IRENE COUNTRY MARKET and descending Christmas spirit...

Hello there everyone!

Last Monday was a public holiday here in South Africa.  My daughters took me to 'IRENE COUNTRY MARKET' for a VERY belated birthday outing (My bithday was in May),  This trip has been on the cards for a while, but we've never found a date that was convenient for us all.  It was an exquisite day - clear blue skies with bright sunlight.  Thankfully we went early - to avoid the inevitable heat later during the day.

Some pictures of the market:

 Walking down the country lane, towards the market.

 Reasons to salivate...

 Below: Kudu (antelope) wood carvings.

 Glassware - with embedded flowers...

 Beautiful table cloths...

 Colourful, steel wall-hangings...

 Painted, wooden and clay wall-hangings...

 Below: My favourite:  A small 'baby grand piano' - all made out of steel.  Incredible artistry!

 The creative energy and atmosphere is palpable...

 Below:  

I don't know how it happened, but I was convinced by Robz that a camel ride should be on my bucket list.

  "Ok," I said.  "Let's do it".  I held on tight...

 Very uncomfortable, but lots of giggles...  The worst part is the end where the camel eagerly resumes his spot on his blanket next to the straw.  You soon realise how how high you have been when he finally sinks to the ground.  

Robyn says that I screamed.  Quite frankly, I can't remember.  :)

Camel ride done and ticked!  

Off my bucket list, lol!

The Christmas spirit is descending.  The tree is up, twinkling and laden with gifts.  Carols fill the air, meals are prepared, dogs get extra walks and the family are all 'at home'  (well almost) 

But I must say that my mind and heart is filled with the image of a little golden bundle all those miles away... waiting until she's old enough to come home.

I asked the breeder if she could PLEASE take a photo of her daughter and little 'Belle'. 

This is what was posted on FB.  Although it's not labelled, I would bet my bottom dollar that this is my little one.  :)

What a beautiful photo! 

 Thank you Marycke Ackhurst from Quillquest Golden Retrievers.

I can't wait for the 25th January when puppy comes home.  

The pups are only 3 weeks old at this stage.  They had their first 'real' meal recently.

Wishing all my friends a wonderful, peaceful and happy Christmas season.

With love

UPDATE: Our little Golden bundle grows and grows...

Weeeeeee!  
Hello there, dear friends...
I am sending you warm, Christmas wishes from Johannesburg, South Africa.

I just had to post up this picture today - re-posted from Facebook - of a dear little Golden retriever bundle that is growing as we speak.  Maybe you would like to share my excitement... 

At the moment she is only 3 weeks old, but is growing rapidly, and is due to have her first supplemented meal today.

If all goes well, this is the little one who will be joining us around the 25th January 2013 -  as a sister to my "Sweet hooligan" Toby and Aunt Tammy. 

Ageing Aunt Tam is still agile enough to help 'nurture' the little one, and our 'Sweet Hooligan' will have a new playmate who will be able to grow up with him.  I will no longer have the concern that he will be lonely in the years ahead.

Behavioural assessments are conducted on the seven pups in the litter at about 7 weeks of age.  After that, the puppies are matched to their prospective owners.  We are definitely going to be getting one of the little girls, and she will be flown up to Johannesburg, where she will join our eagerly awaiting family.

At this stage, it looks like its going be this particular little one.  Her litter name is 'Belle', but her real name will be chosen once she comes home.  We're already throwing around some cute names, but it will have to be a name that 'matches' her, so we'll wait until she gets here.

My request to the breeder has been to choose the quietest, smallest one in the litter for me.  I know this can never be guaranteed, but it's a start.  Our little bundle already has a place booked at McKaynine Training Centre, for her puppy socialisation classes.  (Sometime in February)

 Isn't she just the sweetest little Golden bundle ever!  
Thank you, Marycke Ackhurst from Quillquest Golden Retrievers for entrusting a puppy to us, and for posting up photographs on Facebook, so that I can share in her progress.

Wishing everyone a happy weekend.
Sending lotsaluv
  

...and 'Aunt Tammy' and the Guineapigs.

A BIG secret is revealed...

I admit that I've been holding onto a BIG secret for a while now...  
The time has finally arrived to share it....  
Toby, Tammy and the rest of our household are doing the 'happy dance' - in anticipation of the BIG event, early next year... 

Only SIX WEEKS TO GO...>

 Above: Mommy "EMMI": 

(Quillquest Moonstones (Macanne Shooting Star GMHR FTA x Quillquest Red Hot NHR) with her beautiful puppies.  
BORN 1st December 2012)

---xXx---

If all goes well, we'll be welcoming one of these little puppies into our home in January next year.  Yes, you read it first...A NEW GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPY in our household!  And a special new friend for Toby and Tammy.

It's a long story, and it follows months of lengthy discussions and debate, but the decision has finally been made....  

QUILLQUEST GOLDEN RETRIEVERS

(In Cape Town)

...have selected us as one of the prospective new homes for one of their Golden puppies. 

You can check out there website HERE

---xXx---

Isn't that wonderful?  Such good news!  Toby will finally have an energetic playmate, and Aunt Tammy will have a new pup to nurture.  Me?  I'll have to rope in my energy and commitment towards puppy socialisation and dog training.  Our new pup will be fully integrated into our household.

So let me tell you about these pups...

This is Mommy "EMMI": 

Quillquest Moonstones (Macanne Shooting Star GMHR FTA x Quillquest Red Hot NHR

...with her puppies, born on the 1st December 2012...

 ...isn't this just too beautiful for words?!

and this is...

 Daddy "NEEKO" (Affectionately called 'GOOFY') :

Quillquest Thomas Burberry at Kinndell (Ch Siatham Baron Quillquest at Chardale x Ch Siatham Classic Quillquest)

 (Above: NEEKO's photograph in the 2013 Animal Talk calendar)

 (Above: NEEKO in the show ring)

(Above: NEEKO at field trials)

Both parents are highly pedigreed, KUSA registered and champions in their own rights.  But most importantly though, they have had all their health checks, been loved in compassionate families, and are on the scene because of the vision of Marycke Ackhurst (their breeder).  In one of our discussions, I asked Marycke what she was most proud of as a breeder:  

---xXx---

"I aim to improve the breed; taking into consideration a variety of aspects:
pedigree, temperament, health, conformation and working potential.
As a breeder, I think it is my responsibility to prepare pups for their new life by socialising them well.  I also want to prepare owners as best as possible for their new arrival -  for now, and the future.

I try and match owner requirements and pups to the best of my ability, with the available tools.  For me, the ultimate is to breed Goldens that are beauty and brains combined, adaptable in most situations, that can work, thus a pleasure to love and care for.  I think the main aim is to make people aware of what they are letting themselves in for, and to think a little more about it."

---xXx---

  I would personally like to say that, throughout this whole process, I have been treated with patience, respect, courtesy, care and professionalism.  All health checks on the parents have been done, cleared and been sent to me promptly.  I have been thoroughly screened - something I welcome as an owner of Goldens - it reassures me that every care has been taken to protect and nurture this beautiful breed.

There are seven pups in "DISNEY" litter and they are identified by their collars:

THE BOYS

Alladin (Light blue)

Mowgli: (Teal/blue green) 

THE GIRLS

Mulan (Maroon)

Pocahontas(Red)

Aurora (Pink)

Rapunzel(Purple)

Belle (Orange/Yellow)

I would like to compliment QUILLQUEST GOLDEN RETRIEVERS on their impeccable professionalism.  After completing an extensive questionnaire, submitting references and having lengthy telephonic discussions, I have been told that I am on their final short list.

I have requested a female puppy - "The pup who is the quietest in the litter; the more laid back one; the gentlest one"

A full behavioural assessment is conducted at around 7 weeks of age.  

Thereafter the final decisions are made.

There is, indeed, one particular pup which is standing out as 'the one' at this stage...

 This is 'BELLE', growing fast but still the smallest in the litter...

It is still early days yet...the pups are only two weeks old at the moment.

Although we are separated by over 1400 kilometers, the puppy which is earmarked for me is already tugging at my heartstrings.  Time will tell...

Our new little Golden bundle will be flown up to Lanzeria airport, Johannesburg (from Cape Town) towards the end of January.

We will be there to welcome her, in full force!

Grow well, little one...

With love,

Caryl

FOR OLD TIME's SAKE

Dear friends,

Christmas is approaching, so I thought it apt to re-paste

MAXDOG's CHRISTMAS TRIBUTE

with love

Please also note that this blog is only going to be updated occasionally.
 If you are interested in following me in a more personal way - on a more restricted blog, please leave me a comment with your email address.
 I will get back to you and direct you accordingly.
Thank you so much for your continued support.

Sending lotsaluv,

TRANSITIONS

Greetings from South Africa!
Maxmom here...

Its a beautiful morning here in South Africa (Johannesburg). We had another thunderstorm last night and the world has been washed clean. The surrounding foliage is shimmering and wet.  

Our thunderstorms are huge, flashy events - lots of lightning and sudden buckets of rain. Flash floods can also happen during these storms and I have grown progressively more scared of them.  The dogs, too, huddle with me at these times.  All the rain, however, has made the world very green and beautiful. My veggie garden is flourishing (or should I say the Guinea pigs' vegetable garden is flourishing? After all, it was planted for them!)

Its Saturday today, so the world is quieter. Only a small drone from the highway across the hill. The traffic never goes to sleep.

Both my girls are home this weekend, and the Boss is also free, so I can look forward to hearty companionship.  

I'm going through a quiet, philosophical life-change at the moment after a major turn of events this past week.  This has left me very guarded with my internet activities and my writing. (Even writing this blog post is making me nervous)  It appears that, once you are on the Internet, your personal claim to your own blog, and what you put on it, is redundant in reality. 

Instead, I have been focussing on moving all my "stuff" in the house into one of the spare rooms.   (I am extremely creative and have so many 'crafty' projects going on.) I am converting this room into a 'den' for myself and am loving the feeling of independence and creative freedom.

  I've been making beads, sewing advent calenders, sorting out wool, scrapbooking, quilting, etc,etc...anything to take my mind off the recent disillusionment. I know I must get back to writing, but my heart is simply not in it. 

Above: Toby testing the chair in my den.

My latest project is a sewed/quilted advent calendar. It's a gift for someone who is working in appalling conditions - long hours, immense stress. Opening small gifts, every day, in the lead up to Christmas, will hopefully remind this person that they are greatly loved and valued. It's been fun planning it and buying the small gifts. I'll give this treasure gift towards the end of the month. It's still not quite finished yet. Hopefully it will remain a surprise.

My  Scrapbooking storage corner.

Today, the Boss and I are going to buy a large bookshelf for my den - to create more space for all my books, etc. and hopefully inspire me to write again..

Above: 12-year-old 'Tammy' barking at the neighbour's cat..."Looking good, girl!"

Toby and Tammy are very well. So are the Guineapigs. Toby is a real hooligan. He is so energetic and so strong, and we still battle with trying to encourage him to be calm. Tammy is getting really old now. She struggles mainly with her progressive arthritis and dry eyes, but then comes to life when the hooligan demands a game. She is a pretty amazing dog, but is starting to battle on our short walks. She enjoys them, however, and loves interacting with other dogs and 'reading the news'.   I know she will deteriorate over time and perhaps may not be with us for much longer, but she is twelve years old now and comfortable in her old age. I couldn't ask for more - at least she hasn't suffered like Max did.

The Guinea-pigs (Twix and Bonnie/Tinkie) are at such a cute stage. They respond to me as if I am one of them.  Their house/palace (in the kitchen) is such a fun place for them to be living in. They are always hanging out together and come to their balcony/loft whenever anyone is in the kitchen. It's like the "Romeo and Juliet" scene with the two of them hanging out the window, going "Wheet, Wheet, Wheet...." and calling for a treat.

I've been taking them to the vet every week now for 6 weeks to get their injections for mites, which they picked up somewhere.  Thankfully, I caught it early. They've stopped scratching now and are looking quite beautiful. Although Twix is about 3 months older than Bonnie, the two GP's are the same weight. Bonnie, however, is going to be a much bigger piggie than Twix. Poor Twixie had such a hard time in the beginning - with the pregnancy and all - that I doubt if she'll ever catch up in growth. But they love each other's company...it's really cute to see them happy.  Here is a video of my sweet piggies:

Free Background music by Jewelbeat 

Sending lots of love to all my friends across the world.  

Toby, too, sends lots of licks - so long as you don't take his throw toy away.
"Mine!" he says.  :)

Have a happy weekend!

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK (VIDEO)

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

MAXMOM here...

Dear friends,

Many thanks for all your uplifting messages after yesterday's post.  
I appreciate each and every one of them. 
By way of thanks, I have put together a short video for you.  

The KRUGER NATIONAL PARK is a place to which I go when I need to restore my soul.
Perhaps it will restore your soul too.

Enjoy!

Sending all my love