Vinlands Icelandics

Vinlands Totty x Foothills Laki

2012-02-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

I just picked up Totty from Colleen. Tot had spent some time visiting the new AKC champion, Foothills Laki, in central Michigan. I'm not sure she was glad to see me; she apparently thoroughly enjoyed her stay with him. I'm hoping for puppies in a couple of months. They should be very, very nice. This will be her first litter.

Laki is the consummate champion - even when he's relaxed, he looks "posed", doesn't he. What a charmer! I think some dogs are just born with that champion look. (Totty looks exhausted. She can't even sit straight - chuckle.)

If the mating takes, I would expect half the puppies to be tricolors (black, tan and white) and half to look something like dad.

There's a wonderful mix of ancestors in this cross: - The Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Germany, and the States.

If you're interested in a puppy, scroll down a few entries to January 28 to see my contact information.

(Clicking on the photos will enlarge them slightly.)

Tryggur

2012-02-03T04:28:00.000-08:00

These photos of Tryggur, Vinlands Kani, from the recent Livonia Kennel Club show were sent to me by Nancy Heinold who did his PennHIP x-rays. She knows him and his parents, Alaskastaðirs Korpur and Vinlands Piaf, both inside and out!

(Clicking on the photos will enlarge them slightly.)

Tryggur

2012-02-01T12:17:00.001-08:00

Here's a photo of Tryggur after his recent second major, this one under Judge Barbara Dempsey Alderman, and his best of winners. A huge Thank You to Eileen Hyde, Jennifer Sanders, and Ann Keil.

(Clicking on the photos will enlarge them slightly.)

Contact Information

2012-01-28T19:02:00.000-08:00

Top photo - CH Foothills Laki and Colleen - Laki is now an AKC Champion. Congratulations especially to Colleen Schmidt and also to Candise & Scott Berard of Foothills Kennel, Auður Valsdóttir & Ralph Biggs who bred Audurs Týra, Laki's dam, and Robert Lowther owner of Laski, Laki's sire.

Totty meets Rosalind the Icelandic Sheep. Totty is visiting a handsome male Icelandic who lives near us in Michigan and we're keeping our fingers and dews crossed.

James L. Hansen
810 W. 13 Mile
Royal Oak, MI 48073 USA
248-288-0947
jaimehansen1@comcast.net
AKC Breeder of Merit
http://www.sportsmens.net/
http://www.giftoflifemichigan.org/
AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SDTC/
http://vinlandsicelandics.blogspot.com/
http://icelandicsheepdogsrescue.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IcelandSheepdogs
http://www.icelandicsheepdoginternationalbreeders.com/
http://vinlandsicelandics.blogspot.com/2010/06/puppy-application.html

Korpur - Alaskastadirs Korpur - BFF, CGC, RN, RA, RE, CD
Huld - Kersins Huld - BFF, CGC, TDI, CD, RN, RA, RE
Kria - Thórdunu Kría - BFF, CGC, RN, RA, RE, CD
Kata - Kersins Kata - BFF, CGC, CD, TDI, RN, RA, RE, NA, NAJ, OA, OAJ
Pila - Vinlands Piaf - BFF, CGC, RN, RA, RE
Tati - Vinlands Totty - BFF, CGC, RN
Bear - Bersi av Isheim - BFF, CGC, RN
Tryggur - Vinlands Kani - BFF, CGC, RN

Laki, Mori-Bjorn, Tryggur

2012-01-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

Laki, Mori, and Tryggur (top to bottom) met in Novi, Michigan this weekend where they had a marvelous time. They are all good "typey" Icelandics.

Unfortunately my camera had an "oops" kind of weekend so I have no photographic proof.

However, here are some recycled photos of the boys.

I wanted to meet and talk with everyone but we were so busy I didn't have time! It was a swell time. Everyone was so helpful and friendly - just like our dogs! I learned so much. Thank you all!!

Amaryllis

2012-01-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

My reliable, faithful, thrives-on-neglect wild Amaryllis is flowering again - now, in the winter, is exactly when I need it the most. I'm one of those people who regularly get SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. Sun, flowers, garden catalogs, green plants get me through the next few weeks coming up.

I never know when my plants will flower. They always surprise me. But they always do flower.

I also find the wild ones much easier to care for and to bring back into bloom each year. They multiply easily too, producing offshoot bulbs that can be re-potted. If only I could find new homes for those off-shoots.

This is a species Amaryllis, which simply means it is a kind of Amaryllis that is found growing in the wild as opposed to those Amaryllis that have been bred for the trade. I like the hybrids but there's something very nice about the kinds found in nature, don't you agree? The species flowers don't last as long but they are more exotic, in my opinion.

If you click on the photos, you'll get a better view. I love the red, white, green striped flowers, They resemble butterflies - which happens to be their species name, I believe - Amaryllis papilio.

Karl Pillmer

2012-01-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

I was listening to the gerontologist Dr. Karl Pillmer, who is an expert on our aging population, with one ear while typing and answering emails. He was on the Nightly News on PBS and said that 75% of our older American will be gone in 10 years taking with them their expertise and knowledge.

With apologies to Dr. Pillmer - these are some summaries of what I think I heard. I may have missed stuff.

They ( read we each time I write that) are experts at living through hard times.

They say that we have to be responsible for our own happiness. Happiness is a choice, not a condition.

They believe youngsters are happy because of "things" they have, not because of choices made.

They are not worried about taking risks, contrary to popular thought.

Life is very short. It seems to pass in a nanosecond. Use your little time wisely.

The older we are, the less panicky we are about dying. They are concerned about planning for the end.

They are extraordinarily resilient.

They are happier than young people.

He just published another book entitled, I believe "30 Lessons for Living".

Shredding, p.s.

2012-01-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

I ended up recycling 18 garbage bags of shredded paper and taking 9 garbage bags of clothing to the Salvation Army this week. There will always be some sorting to do but now it's manageable, hopefully.

Shredding

2012-01-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

Our training building, Sportsmen's Dog Training Club, has been having a new roof put on. (Flat roofs are problematic in Michigan.)

As a result, we have not held classes and have not been able to practice for over two weeks so I have had time on my hands. It was a perfect opportunity to sort through mounds of paper and shred most of it. (Who said that computers would eliminate or greatly reduce the amount of paper we use? Silly. I've never used more.)

My brother promised he would help me. There were Mom and Dad's old papers to "recycle" and many sheets from the early days of our breed club. I still saved incriminating pages though! Ha ha. (just kidding?)

I'm also recycling clothes that have shrunk over the years and no longer fit! The Salvation Army is a God-send - double meaning implied.

Huld and Tracy

2012-01-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken almost eleven years ago soon after Huld's arrival from Helga Gústavsdóttir of Kersins kennel in Iceland. Huld has changed a lot but Tracy still looks the same.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T18:06:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful relaxing Christmas Day in the country with Kathy and loads of great dogs including Taefa. We talked and laughed and ate - the best Christmas in a very long time. The day was bright and sunny but cold with no snow on the ground. Joe was there feeding in one of his pastures, the one near her home. It was just the two of us, both second-borns with all that implies. Time has flown. I am blessed.

Truth

2011-12-13T17:51:00.001-08:00

"A lie can get half way around the world while truth is still pulling on its shoes." - Mark Twain

"In this hyper-linked information age, a lie can get all the way around the world and back while the truth is still in bed." Alan Miller

Quince & Faux-Koi

2011-12-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

Beneath the early winter ice, my faux-koi (aka goldfish) are going into hibernation. If you look closely you can see their reddish colors beneath the still transparent ise. Soon the snow will hide their prsence until this coming spring. I leave an airstone bubbling all winter so the fish don't suffocate.

Sylvia, one of my dog agility friends, has invited me to see her koi pond next spring - six feet deep with no ledges for blue herons to stand on while feeding. I eagerly await spring while still enjoying winter. Sort of. Sylvia has an absolutely gorgeous and intelligent Irish Setter named "Murphy" - why not?

I have several volunteer quince bushes in my yard. Don't know why my one volunteer flowering quince produced so many 'apples' this year. You can see them on the branch still in the middle of December and also littering the ground.

Did you know that in colonial times almost everyone had apple trees growing in their yards. They were not the sweet apples of today but sour, bitter ones and they used them to make hard apple cider which they, everyone in the family, drank with every meal because the water was not safe. The alcohol in the hard cider killed germs. As he traveled along the ever expanding American frontier, Johnny Appleseed collected seeds from the 'good' varieties of apples, you know, the kind that made good applejack, and planted those seeds in his yard. He raised them into small trees and then sold the saplings when they were almost ready to bear fruit. As the people moved west, so did Johnny always planting more seeds in his new homes. He would sell the apple saplings to the pioneers as the moved ever westward. (He apparently did not sell seeds or give them away.) His 'business' was selling saplings that would soon be productive. People did not eat apples. They drank the cider which did not taste like our modern cider made from sweet apple varieties.

Their pigs also ate the leftover apples and the waste mash. Waste not, want not. Maybe that's why roasted whole pigs had apples stuck in their mouths?

2011-12-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

Vinlands Kani (AKA "Tryggur") just got the results of his PennHIP X-rays back and he is in the 90th percentile for all Icelandic Sheepdogs in the United States. I want to thank my vet, Dr. Nancy Heinhold of the Downtown Birmingham Veterinary Clinic in Birmingham, Michigan for doing the test for me. She has done all of my dogs over the years. Indeed she has done many Icelandics now!

The photo shows Tryggur at Cobo Hall in Detroit with my friend Eileen Hyde.

Lilly

2011-11-25T03:50:00.000-08:00

Can you tell mother (Vinlands Piaf - Pila) from her daughter (Vinlands Lille-Mora - Tjok)?

One lives in Europe with Christine; the other lives in North America with me.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Of course you should never feed your dog scraps from the table. HA!! That's really hard to do if you have a dog like Lee! Sylvia tries so hard to be good but who could resist a dog like him?

Herding Icelandic

2011-11-20T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of photos of a female Icelandic Sheepdog puppy named Paeja. She was born in February, 2011 on a working ranch and ended up on a farm where she is doing what she loves doing - herding sheep. Her mentors include Suzanne and a seasoned Border Collie.

Isn't Paeja lovely?

2011-11-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

I came across this saying, apparently a Balkan proverb, according to a great article by Louis Menard entitled "Getting Real" in the November 14, 2011 New Yorker:

"It is permitted to you in time of great danger to walk with the devil until you have crossed the bridge."

I have a question: Once one has crossed the bridge, what does one do with the devil who continues to bedevil our lives?

Autumn

2011-11-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

It's November 13 and we have still had only one frost. Even this late the garden is still lovely as long as one doesn't expect the so-called perfect flowers and plants. First they don't exist any more than the perfect person or dog or horse etc. exists.

I was reminded that today is/was Christine's birthday. I value her friendship over the years. We have shared many joys and sorrows. I wished I lived close to Christine and Richard so I could see her more often. She always, always lifts my spirits - not an easy thing to do.

The bonsai pomegranate entirely nude of its leaves is lovely with its twisted trunk, the gingko bonsai with its yellow leaves, the young barberry with its red leaves, the autumnally yellow-brown Hosta and the euonymus with its shockingly red fall leaves, etc. all make for a wonderful season.

I remember well a fall we had many years (decades) ago where David, Bill, Louise and I met at a campground for Thanksgiving turkey done outside on a grill. (Thanksgiving comes on the fourth Thursday in November here.) The yellow and brown leaves were still on the Oaks and Hickories and the weather was mild. It was amazing. To this day it's hard to believe that it really happened but it did.

There are two sets of rules:

1. for them

2. for the rest of us

Parents

2011-11-06T06:15:00.001-08:00

These are the parents of the litter on the previous post. Both parents are HD-Fri A. All four grandparents are HD-Fri too. (Mom is the top photo, dad the bottom one.)

If you might be interested, they could hitch a ride to the US as soon as this Thursday. Contact me so I can connect you to the breeder.

If they miss this travel opportunity, they can still get here.

My email is below the photos.

Clicking on the photos enlarges them. You may have to click on "Show original" once or twice.

jaimehansen1@comcast.net

Nice puppies

2011-11-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

These beautiful Icelandic Sheepdog puppies, four males and a female, are available from the breeder.

From top to bottom: -

Thorkatla Thumalina is a tricolor female
Palli Putti is a tan male with a white collar
Dolli Dropi is a tricolor male with a blaze and a spot on his forehead
Tumi Thumall is a tan male
Svarti Skuggi is a tricolor male

Both parents have HD-Fri A hips as do two of the grandparents. The other two are HD-Fri B and HD-Fri. The double coats are thick. Notice the great bone structure, the good toplines, the placement of the feet. They are excellent examples of the breed and should do very well in performance homes and the breed ring.

I'll post photos of the parents and the pedigree in my next post.

Send me an email if you might be interested and I'll connect you to the breeder who is willing to ask a fair price. I would love to have one or two of these puppies for myself.

jaimehansen1@comcast.net

Vinlands Piaf, CGC, RN, RA, RE

2011-11-02T03:44:00.000-07:00

Pila finished her American Kennel Club Rally Excellent title under AKC Judge Marilyn Tomaszewski this past weekend at Sportsmen's Dog Training Club's 93rd all breed obedience trial. Pila also earned her first leg towards her Beginner Novice title.

Pila has started training in agility at Canine Community Center owned by Linda Brady with Instructors Rita, Jen and Linda. In a year or so we may be ready to start trialing.

Check out these photos from Cathi Winkles' Photography.

(Clicking on photos may enlarge them. If you get a black background screen, click on "Show original" and then click on photo again.)

The second photo shows Pila is the "Honor" position in Rally Excellent. When she's working, she usually folds her ears back - I'm guessing that reduces drag so she can run faster - ha!

Niagara - the artist, rock star

2011-10-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

When I got my first painting of, not by, Niagara, I had little idea about who she was - I just liked the portrait by Jon Parlangeli. When I got my second painting of, and again not by, Niagara by Jerome Ferretti, it was the third painting in a water color triptych entitled "Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll" and I did NOT know Niagara was in the painting. I also recently bought some yellow and orange shoes Niagara had painted and donated for an auction for breast cancer. Is the world trying to tell me something?

(It's possible to enlarge the photos by clicking on them and/or doing some clever technical stuff, like, perhaps, clicking on "Show Original" once or twice.)

Jerome Ferretti

2011-10-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

My deepest thanks to Uncle Russ and Jerome Ferretti and, as always, to Rose Frame Shop in Ferndale, Michigan - they always do a great job. (Sorry for the blurry photos - .)

Pila is entered in Rally Excellent tomorrow at Sportsmen's fall Obedience and Rally three day trial.

Musings

2011-10-25T08:03:00.001-07:00

Are the plants that flower out of season or are the last of the season and brown around the edges appreciated more?

Click on photos to enlarge them (or click on the "location" to the lower left of the photos if the screen goes to black).

Digitalis ambigua (Foxglove)

Anemone

Sedum Autumn Joy

Anemone

Corydalis lutea

Autumn

2011-10-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Aconitum (Monkshood) and Siberian asters are the last two perennials to flower in my yard - and here it is only October 23 and they are in bloom. Because of the very mild and wet fall perhaps they will not last as long this year as they usually do.

I think the cold and frosty weather, which is what we normally have this time of year, helps the plants last longer.

With no frost yet this year even the Dahlias are still blooming - even though they have fallen down because of the weight of their flowers, they are still beautiful.

"Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest. It's about those who came and never left your side."

First two photos: - Aconitum
Second two photos: - Siberian asters
Last photo: - an enthusiastic Dahlia

Click on photos to enlarge them.

I have a fantastic quote from the good Helga about training Icelandic Sheepdogs. It's absolutely brilliant. Spot on!! I am anxious to share it but until it's published, I cannot in good faith share it on my blog. She deserves the credit. (I will reveal it, however, to anyone who emails me privately.)

Boomerang - Michael Lewis

2011-10-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Boomerang by Michael Lewis

Has anyone read Boomerang by Michael Lewis?

The book was mentioned on PBS last night. I wonder about the reaction people in Iceland and the friends of Iceland here in the US might be having to what he says in the book.

He apparently stated in the book that Iceland is a nation of 300,000 people that turned itself into a banking hub by recycling the world's money to the Icelanders themselves saying that they borrowed the money and then used that money to acquire things in other countries which, he claims, started the whole European banking crisis.

He also said apparently that Icelanders themselves told him that their own Icelandic history and culture and DNA left them very well suited to become investment bankers. He said that Icelanders told him also that they were inbred and have a sense of themselves as genetically special because of their history of risk taking. They walked away from a lot of their debts and are in a deep economic slump still, according to Mr. Lewis.

He also spends a good deal of time examining several other European cultures including Greece, Ireland, France, Germany and others and their role in the current really bad financial condition that the whole European continent is currently in and the possible repercussions for the United States if things get worse over there.

I have not read the book. I hope that if it says those things about our beloved Iceland that people will not blame the Icelanders themselves but rather, perhaps, instead their bank. To blame the Icelanders would be akin to blaming the people of the United States because of the excesses of Wall Street and our own banks and banking system and perhaps especially the US politicians.

Vinlands Leif, Jennifer Sanders

2011-10-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a great photo of AKC judge Edward Wild with Jennifer Sanders and her dog Lee, aka Vinlands Leif, on September 24, 2011 at the Pontiac Kennel Club's Trial. Doesn't Jennifer look totally happy! What a terrific team!! They're on their way!!!

Notice how they're all in "chocolate-brown and tan shades"! I think they must have planned it.

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Autumn Flowers

2011-10-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

Chrysanthemum japonicum is a semi-woody mum that doesn't die back to the ground in the fall. It can get to be a small bushy plant and has flowers, as you can see, that resemble Shasta daisies. This is one of the last plants in the garden to flower each fall. I have a Siberian aster that has just started too and usually lasts until Thanksgiving.

As you can see, it's hard to take photos in the yard without helpers - in these photos are Huld and Tryggur. These shots were taken without a flash in the late afternoon on a very cloudy autumn day - hence the blurry shots.

Thor

2011-10-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Thor, a four year old Icelandic Sheepdog, lives with Alex and Jasmine. My puppies end up in the nicest homes! Doesn't he look great!

Thor's sire is Korpur, a black and white Icelandic who also carries the at-gene for black and tan (sometimes called tricolor because of the Irish Spotting gene that most Icelandics have) and AY-gene for tan shades.

Thor's dam is Kria, a black, tan and white Icelandic with two at-genes who also carries one b-gene for chocolate-brown from her dam Thordunu Eyja.

Korpur has his AKC RN, RA, RE and CD titles and his CGC award. Kria also has her AKC RN, RA, RE and CD titles as well as her CGC award.

Kria has started studying for her agility trials. Yes, she's over seven years old but we expect great things from Kria.

Kata was over eight when she started studying for her agility titles and she earned her four titles at the age of nine. Not bad for an older dog. Will Kria equal her record?

Korpur's PennHIP scores are left 0.33 and right 0.44. Kria's scores are 0.56 for both hips. We trusted Penn HIP's suggestions for breeding healthy dogs for hips and the PennHIP scores for Thor proved them right.

I believe that breeding for health (especially hips and eyes), temperament, intelligence, and working ability are extremely important for the long term health and well being of our breed. Breeding pretty dogs is not enough, in my opinion. Fortunately most Icelandic Sheepdog breeders feel the same way!

The humans in the first photo with Thor are Alex and Jasmine. Anaegja is with Thor in the second photo. (By the way, it was a hot day and the humans and dogs had just returned from a long walk. The cool grass must have felt nice on their bellies.)

Click to enlarge. I love the color of Thor's eyes and the contrast with his black fur, his shiny black fur.

October 5, 2011

2011-10-05T04:33:00.000-07:00

October 5, 2011 - We are having some gorgeous early autumn weather this year. No frosts yet so the garden is still enjoyable. Because it has been so nice I've been able to do a few clean up chores in the yard. Debbie has sent me the photos of an interesting cottage with about 200 feet of Lake Huron frontage and a nice beach near Harbor Beach. The price is kind of high; I want to see a floor plan; I'd like more land but this one is intriguing.

Click once or twice on photos to enlarge them.

Moose

2011-10-03T08:35:00.001-07:00

Here's a recent perfect fall photo of Moose out in the un-mowed area of Mike and Debbi's place. Click on photo to enlarge it.

Poor Pila

2011-10-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

Pila needs a new handler - preferably one who can read and knows how to count!

We missed a sign in Rally Excellent today. Signs number 8 and 10 were back to back, a trick I know all about, and we missed number 8 which was a very easy sign.

Missing a sign is, of course, not allowed, duh, so I NQ'd us.

Peace, Perfect Peace

2011-09-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

When Icelandics gather together you cannot be sure what will happen. It's best to capture the peaceful moments before (or after) they meet. There are sure to be noisy and friendly greetings with lots of barking, whining, tail-wagging, jumping, play-bows, circling, etc. The few quiet moments MUST be captured.

How can one tell when the moment is pure bliss? Look at their tails. These dogs all have great tails. They are only 'down' when they are totally relaxed; the rest of the time they are up in single curls, double curls, with korkur tips (3 of them), or with semi-circles (1). Some have tails like bottle brushes with short thick fur; others have long flowing fur.

This was one of those quiet moments, rather rare, I'm afraid.

Click once or twice to enlarge.

Clementina

2011-09-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

The rare flying-porcines must be on their way down south for the winter and are just pausing in the garden long enough to sip nectar, hummingbird-like.

This one flitted about so fast I wasn't sure where it would finally stop. I snapped as many photos as I could.

I had some excellent and very satisfying news yesterday about the PennHIP scores of one of my "adult-puppies". Yay!! It can now continue to do an amazing job in AKC agility.

In my opinion, PennHIP is THE way to go.

Kata and I will be retiring from agility trials for a while.

Yes, we will keep practicing but we will not enter shows for several months.

Cindy and I call it the Hansen Curse. Of course, OF COURSE, we are just kidding. Our dogs are special and so are we.

The major trouble with teaching classes is that you have significantly less time to practice. I need to cut down on what I teach and increase my practice time!! (I have no room in my yard for agility equipment so practice has to be at the building.) The question is: "Which classes do I stop teaching?" I want only one prep now. Cathi??

Kata

2011-09-24T09:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we, Kata and I, got up before the crack of dawn with pouring rain and blowing wind outside to get ready to go to our first agility show as "Excellent" entries in jumpers with weaves and standard at a trial in Dexter, Michigan which is just to the west of Ann Arbor near I-94.

I fed and pottied the dogs, showered and shaved, packed lunch and supplies, and then Kata and I boarded (a perfectly appropriate word here) the car and set out in the pitch black of what felt like the middle of the night. The rain and puddles of water along 94 in Detroit were horrendous. I was sure we were going to have an accident. My nerves were frazzled by the time we got to the show site at about 7:15 a.m. Kata, like the Viking trooper she is, slept the whole way. Her ancestors, after all, one thousand years ago came all the way from Scandinavia in the Viking long boats to Iceland in the frozen waters of the mid-Atlantic and then lived for generations on glaciers, bogs and volcanic rock.

At about 7:20 they started the "obsessive walk throughs" for the jumpers with weaves. We boggled the weaves because I was on the right side of the weaves which is the wrong side for us. Yes. we can do them with me on the right of the weaves and we often practice that in class but our preferred side while we are still learning is the "obedience" or left side. I should have listened to myself. Well meaning people sometimes try to talk me into doing things a "better" way and I usually do not listen - it's my nickel, after all. Unfortunately this time I listened to them.

It's my fault that we NQ'd.

Later we were waiting in line to do the excellent standard course and there was an unusually long delay. Kata was getting bored and someone suggested that I play with her to wake her up before we went into the ring. I never do that. Kata responds very quickly once we are in the ring. I was bored; she was bored; we played a bit and she really did wake up - - - so much so that almost as soon as we went into the ring, she started doing any obstacle that she liked. She NEVER has done that. It was totally out of character and, once again, I blame myself. She does not need to get motivated out of the ring. I've seen other dogs run around the ring and have felt bad for the handler. I hope people felt bad for me.

The NQ was again my fault. What do they say? Dog needs new handler.

I know my Kata and she knows me. We do not need advice in the show ring and I will not listen to anyone again. In the practice ring during class I will listen to anyone who wants us to try something new - BUT NEVER AGAIN IN THE RING WHEN WE'VE ACTUALLY PAID MONEY TO ENTER.

I think walking through the ring practicing turns and foot work three times is always a great idea but I think I can overdo it - sometimes I practice so much that I flub things once we start.

So today we stayed home, slept in, read and rested instead of going back to Dexter for the second day of the three day trial. Depending on how we feel on Sunday, we may also skip tomorrow or go. I will not enter any show again that accepts registrations at 7:00 a.m. and starts at 8:00 a.m. and is that far away. It's just very simply too hard. I need a good night's rest in order to be awake for the trials. It's not an age related thing. I have always been that way.

(Click once or twice on the photos to enlarge them. Kata's eyelashes, once black, have lightened up I think.)

Early Fall Flowers

2011-09-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Colchicums

2011-09-20T05:10:00.000-07:00

Vinlands Piaf, Vinlands Kani

2011-09-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

On Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18, the St. Clair Kennel Club had its Breed and Obedience trial at Goodells County Park. Vinlands Kani (Tryggur - on the right) finished his AKC Rally Novice title under Judge David Haddock and Judge Delvyn Lunn and Vinlands Piaf (Pila - on the left) finished her Rally Advanced title under the same judges, Judge David Haddock and Judge Delvyn Lunn.

Tryggur also earned two more points towards his AKC Champion title in Breed under Judge Elizabeth Muthard on Saturday and Judge Charles Olvis on Sunday. Eileen Hyde started Tryggur (aka Yankee) on his path towards his breed title. I hope I don't disappoint Eileen and we finish him. This trial was the first time I showed successfully in conformation and I did it two days in a row because I made a mistake when entering Tryggur. At the advice of the nice lady on the phone, I entered Tryggur in BBE - not realizing that BBE means Bred By Exhibitor. That meant the breeder/exhibitor, which is me, HAD to show the dog. I was not a good student in Roz Jenkins drop in Conformation class on Monday nights at Sportsmens. I was a klutz running around the ring and "showing" Tryggur. Roz and Shirley Baker really tried to help me but I have two left feet - or maybe two right feet but whatever, I do not have one of each! I think Shirley and Roz wanted to give up on me. Maybe the judges felt sorry for me. Regardless, I am becoming quite fond of showing in Breed (I wonder why!) although my real loves still seem to be agility, rally and obedience. All along Sylvia and Jennifer Sanders have been there to support and encourage me. Bless them. I would not have done it without them pushing and pulling me. They would not let me stop what Eileen started.

Pila (left) and Tryggur (right) are taking a well deserved break after their fantastic weekend! Don't they look regal? Me? I'm very surprised, slightly frazzled and quite tired.

Autumn

2011-09-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

At last some down time to wander through the yard. (Click once or twice to enlarge photos - then use the arrow to return to posts.)

I know when fall has arrived by the kinds of flowers that appear in the garden even if the weather remains summer-like.

The first two photos show some Sedums called "Autumn Joy". Hello! What a great name. They are joyful. The bees love them. That's certainly a hint fall is here.

The third photo shows an old fashioned sedum whose name has been "lost".

Best of all are the white crane-like Cimicifugas - they look graceful and smell wonderful.

Turtle-heads are called that because the flowers look like pink turtle heads and they have appeared almost overnight.

Peeking our from beneath the morning glories I found some early Colchicums (sometimes called autumn crocus even though they are not crocuses).

Tryggur and Pila have trials coming up this weekend! I don't know about them but I'm already exhausted. Classes have started again at Sportsmens. We shocked students today by telling them that we are all unpaid volunteers. They thought we got paid! As if!!

Saturday & Sunday September 10 & 11, 2011

2011-09-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

The Pontiac Kennel Club trial was held in Davisburg, Michigan last weekend; Pila (Vinlands Piaf) and Tryggur (Vinlands Kani) did very well.

Pila earned her first leg in Rally Advanced under Judge Margery West and Tryggur earned his first leg in Rally Novice under Judge West also.

In the Breed Ring (aka Conformation) LeRoy (Vinlands Leif), shown by with his owner/handler Jennifer Sanders, earned two points in two days of showing. It was Jenn's first conformation show; Lee's too!!

We had a nice time with Tina and her son who also showed this weekend. I'm sorry I've forgotten Tina's son's name but Jenn and I thought he did a really good job showing his champion female.

We had a chance to meet Runa (Lappevennen Runa Embla), a beautiful female puppy Tina recently imported from a great kennel in Norway. I am sure we will see them in the breed ring with Runa soon.

It is truly wonderful when people from Europe and Iceland are willing to part with their wonderful, well-bred puppies in order to enrich our own gene pool here in North America. The future health and well being of our beloved Icelandic Sheepdogs depends on sharing our best dogs.

We had a really good weekend!

(Top photo is Pila, bottom one is Tryggur. Pila's photo was taken at night without using a flash - hence the coloring. She was so tired she held still - an amazing "trick". Click once or twice on photos to enlarge them.)

Gifted and Talented - - -

2011-09-09T14:20:00.001-07:00

We just spent a wonderful week with a good friend who loves Icelandics as much as I do because of and in spite of their enthusiasm and intelligence.

She has asked me NOT to include her image and I have done so - - sort of. I suspect she did not want to be identified as a friend and must say I understand and don't blame her.

The gathering of dogs or the swirl of Icelandics or the hurricane of Icies or the storm of ISDs or the blizzard of Icelandic Sheepdogs - - all became identifiers this week. We had one straight week of rain, drizzle, mist, cloudy skies, and damp.What's up with that?

We read - lots. We ate plenty and drank moderately.

We traveled to a foreign country and visited an art museum while there. We browsed a few "vintage" clothing stores. Toured the largest Arab American Museum in North America. Breakfasted at Frittata and a few other restaurants. Ate delicious whitefish at Lily's and the Red Coat Inn's famous (infamous?) burger and fries. Were feted by friends. Went twice to Sportsmen's Dog Training Club with Kata, Pila, Totty and visited with some of my good friends while there. Got sidetracked by the seasonal orange barrels that litter the roads, expressways, highways of Michigan. Never finished the assigned project: -

I LIE FACE UP
IN THE SUN
HAPPIER THAN YOU
WILL EVER BE

I grieve for myself because I don't live near her.

Hotter than - - - -

2011-09-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

It's been too hot to photograph the dogs outside so I've been doing flowers of the late summer garden. By this time of the year it's really hot and dry and weedy. Who wants to work outside when it's in the nineties? Not me.

Garlic chives can be used like regular chives but they give dishes a bit a a garlic flavor - yummy.

I have only a few species of Hosta. Species of Hosta are the wild ones - the ones plant hybridizers started with. Most commercial Hosta are hybrids or sports (mutations). I grow some of my Hosta plants from seeds and some I buy and divide when they get big enough. This species Hosta is even pretty when the buds are forming - They look a bit like cranes.

Plants that come up from seeds that I do NOT plant I call "volunteers". Some of my favorite plants came up from seeds that birds or the wind must have dropped in my yard. They are the most interesting, in my opinion.

Helenium is a nicer name than tickweed, eh? Some of mine are pure yellow like the one in this photo. Others have bands of brown.

As always, click on photos once or twice to enlarge them in order to see more detail. You can use the back arrow to return to the blog.

Some people don't seem to realize that plants need:
1.) Sun to grow - hello? They make their own food using sunlight. If they don't get sun, they simply do not thrive. They might live but are not healthy and therefore not resistant to stress and parasites. Even shade loving plants need some sun.

2.) Water. You have to water plants if you want them to thrive.

3.) CO2 - plants need carbon dioxide which they can easily get from the air.

When they combine carbon dioxide and water using chlorophyll they can produce their own food, simple sugars. Simple, eh?

It's Fall

2011-08-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Gossip

2011-08-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

Sooner or later gossip gets back to the person and the dogs you gossip about, especially if you live close to one another.

Remember that game we used to play in preschool or kindergarten? The one where one person whispered something into the ear of the person next to him/her and what was whispered was quietly passed from person to person all the way around the room until it got back to the person who started it?

By the time the whispered phrase got back to the originator, it had changed significantly. That taught me a lesson that has lasted with me through the last six plus decades of my life.

Our Mom taught us back then: - If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

I know now that she was trying to prevent us from saying hurtful things about someone else. The Golden Rule.

I have tried, usually successfully, to adhere to those two dictums or "rules" all of my adult life. To needlessly hurt someone or damage someone's reputation is unnecessary and cruel, plain and simple. We all do better when we all do better. Think about it. Please.

Sooner or later what is said and who said it gets back to the person whose reputation was hurt.

Tryggur, aka Yankee, has fit in very well with the rest of my dogs. He gets along fabulously with the younger dogs and allows the older ones respect and distance. Only rarely now do the older dogs in my pack indulge in play.

When Tryggur was returned, there were some very minor initial adjustment concerns, the kind anyone would have when introducing any new dog into an established 'pack'.

I am very happy to report that Bear and Tryggur are best buddies and play together all the time without incident. I am proactive by nature and watch for any possible escalation whenever any of my dogs play with each other. (See below.)

Totty and Pila also play all the time with each other and also with Bear and Tryggur. They are a delight to watch. BEFORE things can get out of hand, I step in verbally to calm things down if I feel it is necessary. It rarely is. Those of you who have more than two adult dogs know what I'm talking about.

There are many things I absolutely love about our Icelandics.

They are an old breed and still have many of their old instincts and behaviors. That makes it all the more interesting to observe them while at work herding or training, or while they play, or raise puppies, or play with or discipline those puppies, or watch for skyward bound predators like hawks, or forage for food in the wild, etc. Our dogs are not a recent breed and, therefore, still have many or their ancestral survival skills close to the surface.

Some people call breeds like Icelandics, Carolina dogs and Basenjis "primitive" breeds. I don't much like that word because it implies, perhaps, that they are dumb or slow. Neither of those descriptors fit our dogs. They still have many of their original old-fashioned instincts and I believe that's what people actually mean when using the word "primitive". Dogs that still have most of their instincts intact are certainly more interesting, at least to me, and present some challenges that a more modern dog, one that has lost most of its instincts, does not have.

When I have a litter, which has normally been once a year, I question the potential new adopters closely about the breeds of dogs they have had before.

If they have had good success with intelligent and active dog breeds in the past, that's a good sign that they will be able to understand and work with our breed.

I believe that some people who in the past have had a "soft" breed whose instincts have been lost over many generations may not be the best bet as a home for an Icelandic. There is not a thing wrong with those more modern breeds; they are relatively easy to manage and to train. They make fantastic pets and best furry friends. They can be challenging too.

I've always said that you have to be smarter than your dog if you want your relationship with him/her to be successful. If your dog is smarter than you are, then you could be in trouble.

I really enjoy working with an intelligent, athletic, sociable, happy dog. I hope to be around for a few more decades so I can get better at this! Ha!

ARBAKKI MAGNI - AKC CHAMPION AND AKC GRAND CHAMPION

2011-08-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

Arbakki Magni, bred by Laura and Joe Lutz, out of Ísi Kappusínó (DN15949601) and Birta (DN15154601), owned by Debbie and Greg Ostrander and shown by Cheri Schmitz, has finished his American Kennel Club Championship and his AKC Grand Championship.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Pila and Kria

2011-08-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

Two Icelandic Sheepdogs, Pila and Kria - last photo, who have started their agility training - hopefully one day they will catch up with Kata.

"What is so are as a day in - - " August! "Then, if ever, come perfect days."

Why would anyone live in Texas with the horrible heat for days on end. (It's rhetorical.)

Here in Michigan we are surrounded by water, fresh water. Loads of fresh water in the Great Lakes, the rivers, streams, ponds and smaller lakes. A deluge of water without the floods of the Mississippi river valleys

One would think that our Michigan politicians would be touting the advantages of living in a more temperate clime with loads of fresh water everywhere as a "plus".

Click once or twice on photos to enlarge them. Then use the back arrow to continue.

Garden

2011-08-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

This is the "view" the Icelandics had in the previous post. July was a hot month for us but at least we had rain and it shows. Things would normally be a bit haggard and brown by this time of the summer; this year it's lush and green.

(Click once or twice to enlarge photos.)

Icelandics

2011-08-14T07:52:00.001-07:00

A gray, cloudy, misty August day makes a good day for reading the paper and contemplating "life". (This was take from outside on the deck looking in.)

(Click once or twice to enlarge photo.)

Korpur

2011-08-11T05:26:00.000-07:00

Korpur has been ill but is now on the road to recovery. He spent a night at the emergency vets on Tuesday. His heart rate was way up. He was vomiting and had diarrhea. Apparently he ate something, you know dogs, that upset his system. I suspect a chipmunk but we'll never know what it really was. He's been known to do that before. They all do. How do you stop a dog from foraging?

For now, he's resting, eating a special diet for three days, and taking three kinds of pills until he recovers. All of us have been walking around on tiptoes - well the other dogs aren't but I am.

I may be only slightly biased (ha!) but I think Korp is very studly. I call him my stud-muffin. He's one of my nicest dogs, temperament-wise, a real cuddler in an appropriate way - not too much, and a very affectionate dog to humans and other dogs as well. Fortunately, he has thrown his amazing good looks to his puppies. Tryggur from his most recent litter shows great potential.

As always, to enlarge the photos, click on them once or twice.

Loki and Birta

2011-08-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

Two pictures must equal 2,000 words! Well done!!

Moose

2011-08-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I'm conflicted. I just heard that our tasty Chocolate Mousse has two of almost everything he needs to have two of. (Double dews?) I would like for him to be bred but I totally understand if that does not happen.

You all know me and you know how I feel about conformation. I do believe that we should breed to the official breed standard. I think that the way dogs are judged in the US and the way they are judged in Europe are very different. Their way (European) makes great sense, at least to me.

Look at the great tail curl in the first photo. I don't know what his tail looks like now but back then it was great. The left ear came up soon after the second photo was taken. I'm pretty sure he turned into a long haired pup like his two brothers. The lone female puppy was the only shorter furred pup in this litter.

Click on photos if you want to enlarge them.

Lycoris lily - revisited

2011-08-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge photos. The hairs on the morning glories are lovely as is the dew.

The Coxes lived in Maryland for a short time after Uncle Olin had been called back into service; in their yard they had dozens of Lycoris lilies which are not reliably hardy in Michigan. I planted several bulbs about 30 years ago and this is the first time any have flowered. Climate change? Michigan is becoming more like Maryland. This one plant reminds me of the Coxes and their marvelous country home with the hidden stairs. We rode on a train from Michigan to get there and the ride was a wonderful and memorable experience. There was a dining car and berths. It was so much better in so many ways than driving there.

The Hosta is one I grew from seed several years ago.

Recently someone said that we only take photos of flowers when they are at their peak but even as their flowers start to wilt and fade and we see spent the flowers fall and the leaves get ragged, they are still lovely and we should continue to celebrate them. - Somewhere in that thought is the message that the same thing is true for humans - - and dogs, et cetera.

"Cargo"

2011-08-06T18:31:00.001-07:00

Click once or twice to enlarge this photo.

Cargo will turn 15 next March 2012. Yes, that's his name. I wonder if he got the name because he flew cargo from his birth country to his new home many years ago?

Lycoris lily

2011-08-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

TO SEE THIS AMARYLLIS (LYCORIS LILY) YOU MUST CLICK ONCE OR TWICE TO ENLARGE IT.

W. H. Auden

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Pila Today

2011-08-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

We had some very good news last night about one of Pila's pups. Congratulations Leroy! My Uncle Nels Leroy would be so proud! Happy Easter!!!

Contact

2011-07-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Kata's descendant: - Harpa

This photo is about as perfect as you could find! An amazing dog in an amazing spot. She is wonderful!

If you wish to contact me:

jaimehansen1@comcast.net

Comments

2011-07-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

I removed the ability to comment on my posts after some brain-dead idiot %$#@* posted a really nasty comment on a photo I posted with permission from the owner and breeder.

The photo was of a purebred registered Icelandic Sheepdog "teenager" from purebred registered Icelandic Sheepdog parents and was not related to any of my dogs. He was at that gangly awkward age when some of our dogs don't look their best. He is now a gorgeous adult.

The comment was nasty and untrue and meant to hurt me. How do you respond to ignorant, small-minded evil people who comment anonymously?

I removed the comment before the person who owns that dog saw what was said. (The person, incidentally, is a member of the ISAA in excellent standing and would have been shocked at what one of her friends said.)

Kersins Kata NA, NAJ, OA, OAJ

2011-07-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

Another new AKC title this weekend.

In the first photo she looks tired and proud. The second one she looks a tad possessive, doesn't she?

Kata finished her American Kennel Club Open Standard Agility title today with yet another perfect score and another first place. The ribbons in the photo are all agility ribbons.

She has now earned her Canine Good Citizen award, her Companion Dog title, her Rally Novice, Rally Advanced, Rally Excellent, Novice Standard, Novice Jumpers, Open Standard and Open Jumpers titles. She is the "It Girl". She has "it".

Click on photos to enlarge them.

We had honestly planned on not going further than Open. We are both, after all, a bit older than most competitors. Maybe we will have to change our minds. What do you think?

Kersins Kata - CGC, CD, TDI, RN, RA, RE, NA, NAJ, OAJ

2011-07-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Kata earned her third leg for her AKC Open Jumpers with Weaves Agility title this weekend. She qualified in three out of four events, two Open Jumpers and one Open Standard, and finished first in those three. She now has two of the three required legs to get her AKC Open Standard Agility title.

Now it's time for you to play, "Where's Kata".

Click on photo once or twice to enlarge it.

Heat Wave

2011-07-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

Click once or twice on photos to enlarge them. (Double Hemerocallis, Platycodon, water poppy and water lettuce, Helianthemum - perennial sunflower, Coleus and red Nasturtiums)

What's the song? "We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave. The temperature's rising, it isn't surprising, we certainly can, can-can."

Kata earned her second leg with a score of 100 for her Open Jumpers title yesterday. My good friend Jerry and my favorite Golden, Olive, finished two titles yesterday: - Novice Jumpers and Novice Standard. Olive is a real agility dog. She loves agility.

My Week

2011-07-19T03:18:00.000-07:00

(CLICK ONCE OR TWICE ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT.)

I consider myself retired because I no longer get paid cash money for what I do. I am on Social Security and Blue Cross/Blue Shield & Medicare. I worked (for pay) from the time I was 13 or 14 and paid in to SS for the entire time until I officially retired. Although I no longer get paid for what I do, I think I am still very active. I am older than Baby Boomers but younger than many of my friends - which, all things considered, is not a great thing. It may be nice to be one of the "kids" in your crowd, but long term it's not exactly smart.

I watch and can relate to "Men of a Certain Age" but consider them kind of young. I have, as they say, 'been there and done that'.

People who try to phone me always seem to have trouble knowing when I'm available. Although it's not a mystery, they just can't remember when I'm home. (Sometimes I think it's because they don't really care but in reality, I suppose, maybe it's because I am hard to 'find'.)

On Mondays with my buddies, Steve, Joe and Jerry in the OFC (Old Farts Club)I help teach a Fundamental of Obedience and Rally class at our AKC obedience club. We, the instructors, all take our own dogs to the building, arrive about an hour before class starts and work ourselves and our dogs in areas where we need more practice. Kria, Pila and Kata work on agility equipment. Virtually always before we can work our dogs, we have to clean the building from the excesses of the weekend. We vacuum often having all three vacuums going at the same time, set up gating, put empty water and pop (soda) bottles in the recycle bin, replace empty paper towels and toilet paper rolls in the bathrooms,etc. Our class is usually around 5-7 students and with four instructors and seven students they get a lot of attention, both individual and group; we would probably be a bit intimidating if we weren't such nice guys.

Tuesdays are grooming days and one of my dogs goes to the 'Doggy Style" doggy beauty parlor in nearby Clawson. Kata is not so fond of going but the others love it; they can be the center of attention, of course.

Wednesdays I arrive early with my three dogs and clean up one ring; we can have two or three rings in our building depending on the size of the rings. Michelle and I set up the puppy agility equipment in the clean ring and get ready for Puppy class. If I have time left over before class, I work/play with my dogs. Usually there is not much time left.

After Michelle and I have started working with the Puppy class students and their pups, Jerry and Steve come in with their dogs to work with them.

We start Puppy class with about 15 minutes of agility work - nothing that would harm their growing skeletons - and, after a short potty break outside, continue with basic obedience practice followed by a a few minutes of supervised puppy socialization, usually on leash.

The puppies and their handlers are really fun to work with because you have clean slates with them. Most new owners don't realize how much their little pups can learn. It's great to see them, not just the pups but the students as well, make progress.

While Michelle and I are teaching handlers/puppies in one ring, Jerry starts to set up adult agility equipment in the other ring for our 'Fun with Agility' class which he and I teach after Puppy class. We try to introduce the students and their dogs to all the agility equipment during the course of class and practice some moves with the idea of learning but more importantly, having some fun while doing so.

After Puppy class while we are doing Fun with Agility, Steve is working with Marcella teaching a 'Beginner' class which is the next class puppies go to after they are six months old. Some dogs in that class are older and have had no previous training so it can be challenging.

Marcella and Steve also teach an AKC CGC (Canine Good Citizen) class. When those dogs and their handlers graduate they are ready to take the AKC CGC test which I give. Steve and Marcella are great instructors and most student/dog teams that graduate from their class also qualify for the CGC award.

Wednesday evenings Kata and Pila take agility classes on the one night they are offered by our club. Kata is in the Advanced Agility class and Pila is currently in the Beginner Agility class. It takes me more than a year working with my dogs to be ready to enter agility trials at the Novice level. I think we should have more agility classes because they are so popular but what do I know.

Wednesdays wear me out! I arrive at the building around 8:15 a.m and leave for the night at around 8:45 p.m. (I do go home for lunch.)

Our club sponsors two AKC agility trials every year. We also sponsor two AKC obedience and rally trials.

On Thursdays I take a Rally class to get me and Bear ready to enter a rally trial. He has his RN (Rally Novice) title which is done on leash. However, he needs more practice to get advanced and excellent titles which are done off leash so you need more control over you dog. He is in terror of men who have a certain 'look'. I am trying to re-condition him but at six years old I don't know if I will be able to stifle his fears. He loves virtually everyone including most men. (It's just a certain 'look' that some men have that causes him to cringe and try to run away. I wonder why that is.) At one Novice trial, we had a wonderful judge who, through no fault of his own, had that look; we barely made it through the course. Without the compassion and understanding of that judge who recognized the problem we would have NQ'd.

If I enter trials, especially agility trials, I do so for Fridays and Sundays. Going to a trial two days or three days in a row is just too hard now.

Kata is entered this Friday and Sunday in an agility trial Dexter, Michigan. I only go to indoor trials and the building must be air conditioned. Kata and I were in really bad shape after a recent trial in a sports building that did not have AC. We were seriously dehydrated.

When I add my gardening and household stuff to what I do with my dogs, I am quite busy. All the members of the OFC say these are the best years of their lives. I agree.

Now it's time to listen to the news and get ready to go to Doggy Style.

Sultry July day

2011-07-18T05:30:00.001-07:00

I'm waiting to hear if the air conditioner in our building is fixed before I leave for class this morning.

Dogs are Amazing

2011-07-17T08:16:00.001-07:00

I couldn't resist this shot of Finn, the adult Newfie, and Sofie, the Icie puppy. (She's alive but exhausted.)

This is always worth a second and third read.

http://www.thebark.com/content/future-dogs

(You may have to copy and paste this into your browser.)

Vinlands Kani/Yankee/Tryggur

2011-07-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

My Icelandic Sheepdog Kani aka Yankee or Tryggur, son of Korpur and Pila, was given back to me near the end of this week. He is from Korpur's last litter. His former owner said the fit wasn't quite right for her home. However, so far he seems to have adapted well in my home. I'm crossing my fingers. Please send positive thoughts my way.

I have been calling him "Tryggur" for the time being. He seems to respond nicely to the new name, perhaps it's because it starts with a "hard" sound. I have always loved that old fashioned Icelandic name and my Tryggur is a great young male. The name fits him perfectly.

He was born on April 15, 2010, my Aunt Kit's birthday, is fully registered in the AKC (DN27524102), the UKC (P641-586), and the CKC (1110387), and has 6 points including one major towards his AKC championship. A couple of friends have offered to finish him. I am thinking very seriously of taking them up on their offer. I have always preferred the action events like obedience, herding, rally and agility but there's something to be said for conformation.

We recently learned how conformation is done and graded in Europe and I think their way of evaluating their dogs makes great good common sense. The judges spend a great deal of time with each dog noting their good qualities and the qualities that need work. Matching up dogs so that one dog's weaker points are matched to a corresponding mate with stronger points to improve the weaker ones and vice versa makes sense, at least to me. Do you understand what I'm saying? I wish we had something like that over here.

I have not decided what is to be done with Tryggur. I would prefer not to adopt him back into our home but I am beginning to bond with him; it might become hard to give him up. I may have his hips checked soon to see what his scores are. I think that may help me decide our future.

I know he carries one b-gene for chocolate-brown, has one at-gene for tricolor, an Ay-gene for tan shades, has great strong double dews on his rear feet that are almost on the ground (take a good look at his right rear foot in the second photo), a nice tail and tail-set, an excellent top-line, good straight forward facing feet, almond-shaped dark eyes, great ears, a nice stop, good strong bones in his legs and feet, long fur, etc. At eight generations he has 120 ancestors and an Inbreeding Coefficient score of 0.488281%; at seven generations there are 63 ancestors and the IC score is 0%; at six generations 31 ancestors and 0%; and at five generation it is 15 and 0%. He carries lots of diversity which would make him an excellent match for virtually any female Icelandic here in North America. I am not an expert by any stretch of anyone's imagination but I do recognize the good points in my dogs - and the bad ones too.

In short, he is Korpur's son and then some! This guy is a serious contender!!!

I have been thinking that it's time to relax; time to focus on performance events. Then along comes Tryggur and I start daydreaming. - - - - - I literally do not know what to do. I'm praying for a miracle.

Binky and her son Korpur

2011-07-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

Binky, Pineridgeicelandics Silfra - top, is a beautiful eleven year old Icelandic Sheepdog and mother to my own Alaskastadirs Korpur.

I just heard from Ginny and Ben in Alaska. I had written to ask about Korpur's mom, Binky. She turned eleven on her last birthday March 21, 2011 and is doing well.

Binky's maternal grandmother was "Huld" (IS02811/93).

My own Huld's great-grandmother was the same Huld - Helga let me choose my Huld's name and I chose it because of one gorgeous photo I had seen of that ancestral Huld.

My Kersins Huld was the first Icelandic Sheepdog in Michigan and was the only one until Kersins Kata came a year later.

Huld was also the first Icelandic Sheepdog in North America to earn her AKC Companion Dog obedience title. Kata was the second. Hey, everyone else brags, I need to also! I have many obedience and agility titles on my dogs now. When I have time I will count them. Icelandic Sheepdogs are so intelligent and tractable.

Korpur is a handsome dog; I had forgotten how gorgeous his own mother Binky is. Now I know for sure where he got his good looks. It doesn't really need to be said, but his coloring is indeed acceptable to the AKC and the home country. The standard always said it was OK. Now an acknowledged expert brought into this country for evaluations and training has agreed.

I am forever indebted to Ginny and Ben for the amazing dog they let me have from Alaska. Thank you!!

7/11/11 (d)

2011-07-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Always faithful, always nearby. In heat, sun, rain, snow, sleet, thunderstorms - no, they don't quake - they ache to get out in them.

They enrich my life beyond measure. My best friends.

7/11/11 (c)

2011-07-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

This has been an absolutely perfect day to view the garden, which is always a work in progress.

Gardens always are evolving. That's part of the fun.

Click once or twice on photos to enlarge them.

7/11/11 (b)

2011-07-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

Click once or twice on photos to enlarge them.

I have started several of my Hostas from seeds that I've collected. It's always fun to see what they grow into. I've also produced Peonies from seeds and I like the plants better than some named varieties I've bought. David and Carolyn also grow their astilbes from seed and get lots of new varieties. I need to try that next!

I am so grateful for my AKC all breed (and mixed breed) Obedience, Rally and Agility club. I know I've mentioned Sportsmen's before. We listen to one another and work together. We like each other!!

I wish from the bottom of my soul that another group I belong to could do the same. Their style is dictatorial and they seem to operate using fear, intimidation, gossip, slander and bullying - in my personal opinion.

7/11/11 (a)

2011-07-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

CLICK ONCE OR TWICE TO ENLARGE PHOTOS.

We've had a heat wave lately but today came a light rain and a break, albeit a short one,in the weather.

So we went out in the yard to enjoy some new path-work from the deck and from my bedroom, aka, euphemistically, the entertainment room! ;o)

Just to be clear, that puny little "fence" does not keep the dogs out of the garden. The yard is theirs and they allow me to share it. All of my plants have proven themselves to be dog-tolerant. The dog in-tolerant plants are extinct!! That's one of my rules: - You have to be tough to survive in this yard. The screen over the pond in a later photo is also fairly ineffective. Toads, frogs, damselflies, dragonflies, and, of course, the dogs all come and go at will. I keep fresh water in the dog bowl but they all prefer the flavor of the pond water and the water in trays under the bonsai. It just tastes better they say. They also enjoy the fish food when I feed my goldfish - yup, no koi.

Weekends

2011-07-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

- - - are hard for me - - - -

When I was a boy one of my favorite books was Clementina the Flying Pig. I still have it and I still think it's a fascinating flight of fancy.

Years ago I read Fanny Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes. I now have a signed copy and just re-read it - priceless. Of course I saw the movie when it came out years ago and I should rent it or buy the DVD but it's an amazing book!! A must read.

Brana - Nan and Bob

2011-07-06T03:24:00.000-07:00

In addition to herding and agility, now Vinlands Brana joins other Icelandic Sheepdogs as a therapy dog. She has made her final evaluation visit for Pet Therapy and is now a certified therapy dog with Sunshine friends.

Nan and Bob can take her for unsupervised visits to nursing homes, elementary schools and libraries. She did a great job on her evaluation visits and her human companions are proud of the way she has learned another new job that they can participate in with her.

Our dogs are much happier when they are doing something - so are we!! Less kvetching, more joy!

Here's a photo of Brana with a few of her agility ribbons and some other photos of her therapy visits.

Frittata

2011-07-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Totty and I went to my favorite brunch restaurant today for a quiet sit-stay. Frittata should be cloned.

The food is extraordinary; the ambiance inside or outside is exceptional.

PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTOS ONCE OR TWICE TO ENLARGE THEM - ESPECIALLY THE FIRST ONE - and then use the back arrow to return to the post. You can almost feel the velvet texture of the Moonflower (Datura) leaves.

Lee and Sylvia

2011-06-26T06:58:00.001-07:00

Jenn, Sylvia, and LeRoy went to Macomb to support Darleen and Rudy!!

Newly Done Deck

2011-06-19T07:03:00.001-07:00

Ian is the "Handy Man Can" guy!

This weekend he took out my old crappy deck and installed an amazing new one that is about twice as big and much more interesting to boot. Ian is super sensitive and managed to install the new deck without harming the perennial plants in the ground. Virtually anyone else would have trashed the place.

I can now spread many of my bonsai all over the deck and actually see and enjoy them. He did an amazing job but most importantly, the dogs love it. They can now sit all over, between and among the bonsai; each one, dog and bonsai, is in his/her own space. (As always, click once or twice on photos to enlarge them.)

I am in the final pages of my latest "read": - eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Some nuggets: -
"Instead of trying to forcefully take thoughts out of your mind, give your mind something better to play with. Something healthier. Like love."

"Your ego - - - keeps you feeling separate, - - - tries to convince you that you're flawed and broken and alone instead of whole. Your ego's - only job is to keep itself in power."

"There's no trouble in this world so serious that it can't be cured with a hot bath, a glass of whiskey and the Book of Common Prayer.

"Seva is the Sanskrit term for spiritual practice of selfless service."

"God dwells within you, as you."

"In 1954, Pope Pius XI, of all people, sent some Vatican delegates on a trip to Libya with these written instructions: 'Do not think that you are going among Infidels. Muslims attain salvation, too. The ways of Providence are infinite.'"

"You can do Yoga, but Yoga too hard. Why they always look so serious in Yoga? You make serious face like this, you scare away good energy. To meditate, only you must smile. Smile with face, smile with mind, and good energy will come to you and clean away dirty energy. - - - Not to hurry, not to try too hard. Too serious, make you sick. You can calling good energy with a smile." (Ketut Liyer)

"I think about religion, most of it is same-same. - - - I have good idea, for if you meet some person from different religion and he want to make argument about God. Never argue about God with him. Best thing to say is, 'I agree with you.' Then you go home, pray what you want. This is my idea for people to have peace about religion." (Ketut Liyer)

"Bhuta ia, dewa ia." - "Man is demon, man is a god. The ingredients for both darkness and light are equally present in all of us, - - - it's up to the individual to decide which will be brought forth-the virtues or the malevolence." So what can we do about the craziness of the world? Nothing. "This is the nature of the world. Worry about your craziness only-make you in peace."

Yourself to yourself, "I love you, I will never leave you, I will always take care of you."

"An oak tree is brought into being by two forces at the same time. Obviously there is the acorn from which it all begins, the seed which holds all the promise and potential, which grows into the tree. Everybody can see that. But only a few can recognize that there is another force operating here as well-the future tree itself, which wants so badly to exist that it pulls the acorn into being, drawing the seedling forth with longing out of the void, guiding the evolution out of nothingness to maturity. In this respect say the Zens (Bhuddists), it is the oak tree that creates the very acorn from which it was born."

With thanks and apologies to Elizabeth Gilbert from, Eat, Pray, Love"

Not just another pretty face - - -

2011-06-18T04:59:00.000-07:00

What we have come to call Icelandic Sheepdogs today were in the past good old fashioned all around farm dogs for centuries in Iceland. They were great at what they did and how they fit into the everyday life of the Icelanders. They were truly part of the families. Their looks are really nice but it was what they did that was important to the survival of those herders and farmers.

There are still people who try to take advantage of those special traits in Icelandics for herding, tirelessly working, getting along fabulously with humans that we all love in our dogs.

Doing the recommended health tests and using the results of those tests to produce puppies in such a way as to increase the overall genetic health of Icelandics is important to every serious, conscientious breeder.

Using their innate temperaments in herding, therapy visits, agility. obedience, search and rescue, etc. continues to take advantage of the unique traits of our special dogs.

It is my hope for the future of our dogs that we use them in ways that are natural for them.

The best predictor of future performance or behavior is past performance or behavior.

If we capitalize on what is there, the future for Icelandics is secure.

The Empty Family - Colm Toibin

2011-06-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

With apologies to Mr. Toibin - - - - from his fantastic short story book The Empty Family: -

"The sight of the waves miles out, their dutiful and frenetic solitude, their dull indifference to their fate, made me want to cry out, - - - It came to me then that the sea is not a pattern, it is a struggle. Nothing matters against the fact of this. The waves were like people battling out there, full of consciousness and will and destiny and an abiding sense of their own beauty.

- - - - - I turned and moved fast, focusing on a wave I had selected for no reason. There was whiteness and greyness in it and a sort of blue and green. It was a line. It did not toss, nor did it stay still. It was all movement, all spillage, but it was pure containment as well, utterly focused just as I was watching it. It had an elemental hold; it was something coming towards us as though to save us but it did nothing instead, it withdrew in a shrugging irony, as if to suggest that this is what the world is, and our time in it, all lifted possibility, all complexity and rushing fervor, to end in nothing on a small strand, and go back out to rejoin the empty family from whom we had all set out alone with such a burst of brave unknowing energy."

This is a marvelous, insightful, poetic book of short stories!

The climbing hydrangea is flowering now in June while it clings to the bricks of my chimney. It may bring the chimney down; hopefully that will not happen in my lifetime! (Click to enlarge.)

Farmers' Market today

2011-06-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

I could not resist the wooden folding chairs with brass fittings and leather seats. They look like they might have been from the 1920's or 1930's. Does anyone know anything about them? They are too handsome to sit on; I was thinking of hanging them on the walls - if I could find room. I bought them from a very distinguished looking man named Evan Blackhawk from Novi, Michigan who specializes in rare desirable books and paper. I'll think of him every time I look at his chairs.

I think the phone looks like one that my Grandparents Niels Marius Antoni and Maren Elisabeth Hansen had in their dining room on a secretary desk when I was growing up. The phone works but you have to dial, of course, and there is no redial, memory, screen, caller I.D., et cetera. I know I date myself when I receive a wrong number and I say to the caller, "You must have dialed the wrong number." Virtually no one "dials" any more. "Vieux Pet", as the French say!

I also found a wonderful house-warming present, sixteen champagne flutes with green stems and a rose ball allegedly from Hungary, but I think I had better use them myself instead because I might not be around when their house and/or my cottage is finished. The seller, of course, said that they had never been used. I will use them. Jackie O. always had a few bottles of champagne chilling. I always have one in the fridge just in case - - - - - . You never know. (My current one is only half-full. The rest must have evaporated - perhaps while I was reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett last night. One never knows, do one?)

I can go months without finding anything I like at the Sunday market and then, bam, I see some great stuff. There was a wonderful Eames chair for $350 in great condition. It would make the third of a threesome, T & J.

(Click on photos once or twice to enlarge them.)

Luca's Boat Ride to Canada and Back

2011-06-10T04:40:00.000-07:00

Luca's Boat Ride to Canada and Back

(YOU CAN CLICK ONCE OR TWICE ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.)

Luca took his first trip to a foreign country today on the Dream Queen boat. We left at 1:00 in the afternoon, followed the Detroit River northeast towards Lake St. Clair, went under the Bell Isle Bridge, circled around and crossed the river going south to beautiful Windsor where we followed the shoreline to the Ambassador Bridge and beyond. We then followed the Detroit shoreline again. We saw the People Mover that we rode a few weeks ago, many historic old buildings and some newer ones before returning to the docks.

The top photo came from Jennifer who works at GM in downtown Detroit. The GM RenCen is near to the dock for the Dream Queen.

There were so many things to see that we had a hard time focusing on everything.

We saw a boat called the Bristol Bay, named after a body of water in Alaska. The Bristol Bay has two jobs. It is both an ice breaking tug boat and it also works with weather buoys and aids-to-navigation buoys from Lake St Clair through the Detroit river and all the way to the western basin of Lake Erie to near Cleveland, Ohio.

We saw some of the buoys with numbers on them in the water on our trip.

As an ice breaker the Bristol Bay was designed to continuously break at least 20 inches of hard, freshwater ice, but can break ice more than three feet (36 inches) thick by backing and ramming the ice. We did not see any ice today!

Look at the attached photo of the Bristol Bay. It's hard to imagine that it can crush through that much ice. It breaks through the ice in order to keep the shipping channels open for the freighters. The red brick building behind the Bristol Bay was built in 1875 (I think).

All along the river on both sides, the Canadian and the U.S., we saw many people fishing. Luca saw several people putting bait on their fishing rods and even saw some catch fish.

We went under the Belle Isle Bridge which was built in 1923 and was named for General Douglas MacArthur in 1942. The bridge connects the city of Detroit with the island called Belle Isle, which means beautiful island in French. Belle Isle was designed as a park by Frederick Law Olmstead—the nation’s greatest landscape architect. It was opened in August 29, 1881 so it is more than 100 years old. We were not sure our boat would fit under the beautiful arches - but it did! There are two boat clubs along this stretch of water, the Detroit Boat Club and the Detroit Yacht Club.

There are many beautiful apartments, condos and homes lining both sides of the Detroit River and also many marinas where people store their pleasure and fishing boats.

For a while we had the city of Detroit on one side of the boat and Belle Isle on the other side.

After we got to the end of the island, we crossed the Detroit River and rode into Canada on the boat. We then rode along the river by Canadian shoreline crossing over the top of the tunnel to Canada which is under the Detroit River.

There was a neat sculpture park along the Windsor shoreline that we'll have to go visit one day.

From the front of our boat where the Canadian flag was flying we could see the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest international border crossing in North America. More than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States and Canada crosses the bridge.

We also went under the Ambassador Bridge and then turned around and crossed the river for the second time.

If Luca has his passport, we could go through the tunnel to Windsor and then back over the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit on one of our adventure days.

We saw the J. W. Westcott II mail boat that delivers mail to passing freighters. It's the only boat that has its very own special ZIP code 48222.

The company was founded in 1874 by Great Lakes Captain J. W. Westcott. Captain Westcott used a rowboat to deliver ship's orders to passing vessels. In 1895 he began delivering mail as well.

The company has been operating for over 100 years! To send mail to a vessel on the Great Lakes that passes through Detroit, you address it to:

(Vessel name)
Marine Post Office
Detroit, Michigan
48222

There are some photos of the mail boat delivering mail to one of the two freighters we saw while we were on the Detroit River. We were told that this south bound freighter was carrying grain and that was why it was low in the water. The other freighter we saw was going north to pick up ore to make steel and was riding high because it was empty.

When we got back on land we found that all the electricity in Detroit was down probably because of the use of air conditioners. All the businesses, colleges, the People Mover and all the traffic lights were not working. Nana very cleverly got on I-75 and drove all the way home safely. Even though it was not rush hour yet, it was extremely crowded with people trying to get home.

Kata, wounded

2011-06-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Kata and I went to a trial last weekend and N-Q'd. She had been among the walking wounded for more than three weeks thanks to a tiff with her house-sister Huld and was not fully recovered. She had missed three weeks of classes and practice. The trial was in a non-air-conditioned sports building and was extremely hot and humid. The outside thermometer on my car said 101 degrees F when we left. I will NEVER take my dogs to that trial again even though it was only half an hour from home and sponsored by my obedience/agility club.

This afternoon we rested and enjoyed the yard after our morning class with Pila and Kria.

Can you find the dogs in the photos? Click once or twice to enlarge them. (Small hint: there is one photo with no dog - a rare occurrence in my yard; it's virtually impossible to avoid having one of my camera hogs in a photo.)

Arbakki Magni

2011-05-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Laura, Debbie, Andrea!!

Clematis, Memorial Day Weekend, 2011

2011-05-26T13:08:00.001-07:00

(CLICK ONCE OR TWICE TO ENLARGE IMAGES.)

We have had almost continuous rain for days but still the garden amazes.

Vinlands Loa and Annette

2011-05-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

(CLICK ON PHOTOS ONCE OR TWICE TO ENLARGE THEM.)

2011-05-16T15:38:00.000-07:00

Click on photos to enlarge them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/magazine/icelands-big-economic-thaw.html?hpw=&pagewanted=all

Kierkegaard

2011-05-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

"Life can only be understood backwards. Unfortunately, it must be lived forwards." - Kierkegaard

Mayflowers

2011-05-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

In order to really appreciate the flowers, please click on the spring 2011 photos once or twice to enlarge them.

April showers bring May flowers.

From the top down: -

Spring Vetchling and Lungwort

Epimedium and Lungwort

Epimedium

Lungwort and Columbine leaves

Spring, when it finally arrives in Michigan, is beautiful and wonderful. Perhaps we appreciate it more because it takes so long and winters are bleak and rough.

Kersins Kata

2011-05-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

These photos of Kersins Kata were taken by Raymond Dutton at the Ibizan Hound Club's show last weekend in Dexter, Michigan.

Kata looks like a bullet flying over the jump; look at the clearance she's got!

Kersins Kata

2011-04-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Kata finished her AKC Novice Standard Agility title under Judge Ann Rudd at the Ibizan Hound Club of the United States agility trial at the Canine Sport and Recreation building in Dexter, Michigan today. The Novice course was especially nice.

Although this photo makes her look small, probably because of the angle, at 16" Kata fits the home country's official breed standard and she jumps 16" at trials. We're waiting for some really nice photos from the trial from the photographer, Raymond Dutton.

She has a wonderful temperament (personality) and is in my opinion a superb example of Icelandics with shorter fur. Longer furred Icelandics seem to be more popular especially for conformation shows. I hope the shorter furred Icelandics can survive. They seem to be rather rare now.

Kata was born on January 11, 2002 and turned nine years old on 1/11/11. She started her training for agility at the age of eight and has earned six first place ribbons with scores of 100/100 and two second places.

Kersins Huld

2011-04-23T03:39:00.000-07:00

Huld was a beautiful puppy; it's no wonder that I fell for her. She started it all for me. Huld was the first Icelandic Sheepdog in Michigan and was the first Icelandic Sheepdog to earn an AKC title - her American Kennel Club Companion Dog title (CD). She is still the alpha dog in this house. Over the years she has earned the following awards and titles: BFF, CGC, TDI, CD, RN, RA, RE. Kata followed her closely into Michigan and into my home and heart.

Click on the photos once or twice to enlarge them.

Grass Roots

2011-04-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

Click on photo to enlarge it.

Luca and Nana went to Grass Roots today and adopted some Koi for Nana's pond. It was hard work so Luca took a bit of a time out and sat in the garden where he had seen several ponds. Some of them had huge adult Koi of many different colors. Luca really liked the reddish colored ones.

Luca also saw tadpoles in one of the ponds; some of them had small hind legs because they were beginning to turn into frogs. Frogs and tadpoles do not look anything like each other! Tadpoles live in the water and are scavengers feeding on plants and other sources of protein. Tadpoles breathe oxygen that is dissolved in water by using gills. They swim like fish and have a tail.

Adult frogs have four legs and can leave the water but must stay close to keep their skin moist. They do not have tails. You can often find them sitting on waterlily leaves during the day. They usually feed on insects and worms and can hop around the garden at night using their strong hind legs looking for their food. They stay close to the pond so they can jump back into the water in case predators try to catch and eat them. Frogs breathe using lungs and also their moist skin. Frogs hibernate or sleep through the winter at the bottom of ponds and get oxygen through their skins instead of using their lungs.

When spring arrives and the water warms up, the hibernating frogs wake up from their winter naps and lay their eggs in the water. A couple of weeks later the eggs hatch into very small tadpoles which grow all summer.

Luca also saw some hens and roosters and learned how to tell the roosters from the hens - the roosters crow. Roosters are the boys and hens are the girls. There was at least one Peacock with very long tail feathers also.

We walked in the greenhouse too but couldn't stay in there long because it was so hot and humid (wet) in there. It was like a tropical rain forest.

April18, 2011 in Michigan

2011-04-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Abeliophyllum distichum is a white flowered bush that resembles the yellow forsythia but flowers a little earlier and, unlike forsythia, has a wonderful fragrance. It's hard to see the white flowers because we had snow today.

Click on photos once or twice to enlarge them. The flowers have a very faint pinkish cast in their throats.

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-15T13:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday!! One year old today.

Grecian Windflowers

2011-04-15T03:36:00.000-07:00

(Click on photo once or twice to enlarge it.)

I've been trying to decide if I want to buy or build a vacation home and if so, where. I'm leaning towards the thumb on Lake Huron but some have suggested I try places like the west coast on Lake Michigan. I have a very hard time deciding things now. I do love my home. I also love nature and living in the country on water a legacy of my childhood living near South Lyon.

I just realized that the square dance term "dosido" was from the French "Dos-à-dos" which means back to back - Duh!!

Yankee and Eileen

2011-04-09T07:57:00.001-07:00

Click on photos to enlarge them.

Yankee and Eileen at a show today, Saturday, April 9, 2011 in Michigan where they had a good time made lots of new friends!

Loa & Annette

2011-04-07T03:23:00.000-07:00

Vinlands Loa and Annette ranked first on the United Kennel Club's Novice All Star's list through March 13, 2011. Loa's parents are Korpur (Alaskastaðirs Korpur, BFF, CGC, RN, RA, RE, CD) and Kria (Thordunu Kría, BFF, CGC, RN, RA, RE, CD ).

To view the United Kennel Club's results go to: -
http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/WebPages/DEAllStarsObedience2011?OpenDocument&Click=

If this doesn't show up when you click on it, copy and paste it into your browser.

Kersins Trölli & Vinlands Brana and Bob & Nan

2011-04-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Click on photos once or twice to enlarge them!

Kersins Trölli (first four photos) has his NAP, NA, NAJ (Novice Agility Preferred [standard], Novice Agility [standard], and his Novice Agility Jumpers [aka JWW - Jumpers With Weaves]).

Vinlands Brana (last four photos) has her NAP, NAJP (Novice Agility Preferred [standard], Novice Agility Jumpers Preferred [aka JWW - Jumpers With Weaves Preferred]).

Both dogs have additional legs on their way to more titles! (It takes three qualifying scores or legs to earn a title.)

Nan and Bob have done extremely well training and titling two Icelandics!

Performance Icelandics are awesome! Once more performance people discover this breed for themselves, we will see more of our dogs in dog sports. Like most herding breeds, Icelandics excel in all sorts of dog activities like herding, tracking, search and rescue, agility, flyball, rally, obedience, etc.

Yankee, Eileen and BOB

2011-04-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Click on photo a couple of times to enlarge it enough to read.

Although this was from a few weeks ago, I didn't have a scanner to copy the article into my photos. It's a great article and Yankee did fantastic in conformation. Congratulations Eileen and Yankee!

Vinlands Loa

2011-04-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

Click twice on this image in order to read the copy.

Loa lives in Minnesota with Annette and Fred Prieve. They earned four HIT (High in Trials) under Judges Marilyn S. Tomaszewski and Russell J. Hornfisher in one weekend with the following scores: - 199, 199.5, 199+ and 198.

Vinlands Loa and Annette ranked first on the United Kennel Club's Novice All Star's list through March 13, 2011: -
http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/WebPages/DEAllStarsObedience2011?OpenDocument&Click=
Loa's parents are Korpur (Alaskastaðirs Korpur, BFF, CGC, RN, RA, RE, CD) and Kria (Thordunu Kría, BFF, CGC, RN, RA, RE, CD ).

Tata and Grima

2011-03-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

(Click on photos to enlarge them.)
Tata (black, tan and white) who lives in Michigan and Grima (cream) who lives in California are two puppies that are available to the right homes. Contact me if you might be interested in adopting either of these two little girls.

The People Mover, March 17, 2011

2011-03-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

(Click on photos to enlarge them.)

Nana and Luca rode the Detroit People Mover not once but twice on the most beautiful "almost" spring day.

They saw ice floes in the Detroit River; nearby Windsor, Ontario, Canada across the river; some beautiful old buildings like the Guardian Building and the Detroit Club, Greektown, Times Square, Ford Field - the baseball stadium where the Detroit Tigers play, Cobo Hall, Joe Lewis Arena, GM World Headquarters in the The Renaissance Center, and trains!

In Greektown from the People Mover train cars they saw early revelers in green celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Luca was wearing green pants. (Note the green squares in the photo of Luca in the Ren Cen People Mover Station!)

Back at GM World Headquarters on the way back to the garage where Nana parked the car, a nice man who was downtown for hockey games gave Luca a green t-shirt!

What a glorious day they had!