The Beer Hunter

We had a party last week-end to celebrate Father's Day and my parents' 62nd wedding anniversary. Even with three family members and their subsequent spouses and offspring missing, we had a pretty fully house with people on the porch, the deck and downstairs. Someone must have lost track of their beverage while watching the ball game--Dixie found an unopened bottle of beer by a chair! She knocked it over--fortunately, it didn't break on the tile floor--then stepped back and looked at me. She looked like one of the hunting breeds pointing out the prey! Could she have another career besides show dog and brood bitch?

Maryland Blue Crab Cluster Shows

After a pretty long break, Gibson is back in the show ring this week-end in Bel Alton, MD. I really hope he does well and is ready for his first majors next week-end at Howard County. He could be our first home bred champion! It would be so special if it happened the same week-end my renovated library opens.

Gibson has matured in many ways, but is still uncomfortable on the grooming table, absolutely hates the dryer and having his nails done. Ellen said this week-end would also be therapy work to get over those issues!

Taking Gibson to Ellen was a long, slow process. I had been warned that traffic on 495 North was horrible on Thursdays and indeed it was! Gibson laid up against the side of the wire crate for the full two hour and 15 minute trip. When he got out, he had "stripes" against his one side--he looked like a tiger!

What a Dog!

I think I've seen this duo a time or two on Route 7!

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/21/AR2009062101799.html?nav=hcmoduletmv

Changes Coming

Since our kennel has a Facebook page, I'm going to simplify our blogs instead of doing away with them completely. Soon, I'll change the name of this blog to HillcroftCollies.blogspot.com and try to merge Phoebe's puppy blog into this one. If that doesn't work, I'll just leave Phoebe's blog inactive and put Dixie's updates on this blog--just all the past posts won't be in one spot.

Jewel's Day Out

Last week, we took Jewel out for a day by herself. She had been acting rather mopey, maybe because Sadie was gone or maybe she just knows how to get extra attention!
First stop was the new Leesburg Dog Park. We had never been to a dog park before and didn't know what to expect. We did expect Jewel to interact with the other dogs, to run and play like she does at home--wrong!! She acted as if the other dogs were beneath her so they quickly decided she wouldn't play. Jewel would only walk along the fence, then just stand and look desolate. She'd go up to any person who was still, leaning against them and staring into their face as if to say "I've been dumped here, would you like to take me home"? Once, she actually got out of the main play area when someone was leaving. I ran behind her, calling her name, but she just ignored me and acted like she had never seen me before! She did enjoy being with some children, trying out every dog's water bowl and actually acted like she would play with one dog but as she had not made a good first impression, the other dog wasn't interested.
We decided to go for lunch and took Jewel to Doner Bistro. She didn't want the bone I had brought along for her, although she would eat some of our french fries. She crawled under the table so she didn't get much attention from other diners.
Our last stop was Home Depot to buy a new grill. By now, Jewel had had it with getting in and out of the truck and walking in the heat. Every time I stopped, she'd lay down and refused to move. The other grill shopper was good tempered about it, stepping over her and saying he wasn't interested in the grill she was blocking, anyway. At the checkout, which took longer than it should have, she flopped down and stretched out on her side, refusing to make eye contact with anyone! For some reason, the other shoppers and store personnel took this as a sign of her good temperament instead of her sudden transformation into a stubborn mule--which I thought she was as we tried to get her to get up so we could take our new purchase home!