On Our Way To 2010

I have been remiss in posting lately, partially because we have been out of town and partially because we've had company. Please know I thought of each one of you during Christmas and am thinking of you right now as we get ready to usher in a new year.

2009 has been a good year for all the pups and I hope 2010 will be even better. Everyone was healthy and continued to train and become the best members of their households. I hope to get Paloma into the ring more although I'm going to try my hand at showing Loki and then Patriot when he comes back up. I'm sure this will be the year Jasper earns his legs for his Junior Hunter and maybe it will be for Paloma, too. Crawford will be moving to the East Coast and his parents will be living under the same roof again - no more long distance romance! Ziggy has been training for agility so maybe we'll see some awards there, too!

Whatever it is you do this coming year, I hope it is accompanied by good health, safety, and lots of fun.

I love each one of you and remember well the time you spent here at the house. I appreciate all our puppy families and know they are loving you as much as I ever could!

Wishing You A Happy Thanksgiving

Marc and I, along with Hannah, Marley and Paloma, wish all our Catch A Fire Family a very Happy Thanksgiving. We are thankful for each one of you and the love and care you have shown your pups over the last year. You are the best!! :)

Enjoy your Turkey Day wherever you are! We hope you are celebrating with family and friends. We are celebrating in Arizona with our daughter Brianna, Josh and Patriot! 

Hugs and wiggles to all . . . .

Jasper's First Duck Hunt

I just cannot resist sharing this image and story with everyone. What a great picture!  Handsome boy!

Jasper had a successful duck hunting trip with my son, John this last Wednesday (see picture).  He didn't go in the water to do any retrieves (which was not unexpected because he's not much of a water dog at this point - and besides that it would have been too cold) but he found all of the ducks that dropped in the high grass surrounding the ponds where the hunt took place.  I've been out there with my boys before and much of that grass is knee high or higher and we've lost many birds that went down mortally wounded and then managed to burrow deeply into the grass.  My son said that happened with about 6 birds that he and a friend downed and Jasper used his nose to find every one of them!   My son's friend was quite impressed.  And Jasper was quite the happy boy.

Int'l/Am CH Pirok Kirbi MH "Kirby" 3/10/03 - 10/25/09

I received this note from Marty this morning:

I am having a very hard time dealing with this but wanted to let you both know that Kirby died on Sunday.   

We found him collapsed in his kennel and before we could get him to the ER he died.  The vet said that he had died of a major brain aneurysm (stroke).  He said sometimes bad things happen to good dogs for no known reason. 

He was too young and his joyous spirit will be sorely missed.  Roy will craft a black walnut box where his ashes will reside.  It is in our will that our ashes and the dogs are scattered together so we may all be joined in the future in a happier place.

Good bye my "heart dog". 

Marty

Finnrok Vizslas  

I am writing this with tears in my eyes - so young to leave so soon. I had always hoped I would see you one more time, to get a few of the kisses you so sparingly shared and to watch you wiggle butt your way into my lap as you did when we first met. My heart goes out to Marty and Roy, his owners and to Paul and Linda Collins, his breeders. To Cathy Gallagher, who also used Kirby as a stud to her beautiful puppies whom I met at Nationals in Omaha, 2007. I am comforted to know you felt no pain. Play in the green fields of the Lord until we all meet again one day. Kiss your daughter for us.

With love and nuzzles - Audrey, Hannah, Marley and Paloma

Marley's Pathology Results

A while back, probably in the Spring, if you had come over to the house you would have found Marley incessantly licking at her back paw. Then, one day she just stopped licking it and the next thing I noticed a bump had appeared.



I have been watching this bump for a couple of months now. I was concerned about it being a Mast Cell Tumor and the only reason I let it go so long is that it didn't seem to be bothering her and it's not getting any bigger or angry looking.

I had to take Paloma to the vet for conjunctivitis and dragged Marley along hoping she had time to see her, too. Dr Woodside did a needle aspiration and sent it off to the lab. She just called with the results and they are good indeed. Marley's bump is a histiocytoma. It should disappear on its own in 2 - 3 months. You can read more about histiocytomas at Veterinary Medicine.

Three days and counting until the pups are one year old! Until then . . . . have fun together!

Loki

Loki came for a visit last weekend. I didn't take pictures the whole time he was here but managed to get these ones just before he left.




Loki, Marley and Paloma

The Mission and Plants of the Arizona Sonoran Desert

Mission San Xavier Del Bac


I love the blue sky of Arizona!






Barrel Cactus


Prickly Pear Cactus aka Beavertail Cactus


At the entrance to the Pima Mine Company, a copper mine near Bree and Josh's house. Looked like a camel to us!