Kria

 Kria (Thórdunu Kría) was an amazing gift to me from my friend Silla (Sigurlaug Hauksdóttir) more that 15 years ago. She packed a powerhouse personality or temperament into her petite-ness. Never underestimate an alpha dog! No dog ever messed with her. She never exercised her power; they all just knew who she was. Clicking on photos will enlarge them.

She traveled to the US before Icelandic Sheepdogs were a breed recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and, as a foundation bitch, she helped make our breed in North America. I may be remembering wrong - at my age that's, I hope, forgivable. She followed Kersins Huld and Kersins Kata from Helga Gústavsdóttir to Michigan at a time when there were no Icelandic Sheepdogs in the entire state of Michigan and very few in the entire US.

She added her 'special-ness' to our gene pool here; she is survived by several of her descendants who are scattered across North America.

She was able to earn several performance titles in the AKC when our breed was able to get partial acceptance into those events. Unfortunately she never entered the 'breed ring' for conformation events because full acceptance came late for her.

She was not a lap dog, a sit on the chair dog, a fussy pampered dog. She resisted efforts at cuddling as being beneath her dignity. She insisted that she was a 'real' dog. However, I do have two posed glamour shots. Some of her descendants would very much like to be lap dog but we have rules about that. I suspect she would not have been happy that I'm sharing these last two photos.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

 Sunrises here are normally spectacular. I love watching the sky as it changes from first light to full sun.

We had a few, a very few nice days and were able to paint the exterior - otherwise we would have had to wait until spring. These shots show primer. That was finished and a coat of the true color was added.

This bluebird and a few others visited some houses used last summer by tree swallows and bluebirds. I wonder if they were imprinting the location in order to return next spring. I hope so. Regardless, it was very late for them to appear - and I thanked them.

Ullalvas Smari - from Sweden and Norway to Michigan, United States of America

 The Swedish kennel Ullalvas, which bred and showed Icelandic Sheepdogs in Northern Europe, belonged to Lillemor Kullman who worked with Arne Hakon Tunheim, who bred and showed dogs under the Norwegian kennel Isheim. (I currently have Bear [Bersi av Isheim] who is 15 years old now. There are some photos of Bear at the end. Bear is one of Smari's sons. ) Icelandic Sheepdogs traveled with the Vikings to Iceland more than a thousand years ago, then back to Europe and now to America. Clicking on photos will enlarge them.

Ullalvas Smari

Ullalvas Smari was a multiple country champion (Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg) bred by Lillemor. She passed away more than ten years ago now. Arne has been storing some of Smari's frozen semen, which was collected in 2006, with the Norwegian Kennel Club (NKK). I hope one day to be able to use his semen myself perhaps with my Kit and also with a few other selected female Icelandic Sheepdogs.

Ullalvas Smari

Smari won championships in many of those countries. Here is a list of the champion titles I've had in my BreedMate data base for many years: INTUCH, NORDUCH, SUCH, LUXUCH, DKUCH, NUCH, FINUCH. He was a spectacular example of the breed. Lillemor Kullman and Arne Hakon Tunheim bred amazing dogs. Some of those dogs now have descendants in North America.

Ullalvas Smari

Arne has been working with me for several years now in order to make some of Smari's frozen semen available to North American female Icelandic Sheepdogs. We have followed the instructions of the American Kennel Club, AKC, regarding imported semen. The certified pedigree from Sweden has been accepted by the AKC. The ownership of the semen has been transferred from Arne to me and a statement stating that has been accepted by the AKC. The collection facility, The Norwegian Kennel Club, NKK, has issued their statement to the AKC stating the number of straws collected by them in May, 2006. Of course Smari was registered with the Swedish Kennel Club but now his semen has an AKC identifying registration number. A DNA sample has been collected and identified for inclusion with data stored by the AKC. Smari had an identifying tattoo which has also been recorded with the AKC. The number of units/vials has also been recorded.

Ullalvas Smari

The shipment from Norway to Michigan was not without issues but wonderful and special people in the Norwegian Kennel Club especially Dr. Ragnar Thomassen, FedEx, Customs, and Joe and Dr. William Schultz helped us, patiently helped us, along the way for which I will forever be grateful. Arne has been especially helpful, calming, and tolerant; I really appreciate what he has done for all of us.

Ullalvas Smari

Smari's frozen Semen is being stored at the Schultz Veterinary Clinic on Bennett Road in Okemos, Michigan. Implantations of semen will be accomplished by Dr. Schultz. (We don't want to increase the possibility of problems by any further traveling of the semen.) Dr. Schultz and Joe took the DNA samples and sent them to GeneSeek: A Neogen Company in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Ullalvas Smari

I am humbled and honored to be able to share this wonderful gift with a few special Icelandic Sheepdog breeders here in the US and/or in Canada.

The selection of breeders and their female Icies will not be easy I believe. We've been told that the best candidates are females that have already had one successful litter. I suppose that's to make sure that everything works. She must have good hip scores. (Smari has HD-A hips.) and good eye test results. The owner/breeder must be willing to travel to Okemos, Michigan which is next to Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. (AKC shows/trials are often held in that area.) 

If anyone is interested, I can be contacted for more details using my Frontier email. Caution: my email address must be typed in each in order for the email to reach me. (Instead of just simply hitting "reply". Those "reply" emails often leave and disappear into the ether. I don't get them.) I am now and have always been interested in doing what is best for the breed. I try very hard not to get involved in the intrigues and issues that sometimes complicate things. I will, we will, always try to do what's best for Icelandic Sheepdogs regardless of "complications. 

jaimehansen1@frontier.com

Some photos of Bear - son of Smari

Bersi av Isheim

Bersi av Isheim

Bersi av Isheim

Bersi av Isheim

Interior Construction Shots and A Visit

 Progress is slow and relatively steady. The guys come about twice a week and work hard while here. Clicking on photos will enlarge them. The drywall is mostly up but is still being "mudded" and sanded. The wall separating the laundry from the new office has been partially cut down leaving a "shelf" for me to put some tchokkies on. Maybe my blue glasses - so the cats can knock them off.

This birch tree looked great behind the pole barn. 

The leaves are gone now.

Tracy makes great bouquets - last flowers of the season

Tracy and Jon watching the ships pass before eating 

Farmers Market Breakfast in Port Huron

Tracy's pear and apple galette

Canada behind the ship

Could we swim the river we wondered

Gulls and Migrating Mergansers in my front yard

Absolutely the last dahlia this year

The tubers have been dug and stored now

Autumn Leaves

 Progress is still being made on the construction  of my new office/sitting room albeit fitfully. The fall colors have been amazing, gorgeous but sadly the leaves are still in color and on the trees. Clicking on photos will enlarge them.