Spring is finally springing...

...so we finally are getting outside to do some yard work here. Of course I have a team of highly experienced assistants to help me in my yard clean up and gardening efforts. Before any planting can be done the yard needs to be properly cleaned up, surveyed, and prepared.

The team surveying the site.

Inspecting some yard waste...you can see a pile of sticks and brush that we collected in the background :)

Excavation

Watson supervising.

Break time

Hey did you know there is a hole here?

Menchi's finished excavation efforts :)

Picture Time: Hiking Edition

Took the Curly Tails on the first extended hike of the year today with Laura, Sunshine, and the three remaining puppies of the litter that have not gone to new homes yet.

It was a little chilly and it did snow on us just a bit...but the dogs clearly had the best time ever. I think part of what made the hike so successful for them is that they found all the dead and disgusting things...all of them!

There was an unidentifiable, slimy smear of some sort (good for rolling in), a dead vole (one of the puppies found it and tried to eat it...was foiled by a determined Laura, though), a dried up and putrefied deer carcass (delicious), something slimy and highly disgusting (which Watson consumed before any of us could do more than look horrified), and a dead weasel (best toy ever according to the basenji puppies).

So now the dogs are dirty, stinky, and tired...mission accomplished!

Also Menchi managed to get a cut on her leg...which may need a trip to the vet on Monday  >.<

...but you are just here for the pictures, aren't you ;)

Sunshine and a zooming Watson in the background.

Menchi, with loads of sand on her snout, leads the pack.

Takedown!

What? What are you looking at???

Sunshine, Menchi, and puppies.

Sabe getting puppy mobbed.

Still being mobbed.

Watson <3

Menchi's happy pei face.

More Watson :)

Happy girly <3

What do you smell? I dunno, but it is delightfully disgusting! We should eat it!

Puppy

Pretty, little girl!

The end!

Fun and accomplishments...

It has been busy in the house of the Curly Tailed ones. There were social occassions to prepare for and attend, errands to be done, new friends to be met.

Even with life being busy the there was some time in there to do fun dog related things. Watson and I attended the "All Hound Fun Match" put on by the BCOSW in March. He showed off some tricks he learned for everyone. I got to try and show one of Watson's breeder's 3 months old puppies. The puppy herself was less than enthused about being expected to trot about the ring ;) Lets just say she entertained the crowd...

We had a great time at the match... Watson always loves being admired :)

Menchi passed her Canine Good Citizen test this last Saturday. Now we can work toward getting Watson his.

The plans for this year are to get Watson his CGC and JC (lure coursing title), Menchi her CA (also lure coursing, but for non-sighthounds), and have both of them try a agility foundation class. There may be more, but lets start simple and go from there :)

Other than that heel work needs much improvement and oh...the stays...they suck!

Sad news...

Last night I learned that Menchi's breeder passed away in early February. While I was not as close with her as I am with Watson's breeder, who has become a dear friend, I find myself deeply saddened by her loss.

I suppose it is because she is the person that gave us Menchi, the little dog that makes us laugh at least once everyday. She gave me a great gift when she entrusted me with that 5lbs puppy.

When I met her she was a lively, energetic person and that was just about 18 months ago...scary how fast people can be gone from you like that.

My sympathies to her friends and family...