Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!

This would be Clover yearning for some yummy caramel corn we all enjoyed before heading out for some ghoulish fun!

This is the resident witch! 

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Week 37 & 38

Evidently turkey dinners have the same effect on dogs 
We had a cosy Thanksgiving. There wasn't a large gathering, we like it that way.  The neighbourhood was peaceful.  The weather even reached a record 24+ degrees!  It was a nice shift from the rain to have a few days outside and the extra long weekend to tackle some large house projects.  Once the visitors had left and the chores were done even Clover was treated to a little turkey of her own.  Needless to say we all managed to sneak in a random snooze.


The rain returned midweek-and so did the mud.  I thought the spring was bad, but wow, Fall brought far worse than I imagined. The yard is hideous.  I'll walk outside some days thinking "who the hell tore up my yard with a back hoe?".  She's bigger now, and that means so are the excavation holes.  This time around I haven't witnessed any worm consumption (personally).  I still wouldn't put that past her. Honestly I'm shocked at the things she's quite willing to unabatedly eat.  Sometime soon I hope to get a picture of the blackened muzzle that comes to greet me at the back door.  Yep, it will be an expensive sod bill in a few months. 


The squirrels are working away at foraging for the upcoming winter and the birds are just as busy stealing corn from the stalks that adorn our house.  This puts Clover on high alert searching for potential land invaders that may give way to a fearsome chase around the yard.  After observing the "game" I'm of the opinion those cute furry-feathered creatures enjoy a good puppy taunt and thankfully we've not experienced a casualty... yet.  

What's this?

As it turns out yogurt snacks can create a whole lot of drama! Crazy dog batting across the floor, leaping and lunging at this tiny foreign object. It was a spectacular display of acrobatics.  It was much like watching a kitten in a Vizzy body! Eventually she decided it was good enough to eat.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Week 36

WELCOME AUTUMN
I love Fall.  September and October are simply the best months of the year.  It means 'Harvest' festivals, midway fairs and the whimsical magic of Halloween.  It also represents a time of renewal.  Preparations are begun for the next cold Canadian winter. Children return to school. We celebrate our son's birthday and recall the events that began a very personal journey (the year I miraculously survived postpartum IGAS-STSS.). It is a time of giving thanks and feeling blessed. 
We're sporting a new fall coat!
William enjoyed his back to school shopping (Ok, maybe mom loved it more).  Clover was going to need a few things too this season.  I was fairly certain our pup had out grown those first knit sweaters and she surely wouldn't make it through the snow without some warm layers.  I found this fleece lined jacket that will be paired with a chest blanket patterned after her houndstooth collar. 


Clover is head over heals for straw





Hanging out on the front porch

Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the chrysanthemums

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Eight Months (Weeks 33, 34, 35)


Our  daily schedules have changed these first weeks back to school and everyone is exhausted by it all. The family room is the crash landing zone. Clover always seems to crawl into the craziest spaces refusing to be left out of any snuggle activity.

Fall Fun
Time to prepare for the cold winter months.  The pool was dismantled and the decayed grass became a muddy field.  The annual flowerpots were emptied and it was a puppy free for all.  I didn't have the heart to interrupt such grande V adventures, so I stood giggling at the kitchen door with a mop, a towel and camera in hand.

Who put rabbits in my kennel?


We recently celebrated our son's 6th birthday.  It was a farm theme of course! Clover was quite captivated by the bunnies on loan to us.   She was also extremely puzzled as to why they would take up residence in HER outdoor run.  I did my best to convince her that avian species were far more interesting than these lagomorphs.  I'm not sure that worked.

Cattail "snow"
I briefly caught on my peripheral vision what appeared to be snow in September.  As it turned out, Clover had just discovered what becomes of a shredded cattail.


Caught redhanded with a mouthful of downy fluff and loving every second

EIGHT MONTHS 47 lbs 25" Wither

Friday, September 2, 2011

Week 32

The summer months are quickly fading into Fall splendour.  I noticed travelling North over the weekend that the Sumac trees are turning red and some distant Maples are showing a hint of orange.  I look forward to photographing our beautiful Clover in the midst of these glowing leaves.

Once again the housing hunt resumes.  Our suburban neighbourhood is lovely but it's not our ideal residence... Still searching for a larger property after years of coming up empty.  Still determined to keep the dream of country living alive.  I'm lured by wide open spaces; dogs love 'em and so do little boys! With Clover joining the family, it  gives us additional purpose as our hearts are now filled with Vizzy love.

She certainly gets some good running exercise on the trails of local conservation parkland, and in the lush green soccer fields. Juggling a busy family and having an active dog has had it's interesting obstacles but we are carving out a flexible routine that keeps everyone in balance.  I can often be heard saying that there are few breeds I'd be this happy to live with, because finding the right "fit" mattered so much to me.  I'm daily thankful for bringing a pointer along the way. Frankly, every now and again she's the kick in the rear to get out for family adventure without excuse and the unrelenting comfort we all needed.




Dog days of summer are over but still enjoying a Zuke's bone...on the chaise of course!

One night, I was up after midnight organizing for the new school year when the doorbell sounded. followed by a frantic double bang on the front door. Clover, asleep in the next room was immediately startled by all the commotion.   She ran howling and barking at whomever dared to disturb the quiet slumber of our home.  As it turns out - no one stuck around, so whether we were the subject of a random prank or otherwise part of a more sinister plan,  I feel confident going to bed knowing the "alarm system" works.

Maximum comfort

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Week 31 Seven Months

45 Lbs, 24" Wither
August 21 2011 Clover is seven months old
Excited to explore Greenwood trails on our weekly expeditions.


Sunday, August 14, 2011

Week 30

Clover would rather watch people than the stock cars at Mosport
After the festivities on Saturday at Pointblank we headed to Mosport International Raceway.  As we arrived you could hear the thunderous roar of stock car engines as they sped around the track. I closely monitored Clover's reaction to the noise levels and busy crowds, prepared to call it quits on spot.  I wasn't especially concerned per se, it was more because we had a busy day and everyone was potentially irritable.

Right about now I'm thankful for following the advice of Dr. Sophia Yin to plan ahead for special circumstances.  I'm grateful for the friendly motorcyclists touring our neighbourhood that provided a positive association for our little girl those first weeks home.  The loud motors and strange uniforms came with cookies. Not so scary at all!

Clover handled the chaos in stride. She never flinched or appeared stressed.  In fact, she was quite happy to be perched on the picnic table nuzzled into my lap. Two families (one, a fellow V owner) were surprised by the lack of interest in her surroundings and made a point to speak to us. In part I knew C was exhausted, but she really was quite comfortable with the action in the pit. We didn't stay more than an hour. I wasn't about to push our luck with tired child and dog in tow.  But it was a nice treat to have the tickets so we decided to stop by on our way home.

Still wearing her seatbelt in case we decided to beeline back to the truck

Sunday morning we hiked through Greenwood and Clover dared to play in deeper water.  She was really diggin' the creek.  Later that afternoon she ran free in the enclosed baseball diamond next to our home.  It started out as a game of fetch but those darn bird feathers (goose or osprey) were far more interesting!!  She came to a screeching halt staring down the random plume.  Though usually a fantastic retriever, her favourite red tennis ball has never been abandoned so easily. I can't wait to get on that bird work in the fall.  I'm excited to see what she is capable of, and learn more about hunting myself.

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

I have kept Clover on a commercial kibble diet, but I do bake my own training treats.  It's economical and I'm happy to avoid extra products containing fillers and preservatives.  William often likes to help to with rolling and cutting dough.  These pumpkin cookies make the house smell fantastic!

Pointblank Puppy Picnic

Saturday August 13th was the Pointblank Puppy Picnic & Beretta Day.  Clover slept soundly during the long traffic ridden trip up to Norwood.  That is, until we turned up 7th line. She popped her head  over the back seat, excitedly panting as if to say, "We're here"! 

Waiting for Beretta Day action to settle and the chance to run with the big V's. 

The afternoon began watching some excellent skeet shooting as William played catch and release with grasshoppers along the path.  Then we took a break while Clover waded in the pond (I managed to escape with only soggy shoes ~ sigh).  A short time later there were people arriving at the potluck picnic tent and the canine fun began.

We've never seen so many Pointers in one place!
Making new friends and enjoying the wonderful hospitality at Pointblank

Wrestling with half-brother Fynn
We were a bit nervous letting Clover off lead, but she proved to us that our fears of her running into the horizon were unfounded.  Most times her recall is pretty solid with a few urban distractions, but let's be honest, this was awfully exciting chaos. Field runs to date have been fenced-in or on a 50' training line. From the first moment I unclipped the leash, I prepared myself for the marathon of my life, over hill and yonder. Turns out she faired pretty well among the big pups; I didn't require CPR and she enjoyed every second of freedom!

Stick hunting

Running with Jenny
Learning to range with Jenny
More field fun
William got to run with the dogs too

Tiptoe through the long grass


We were lucky enough to meet some lovely new people and even more fortunate to play with so many Vizsla's!  Liz and Kris were kept extremely busy tending to their guests and 10 GSP pups who decided to celebrate their early birth-day.  It truly was a special event.  

Monday, August 8, 2011

Week 29


One of my favourite times to photograph Clover is when she's resting...much like my boy she is a bundle of energy and I often don't have time to grab the camera to catch all those cute moments the first time around.  So, I've learned to truly appreciate the serenity of a dream.


William and Clover helped with harvesting our tomatoes this morning (August 8/11).  At times it was a bit of a struggle to keep them on track, but we got the job done with lots of enthusiasm and a little adventure.

Touring with bear through the Secret Garden

I'm fairly certain that's one of those "gourmet" blueberry sticks in her mouth

Puppy's way to say thank you for sharing blueberries♥




Some dogs clean their bowl, or the floor...
Ours licks the fridge!