:Debby on…a Sunday afternoon
Posted: January 18, 2009 Filed under: DRambles on Black Mountain, FFT Lhasa Apsos Leave a commentWhile most of the country has been subjected to freezing temperatures, it’s been balmy here in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Anna has a unique twist on caring for her Lhasa Apso puppies. Never accuse her of being over-protective! Or hovering! She feeds her puppies. She cleans her puppies. But, she’s more interested in life outside the puppy pen, unconcerned about puppies fussing. Even Rick commented on the difference between her and Ponya’s mothering style. Ponya – an over-achiever in mothering. Anna – a laissez-faire approach. The puppies thrive, no matter the approach.
This morning while I was photographing her puppies, she did seem concerned about their absence. Not upset. Just a wee bit concerned.
Puppies. Puppies. Everywhere. Pauline’s Redd had her Fernando puppies several weeks ago. Avery, with Julie, had her Savion puppies about the same time. Puppies. Puppies. Everywhere. I’m reminded of the Puppies On Board illustration by Rose Cowles, which I use on the Reproduction page within the website.
Given the economy, it’s a bit unsettling to have puppies, puppies, everywhere. Each litter is planned to further the breeding program, not for economic gain. So, at least one puppy from each litter stays. From Redd’s litter in Michigan, between Pauline, Julie and I, at least two puppies ‘stay’. Given Anna’s daughters, I very well may have the ‘luxury’ of growing up two before selecting. Julie is doing something similar with Avery’s puppies. Here a puppy. There a puppy. Puppies in Michigan. Puppies in Minnesota. Puppies in Colorado. Everywhere a puppy, puppy.
Fortunately, the Lhasa Apso litters are scattered about the USA, rather than about…for instance…my house! One litter is fun. Three at once??! Not so fun! Here’s what Julie had to say…
They are a fun, healthy litter. They have been in a 2 x4 pen since the day they were born and have been crawling from one end to the other since the first week. Last night was the first time they came out to play and Kaylee took these pics.
They are starting to play with toys and making little barking sounds when you come in the room. I’m enjoying them at this age. I like that I don’t have to feed them or pick up poop, yet! I just get to hold and love them, I wish they would stay this age for a lot longer.
AKC/EukanubaNational Championship will air January 31st at 8 PM (EST) on Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel, with repeat airings on Animal Planet February 5th at 8 PM and February 7th at 2 PM.
The AKC Agility Invitational will air February 7th at 8 PM (EST) and February 14th at 4 PM on Animal Planet.
This lazy -ahhh! – afternoon beckons me to sit in my chair and read a book. Fiction, not some technogeek hooplah!
:Debby on…Lhasa Apso puppies
Posted: January 13, 2009 Filed under: DRambles on Black Mountain 4 CommentsTonight, here in my cozy Colorado mountain home with the newly fallen snow painting the landscape, Anna gently, calmly brought her puppies into this world. In nearly record time, she delivered 5 daughters and 1 son. Her grandmother Danielle still holds the record of Whelping In Consideration of The Midwife. Her litters were born without ado in less than two hours. And before bedtime, a feat nearly unheard of amongst us Canine Midwives. But hey! Second prize for Whelping in Consideration of The Midwife surely goes to Anna. The clock just chimed the midnight hour. I have poured myself a nightcap and will linger… over it to confirm my suspicion that all are here. And to spend a bit of time with Anna, letting her know I’m grateful for the hours of sleep I’ll actually get before dawn.
The sire is Edmund, Ch. FFT No Wine Before Its Time. Anna is officially known as Ch. FFT Do U Wanna Dance. Our pick will be call FFT The Purple Marble. This is the first FFT litter born here, at my house, in over two years. Zeke was in the last one.
It’s hard to explain, to describe, but I’m really excited about these puppies. This past year – thankfully!! – brought 3 Gompa litters, but that’s different. Really good, but different. Anna’s puppies represent years upon years of work and love. The Purple Marble will be sixth generation tail female to Jelly Bean. We’re calling her Norma, in honor of Norman Herbel. It was Carolyn Herbel who wrote we’d found the Purple Marble. I pulled up the pedigree and there in the tail female line…so many great bitches. Anna’s dam Victoria, an ROM herself, daughter of Olivia (my Almondine). Olivia’s dam was Tommy – Ch. Fleetfire Shiver Me Timbers’ ROM*. And her dam, my first Bred-By Exhibitor Champion – Ch. Fleetifre Zhel Lee Bhel ROM* And her dam, Jelly Bean. I am intimately connected to each and every one of those ladies.
The nightcap is empty. Anna is curled around her puppies. All are quiet and content. I am going to bed now.
:Debby on…linger
Posted: January 11, 2009 Filed under: DRambles on Black Mountain Leave a commentlinger…
Time. I’m always pressed for time. Or so it seems. I mention it so often, I’ve actually started editing with that in mind. I’d been feeling like a whiner and decided my time was irrelevant to others. Time flies, that’s for sure. The best laid plans… And all that jazz. I’m hard on myself about time – or at least what I’m suppose to accomplish within a certain time frame. Then the weekend comes, the weekend goes. Still, the stuff sits in the basement, waiting to be put away. This makes me feel like I have no time. Not a logical conclusion…really.
linger…
It’s my new catch phrase. Word, actually. I can’t claim ownership. It comes from a blog entry in the spring 2008 edition of Artful Blogging. The author of linger… is Madelyn Mulvaney. She takes beautiful photographs and writes from her heart. Artful Blogging, described as ‘inspiring work spaces for extraordinary women’ was introduced to me by another extraordinary woman. Our Kathy. My one edition sits in a place of import, right next to In This House, Mixed Emulsions, Bones Would Rain From The Sky, and Annie On… Dogs! Annie is a compilation of articles written by my lifetime idol and hero, Anne Rogers Clark. The … you often see in the subject line on this blog is my own tribute (never mind that I overuse the … to insinuate thought…) to Anne Rogers Clark. Got a story or five about her, but that’s not for this blog entry.
linger…
Yes, Madelyn uses dots too. In a post dated August 12, 2007 she wrote:
“I have been pondering the word linger – which is on my very beautiful chai mug I bought at this wonderful shop yesterday in Victoria. There were only a few mugs left made by an artist with various words on the mugs and I contemplated my choice between linger and cherish… I am on a very strict budget and would have purchased the cherish as well but I have decided to order some more online when I am able. So this morning I ponder on the soulful pleasure of lingering – “
And I have pondered linger… since. Linger… seems gentle, calm. Does it really make a real difference time-wise whether one ‘hurries’ to get things done or ‘lingers…’ while doing the exact same things?
linger…
This past week, once again I’ve immersed myself in the techno world. (This is one reason it’s good to keep beautiful, favorite ‘picture’ books in a place of import.) I know what SEO means and its importance in cyberspace. I’m amazed at the elegant technocrap behind Facebook. I understand how to Tweet to Twitter. When I bury my head in knowledge-quest-de-joir, other things often get ignored. Lack of time?? Or is it because the quest causes me to linger… ???
:Debby on…lotions and potions
Posted: January 5, 2009 Filed under: DRambles on Black Mountain 3 CommentsI’m a bath person. My family knows this. Most of my friends know this. My mom knew this. She made this counted cross-stitch piece for me…
This holiday season almost every gift I received was oriented around the bath. My niece Heather gave me a soapstone essential oil burner. She’s a bath person. Her sister Emilie gave me candles to burn. I take my bath in the dark, always burning at least one candle.
Kelly, my future daughter-in-law (!!!) gave me stress relief bath products…
Eucalyptus essential oil in the salts, the bubble bath and the scrub. I love eucalyptus in the tub. Kelly’s a bath person too.
Ginny, professing to need something heavy in the package with the Best In Snow socks, gave me bath products. Bath & Body Works Sea Island Cotton – body splash, bubble bath and body cream. She knows I’m a bath person.
I don’t know if my clients were trying to tell me I smell like a dog, but I received potions and lotions…
Crabree & Evelyn Aloe Vera body wash and body lotion.
Black Cherry Plum soap and body butter.
Warm Vanilla Sugar shower gel, body cream, hand cream and body lotion.
Avon Moisture Therapy body lotion, hand cream and Footworks heel cream.
My sister Lori has a nightly bath ritual. When she and Ron renovated the farmhouse one bedroom was turned into a large bathroom. The photo doesn’t show it, but imagine further down each wall a large window overlooking the countryside.
I take a bath every night too. Not right before bed like Lori, but right after finishing the day’s work, right before dinner. On Sunday afternoons, especially in the winter, I treat myself to an afternoon bath. Often with a glass of wine. Ah! Luxury! The decadence!
Here’s to the Ladies That Bath!
:Debby on…technology and networking
Posted: December 28, 2008 Filed under: DRambles on Black Mountain 5 CommentsMore photos have been added to several recent posts. I commented on them in order to give you all a heads up on which posts have changed slightly. Home For The Holidays is now decorated in its entirety with my tree and those of my sisters. Bed Bubbas morphed into Bed Bubbas and Christmas Toys.
I’ve had my head buried deep in learning networking technology. I’ve also updated the look of the FFT homepage. Expect to find some design revisions within the site throughout the next few weeks. Trying to stay up with the times takes a lot of ….well….time!
Kunza at FleetFire Timbers 