Birthday Overload (Updated!)

We have this wonderful update about Zeus!

Penny shares: “Somehow, 6 years have passed since we saw our first photos from Mary-Ann of the most beautiful and precious puppies we had ever seen. Our sweet ‘Mallow’ with his tiny orange collar We were always so excited to see the updates and couldn’t wait to bring our little guy home. Our first family dog. We knew we were lucky, but we never could have predicted the special place our Zeus would hold in our hearts and our family.

Fast forward 6 years and Zeus has watched over the kids as Raymond and Ada went from 8 and 5 to 14 and 11. High school and 6th grade now. He took Carol under his watch when we brought her home from the hospital 3 years ago. And she has adored him from the beginning.

This picture of Zeus on the ottoman with Peanut is when he stayed next to Carol while she was very sick on the couch with a high fever.

Zeus has moved with us from Washington to Colorado and now back to our home with all of our extended family here in central Arizona. We have adapted to early morning or evening walks and basking in the AC. We now have two more pups added to the pack, Peanut and Benji (Ada’s dog). In his quiet, kind way, he remains the center of it all.

We have frequent family gatherings and Zeus greets everyone and monitors activity to ensure everyone is good. He still lays at the front door to nap on the cool tile and make sure I don’t leave without him. And he sleeps on the floor by my side of the bed. How lucky I am that he has chosen me as his person.

He is always on duty for any suspicious delivery drivers or nefarious () neighbors who are just out for exercise and walking by the house. If we go out for a swim he watches carefully, no lifeguard training needed- I’m sure he’d know what to do.

Zeus, our Mr. Congeniality, is here for it all. He is healthy and happy and loves to play and nap. Still loves to fetch, and will do anything for string cheese. We love him with all our hearts and are so grateful he is in our lives. 

Thank you for choosing us, Mary-Ann!”

Much gratitude to Penny and family for Zeus’s well-loved life — and HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZEUS! 🎂
Next up is Lucy Clover King 🩷 Lisa shares: “Lucy is just as amazing as always, and hasn’t slowed down a bit! 

Her favorite toys are still hide and seek, the latest is a carrot with bunnies inside. 

She has Berner friends in Driggs and the humans and the dogs love having her when we can’t take her with us on a trip. 

She’s never been one for dog beds but she loves the big poof at the cabin. 

She’s always as close as she can get to her humans and we love having her!”

Thank you, Lisa and family, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY!!

Pozy at six!

She is recovering well from her recent meniscus tear/surgery and is back to being my best early morning walking partner 🩷

Pozy is kind, devoted, and a super picker-upper of all things.

She has been with me through thick and thin — I adore her and celebrate Pozy every single day 🎂

❤️

Points and a Big Ribbon and KIDS

We have three more Wildflower birthday updates and I know they are on the way — and that Pozy is great! — so we will wait and do all three at once 🎂

I did a quick trip to Missoula where Capella and Starry were THRILLED to see their favorite kids again.

Capella got a second Novice B obedience leg with another High in Trial and a score of 197.

I had hoped we would get that third leg on Saturday but instead I asked to be excused from the ring. Capella was not engaged and as I have reflected on this, I think it was because of me.

About thirty minutes before the run, someone said something to me. I see now it was a passive-aggressive, said with a smile, comment that got in my head and upset me. Like someone from another team trash-talking in a basketball game but sneaky and unsettling because it caused me to think, “Wait — was that as mean as it felt?” and “Did that person intend to be so insulting?” and so on.

And so I was in my head trying to decide what was meant and how to feel about it all and clearly Capella felt that. Being in a ring is already a lot for a dog, and when your human is not being a good partner — well, Capella didn’t want to play that day.

Fair enough. I learned some good lessons and how can one be disappointed about another Novice B leg with a super score and a second High in Trials?!

I am not sure if we will have a chance to get that third leg anytime soon because I intend to stay home until it is time to travel for Capella’s breeding (likely July but 🤷🏼‍♀️) and if that works, the fall will be all about puppies.

Capella also picked up more points towards the Bronze Grand Championship.

And Starry G is now pointy! She was Best of Winners one day and Reserve Winners twice. It was a small show but the competition was very nice so I am darn happy with how the beauty pageant side of things went as well.

I was gone 13 nights in May — I am officially traveled out!

Happy Tuesday!

❤️

More Birthday!

I was driving home from Missoula yesterday afternoon when I remembered that I forgot to post another Wildflower birthday update — oops! In my defense, it was a BUSY few days —more on that after the birthday celebrating concludes.

Today we have this update about Wildflower Lupine 🩷

“We’re in denial about Lupine being SIX YEARS OLD!!!

Life is never boring with this girl.  She’s always off on her own adventures, running here, there and everywhere and hardly ever with the other dogs. 

Lupine and housemates, including Tommy Topaz

If dogs can have one, Lupine has a great sense of humor and the joke is always on us.

If she were a person, she would be one of the wittiest, most independent, smart, sweetest ones we know. 

Lupine likes an occasional visit to the woods with her people and dog pals, as long as no one she doesn’t know shows up:)  but she’s quickly welcoming to people who regularly spend time at our house and she prefers her adventures to be confined to our few acres. 

Lupine is a master shoe thief, a skilled gardener, a very sneaky chicken herder, a roller in everything stinky and sticky and a very loving snuggly girl.  Life would be much worse without her!

Lupine and Baby Tommy Topaz 🩷💙

Thank you, Jennifer and Family, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUPINE! 🎂