The question of the day - how did Scout do at Agility?!

Thursday was the last day for planning, we hope.  There were incidents.  Starting with losses of paperwork that required a couple of hours of searching followed by an 'aha' moment of the 'I can't believe I did that variety', Lee enjoyed a trip to Truro to take the correct papers and the two sets of keys to the van we turned in.  The dealership was relieved since they had had a similar morning searching for those keys.  Gotta love Our Ken and his penchant for a pocket full of keys - anybody's keys will do.  Then it was home to load dog and cat and off to Eric for a vaccination and some blood work.  Einstein passed his test and was as good as only Einstein can be in the car.  Billy on the other hand found the up close and personal trip with his nemesis fraught.  And since there is the rule of Regalridge that you cannot go to the Vet without going to Costco, it was back to Costco for yet more dog food, dog bones, 'a good mat' (Ken also cannot pass by mats, batteries or light bulbs) and a chicken pot pie to accompany us to Woodstock.  Home again home again with a detour to collect Pharmasave offerings and we discovered our company who were coming for dinner already in the driveway.  Hmmm  Had a quick take on the dog, put up ears on Tony - no wait, maybe it was Tony's puppy - and we were on to a meal.  A full day and the lists weren't complete.  We missed a trip to Chantelle's and are sorry for that.  The tv swap has begun but did not get finalized.

The kennel is ticking along nicely.  Lucy continues to manage Nemo who continues to live his life in her thrall.  Lucky continues to explain the errors of our ways.  Poe is managing nicely and waved good bye to the Tippy-pretender.  And the suite is ready for the arrival of Keegan and Kelsey. 

The house dogs are well.  Billy had a good going over by Eric, finding it a bit personal but otherwise not a big deal.  Einstein purred his way through his exam and agreed to the blood work.  His 15 year old cat blood was quite good with some indication that kidney values might be a bit off.  A lower protein diet was ordered and we will see how that suits His cat-iness..

Dinner was late but acceptable.  A green salad with Ken's little yellow tomatoes and Ken's green pepper was followed by spaghetti a la Lee, garlic bread and finally pumpking pie.  There were no complaints.  And we are on to Friday and packing

The yard is being decorated for the season - the new vehicle is red

Days are busy at Regalridge as we sort through the 'must do' list prior to leaving for Virginia.  Included in the list was the television replacement (so Chantelle could thoroughly scare herself to death watching bad movies|) and the new van.  All was accomplished.  There may be a vehicle on earth with more bells and whistles than this van but if so, it has a name on its side denoting it as a royal passenger ship!  The light cream interior has Lee a bit unsettled and the new technology will take some time to sort through but it sure is pretty sitting in the yard.  Ken continues to garden and tomatoes are still abundant - amazing for the end of October. 

The kennel is quite busy as well.  Lucy is managing Nemo until the end of the week.  He really must find life without her ministrations quite different.  With her care and concern, he doesn't have a moment where he must think for himself.  Lucky is settled and eating well.  He is a big Lab with many thoughts on life in general and kennel management in particular - those thoughts are freely shared.  Poe is relaxed and in charge of his own space.  People are allowed and even encouraged to share it with him - dogs are another story.  Poe's rules are inviolate.  Tippy has been kidnapped by aliens and a different dog has replaced him - looks like Tippy, is ambivalent about food like Tippy, enjoys his bed like Tippy but is benign.  We are hoping that the real Tippy will be back for the owners' return.  In the interim, we will enjoy the replacement. 

The house dogs are fine, are enjoying the clement weather and are underwhelmed, as always, by hunting season.  The banging in the woods is unsettling and seems to be far too close, although there are no woods in our vicinity.  A rumour has been heard, though, that Chantelle who lives in a more wooded area has a new pet.  Scout is bonding with a resident porcupine.  Chantelle is a bit non-plused about it all.  It was baseball night and with the new television the game was literally in the den.  By mid-evening the dogs are ready to enjoy life at a slow pace so with six very large dog beds strategically arranged, it was a period of musical beds for all.  The Norwich, of course, had the largest.  The Welsh, of course, had the favourite (with a permanently curled lip at the ready for anyone who dared look at her).  That left the remainder for Our Charlotte, Patti (Lee was in her chair much to Patti's disgust), Marilla and Nick.  Nick, always the gentleman, shared with Piper, who lights only for a moment in fear that she could be missing something occurring elsewhere, with Lori who gets too warm in front of the stove and has to go elsewhere to cool off and with Lori who claims her territory and then won't give it back. Observing the logistics, the machinations and the posturing is a full time job.

Dinner was early - or at least we tried.  It was grilled tenderloin roast with caramelized onions, new potatoes from the garden boiled quickly and then grilled with wonderful BC salt (thanks Ralph), squash from the garden and shitaake mushrooms.  We did not suffer.  And life is ready to unfold tomorrow.

We have seen the West - and were impressed

Apologies for the lack of blogs over the past week.  Ken and Lee were in the West - Calgary and beautiful Lake Louise.  All was well at Regalridge courtesy of Chantelle's usual level of care.  The Laurel puppy now has a name - Lily is a great new addition.  We are enjoying her solid and thoughtful presence.  She has bonded with Viola the Welsh and both are happily in charge of the fenced area between the house and kennel.  Ken spent several days in Calgary with Reg, Catherine, Gillian and Tim (Brunswick and their new addition Spirit).  It is an active household with dance, music and hockey punctuating school and work lives.  The dogs hold everything together and are well valued members of the society.  The walking trails and parks that border the area are fabulous so with great weather, we all were able to enjoy time outside with the children and Airedales, even being chased down by new residents to find out the provenance of the Airedales.  The trips out and back were with Westjet - direct flights with no issues.   Accompanied by lots of magazines (Walrus, the Economist. Atlantic and National Geographic) the time went by easily.  There was even a shopping moment as Lee received the detailed info on the new Astec Reader from her seat mate.  With an ability to hold hundreds of downloaded books, no limitations on the books it will carry and an amazing battery life, there will be new technology at Regalridge in the near future. 

The kennel is doing well.  Marguerite the Regalridge Airedale is in residence and not delighted but beyond that all are settled in.  There is some concern, however.  Something dire appears to have occurred with Sir Tippy.  He is friendly!  Ensconced on his bed with a Regalridge comforter added for extra softness, he allows entry to his realm, nods his head in welcome and is settled in.  It would be hard to replicate Tippy but we are concerned that his owners are toying with us.  Poe is here and is being Poe.  He is happy at Regalridge but would prefer being the only dog - the others are a distraction that he could do without.  Miss Lucy is caring for her Nemo and is working hard.  She accompanies him everywhere, waits for him with her usual concern for his ability to move forward without her and shepherds him on his walks around the yards.  Lucky the Lab arrived mid-afternoon and settled in with a long chat about life over the past year, updates on the family and his thoughts on the future of the world debt crisis.  It appears more is to come. 

The house dogs are fine.  Patti has discovered a new Pro Plan food and loves it - Select Chicken is now her meal of choice.  Clem was here of course so there was a line up for the potion.  The puppy is thriving and all of the rest have gone to their homes.  They have developed new skill sets ranging from interior design to grooming capabilities.  We are mightily impressed. 

Meals have been interesting.  There is no recommendation that you should go to the Chateau at Lake Louise for food.  Casa Regalridge is superior and that is somewhat unfortunate.  We cannot compete with the view! 

Tony the intrepid reporter earns an A+ and Logan wins another BIS

The week end is rolling along and every minute is filled.  Adding a dog show is an interesting twist and we suspect Jo has no idea whether she is coming or going.  There were lots of good Airedales at the show and we very much enjoyed the Portuguese judge's comments.  He was highly impressed with the quality and condition of his Airedale entry, moved every dog several times, checked coats - both quality and trimming - put his hands where you hope a judge will put his hands and overall was thorough and knowledgeable.  Clint managed a two point win going BOW and Bella managed another two point win with her impressive BOS.  Lola showed very well her first time in the ring, capably piloted by Chantelle. While we did not have any expectations of her given that it was her first week end to show, we were pleased with how well she performed for Chantelle and she was given careful consideration by Sr. Oliveira.  The day unfolded and we returned to Regalridge early afternoon to get the Bess the puppy ready for her trip to Pennsylvania.  Tony continued to provide show reports, making all of us a bit envious that he and Karen were at Montgomery but also providing much needed updates of the wins.  We were all highly appreciative.

The kennel is moving forward.  Allan is happy in the country and packing his bags to finish the vacation.  Pippa is equally bright and looking spiffy with her new haircut.   Abbie the Lab is managing all that she sees and loves the job.  Bella the Bernese is looking after her yard and is happy as a Bernese with room to roam can be.  Brunswick the Poodle-mix is full of enthusiasm and strong minded.  We suspect the vacation in this case is for the owners. 

The house dogs are well and happy.  Patti is thriving, the Norwich are in charge and Dolly looked after Jo to make her feel welcome.  The Welsh puppy has departed for his new home in Cape Breton and by Tuesday mornign we will be down to one little Airedale. 

Dinner was Thanksgiving revisited.  There was turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy, dressing and brussel sprouts, cranberries and tomatoes with Maytag Blue followed by pumpkin pie.  All is welll.

Tony is a star and the dogs did well too

All is well in NS this fall day.  The sun came out, it is warm and pleasant.  The Truro dog show is held in a large animal exhibition building - think rutted dirt floors, no heat, birds in the rafters and the occasional bird on the floor just for comic relief.  Add to that a relatively small footprint outside and a thoroughbred horse sale on the grounds and you get the sense of the day.  We stayed as long as was necessary.  Miss Bella managed her two point major, Logan a Group 2 and baby Viola a Group 4.  Jo and Lee had an interesting afternoon.  Jo realized on her way to NS that she had neglected to book passage for the puppy on her return trip.  She did that on arrival but was a bit unsettled about her conversation.  So, she called US Air again and discovered that the pup had been booked as carry on.  That would not work.  Lee called and spoke with a number of US Air call centers (most of them way offshore) to finally be told that US Air does not ship dogs as cargo - only in cabin.  So,, Air Canada came to the rescue.  With a pleasant Canadian call center and a great agent, Jo has a relatively reasonable ticket to a slightly less convenient destination.  But it will work and Bessie can go home so all is well - if slightly pricey.  Tony again managed a heroic feat  - all results from Devon came in as wins were given and it was almost like being at ringside.

The kennel is well.  Allan is doing fine and enjoying his vacation at Regalridge.  Pippa is here for a short stay and had her spa treatment a la Chantelle tonight.  Abbie the Lab is fine and managing the entire kennel.  Brunswick the almost-a-Poodle is a great dog and is looking after his yard in Poodle-y fashion.  Lucy the Bernese is here and settled for her week end.  She is always an easy visitor.  Coco the Airedale arrived late for a short stay.  All are eating well and really enjoying the great weather.  And that's it in the kennel.

The house dogs are fine.  Patti is bouncing around.  Jo has picked out her puppy and is enjoying her first female dog.  Piper was glad to have everyone home early and helped organize dinner activity.  Dolly shared herself around - she does love Jo.  Nick was happy with the kitchen activity and the Norwich encouraged all to do more, faster, better. 

Dinner was in Jo's honor - planked salmon, risotto and a walnut salad with fennel and Ken's latest tomato harvest (small yellow fellows that were fabulous).  The apple pie is now a memory.  And we are on to tomorrow

Thanksgiving has arrived

Friday was the start of the Thanksgiving week end at Regalridge.  Ken managed to fit a visit to see Kendra into his day - taking some of the harvest including the beautiful dahlias.  Her surgery is in the offing and we pray that it will be the end of this rocky road.  We began giving thanks by welcoming Jo.  She was up all night to enable her to fly to NS and arrive in time to help make Thanksgiving dinner.  We had earlier assessed our options and determined that Friday was our best bet.  So between Tony's most excellent reports from the Hatboro Dog Show, Lee started kitchen activity in the fast lane.  Our Ken had been hunting and gathering and toted us a free range organic (whatever that means) turkey.  It was fabulous.  Knowing we were missing Montgomery week end was tough so Tony's class by class updates were a tremendous boost.  Likely it made the big dinner possible because Lee stayed focused between the laptop on the kitchen table and the cutting board.  Chantelle made cameo appearances throughout the day,  It took that many trips to get her mail that had backed up.  Jo brought treasures from State College including almost a round of Maytag Blue.  How great is that!  Then there were the coffee making accessories (remember, Jo and Mary were the purveyors of the best-coffeemaker-in-the-world) and a new fancy weather station for Ken. 

The kennel was busy with comings and goings.  Allan is still in residence and contemplating life.  Abbie the Lab is having a whale of a time, expressing herself as only our Abbie can.  The very Poodle-y Doodle is happy as only a very Poodle-y Doodle can be - delighted to see everyone.  Pippa has arrived for the week end and is scheduled for a spa treatment.  Trebia is still running the exercise program and is tickled to be of help.

The house dogs are happy as clams with decent weather and Lee in the kitchen.  It doesn't get better than that in Piper and Nick's world.  The rest are taking the cues from those two and from Patti who is organizing all.  Clem is happily moving between houses, finding her best spot to be in the way in each residence. 

Then there was dinner.  There was the wonderful turkey, Ken's squash and mashed potatoes with gravy(garden items), turkey dressing (Jo pronounced the hi-light of her meal and had seconds!) baked tomatoes with blue cheese and brussel sprouts with balsamic and bacon.  There was wine, of course, and finally apple pie from the orchard apples with an old cheddar or ice cream.  And tomorrow brings the dog show. . .

A warm fall is upon us and all is right with the world

It was another lovely day in NS.  Our Ken spent the day gathering the harvest.  We have a dining room full of squash, potatoes in the pantry, apples from the trees and yet more tomatoes.  Even the odd green pepper appeared as the crops came in.  The tractor pulled the loads and the squirrels supervised as they went about their business of laying inside the bird feeders and scaring the birds away - nothing like hard working squirrels!  The house is also full of flowers.  At this point, it is dahlias in all sizes, shapes and colours and from Woodstock there are hydrangea.  Lee organized in preparation for Jo's arrival and began preparations for Thanksgiving dinner. 

The kennel is quite busy for early October.  Allan is with us, contemplating life as only an older Welsh male can.  Morgan, London and the Norfolk are holding the fort, quite secure in their thought that their owner should be back sometime soon.  Abbie the Lab is managing her yard and has taken ownership.  Brunswick the Golden-Poodle mix (heavy on the Poodle in this case) has settled in and is a great dog.  He is a bright and curious youngster, loves people and enjoys his meals.  He has already been introduced to the big yards and is impressed by the space available to explore, provided Ken was quite close at hand to offer back up.  You never know what a fence might do if it gets riled.

The house dogs are well and happy.  Potions are well taken although we are disappointed that Costco no longer carries flax oil.  The Airedale puppies are well and the little Welsh has developed a great personality - confident and solid.  All are well into their routine with lots of outdoor time.  Nick is managing the kitchen, Piper is managing Lee and Patti is managing everything from her leather recliner in the den.  There are few workers but there are lots of white hats on those Airedale heads. 

Dinner was a fall classic.  There were ribs and baked potatoes, fried green tomatoes and bread pudding.  All is well at Regalridge.

Lovely weather and major hunting combine

It was a day of coming and going for Our Ken while Lee held the fort.   The van is due to be replaced and the chase is on to find a suitable conveyance.  Included in the search will be torture for other manufacturers' agents as Our Ken moves to find another Town and Country - the only outcome that will satisfy him.  There are precious few at this time of year that are available here but there are several "in transit" and there is little doubt that one will reside at Regalridge.  Lee spent the day on CKC paperwork and made some small progress.  It was also a day of receiving images from owners of Regalridge puppies.  Water seemed to be the theme.  There were swimming Welsh, fetching Welsh and sailing Welsh - all with water as their backdrop or medium.  Who knew?!  As the weather continues to exceed expectations, painting continues to be the project.  The miles of fencing is reverting to pristine white and sections are being replaced that the hurricane wreaked havoc upon.  Tomatoes continue to ripen and find their way inside as does zucchini - right Chantelle?  The parade has marched to Kennetcook for the work week - to return for a bit on the week end as we ready ourselves for the shows and Jo's visit.  And rumour has it that a little Airedale in BC has both a name and an ability to exhibit forward momentum while on a leash. 

The kennel is ticking along.   Abbie is chortling.  Trebia is racing.  Allan is studying his options.  The Welsh, Norwich, Norfolk trio are scratching their heads and trying to figure out where exactly their couch has gone and what has happened to their personal care-giver.  London is perhaps the most forgiving.  Morgan the least - look out for repercussions in spite of his happy countenance as a result of his spa treatment.  He is certainly a lot more comfortable.

The house crew are settling into the normal routine.  Nick has Lee's lap to wipe his face after his drinks.  Dolly has Ken in his chair so her head can rest comfortably as she gazes at him (and of course at his plate).  Piper is back in the bedroom at night - and glares at Chantelle's door even though she isn't in residence.  The Norwich are parked on the couch with Ken every time he lights - but then, no doubt they did the same with Chantelle - any port in a storm is their motto.  The Airedale puppies are thriving and spending their days on the deck playing Airedale puppy games.  The Welsh puppy is growing and eating well - having moved to the big puppy playpen on the week end.   He has a roly poly penguin for company and uses it as a punching bag - much to his amusement. 

Dinner included tenderloin, vidalia onion, roasted squash and potatoes and tomato casserole with pesto followed by pumpkin pie.  Life is back to normal. 

Woodstock was eventful

Ken and Lee are home yet again.  It was a trip to Woodstock to visit Lee's Dad and to give her brother (the Saint) a little break.  It was an interesting visit.  There was dinner out on Saturday on the arrival and all was well.  Dad has progressed from the walker to a cane and has much more mobility than was the case three weeks ago.  Still, on Sunday when we were ready for the pilgrimage to the US to stock them up on Houlton Farm Dairies milk and Caines relish, there was an event.  Our return found us facing a note that Greg had taken Dad to hospital.  We regrouped and drove (quickly) to the Emergency to find Dad just being interrogated by a great nurse who had taken him ahead of the rest of the waiting room.  We responded to questions and Dad was quickly found a bed and his great ER doctor - the same fellow who has seen him on his three previous visits.  He is a talented ER specialist, knows the history and is pro-active.  We had a good chat while Dad had a CT scan, x-rays, blood work and more blood work (Dad and Lee both have a very uncommon blood type and we are suspicious it may have been in short supply!).  Some hydration, an iv antibiotic and we were out of there. 

The kennel turned over in the two days Lee and Ken were away.  Chantelle trimmed dogs and trimmed dogs and trimmed dogs.  In her downtime, she managed the kennel activities and bonded with Breton.  Breton encouraged Chantelle to let her try the big yards so Saturday evening was her trial and she managed nicely with Cooper showing her the ropes.  Breton then ate up a storm and decided vacations at the kennel may not be quite so bad after all - Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda . . .  Abbie the Lab is in residence for a fall vacation and is exercising her vocal chords with gay abandon.  Old Allan is doing well and is thriving as always.  Barrett waved Trebia good bye on Monday, much to her disgust.  Morgan, London and the Norfolk are settled in and content.  Morgan has had his spa treatment and explained repeatedly to Chantelle that this would not have been his owner's intention. 

The house dogs had a great time with Chantelle.  With Billy in Woodstock, Nick decided that he too was on vacation and Atlas could be in charge.  Atlas took those responsibilities seriously and hit Clint on the head with every toy he could find.  We aren't quite certain the intent of that messaging but it did make Atlas happy.  The jury is out on Clint's thoughts.  Chantelle's dogs were in residence and the activity level was high.  We are down to three Airedale puppies.  One will leave for Pennsylvania with Jo, one will go to Calgary with Ken and Lee and one stays at Regalridge for the moment.  The little Welsh also leaves this week so the puppy count will be down.  The full parade occurred at bedtime with Ken bringing up the rear providing the percussion. 

Dinner was Vito's lasagne (there was a stop at the Moncton Costco on the way home) with garlic bread.  Then it was on to unpacking.  And life goes on . . .

We bid Adieu to Ralph and 'Yeats'

Ralph left and we miss him.  With him went the lovely Male puppy and a host of memories.  We reckon it was a trip well spent.  The puppy was wise to the idea of a cross country flight so managed to sort out all bodily functions at the Halifax airport.  The good news is that he was clean as a whistle on arrival in Victoria.  The day unfolded around that pending departure - few questions were left unasked and few concerns unshared.  A planner is Our Ralph.  The remainder of the day was catching up and sorting dogs.  The remaining Airedales are madly searching for the 'lost puppy' so are getting lots of exercise.  Their suspicion at the moment is that it must be the lure of the squirrels that has taken him away. 

The kennel is busy.  Otis the GSD has settled in and is doing well - moving easily to the big yards.  Lucy the Welsh departed and Nemo is completely lost without her.  We anticipate Len is just putting his Welcome to Halifax party together and will be here to collect Lucy's friend soon.  Allan is settled and sharing his thoughts with the neighbourhood, enjoying the big yards and warm days. Abby the black Labrador,  Cooper the Golden and Breton the Chesapeake Bay Retriever arrived and settled in.  The worrier is the Chesapeake who is deciding on the potential of the food and determining next steps.  Breton ate his meal through the night after his initial protest. 

The house dogs are well and happy although Atlas would like to know what we did with His Ralph.  Nick, ruler of the kitchen, is also missing His Friend Ralph and little Abigail notes that Her Buddy Ralph's lap seems to have disappeared.  Clem enjoyed her day at Regalridge, returning to her usual spots behind Lee's feet with a smile and a toss of her head, knowing she had Lee captured and happy with her prowess.  The little Welsh puppy is growing and enjoying life at Regalridge.  He is completely weaned and bright as a Welsh can be.  He will be a talker, with a true sense of himself and his place in the world. 

Dinner was our local gourmet pizza.

Hunting and Gathering is taken to a new level

There are days when hunting and gathering is taken to a new level.  This was one.  Ralph 'needed' some East Coast items.  And off he went with Lee to pillage the city.  Bedford offered up Pete's Frootique and Cucina Moderna.  Cream of Balsamic anyone?  Then it was on to the bank - there will be stories that teller is able to tell for years to come.  Julian's then provided the baguettes to accompany dinner and it was time for lunch.  Ralph's dream of lunch turned out to be a donair (apparently this delicacy is not quite a Victoria staple) so we were on to Barrington Street.  Ralph was happy with Venus Donair (Lee declined the opportunity).  A trip to Bayer's Lake filled another small void and added to the Paderno coffers (Did you know that they have a red AGA in the showroom!).  And then to the Vet where a lovely martingale leash was added as well as the Kong flying saucer that Ralph was eyeing on the puppy deck.  Finally it was Fisherman's Market and home again, home again. 

The kennel is increasing in number.  Lucy departs soon but is tremendously bonded to Nemo so we assume the pair will leave together.  Barrett had a good spin through the interior of the kennel with Chantelle, ears flying and a big smile as he greeted Trebia in her run.  Otis is in residence and settling in.  Morgan, London and the Norfolk like their bed (mostly managed by the Norfolk) and London is managing the kennel, explaining the routine to the rest and explaining to Ken and Chantelle what they are doing wrong.  Allan is here and he is serenading the vicinity of his run, offering his thoughts and suggestions for improvement.

The house dogs missed the usual kitchen activity levels but managed to keep busy going into and out of the door trying to keep cool in the tropics of Belnan.  Have we mentioned Ken has turned off the air conditioning and it is hot and humid here?  Piper is temperature unhappy and adds her complaints to Lee's.  Nick is in the kitchen or den but not on the beds - the floor is cooler. 

Dinner was not bad.  There were fig crackers with a whiskey cheddar, a mango and orange cheese and an herb local offering.  A good start with Jamiesons' or the McCallan.  Lobster cakes were the more formal introduction to the meal and were fabulous with Ken's tomatoes as an accompaniment.  Chantelle surfaced at about that point (it was Agility night in the city so we were dog sitting and Chantelle had a sleep over) so joined us for the next course - hot lobster a la Ken, the baguette, fiddleheads and a Cabernet.  It was a multi-hour meal with lots of stories.  Finally it was fresh peaches with raspberry sugar and Hagen Daz chocolate followed by Tony's liqueur, Poire William and a raspberry liqueur.