Maddie and Lovejoy are EIGHT YEARS YOUNG!! They both are perpetual puppies, so it doesn’t seem possible.

Maddie got a lovely fuzzy stuffed bird that chirps (she LOVES things that make noise) but Fee keeps stealing it and hiding it in her crate [LOL].

I made Banana bread, Maddie’s favorite. All I have to say to get her inside is “Maddie CAKE!” and she comes running.

Fuzzy hugs to brother Lovejoy!

Val

Hope you are having a “sweet” day today!

Yesterday the dogs were finally able to get out back to the rest of the yard. The snow has been so deep that they haven’t done this for
weeks. Well, Mac went out back and nibbled on the bark from the willow tree. (he does this, willow is very healing and used as a pain reliever)

Last night we came home and found a little bark on the floor with some foam. Well, that didn’t agree with him much this time. A short while later, he started making swallowing movements and coughing a little… look out, he’s going to blow! Sure enough, he up-chucked all over the dog bed and floor. (that is a step up, as he used to run for our bed. Old age keeps him on the floor more)

He coughs once in a while, but seems to be ok. He is eating and drinking fine, and being his usual self. He may have scratched his
throat a bit when that came up, or there is a bit more there working its way through… It’s organic, anyway [sigh]. I’ll keep my eye on him for the next couple of days.

Val

Traveler is not happy that Fee has been taking up his snuzzle time in bed. She ALWAYS gets there first and he has to wait, and that’s not fair!

So last night I wasn’t even in bed yet when he LEAPED up onto the bed and stretched right out. Fee joined him once she saw that I was under the covers, but I made her leave so he could have some special time. (then she wasn’t happy, but she thinks I’m a… well, you get the idea. I see future power struggles ahead, but I bested one Queen [Mira]. I can do it again [G]. )

So Trav was snuzzling with Mom and Dad, very happy and all was right with the world. After awhile it was getting a bit cramped, and I decided that snuzzle time was over. Usually I just say “that’s enough” or something like that and he leaves. Not last night. He just wagged his tail and stayed right where he was.

So I started fooling around and pretended I was snoring… Mommy’s asleep now, time to get down, lots of snoring.

Well, every time I would do the fake snoring thing, he would growl! If I stopped, so did he. If I snored, he growled. He was laughing — I could tell, because his tail was wagging and he had a silly grin on his face. [LOL]

He does have a great sense of humor, that boy… it’s usually directed at me, but that’s nothing new.

Val

As a breeder, one of the hardest things to do is to wait for that call….a dog you have bred is dying.

You were there when they were born, watched them grow and learn… smelled their little furry bodies, laughed as they surprised themselves with a new accomplishment.

Sometimes they stay but most of the time you send them off to new homes, fingers crossed that they live happy, useful lives.

Thistle was both of those. She went to live with wonderful friends who helped to raise her when we had a houseful. When I lost her mother, she came back to me. I worked with her and got her into the show ring, and while I had some help, she was the first Beardies I finished myself. She helped me through the pain of losing her mother, and worked on trying to be Queen (it never happened).

She had a lovely litter of puppies (thanks for Maddie, Thistle) and we all continued on. But I could tell she wasn’t completely happy. It happens to some dogs, ones who have been shown and taken here and there — they don’t take to being retired to a bunch of other Beardies that well. I knew where she had to go. I put a bug in their ear and let the Universe take over. I trusted it.

Sure enough, Cathy and Bill Pollari took Thistle to live with them and her son Lovejoy and Lionel the Bouv. I knew it was a match made in Heaven. After all, they never visited me here, but always came to see Thistle [G]. So she became Queen of their castle and ruled the 2 boys lovingly. I loved getting pictures of all of them lined up in their Halloween costumes or sporting new haircuts or bandanas. Thistle was a Mama’s girl — just what she needed.

Occasionally I would see Thistle again, but she was never that thrilled to see me, always keeping an eye out for Cathy. I always told her I wasn’t making her come back [LOL].

I love that she was that close to her mom Cathy and content and happy for the last years of her life. She was 13…. longer than I had her mother, and pretty healthy till the end.

We knew it wouldn’t be long. I had a session with her and immediately knew she was leaving soon. So hard, but at least I could start preparing myself (although it never matters — it still hurts). It’s not the same as living with one who is leaving. I have done that. You treasure them each day, make the most of each moment…..

So I waited, knowing it would be soon. Going about the day, taking care of the dogs and work, etc…. Maddie would keep coming to me, wagging, putting her head in my lap. She is a lot like her mom.

Thistle left this morning, surrounded by her family. She was just too tired to go on. She used to make this cute grunting noise when I rubbed her chest……. .

Rest easy Piglet… run with your Mom and those that went before you.

Ch Tolkien Thistlewool……… greatly loved.

Val

Just an update…

Last Friday we decided to go down to a show in Springfield. The
thought of 3 hours with poor Fiona being sick didn’t appeal to me
very much! On the “big ” Beardie list, someone recommended Dramamine
for a carsick Beardie. Well, it was worth a shot, so we got some. They
had used the children’s dose, but they had more than one! Always
erring on the side of caution, I gave her half a pill before we left
in the morning.

We did pretty good for about 2 hours, then noticed the drooling, and
then “URP!” We pulled over, cleaned things up, and made it to the show ok.

Fiona had never been to an inside show before and she did remarkably
well!! She only barked once in her crate and that is when she was
getting funny looks from another female dog. Fee set her straight.
While I was working on her Dad, she even zonked out for a nap.
She walked nicely around the building a few times, although she
wasn’t sure about all those little yappy dogs [LOL]. We worked on
“watch me” and I led her right past them. Nothing seemed to upset
her (including the hair dryers!) and she even did some moving for me
and baited for a stand. Since we took her to socialize and get used
to all that, it was extremely successful. I guess the good genes
have been passed on — good job, Traveler!

So a half hour before we are to leave, I decide to give her a whole
tablet of Dramamine. It worked!! Every once in a while she would
drool a tiny amount, but no “urping”, and it was a much nicer trip
home. Good thing because the traffic was so bad it took 4 hours, not
three to get there!

We are looking forward to getting her in the ring — she has been
getting so many nice compliments out of it [LOL].

Val
www.avalonbeardies. com

Starring…. …….Fiona
Supporting Players…Mom and Dad

It was a day like any other, sun peeking through the clouds, kids
off to school, that kind of thing. Nothing to suggest that it would
be… unusual.

I went about my business in the morning, doing a little work and
sweeping cut grass and fallen leaves OUT of the house. Soon it was
time to feed the Hairy Horde that follows me around all day (until I
want them, then they vanish like a magician’s trick).

So I start gathering bowls and warming up a little treat to mix in
with the kibble…..ok, 1 bowl, 2 bowls, 3 bowls…..where is the
other bowl? We look under chairs, tables, etc, then just grab an
extra bowl kept for shows so we can get the feeding thing done (they
do stand there with pitiful looks on their faces till the food is ready).

We repeat the process the next morning, but the mystery of the
elusive bowl doesn’t leave our minds. I decide to move a few things
around in the living room(our family was born with a decorating
gene-we move furniture around when we get bored) and see if perhaps
we missed it earlier.

HMMM….after a morning of shifting furniture ,
sweeping under things, and peering into corners, still no bowl! I
even checked the bathtub, Fiona’s new playhouse. It didn’t get
kicked outside by accident, it’s not in the back hall….ok, now this
is really bugging me! It can’t just vanish!

I decide that we need help from a Higher Source. I stand in the
kitchen and start “channelling” Fiona….(.I have the bowl in my
mouth, I move down the hallway….. …) and then in the next instant
my eyes pop open and say to my husband, “did you check your closet?”
He gives me a “look” (I’m used to that) but he dutifully goes into
the bedroom and looks in his closet. And here he comes with the
missing bowl! Daddy’s side of the closet is one of her hiding
places, but she has never carried anything in there before, so we
didn’t check it.

Guess the moral is “Be the Beardie….think like the Beardie….< LOL>
OHM…

Val

A ray of sunlight peeks into my bedroom and slowly teases me awake. I start to emerge from the fog that is my brain, and gently stretch my arms and legs. The birdcalls can be heard through the slightly open window, lilting and welcoming in the early morning.
I slowly get out of bed and do what needs to be done [g], then make some tea. It is quiet and meditative and the perfect way to start the day………

Ok, you MUST know by now that this is my fantasy way to wake up. I am not sure if I ever remember waking this way, but hey, a girl can dream! This is how it usually goes:

I start to surface from my sleep, realize it’s morning already and fake being asleep a little while longer. If Trav thinks I am awake, he will start wagging and then everyone will know “SHE’S UP”. Sometimes he will check on me by sticking his nose in my face and sniffing me. I just keep my eyes shut and breath slow. So when I’m ready, I get up, stretch my sore muscles from where some little girl dog bounced on me the day before (not naming any names — FIONA) and head for the bathroom. Heaven forbid I should shut the door! I might escape out the window then what would they all do?! I do what I need to do and stumble into the kitchen. Fee (who will give a polite little “yip” if I take too long) is in her crate, waiting for FOOD!!! Half asleep, I pick up bowls, dole out food and put everyone’s bowls in the proper places. (Fee in her crate, Maddie near her, Mac next to the kitchen counter, Traveler by the hall — do not vary — they will get very confused). I have to stand next to Mac, because he finishes first, and will go after Traveler’s food. Fee is done and waiting to be let out of her crate to clean all of the other bowls. (which is what Mac likes to do) Everyone finishes eating, Traveler barks and grabs a toy to take outside, Mac is running around barking (it’s a new thing, we don’t know why — he doesn’t even go out most of the time) and I try to get them all outside to start the potty dance.

So out we go (did I mention that I look lovely, with my bed head hair, pajama bottoms, t-shirt and old hoodie ?) and now we have to start the next phase…”HURRY UP” . Don’t you think they would know that they have to potty?

“HurryupgopottycomeonnowhurryupyouguysIneedmytealet’sgo! This is repeated as long as necessary. Sometimes Fee won’t go till I start to get the scooper out and pretend to clean the yard. It’s like a light goes on…. (oh yeah, I need to do something to help) and then she goes. The others wander, do their thing and then sometimes the girls will start to wrestle. OK, good, we are all set! In we go.

It’s not over. I make my tea, grab a bowl of cereal and sit down to watch the news(it sounds better then “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). Maddie picks this time (EVERY MORNING) to play “I’m better than you are because I have what you want.” It’s her favorite game. Maddie lays on the couch with a bone or toy and waits for Fiona to come and look at her. The two girls will start barking at each other over and over and over till they get distracted or I have a hissy fit. At some point the game moves to the floor where, at least it’s quieter, and they proceed to wrestle like they are trying out for WWF. Then one of them will come and stand in front of me, smiling, and the game continues outside.

Now all of this takes place in about an hour, sometimes a little longer depending on how long the game has gone on. It’s always shorter on Wednesdays. That’s trash day and Fee doesn’t like the trash truck noise, so she goes and waits in the closet and falls asleep. She doesn’t panic or anything, just waits patiently…

So, as I sit and ponder our morning ritual, I guess it could be worse……..wait, I’m thinking…no really, give me a minute. I guess stumbling into the day, loved and appreciated is ok. Laughing at things some people wouldn’t get, and being in the fresh air, seeing the sun hit the trees and grass, turning them into jewels is not a bad way to begin the day. Watching those furry bodies glide across the grass is so lovely to see, heads up, moving with purpose-it can be a joy all its own.

We all have our morning rituals…mine just involve four hairy, noisy, loving dogs who think they are smarter than me. But then I AM getting THEIR breakfast….. .hmmmmm.

Val

…a puppy named Fiona.

It is hard to remember when Fee WASN’T here (although I do seem to remember it being quieter!). She has invaded…. I mean, settled in nicely. Miss Fiona is so smart that it requires a new level of understanding just to keep up with her. This could be a bad thing.

She is quick to learn what the other dogs teach (like…let’s bark at Mac when he is into something, or hey, how about a hole right here?!) but does pick up many things on her own.

She will put paws up on whatever she can reach, just to make sure there is not some treasure that MUST be hers to investigate. Last night she decided it was 2 stuffed sheep on a stand in the living room and she kept barking at them — must have been something they said. You should have seen her eyes last night when Mac decided to clean a bowl left in the sink. They clearly lit up and her expression was priceless (”hey, I didn’t know we could do that!”) Alas, she is not tall enough for that yet.

She will bring us a toy and drop it at our feet, waiting for us to play. She loves to fetch (at least a few times before she moves on to something else) and doesn’t care what it is, as long as we throw it for her. If we ignore her, we get a one-bark warning [g].

She has learned that if people are eating and watching tv, you wait till they get up then check their chairs! Sometimes if you are lucky you find crumbs, and if you can flip the cushions, you may find all kinds of things! She got that in one day of watching Mac. It’s a public service.

After the initial “ignoring her very existence period,” Maddie has decided that Fee is hers. No sharing, no one else allowed to play with her, that’s it. They will wrestle and play for a while then stand in front of me with “that” look — we want to do this outside. So off they go outside to continue the game. Sometimes one of them will grab a stick or frisbee and wave it in front of the other (Maddie ’s FAVORITE game in the world). Again, this goes on for a while till they tire of that and then move on to the next thing…DIGGING. (That is not my favorite thing). Fee has taken to digging in a big way. She will come in with black face and feet, very proud of herself. They now have a “fort” way in the back yard that I MUST check out before they dig to China… or South Portland, whichever comes first.

Fee is doing well on the grooming table. She will stand and let me brush her and clean up what needs to be cleaned, do her nails and ears… all the fun stuff. I do a little stacking and she will hold for a few seconds — normal for her age. We also work on “stand” when she gets a treat, but I don’t think she has made the connection yet (although I always make sure she is standing first). Of course, Maddie is so smart that all I have to say is either “stand” or “fix your feet” and she comes running. LOL. Maddie has one of the biggest vocabularies of any dog I have had.

When we first got Fee, I tried not to do too many of the “oh she is just like her Dad” things. I wanted her to be her, not a copy of someone else. No worries on that count! She does do things that remind me of Traveler, but also Mac and Mira, and other times she reminds me of Gracie and Cher. Now some of them live here, some don’t, and Mira and Cher have moved on altogether, so it’s not like she can copy what they do. Fiona is truly a little bit of all of our Beardies. And then she is herself…. feisty, spirited, sweet, lovely, silly, and probably more than I bargained for.

But aren’t they all?

We are off to shows tomorrow and she will go along for the ride so to speak (poor dear can make it an hour before her food revisits — she won’t be happy about not eating in the morning). She has been doing a fabulous job at shows, learning to walk nicely on lead, greeting everyone, and showing an interest in just about everything. She hangs out in the ex-pen, watching all that goes on, a perfect little Beardie girl. It is good experience for her, hearing all of the hair dryers, the noise, the barking, and all that goes along with being a “show girl.” I think she will adapt to that easily, just as she has everything else….

Off to see what the Precious Gem is into now. Her newest thing is trying to get the lining off the box spring from under the bed. No chewing on chairs or getting into toilet paper for her anymore- she is moving on to bigger and better things.

Save me….

Val

OK, so living with 3 1/2 dogs is not usually dull. (I count Fiona as a half at this point, being 3 months old-although she does take up a lot of time. :-))

We had our 3rd annual BeardieMainiacs BBQ/Bounce at our house yesterday. Let me backtrack a couple of days…..

We had been slowly getting the yard and house ready for the big event, when on Friday afternoon, the Thunderstorm warning came on TV. No biggie, happens all the time. Maddie does not like thunder and as Mac has gotten older, it makes him a little nervous. In a bit we could hear some rumbling in the distance, and I sat on the couch , letting Maddie know she was ok with me next to her (sometimes that’s all she needs).

Just then, lightning lit up outside and a small streak went across my TV (no harm done). I turned to the dogs and said, “I think I’ll shut off the computer.” By the time I got back, the three older dogs had deserted ship, and were in the basement! So I sat on the couch by myself, with little Fee at my feet. All of a sudden it was white outside! The wind whipped up, and a mixture of hail and rain was coming in so fast and at such an angle, you couldn’t see anything. I remember thinking that it was more like a hurricane than a thunderstorm.

A short while later, I heard a loud crack, boom and my house shook a little. I looked at Fee and said.b.’That’s not going to be good”. I looked out the bedroom window, and sure enough, I could see branches all over the place and on the roof. The power had gone out, so I found my cell phone (which doesn’t work in the house) and tried to call hubby at work. It was still pouring torrentially, and I was holding my hand out the door trying to get a signal and not get soaked [LOL]. I couldn’t get through to him, but did get one of my sons who worked near by. He was on his way.

Great, now what to do? Well, it was a little dark in house with no power and all the rain, so I went into the living room to raise the curtains. There in our front yard is a crater with a bunch of roots showing! One of our pine trees had been completely uprooted and left a hole while taking part of our fence out!

I threw on a raincoat and went outside, as the rain had started to let up. Our 2 willows on the other side had lost major branches that now graced my neighbor’s yard. As I got to the street, I could see the pine tree was almost completely blocking it. It only got more interesting. After a couple of hours, my son helped track my hubby down who then raced home. He went up on the roof to find a hole in it from the branches. Gee, that’s funny, I didn’t notice any water…. wait, there is now water coming from the light in our bedroom ceiling and we have wet spots on it as well. I run for a bucket, but my quilt and feather mattress are already wet. (sigh)

During all of this, the dogs were great! Fiona didn’t like the big trucks and was happy to stay in the house, but the 2 boys loved it. They sat in the corner of the yard, watching all of the activity (typical boys, love those trucks) from the public works vehicles. They cut the tree to push it off the street temporarily and the trunk and roots settled most of the way into the crater. We managed to block off the area where the fence was down, so the dogs could go out (and little Fee did great waiting to go). Our lucky break is that our neighbor is a licensed arborist! He has been helping and has an invoice ready for the insurance people!

So Saturday arrives, and we have to do some pickup and get the yard ship-shape for the BBQ. It didn’t take long, and the dogs wanted to help with all those sticks! My youngest son is storing a car here, so my other son and my hubby decided to push it back for better parking. Brian got in to steer with my husband pushing. Well that was a mistake. The car has been sitting for a while and apparently squatters took over… of the stinging kind! There was a huge nest in the door and they started swarming my son. He jumped out and shut the door and was only stung once. The car is still there.

So yesterday we were so excited about our Bounce, and though it was cloudy the Weather Channel said “occasional” showers that might hit or might not. Well, they were occasional, but it was more like occasional dry spots in between showers! We persevered, and had fun anyway, the dogs didn’t seem to mind. There were puppies running and ganging up on each other, dogs racing and playing and others just hanging around and taking it all in. (not to mention my 2 oldest who barked most of time… Beardie anyone?)

The day is over, had a great time, we are all tuckered out. We manage to make it to about nine o’clock, when guess what… the TS Warning comes on tv again! Sure enough the lightening starts in followed by thunder and lots of rain. We last till 10:00, sitting up with the dogs and it seems to be a bit better so we can go to bed. Five minutes later, Maddie comes running from her spot on the couch (that she shares with us reluctantly) and settled herself on our pillows between our heads… where she stayed. Sometime during the night, we managed to push her part way down the bed, but there she stayed, all night. (she did that Beardie dead weight thing when we tried to move her.) So I had a tiny corner of the bed to cling to, and we all went back to sleep.

This morning we are still tired, and the dogs aren’t moving much. We did get to see the public works guys come back and take the tree and clean up branches bright and early — thanks for that!

So, never complain that things are dull and nothing happens. You may get everything in one weekend. I am now going to slowly put shoes on and walk outside with the dogs, where they will probably stand there and look at me like they did earlier. (can we go back to sleep now?!)

The walking Zombies….
Val
Mac , Maddie, Traveler and Fiona

I have always been of the mind that whatever happens, it was for a reason. We may not know what that reason is for a while, and at times we think that nothing good can come of a particular event, or occurrence. Sometimes the things that happen seem minor, or not really important. How is this Beardie related? Let me share a few things that I discovered recently….  

As you may know our first Beardie was Cher, a lovely slate girl that we received as a gift when she was 6 months old. Her breeders were good friends, and it was a lovely surprise. What I didn’t know was that Cher was originally supposed to go to the breeder of THEIR first Beardie. Her circumstances changed and she wasn’t able to have another dog at the time, so Cher came to live with us. A nice surprise but not life changing…or was it? 

It was through Cher and her illness that I started researching natural treatments and alternative health care for animals and myself. I am now a Reiki Master, Animal Communicator, Medical Intuitive… well you get the idea [g] . Cher frequently pops in when I do sessions, and likes to help when we are tracking lost animals, and especially is helpful when I help an animal cross over. Even though she has passed, she continues to be by my side and takes full credit for my work (she really does!) Would I be where I am now, had she not come into our lives? I don’t know.  

A few years ago I started thinking that perhaps it might be time for another show puppy. We had been out of the ring for a couple years, and missed the showing with friends, and of course all the grooming and entry fees . I contacted our friends, as they had a Beardie granddaughter of ours and asked about a possible future litter. They had a litter a few months before that. I liked the results from that one, and wanted to possibly place an order for the next one. (I had a year to think about it, I figured.) Well, they said, we happen to have a couple still here from the first litter. (They were great pups and  the breeders wanted the right homes.) After talking about the different temperaments in both households, what we felt would fit in best, etc, they said…WE HAVE A BOY FOR YOU! I said, but I wasn’t thinking of getting one now….how about in a year? Well all I had to hear was that he was like his Dad and I was sold! At the age of 7 months, Traveler came to live with us and we all know life has never been the same since [lol]. Our lives continue to change and grow, and he only adds to it.

Both of these dogs have had major impact on our lives…who knows if we would even have any Beardies if not for Cher? Everything we have comes from her, and it will continue to be so, as we await the next generation to grace our lives. We have gone far with Traveler, not only in miles , but also with a new Bearded Collie Club, seeing sheep, doing obedience and rally — things I never did before! Through them we have added some wonderful people into our lives, a few that pass through and others that are there for us, day to day, when we need them.
 
I guess it made me stop — that tiny moment that changed everything and led a loving soul into OUR lives and not someone else’s…… you never know.

Enjoy the moment.

Val