LB (formerly Crockett)

Sharrie just sent these to me. If this first photo could look any more like a Mini Huxley??!! If it weren't for the white markings i would have said HUXLEY in a second.

This second photo took my breath away. Gorgeous head and such a soft, kind, expression. Round eyes.

The rest of him isnt bad either. He is in the perfect home and was neutered on Wednesday due to some marking issues inside the house. While I am extremely happy Sharrie has him, I am a little sad to say the least. For a first litter that wasn't too bad, eh?

Cooking for a friend....

I'm going to be posting this to BOTH my farm and dog blogs AND facebook because its THAT amazing. Seriously. My mentor in cooking and one of my best friends, Briony, has helped me learn to cook for the better part of a decade. When she visits we do more gourmet food that us northern midwest folk may not be always accustomed to. :)

We take photos of our meals and then comment on them. Good memories. Unfortunately these photos do NOT do them justice. My newer digital camera has lost its screen. Meaning it went blank. I can't see what I shooting and I can't change the settings really more than between action, flower and auto. It bites. So please excuse the fuzzy photos. Also the date is wrong on the camera I see now also, after uploading the photos. it really happened today. the 27th of July, 2010. Honest!

I was not trying to impress my dinner guest, but I wanted to make something that I could make easily, in a short amount of time and still spend most of my time with my dinner guest.

I was in the grocery store for nearly an hour trying to decide exactly which direction I wanted to go. No Corinne I wasn't lost, I was on the phone with Briony. I had a set idea I wanted to do: lamb chops, baby red potatoes and asparagus, and then wine and salad and maybe some fruit.

I prepped most of what i could and this is what i came up with:

Munchies: fresh watermelon and cantelope and home brewed Ice Tea.

Salad: Spinach with Feta cheese, sliced almonds, fresh sliced strawberries and a blush wine vinegarette dressing. It was simple and fantastic! Photo is below.
Oh yes. We had a white wine before the meal also, and a nice red wine with the meal. And ice water. Hey it was hot out. Lightly toasted sourdough slices of bread with locally made butter...soft gooey inside with a crisp crust. I love bread so could eat this all the time.

Shetland lamb chops that were marinated for a few hours with some malbec red wine, smoked and sliced garlic and soy sauce. Then they were grilled briefly on my grill and served pink in the middle.

Baby red potatoes pan fried in natural olive oil with sea salt, black pepper and thyme and pimentos, and the 3" pieces of asparagus were added the same time as the pimentos after being started as steamed in the microwave. Maybe took 8 minutes to cook and serve everything. Honest.

Below is the table setting and all the goodies. My friend told me that I was an amazing cook and that he'd eat my food everyday! Success! He also had never had lamb or asparagus or Feta cheese (or a salad like that before) and they were all amazing. He said the lamb was the best meat he had ever tasted bar none and that really made my day! He also said he hasn't eaten a 'gourmet meal' like that ever before, or eaten that well in a long time. Cool, huh?

Open invite to those of you who read this to come over for supper! I love to cook and have house guests. you bring the wine and I'll supply the food and we'll be good to go!

Oliver Update

He's a very happy boy!
These photos are a little dated (ok like a month) but this is our progress. Many thanks for all the emails, calls and Facebook shout outs in concern for the Big O. His Physcial Therapy continues although we've hit our first 'plateau'. He does stand, and pulls himself up, but doesn't have the muscle tone to take steps yet. I can't afford hydrotherapy, so i traded some lawn services for a large circle stock tank. I need to pick it up this weekend and then put a 'de-icer' element in the tank to warm the tank so he can swim in it. I truly believe this is our next hurdle at getting muscle tone back quicker than what we are doing. I don't believe right now we are building any muscle back, but we are not getting any worse.

He of course thinks confinement to an xpen or crate is hogwash and tells me about it the entire time I am home. of course if i have the TIME, he does sit on the couch next to me/on me or next to my feet if I"m at the PC. I'm starting to panic about winter and SNOW and trying to get him to do his business outside in a timely manner so that neither he nor I will freeze any fingers or toes off (well just toes for him).

Your continued prayers are welcome!

ok ok i'm going

I had my rubber arm twisted into going to Western Reserve again.

There is so much fun at this show that I 'had' to go. There are some 'newbies' going this year that I'm excited to hang out with as well as the regulars. I'll be able to see Ell's littermate Flash and her puppies out of Brett so that will be a learning experience and fun at the same time!

This show is like a mini national with so many of the people who attend the national also attending the WR. Its a three day show with two days sponsored by the CWCCWR and one day by the Lorain County KC. I've entered Ell and Ava and am planning on taking Brewer and Ballantyne with as well so I can get my mentor's thoughts on them as they are growing up. Ava is entered in Sweeps all three days too so that will give us extra ring time training! Look out! :)

I can't wait!

Brodie (formerly Bannick)

Brodie is living in Connecticut with the greatest people on earth! I'm so glad that I was able to find Brodie's parents! They really are the best!

Pip Videos

As promised. Videos of Pip (formerly Alamo) and his sister Snaps. Both videos are a little dated, but he is still cute!

Weights

I took the babies in to get their Rabies shots today.

I also weighed them out of extreme curiousity. My dogs always seem so small.

Brewer weighed in a whopping 19 pounds at just 4.5 months old.

Ballantyne weighed in at 15.3 pounds. I knew she was smaller (always has been) and she'll probably stay smaller like her momma Ell. It'll be interesting to see how Bolin and the rest of the pack weigh in. I know Bannick (now Brody and living in Connecticut) is 19 pounds as well, and Brody was a smaller puppy when he left me. Luckily Brody is also being red raw so the comparison is right in line with my dogs.

Ava also went along for the ride and to get weighed. She was 27.2#. She now weighs the same as Ell. Standing them side by side however their lines are very different. So are their pedigrees. Ava's appetite is like any teenage. hungry ALL.THE.TIME!

Not Missing Me

Here is Forrest with his red-headed step sister in Idaho this past weekend.

Denise and Bolin. I can tell Bolin has a rough life and is missing me tons. At least that is what I keep telling myself ;)

A Hot Summer's Night

These girls are always smiling :). Well AND it was like 88 degrees inside the house. For northern Minnesota that is PLENTY HOT thank.you.very.much!

*note Ballantyne's eyes had to be 'fixed' on the PC. they didn't turn out like her normal eyes, which are a very gorgeous color. She's also looking for a new NAME. Any suggestions?

Brenner (now Scout) update

http://brennercorgi.blogspot.com

This is the sable boy out of Pilot x Ell. He has one of the cutest faces that I've come across :)

Growing Up

Alamo aka Pip was spotted again at a Corgi meet up on Whidbey Island in WA state. I do have several videos to share of Pip and his 'sister' but need to go back to old emails to find them.

He's growing up so fast :) And by the look of the photos, VERY HAPPY :)

http://corgicorner.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Brittany for taking photos of the boy!

Birthdays Galore!

I was away to Oregon when Daisy had her 3rd birthday! She turned on June 20th. We celebrated when I got home with ice cream for 'everybody' (meaning dogs)!

On the 10th is Mitcham's SECOND birthday! Lord knows these two years have FLOWN by, and yet when I'm grooming him (still....I haven't trimmed him!) it seems like eons. He is such a good boy too. We'll have to celebrate with a bike ride (he running next to me) early this morning, and have ice cream when the entire family is home to celebrate (I need help handing out ice cream for all the dogs as they all think that all nine bowls are for each of them (meaning all for one dog)). I'm flying out today to Yellowstone in Wyoming for my cousin's wedding! I've never been there so should be fun to explore all weekend! Monday night we'll celebrate the BHB's bday. Many thanks to my buddy Josh for staying and house (dog) sitting for me while I'm away!

Ah the life I lead....

And now to make the appt for Mitcham's hips/elbows!

Raw Diet question

Ell has had four months since the pups were born (two since they were weaned) and she does not have a stitch of hair on her. While she has been known to have a tighter coat when IN coat, she is just nekkid!

Is there anything in the raw diets any of you have done (or supplements to give her) to get her coat back? I was wanting to show her this summer to get her last major but can't if she is hairless.

Any suggestions welcome!

Keepin' Cool

I just got back from my shenanigans in Minneapolis! so much good food, wine, friends and fireworks! And I didn't have to clean up after 50 people! NICE! I could get used to this!

I got home, let the dogs out and refilled their pool. Sadie and Ballantyne (working on a name change) and Brewer all hop right in. Ell and Ava usually stay back about 10 feet and when they see me, they run away thinking I"m going to put them in the pool. Daisy also loves the pool, but waits until the more rambuncious ones are done. I'm surprised Ell and Ava are so close to the pool in these photos! Sadie loves to bite the hose and pull it around in the pool (or drag it out).

*note the still naked Ell!
Here Brewer and Sadie are playing. I wish I got a video of this. Sadie is SO happy all the time. She cracks me up. Ballantyne is plotting a way to get in and get as wet as possible and then jump on me. And I fall for it every time. ahem.

A little while later...Brewer is too pooped to play anymore. At least for 10 minutes. He has the most 'bedroom eyes' look ever!

Ballantyne asks' Hey! Where did everyone go?!'

Slide show of Wadena

Here is a link to a slide show from the Wadena tornado. I knew many of these homes that were affected but interestingly enough, NONE of my client's homes are in these photos and they were some of the worst hit.

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d5463304f5445304f544d3d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_instructions_directurl_makeyourown

http://seocc.co.cc/search/wadena+tornado+shots

http://wcco.com/slideshows/wadena.tornado.damage.20.1758598.html



I also have an email with loads of photos I need to put on shutterfly or something so everyone can see them. OR hit me up and I'll email them to you :)

Happy 4th everyone!