For those who don't know when Cami and Verity passed I buried them in the same area (they were always inseperable in life, so it seemed right they be together now too) and decided to make the area a memory garden we call the Rainbow Bridge Garden. Where Verity rests I put an angel statue and it's surrounded with forget-me-nots, little salvias, roses, daffodils, a federation daisy, iris and some other favorites. I go there whenever I'm thinking about them and it's a sunny, warm spot to remember things.
While I was out there today a big dragonfly appeared. Now I know dragonflies aren't uncommon but in almost 5 years of living here I've never seen one on our property so it was pretty surprising and I stood still to watch it for awhile.
Instead of flitting off and around though as I'd expected, it circled around me for ages about a meter and a half out, just in circles. It was so weird I just stood still watching it and feeling a bit amazed, we had dragonflies all over in the US and I've never had one circle me let alone for such a long time! Then it flew over Verity's angel and just hovered there for a good two minutes (timed on my mobile) before flying back over me and repeating the circles for not quite five minutes. It flew back to her angel for just a second before La came up to see what I was doing and when I looked back from him it'd gone.
Amazing hey?
Showing posts with label Verity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Verity. Show all posts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Monday, July 19, 2010
The new exciting news at our house...
Meet "Molly"! (Her name is subject to change pending me actually deciding what suits her!)
She is a 12 month old working line Border Collie. She'd been bought at a fair, the last of a litter born on a sheep farm. Her owner was trying hard but in a tough position - on a suburban block, worked all day and of course slept at night, which meant 16 hours a day or so this super smart, brimming with energy, high drive teenager had nothing to do. Her owner felt if he couldn't find someone who could keep her busy, he'd have to put her down.
I've been missing my Veri-blue girl like crazy. I was not coping well without her and prayed for something to help with how lost I feel without her. I am (fingers crossed!) getting a puppy in several months time which I am VERY excited about. I couldn't shake the feeling that while that puppy is going to be fantastic for me, it wasn't Verity's answer to my prayer. I'd seen a BC boy who snagged my eye at the RSPCA. Very odd as I'm not overly keen on BCs as a breed I'd want to own. Nothing against them, I just like the look and style of my Aussies far more! By the time I could've got up there he'd been put down sadly. Then I saw mention of this young girl. Something pinged on my radar and I enquired.
We went to meet her at the VHA trial. I was stunned to see her, she's such a pretty shiny jet black and after having whined about wanting a "black bi with minimal white" she definitely fit that bill too - the only white on her is a tiny smudge on her chin and a little star on her chest.
She got to have a little go so I could see how she was with sheep which went well. She was utterly unfussed about everything going on, let Lily crawl all over her, La had a blast playing with her, good with the girls. She has super awesome tuggy skills and jumps like gravity doesn't exist, has a huuuugge ball drive, manically tugs like there's no tomorrow, is gaga over toys and tested very well with sheep this morning. In short she is the kind of dog most sports people would fall all over! :) As Mandi said to me, "You wanted intense - well, you got INTENSE!" She is sooooooooooooooooo COOL!
And a few videos... little madam on her first day had the beginning of obedience, did several tuggy sessions, went to Hastings with me and had a short session there, got her first look at flyball and figures that's pretty cool and discovered that 4 year old boys with soccer balls are great toys! This is her tuggy session at Hastings - and bear in mind that this is AFTER she's had several long play sessions and is a bit tired! The first night here, she tugged for about 3 hrs straight! That is a LONG time to maintain that sort of high energy play!
And this is from her first day home... out in the yard playing with La and the girls.
She's been getting a lot of training work and exercise put into her as she is so starved for it that she just couldn't get her fill of it. Besides the obedience basics we'll be working a lot on doggy zen, 'countersurfing is not cool', crate/confinement as a safe/relaxing place and calm attention I think as well as other necessities like 'dogs piddle OUTSIDE'. LOL
She is such a funny bean though. Even today she is finding ways to make up funny games. I turfed her, Hope and La out with a totem tennis stick and gave La the paddle. He spent two hours in gigglefits batting it back and forth while they bopped it back, circled around it and all three are close to tired... they then came inside for tuggy sessions and a rousing round of "squeek the annoying squeek toy nine bajillion times". LOL
Last but not least, nothing to do with the rest of the post - just a cool shot of Air Hopie. Not the greatest photo but it was so funny I love it! She is such a goof, I will try to get some video of her when her new flyball harness arrives running with the team! :)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday
I had a lovely day today, as Sunday's usually are.
We left early for training, having to arrive early for set up as we'd borrowed one of the sets of Flyball jumps to practice with over the past fortnight. I had a nice chat with a couple different instructors before Hope had her obedience. She did lovely, as she always does.
Then Hope got to do some flyball and did excellent again - she was actually running heats on the competition team today! We got our form to sign up for competitions as well. As much as her runs, I'm also very happy with how nicely gives calm attention on the sidelines . For those not familiar, in a number of clubs the dogs are encouraged (or at least not particularly discouraged) from being in a state of extreme excitement. We all chatted about dogs, training, behaviour issues and with one of the instructors whose heart-dog has required a lot of work to get to the flyball team how deeply we love those dogs whom we've gone through so much with.
The club had a work bee after which I helped out with a bit before heading home. I spent the rest of the afternoon cuddling and playing with Lily and La. I did a bit of sketching. Had a laugh at bunnies flomping on fresh laundry. Chatted a bit. Had a nice dinner. Marveled over how perfectly adorable my offspring are and how I ever got so lucky as to have such lovely munchkins. (Yep, I am perfectly saccharine I know. Deal.) The gooey factor went up a notch watching them play with the girls. La is trying to get Hope to do flyball in the living room and Lily patted my little embroidered dog on my jacket and chirped, "aug!" before clicking! Naw, my little mini dog-nuts!
So all in all I had a really lovely day. Which is of course why I feel like crying like the quietly mad mess that I am, because I miss the dog who is not here. Gah, I am such a damn headcase!
We left early for training, having to arrive early for set up as we'd borrowed one of the sets of Flyball jumps to practice with over the past fortnight. I had a nice chat with a couple different instructors before Hope had her obedience. She did lovely, as she always does.
Then Hope got to do some flyball and did excellent again - she was actually running heats on the competition team today! We got our form to sign up for competitions as well. As much as her runs, I'm also very happy with how nicely gives calm attention on the sidelines . For those not familiar, in a number of clubs the dogs are encouraged (or at least not particularly discouraged) from being in a state of extreme excitement. We all chatted about dogs, training, behaviour issues and with one of the instructors whose heart-dog has required a lot of work to get to the flyball team how deeply we love those dogs whom we've gone through so much with.
The club had a work bee after which I helped out with a bit before heading home. I spent the rest of the afternoon cuddling and playing with Lily and La. I did a bit of sketching. Had a laugh at bunnies flomping on fresh laundry. Chatted a bit. Had a nice dinner. Marveled over how perfectly adorable my offspring are and how I ever got so lucky as to have such lovely munchkins. (Yep, I am perfectly saccharine I know. Deal.) The gooey factor went up a notch watching them play with the girls. La is trying to get Hope to do flyball in the living room and Lily patted my little embroidered dog on my jacket and chirped, "aug!" before clicking! Naw, my little mini dog-nuts!
So all in all I had a really lovely day. Which is of course why I feel like crying like the quietly mad mess that I am, because I miss the dog who is not here. Gah, I am such a damn headcase!
Monday, June 07, 2010
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Two months
It's up and down, up and down.
Just before the anniversary we went to the ASCV show. I've been able to cuddle the pups, I'd cuddled Cami's little brother the week before... sweet little red tri boy who just melted in my arms. I spent a good amount of time cuddling three of Sue B's gorgeous little ones who were just on 8 weeks old as well. I had a good sook and shower after we got home but not as bad as I'd thought I might be.
This week was harder. I've been missing her horribly all week, I think part of the reason I've been resisting everyone's suggestion to look at another is that really I just want MY girl back more than anything. We went up through Black Spur and St Ronan's well on our way to Euroa... we always go the same way and I loved the trip and particularly had several favorite spots along the route. One of them is a beautiful little natural spring wishing well in the middle of the forest called St Ronan's well you can stop and get a sip of water from or toss a coin into. Verity's song came on as well which had me undone for the rest of the trip. Up through Narbethong and surrounds we went through right where the fires had ripped through. Everywhere you could see the charred remains of trees that had made up the forest on the mountains, like so many spent matches jutting from the raw rock. Unlike the first time I drove there some months ago though this time you could see regrowth all around. The trees have a funny epicormic way of doing it though. They don't just pick up where they left off. They have little tufts of renewal splotched everywhere in a mantle from base to tip, haphazard and from odd angles, damaged and inelegant, as if the tree doesn't know where to start or doesn't remember how to grow normally. Through it all the mess of the charred bark is visible underneath. The whole way up I was looking at the trees and the mountains thinking I felt rather like that.
While I was there though I got to meet and say a private thank you to a fluffy girl whose rescue reminded me that not everything goes wrong all the time though. Sometimes things go right against the odds too.
Just before the anniversary we went to the ASCV show. I've been able to cuddle the pups, I'd cuddled Cami's little brother the week before... sweet little red tri boy who just melted in my arms. I spent a good amount of time cuddling three of Sue B's gorgeous little ones who were just on 8 weeks old as well. I had a good sook and shower after we got home but not as bad as I'd thought I might be.
This week was harder. I've been missing her horribly all week, I think part of the reason I've been resisting everyone's suggestion to look at another is that really I just want MY girl back more than anything. We went up through Black Spur and St Ronan's well on our way to Euroa... we always go the same way and I loved the trip and particularly had several favorite spots along the route. One of them is a beautiful little natural spring wishing well in the middle of the forest called St Ronan's well you can stop and get a sip of water from or toss a coin into. Verity's song came on as well which had me undone for the rest of the trip. Up through Narbethong and surrounds we went through right where the fires had ripped through. Everywhere you could see the charred remains of trees that had made up the forest on the mountains, like so many spent matches jutting from the raw rock. Unlike the first time I drove there some months ago though this time you could see regrowth all around. The trees have a funny epicormic way of doing it though. They don't just pick up where they left off. They have little tufts of renewal splotched everywhere in a mantle from base to tip, haphazard and from odd angles, damaged and inelegant, as if the tree doesn't know where to start or doesn't remember how to grow normally. Through it all the mess of the charred bark is visible underneath. The whole way up I was looking at the trees and the mountains thinking I felt rather like that.
While I was there though I got to meet and say a private thank you to a fluffy girl whose rescue reminded me that not everything goes wrong all the time though. Sometimes things go right against the odds too.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
1 month
I've been feeling rather down lately... not exactly unexpected but it's certainly not fun and I'm conscious of not letting it spiral into out and out depression. It's been a month since we sent Veri to the Bridge and two dogs still feels like an amputated limb. You still feel like it should be there and step into life by habit only to find air where your mind remembers there should be firmity and start tumbling.
I've spent the better part of the past few months just working on getting through everything and trying to keep our household (relatively) chugging along. The lambs are now more independent - and Luna's sore leg seems to have come good thankfully. The major repairs are more or less done and so the constant stream of insurance adjustors, assessors and repairmen tromping through my space from sparrows fart until sundown is over for a few weeks. Everything is returning to what passes for normalcy in our house and the shock of it all has worn away leaving the starkness of it's reality. In a hundred of the small tasks that make up the day I'm reminded I will never have my little blue dog with me again.
I'm finding the finality of it is hitting me in odd ways as it sinks in. With other losses I grieved of course but also felt that another would help me, whereas where after Cami and now Veri I've not been able to think of a point where I could contemplate another. A number of people are sure this is just a temporary thing but for someone whose life has been all about her dogs, it's an eerie and uncomfortable thought to be having at all. I have a very hard time even looking at other dogs right now. It's not even that they're doing something that reminds me of her or that I wish I was there showing or whatnot... it's just that those dogs are there, and alive and their owners have them to love still. It's the ghost of all the moments we'll never have I see in those dogs.
I went to the Royal and ruined every one's time. Poor Nic, I didn't really want to go back to watch the dogs but wasn't really in the mood to do anything else and no I didn't want to leave but I wasn't sure I wanted to stay either. The only minor positive in the day was that I was finally able to pet another dog besides my own and I think that was mostly because it was of a breed so different looking to mine. Several other dog events have caught be by the side as well.
Laurent doesn't seem to really grasp the whole thing. He has become a bit obsessed with talking about her passing and Cami's as well as he tries to nut out the concept of death and forever. I answer everything honestly but sometimes I wish the child came with a mute button for when I need him to just shut up about death and dying already.
I've spent the better part of the past few months just working on getting through everything and trying to keep our household (relatively) chugging along. The lambs are now more independent - and Luna's sore leg seems to have come good thankfully. The major repairs are more or less done and so the constant stream of insurance adjustors, assessors and repairmen tromping through my space from sparrows fart until sundown is over for a few weeks. Everything is returning to what passes for normalcy in our house and the shock of it all has worn away leaving the starkness of it's reality. In a hundred of the small tasks that make up the day I'm reminded I will never have my little blue dog with me again.
I'm finding the finality of it is hitting me in odd ways as it sinks in. With other losses I grieved of course but also felt that another would help me, whereas where after Cami and now Veri I've not been able to think of a point where I could contemplate another. A number of people are sure this is just a temporary thing but for someone whose life has been all about her dogs, it's an eerie and uncomfortable thought to be having at all. I have a very hard time even looking at other dogs right now. It's not even that they're doing something that reminds me of her or that I wish I was there showing or whatnot... it's just that those dogs are there, and alive and their owners have them to love still. It's the ghost of all the moments we'll never have I see in those dogs.
I went to the Royal and ruined every one's time. Poor Nic, I didn't really want to go back to watch the dogs but wasn't really in the mood to do anything else and no I didn't want to leave but I wasn't sure I wanted to stay either. The only minor positive in the day was that I was finally able to pet another dog besides my own and I think that was mostly because it was of a breed so different looking to mine. Several other dog events have caught be by the side as well.
Laurent doesn't seem to really grasp the whole thing. He has become a bit obsessed with talking about her passing and Cami's as well as he tries to nut out the concept of death and forever. I answer everything honestly but sometimes I wish the child came with a mute button for when I need him to just shut up about death and dying already.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Rally, Lily, Hoopie, Veri, Spinning and other Stuff
I keep meaning to sit and write and I have no focus at the moment and even less quiet time to organize my thoughts.
This week has been a full one... on Monday I had hoped to be in Canberra, at the Mother of All Rallies, protesting with thousands of other women, children and their families for the right to choice and equal treatment in birthing options. Unfortunately between vet bills and what we had to pay towards the repairs on the house from storm damage, my funds were down to a dribble. To boot my original lamb sitter and the place we were going to stay bottomed up as well. (Not their faults and I completely understand of course.) I was crushed not to be able to go though.
I was somewhat heartened to hear that it was well heard. There were around 3000 people, who traveled from all over the country. Just before the rally, a 2 year exemption period was announced which is encouraging even if it does rather smack of an appeasing sound byte instead of definitive action. It does rather seem to illustrate they've finally realized the tiger they've grabbed by the tail has teeth and is unwise to continue ignoring though. Some good round ups are at Ilithyia Inspired and Midwife Mutiny. I rather liked this segment of the second reading of the Health Legislation Amendment Bill, spoken by Ian Macfarlane also!
Instead I was at home, caring for La and Lily of course but also working on getting our house sorted, cleaned up, repaired etc. I actually kicked butt on my to-do list... never fails, whenever I'm upset I go on a cleaning-fest, I guess some sort of strange mental link with being able to gain order in some area if I can't tidy my emotions. All things being equal though I think some of the shock of Veri being gone has worn off and the finality is really starting to hit. The wobbles get the better of me several times a day and I'm finding myself absent minded and short of patience with having to have the repair people interrupting me a dozen times a day or people constantly nattering at me over the trivial and innane. Even stuff like a FB ap 'giving me a puppy' ap just days after annoys the crap out of me atm. Laurent is dearly not helping in this area either as he's been especially trying this week, though half of that is probably reacting to the upset he senses in me.
It wasn't all as doom and gloom though. In the tradition of counting ones blessings my beautiful Lilypillie turned 5 months old. Easy-going, full of smiles and giggles and quickly growing into a sunny little person this child is my bliss. Her warm little weight snuggled into my shoulder is heaven. She's teething up a storm which means she's a drooly little gummyshark. She desperately wants to figure out this mobility gig, she is rolling and scooting around on the floor and fascinated with shaking any toy that rattles or crinkles. She surprises a lot of people with how interactive she is, she wants to play and chat and pat your cheeks while squealing delightedly.
It's also was Hope's birthday, which we celebrated somewhat quietly though she got cake and pats a plenty, especially as her birthday fell on the Australian Shepherd Club of Victoria's meeting night, which happened to be at my house. The weather was too soggy to take her out to work on the sheep, so we did that the next morning and as her birthday 'gift' I am actually getting up off my slack post-partum bum and working her more often which she adores.
We also had the last lamb of the season born, a Corriedale x EL single ram lamb who is black and white with brown frosting courtesy of his EL heritage. That makes a total of 9 new lambs, 4 ram and 5 ewe lambs, 2 sets of twins and 5 singles, 5 pure Corriedale and 4 Corrie/EL, more moorit than black.
Last but not least I decided to brave attempting to go to a Spin/Knit-In in Lang Lang. Those of you who know La will appreciate my bravery in entering a room with 40+ women and their spinning wheels, not to mention knitting, felting, drop spindling, weaving, dyeing and machine knitting. We did survive however and got to meet grandridge from Ravelry, as well as winning a cross stitch in the raffle and after 2 years I have my very own spinning wheel! She's a little Tara upright and I loves her! (Still have to think of a name for her!) Apparently the owner had gone into a nursing home and her family was taking them to the tip (!) but were happy to donate them. The club decided to sell them very inexpensively to buy proper looms for some refuges living in the area who have no proper looms at the moment.
This week has been a full one... on Monday I had hoped to be in Canberra, at the Mother of All Rallies, protesting with thousands of other women, children and their families for the right to choice and equal treatment in birthing options. Unfortunately between vet bills and what we had to pay towards the repairs on the house from storm damage, my funds were down to a dribble. To boot my original lamb sitter and the place we were going to stay bottomed up as well. (Not their faults and I completely understand of course.) I was crushed not to be able to go though.
I was somewhat heartened to hear that it was well heard. There were around 3000 people, who traveled from all over the country. Just before the rally, a 2 year exemption period was announced which is encouraging even if it does rather smack of an appeasing sound byte instead of definitive action. It does rather seem to illustrate they've finally realized the tiger they've grabbed by the tail has teeth and is unwise to continue ignoring though. Some good round ups are at Ilithyia Inspired and Midwife Mutiny. I rather liked this segment of the second reading of the Health Legislation Amendment Bill, spoken by Ian Macfarlane also!
Instead I was at home, caring for La and Lily of course but also working on getting our house sorted, cleaned up, repaired etc. I actually kicked butt on my to-do list... never fails, whenever I'm upset I go on a cleaning-fest, I guess some sort of strange mental link with being able to gain order in some area if I can't tidy my emotions. All things being equal though I think some of the shock of Veri being gone has worn off and the finality is really starting to hit. The wobbles get the better of me several times a day and I'm finding myself absent minded and short of patience with having to have the repair people interrupting me a dozen times a day or people constantly nattering at me over the trivial and innane. Even stuff like a FB ap 'giving me a puppy' ap just days after annoys the crap out of me atm. Laurent is dearly not helping in this area either as he's been especially trying this week, though half of that is probably reacting to the upset he senses in me.
It wasn't all as doom and gloom though. In the tradition of counting ones blessings my beautiful Lilypillie turned 5 months old. Easy-going, full of smiles and giggles and quickly growing into a sunny little person this child is my bliss. Her warm little weight snuggled into my shoulder is heaven. She's teething up a storm which means she's a drooly little gummyshark. She desperately wants to figure out this mobility gig, she is rolling and scooting around on the floor and fascinated with shaking any toy that rattles or crinkles. She surprises a lot of people with how interactive she is, she wants to play and chat and pat your cheeks while squealing delightedly.
We also had the last lamb of the season born, a Corriedale x EL single ram lamb who is black and white with brown frosting courtesy of his EL heritage. That makes a total of 9 new lambs, 4 ram and 5 ewe lambs, 2 sets of twins and 5 singles, 5 pure Corriedale and 4 Corrie/EL, more moorit than black.
Last but not least I decided to brave attempting to go to a Spin/Knit-In in Lang Lang. Those of you who know La will appreciate my bravery in entering a room with 40+ women and their spinning wheels, not to mention knitting, felting, drop spindling, weaving, dyeing and machine knitting. We did survive however and got to meet grandridge from Ravelry, as well as winning a cross stitch in the raffle and after 2 years I have my very own spinning wheel! She's a little Tara upright and I loves her! (Still have to think of a name for her!) Apparently the owner had gone into a nursing home and her family was taking them to the tip (!) but were happy to donate them. The club decided to sell them very inexpensively to buy proper looms for some refuges living in the area who have no proper looms at the moment.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Happy birthday Blueberry!
Verity's birthday was actually the 27th but in light of my being a bit slack in getting pictures off the camera lately I'm posting it today...
She is such a funny soul, very cheeky, sunny and her mommas girl. Ironically I'd wanted her when I saw their baby pictures but having just had La I couldn't have taken on a puppy at the time. It was just before she turned two that her breeder decided to place her and we went to NSW to meet them and came home with the Veri-very blueberry. It being her birthday and La being rather into all things chef at the moment, I decided we had to make her a birthday cake. So the master chef got to it... making a cake for 'Eirty, with a little help measuring of course!
And as you can see the effort was met with approval. LOL (Although I'm not entirely sure it was in her mouth long enough to be tasted before it hit her stomach... typical Aussie!)
She is such a funny soul, very cheeky, sunny and her mommas girl. Ironically I'd wanted her when I saw their baby pictures but having just had La I couldn't have taken on a puppy at the time. It was just before she turned two that her breeder decided to place her and we went to NSW to meet them and came home with the Veri-very blueberry. It being her birthday and La being rather into all things chef at the moment, I decided we had to make her a birthday cake. So the master chef got to it... making a cake for 'Eirty, with a little help measuring of course!
And as you can see the effort was met with approval. LOL (Although I'm not entirely sure it was in her mouth long enough to be tasted before it hit her stomach... typical Aussie!)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
HAIRCUT!
Fresh from the sheers... one of the newly neckid sheep! LOL
This is one of the English Leicester ewes. (Before pictures can be seen here and here!)
With bonus "help" *cough cough* from Laurent the somersaulting tornado child.
And just a cute pic of the girls looking very sisterly and as if butter wouldn't melt, despite the fact we all know Aussies are really mud-loving, wrestling goofballs! ;-)
This is one of the English Leicester ewes. (Before pictures can be seen here and here!)
With bonus "help" *cough cough* from Laurent the somersaulting tornado child.
And just a cute pic of the girls looking very sisterly and as if butter wouldn't melt, despite the fact we all know Aussies are really mud-loving, wrestling goofballs! ;-)
Monday, January 12, 2009
Pics of the girls
Verity
Blueberry watching a bird
Sierra
Jo, after a hard day of playing around...
Along with one of her favorite toys, a squeeky football
Hopie
"Ohh... what's that? Jo has a squeeky football??? Must dash!"
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Christmas
Lots of photos, it's been a weirdly busy-and-at-the-same-time slow past few days. ;-)
After several attempts this is the best photo of all dogs and child. I'll give you three guesses WHICH one wasn't holding the sit-stay and couldn't resist making the girls sniff for bikkies. First two don't count!
One of the little red poppet, clean and dry and NOT covered in water and mud for a change. (She is OBSESSED with digging in the little pool and dam!)
Decorating the christmas tree at home
Cheeky little beggar... he's grabbed one of the little gold musical instrument decorations from the tree and is pretending to play it, complete with hummed not-quite-in-key song tune.
The tree, stockings and such. The gold wire tree on the mantle holds our special breakable baubles, we choose a new one together each year to add to the collection.
Random La photo (Hey look at that! He CAN hold still! Photographic proof folks!)
I asked him to do nice photos for Christmas. "But mum, I want to RUN!"
Pensive critter. While he's mister smiley a lot of the time, we're definitely in THAT stage of things where he's old enough to know what he wants to do, not old enough to do it all and immensely frusterated with that fact.
After he'd been curious about the Santas in the shops for weeks we took him to Melbourne's city square to meet one there. Following in last years footsteps (where he pitched a tanty over having his merry attempts to catch pigeons interrupted to see Santa) he wasn't really clued into Santa's cued speech of 'what do you want for christmas'! We don't really do the "Santa is a magic person who flies around with reindeer and gives you stuff you want if you're good" thing so much as the tale of the original St Nicolas and that the Santa's now represent a visible wish to continue the spirit of using our bounty to help others, the needy and share our love with family/friends.
Poor Santa... really not what the guy was expecting, though we did get some high fives in.
He loved the big green tree... it was TALL and has BUTTONS you press to make NOISES...
One of him with Nic
And with me
Before turning into a ratbag, flipping upside down to watch the pigeons and carriage horses.
Why is this black and white? Artistic liscence? Nah... it just looks nicer when you can't see how muddy the bathwater is after "helping" garden all day!
After several attempts this is the best photo of all dogs and child. I'll give you three guesses WHICH one wasn't holding the sit-stay and couldn't resist making the girls sniff for bikkies. First two don't count!
One of the little red poppet, clean and dry and NOT covered in water and mud for a change. (She is OBSESSED with digging in the little pool and dam!)
Decorating the christmas tree at home
Cheeky little beggar... he's grabbed one of the little gold musical instrument decorations from the tree and is pretending to play it, complete with hummed not-quite-in-key song tune.
The tree, stockings and such. The gold wire tree on the mantle holds our special breakable baubles, we choose a new one together each year to add to the collection.
Random La photo (Hey look at that! He CAN hold still! Photographic proof folks!)
I asked him to do nice photos for Christmas. "But mum, I want to RUN!"
Pensive critter. While he's mister smiley a lot of the time, we're definitely in THAT stage of things where he's old enough to know what he wants to do, not old enough to do it all and immensely frusterated with that fact.
After he'd been curious about the Santas in the shops for weeks we took him to Melbourne's city square to meet one there. Following in last years footsteps (where he pitched a tanty over having his merry attempts to catch pigeons interrupted to see Santa) he wasn't really clued into Santa's cued speech of 'what do you want for christmas'! We don't really do the "Santa is a magic person who flies around with reindeer and gives you stuff you want if you're good" thing so much as the tale of the original St Nicolas and that the Santa's now represent a visible wish to continue the spirit of using our bounty to help others, the needy and share our love with family/friends.
Poor Santa... really not what the guy was expecting, though we did get some high fives in.
He loved the big green tree... it was TALL and has BUTTONS you press to make NOISES...
One of him with Nic
And with me
Before turning into a ratbag, flipping upside down to watch the pigeons and carriage horses.
Why is this black and white? Artistic liscence? Nah... it just looks nicer when you can't see how muddy the bathwater is after "helping" garden all day!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
In the middle of the week we had a little surprise the only egg from a clutch that had candled clear/non-developing I thought MIGHT be fertile and developing well ended up hatching.
Then on Saturday, Miss Cami was entered in her first show - the Victorian Australian Shepherd Club specialty show under US senior breeder judge Sheila Polk. For her first show and not having experience under her belt she did decently - she placed 3rd in her class - with a few more miles on her to smooth out her habit of stickybeaking I think she'll do nicely. I could so tell that I spent early pregnancy 'resting' though... eek, so out of shape! I spent the rest of the day after running around the ring admiring Kate's new baby who was only 3 days old and just too precious, sitting and chatting! (C'mon, admit it, half the fun of a show is just in the chatting!) The judge did make a nice comment on Cami in her critique but I only heard part of it so will wait until I've got the exact words so I don't misquote. I forgot to take pictures at the show, so we took ones after while she was still clean and groomed! LOL Ignore the goofy looking person in the picture... was very tired by that point!
Sunday was the sports day - herding, obedience and agility. None of my guys entered but no way was I going to miss it! I took Veri and Cami along for the ride... Veri tickled me pink by doing very well all day long - probably the best she's done yet, just happy to be with me, rolling around for bellyrubs and cuddles and demonstrating she has figured out the whole people=give attention/approach/watch=reinforcement game. LOL If they didn't notice her when she came up, sat and watched them, she was fine with 'helping' them notice she was doing "Something Verity Should Get Reinforced For" by hopping up, nudging hands or waving a paw to get their attention. I'll have to watch she doesn't actually turn it into something obnoxious but I do get so much enjoyment out of seeing her be her happy little self more and more in public! :-)
Got back to find out we had another nice surprise, itty bitty Aylesbury has hatched out!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Annoyances
I know in part it's hormones but I swear this has been the single most ANNOYING week...
Today was the straw on the camels back.
Anyone who has read here more than a few minutes knows I loved my old vet Dr. K. She was absolutely the best vet ever, bar none. Hence I've been doing the 2 hour trip while trying to find another since moving here! If I could have convinced her to pack up and move here too I would've. (I did ask... lol) Up to date on the latest information (I would kill for a vet here who has even passing awareness of Dr. Dodd's work...) but also recognized she had limitations (deferring to specialists when appropriate) and wasn't afraid to say, "I'm not sure but let me find out..." or acknowledge that some dog owners are actually quite well informed, will want to be involved and can pretty accurately assess a situation.
At any rate, I needed to get refills on Veri's meds and tried out a vets we'd decided to trial. Should be no trouble, it's a medication she's been on for awhile, both under the specialist and Dr. K and we're quite happy with so all he needs to do is write out the refill form. For those who don't know, Veri is on fluoxetine. This fellow started by telling me he wasn't familiar with fluoxetine (which, wow...) and wanting me to put her on clomipramine, as all SSRI's are the same or else he uses benzos.
Now for those who don't immediately see the problems...
*pauses*
Okay, now everyone who has met Verity, me or seen me with dogs in general take a moment to pick yourselves up off the floor when you're done rolling around laughing at the absurdity, it gets better...
His recommendation is that I need to send her away to an alpha trainer for "bootcamp" (the name rather explains the mentality doesn't it...) where they will train the anxiety out of her over a few weeks before sending her back. Hn. Well that explains why he was grumping over the veterinary behaviourists choice of medications (never mind the countless studies, double-blinds, peer reviewed articles, etc by Dr Karen Overall, Dr Dodman and other leading specialists internationally) - she's also Delta accredited, so obviously using positive reinforcement, operant conditioning, and applied behaviour analysis means her veterinary and behaviour credentials are invalid. :rolls eyes:
Anyhow, managing to quell my internal devils advocate (who would love to debate the whole benefits of sending a dog to an outside trainer to solve the problem that by their own theory is with the owner...) I query how they address cases where the issue is a genetic predisposition (have yet to meet a training technique that alters DNA) and what methods they use to address remedial socialization. Oh he knows there is such a thing as genetic predisposition but in his opinion it's not really a big thing that has much effect, didn't seem to think much of the fact that for some dogs while training improves on genetic predisposition there will always be a tendency to drift-back and a degree of management. It's mostly just the owner failing to make the dog understand they're the alpha. Riiiigggghhhtttt. Okay, well - in for a penny... I query about the methods. Unshockingly the alpha way involves corrections. Mind you they can't tell me if that's in the form of neg reinforcement, pos punishment, neg punishment... that would assume they actually knew what they were talking about you see....
*SIGH* Have I mentioned I really, really, really miss Dr. K???????? Who besides being all over wonderful had learned about training sometime more recently than when dinosaurs roamed the earth and happily acknowledged it wasn't her area of expertise? At any rate, I got the script, took the papers with the suggestion to just look at them as he thought I'd find the program excellent (yeah right) and crossed another vet off my list of potential replacements for Dr. K
Today was the straw on the camels back.
Anyone who has read here more than a few minutes knows I loved my old vet Dr. K. She was absolutely the best vet ever, bar none. Hence I've been doing the 2 hour trip while trying to find another since moving here! If I could have convinced her to pack up and move here too I would've. (I did ask... lol) Up to date on the latest information (I would kill for a vet here who has even passing awareness of Dr. Dodd's work...) but also recognized she had limitations (deferring to specialists when appropriate) and wasn't afraid to say, "I'm not sure but let me find out..." or acknowledge that some dog owners are actually quite well informed, will want to be involved and can pretty accurately assess a situation.
At any rate, I needed to get refills on Veri's meds and tried out a vets we'd decided to trial. Should be no trouble, it's a medication she's been on for awhile, both under the specialist and Dr. K and we're quite happy with so all he needs to do is write out the refill form. For those who don't know, Veri is on fluoxetine. This fellow started by telling me he wasn't familiar with fluoxetine (which, wow...) and wanting me to put her on clomipramine, as all SSRI's are the same or else he uses benzos.
Now for those who don't immediately see the problems...
- First I believe that there is value in a specialists opinion who has studied additional to their veterinary degree on the subject and have extensive experience in working with a particular problem over a general practitioner. Besides, why change medications from something that is working so well!
- Second SSRI's are not all the same - different ones affect different serotonin receptors to varying degrees making some more suited to particular expressions of anxiety than others. Likewise because all dogs are individuals they each differ in how the receptor types are distributed, how they will metabolise medications and which their particular chemistry will be most receptive to. In short, one size does not fit all.
- Second - clomipramine, the medication he was telling me I should use instead as all SSRI's are the same, while sometimes mis-termed a SSRI is actually a TCA. TCAs work differently than SSRIs, affect norepinephrine, are less selective in their effects on the receptors and can have unpleasant side effects. "Isn't that a tricylic?" was met with, "Um, yes, actually, ah..."
- Third I can't imagine why you'd use benzos unless both SSRIs and TCAs weren't doing the trick, certainly not as a long term daily med.
*pauses*
Okay, now everyone who has met Verity, me or seen me with dogs in general take a moment to pick yourselves up off the floor when you're done rolling around laughing at the absurdity, it gets better...
His recommendation is that I need to send her away to an alpha trainer for "bootcamp" (the name rather explains the mentality doesn't it...) where they will train the anxiety out of her over a few weeks before sending her back. Hn. Well that explains why he was grumping over the veterinary behaviourists choice of medications (never mind the countless studies, double-blinds, peer reviewed articles, etc by Dr Karen Overall, Dr Dodman and other leading specialists internationally) - she's also Delta accredited, so obviously using positive reinforcement, operant conditioning, and applied behaviour analysis means her veterinary and behaviour credentials are invalid. :rolls eyes:
Anyhow, managing to quell my internal devils advocate (who would love to debate the whole benefits of sending a dog to an outside trainer to solve the problem that by their own theory is with the owner...) I query how they address cases where the issue is a genetic predisposition (have yet to meet a training technique that alters DNA) and what methods they use to address remedial socialization. Oh he knows there is such a thing as genetic predisposition but in his opinion it's not really a big thing that has much effect, didn't seem to think much of the fact that for some dogs while training improves on genetic predisposition there will always be a tendency to drift-back and a degree of management. It's mostly just the owner failing to make the dog understand they're the alpha. Riiiigggghhhtttt. Okay, well - in for a penny... I query about the methods. Unshockingly the alpha way involves corrections. Mind you they can't tell me if that's in the form of neg reinforcement, pos punishment, neg punishment... that would assume they actually knew what they were talking about you see....
*SIGH* Have I mentioned I really, really, really miss Dr. K???????? Who besides being all over wonderful had learned about training sometime more recently than when dinosaurs roamed the earth and happily acknowledged it wasn't her area of expertise? At any rate, I got the script, took the papers with the suggestion to just look at them as he thought I'd find the program excellent (yeah right) and crossed another vet off my list of potential replacements for Dr. K
Friday, September 05, 2008
Appologies for the sunglare - a certain short person whose name I'll leave to your imaginations rather mashed up my sun hood, the flash on my camera is pathetic and I'm the only idiot on the planet who can't photoshop it out. *g* The shots are far from perfect even aside from the sunglare but I like them anyhow. Sometimes it's the imperfect bits that make you smile. Besides, it's SUN! That's just been in such short supply I couldn't not celebrate it!
Youse my HERO... Cami is such a crack up with Veri
"Ohhh... so THAT'S what sheep are for!"Note if you will that the blip of dog dashing after the sheep is a certain Rough Tough Little Powderpuff who previously thought cattle were all she was interested in. Two days ago she reassessed her opinion and has decided they are rather interesting after all...
"I'm a good girl mum... can you release me from this stay now?"
Miss Hopie... believe it or not she's neckid. Poor thing has moulted out all her coat, except that ruff!
Unintended (Very) Close-up"How I get in da cam-wah?" while peering into the lense
"Hello? Dorothy Dinosaur? You come to tea? Oh yes! Yummy tea. And Wags? Oh. *pause* And Captain Sorda-feather (pmsl!) and Jeff will he wake up please? Ahhhhhh oh-tay! See you then! Byeeeeee..."
Finally... one of those shots I take to remind myself sometimes life with children can be peaceful!
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