Vacation

Dave's preferred vacation is not far from home and involves boats. Eugene Yacht Club hosted the Santana 20 National Championship regatta last week. Boats from as far away as Maine, Mexico, and Puerto Rico were entered. Four boats were skippered and crewed by professional sailors. I have raced in many S-20 national championships but with a litter of pups planned for this summer, did not secure a crew position. Instead I was mark handler on Dave's rescue boat. 

Dave looking like Waylen Jennings

 And they are off. The boats facing to the left have the right-of-way. Boats heading "downhill" under spinnaker.

Boats do not go in opposite directions under spinnaker. The winds were very light and shifty. This was a 180 degree shift.

A good friend also died last week. Dan spent his last days at the yacht club with family and friends. When we were not on the water, we helped him and his family. I could not find a picture of him to post. Now free of his cancer, I am sure he is busy at the helm. Smooth sailing Dan.

Therapy Dogs

Yesterday Dave and I took the dogs with us up to with Dad's hospice workers. Dad and Iris love the dogs. The dogs love all the petting and adoration.

 Koyuk

Ever wonder what the scene looks like before the dogs are all beautifully sitting?

 Dad looking a lot better than his daughter.

Company Picnic

Every year my husband's company throws an over-the-top, three-day "picnic". Everyone camps out for the three to four days. Along with sand-rails, quads, dirt bikes, riffles, a custom gas powered blender, car size speakers continually blasting rock music and all sorts of games they have theme team dinner contests. We have had everything from deep fried ice cream and pie with crayfish and gaiter from the "south team";  to a quad shaped pinata filled with lime candies and tiny tequila bottles from a "Mexican team"; to hot German potato salad, sauerkraut and a variety of brots from "German team" - you get the idea. The teams are judged on presentation, originality and quality of a meal cooked for about 50 people while camping. Of course everyone on the team is in costume.  This year we couldn't stay the three days but did drive up for Dave to help his team put on an "Ocean Feast".    Dave with lap dog Cedar

While sounds of the ocean played, everyone feasted on chilled wine, crab legs,clam-chowder, cheese muffins, amazing coleslaw, baby red potatoes, corn-on-the-cob and prime rib for us non-seafood eaters.

Deer, Crop-Circles, Power-poles and More Deer

This morning the power company scheduled 0700 replacement of one of our power-poles along the drive. The 0600 alarm cane way too early. The computer had to be turned off to prevent power surge damage. Not much to do once breakfast and morning chores were done so I grabbed the camera. First I spotted our 4 bucks and one doe picking plums off the plum tree. 

I went out to grab the paper before the road became blocked. When I got back the deer were snacking away at the burn/weed pile.

Then I noticed the crop circles on the side of the pond. Not quite as fancy as they get in England but certainly strange. These circles were made in my nemesis, horse tail rush with a smattering of thistles.  

One of the crew showed up at 0700. The others were 1030. They drew today's random drug test lot. Apparently a very time consuming process. Here, I thought only girls had trouble peeing in a cup.
They had some awesome equipment but they wouldn't loan me their cherry picker for a could weeks.

This truck carries the pole, digs the hole, puts the pole into the hole. After splicing the wiring to the new pole, the same truck tried to lift the old pole from there it had settled for 40 odd years in our thick, grey, suck-mud. 

No Go. Under threat of busting the boom truck the decision was made to just cut it off.  Being saturated to the core with creosote, archaeologists 1000 years from now probably will find the 4' butt still well preserved.   

The deer had moved up to the plum trees when we got back to the house. The electric crew guys were in awe but frankly all I saw was 4 sets of antlers needing the velvet scrapped off on my rhodys and ornamental trees then marking territory like punk taggers. 

Special Chinooks Available

When I went on my search for the perfect breed for me, I came across Chinooks. After meeting some, I was hooked. At that time there was a 2-3 year wait for a puppy. I was so lucky that Rain Mountain and Frontier Chinooks, who had saved the best Chinook of the year needed to place her and accepted my application. Frontier Rain Dancer McKenzie became the first Chinook member of our family. When she was two, she placed "Best Opposite (gender)" at the National Best of Breed. Joyce Maley of Hurricane Chinooks. had driven to Seattle from South Carolina to show her dogs including Janacek. Janacek had won several UKC Top 10 titles against all breeds. Joyce trusted me enough to allow Janacek to stay almost three months with us until McKenzie was ready to be bred. The result was the BrownStone Christmas litter, including Willy.
Joyce has breast cancer and it has spread. Her prognosis is not that good. She needs to place some of her beloved dogs. Her available dogs can be seen at: http://www.rainmountain.net/AdultDogsNeedingHomes.html
If you are looking for a Chinook, please consider giving one of these dogs a forever home.

Busy, Hot Days

The dogs and I have been busy and hot this week. Almost all of the winter storm damage has been cleaned up but the weeds have thrived. Between pulling weeds, I went on a search for parts to upgrade Ferrari. With only two dogs, I wanted the rig to be lighter and more efficient. I also want the illusive working brakes. The computer geek saw pictures of proposed rig changes while waiting for my hard drive to clean. It turns out he is also a welder. He sent me on the search for parts. I have now looked at every 20", used bike in the Eugene/Springfield area and today finally found parts for two identical bikes. 

Koyuk checking out the rig and parts

Weed pulling is hot work. Swimming is the best way for me to cool off.  Willy's claws had destroyed every air-mattress I bought (and my back when he tried to climb on me while swimming). Knowing that Koyuk's nails would probably do the same, I came up with the idea of using a partially inflated pontoon off the cat-a-raft. Koyuk soon figured out how to climb on and go for a ride. We had a blast floating on and diving off it.  McKenzie just swam around. Cedar could not be enticed into the pond and laid panting while watching us swim. The only problem with a partially inflated pontoon is that the case becomes full of water.

draining pontoon

 Keeping the outside water bowl full is impossible. I found this nifty dog bone motif pool.

this "pond" was more to Cedar's liking

Summer Work and Play

Today was our first 90 degree day. I have been waiting for just such a day to remove the trees and branches that came down in the last snow/ice storm from the large pond. The canoe came out from the barn and Koyuk deciding to go along for a ride, jumped right in. Koyuk was fearless as she ran from side to side and front to back. 

heading toward a very large, mostly submerged, tree

Koyuk loved the canoe

My job was to lasso waterlogged trees and branches and tow them to shore for Dave to lift out. Koyuk made sure my bowlines were properly tied by supervising with all her weight on the gunnel I was leaning over.

Dave lifting tree with backhoe

Koyuk loved jumping out of the boat, swimming ashore and barking excitedly for me to come pick her up.

canoe at bottom of rock stairway

I couldn't get the camera out fast enough to catch Koyuk actually sitting on the bow seat. 

Tracktown USA Cutest Kid Olympic Trials

Not to be outdone by the Canine Olympic Trials Anna and Klara showed off their athletic abilities. 

The lawn chair summersault.

congratulatory kiss from Koyuk

the hurdlesno knocked bars

the hill roll

award banquet

Tracktown USA Canine Olympic Trials

Today was the final day of the Tracktown USA Track and Field Olympic Trials. Dave and I toured the venue.

Historic Hayward FieldHistoric BrownStone Chinooks Field

 I set up a track complete with line-judge chairs and an award table. Lupin and her family joined us for the inaugural event.
 Cedar passes the baton to Koyuk...
 who tears up the field.

Racers ready?

Seems the competitors were much more interested in the New York strip treats I was holding than staying in the lane and going over the hurdles. All DQ'd around the outside of the course. After several false starts and course DQ's the next try was the 100 foot dash. Lane 4 proved the shortest distance to the steak award.
I also had a high jump (known as a tire jump to agility competitors). Only McKenzie, who has actually titled in agility, got the idea that going through, not under the tire was the preferred course. The discus throw was not even attempted. None of these dogs get off on retrieving flying objects (unless it is a squirrel). Lastly was the javelin. My great idea of spreading peanut butter on a long, heavy stick and the dogs running to the finish line did not get off the ground. They all just laid down and chewed on the stick.
We have a lot of training to do before the Olympic Trials return in four years.