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Changes

Lots of changes have been happening at the Jackalope House. I finally have a dining room table and lots of chairs - it makes the house seem so much more cozy!

I really need to get on the ball and put plastic over the windows. Now that it is getting cold the old windows are really leaking some warm air. I need to face the fact that I am not going to get the trim painted without a massive dose of motivation that I really don't see myself having in the next 3 months. It is always harder to do things once you have moved in!

I went fox hunting with my friend Erin last Thursday - I didn't take any of my dogs because I had a 3 day dog show starting on Friday. Thank goodness I didn't - Ana will hunt anything, including skunk. And yes, she found one. And yes she got nailed. UGH! AGAIN! She immediately came out for fresh air and Erin and I rubbed dirt and snow on her to get some of the stink off. We ran home for a shower - Erin got the brunt of the stink so she washed off herself and Ana - and that little rotten dog actually ran to me after getting out of the shower and jumped in my lap and shook off! How's that for gratitude?





Miss Ana - no fox here!

And just as an FYI - skunk smell sticks to new purses made out of 100% PVC and no amount of Odoban or Febreeze will get it out. And yes I still carry that sucker with me everywhere because it is my new fancy Nicole Miller purse I got on sale and I adore it. The smell is lessening though. I just need to remember to NOT put it down in the snow and get the bottom wet - then it comes back full force!

The dog show went amazingly well. I am still in a little bit of a daze over it. I had just entered Jada and Rodear, and was hoping to pick up a couple of legs for Jada's Grand Champion title. Well, we picked up all five that we needed for her! Out of six shows, Jada took 5 Champions classes and 4 Best of Breed Awards - as well as 3 Group Two placings (damn those Border Terriers!) and one Group One award. And last, but not least, we picked up this:




Jada's first Group 1 and first Reserve Best In Multi Breed Show!



I was also so happy that her breeder, Tracey was there, as well as Amanda Hill of CoHills Rat Terriers - Jada is from her downlines. It was a celebration that we all could enjoy!

Next year for sure Jada and I will work on getting her Junior Earthdog title from the AKC, as well as a Working Certificate from the American Working Terrier Association. It is a goal that I have for all of my dogs, but Jada shows the most promise for right now - that dog has climbed a tree right out of my yard and ended up on the neighbor's roof in pursuit of a squirrel! My terror and visions of sky high vet bills aside, I was pretty proud of that little snot.

As if there isn't enough going on in my life, I have a new addition to my kennel. It isn't even a Rat Terrier! It is a little Toy Fox Terrier puppy that I have named Fritz - AKA Foxclassic Gone and Done It. He is a little sweetie, and amazingly enough he is tough as nails. Just this morning I walked out of my office to witness Jada running through the house with a tug toy in her mouth - and Fritz attached to the end of it!





Who is that handsome puppy in the mirror?




Fritz comes from a long line of amazing dogs - and the reason I wanted him was because of his father, Max. Max is an amazing little dog with an incredible temperament and little body. I have had the opportunity to show Max this past year and I just fell in love with the little man, so I jumped at the opportunity to have one of his puppies!

On a completely different note, I put up a birdfeeder - well, not just one, but three! I have a large feeder that I stock with suet and sunflower seeds, a small one with a mix of mostly millet and milo, and a finch feeder with thistle seeds (and I haven't seen one finch on the darn thing yet!).

This morning I captured a not so great photo of a Downy Woodpecker. But here are a few better photos of some more recent visitors:



Mountain Chickadee


Northern Flicker

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