the show and such. As I'm telling her about my discussion with the entry ladies regarding Emma where I had sounded like quite the novice despite my 10 years experience now, I realize that I have the first confirmations of entry in front of me in the mail. So, as I open them I am horrified to realize that I am not entered in the brood bitch class. This would be the class where Tessie goes in the ring with her puppies, Emma and Tasha and is judged by how good the pups look, how well bred they were. I was specifically asked if I would do this and enter the class. So, I immediately called the superintendant and inquired as to why my entry was not made, because I definately asked for it. After a few minutes the lady found my entries and confirmed my entry into the 6-9 puppy class and then found the request for brood bitch...and then said to me - She's 6 mo old and she's had a litter? NO - I say horrified and then as if this lady's coffee just kicked in with her math abilities - she says....only the Mother enters the class and any of her puppies that are entered in the show are allowed in the ring with her, you don't enter. So, I creep back into my shell abit, confidence knocked off the shelf...as I thought I was a well informed conformation person...but I got a new lesson in entries at a show.

So, that's my remotely interesting story for today, one which I hope has a point...as my hubs says I tell alot of stories w/o points...but you see to me...that's life...sometimes...

Off I go to try and be productive!

S

Ok, so the first post I'm going to make in awhile is kinda on the depressing side. It's now been two weeks since we said goodbye to Ashby. I miss him terribly. The thought that gets me through the most is that he is at the Rainbow Bridge with Bailey and they are romping as they did when they were puppies and that he gets to swim and play Kong everyday! So, in an effort not to dwell on the subject....moving on....

Last night we had a President's Day DOTD (Drinks on the Driveway) with the the neighbors. K cooked as she always does and it was excellent as usual and I ate way toooooo much. I just need to stop eating! Then maybe I would lose weight. LOL - oh well. Kara was there, the star of our little short we shot for On The Lot and she just doesn't miss a person. We were late coming in but as soon as we did she shouted our names and just had to say something to us. She is a very well behaved and very cute 5 year old. Anyway, even thought we showed the short on Friday night, she hadn't had the chance to see it yet, so we showed it again. She was asked before the screening - Are you the star of the show, did you do really good. And she smiled really big and say YES! During the screening though she hid her face and almost missed her part. But she ended up watching it wide eyed and swore she liked it, even though I know she has no clue what all of that was about. Once the link to the film is up, I'll post it here.

Today I have to call D and tell him something that no huband likes to hear - " You were wrong and your wife was right!" I might enjoy that a little ;) But it's today and not Thursday that he has his grooming appointment. He owns Jazz who is the half sister of our Casey dog. Once a month he brings her and a 6 pack of beer over and I groom her while we drink.

I'm soooo behind in my work. I ordered some of my samples finally yesterday. Now I just have to put them on my site and pray that they make it here in time for the show in a week and a half. That's a dog show - it's the big one here in Scottsdale every March. The Fiesta Cluster - 5 days of shows. This year, I will be showing two dogs in conformation - Wrigley and Emma (Emma, being 8 months old should be a real challenge since she's really head strong, energetic and I haven't really trained her yet...I better work hard for the next week and 1/2), Duncan in Rally and trying to be a photographer earning $$. This is my planning week for that. AHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm excited but nervous.

Today, I will be doing some promo photos for St. Pat's Day. Our little BC foster, Morgan will be posing in a very cute little Irish Green Hat!

Well, it seems my time is up, because Duncan is barking for breakfast. I don't know what his problem is, I'm only 23 minutes late and haven't even finished my second cup of tea.

S


Ashby and his favorite toy, the KONG...not just any one, but the water Kong...


This is one of our favorite pics of him in Lake Tahoe...he was about 6-9 mo old at the time.



My Valentine this year


I just did this one to put on a backpack...this is all of the kids...swimming



Finally, a towel I designed yesterday, we'll see how it comes out when it gets here...but Ashby sure is cute!