Saturday, December 28, 2013

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Question: - - - - 

Are these two photos from my northern house in Palms, Michigan or my southern one in Royal Oak?

                                               Clicking on photos enlarges them.

Monday, December 23, 2013

I got this posting (below in italics) from Suzanne who has a new "puppy" Icelandic Sheepdog - named Tryggur. (The puppy photo of Tryggur below was taken by Veronica Dowling of Hidows Kennel in Michigan. Tryggur was bred by Veronica and Cathy Lallemand of Thrymheim Kennel also in Michigan.)

"Tryggur is working on climbing trees! He's caught 3 birds in the last week!"

She had seen my earlier posting from December 12 about bird-catching Icelandics.

Suzanne recently "discovered" Icelandic Sheepdogs; she's been doing agility for some time now and never, NEVER, thought she would do conformation (the breed ring stuff). Yet here she and Tryggur are now and doing very, very well! Yea team Suzanne and Tryggur! I had a long awaited chance to meet them face to face (muzzle to face?) when they were in East Lansing, Michigan recently. I am so glad I had the chance to meet up with her. I feel like I've known her forever and Tryggur looked even better than the first time I saw him.

I have said for years now that Icelandics have a way of moving in and changing the way you think about things. Another lady I know is going to be breeding Icelandics soon and she never, NEVER, thought she would ever do that either.

From David

I asked him where he got the image for the carved outline of the dog. 

- from your book! Duh!!

Pretty cool, eh? (I live next door to Canada.)

Grand Champion Vinlands Sunna

It's Official: -

On Friday, December 13 Mike and Sunna showed under AKC judge Mrs. Jacqueline L. Stacey at the Medina County Kennel Club show in Ohio; Sunna earned Best of Breed and finished her American Kennel Club Grand Championship.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013 - Sans Souci

Early this morning I took up some books and one of my music scroll sheets to Sans Souci. On the way up the weather was fine; on the way back I traveled through some 'lake effect snow squalls' with an empty windshield washer fluid container.

                                                 Rear view with Jason's truck.

                                Looking back at the front of the house from the bluff.

             Looking at Lake Huron from the front door. Just beyond the trees is the bluff.

                                                The road leading to the house.


Some outdoor shots. Clicking on photos enlarges them.

Jason the ceramic tile guy from Ubly Floors was working in the shower area of the bathroom when I got there. 

                                                                     Kitchen.

                                                      Dining and study area.

                                                                    Bedroom.
It looks like the primer and one coat of paint has been applied to the walls.

                                    Fireplace and mantel in the gathering room.

                                                  Fireplace in the bedroom.

The fireplace stones and mantel were installed by Jeff Taylor and look really nice. The mantels are rescued barn beams found by Ron Ramisch and Clair Kramer in an old barn owned by the Pohl family who have been farming in Michigan's Thumb for quite some time.

Fur Length

Those of you who know me know that I slightly prefer shorter furred Icelandics. I like the somewhat neater look and I definitely love the, for me at least, easier to care for shorter furred dogs.

                                                                  Kersins Kata

                                                                Vinlands Totty

A question came up about the fur length on the tails of shorter furred Icelandics. Their tails look more like bristle brushes. Longer furred Icelandics have long fur on their tails also, of course.

                                                            Vinlands Piaf - Pila

                                                              Vinlands Sunna
 
Here are a few of my Icelandics (above) showing the shorter fur length on their tails and two longer furred Icelandics (below) for comparison. Look at their lovely tails. Please do NOT get me wrong. I LOVE them all. I hope we collectively never prefer one fur length to the exclusion of the other.

Below are longer furred Icelandics.

                                                             Alaskastadirs Korpur

                                                            Vinlands Wodin

All of these Icelandics, in my opinion, are beautiful, handsome dogs. I love the variety in our breed. May the amazing variety of fur length, fur colors, color patterns, et cetera always be part of their heritage. I hope we never lose the diversity.

Sunna - American Kennel Club Grand Champion

Mike showed Icelandic Sheepdog Vinlands Sunna to American Kennel Club judge Mrs. Sulie Greendale-Paveza on Thursday, December 12, 2013 at the Richland County Kennel Club show and earned Best of Breed.

Then on Friday, December 13, 2013  Mike and Sunna showed under AKC judge Mrs. Jacqueline L. Stacey at the Medina County Kennel Club show, earned Best of Breed and finished her American Kennel Club Grand Championship.

                                               (Clicking on photos enlarges them.)

 

This is Sunna's informal ringside photo from Friday after she finished - however, you can be sure I'll post the formal show photo when it arrives. I am so incredibly proud of what Mike, Debbi, and Sunna have accomplished in a very short time. Sunna is a shorter coated Icelandic Sheepdog. Most of the Icelandics being shown have longer fur so this is some vindication proving that judges will not only accept the short coats but like them too.

Sunna's parents are Foothills Laki, an American Kennel Club Champion owned by Colleen Schmidt of Michigan and Vinlands Totty, also an AKC Grand Champion.

Hringa

This post is for Marissa, the human, who is owned by Hringa, the Icelandic Sheepdog. She sent this photo of Ric, her father with Hringa in the boat. He's wearing a life vest; she isn't! Hmmm.

Ric also sent me a photo of Marissa a while ago. Do I think Hringa is spoiled? Hehehehe!

Look at that face. To borrow and slightly change a phrase - is she "Lady" and "Mistress" of all she surveys? Uh, yup! A tad spoiled? Perhaps. I think Icelandics have a way of moving in and changing your lives, in a nice way of course.

Blanda's Blikki Lazy River of Jurassic Valley

Years ago when I first got her from Iceland, my wonderful Icelandic Sheepdog Kersins Kata surprised me by climbing trees to catch birds. Of course, OF COURSE, no one believed me.

Just now my friend Ruth Laub who lives in Switzerland sent these photos to FaceBook and is allowing me to share them on my blog.

She bred Blanda's Blikki Lazy River of Jurassic Valley (above) - I love, love, love her kennel name, don't you? - Blikki was climbing trees to get bugs that are destroying their trees. Ruth calls them Asiatic bugs and I suspect that they are the same bugs that came over here to Michigan in wooden palates and destroyed our Ash trees. We are destroying our planet - wholesale - on all fronts at once.

I suspect that Blikki and Kata (below) are distant cousins - don't they look just a little alike to you?

In former times our dogs lived out in the wilds with flocks of sheep and horses for parts of the year and often had to supplement their diets by foraging for small rodents, birds, etc. They are extremely smart and adaptable.

You can search for Lazy River of Jurassic Valley to find out more about Ruth's dogs. Please do.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

No new photos today - too cold.

Brian and I went up to the house today to meet with Clair who was working there with Ryan and Eric. We played with the two barn beams that Ron and Clair had found and decided where to cut them and where to hang them for the two mantles. Clair said the limestone for the hearths should be delivered tomorrow.

Mary Ramisch joined us a little later and we talked about what colors we were going to paint the walls now that the drywall work is finished. Mary said they would start with the primer tomorrow followed by two coats of paint. The primer will be sprayed on. 

I think the colors are going to be wonderful! The bathroom and the outer walls around the bathroom are going to be the same color - dark. The rest of the walls are going to be another color, same palate but lighter. It is so nice to (finally) be at this stage. I'll have to ask Brian to remind me what the names of the colors are. We used Sherwin-Williams to decide on the colors but Mary will actually use Pittsburgh paint instead.

We talked about the switch plates, plug plates, and heat vent covers. Mary will have the wooden heat vent covers stained to match the floor; the plates will be metal and painted the same colors as the walls.

We also talked about the wood floors and chose red oak with a very interesting dark stain; later Brian and I talked about possible laminate colors for the counter tops; Brian will look for something fun and appropriate.

At the time, unfortunately, I did not realize that Ryan, who I had not met before, is a landscaper. I asked Clair earlier if he knew someone who could build be a gold fish pond. I think Ryan is the person he mentioned.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Jennifer and Sylvia knew from the day Leif was born at the very end of the year almost three years ago- - - -
                                      (Clicking on photos will enlarge them.)

Nicki King was driving to weekend shows in North Carolina when her truck and trailer with all her dogs and equipment ran off the road on Friday as she was exiting from the exprsssway to the show site. The truck was totaled but Nicki and the dogs remained safe and secure in their crates, although they were shaken up. It was a very rough start to the weekend; however, Nicki put back to back Group 2s on Lee. Angel-Jennifer flew down to help Nicki pull things together.

On Saturday, December 7 Lee was awarded his first Group 2 of the weekend by American Kennel Club Judge Shelley Hennessy at the Forsythe Kennel Club show in Winston-Salem North Carolina. Lee was awarded his second Group 2 placement on Sunday, December 8 by AKC Judge Roger Hartinger  at the Forsyth KC show in Winston-Salem North Carolina.

Lee - Nicki King

Here's handler Nicki King and AKC judge Shelley Hennesey pictured with Lee in the latest ad copy for the Canine Chronicle. I think this is my favorite show photo.

                                             (Clicking on photo will enlarge it.)