Snow Days

Snow hit Virginia last week in a big way --- and (most of ) my dogs loved it. Poor little Pilot loved it a little (like for a few minutes each time we went outside), but when his feet got cold and wet, he seemed to tire of it quickly and scurried back in to bury himself under a comforter.

Eights Dogs in a Pickup

Nick

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Thor (and Ted)

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Vegas

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Thor, Pilot, Lucy, Nick, and Gadget

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Thor

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Lucy, Nick, Thor and Pilot

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Lucy

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If you text "Ted" to 67336, Dominion Chevrolet will make a donation to the Richmond SPCA. Thank you Ted Linhart for the creative idea and for your generosity!! And, from the animals of the Richmond SPCA, thank you to anyone who finds time to participate. You can visit mydominion.com for complete details and/or click below to view the TV commercial, which is now playing ALL THE TIME in the Richmond area. It features 8 of the cutest dogs I know, which means all 5 of mine (Thor, Flake, Gadget, Pilot and Daisy), 2 dogs that belong to my good friend Mike (Nick and Lucy) and 1 dog who belongs to my good friend Marie (Vegas) --- plus kittens too. The kittens were all available from the Richmond SPCA at the time of filming, although I think they have since been adopted. It was a really fun (and challenging) photo shoot because of all the moving parts (i.e., animals) --- and Ted was the best sport EVER.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzohuhvYZpg

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Pilot is a Lucky Dog

Okay --- this news may be a bit late, but is exciting nonetheless. Pilot was one the big winners in the Virginia Lottery Lucky Dog II photo contest this past summer! There were over 10,000 entries (including a few of his "siblings") and only 20 dogs selected, so he is feeling very proud indeed. Since September, the picture above has appeared on Virginia Lottery scratcher tickets sold statewide. I was told that it was his enormous ears and adorable "grin" that clinched the prize.
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The picture below gives you some idea of how Pilot felt about the lengthy photo shoot on my back deck. :-)

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Rain Rain Rain

Rain rain rain. Nothing but rain here in Virginia for the past week or so. You would think that meant that I could get caught up on all indoor activities, but (alas) that has not been the case. Lots of puddles remain around the farm, but otherwise no serious problems or leaks. Adorable Ms. Gadget (above) managed to eat a bunch of bad/old/wet/moldy bird seed and got to spend a few hours at the Veterinary Emergency Center on Wednesday night. Scary at the time, but she seems to be feeling much better now. And (hooray) the sun seems to be back too. :-)

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State Fair of Virginia 2009 --- Photography

"Rudbeckia"

First Place --- Color Floral

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"Cambria"

3rd Place --- Black & White Scenic/Architectural

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"Hi Roller"

2nd Place --- Color "A Fair to Remember"

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"Gable"

3rd Place --- Black & White Animals

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Oh dear. It has been way too long since I posted to my blog, so I will try to make up for lost time during the weeks ahead. I have been plenty busy and there is much to report, but I need to slow down long enough to report it. Wish me luck.

The State Fair of Virginia moved from downtown Richmond to rural Doswell this year, to a site that was originally Meadow Farm and the early home of Secretariat. The new facilities were nice and the fair had a more "country" feel to it, which I liked. Despite some rainy weather during the week and some plumbing/power issues, I think attendance was good and most people liked the new venue. Once again I managed to enter several of the state fair competitions at the very very very last minute. Imagine that. :-) Happy to report that several of my photographs and plants and one antique milk bottle managed to win a total of seven ribbons and $8 in prize money. Woo hoo. Very exciting indeed. The photographic winners are above --- and I will post pictures of the plants and bottle soon. Stay tuned.
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Crosby (1995 - 2009)

Yesterday I said goodbye to my best friend of the past 13 years. What a wonderful dog and what enormous changes he made in my life. He altered the course of my career and taught me more than books or videos or seminars on dog training ever could. He loved to learn --- and shared and inspired my enthusiasm for tricks and agility. I will hope that I can continue to share that enthusiasm with other dogs and dog owners for many years to come. Surely that will be a fitting tribute.

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Farewell dear Crosby. Thank you again for a lifetime of love and loyalty.

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More pictures here: http://k9logic.smugmug.com/photos/swfpopup.mg?AlbumID=9447338&AlbumKey=rdeg5

Tomatoes

Have had a bumper crop of tomatoes in my earthboxes this summer and lots of fresh basil too. Yum. Here is my favorite tomato recipe of all time. Thanks Joanne!!

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Joanne’s Famous Tomato Pie

· one frozen deep dish pie crust
· 3 to 4 tomatoes --- sliced and seeded and patted dry
· salt/pepper to taste
· 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese --- grated or shredded
· 2 tbsp fresh basil --- chopped
· 1/2 cup mayo
· ¼ cup onion --- chopped (optional)
· 8 Ritz crackers --- crumbled
· 2 tbsp butter --- melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pie crust according to package or until golden brown (~10 minutes). Fill pie crust with layers of tomatoes. Mix cheese, mayo, fresh basil and onion. Spread over tomato layers and cover with cracker/butter combination.
Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Rudbeckia

Oh dear. Has it really been over a month since I have posted? Must address that problem quickly. Suffice it to say, the summer has been busy and full of good things --- but blog posting has not been among them. Stay tuned for updates on blackberries, tomatoes and horseshoes very soon.

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Gable

Welcome to little Gable. And allow me to introduce the newest member of the menagerie here on the farm. I recently tried to "just foster" him and failed miserably, adopting him permanently just one week later. He appears to be the cutest kitten in the world, so there really was no choice, now was there? His name is Gable (as in Clark), which ties in with previous cats (now deceased): Spencer (as in Tracy), Tracy (as in Spencer), Bogart (as in Humphrey) --- and of course the dog (alive and well) Crosby (as in Bing). Gable seems to be fitting in perfectly and is trying hard to make friends with all the dogs and Relay (the other cat). He has a wonderful playful personality, without that crazy streak that makes some kittens hard to manage. Stay tuned for more pictures and stories in the future.
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Sunset on the James River

Been a bit delinquent posting recently and I'm hoping to mend my ways soon. This was the sunset I encountered on my way to and from the grocery store this evening. Wow.

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Mothers Day 2009

Buttercups

Hard to describe the extent to which the buttercups have taken over my fields. Wow. Nothing but yellow as far as you can see --- or at least until the mower starts mowing. And even after mowing, it appears the buttercups start coming back within hours. They are beautiful (and very hardy) weeds for sure.

Spring has Sprung

Flowers flowers everywhere. The weather hasn't decided to stay completely warm yet, but signs of Spring are all over. The fields got mowed last weekend --- and there are many more weeks of that ahead. Here's hoping we can stay slightly ahead of the weeds. :-) According to the dogs, there are some great new smells in the yard too.