Happy Birthday, Carly!...

Our sweet Carly turned FIVE yesterday!! Both Handsome and I were home all day, so we could spend the day pampering our girl. She got a great workout in the yard in the morning, and finished the day with extra treats. In between were snuggles and a few other 'triever-approved snacks.

She had so much fun, in fact, that she's already looking forward to Number 6. Us, not so much. Time passes much too quickly as it is, and we're content to slow time down for our pups. The more time we have with them, the better.

I'll share more photographs tomorrow from the weekend, but today it's all about our pretty Carlita Puppita Mamacita. That's my nickname for her. She likes it, too!

I'm working today to fill in for a co-worker who's already given her notice and now can't make it to work today. Nice, huh? I don't mind at all, though. Then, I'll have my regular hours tomorrow and Friday evening. I'm planning to get some "bluebird time" in mid-week, but for now I'd better get moving. Don't want to be late for my "Donna to the rescue" hours!

Tuesdays With Tag - Hunt Tests At Dempsy Ranch...

Hi, Everybody!

This week, my blog post is about the hunt tests Mom, Dad and I went to at

Okeechobee's Dempsy Ranch over the weekend. Mom was nice enough to let

me be the one to tell you all about it. I'm tellin' you, I mostly had a great time!

We were guests of Mike and Joann Sommers of Sommers Fine Sporting

Dogs in Jupiter, Florida. Mr. Mike was my trainer when I was just a pup.

 

So, Mom, Dad and I drove over to Jupiter on Friday night and stayed

with Mr. Mike and his wife for the weekend so we could go to the event.

 

I spent a lot of time watchin' the other fetchin' dogs doin' their work.

I have to tell you, I was pretty impressed. Those dogs could run!

Here's my personal trainer and Mom and Dad's good friend,  Mr. Mike.

He trained and handled a number of dogs at the tests and worked with

them toward earnin' their Junior, Senior or Master Hunter titles. 

This black Labrador is "River". He was a nice dog and did a great job.

Here's Mr. Mike comin' back after a successful workout with River.

Then, there was this talented yellow Labrador named "Buckwheat".

His owner have another Labrador named "Barley". Clever, hey?

Buckwheat did a good job, too. He was focused on his tests so there

was no time to pay attention to me. We didn't even get to sniff noses.

This yellow Labrador is referred to as "fox red" by some breeders, 'cuz his

coat is so dark and well, red. His name is "Bueno", which is good because I

think that name suited him to a "T". He was "un perro muy bueno". (That's 

Spanish for "He was a very good dog." You're impressed now, aren't you?)

This guy is "Geronimo". He's actually a German Shorthair Pointer. He's 

bilingual, too! He competes in pointin' competitions where he's required

to stand steady and point at birds - and then he also competes in retrievin' 

events, where he can't point. He has to actually find and retrieve the birds. 

It takes some serious talent to be able to adapt to either huntin' situation.

Here he is deliverin' a duck back to Mr. Mike. Way to go, Geronimo!

Mom took lots of pictures of other dogs that Mr. Mike worked,

but I especially wanted to make sure that I wrote about this girl.

Her name is "Mabel", and let's just say we didn't hit it off at all!

She's Mr. Mike's dog and she lives in their house when she's not

workin'. She was at the tests to earn her Master Hunter title.

We got back to their house on Saturday night and Mom was 

helpin' make dinner in the kitchen. When Mabel came into the 

room, I sauntered over to say "hello". I'm friendly like that.

I thought we were gonna be pals, when the next thing I know,

Mabel is all over me growlin' and bein' all guard dog. WHOA!

I called out for Mom who pulled her off me and gave me time to

get up and run away. I had a few things to say about that whole

turn of events - and believe me, I took the looonng way around

her for the rest of the weekend! That was a definite first for me.

Everybody usually finds me irresistible. Well, except for Mabel.

More than once, I found myself contemplatin' those tests over

the weekend. I'm just sure I could have been a contender, too.

(Dad said I'm a "legend in my own mind". pfffftttt!!!!)

Well, maybe next time they'll let me give it a try. A guy can

dream right? I'm gonna go read up on the subject for now.

I'll be sure to let you know when I sign up. Gotta run for now.

I'll see you again next week. 'til then...

"Bark Like Ya Mean It!"

Tuesdays With Tag - I Don't Wanna Brag...

Hi, Everybody!!

I don't wanna brag.

Just kiddin'. I wanna brag A LOT!!!

(Direct Link to recording: http://youtu.be/kswX2rcqcPY)

Grab your popcorn. Turn up the sound. Sit back and enjoy. 

I can't wait to hear what you think.

This recording session was sooo much fun!

Dad throws for me at least eight times every time we go in the water.

I'm so buff, you wouldn't believe it. (Hear that, Quinn? wink wink)

I've gotta head back to the pool. I'll see you next week.

'til then...

"Bark Like Ya Mean It!"

It's Autumn In My Mind...

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 Living in south Florida, we don't get to see the riot of color that paints

the landscape in more northern climes. We seldom feel the crunch of

dried leaves beneath our feet, and frost on our grass is a rare anomaly.

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 So, short of taking a road trip to Wisconsin for apple picking, 

pumpkin carving and leaf raking, I have to get creative to see the

visual images my mind easily recreates in these wistful moments.

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You see, Autumn is my favorite time of year. Period.

Image by D.Liljegren

Walking in the field with my retrievers, feeling the rustle of leaves beneath

 my feet, and smelling the fragrance of spice in the tall, marsh grasses are

 just a few of the myriad sensory memories that nearly overwhelm me.

Image by fauxfarmgirl.com

One of my favorite things this time of year was to see the tractors in the

fields, pulling balers that would bind up hay on one day, followed by 

another apparatus that would catapult them up onto a trailer the next.

Young men, mentored by more experienced farmers, stacking the bales as 

they land. One can imagine the bone-tiredness at the end of a long day.

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Beautiful, warm, sunny days yield to cooler weather. Leaves litter

the surface of the ponds and lakes that will soon be covered with 

a coat of ice and snow. There are still a few days to sit outside in a

favorite chair, read a good book and bask in the sun with a blanket

on your lap. Evening landscapes are peppered with fires, and a few

last s'mores to be made and consumed before it's time to move life

indoors away from winter's bite. For now, we won't think of that.

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 We'll think of all the animals collecting Mother Nature's bounty

 to carry them through the season of earth's rest...sometimes in

 the most unexpected places - and in the most amusing ways. 

Until I'm again walking through those golden fields on a crisp

Autumn day, I'll stroll through my memories with deep gratitude.

Autumn lives inside me, no matter where I am.

Happy Fall, y'all. Enjoy your weekend.

Tuesdays With Tag - The Fetching Fool...

Many of you already know that Handsome and I raised and trained hunting retrievers together for over twenty five years. Handsome has at least that many years B.W. (Before Wife). It should come as no surprise then that we were going to attempt to train our Corgi to retrieve, too!

Well, I'm here to announce that Taggart is a "fetching fool"! Actually, he's a natural! He needs to learn delivering to hand (including turning to return the dummy instead of running for the hills), but it's so much fun to see his enthusiasm.

When he reaches the tossed dummy, he snatches it up as he runs past. He's going to make sure it doesn't get away! We won't even talk about how fast these little dogs can run.

Look at his style! Hanging on to his prize until Handsome can take it from him. He's already thinking about what's next! ("Come on, Dad! Throw another one!")

Just like in the movie, Babe. "That'll do, pig. That'll do." We'll work play again tomorrow and he'll get better each time! I can't wait until he doesn't need the "come back lead"! 'til next week...

"More wagging and less barking!"