Teddy

Until today, I also had 2 cats in addition to my gang of dogs.  Brother & sister, Teddy & Velma came to us as "failure to thrive" kittens in the summer of 2002.  An experienced dog person, I only had experience with 2 adult rescue cats - never any kittens.  It was quite the unique experience trying to teach young kittens how to drink water.  They were so tiny, they would sleep in a dollhouse in my daughter's room - ON the dollhouse beds & fit perfectly.

Ashland, a magnificent dark yellow Lab, was the only dog Teddy ever liked.  As a baby, Teddy used to go run & hide in Ashland's crate behind Ashland whenever Velma would bully him because she was too afraid of Ashland to follow (and Teddy knew it).  I have a picture of Teddy peaking over Ashland's shoulder inside the crate & looking out the open crate door at his sister who was too afraid to get any closer.

Poor Ashland passed a year later from bone cancer & Teddy never did like any of the other dogs who have come & gone.

My beautiful boy Teddy, not even 11 years old - he had the most beautiful markings & was always a big hit at the vet's because of his unique markings & mellow personality.

Teddy passed away today from sudden kidney failure which the vet told me is not uncommon for a male cat of his age, but it was too short for me.  And I was not ready for it.

Teddy:  I will miss his sweet temperament & his lazy personality.

Both of my Etsy shops will be closed for a few days.

New Dog Image Sheets: Also When is a Toy Not a Toy?

First the new dog image sheets:

I am "re-working" older images into new collage sheets & that includes a series of some dog breeds.

So far I have available: Yorkies, German Shepherds, Bearded Collies, Scotties & Irish Wolfhounds.

On a very long list of "to do" dog breeds are:

Doxies, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers (of course), Saint Bernards (again, of course), Shih-Tzu, Chihuahua, Boxers & several more.

If your favorite breed is among the above listed, you can check out all the finished sheets & samples in my Picasa photo album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/105480842408524916488

Look inside the folder labeled: Dog Breed Pictures Image Sheets

**Not all sheets will be listed for sale in my Etsy FantasyGraphicImagesStore.

There is a limited market for many of these dog breed image sheets, so not all of them will be visible for sale in the store.  They are available for purchase via Etsy; all you have to do is contact me via my Etsy store & let me know which dog breed (and which size collage sheet: i.e. bottle cap, 1x1 inch square, scrabble tile) you wish to purchase & I will set up a private listing for you.

Not all collage sheets are available in all sizes - just ask & I'll let  you know what I have (or what is being planned).

Below are samples of items made using the new Yorkie image sheets:

You can find samples of items made using the German Shepherd images in the Picasa folder.

Small images are not just for jewelry, but for digital arts & crafts as well.

You can make a "bottle cap bling" for your pet's collar or as a keychain or purse dangle.

And check out my second photo album for additional collage sheets for sale in various sizes:

http://picasaweb.google.com/101909173400023810692

When is a Toy Not a Toy?

Sub-Title: Someone is Showing Off His Height AGAIN

I think Hunter must be part Saint Bernard: Clarence never understood the concept of shame.  Clarence did whatever he felt like doing & when he got into trouble, he would just look at me with an expression that said "huh?"  Actually, the expression on Hunter's face when he gets into trouble would be more like "so what?".

We have raised & trained Labbies for almost 30 years now & many wonderful dogs have spent their lives with us.  A NORMAL Labrador - when caught "in the act" of doing something wrong, melts into the floor like the witch in the Wizard of Oz (or quickly slinks off into another room).  Not so Hunter - Hunter does not melt - nor does he "slink"; Hunter just stares at you with a "so what?" expression on his face.

And just when I THOUGHT we were through with the counter surfing episodes that involved how tall Hunter could stretch out to when he wanted something, he once again proved he is not only determined, but a very tall dog indeed.

The subject of his attention was a bottle of cinnamon on the 4th shelf of the hutch (we foolishly thought he could only get to the 3rd shelf while standing on his hind legs after the incident with the aluminum foil muffin cups).  Once again, proving us wrong, I was paying no attention to what he was doing (it really was a good movie) when I noticed he was at my feet, enthusiastically chewing on something - something with a red top.  Hunter not only has no shame, but feels comfortable enough to bring his stolen "loot" to my feet to lay down & have a "chew".

And not only did he not display any shame, he looked at me with a rather pitiful expression that I was taking away his "precious new toy" from him as if I were the bad guy in this little episode of "what will Hunter do next?"  He is peacefully snoring at me feet as I type (storing up energy) for his next big adventure.

Life is not dull with Hunter around to stir up trouble.

We're Number One!!

The AKC statistics for 2013 released earlier this year, showed that for the 22nd year in a row, Labrador Retrievers are the number one favorite dog breed in the USA.

Take a bow, gang:  Labrador Retrievers - NOT A Couch Potato Breed By Any Stretch of the Imagination

I stumbled across a website (petguide.com) article from March 2013 and their best picks for apartment dogs.  I have a "pet peeve" (don't I always?).

If a Great Dane can make the list as a great apartment dog because of being a "couch potato" dog:

http://www.petguide.com/blog/dog/top-10-best-dog-breeds-for-apartments/5/

WHY can't the Saint Bernard make the list???

There is no bigger (literally) couch potato dog breed than the Saint Bernard.  And I don't know about Great Danes, but I do have personal experience with Saint Bernards.  They are not content to just flop about the floor & be lazy - they take the term "couch potato" literally - they like to flop on THE COUCH (as long as the couch is low enough to the floor they don't have to exert themselves to get on it).

Clarence never slept on a bed because the frames (we're talking normal bed frames here) were just too "high" for him to exert himself - the couch was a different story - just his height.

And unlike my Labradors who never commit crimes in "public" (or try not to anyways - the lone exception to the "Labrador" rule being Hunter who freely commits "crimes" in public all the time without shame), Clarence would blatantly rest on the couch whenever he felt like it - whether I was right there watching him do it or not.  Shame was not a concept he understood - comfort was a concept he understood.

My Labbies (who have no trouble hopping on any bed) understand the concept that they will get into trouble if caught & always try to do it while "mom" is in the basement or they have the house to themselves.

It is pretty funny to open the front door & hear a loud "thunk" as a very large Lab hurriedly is jumping off a bed and running down the hallway before getting caught in the act.

Not so Clarence; if he was nice & cozy, he could not be bothered to be moved.

So, I think if a Great Dane could be a couch potato apartment dog, in the same spirit, certainly a Saint Bernard could probably go one step further in being a couch potato.  Although, Saints really do need their cold climates to be happiest.

My beloved Clarence has passed, but I am sure one day I will have another stubborn (& magnificent) Saint Bernard again one day.  And he will probably sleep on the couch.

Clarence was a traditional looking red & white, rough-coat/mask face (meaning he was a long haired Saint with a black mask face) Saint Bernard who came to us from Save Our Saints (the officially sanctioned nationally organized rescue group of the Saint Bernard breed); he also had what is sometimes referred to as a "smudge face" which means he had freckles on his nose in addition to his black mask face.

Camo Bottle Cap, Scrabble & Inch Square Image Sheets

Check out my Picasa Photo Album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/105480842408524916488

if you are interested in military green style camo or military style desert camo collage sheets.

They are available in 1 inch circle bottle cap, 1 x 1 inch square & scrabble tile sizes.

Any of the sheets pictured in my Picasa Albums are available for sale: many are not listed in the store because they are slow sellers, but I keep them around in case someone wants to buy one.

All you have to do is contact me via my Etsy store (FantasyGraphicImages) and let me know if you find a collage sheet pictured in either  Picasa photo album not currently listed for sale in my store which you would like to buy.

I will then set up a private Etsy listing for you.

I have tried to set up the Picasa albums by sizes and in the case of the 1 inch & scrabble tile sizes, I have sub-divided collage sheets into subject theme categories to try & make it easier for people to look through the categories they are interested in.

So do take time to stop by - I am trying to keep it updated as fast as I can.

Samples of the military style Camo sheets are:

Because there are so many different styles of collage sheets, there are 2 different photo albums:

http://picasaweb.google.com/105480842408524916488

http://picasaweb.google.com/101909173400023810692

The Etsy Store is:

FantasyGraphicImages

Spring "Labbie Fun" & Hunter & Chipmunks

Such unusal & beautiful weather we are having this spring!  The "gang" (3 Labradors, Hunter included) go out several times a day for "Labbie Fun".

One of several chipmunk "homes" in our yard is under this section of fence materials that have been stacked & ready to go (if my husband ever has time).  This is where the tree struck by lighting lost one of three original large trunks this winter during a severe wet snow storm.  One trunk fell after being struck by lightning, this second was only slightly tilted, but came crashing down during the storm.  You can see how close it was to the house.  Thankfully it was far enough away that the limbs which did crash on the roof were near the end of the trunk & did not damage our roof.  This is also where Hunter got stuck under the Weber grill during one of his endless (and fruitless searches) for chipmunks.
So we have a lovely pile of decking & still an enormous amount of tree debris still to cleared.

And some chipmunks call it "home" - which drives Hunter crazy.

 Time out from chipmunk chasing for a portrait:

 This is the second of the two large trunks which came down - this is the original one that came down with the lightning.  This is where I usually sit to watch "Labbie Fun" (note water bottle).  Hunter is looking for what we call "love, love".  My eldest Lab, Gunston (great-uncle of Elphaba) is in the background.
He demands to be petted & rubbed first thing in the morning for quite awhile.

 He has not yet figured out he can jump over the trunk; unlike his younger pal Elphaba who jumps the tallest sections with ease when playing chase (even if she is several inches shorter & very stocky as English Labs usually are).

 They also have a path under the trunk to do their endless circular chasing around the trunk.
Elphaba is several inches shorter & slips through the opening easily - Hunter, not so much.

 "The Stand-Off" - Elphaba is on the other side of the tree trunk, just out of sight.

 I actually managed to time a photo of Elphaba in the middle of a chase getting ready to easily slip under the tree trunk.

 "Time Out" - Elphaba has learned that she is quick enough & small enough to elude Hunter if she stays in the circular path where the tree trunk slows Hunter down.  In the open, she is too slow - Hunter catches up with her everytime.  She usually wears Hunter down.

 Another chipmunk home: - this is the den (it goes pretty far back, not visible because of the shadows) where I have posted pictures of Hunter trying to squeeze his body into (of course unsuccessfully).  It is located at the base of where all 3 of the large tree trunks begin (two down, one still standing).

I will probably have another craft collage sheet freebie ready soon.
In the meantime, "Hunter" & I thank you for your purchases.
Etsy FantasyGraphicImages

Hunter & the Chipmunks - Part 3

A similar picture was posted before, but it is a funny picture so I am posting another.

The chipmunks have him so "befuddled", it is just too funny to watch his "bobble-head" constantly in motion.  This is a "picture" that occurs everytime we go outside (of course - it is only the same scenario if the sun is out too): Hunter obsessively trying to figure out how he can shove that huge muscular body into the teeny tiny chipmunk den underneath the roots of a tree that came down due to lightning.

And of course, if not the chipmunks - more & more birds arrive everyday.  The positive aspect of Hunter "prowling" the backyard is that the squirrels (who used to devour an entire bird feeder in 2 days - there is no such thing as "squirrel-proof" bird feeders) have virtually disappeared from our yard.

I can't remember the last time I saw one.   They are not as clever as the chipmunks in getting away from Hunter & probably had enough "close calls" to decide it wasn't worth the risk to take away all the bird seed & suet cakes we have up for the song birds.  And, thankfully, the crows are gone now too.

Those who love crows have never had them live in their backyard by the dozens - also gobbling up all the birdseed meant for songbirds & actually chasing away all the songbirds (I would see them do it in the window & run out after them).

So Hunter is providing a marvelous public service for the songbirds even if they don't realize it.

Since he tries to chase them too.

Collage Sheet Profile Albums Updated & New Maneki Neko Lucky Cat

I try to keep pictures of all the collage sheets I have available for sale in 2 Picasa Albums.  I don't always have ALL of my collage sheets up for sale in my Etsy FantasyGraphicImages store at one time, because some sheets just don't sell as quickly as others.

So I encourage you to visit my Picasa Albums - the Albums are divided up by the size of the images on the collage sheets.  It takes 2 albums to fit all the collage sheets I have.

The first album for: scrabble tile; 1x1 inch square; 1 inch circle bottle cap; domino; 2” circle; 2x2 inch squares is:

http://picasaweb.google.com/105480842408524916488

I have just finished "tweaking" this Picasa Album to subdivide the picture folders by sizes & themes since there are so many of the smaller sized images for sale.

The second album for: 4”x6” sized pictures (for framing, postcards, transfering onto fabric or other mediums); gift - hang tags; pocket mirror sized circles; bookmarks; coaster sized squares; ovals; candy wrappers; atc/aceo, mason jar tags & all the new craft shapes that are in the editing stage is:

http://picasaweb.google.com/101909173400023810692

I do still have more collage sheets to be added to the albums, but this is a start in a VERY long over-due update to both picture albums.

The Maneki Neko Lucky Cat on the Chiyogami Yuzen Washi backgrounds is now available in 1"x1" square collage sheet sizes.  There are 3 collage sheets included in the listing - only one is pictured below.

Hunter & I thank you for your purchases!

Bedtime Reading & A Movie Too!

Whiney little thing that I am, but if it's not one thing, it's another.  I have made passing references in the last couple months of my enforced "rest" due to dangerously low blood pressure (like going to the ER 3 times in 7 weeks, blacking out, low blood pressure).  And of course, no one can find what is the cause; so I have just had to start learning to try & recognize when I am going to have a low blood pressure phase, sit down and read or watch TV (sometimes both together).  And here is a laugh: the doctor has told me to salt everything!

I am getting a lot of books read that have been on my reading list forever, but I have not had the time to post all the titles.  Plus, it is a smaller & more selective audience who (like me) is obsessed with British mystery writers - so I've only posted a selection of those titles.

I was planning on writing a post today on 2 books from the same author (Kent Haruf) that I enjoyed which I recently finished.  However, since it was just me & my "peeps" (my slang for my gang of Labradors) alone last night, I decided to go through my NetFlix queue & find a movie.  I chose "The HedgeHog" - a French language film.  I can read French well enough so that I could understand any of the props (books, notes, etc.), but I cannot speak the language.  But I have also been watching a LOT of Danish and Swedish crime/detective type shows which are all sub-titled, so having the film's dialogue subtitled at the bottom was not an annoyance (to me anyways).

And I was able to follow along very clearly with the plot and subtle jokes even though I am reading it in sub-titles, rather than understanding the spoken word.

Sooooooooooooo.......tonight I call my daughter (the teacher in D.C. - with whom I am totally bonded with over choice of TV, movie & book selections) to tell her about this great movie, so she could find it.

And what she tells ME is that the movie is actually a book that I bought on one of our annual summer library book fair excursions.  She had taken the book from me but by the time we finish our sweep of the books, we easily have dozens of plastic grocery bags full of books, plus other bags brought from home - so both of us forget "who's book is who's" (and we share anyways).  We refer to ourselves as a "tag team" to cover the most tables since we are both basically looking for the same authors & style of writing (except short story collections: I still haven't managed to get her hooked onto how much fun a collection of short stories can be).

So we've all heard the phrase: "the book is so much better than the movie" - well I really, really enjoyed the movie, so I am sure the book has got to be a winner.  So I am posting it here for bedtime reading even though I haven't started the book yet.  Just remember: the name of the movie is just "The Hedgehog" & the title of the book is "The Elegance of the Hedgehog".

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Links: reviews/summaries

Acorn Public Library Review

Book & Movie Review from West Deptford Free Public Library

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery from Wikipedia

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery Review by The Guardian (UK)

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - overview from Goodreads.com

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - Review by Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

Now for "the regularly scheduled author & book titles":

The name of the author is Kent Haruf and the two books are:

"The Tie That Binds"

 and "Plainsong"

Author Kent Haruf Info Page - via Wikipedia

Links for reviews/summaries of these books:

The Tie That Binds - Wikipedia Page

PlainSong book review by "The Independent Book Review" (blog)

The Tie That Binds - via Goodreads.com

PlainSong via Goodreads.com

PlainSong - NY Times Book Review

About Kent Haruf from Barnes & Noble

Chevron Gift - Hang Tag or Bookmarks Digital Collage Sheet for Sale

I have finished a set of hang tags or gift tags - the terminology being interchangeable - using chevron patterned digital paper in a rainbow of colors.  There are 2 different sheets included in the listing:

One sheet is just the plain tag, while the second sheet has the hole mark at the top of the tag marked for ease in punching out should you wish to do so.

Besides being used as tags, they can also be used as bookmarks.  And (among many ideas), you can punch out the hole for the bookmark & add a string of beads (or a tassel).

You can either digital add images to the collage sheet (a personalized family or pet pictures?) or you can even cut & paste several collage layers to personalize them as your own.

My blog post on making bookmarks is here:

Bookmark Tutorial

The same steps are just one way you can finish the tags from these collage sheets.

Of course for more ideas, check out my Pinterest board:

Digital Arts & Crafts

Etsy FantasyGraphicImages

And through the end of June, you will receive the free bunny collage sheet (see May 11th post) with any purchase made from the FantasyGraphicImages store.

Free Mini Polka Dot Bunny Collage Sheet with Purchase

This "freebie" is a free collage sheet which will be available with every purchase made from my Etsy FantasyGraphicImages store through the end of June (2013 of course).

No minimum purchase is necessary & the bunny sheet will be automatically sent with any collage sheet purchase from my store.

For anyone who would like to make their own custom bunnies for "digital arts & crafts", you can check out BottleCap Buzz on ArtFire & Facebook to buy her template.

BottlecapBuzz on:

Artfire

and

Facebook

If you are interested in purchasing the bunnies in a custom theme (for example Chiyogami Yuzen Washi paper textures), you can contact me via my Etsy store.

The bunny collage sheet is pictured with a watermark because it is free only with a purchase from the store.

All collage sheets purchased/sent from Etsy sales are e-mailed without watermarks.

Etsy Store FantasyGraphicImages

Bedtime Reading - A. Manette Ansay

The first book I read from A. Manette Ansay was River Angel Several Years ago:

I do recommend this book - I think I would stumble over my own words if I tried to summarize it, so I'll post 2 links below (one from the author) for the reader of this blog post to go to to find a summary of the novel.

River Angel Review from GoodReads.com

About River Angel from the author's own website

I was hooked after reading River Angel: I started collecting A. Manette Ansay books at the annual library summer book fair every year, but have not yet read another book from her until now.

So I would like to recommend A. Manette Ansay, not just for the 2 books in this post, but to check out all of her published works.

As a writer, she has some very serious literary credentials.  In addition to numerous awards & grants (including a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts), she is a professor in the MFA program at the University of Miami.  Even though she has some serious literary credentials, her novels are easy to read & very enjoyable.  I have several more of her books which I also intend to start reading (soon).

Her website is here:

A. Manette Ansay

The book I just finished reading is "Midnight Champagne" (I believe it was published with a different cover image in the UK):

And, again, rather than stumble to find the correct words to try and describe this novel, I have 2 websites which you can click on & read for yourself:

Midnight Champagne - a review on Goodreads.com

Midnight Champagne - the author's own website

And you can find summaries of some of her books on the University of Miami website where she is a faculty member in the English department:

A. Manette Ansay

The one book I saw missing on the University of Miami page is:

Good Things I Wish You

Happy Bedtime (or anytime) Reading!

Hunter & Family - A Labrador Spring Portrait

I chat about Hunter all the time because he is so special; I shudder to think what would have happened to him & where he would have wound up if we had not stumbled across his picture & decided to bring him into our home.  Life has been a grand adventure for us since his arrival (although if the cats had a vote, they would probably return him to the shelter).  My youngest Lab is THRILLED to have a new playing partner since she had been without one for a  year after my Saint unexpectedly passed away.  My eldest Lab has reached that point (Labs actually can) when he'd rather just sit next to mom rather than fetch a stick.

The only thing that will still excite Gunston at 10 years old is when my daughter comes home & takes him down to the beach & tosses sticks in the lake for him.

So with the weather still being so beautiful & Hunter having improved on his manners (ha!), I decided (it seemed like a good idea at the time) to try & get a picture of all 3 Labradors.  I could also then show off the difference between the American Field Labrador & the English Labrador.

All Labradors, regardless of shape, size, color or country of origin originally descended from dogs from New Foundland where it was bred for use for work with fishermen.

It is generally noted that there are 2 different/distinct body types of Labradors, although the AKC & The Labrador Club (official sanctioned club for the Labrador & promoting breed standards) only have one set of standards for the dog.  On a side note, the standards for conformation for the show ring are different between the U.S. & England.

Having said the above, English Labrador Retrievers (also bred in the U.S.) are bred for short, stocky bodies & great big blocky heads - they are the "block heads".  Generally speaking their tempermant is more mellow than their cousins the American Field Labrador.

Gunston (my eldest black Lab) & Elphaba (my youngest) are both English Labrador Retrievers - not only bred by the same breeder in the U.S., but they are also related.  Gunston is Elphaba's great-uncle (of course that means nothing to her & she shows him no respect).  Elphaba - also known as (her royal highness) Elphaba Rose of Mandana is actually a VERY good example of comformation in an English Labrador female.  She would have been a great candidate for the show ring if she had the personality for it (there is a reason why we call Elphaba "her royal highness").

Enter Hunter: Hunter is not quite an American Field Labrador, but he also is not an English Labrador.  He is a purebred AKC Labrador, but he is probably the offspring of backyard breeders who were not paying attention to blood lines & genetics.  He is MUCH taller than the male English Labrador (Gunston), but skinnier & his head is more narrow with a longer nose.  He does in fact weigh less than Gunston because his body conformation is designed to be taller & skinnier.

**I would like to add that many Labrador Retriever Clubs across the country have organized "Lab Rescue" programs whereby they take into foster homes Labradors that were abandoned or given up by their owners. The benefits of having a Lab from a recognized rescue organization is that the dog has been thoroughly evaluated by a Labrador dog expert and has lived for a few weeks in a foster home where his/her tempermant can be determined (i.e. can the dog live with: children, cats or other dogs).

We have over the last 3 decades adopted several wonderful Labradors from recognized Lab rescue programs.  If you live in the Washington D.C. area, we adopted 2 wonderful Labradors (1 a "white" yellow, the other a "red" yellow - both yellow) from:

The Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac

Their Adoption Website is here:

Lab Rescue - Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac

**Please note: the vast majority of all breed rescue organizations will only adopt out their dogs to specific geographic locations.  This is a safeguard for the dog in case the adoption does not work out & the dog has to be returned.  For The Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac - you must live within their geographic boundaries to adopt one of their dogs.

You can use the search engine of the Labrador Retriever Club to try & find a rescue group near you:

The Labrador Retriever Club - Lab Rescue

There is not a main "headquarters" for national Lab rescue; Lab rescues are done locally by local rescue groups.  Not all areas of the U.S. are covered.

And now for the spring portraits:

Of course, my 2 beautifully trained black Labs were fully co-operative - Hunter, not so much.

After all, the "bobble-head" was in full force checking out every bird song or bird in flight passing by.  And then he decided it was time for a good back scratch.  And then he decided it was time to play & tackled Elphaba to get her started in a game of chase & that is when the portrait session ended.

Hunter, Gunston & Elphaba (left to right) - until positions change

So many birds - so many smells

OK, I'll look good for one picture

OK, I'm laying down now - sitting is boring

Time for a back rub!

Did I already tell you there were too many birds in the yard?

Forget this, time to tackle Elphaba & play!

Did you notice my 2 obedient black Labs never moved during all of Hunter's antics????

--------------------------------------------------------------

And most of you can stop reading now; the following is my LONG discourse on everything you really (probably) did not want to know about Labrador Retrievers.

If you want to know anything about the color controversy in Labradors, read on:

Since I brought up the difference in body types, I have to bring up the differences in colors in Labrador Retrievers.  I have a "pet peeve" in spreading misinformation about the Labrador dog breed, so I am jumping into the fire and I am going to post all the official websites on the subject of Labrador colors.

Above all, whatever color you choose, if you are going to buy a puppy, you need to buy a puppy from a reputable breeder - this means you can ask the breeder to see the "ancestry map" of the litter and LOOK carefully to find inbreeding of dogs.  That can be hard if the dogs are not properly registered with correct kennel names (and their sire & dam names) to see if your puppy is being bred from a very large & diverse gene pool to breed for a healthy puppy or if your puppy is being bred from a very small gene pool - for example sister & brother mated together or even 1st cousins mated together; you get the idea.  It would have been a serious breeding "no-no" if I had bred Elphaba to her great uncle Gunston whom I also owned.  They are too closely related to be bred.  You want a dog who is carefully bred for health & personality.

Look for breeders that are active in local shows - they don't have to be "big-time" breeders, but if they are active in the local show network, it means they are serious about breeding for quality.  Beware the "backyard breeder".

So as I said, I can't write about breed standards without addressing the color controversy of "Red Fox" & the "Silver" colors of the Labrador - A very "hot button" issue in the Labrador World.

"Red Fox" & "Silver" Labrador breeders/owners are extremely vocal (absolutely passionate) about the registering of their dogs as distinctly separate color categories from the traditional yellow, chocolate & black.

Here are the AKC's & The Labrador Retriever Club's positions on breed standards.  The goal of Labrador breeders is to "maintain a breed standard that will preserve the character and breed type of the Labrador Retriever"

The full mission statement/goals of Labrador Retrievers as set by The Labrador Retriever Club can be found here:

Mission Statement

Red Fox Labradors are considered "Yellow" by both the AKC & The Labrador Retriever Club.  I have actually had several yellow Labs over 3 decades who have ranged in shades of "yellow" from almost white to almost the dark red of an Irish Setter.

On a side note - I have seen some Red Fox breeders promoting the "Dudley" nose as a positive quality for their dogs appearance.  For those who have never had a yellow Lab, the "Dudley" nose is a pink colored nose - it can be any shade of pink, just not black.  A Dudley nose disqualifies a Lab from the show ring, regardless of body color.  While having a Dudley nose may not meet show ring breed standards for the Lab, it has absolutely no effect on the Labrador other than appearance.  I have had a few "Dudley" nose yellow Labs (of varying shades of yellow) and all were wonderful dogs.  Since I don't show my dogs, I don't care if they have Dudley noses or not.  The only controversy with the Red Fox color is that the Red Fox breeders (and owners) would like them registered as a unique color - separate from black, yellow & chocolate.  This is one issue on which the AKC & The Labrador Retriever Club actually both agree on: both will not register "Red Fox" Labradors as a separate color standard within the breed.  The variations of "yellow" from white to red have been around since the existence of the Labrador & have always been considered yellow.

The Silver Color in Labradors - "A Horse of A Different Color" (from the Wizard of Oz).

The current position of the AKC (as of January 24, 2000) in Reards to the Silver Color is:

  As given by Jack Norton (who was tasked to investigate the color controversy for the AKC) is this:

"The registry of the American Kennel Club is based on parentage and not the coat color of a member of any breed.

In 1987 the AKC, in corporation with the Labrador Retriever Club of America, conducted an inquiry into the breeding of litters that contained members that were registered as silver. An AKC representative was sent to observe these dogs. The report and color photographs of these dogs were reviewed by AKC staff and representatives of the Labrador Retriever Club of America. Both Parties were satisfied that there was no reason to doubt that the dogs were purebred Labrador Retrievers, however they felt that the dogs were incorrectly registered as silver. Since the breed standard at the time described chocolate as ranging in shade form sedge to chocolate, it was felt that the dogs could more accurately be described as chocolate rather than silver. This remains the current policy of the American Kennel Club."

Additionally:

Consensus at the "Silver Lab" from the AKC meeting held on July 14, 1997

QUOTE: 1) The foundation for the AKC registry is based on parentage and not color.

2) We should register all Lab pups coming from purebred AKC registered Labs.

3) We should not register Labs as "Silver."

4) After a review of pictures, the file and history of this issue which goes back to 1987, we feel the most appropriate color for registration is Chocolate.

5) We will entertain complaints of impure breedings on an individual basis, but complaints should be based on more than color.

In 1987 we conducted an inquiry into the breeding of the litters that contained the dogs that were registered as silver and one of our representatives was sent to observe several of the dogs that had been registered as silver. Color photographs of these dogs were forwarded to the office of the American Kennel Club where the staff of the AKC and the representatives of the Labrador Retriever Club of America examined them. Both parties were satisfied that there was no reason to doubt that the dogs were purebred Labrador Retrievers, however both parties felt that the dogs were incorrectly registered as silver. Since the breed standard describes chocolate as ranging in shade from Sedge to chocolate, it was felt that the dogs could more accurately be described as chocolate than as silver. - END QUOTE.

**Just one last note: contrary to some claims being made on pro-Silver websites, the AKC based their decision solely on pictures & looking at the dogs in person & did NOT do any DNA testing.  Any genetic testing done was not done by the AKC.

This is where my "pet peeve" comes in - I am going to scream if I read one more website that states that the AKC did genetic testing - they did NOT.
In order to achieve scientifically sound results, the following factors have to be considered: who has done the genetic testing, what was the sample population used, what time period was studied and many more factors to insure the accuracy of the final research studies.
I have ignored any website claims that "such & such" university or college did genetic testing on Silver Labradors, until an actual scientific published paper by a recognized scientific institution can be produced to verify the claim of Silver Labs having all Lab genes and no other dog genes in their DNA make-up.

I did manage to retrieve an old (emphasis old) document from the files of the Labrador Retriever Club from 1987:

Quote: There is no genetic basis for the silver gene in Labradors.  The silver color is a disqualification under the standard for the breed.  The LRC does not recognize, accept or condone the sale or advertising of any Labrador as a silver Labrador.  The club opposes the practice of registering silver as chocolate. End Quote

However, now in 2013, the AKC does allow the registration of silver Labs as chocolate.

But, I could not clarify if The Labrador Retriever Club (the national club registry for Labrador breeders and maintains a separate registry) allows for the registration of silver dogs as chocolate since their official position is that there is no genetic basis for the silver gene (as of July 17, 2012 - see link below).

**Note: Labrador breeders (almost always "backyard breeders") do not have to be registered with The Labrador Retriever Club to breed & sell registered AKC Labrador puppies.  Registration with the AKC is done separately with the AKC & does not involve The Labrador Retriever Club.  Participation in The Labrador Retriever Club is for the reputable breeders striving to maintain a level of excellence in the breed.  Breeders do have to meet certain standards to be recognized by the Labrador Retriever Club.  It is a VERY good sign of a breeder if they participate in their local chapter of the Labrador Retriever Club (LRC or TLRC).

I found it of interest to note that the AKC & The Labrador Retriever Club have not always seen "eye to eye" on the subject of registration of silver Labs & seemed to have at times maintained separate registration standards.  While the AKC does now allow for Silver Labs to be registered with the AKC as chocolate Labs (chocolate only - they can not be registered as any other color), it sounds from the Labrador Retriever Club website that they do not allow the registration of any Silver Labs into their organization.

The Current Position of The Labrador Retriever Club 2013

Buyer Beware - Newsletter (newsletter dated July 17, 2012)

The Labrador Retriever Club does discuss in detail the genetics of the silver Lab in this newsletter - click to read the offical position for yourself.

For more links to statements in regards to the Silver color from official Labrador club websites from around the world, the following website has compiled a list of links:

Labrador Retrievers - Silver Color Info Links

The reason I have a TON of info on Silver Labs on this post is because I get so tired of reading the websites where quotes are adjusted to suit monetary purposes (i.e. the sale of puppies - it's big business because they are really cute!).  It's just like watching the gossip news - words get twisted around & parts are left off so that the final impression made is not the actual quote or fact originally made.

I have put all the official links up to all the official Labrador Retriever organizations & their stances on the issue of the Silver color.  Rather than just read them off my blog, go to the actual page, read it for yourself & then the next time you come across a page with some misinformation on the Silver color, you can double check for yourself.  The bottom line is that there is no uniform standard for silver across the world.  Additionally, here in the U.S., the AKC & The Labrador Retriever Club seem to not be putting out the same uniform message on breed registration.  Also, no genetic testing was ever done by the AKC (my biggest pet peeve everytime I read this).  The AKC position was arrived at solely by inspecting dogs & pictures of dogs.  For The Labrador Retriever Club's position on the genetics of the Silver Lab, click on the link above, labeled "Buyer Beware"; they do have an official genetics position on the subject of Silver Labs as of July 2012.

For additional information on the Labrador Retriever, you can visit the following websites:

The Labrador Club (official site for the Labrador Retriever Breed & sets the standards for conformation)

Labrador Retriever Info via Wikipedia:

Labrador Retriever Page from the AKC

Lastly - better still, adopt a "rescue Lab" - just make sure it is a dog you & your family can manage; a "Hunter" Labrador is best left to be adopted by experienced Labbie parents.  But Hunter is an odd exception; there are many, many wonderful Labs living in foster care homes through Lab Rescue networks in need of a new home.
Check the links above to find if there is a rescue near you & if you can bring a needy dog into your home.

Bedtime Reading - Pears On a Willow Tree

I have not quite finished reading Pears on a Willow Tree by Leslie Pietrzky, but I'm only a few pages from the end & it has been a great book.

The novel centers on the lives of the women of the Marchewka family, starting with great-grandmother Rose, the first to come to America with her husband, her 4 daughters & the daughters of her daughters.

The book does have a simple birth order chart at the beginning of the book, but it would have been MUCH more helpful if it had been in a type of ancestry graph format: the reader is tasked to remember which daughter is the daughter of which daughter since names are constantly entering & exiting story lines even if the focus of the most recent generations are Ginger & her daughter Amy (Ginger, daughter of Helen).

I found I had to bookmark the page of names of mothers & daughters, but other than the clear trace of Helen to Ginger to Amy, it was almost impossible to keep up with who is who in regards to the lineage of the other mothers & daughters, especially since the book keeps changing the time period in which the narrative is written.  Some chapters are from the prospective of Rose written soon after she arrived in America all the way to the current time frame of Amy as a young woman.

A review of her book from "Good Reads" is here:

Pears on A Willow Tree at GoodReads.com

Reviews of the book by independent reviewers on Leslie's own webpage here:

Pears on A Willow Tree (scroll down)

Other Links - Leslie's Blogs:

Work in Progress

lesliepietrzky.blogspot

She has received numerous fellowship grants, teaches in the graduate writing program at John Hopkins University and is a faculty member of the low-residency MFA program at Converse Collage.

See more of her awards & biography here:

Leslie Pietrzky Bio

I really enjoyed this book - I do recommend it - but it is not light reading for the simple reason of trying to keep up with "who is who": which daughter is the daughter of which daughter.

A simple graph, rather than a list of names, would have made the book much more enjoyable.

World Ovarian Cancer Day

It is late, I am tired, but I was not going to let this day pass without a post.

Today (May 8th, 2013) was the first World Ovarian Cancer Day and I have a few words on the subject.

I am an EXTREMELY (!!) lucky person!!!  Early in 1998 I started getting ill & the source of what was going on could not be found.  I got progressively worse & in (I think it was June of that year, 1998) the doctors finally discovered the mystery to my illness - a benign uterine tumor.

As it turns out, "safely sleeping" (so to speak) were Ovarian tumors (now called cysts) which were discovered at the same time & these cysts were not so benign.  As it turns out, they were well on their merry way to multipling & going through the 4 stages of cell mutation before a tumor (or cyst) is officially labeled "cancer".  It was so early in their development, they never would have been found until too late except for that lovely benign uterine tumor which mwas making me so ill.

I repeat - I am a lucky person - if not for the benign tumor, the mutating ovarian cysts would probably not have been found until too late.  At the time, my son was 7 and my daughter 9; when I picked up my first prescription at the CVS & read in clear, bold, black ink on the envelope cover where the purpose of this drug was stated for "the treatment of ovarian &  uterine cancer", I broke down and cried for 30 minutes.  Because that is when it finally hit home what was going on with me; and my husband (still on active duty in the Navy) was on a ship in Virginia Beach while I stayed with the kids in Maryland.

I had the most amazing support network imaginable & the most wonderful best friend anyone could ever have.  Every day she stopped by the house to pick up the kids to take them to her house to play with her kids so I could rest & deal with the pain.  Neighbors & parents of other school friends of my children all kicked in and helped me out with anything I needed - whether I needed help getting to a doctor or someone watching the kids or even my next door neighbor & her husband taking the kids to McDonald's a few times for supper as a treat.

I went in for surgery in December 1998 - right before Christmas - not knowing if my ovaries would stay in or come out.  The approx. 6 month course of drugs had worked & reversed the cells back to normal.  There really was a benign uterine tumor, so I did have to have a partial hysterectomy.  But the last frozen biopsy on the operating room table was clean (and even back then, the overwhelming risks of hormone replacement therapy for women were becoming well documented), so my ovaries stayed in.

It will be 15 years this summer when my experience all began.  I have had my ups & downs with my cysts; at one point I was once more back in the office of a Gyn Oncologist, but the "worry" (not sure of the appropriate word to use here) was short lived & things went back to "normal" again (as normal as they can be for me).

I AM VERY, VERY LUCKY!!!!  The cancer was found and stopped before it had the chance to become officially "cancer".  And because of that history (and I am so grateful to that benign tumor that made me ill which allowed the doctors to run all the tests & make the initial discoveries), I get to have twice annual pelvic ultrasounds & bloodwork (they look for specific cancer markers in my bloodwork).  As I said, I have had my ups & downs - one year, I probably had 8 scans & 8 bloodwork tests done because of the suspicion the cysts might be once again changing, but they settled down again.

The point is that there is no way anything is going to happen to me via my ovaries without my doctors right away (!).  I am constantly scanned & have bloodwork drawn to check on my cysts for the slightest changes.  My personal pet peeve is that I wish (in a dream world where money was not an obstruction) that ALL women could get annual pelvic ultrasounds for Ovarian Cancer, just like we now get mammograms for breast cancer.  The problem is that not enough women are affected enough by this deadly disease for insurance companies to offer it to female patients as part of their annual check-up, just like they would get a mammogram.  "Cost & Effect" or a phrase something like that will block women from getting annual pelvic ultrasounds done by their GYN doctors unless there is a really, really good reason (like myself & my history of problems with my ovaries).

I would ask that you (women) stop & take a moment to read as much as you can about Ovarian Cancer.  It does not get the press & the big fund raisers that Breast Cancer does, probably because so many more people have had Breast Cancer in their lives - either through a friend, family member or someone else you may know well.

Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cancer as the cause of cancer deaths in women (http://www.ovariancancer.org/about-ovarian-cancer/statistics/)

What is not overtly stated in the statistics is that Breast Cancer is often shown at a higher level as the leading cause of death from cancer for women than Ovarian Cancer.  But what is not taken into account is the fact that this is due to the sheer size of the population sample.  Ovarian Cancer does not strike the same huge numbers of women which breast cancer does; but when Ovarian Cancer does strike, it is one of the most deadly.  Usually by the time a patient is diagnosed with the disease, it is too far advanced to be able to fully eradicate from a patient & can often metastasize to other areas of the body.

Doctors do consider Ovarian Cancer to be the deadliest of all the Gynecological cancers; it has also been called "the silent killer".

For more information on Ovarian Cancer, I recommend the following websites:

**http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/genetics/breast-and-ovarian/HealthProfessional/page1 (from the National Cancer Institute from the National Institute of Health)

**http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/ovarian/ - from Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

**http://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovariancancer/detailedguide/ovarian-cancer-risk-factors

But until the day comes when ALL women are eligible for annual pelvic ultrasounds, just like annual mammograms, make sure you read all the information on this deadly disease from reputable sources (like the links posted above).  If you have a question - don't wait!  It is far better to ask what you might think is a "silly" question to your doctor than to keep silent when something might be truly wrong.

New Free Collage Sheets - Lollipop Covers & "Chinese" Take Out Box

We are having an ABSOLUTELY amazing weather week here!!!  Spring might finally be here to stay.  We have had several near record temperature days of the mid to high 70's (of course the temperature does then drop about 30 degrees for the overnight low - reminds me of the temperature fluctuations in the desert, except we get all that SNOW!).

So the "gang" (of 3 Labs - I do have 2 Black Labs in addition to the mighty "Hunter") have been spending a lot of time outdoors.  I just sit & soak up the unusal sunshine while it lasts while Hunter & Elphaba streak around the yard in a never-ending game of chase.  Gunston (the oldest at 10) doesn't have that Labbie wild streak in him anymore, so he usually just sits calmly with me & hopes to not get crashed into by the 2 wild ones (and I have to be careful they don't crash into me in their wild chases).

So I have been feeling better & have been able to do a lot more editing on the computer.  I have several new collage sheets for sale & more to come.  I even have a template for clothespins for printing & decorating plain wooden clothespins, a craft that seems to be quite popular right now.  I have one finished (a set of cute Ladybugs) and more planned in chevron & mini polka dot patterns.  The collage sheets are, of course, available for sale at:

Etsy FantasyGraphicImages

So I am posting not one, but TWO free collage sheets today.  Both are "craft" collage sheets & are not shapes I normally sell in the store.

However, you can inquire about custom orders (via my Etsy store) if you are interested in either of the following collage sheets in different patterns/themes.

REMEMBER: read the directions in full - after right-clicking & saving the image on the computer, you will still need to enlarge the image to 3300 x 2550 jpg in order for it to print out to an accurate size.

I have added a new page of printing directions.  They apply to any free collage sheet & all the collage sheets I have for sale.  I highly recommend you visit my page.  The difference between the free & store-purchased sheets is that you do not have to enlarge the store collage sheets - they are e-mailed to you ready to print.

There is also a new page on enlarging the collage images using Photoshop.

You can check the sidebar for all the separate pages found in this blog (Blog Pages are just underneath Pages).

Remember to "play nicely" and adhere to the rules of using all free collage sheet images I post on this blog.

All my freebie sheets are for personal use only.

Please do not spoil it for the vast majority.

ALL freebie collage sheets should not be used to make items for retail sale (no hair-bows, pet collars, no handmade items period - regardless of collage sheet image content).

Remember: digital images are not just for jewelry!  There are a LOT of creative people out there doing all sorts of crafts with digital images - you can easily substitute digital images for any paper craft.  Just glue to card stock or pretty scrap book paper if they need to be "stiffened first".  Check out the Pinterest Digital Arts & Crafts Board for suggestions.

And please visit my FantasyGraphicImages Store for lots of unique collage sheets in a variety sizes for jewlery & crafts including unique shapes such as Mason Jars.

Right-click on the collage sheet image and save to your computer - the original graphic size is 3300 x 2550 jpg.  Both of these collage sheets are designed to print out as a 8 1/2" x 11" photo size image - a full page sheet.  Collage sheet image needs to be enlarged to 3300 x 2550 jpg before printing.

You can use any editing program for enlarging the collage sheet to the correct pixel size, but do NOT use GIMP to print out collage sheets since GIMP prints out images smaller than they actually are.

****TO REPEAT MYSELF: FREEBIE SHEETS ARE FREE FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.  IMAGES ARE NOT MEANT FOR COMMERCIAL USE IN ANY FORM AND THIS COLLAGE SHEET IS NOT TO BE SOLD ON ANY RETAIL MARKET.****

**Go to the "Free Collage Sheet" page under Blog Pages (right sidebar - NOT the blog labels; the blog pages) for larger images.**

And if you want to purchase the templates to make your own custom Chinese Box or Lollipop collage sheets, you can buy the blank templates from:

BottlecapBuzz on:

Artfire

and

Facebook

The first "freebie" is a "Chinese Take Out Box"; I have not personally tried printing & folding the box, but it was just such a cute idea, I am printing a freebie from the template.

I used a Japanese Yuzen Chiyogami Washi print pattern for the box.

If you like Yuzen Chiyogami Washi image patterns, I have a LOT of collage sheets for sale in my store using Yuzen Chiyogami Washi Patterns.

Just search my store using the search terms: Chiyogami Washi (the word Yuzen is not in all the Etsy store titles of my Yuzen Chiyogami Washi Pattern collage sheets).

I chose a floral pattern which reminds me of spring for this box.
Chinese Take Out Box

Lollipop covers
The second freebie I am posting today is another "craft" collage sheet - this one is for Lollipop covers.

Memorial Day will soon be here & summer is coming with the 4th of July: I made a "patriotic" themed Lollipop collage sheet to use for any upcoming holiday parties or to use all year 'round.

Although not visible on the picture below because the image is too small, there are thin red lines for folding guides & you can just see the hole where the Lollipop stick will fit.

REMEMBER: both of the above free collage sheets are full page jpg files & should be 330 x 2550 jpg size before you print them out (or else they will not print to the correct size).  You can re-read the directions above on how to enlarge collage sheets for printing & how to print them.

HUNTER

And, as always, "Hunter" & I thank you for your purchases.  Hunter is one of those rare dogs who was born with a tummy that doesn't digest food unlike most dogs.  During my 40+ years raising & training dogs (my parents gave me a dog training book & a puppy at age 12 & I was the one who charged with training the dog which I did very successfully considering my age), I have heard of dogs born with disorders that prevent them from digesting food like normal dogs - Hunter is one of those dogs who can not digest "normal" dog food.  And even though he came from an SPCA, he came to us with some very significant health problems (including a raging staph infection due to the lack of hygiene in his living quarters) which cost us a small fortune in vet bills.  I probably could have purchased 2 Saint Bernard puppies by now compared to what we have spent to bring Hunter back to health (he even had to be hospitalized at one point) & now to maintain him in good health.  But Hunter just must have been destined to come to our attention & of course we took him into our home.  He has a big heart & he needed a home where people would understand (and be PATIENT) with his behavior and he is slowly turning into a gentleman.

Although, I don't think we will ever break him from the habit of "counter-surfing"; we just have to make sure food items REALLY are out of his reach when he is standing, stretched out on his hind legs.

And now, time to go enjoy some of that amazing sunshine we are having with the "gang".

Etsy Store FantasyGraphicImages