it's the 16th...

Which means.... it's time for the "birthday photo".. and here we are at six months!!! I can't believe "so much time" has already gone by, and I can't believe at "how much" Abbie has turned into a little person!!! We can already "see" some of her likes and dislikes, what makes her happy, what makes her cranky. She sits very well on her own, and by the way she is pulling herself up, I dare say she will be crawling by next month's photo.

We started out in the "red chair/Tatter" photo.. but Tatter wasn't in the mood today.

So, we moved Abbie to the floor.














And then brought Camille on the scene.











But it wasn't too long, before "everyone" wanted in on the photo shoot.... so.. why not!!!

"Hi everyone, it's me... Abbie"

"Now, I wonder what I can get into??"

"Where did all my doggies go? I can't wait til I can crawl after them"....

Happy six months!!!!

a day in the city....

A beautiful spring day found Chester and I (along with Kathleen & Kelly, Teena & Freedom) on a road trip to NEADS for some one on one time with trainer, Dave. Although it wasn't exactly warm, everything is beginning to bloom and show it's wonder, and the ride down was full of great sights and grand company.

NEADS headquarters, busy today.. we couldn't even find a parking spot. Clients working with their new dogs, puppies arriving and leaving from the puppy house. Raisers (like us) coming to work... this place was hopping.

Dave had a plan to bring us into the city and see how the puppies handle all the "stuff" there. We stared out on a street corner, giving them a chance to get used to the surroundings. Truth be told.. I needed this time almost as much as my pup... city girl? NOT me!!!! I had "forgotten" how loud a city is!!!!

Our first stop was a parking garage with a glass elevator. This thing rattled and jumped and seemed "unsafe" (it wasn't...) Now, I have this "thing" about elevators, given a choice - I will take the stairs every time. I don't know what I "like worse".. the feel of them or standing in a very small box. Either way, it's not my cup of tea... but "my" dog didn't seem to mind!!!!

After that, we walked the "streets", played outside of the hospital, around some parking lots and the like.

Then we moved into the hospital. Is Kathleen praying??? Well, prayer does help in dog training... but actually she is working on "under" and using this bench as a practice point... Chester and I need to do this same sort of work. Under is a good place to tuck a dog out of the way....











We talked with a lot of people.... one thing, three puppies training as "service dogs" draws a lot of attention. It was great fun, and always an ambassador, Kathleen handed out NEADS "booklets" and talked about being a puppy raiser.


"Oh goodie.. more elevators... and glass ones at that!!!"






Chester enjoying his ride.... (if you "look" out the side, you can see how high we are getting).....










This was a beautiful place to work. The center is a big court yard with shops, food, and vendors of all kinds. This "garden path" is actually the second floor... and there are the elevators in the back ground. We played on the stairs, talked with more people, got advise from Dave.....












and worked in the parking garage before heading back to the car. It was a fun, exhausting day... I'm not sure who was more tired... me or my dog!!!!









We stopped for lunch/supper at the Cracker Barrel (a favorite with all of us). Talked over the day's events, the things we want to work more on, and about the fun we had. Very tired dogs slept under the table while we ate....

and crashed in the back seat while we finished the trip home.

working in the city is so different from our life here on the farm. But since I have no idea "where" Chester will "end up"... I do need to do more "city work". Fortunately we have some great small cities not too far from here and it's just a matter of going there. I still have the idea of a day in Boston one day soon.... but for now, it's time for a good night rest!!!!

and today...

At the end of our driveway, there is an old (almost dead) tree, we need to check with our neighbors and see about taking it down (it's right on the property line)... but, we have also discovered that this beautiful woodpecker has made his home there. I imagine this tree is just full of bugs, so it's probably a good home for him.. guess we'll have to think about "what" we are going to do. I would hate to take his home away, but the tree really has to go.





Got a second coat of paint on the living room walls. I was already happy with the green, but now that we have an "even" coat, I like it all the better. This is how it looks with the afternoon sun - in what will be "Ed's corner" - actually his big comfy chair is in the basement and he would like to bring it up. I keep telling him "no" because I fear if that chair arrives, there might be more napping than working!!!! :o)





I had quite a busy day today. Abbie was with us, and this morning was my "Women's Fellowship" group. So, Abbie and I went to that. Then we went to the farm, and Ed came down and helped with barn chores. (thanks honey - it goes quick with both of us doing them!!!)




Because I needed to teach dog class tonite, I only had a couple of hours this afternoon for painting. I decided that I would do Abbie's room.. with the four "straight" walls, I thought I could get it done in a short time. (unlike the downstairs bathroom, which needs it's second coat, but takes so long to do) so, we opened up the paint and I got to work. Sadie has chosen a very soft pink for Abbie's bedroom.. I was unsure of it at first, but once it was done, I began to like it.

Camille kept a close eye on Abbie for us. Actually she did a good job of entertaining her as well... Abbie loves the dogs, and they feel the same way about her.

First coat done, it will need at least a second, and maybe third. This will make a cute little girl's room for sure. Sadie is thinking she would like a dark brown carpet, and then I would like to make the curtains for the windows... can't wait until we can do projects like that!!!!

.. after watching Abbie all day, the women's group, barn chores and painting a bedroom... it was time to teach three dog classes. Tonite was graduation night, so, really it wasn't a "teaching" night, just review and fun... but still...

Here's the puppy class!!!!

And then the beginner adult class... and yes, that is five labs and one border collie....

this was a quick learning class and we actually got into some advance work. They were so much fun to work with.. on top of that, they all had perfect attendance!!!!

"me" and my students!!!!

Chester and Camille come to all my classes, they are used to "hanging" out until needed. Looks like naptime for Chester - using Camille as his pillow.





So, the end of a busy day...and tomorrow.. Chester and I head down to NEADS for a day of training... looking forward to that..

service dog day

On the road, bright and early this am.... Camille, Chester and I....

This "service puppy raising" thing has brought some very interesting things into my life. One being the "questions" we're asked when we are out and about .. and there seems to always be the top three... "who is NEADS".... "how old is he"... and "how are you going to give him up, I could never do that"....

"give him up"... well, first off "he" was (is) never mine, second, I knew what I was "asking for" when I signed on board and third....

Say Hello to Deb... an amazing young woman, who is waiting anxiously for her service dog!!!!! Deb is deaf and in a few "short" months, she will be matched with a hearing dog trained by NEADS. Today, we attended a fund raiser that she hosted to help pay for her dog.

It was a "silent auction" with the nicest donations... a live band... nice food.. and a great group of people. I met up with Kathleen & Kelly and Teena & Freedom... and we arrived to support Deb and show off "future service dogs".

Everyone was so gracious and really enjoyed seeing the dogs. Course, when that ever famous question came up (how can you give him up).. it had an easy answer... "Well, Deb can't get her dog until someone "gives it up".. and then we got smiles.. they knew what we were talking about.









Kathleen and Kelly, enjoying the music....it was a great day of "training"... lots of attention, and some good ol' fashion dog time.

And since LL Beans' was just up the road from where the fund raiser was held. We all took advantage of that, and took the puppies in for a bit of training. People, stairs, ramps, elevators... questions, children.. staff... all kinds of "great things"...

After such a busy day, three very tired dogs rode home.( And no, Camille isn't a "service dog".. but I like to take her where I can, we don't want any "hurt feelings!!!!) So another busy day to add to our list of "experiences".. later this coming week, it's a trip back to NEADS.. looking forward to that.

must love dogs...

Abbie is getting to that stage where something will catch her attention and then she will begin to laugh. I just love that "baby laugh"... you can't help but join in. Right now, her two big "laugh factors" are Chester and Tazzy. I think she likes Tazzy because of her black and white spots... and Chester, simply because he is such a goofy thing right now.

this is pretty much what entertained us last night.........

it's time to fly... again....

It's that time of year again, when our dog club and the Maine Coast Runners host the annual Flyball dog tournament. I meant to ask how many years this has been hosted by our sister groups... it has to be more than 10 (If I remember correctly)......

I used to be on the team with Moxie, we started back in 1998 and is the first official flyball dog team in the state of Maine. After Moxie retired from racing, I didn't have another dog that liked it as well... Trevor ran a little, but you have to have that "certain kind of dog" to play. However, I still have a "love of the sport" and do what I can to support the team. Which now comes in the form of "transportation". It take a lot of "equipment" to run a tournament, and with one kind of trailer or another, we can move the "stuff".

So this morning, Ed, Abbie and I hooked onto the trailer and met up with Shirley and Steve and began to load things to take to the arena. Because there are so many teams coming this year, they have to set up and run two racing lanes. We haven't done this before, but I can say, it was (is) double the work for sure.

Cynthia was happy to Abbie sit, so I could help with the unload. Everyone was so happy to see Abbie there, and we talked about the day when she might want a racing dog and be a jr. handler... poor Abbie, we have her life planned away.....

getting the mats put down was the first order of business.... these gals are "official mat weights"...

Lots of planning, measuring and getting things just right are in order!!!!

and the raffle table has all sorts of goodies to temp the players. Sadly, I have a busy weekend myself, so I won't be attending the event as usual. But I know there will be some good racing.. so if you are in the area... go and take a peek....

good luck teams, I will be anxious to hear all about it.....

check this out...

soooo... one of the birthday gifts I got from Deb was a subscription to "Horse Illustrated".. and my first copy arrived yesterday. It's the May issue which is really neat, because it's all about the miniature horse!!!! And not only do we have a mini....

But guess who's photo is in the magazine!!! Yup, that is Miss Mocha there on page 50. This is the photo that Dusty Perin took, which also made it into a book about minis (I blogged about that some time ago)....

goodness, first Silver made it into a magazine.. then Mocha's photo made it in the book.. and "chicken" has her photo in a magazine and now Mocha again... hope these residents of Sweetgrass Farm don't get too swell headed!!!!

come on over and have a visit, autographs are done for free.......

good day of work...

"wait til you see what my folks got done today... they were like crazy people working at the house all day. I hear there is something going on about us moving in here.. and maybe that has something to do with it. That will be great, because you know, I love being here at the farm, and it's going to be so much fun to actually live here"

Camille was right, Ed and I went crazy in the house today... we are on "crunch" time and any possible moment is now spent here. This morning, the down stairs bath looked like this.....

and before we took a break for lunch... it looked like this. Mind you, it's just one coat, and I'll have to do another.. and no, the painting around the tub isn't done, because the chalking wasn't dry enough to paint... but the basic part of it is done... and I at least know exactly "what" the color is going to look like.

After lunch, we ran down and got the barn chores done. I was "afraid" that if I didn't do them, I might be too tired at the end of the day to do them.... but, here is the living room before we went to lunch.......

and just before supper time.... here's the color on the living room walls.... it took me "forever" to decide on this "green".....











The funny thing about "this" green is... I had bought the small sample cans of green.. tried them, and then went and got more. But once I decided on a color, Ed pointed out that twice I had bought the sample size of this green... so, to have picked it two different times.. I guess it's the color that I really wanted.








Ed spent the day on the electrical side of things. It's hard when he has this project going and then is taken away from it, because he has to remember "where" everything goes. Today he got the lights over the mantel working... and they look so very nice. I would love to see them when it's "dark"... but today, had to settle for what they look like in the "daytime"... and now, as far as I know... all the electrical is up and running on the first floor.... check another project off the list......