Let the Season Begin - Card Picture

Last week my nephew JJ brought his family over to experience the joy of skidding rocks across the frozen pond. We had had several days of freezing temperatures. The pond had a couple inches of ice, making for wonderful harmonics.
Icy morning fog left thick hoarfrost in it's wake. Like last year, hoarfrost might be the only "snow" we find for our annual Christmas card photo shoot,  So, as long as they were there to help, we took advantage of Nami's photographic skills.
It quickly became evident that the dogs were not going to cooperate and look toward the camera.

I tried sitting and coaxing with "gee" and "haw" tricks to turn the dogs around.

Trask is looking at the kids and camera but from the comfort of my lap.

The dogs finally posed for a picture with Dave after I put them in a "sit-stay" and moved out of the picture.

Ho-Ho-Ho We have a collage of  fun "out-takes" for our Christmas card this year. 

The kids were afraid of the big dogs when they arrived but Trask soon won their hearts - and any chance of getting a picture without his photobombing.

Let the Season Begin - Wreath Making

I love to make wreaths out of grapevines from my fall pruning.  I decorated the first wreath of the season with the dried-grass, table bouquets from Dave's birthday party. I was pleased how it turned out so hung the 3 1/2 foot wreath on the wall for November.

The real fun of the wreath making season begins with going into the woods to gather the greens that turn the grapevine circles into Holiday wreaths. Per tradition, Kerstin, Lupin and the girls, clippers in hand, went with me.
The girls are now old enough to make their own wreaths. 

The dogs were really interested in Anna's snack.

This summer's logging and thinning made greens difficult to come by. All of the little trees were thinned out and the big machines knocked off the lower branches. Another problem was the drought. The boughs were very dry. My usual production of full wreaths became more like decorative, circle swags.
The finished wreaths were just to dry to keep inside so the kennel wall was put to use holding the finished products.

All but two of the wreaths were given as gifts. The last two, much smaller than I ever make them, became a kennel wreath complete with holiday dog booties (which took Trask all of a few seconds to pull off while I put the camera away)... 

and the house wreath. (Usually this wreath rests on the top of the stone wall when hung from the hook.)

I may not have had greens, but thanks to my poor vineyard upkeep, I had an abundance of grapevines. I saw these trees in a high-end catalog for $30 each. My attempts at duplication are a bit more whimsical - but free. 

 The trees, along with my dried grasses wreath, will grace the mudroom during the holiday season. 

A Great Honor

This blog is also a diary of my life. Not everything revolves around the dogs, though it often seems so. I would be remiss if I didn't include a note about an award bestowed on Dave and me.
The Spencer Alexander Award is the highest award presented at the Eugene Yacht Club. Dave and I were surprised and humbled to receive it this year. All we do is unselfish love of the yacht club, it's members and for the enjoyment of volunteering. Except for Sail School and championing the Women's Cup, most of what I do is in the background supporting Dave's myriad of activities and committee positions. I never expected to be acknowledged. 

The outgoing Commodore read this tribute before identifying us as recipients.
This year’s recipients of the Spencer Alexander Award for service to Eugene Yacht Club exemplify what volunteering at EYC is about. They have become our models. They don’t count the hours they put in, or leave before the job’s done and they take on new problems and needs as they arise. This couple has been tireless workers for the club for decades. They been patient and caring sail school instructors and rescue boat drivers and covered every facet of safety from fire extinguishers and defibrillators, to boat handling and rescue training. They done it all expertly, and they’ve been doing this for years. Our power boats are maintained and equipped by them, including arranging for repairs and long-term planning for our power boat needs. They procured the marks we race around and organize the setting of the marks each spring. Promotion of women’s sailing and racing, our fireworks show, our relationship with the marine patrol, fire department, and Army Corps are all enhanced by these folks. When I was commodore I developed a deep and grateful appreciation for the many roles this couple plays at our club. If you’re on any committee, they are, too. Years ago they built EBB tide. For you newer members it was a custom boat to start and finish races. Racers will never forget them on “Cookie Monster” throwing Oreo cookies to passing boats. And all this is just part of it. Others here know more than I do. So, you probably guessed who I’m talking about. It is with admiration and humility that I am honored to present the 2015 Spencer Alexander Award to Kaylee and Dave Brown. Dave is EYC’s
first two-time recipient of this award.

Chinook Camouflage

Yesterday, my efforts at raking up leaves lead to the delight of watching the dogs to zoom around my piles during games of Chinook tag. I went in to grab my camera and of course, they decided it was pose, not play, time. After viewing the pictures I was struck by how camouflaged the dogs were.

Today the ground and leaves were covered with a thick layer of frost. The lighting was different but the dogs still blended in quite well.

 I coaxed Cedar away from her nap inside to come out to join in the photo session.

The sun is now too low to reach and defrost the back yard but when I looked over at the family cemetery, a peaceful warmth was being reflected in the still waters of the pond.

Willie, Cora, Annie, Pooh, Nikolai, Galena, Willy and McKenzie are receiving their own camouflage blanket of leaves for the upcoming winter. 

3rd Times the Charm

(My first blog using my cell-phone camera).
With both Trask and Cedar down with bordatella, I couldn't go to the Annual LaPine Mushing Weekend - probably my favorite event of the year.  Plan B: enter Koyuk in 4 days of AKC Rally-O competition. Rally-O consists of about 50 different signs that tell the handler to do something with their dog. During competition, you follow a course set by a judge,  from sign to sign.  In competition you see 14 different signs. The judge grades you on how well your dog executes each assigned task. You start with 100 points and get points deducted from your score for handler or dogs errors. You need 70 points to qualify.  You need three qualifying runs to get a title.
Thursday both Koyuk and I were anxious. We were up very early and drove an hour and a half to get to the venue. The room was crowded with other anxious dogs and people. Koyuk hasn't been in a closed crate since puppyhood and did not want to be there. The floor in the ring was generously littered with bits of "bait" (the best treat handlers can think of), droping from human socials and banquets and, smells of other dogs including urine and poop. No bait is allowed in the Rally-O ring.  When she realized my pocket and palm were empty, Koyuk went in to vacuum mode. I could not get her nose off the ground. If you can earn a minus score, I am sure we got one.
Friday, I was determined to keep her nose off the floor. To this end, I jerked on her leash to get her attention when verbal cues were ignored. We would have had a first place by a large margin had the judge not deducted points for each time I jerked on the lease. Another non-qualifying day. Friday night we worked on  commands to get her attention from the floor and back on me and the task.
Today, I decided that no matter what I wasn't going to jerk on her leash.  It is not a behavior I never use and as I become more anxious, so does she.  I draped the leash oven my open hand and off we went.  Familiarity with the venue and competition requirements made both of us more relaxed.
Koyuk right before going in the ring. She is relaxed and I have her attention.

 Waiting for the judge to say "forward" and off we go along our first section of signs.

 Four down and 11 more to go. Her head is up and we are on a nice easy pace.

 This is a tricky one. I have to walk backwards on measured groups of sets and she has to stay with me.

 We made it and off to the remaining 9 signs.

 She had to sit when I stopped, then down-stay while I walked around her.

Koyuk not only qualified, but she took second place (2 points off the first place). Everyone from our class had qualifying runs today.  (Several classmates couldn't make it to the competition because their dogs had bordatella).

To celebrate I took Koyuk to the Rice Hill Burger Joint - a must stop for any celebration. They have the best ice cream in Oregon. They even have a doggy bowl.

 Koyuk dove right in...

She was so excited she scooted the bowl right under the van...

Until I took pity and removed it and her from behind the wheel.

Rice Hill has not upgraded (or painted) since the 50's but still remains the place to stop on trips to southern Oregon or California.

 Happy winner.

BrownStone Catch-up

I think summer has officially ended.  Yesterday, I picked another 5 lb basket of tomatoes and peppers along with a handful of raspberries. Today the rains have come back giving me an excuse to ignore the vegetable garden and the chore of racking up leaves.  Free time indoors means I can update my neglected blog.
BrownStone Cascade Mt. Koma, Liaka's family is the best.  They keep me up-to-date with pictures and notes on how she is doing, including her Howl-O-Ween party. (Unfortunately, I have been remiss in posting them for others to enjoy.)

Like a squirrel, instinct to preserve food for the coming year kicks in for me every fall.  Our pantry was empty of applesauce. I had to buy apples this year. The fruit trees came into bloom a month before the bees arrived. The resulting poor crop went for eating with nothing left over to can or dry. I was thinking of a "lug" of apples when I ordered them. I ended up with two "cases" (about 80 lbs) of apples.  We will have applesauce for a few years to come.
I dumped the peels and cores our in the yard for the deer.  With a preference for pears, until now, the dogs have shunned apples. I was surprised when they dove right into the pile.

A very long day got even longer. As I was cleaning up the myriad of pots and utensils used in canning, I noticed water running out cupboard below the sink - a lot of sticky, hot, soapy water.  Unknown to me, the drain pipe came unconnected when I was dumping out the caners full of  boiling hot water. Then I proceeded to wash everything. No rest with a celebratory glass of cider for me.  Everything had to come out from under the sink and get washed and dried.  Since it was already comping apart, I pulled out all of the plumbing to make sure nothing was clogged.  Then I got to learn about gaskets that disintegrate over time. In place of gaskets, I now have joints held together with gorilla tape.  

 The first batches of applesauce.

 While I mopped the sticky floor, Bambi enjoyed the remnants of the apple cores.

Tuesday I got to take the first rig run of the season.  Until then, it had been way too warm for the thick coated dogs to run. Cedar is recovering from a pinched nerve in her back, so she stayed home. Koyuk and Trask provided ample power and speed for Ferrari.

Team Nookies running in unison up the second hill.

I retied my snub-line but Ferrari still ended up in the ditch as I walked across the road to pick-up the paper.

The dogs still running in unison on the last corner toward home.

Ferrari will have to wait in the garage for a while. Thursday, Trask, along with almost all the other dogs in his class came down with kennel cough.  I vaccinated the dogs as soon as I heard about the outbreak, but apparently not fast enough for ever-friendly Trask. The poor boy is quite ill and is on antibiotics and a narcotic cough medicine.  Fortunately the other two have not come down with it. One dog coughing and retching all night is distressing enough.

First Rig Run of the Season

The endless summer seems to be ending.  This morning was the first time since last winter that it has been cool enough to run the dogs. Koyuk and Trask powered the entire paper-box run. (Cedar is recovering from a pinched nerve in her back so she stayed home).

Still running on the climb up the second hill. 

One of the goals for this season is to figure out a smoother turn-around.  I changed my rig tie-line but Ferrari again ended up heading the wrong way and in the ditch while I walked across the road to get the paper. 

The last corner toward home. The dogs are still running in unison. We are having a blast.