Sprinting Again

It has been almost 2 years since Brodie has been to Sprinters. We are signed up for a trial next weekend so we were thrilled to find out that there was a practice last night. As we were pulling into the parking lot it was clear he knew what was coming. My normally quiet, well behaved dog started moaning, barking and vibrating. I had wondered if he would remember the game or still enjoy it….. he LOVES it 😂😆🥰. He is so crazy at the start line that I can’t hold him….Don has to release him. It takes all of his strength to hold on to him as the lure is approaching the start line. I get to be the “catcher”. It takes all my strength to leash him up and drag him off the field. He is possessed!!! Took him 8.74 seconds to do 100 metres, which is just over 41km/hr. In between his 1st and 2nd run we had to put the shade cloth, doubled up, over the back of the car so that he couldn’t watch the lure go by.

Leave a comment

Filed under Brodie, Sprinters, Uncategorized

You vs 2021 July Update

Leave a comment

Filed under Fitness, Under Armour Challenge, You VS 2021, You VS The Year

Great Weekend Sniffing

We spent the past weekend in Olds Alberta at the Canine Coaching SDDA trial. Both dogs had a great weekend. Although Spirit had retired from SDDA more than 2 years ago, she came back this weekend without missing a beat. On Saturday so got an advanced title with 3rd place in exteriors, 2nd place in containers and 1st place overall. Sunday morning she ran in Advanced again and got 3rd place in interiors, passed containers but we timed out in exteriors. Sunday afternoon she tried Excellent and got 3rd place in exteriors and 3rd place overall. So proud of her. She got a Mickey D’s ice cream cone to celebrate her achievements.

Brodie ran in Elite on Saturday and Sunday. No title for us (or for anyone this weekend which is not that unusual for Elite). On Saturday he got a 2nd in Exteriors and Containers (we finally broke our container jinx) and Sunday he got a 2nd in Interiors.

It was so nice to reconnect with so many handlers that we haven’t had a chance to visit with in over a year. Overall and fantastic weekend.

Am I your best boy?
It’s right here
Nailed the nose at source alert

Leave a comment

Filed under Brodie, Nosework, SDDA, SDDA Title, Spirit, Sporting Detection Dog Association

First Tomato….Finally!!!!

The garden seems very slow this year. I suspect the intense heat we have had may have something to do with. Normally we may hit 30 Celsius a few times a year. So far we have hit 30+ twelve days and it is only mid July.

Normally I have my first ripe sungold tomato by the July long weekend, just ate my first one this morning. Tried a new variety this year, Indigo Rose. It is so dark, I’m not sure how to tell when it is ripe.

I’m surprised that my peppers are still alive. Many days the greenhouse was close to 50 degrees Celsius. It was too hot to stand in there to water.

Leave a comment

Filed under Garden

Dreaming

Brodie must be having one heck of a dream. His paws, ears and eyes are twitching and his lip is lifting.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tracking Fun

Took the dogs out early this morning for some tracking. Brodie did a 300 metre field track. The crop was taller than him and filled with dew and seed heads. The yellow seeds turned Brodie into a “ golden” Golden Retriever instead of a cream coloured one. Both he and I have thousands of little seeds in every crack and crevice of our bodies and my clothes. My pants were so wet from the heavy dew that they were weighted down and moving towards my ankles as I ran through the field trying to keep up with Brodie 😂😆

Yellow seeds cover his head and chest
Indicating his final article
Seed encrusted boots

Thank goodness we have a high powered dog blow dryer to get these seeds off.

Spirit ran a 700 metre urban track that was aged for 75 minutes. Unfortunately for the second time this week, just before we started to run the track, huge industrial lawn mowers went right over our track and articles. After a few expletives, I decided we would try and run the track anyway. She struggled for the first 200 metres weaving widely back and forth but eventually we made it to an area that hadn’t been mowed and she got back on track. So proud of her for handling this very tough puzzle and making it to end successfully.

Leave a comment

Filed under Brodie, Spirit, Tracking

Another Challenge Completed

Leave a comment

Filed under Conquerer Challenge, Fitness, Races

We are having a heat wave!

Relaxing in the shade

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a crazy dog lady. There is almost nothing I won’t do for my critters. Case in point…..for the last 2 mornings I was up at 4am so that I could lay some urban tracks, let them age, have the dogs run them and back home by 8am. This morning it was already 26 degrees Celsius by 08:30. That’s crazy. No more tracking for us until the morning temps are below 20C.

The dogs sure enjoy their stuffed frozen zogoflexes when we get home.

1 Comment

Filed under Brodie, Spirit

Bristol’s Quilt

Our new neighbours recently had their first baby. A sweet little girl named Bristol. I made this quilt for her.

1 Comment

Filed under Baby Quilt, Quilting, Uncategorized

Real Bikejoring

He is actually out front!

We had some fun this morning at Chickakoo. First time Brodie and I have tried bikejoring in the woods instead of on sidewalks in our neighborhood. I am struggling to get him to run in front, he always wants to be in heel position. Brodie did almost 4km and then Don Ho and I went and biked another very hilly 5km. Can’t wait to go again. Thank you Angela Stuber for you excellent guidance and the photos. It really helped having you and your dog in front for motivation.

Leave a comment

Filed under Bikejor, Brodie, Fitness

More Discard Delights

I’ve gotten into the habit of adding my sourdough discard into a container in the freezer. When it is full, I defrost it and plan a baking day. Yesterday it was crackers with everything bagel seasoning on them. So good!

Today it was overnight fermented monkey bread. Fermenting the dough makes the nutrients more available to the body and easier to digest. The kitchen smelled amazing while it was baking. It wasn’t out of the oven for 5 seconds before we both tucked in. All I can say is OMG!!!!!!

1 Comment

Filed under Cooking adventures, sourdough

Oh Mother Nature!$*#???

It is winter again! Is it just me or did spring and summer seem to only last a few days this year 😉😂. I am so glad I resisted the urge to plant stuff already (who am I kidding….my heart wanted to plant but my body had no drive/ambition – blame it on COVID fatigue). For once, procrastination paid off.

My greenhouse is overflowing but at least everything is still alive. Looks like we accumulated a few inches of snow.

Leave a comment

Filed under Garden

It’s Official Spirit is a Tracker

We finally got our official title certificate from CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) for Spirit’s Tracking Dog title that she earned last September. I guess we can be grateful that it only took 8 months….some people have waited almost 2 years to get theirs.

Tailspin’s Winter’s Spirit

1 Comment

Filed under CKC Title, Spirit

A Very BAD Dog!!!

Breaking News: a very naughty Golden Retriever was seen committing a very bad and dirty crime in broad daylight today. The perpetrator has not been seen in public since the “incident”. It is not known whether he is still alive 😩😡.

Leave a comment

Filed under Brodie

Happy Mother’s Day

Who could ask for a better way to get your Mother’s Day card delivered?

Leave a comment

Filed under Brodie

Covid Shot Anyone?

Our province, heck our country is not doing a great job getting the vaccine out in a timely manner. My age group was not scheduled to receive our first vaccination until June. Surprise, today they updated the rules and anyone 40+ now qualify. I started calling and going to pharmacy websites trying to book an appointment. I was so relieved when I was able to talk to someone and actually book one for May 10. Then about 5pm I got a phone call from one of the pharmacy’s that I put in an online request. They had a last minute cancellation and said that if I could be there in 30 minutes I could get my shot. We dropped everything, jumped into the car and raced downtown. I now have my first vaccine. I can’t tell you how happy I am. I feel like a won the lottery. It sounds so silly but that is how I feel.

Update: I was warned that I would feel really awful after my shot but I feel fine. My arm isn’t even sore when I move it. If I go hunting around I can find a little sore spot if I press on it but that’s it. I got the Moderna shot. Rumour has it that the second shot is harder than the first with Moderna.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Birthday Boy

Today we celebrated the skinny guy’s 2nd COVID birthday. Started the day with a nice off-leash walk with the dogs. We came home and I made him bacon, eggs and roasted potatoes. We have dog stuff tonight so Birthday dinner will happen on Saturday. To make up for the delay, he got to sample the lemon meringue pie today. He loves a huge mountain of meringue.

I think his delayed birthday supper was definitely worth the wait. Slow roasted bone-in prime rib. Mmmmm!!

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

A Honour for Sophie

In 2019, I made a special quilt for Spirit’s breeders, Coreen and Steve of Tailspin Bernese Mountain Dogs. Sophie, their foundation bitch and Spirit’s Mother, had been diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer and had passed away just shy of her 8th birthday. In 2020, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America had their inaugural art and craft show and, as I surprise to Coreen and Steve, I entered Sophie’s quilt in the show. Today is was announced that Sophie’s quilt won best in show and that a picture of it would appear in the 2021 spring edition of the Alpenhorn magazine. I am so thrilled for them to have their girl honoured in this way.

Here is the link to the 2020 gallery for your viewing pleasure: https://www.thealpenhornjuriedartshow.com/copy-of-jury…

Steve and Coreen has Sophie framed

My inspiration photo

1 Comment

Filed under Art Quilt

Happy Gotcha Day Brodie

Four years ago today I flew to Victoria to pick up this beautiful bundle of joy. Best decision ever!!!

Leave a comment

Filed under Brodie

More C-WAGS Mail

Brodie and Spirit got mail from C-WAGS today. Spirit earned her Level 1 Ranger Ace title which means she earned 14 qualifiying runs (4 runs for the Scent Ranger Level 1 title and an additional 10 runs to get the Ace). This is the first time Spirit has earned a title before Brodie. Brodie earned his Level 4 Super Sleuth Title (4 qualifying runs).

Leave a comment

Filed under Brodie, CW-ScR1A, CW-SS, CWAGS, CWAGS Title, Nosework, Spirit

CQA Exciting News

Today I got the most exciting email:

“Dear Deborah

On behalf of the CQA/ACC Board of Directors, I am pleased to inform you that your entry, Through Lucy’s Eye has been accepted into the virtual National Juried Show (NJS).”

An art quilt I made of Lucy was juried into the 2021 Canadian Quilters Association National Juried Show. Last year, a quilt I made of Spirit was juried into the show that was supposed to be hosted in Edmonton. Unfortunately it was cancelled because of COVID-19. They carried forward last year’s juried entries so that means two of my quilts will be in this year’s show.

I am not allowed to post any public pictures just in case they may be seen by one of the judges.

2021 NJS – List of Quilters With Accepted Quilts

Jennifer Adam

Jo Allbutt

Sharon Allman

Terry Aske

Ilene Atkins

Lija Bane

Judy Barnett

Janet Bedford

Emilie Belak

Lise Belanger

Melissa Bieman

Pat Borecky

Wilma Brock

Natasha Bugarin

Peter Byrne

Sabrina Capune

Kim Caskey

Elaine Cawadias

Leanne Chahley

Michele-Renee Charbonneau

Marilyn Cleven

Marsha Cochrane

Chriss Coleman

Deanna Corrigan

Lorna Costantini

Trudy Cowan

Linda  Crouch

Deborah Csongradi

Millie Cumming

Patricia Dance

Sonia Darby

Brenda Davidson Payer

Shirley Dawson

Alison Dean Cowitz

Katherine Dossman

Colette Dumont

Joan Dupuis-Neal

Christine Earl

Debi Edwards

Donna Edwards

Georgette Ehr

Faiza Elmayergi

Tannis Fahlman

Leslie Forbes

Therese Fowell

Cheryl Fuhrer

Helen Fujiki

Judy Garden

Laura Gates

Laurrie Gerzanich

Brenda Godin

Victoria Gray

Marianne Haak

Jan Hall

Shirley Hauck

Lynda Hutchison

Margaret Inkster

Mary Jo Jensen-Birnie

Margaret Jessop

Karen Johnson

Ruth Jones

Joan Kilpatrick

Sue Klym

Reina Lamothe

Judy Leslie

Susan Lett

Tish Leupen

Kelly Levant

Kathy Logan de Chavez

Mary Lorenz

Joanne Love

Wanda  Lumsden

Susan Madu

Fuzzy Mall

Melissa Marginet

Lynda Mariani

Beverly Marsh

Tracie L. Maryne

Regina  Marzlin

Tuddy (Ellen) Mathieson

Jennifer May

Elizabeth McDowell Heagy

Melissa McIntosh

Holly McLean

Sandra  Melnik

Diane Merrithew

Janet Mireault

Jane Monchak

Patti Morris

Kim Mullen

Diana Mulvaney

Roxanne Nelson

Margaret Notar

Bridget O’Flaherty

Tatiana Oleychenko

Stacey O’Malley

Angela  Pachal

Dianne  Papp

Chris Perren

Katie Pidgeon

Noelle Piegsa

Janet Reader Day

Restoule Quilters

Pat Reynolds

Theodora Rijkhoff

Terry Rowland

Anne Ruhl

Carol Russell

Sandra  Sandvik

Katie Stein Sather

Pearl Sceviour

Linda Schmidt

Anne Selder

Lorna Shapiro

Sue Sherman

Sandy Simmelink

Marlene Speed

Adriana (Arja) Speelman

Bill Stearman

Joy Takahashi

Susan Teece

Cheryl Thomson

Kathryn Upitis

Ineke Van Gent

Susan van Goethem

Elizabeth van Wyngaarden

Maggie Vanderweit

France  Vannobel

Brigitte Villeneuve

Barb Virtue

Tella Visconti

Sandra Wald

Mariya Waters

Jim Wilford

Debbie Winn

Maureen Wood

Brandon Wulff

Bernadette Yuzik

Philippa Zapf

Velta Zvidris

1 Comment

Filed under Art Quilt, CQA

You vs 2021 March Update

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Sourdough Porn

I wish I had smell-o-vision. The house smells absolutely amazing. Fresh out of the oven: a cinnamon raisin boule and 2 jalapeño, cheddar, roasted garlic and bacon 🥓 batards. Thank goodness I am giving some away because I don’t think I could be trusted not to eat them all immediately.

This evening I used up the rest of my discard on banana, raisin and walnut muffins for my sweetie.

Leave a comment

Filed under Cooking adventures, sourdough

Friday Baking and Proofing

Cookies, dog treats and bread dough oh my

Friday, sourdough discard bake day, started with some delicious fermented sourdough pancakes for breakfast (we snarfed them before I had a chance to take a picture). Then came chocolate chip cookies and liverwurst dog treats.

There is also a pail of sourdough doing a bulk rise before I bake my bread tomorrow.

Spirit is impatiently waiting for her treats to cool.

Leave a comment

Filed under Cooking adventures, sourdough, Spirit

Happy Gotcha Day Tilly

It was 11 years ago today that this cute little fur ball joined our family.

1 Comment

Filed under Tilly

You VS 2021 February Update

My torn meniscus has really affected my mileage this month. I am 34km behind where I was last year at the time. Still managing to get out even if it is only for a few 100 metres each day.

Leave a comment

Filed under Under Armour Challenge, You VS 2021, You VS The Year

Look at those Lemons

Look at these whoppers. They are the biggest fruit my little Meyer Lemon tree has ever produced. There’s a few good sized green ones still waiting to ripen. That’s an 8oz water class for perspective.

Leave a comment

Filed under Garden, Uncategorized

Wheel Dog League

With Iron Paws wrapping up this week I was sad our pulling time was coming to end. Not any more. We learned about a new group called Wheel Dog League. Now we will continue to have all the motivation we need to hit the trails. We can earn titles and participate in challenges. We’ve logged our first few runs and earned our first badge

Leave a comment

Filed under Brodie, Fitness, Spirit, Wheel Dog League

Tower 2021

My seedlings are 7 days old today. I should probably wait until they have their first set of true leaves but to heck with it, I put them in the tower this evening. Looking forward to my first delicious salad.

Leave a comment

Filed under Tower Garden

Happy Valentines Day

Leave a comment

Filed under Brodie, Spirit