Maya turns 13!!!

My sweet girl turned 13 today! A year and a half ago I didn't think she would make it another month. Her knee is very arthritic due to ACL repair surgery several years ago and she was having trouble getting up. Well modern medicine has come a long way... She is doing really well, very slow walking but still enjoys getting out and I hold my breath every time she has a sudden burst of energy to chase a squirrel.

She was even able to tolerate a grooming appointment now that she is relatively pain free (just before the Pandemic hit)

I moved a dog bed into every room so she always has a cosy place to rest her old bones.

She follows me around way more then she used to in the past years.

I'm really glad I got this extra time with her and I hope she keeps doing strong for a few more years.
Happy Birthday, Maya!

Autism Dog Services Graduation 2018

I was involved with the planning of this year's Grad ceremony. 15 teams graduated over the last year and a half so we gathered to celebrate this occasion.

One of my roles was to make the "doggie" bags for the Grads. These were TRUE doggie bags and included a toy from Piper's Pillows, poop bags, Eukanuba treats, a gift certificate to Ren's Pet Foods and a doggie water bottle for hiking.

I used my Silhouette for the first time in a long while to make the pawprints and personalize each bag...

We also gave small gifts to the puppy raisers, breeders and sitters.

It was nice to see all the families with their dogs who are now very clearly loved already...

So many beautiful dogs... Retrievers, Labs and Poodles...

Lots of yellows in this group...

We had a lovely potluck lunch with pizza and of course, cake and cookies..

It's always great to see the results of the fundraising efforts and hear the difference these dogs can make..

Pet Sympathy

I'm constantly adding to my Pet Sympathy selection. I feel there is a real absence in the marketplace for this type of card and sadly this is one we need to send when someone loses a beloved pet.
I like to work in multiples when I get an idea. Designing is not my forte.

I think this card has a lovely sentiment.. "Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog". Senior are so special.

We're off to practise for our Dog Show on Saturday. Wish us luck! Lindor does not like to move too quickly when its hot out.

Jovi

It's hard to believe Lindor had a yellow offspring as all of her pups were black or chocolate but this is her grand puppy from her chocolate daughter Eden and he's a blondie. Another of the sponsored pups from Loonies for Lindor has made it to Advanced training. Jersey, Java and Jovi were the 3 that were sponsored. I bet you can't guess who he was named after?

Rally Obedience

As we are nearing the end of 2016, I'm starting to revisit my 16 in 16 list, and one of my goals was to get another Rally Obedience title with Lindor. Although we still have one leg (one trial at one show) to go to get our Intermediate CKC Title, we have enjoyed taking lessons and practising and becoming more familiar with the sport. It's really incredible what the dogs can accomplish and so cool to watch the other handlers with their dogs. It definitely strengthens your bond and the labs especially love to be out and about working.

Lindor doesn't look too thrilled about her ribbons but I was happy with scores of 93 and 96. Maya decided to get into the photo shoot and show off her nice new haircut. She feels like a velour blanket. So soft. There was a little pudge under that fur though so we'll have to work on that over the winter.

ADS Auction Wrap Up

I got to hang out at Conestoga Mall yesterday handing out Auction prizes to the lucky bidders. It was a lot of work but we raised $3800 and that makes one family that much closer to getting a lifetime companion and assistant to help make their lives a little easier.

Max was the sweetest, softest Golden Retriever I ever met. I just wanted to smuggle him home. He is just about to be recalled to start his Advanced Training and his lovely handler will have to send him on his way.

What a great service the puppy raisers do for the community and so difficult to let these babies go.

Harley is a big ole yellow Lab that looked up everytime the Mall Custodian wheeled his garbage cart past.
He is currently in Advance training...

It was a busy day at the Mall and lots of people stopped by our Booth to chat and ask questions and make a donation. It was encouraging and made the Auction work that much more worthwhile. Now its on to the Christmas baking.

Collie Envy

Two of my friends just adopted dogs and I must say, I'm having a little "Collie envy".
Let me introduce Finn...

Isn't he just gorgeous? Those kind eyes just melt your heart. He's so gentle and calm. Rescued from a shelter, he's about a year old and was surrendered. I don't know how anyone could give away such a sweet dog. He's got the best family now and he's going to have a wonderful life.

And then there's Jupiter....

Ahhh! the sweet smell of puppy breath. Jupiter is about 12 weeks old and also came from a Rescue organization. She seems to be the calmest puppy ever, and those markings! I am a sucker for those eyebrows and she has the tiniest white tip on her tail. She's going to be spoiled rotten and have a great life with her new family. Can't wait to see both of these dogs grow and develop their personalities in the coming years.

The Milestone Misti

So I recently retired from my career as a Secondary School teacher. I have many good memories from those days but I am ready to have a little more free time down the road. My very good friends who know me so well got me a Misti with all the accessories. I am having a blast figuring it out and it certainly will become a very useful tool in my arsenal...

I had a wonderful PAW-tay and this is my favourite retirement photo.

I don't have many/any photos of myself recently and I really wanted one with the dogs. Look at the gray on Lindor's chin. She's going to be 8 years old on Wed. Hard to be believe. She just became a grand-doggy again as her daughter Eden had another litter of 4 pups. Maya is slowing down. She likes to sleep a lot and chase the odd squirrel despite a bum knee.

I am looking forward to planning my next Fund-raising endeavour and volunteering more, travelling a bit, and spending more time with my family and friends. OH and maybe reading at least 20 books a year! Looking forward to this next phase.

Maya is 9!

My sweet Doodle turned 9 years old. I thought it was yesterday but it was really today. Got a little confused by the Holiday weekend. She is doing well after knee surgery a year ago but is definitely slowing down. She is enjoying her time in the sun...

She got lots of pets on her birthday and enjoyed a long walk in the forest yesterday to admire the trilliums.

Spring?

After having such a mild, relatively snowless winter, we have been hit with a couple storms. Imagine, having a possible snow day in April. Yesterday, we had quite a dump and tomorrow the forecasters are calling for another 15 cm..

These two don't seem to mind a bit but I don't know how they manage to find the mud under all that snow.

It was quite deep on the shrubs but the sidewalks were clear by this afternoon so we were able to walk and that's all the dogs care about.

I was kind of late starting my yearly afghan project so I'm glad its still cool enough to have a large warm project on your lap..

Better set the alarm. Could be a slow drive into work tomorrow.

Freshly Made Sketches 226

Sympathy - I never seem to be able to stockpile enough of these cards. I would say people ask me for this genre the most. And since I need to make a little extra to pay for the Vet bills that keep cropping up, I thought I'd better get busy. Lindor has had a sickie belly and Maya had some minor surgery and a tooth extracted resulting in this...

Despite the dreaded "cone", getting soft canned dog food for the week kind of made up for it.

So enough about the dogs, here's the Sketch I worked with from Freshly Made Sketches...

I like to follow the sketches pretty closely and here's the card I ended up with (actually I made 6 of them)...

So that is my FIRST challenge in 2016. Pretty pathetic since my goal was to do 4 a month. Oh well, one has to start somewhere.

Christmas Cards

It's a bit late but I still wanted to post the cards that I made for Kismutt Rescue. I made 7 different cards and I couldn't make them too elaborate as they had to be mailed and also cost effective. All in all, I was able to drop off over 100 cards, about 45 Christmas.

MFT Pure Innocence Stamp

Taylored Expressions Stamp

Whippersnapper Stamp

Whippersnapper Stamp

Mo Manning?

Recollections/Micheals

Whippersnapper Stamps

It was a DANETASTIC day!

The weather couldn't have been better. There was a very large turnout. I hope Danes In Distress raised lots of money for their rescue. Here's a look at how I spent the afternoon just admiring these beautiful dogs.

We went on a 3.4 km hike. There were dogs everywhere.

Every colour and size... I think I'm partial to the spotted ones...

Near the end of the walk, they all got to frolic in some shallow ponds.

Unfortunately, I saw a few people on the ground during the course of the afternoon, those guys can do some damage when they're at full gallop.

Apparently, Great Danes are like potato chips. You can't have just one. This family had THREE!

Some of the beautiful dogs up for adoption. Never say never but I think I have my hands full just now with two. A great way to spend the afternoon.

Danes In Distress

Don't ask me why I am getting ready to attend the Daneathon tomorrow? It's a huge gathering of Great Danes, all running and frolicking together off leash. I don't really know anyone with a Great Dane, nor have I ever really known one personally but I think I've always harboured a secret wish to have one. I think because their splashy coat colours reminded me of my favourite Dalmation or maybe it is the adorable Marmaduke or Scooby Doo from childhood cartoons.

Danes in Distress is a local Rescue that helps to recover and re-home abandoned and unwanted Great Danes in Ontario. They seem like a nice group of people and they are crazy about their dogs.
Sooooo, I put together a nice basket for their raffle table, made them some doggie/Dane greeting cards and baked up some yummy cookies and tarts. It is supposed to be a beautiful day tomorrow and I'm looking forward to a nice hike and an afternoon with my friends, both furry and otherwise.

The Dreaded Lampshade

Maya is still on the road to recovery and unfortunately, that includes wearing the dreaded lampshade. Look at that poor sad face.
I'm sure all pet owners go through this at some stage in their pets life. Surprisingly, they seem to adapt to it pretty well, eating and drinking and sniffing the ground. Just can't itch or lick, 2 of her favourite things. Hopefully, won't be for too much longer.
In the meantime, she is getting lots of special treatment, massages, hot and cold compresses and lots of petting and one on one time.

Fat Beagle

A lovely story from Kismutt Small Animal Rescue, one of the groups that we support. A puppy mill dog survives a life of misery and has a happy ending. The story is called An Unlikely Pair. For Dog Lovers everywhere.

Daneathon

In the spring and fall, Danes in Distress host Daneathons on a private property just outside of Breslau. It's a large acreage with some ponds, well set back from any road so these magnificent animals can stretch their great long legs and play with others their own size. I was able to sneak in a smaller doggie version (Maya) and we had a pleasant walk with the big guys.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get their photos to re-size so you'll have to go to their website to see these gentle giants cavorting. I was able to get a couple photos of the boys with Morgan, the world's tallest living female dog. She's in the Guiness Book of World Records. What a sweetheart!

Unfortunately. a lot of people get these adorable dogs as puppies without doing proper research into their medical issues and taking into account the high cost of vet care, not to mention dog chow. It's a good thing there are organizations like Danes in Distress that are knowledgeable and passionate about this breed and work diligently to educate and re-home these gentle giants.