Merry Christmas

To family & friends!! Happy Holidays and I hope everyone has a fantastic new year and many great adventures in 2012!!

Jackie, Meg, Rayne and Family

Moving.........

Not only are we moving into December but our family is moving back into town this weekend. After 2 wonderful years on the acreage we decided a flip was in order ~ We sold our house and are moving back into town with plans to rebuild on another piece of land in the next year or two.
I'm looking forward to being in town and avoiding the winter driving across the highways, so far the weather has been very mild but I'm sure it won't stay like that till April....
So, I will be very happy next week when I'm all settled in our new home.

Headed to Cold Lake AB this past weekend for an agility fun day. Was great to get away with great friends and work the dogs. Rayne did pretty good ~ She has lots and lots of learning to do yet but I see so much promise in her......

Meg had an interesting day as Camryn decided she wanted to be out on course and of course Meg was called into duty. Meg was a trooper checking in with me after Camryn gave each command.... I felt like a puppet master ~ directing Camryn what obstacle to go to next and then making sure Meg followed...

I hope that Camryn stays in the doggie world and we can travel to many doggie events together....

Still waiting for my little blue doggie to come into season so I can get my Walker puppy.... dreaming everynight about the new additions :)

Another weekend of trialing :))

Meg was good as gold again... Competing in 6 runs and qualifying in 5 out of them ~ earning 3 titles this past weekend!! Now if she would only listen to me and come into season........ I am eagerly awaiting as I'm so excited for my next pup! And we have so many great homes lined up.......

Rayne has been participating in agility classes and doing amazing! She has impressed me so much and reminds me of her daddy in every way. She is smart and quick and is loving all the equipment. I'm very excited about our competition career together...

Spent last week packing for our big move back into the city, I'm sure not going to miss the drive in on the icy roads. Will really like not having to plan an extra 1/2 hour for the drive.... but will miss country living, but my hubby already has our next house built picked out so I don't anticipate we will not be in the city long.

Stay warm and have some hot chocolate :)

Agility Trialing Again!!

Well, after 2 years away from agility (doing a few demo's and practices here and there) Meg and I entered a full weekend of trialing. She is such a good girl, qualifying in almost everything and always trying her heart out :) I love this little dog so much. Looking forward to more trialing with my little blue doggie.

I find myself reflecting alot about Ice. I miss him so much ~ 7 years was not near long enough with him........ I think of my dogs now and truly know that every day is a blessing with them cause you just never know.......

Still haven't found a house ~ who knew there wouldn't be anything available!! Good thing the couple purchasing our home aren't in a hurry!!

Enjoy the fall peeps, days are going by fast........

Seize YOUR day

October

Holds a new exciting litter on the way (I hope) Meg is due in season sometime soon and I couldn't be more excited to welcome another generation of Vispera puppies. Meg did such a great job with her last litter and all the pups are doing so well I'm excited about my new little puppy.
October is bringing changes to us, as we are in the search for a new house!! We sold our acreage to a wonderful couple with 2 little girls and decided to come into town for a few years until we find the perfect piece of land. So, house hunting here we come.
As well just came home from a 3 day grooming seminar with some of the worlds best groomers. It was truly inspiring, so glad I was able to take it in. Learned lots about running a grooming salon and how to do the little things and make your salon stand out.
Excited about the future :)

saying goodbye........

Is never easy ~ In August we said goodbye to a wonderful freind, sidekick, babysitter and one of the greatest aussies I have ever met and had the wonderful opportunity to share my life with. Ice left us after a short battle with Cancer.......it was quick and took him swiftly. We will miss him dearly.

Things are moving quickly into September already ~ was planning on going to a herding clinic the first weekend in Sept but life got in the way... So sad and dissapointed I missed out on Dave & Trudy Vicklund and their invaluable teachings, but also on the great company a herding clinic provides.

Looking forward to a few things over the next few months (Meg x Walker litter) Camrose show and also the Lloydminster show where I get to watch 2 friends take their Rottie pups in the ring for the first time :) I know they will do great!!

Still enjoying taking pics whenever I can and feeling my way around photoshop..it's a lot to learn but it's coming :)

July flew by!

Well, where did July go??? Spent most of the month working but was able to slip away to a few things ~ went to a 2 day ASCA show as well as to the lake for 2 nights with great friends. Storms have been plaguing our area so getting anything done is tedious........ Have wonderful family that came and helped us out while we were at the lake. They prepped 2 area's for seeding to grass as well as dug in some flowerbeds for us.......words can't describe our gratitude for their thoughtfulness and hard work!
I'm intently watching Meg as she should be coming into season early Sept.... I am so excited about this cross and can't wait to have puppies again! There have been so many nice litters this summer........
Continuing to shoot my camera anywhere I can. This past weekend was able to do a few pics at our Agility Demo in Clandonald.

Looking forward to Camryn's 4th birthday party later this month ~ we will be having a Black Beauty Theme........

Where is the summer going.......

Have been very busy doing so many different things. This past weekend we travelled to Wilkie SK (small, small town) for Shane's godmother's 80th Birthday. We were able to visit with family we don't get to see too often....... It was very nice.
Then this past Sunday headed out with Shelley, Tara and Camryn and travelled the hour and a bit to Provost AB for a visit with Debbie Markowski and her litter of Outstanding Aussie pups. These pups are some of the best you will ever find and the quality was outstanding. I was very excited to see these pups as my Rayne x Derby pups will be cousins to Deb's pups..... I was NOT disapointed! These pups were outstanding ~ Deb has a tough choice to make on who she's keeping and I have a tough wait for my pups next spring!!!
Back to work today (Monday) Will be looking forward to getting into my garden this week as it's gotten a little away from me.... Lots growing, peas, carrots, onions, potatoes, corn is coming along nicely.
Dogs are all good ~ enjoying their almost daily quad runs (as am I). We often come across some kind of wildlife that I love to sit and watch.......
Hope you are all enjoying the summer :)

Rayne didn't let me down

Well, I hit the road with bestie Shelley G and we headed to Southern Sk for 4 ASCA Shows. After having Rayne out of the show ring for well over a year I was hoping her and I both would just get around the ring! Well, we did more than that!
Rayne was "on" and we walked away with 2 Best of Breeds from the bred by class and 1 Best of Opposite over the 4 shows.

Couldn't be more proud to have this great young girl and to have the judges recognize and find her in a Winners Bitch class of Outstanding girls!

Thanks to PASE australian Shepherd club for hosting and thanks To Kelly Campbell for allowing us to stay in her motorhome......makes it easier to go "down the road" with a place to stay.

Thanks to great friends Terry Stickle and Deb Markowski for the laughs and good times! Loved seeing all the aussie folks that were there........

So, Rayne needs 2 final points to finish her ASCA Ch. Not sure when I will be able to get to another show but we hope to finish her soon :)

Jackie

Great Last 2 weeks!

It has been a busy 2 weeks!
Headed off to my "getaway" if you call sleeping in your truck for 3 nights, during a downpour watching dog/handler teams fight the sticky, yucky mud for 2 days a "getaway"............ I sure do!!! Loved every minute of it! I was trial secretary for the ASCA trials held at the lovely SwedeLee farms so I mostly got to sit in a nice warm truck and help time/scribe for the judges. You can learn so much by sitting with the judges ~ but it is always easier to see a handlers mistakes when your not the one in the middle of it!

Was able to get 2 good days of shooting in and picked up some helpful tips and pointers from good friend/mentor Cathy B.... I will never be able to repay her for everything she has given to me in advice.

Then it was a busy week at work followed by a busy weekend ~ attended the Lloydminster & District SPCA Dog Jog today and once again had my camera ready to take some pics. Was a great day followed by lovely supper with our neighbours.......life in the country is good :)

And now it's Sunday night and I can't wait to see what next week brings!

ta ta for now :)

Excited!

I have been looking forward to this week for a while now........ It's the herding clinic/trials at Swedelee farms starting Thursday. It's 4 days of working dogs, talking with other herding folks and I'm hoping getting LOTS of practice with my camera.......

This past month has been very hectic ~ the store girlfriend Tara and I own/run has gone through some changes including me being chief groomer girl. I have had years of grooming experience and have spent lots of time with our grooming team this past year learning a few new tricks, so when one gal left us for other pursuits and one gal getting sick and put in the hospital it was down to me to carry the load. It was a challenge but in the face of adversary you either rise up and face it or turn and run, I didn't have a choice ~ I faced all the dogs that have come into our shop and 99% are wonderful clients with only a few bad apples thrown in. I do have to say though that I am looking forward to a bit of a break.......

Will hopefully have some tales to tell and pictures to go with it!

Have posted a pic of Lia (Tray x Meg) daughter - 6 mths old helping with the flower pots this year........

All kids from Tray x Meg are doing fantastic ~ so pleased with them.....and their owners :)

tata for now.......

Catching up.........

Well how time flies.......days seem to march by quickly these days ~ maybe it's the 100+ hour winds we have been having this last week!
Was able to make a trek to Provost to visit with Mentor Cathy and good friends Deb and Terry and Terry's lovely litter of puppies. These pups are special to me as they are Ice's Grandbabies. What a lovely lovely bunch of puppies ~ fell in love with all of them and would love to bring one home if I had room/time for another little soul........need to concentrate on the kids here first.

Congrats to Talise & Pauline (Meg x Tray daughter)for picking up their first leg in Novice Rally Obedience over the weekend. Talise is just over 6 months old and from pics and video's Pauline sends is doing great! Will enjoy watching this team.......

Also Congrats to Jo & Rojo (another Meg Tray puppy) as they entered their first conformation show over the weekend. From what Jo says Rojo did very well ~ with his only competition being his housemate "Gunny" (a mature male) this show was a good learning experience.

Looking forward to the Herding Clinic/Trials coming up this June in Central Alberta. 4 days of catching up and gaining herding experience from people much more experienced than I.......(If you would like more info email me at jackie@vispera.ca)

Looking forward to some nice warm weather and getting out in the yard ~ hope you do the same!

Spring is here - I think...........

The past few weeks have been full of adventure :)

Lets start with a week ago yesterday and my friend Tara's litter being born. Tara has Rotties and now has her very first litter on the ground (we are excited for her :), the puppies are now a week old and I am so thankful I was able to be there when they were born. Abbey the mom was in labour but hadn't started strong contractions all day so at 4pm we decided to pack her up and head to the vet just to see if we could get an xray and see if anyone was blocking progress, sure enough! A big boy was blocking the way and thus Abbey couldn't get started. So, we prepared her for a c-section. I was able to help prepare her (thanks Animal Hospital) and be one of the puppy rubbers :). I LOVED it ~ grabbing those wiggly little black lives and getting them going is a feeling unlike any other........
So, When it was all said and done Abbey was the proud mommy of 11 babies!!!

Will be exciting to visit a litter and not have to be responsible for it ;)
Then I was able to help dock their tails (a simple banding procedure).
My next excitement was going to Camrose with Shelley G! Was so very excited to get away to a dog show for a few days and spend some time with friends. It was great to catch up with the "aussie" world for a few days and see what everyone has been up to. Some nice dogs were being shown and some good times were had. And when we got home I promptly got our truck stuck! And by stuck I mean BURIED in our driveway!! To make matters worse my hubby Shane was out on the road for work so it was just Camryn and I at home..... Thank goodness for family! My mom and dad and the plow man came to my rescue!!!!



Then good friend Terry Stickle from Adelyn Aussies had a litter of 10 puppies! These pups are sired by an "Ice" son and I was thrilled to be able to go see them and help Terry with her tails :) A wonderful bunch of pups that I am excited to watch grow.

So, spring is in the air ~ pups are being born and snow is melting!

Middle of March already......

Geez, where is this year going? Things are pretty quiet around here. I am enjoying a day off today and have accomplished alot! Cleaned bathrooms, floors, laundry is all caught up (even dog bedding!!)Baked cinnamon buns and bread.... Garage is cleaned out and crates rearranged.... I know I'm obsessed with crates because I have at least 20 and keep rearranging them.... (for 3 dogs??)

Looking forward to best friend Tara's upcoming Rottie litter. The whole whelping process is probably my favorite. I love holding those brand new babies as they take their first breaths! Tara's rottie girl is a big girl and with just under a week to go we are excited! I have my overnight bag packed for when that call comes :)

As I look outside I can still imagine my dream of having 20-30 sheep and a few paddocks to work them..... I know this year isn't going to be a reality but I hope soon...
I really want to become a herding judge and can't wait to get trialling my dogs again and get on the path to become one.. I spent some very valuable time with a friend/mentor Heather Forbes last summer at Dog Tale Ranch and she cemented in me my love of judging and why I want to stand out in the sun and watch dog after dog try to achieve that perfect run........

Well, off to find something else to clean or bake....... hmmmmm

Ramblings for March

So, I am now a puppy free house :) With May making the big trek to Finland (and doing fabulous) and Kalila's gramma home from Mexico I am back down to my regular crew. It seems like such a leisurely life after a few months of chaos......
Funny story about puppy "May". A week after she left I had a customer in our store and she spotted Kalila and Oak (2 Meg puppies) that were visiting with me and asked what kind of dogs are those? I told her Australian Shepherds and she said "Oh, my husband met a couple last week in Calgary who were from Finland to pick up one of those kind of dogs" I was almost speechless and said "That was my puppy" she promptly informed me that it could not be MY puppy as the puppy the finland puppy were picking up had a tail ~ and since these 2 puppies had no tails it certainly couldn't be the same litter. After a little chuckle, I said "Yes, indeed that would have been my puppy and asked if the couples names were Lotta and Toumas........ she seemed surprised that yes, those were their names......and how would I know that ;)
It is such a small world that a customer of mine would have a connection with people visiting here from Finland to pick up a puppy from me :)

Yesterday best friend Tara and I headed to Edmonton to get supplies for her exciting litter of Rottie puppies she is expecting. This is Tara's first litter and I am so excited she has let me be a part of it :) It is going to be very different to help whelp a litter of puppies that all look exactly the same!! Tara has all her supplies, just needs to get the whelping box built and we are expecting puppies (via frozen semen) March 20th. Abbey (rottie mom) is sure big with still over 2 weeks to go...... I love helping and learning so this is going to be both for me.

The Camrose show is 2 weeks away and I am so looking forward to getting away for a night with best friend Shelley and hangin with dog show folks :) It's been a while....... I will not be showing anything this show unfortunately ~ but soaking up all the experience :)

And I have to include a funny Camryn story...... Camryn is the light of my life ~ she makes me laugh more than anyone I know (and if you know Shane, I live with a pretty funny guy :) she is the best snuggler (besides Meg) and I love hanging out with her. Every day, EVERY SINGLE DAY, she asks to go back to Jamaica........I told her that Jamaica costs a lot of money and mommy and daddy don't have lots of money ~ well Ms. Camryn being the sweetheart she is, looked up at me with those innocent eyes and said "Mommy, you can have my money...." how sweet is that!

Well, It's a lazy Sunday morning, we just finished pancakes and bacon and are looking forward to a movie date with Camryn this afternoon and maybe a game of ball with my crew before we go :)

Enjoy your day!

May Arrives in Finland

So happy that little May had a great trip and has settled in over in Finland. Looking forward to following her and Netta and know they will have a great lifetime together!
Things are settled down here and it's so nice. I have a few funny Camryn stories..... out of the mouths of babes,

Camryn asked when we were driving home the other night "where is May", to which I explained that May was on a plane to her new mommy. Camryn was quiet for a moment and then tells me "I have a new mommy too!, and I have to go on a plane to Jamaica to see her" when your 3 life is full of opportunity ~ including gaining a new mommy in Jamaica.....lol
Sometimes the best talks are on our way home, it's not a long drive, only 20 minutes or so but it is enough time to hear all about her day at daycare and who pushed who, who her best friends are and what her teacher said.......I love our drive home talks :)

Looking forward to the March Camrose dog show to catch up with some friends I haven't seen in a while. Won't be showing dogs much this year as concentrating on getting the store up and going strong before I take some time out to dog show.

Driving into work this morning it was a balmy -35! With the windchill it is around -47.... too cold for me........ Hope it warms up soon ~ hard on everyone when it's this cold.

Saying goodbye to May

I have been at work most of this week (had Monday off) and have had Meg x Tray puppy May here with me. She is such a busy little aussie puppy.... never skipping the opportunity to have a play with a grooming client or a cuddle with a customer....
Everyone loves her including me and I am going to miss this little red whirlwind. She is my constant shadow ~ if I go to the grooming room she is on my heels, if I'm stocking shelves she is back and forth from the stock room to the shelf, she always has an ear turned my way incase I just might move.... Weren't puppies suppose to spend a good chunk of the day sleeping?? Not little May.....
She handles everything in stride, baths, nail trims, meeting people and dogs, nothing bothers her.....
I know she is going to keep her new mom in Finland very busy ~ I can't wait for updates once she lands.
We have finally had our cold snap snapped! It's a balmy -2 today....... makes for lots of grooming calls as people don't like the muddy, yucky paws from dogs that have gone all winter without their haircuts.....
Looking forward to a weekend off to spend with Shane & Camryn. The rest of Feb and most of March will see Shane on the road away from us so we take advantage of our time together when we get it :)

I just wanted to Drive.........

So having a three year old in ones life is always full of entertainment! Camryn is a delightful child always telling us stories and she definately has her own mind about things. The other night I was lucky enough to have my sister pick her up from Daycare and take her to our mom's so I could work with a few people and their dogs. When I went to pick Camryn up everything seemed fine until we got loaded up in the good ole explorer to head home. Then the fireworks started ~ I wasn't quite prepared for the onslaught of tears, wailing and for the life of me couldn't figure out what the problem was! After screaming the entire way home and telling me she was less than pleased we arrived home ~ where Camryn to her dismay realized Shane (daddy) wasn't home.....and was going to be stuck with me. Still mad and distraught she collapsed in a cuddle with me on the couch where I was finally able to pry out of her why she was sooooo mad....... She said "Momma, I just wanted to drive" sniff, sniff..... Well, what to say to a 3 year old turning 15??? I chuckled and explained to her that even though she "is" a big girl she isn't big enough to drive........
This goes hand in hand with me finding her in my bathroom applying makeup the other morning.... *sigh* where is the time going????

Dog update: Still have little May at home with me for another few weeks. She makes regular trips to the store for socialization. It has been so cold here this past month it's much to cold to leave her at home. She is a delightful little pup that is very very busy. I can't wait to repeat this cross down the road.

The big dogs are all doing great. Rayne is blowing coat which seems absurd since it's -39 here!! Meg and Ice are going to be getting out more at agility practice. Just decided I have to suck it up and put myself and my dogs first for a while..... So ~ agility practice here we come!!! Going to try to get Camryn to start working Ice a little. He is such a well behaved boy I know they will be a great team in the years to come!

Looking forward to some warm weather soon!!

Talise in Alaska

As always, Pauline sending through some beautiful pictures of Talise. She is maturing very nicely with Pauline and I am excited to watch her grow. Thanks for the udpates Pauline!

Break in the Weather

Suppose to be a break in the weather this week ~ down to only -2/-3 for most of the rest of the week. It's been a pretty slow January at work so I have been able to catch up on emails/cleaning/projects I've been thinking about but unable to get in the "works".
Having a hoot with little May, she is so outgoing and busy....... and from what I hear all her sister's and Rojo are exactly the same. Shelley brought Kalila in on the weekend for a play and the two puppies played for hours without slowing down....
May finally crashed when it was time to head home :)
It's been great for her socialization to have her here at the store ~ Hoping for some nice stacked shots today ~ she had a nice warm bath this morning and is all fluffy and cute again :)

I am really going to miss her as is my little girl Camryn. Camryn is very fond of her ~ She is a very bright pup and I hope to repeat this cross down the road.

Deep Freeze in The North

So, haven't blogged in a while....... Realized that I am going to try to keep up this regular ~ even if nobody reads it it's nice to have a record of the past.....

The past few months have been busy and I am trying to calm things down. Of course that's easier said than done ~ With Shane being gone most of January I find myself as a single mom (kinda) running a business as Tara took some much needed time off this January ~ so things are still hectic but not like December was.
December was filled with a growing litter of puppies ~ trying to get them out the door before I left. All but 3 were able to travel to their new homes and all settled in just fine :) It is very rewarding to get those excited emails from the new puppy people saying how they just love their new sidekick. Rojo & Lia (Trouble) made their way home early January and little "Snooki" or her name May will be travelling home Feb 16th (my birthday). I am really enjoying having the little squirt with me, she has been making regular visit's to the store and learning how to get into Trouble! She is one of the busiest puppies I have ever known.. Rarely sleeping ~ I hope they won't send her back!!! :)

It is very cold this week so dogs are in x-pens in the heated garage when I'm at the store ~ not ideal but better than the -37 degrees outside....

Trip to Jamaica was wonderful ~ would definately recommend to anyone thinking of going there. Camryn was the greatest little traveller! On the way down it was a 12 hr ordeal from when we left Edmonton at 3am to when we got into our resort that night late..... She never fussed once, slept when she was tired and took in all the sights/sounds. Christmas on the beach was so much fun! I would love to go every 3 or so years and have Christmas on the beach.....we will see :)

Hopefully this deep freeze lets up soon..... -10 would feel balmy right now!!!