I love this photo!
I took it from the deck — a drone doing aerial photos of the house and property. The photos are magical — this is a beautiful place.
The deck — wow.
I took this photo from my bedroom door over the weekend.
This is looking towards the same corner yesterday.
All the tempered glass panes are back in place and the deck will be officially finished today 🎉
I hope your day includes accomplishments, achievements, and/or transformation. Big or small, they all matter.
❤️
I have Lucy Clover King’s birthday update but the photos did not come through so we are getting that sorted but in the meantime, allow me to update about other fun things.
Bright Star Sage is a model!
You can find Sage on a crate box — not IN the box! — at your local PetSmart. How cool is that?!
And speaking of cool, Wildflower Chase was in Missoula over the weekend doing Dock Diving and FastCAT. A friend at the show mentioned seeing a super fast Berner running FastCAT one morning— it was Chase.
Chase earned the FCAT title and had a personal best jump of 15 feet 9 inches in Dock Diving. Congratulations to Team Chase.
Capella blew her coat early this year and is sporting her cool, summery look but I had entered the two show weekends (and that apparently caused her hair to fall out) and so I showed her anyway. Here is the final tally (we are working towards her Grand Championship now):
In the ribbons every day with two Best of Breeds and four Selects
Eighteen Grand Championship points (need 25)
Four Major wins (need three ✔️)
Five beat at least one other champion (need three ✔️)
Placements in a Best Bred-by Group and Owner Handled Group
FUN ✔️
One reason I entered Spokane was that BVS was there doing x-rays and I wanted to add PennHip to the data I already have about Capella. She is OFA Good (and normal elbows) but some of her brothers did not fare as well in the hip department so I wanted the additional layer of information. I just got the results and they are quite good.
Breed average is 0.5 and Capella is 0.3 ⭐️
The deck will be finished next week.
My son-in-law is here helping me get the yard in shape — he is having fun with the new chainsaw. We had a late snow that took down giant limbs and so we have worked on removing those — except this one because there is an active robin’s nest in it.
I gated off the area and wished the Robin Family well. When they are done with the nest, we can deal with the tree 🪺🐣
This weekend is the annual Montana Tracking Test — my favorite! Lucky Socks will be involved 🧦
Happy Friday, Friend, and I hope you are looking forward to a wonderful weekend ❤️
This first photo is Kitsap with his brothers with their dad, Major, pulling the cart.
Major and sons
This second photo is Kitsap and his cart!
Kitsap
SO Fun!
Bridget sends us this Happy Birrthday update:
“Kitsap continues to thrive and learn. This year I saved my update a few extra days for two reasons. First, because we were up in Michigan on the Wildflowers’ birthday. Among activities we Kitsap to Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor where dogs are usually welcomed on the porch with a huge water bowl. This year although the bowl wasn’t out yet for the season, we still took our picture by the sign.
The second because Kitsap’s cart arrived, and I wanted to get it put together for a photo.
❤️
I am so proud of him. He has never carted before, never had a carting harness on before. Day 1 - He let me put the harness on, adjust the harness, figure out how to hook the harness to the cart, take some photos, and walked forward and backwards in the house about 15 feet pulling/pushing the cart. We started inside because it was pouring rain. Day 2 – We took the cart outside for the first time with great success up and down our street. Seems like he will take to this easily.
Other highlights of the year include passing his CGC test last June which for a guy who prefers no one step inside that six-foot social distancing circle unless you have been thoroughly vetted, heeling around others with their dog in a sit, and allowing a stranger to pet him without being loud was a huge accomplishment. Thanks to John Krasich, the wonderful trainer who taught Kitsap’s Mom how to be a better handler and provide the support Kitsap needs to succeed.
In agility Kitsap finally agreed to go up and over the A-frame and decided that is now a lot of fun and an obstacle of choice. Through the most creative problem solving you can imagine, Stacy Nevitt our agility instructor helped us find a winning strategy to making the full height dog walk another prefered obstacle, one chosen during choose your own adventure moments. We thought the narrow width was the issue until we watched something not to be encouraged, but Kitsap deciding near the top of the down ramp to turn around 180° and go the other way. He is definitely an agile Berner who knows with great body control. He also mastered 12 weave polls independently on his own. Once he agrees to stay on the teeter while it tips, he will be a great agility dog. Still his skills were strong enough to earn his ACT1 title and get one leg each on his ACTJ1 and ACTJ2.
Through John we got connected with Steve Ripley, a long-time tracking judge and tracker himself and we have been doing tracking lessons since September. We are close to qualifying to be able to do a novice tracking test. We just need a morning lesson without too many nesting birds or so much wind that we decide to track with our nose in the air and downwind of the track.
Travel was another big part of our year with trips to Colorado for Mom’s research which led to some great hiking at elevation and finding a little snow left even in July. It was off Delaware for Christmas and a visit to extended family. A quick trip to say hi to Mary-Ann at Berner nationals, the thrill of seeing Claire work her heart out for Mary-Ann on the freight haul up a wicked hill. Meeting Lori and Ruthie (Sparkler) was another bonus.
Wishing all the Wildflowers another wonderful year of adventure and time with family and friends.”
What a wonderful, fun life 🎉 Thank you, Bridget, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY KITSAP!!