Life returns to normal at Regalridge

It is Wednesday - and a week later than the last blog.  Lee has been in Winnipeg so activity at Regalridge has been high and running short handed.  The highlight of the week was Chantelle's successful week end at the Cobequid Dog Club shows.  She and Ken managed to spend two days in very very cold conditions and finished a championship on Jessie Rachel, put two more points on Clint (who decided that dog shows are good places to show off) and started little Viola (who decided that she would take a page out of Clint's book).  A handful of ribbons and two happy campers greeted Lee's return.  There were lots of challenges in Winnipeg (not the least of which was Lee's appointment as Interim Chair of the Canadian Kennel Club) and it was a bedraggled and slightly off center woman who came off of the plane.  One comment on Winnipeg - it is a lovely city, the weather was great and the people are tremendous.  The fact that you have to be at the airport two hours early to ensure you get on a departing flight has absolutely nothing to do with the hospitality of the city!  The Project moved forward with the door into the feeding room becoming a Dutch door thanks to Tom's ingenuity and Clem's disgust (how the heck is she supposed to surreptitiously  get to the feed bins with a door knob and no opposable thumbs?

The kennel has sorted itself through a sea change of dogs.  Jack the Airedale arrived for a long visit and is settled in as a companion for Sophie.  She is delighted to have a male Airedale to boss around.  Dossen was here for a visit with the usual Bernese enthusiasm and intent.  Barrett arrived to shore up Trebia's lagging spirits and the game was on.  Kirby stayed until early in the week - and has decided that chicken pot pie is among his favourite menu items.  Heaven help his owners!  Allan (Jack's brother) is here while Heather is gone to warmer climes and has decided that a good spin a couple of times a day does his constitution well.  Kirby decided that if Allan could do that, he could do it as well.  Barrett departed after his week end shenanigans and Kirby waved good by early in the week.  Dossen is home and life is settled in the kennel. 

The house dogs are doing well.  All are eating and taking the potion.  May is getting the spoon at the end and is enjoying the addition to her day.  Scout went to Agility Class and in Chantelle's mind was the star - would be interesting to hear Brenda's version of that . . .  He also has learned navigator skills as co-pilot - Chantelle is going to have to give some serious thought to crates in cars or learn how to be smarter than a Welsh Terrier (new television show theme perhaps?!).  Piper is delighted and a bit relieved to have Lee home.  She tried out Chantelle's lap on the week end and pronounced it a lot shorter than the one she is used to.  Einstein has decided that if Lee is going to go away for any more weeks, he is going as well.  Life for a cat is boring without anyone in the office - hunting those pheasants under the chestnut tree is pointless if there is nobody to hear your best hunting terms as you sit in your cat bed in the window. 

Dinners were eclectic given Lee's absence and dog show timing.  Costco supported meal times with pumpkin, chicken and meat pies and wings and garlic bread (or at least that's the rumour).  Lee's return brought a sigh of relief and a turn over of the reins.  Bar B Qued chicken was last nights' offering with smashed potatoes and peas, cranberry sauce and mustard pickles.  Life will go on . . . 

Ken is off and running and the rest of us are trying to keep up

It was Monday and a day of comings and goings.  Ken had meetings in Truro so organized his day around leaving.  That always offers those not leaving Regalridge an interesting perspective.  Lee is making small attempts to get organized to leave for Winnipeg (where it will be minus 20 this week) and finally called Passport Canada with the admission that her passport has gone missing.  After communing with the federal disembodied voice, the real thing came along and Lee, with head hanging, said "I have to confess" pregnant pause then response "Confess what madam?"  Lee's head droops a bit further and replies "I have lost my passport" earnest young man's reply "It is not that serious madam that you must consider it a confession".  And on we went to the point when earnest young man enquired "where did you lose the passport madam" to which Lee felt compelled to reply "If I knew where I lost it, it wouldn't be lost"  And on we went.  We received word from Digby that Scout's Agility A Frame is almost ready and thank the lord and pass the ammunition, Chantelle has ordered the tunnel and the torture on that little item is over except for the angst of the wait. 

The kennel is moving along with comings and goings and visits in between.  Liard and little Maggie departed as the cutest  Bernese puppy arrived.  Khyver is only here overnight - a good start for any dog who will be occasionally in a boarding situation.  He is so much the happy Bernese - he rolled and ran around the big run, then came in and squeaked his many toys.  Shadow is insistent that his time with his girlfriend Sophie should continue through the night so rather than hop into his outside run to go through to the inside, he runs in with her and ends up in her inside area with her toys.  He likes that a lot - Sophie not so much.  Kirby had his outside perimeter run and zoomed - had a wonderful run and a wagging tail - a great indication that the old Welsh is enjoying his change in the country.  Folks came later in the evening to see the kennel and property in preparation for a first visit from Rudy the Border Collie mix.  He will be coming to see us in April - and we can look forward to another herding dog to look after the wayward retrievers and terriers.  

The house dogs are doing fine with a little blip with our Piper.  She will be going to see Eric tomorrow, we think, so that Lee has peace of mind during that lovely 7 hour flight.  The little crew is bouncing around creating their usual havoc and the Welsh are doing fine.  Scout had a great agility session at suppertime - learned the chute and is as proud as punch of his accomplishments.  

Dinner was lovely strip loins a la Ken;'s hunting and gathering on the week end Withrow's was open and we had potatoes, squash, peas and onions just to wash it down.  All is well and we are on to tomorrow.

A Sunday outing

Sunday dawned bright, clear and warm.  It was in the mid-teens in Hants County but didn't reach the double digits on the South Shore.  Lee had a meeting so the van left the driveway with Ken driving and Nick acting as ballast.  There were lots of folks on the highways on this beautiful spring day and as we drove on the country roads, there were walkers everywhere, all having  forsworn winter garb in favour of sweaters and, in several cases, shorts.  We enjoyed our meeting with the members of the South Shore kennel club; lots of laughs and the wonderful fudge for which they are renowned.  Then it was home to Regalridge where we were greeted like long lost voyagers.  Chantelle spent the day trimming dogs and managing the inmates.  There may have been the odd movie that found its' way into her schedule as well. 

The kennel is becoming quieter as spring break draws to a close.  Jasper and Maddie departed among waving paws.  They are so seasoned that the week in the kennel is something they take in stride.  Reese departed with her spring coiffure and Ruff kicked his heels and ran to the gate late in the afternoon.  That leaves Liard and little Maggie (the big and the small) and our Sophie and Shadow.  Shadow would like to bunk in with Sophie.  When they come in from their yard, he trots right in through her door and into her inside run, appearing to have decided that he should sleep in her bed - Sophie demurred.  Little Maggie is the enthusiasm of the kennel - enjoying her ability to bounce in the big outside run.  Liard continues to feel his best trick is to make Chantelle jump, and on a good day squeal - Liard is Liard. 

The house dogs are doing well.  Lori is not pregnant to our dismay.  This is the last time we will go through the process with her - it is too fraught for all concerned.  We have our hopes pinned on Marguerite who was bred in late February.  The rest of the dogs are doing fine.  The little crew prefer having folks around all day to keep their barking skills sharp but they cope with the odd day when that isn't possible. 

Dinner was ham with a lovely potato scallop - a bonus given that Lee was out all day.  The fact that we ate with The National coming on in the background may be a bit telling.