Oh Say Can You See.... Land of the Free.... Home of the Brave...

Grandfather Struhar - Mom's Pop

I love our country. I'm proud to be an American, regardless of who is elected to office (unlike some famous people).  My people came here to escape tyranny, to provide a better life for themselves and their descendants of which I am one.  We came here from eastern Europe: Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Trans-Carpathia...  My grandfather Struhar told us, "It is better to have nothing, than to live under the heel of an Emperor." He was true to his word, selling everything to raise the funds to bring his wife and daughters to this country. Grandpop arrived on this country's shores in 1914. He lived with others, saving every dime. In 1914, my Grandmother arrived with her two toddlers (a 2 yr old & a 4 yr old), leaving behind her 1st born, my Aunt Katherine, who is buried in or near Zohor, Slovakia, and everything that they ever knew.  That is courage.  That is self-reliance.  That is honor.  And, my grandparents expressed their values and courage to live in the "Land of the Free".  They worked hard in the steel mills and in the coal mines to provide for their burgeoning families. 

My grandparents are turning over in their graves because of the crime, the intrusion on our rights as citizens, and over the Seven Deadly Sins (avarice, sloth, apathy, acedia, etc.) that many in the nation practice and live, including our elected representatives, such as, Tom DeLay, Maxine Waters, William Jefferson, John Ensign, etc. (A large listing of various political scandals can be found here.) There is no honor; there are no mores.  I believe my grandparents would be even more upset over how people give up their Constitutional rights ever so easily: all in the name of 'security', all to live without fear, to live without responsibilities, to live without self-reliance.  The people who are giving up their rights, are submitting to full body x-ray scans, full body pat downs (including checking the genitals).


Our government, which is supposed to be a 'representative republic', not a democracy, has ever so slowly and ever so surely been chipping away at our rights.  People now think that those rights are now privileges.  For instance, the right to travel is now a privilege.  In recent days, I've heard the following from various people....


"I don't equate the ability to board the plane as an essential liberty. No one said you have to fly."


"Driving is a privilege, not a right."


"You are proving we have a right to travel, not by which method. No one is stopping you from traveling."


No matter how many times I've tried to inform them that they are mistaken, they've become rude, belligerent, and, well....  I've pretty much given them up as lost causes.  If travel were a privilege, none of my grandparents would have been able to come to this land.  I would be typing this in Hungarian, Rusyn, Slovakian, or even Cyrillic.  It is reasonable to state that to keep travel as a right, the modes of travel have to be rights also.  After all, we cannot be expected to travel freely while only on foot.  It is common sense (something else sorely lacking in this day & age) that access to all modes of travel has to be considered a right.


This posting came about because of the Federal Gov'ts interference with our right to travel by air.  The gov't initiated the USA PATRIOT Act (aka "Patriot Act").  It is an Act of Congress and it was signed into law by then President George W. Bush.  The title is a combination of two acronyms, "USA" and "PATRIOT".  It stands for, "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.  It was passed in the wake of the terrorists destruction of the World Trade Centers in New York City.


This act gives the gov't broad powers to intercept and search all communications (phone, email, medical, financial, etc.).  It expanded the Secretary of the Treasury's authority to regulate financial transactions (think IRS).  It established the Department of Homeland Security and moved the Secret Service under that Department's auspices.  The Act ignores civil liberties, especially the Fourth Amendment - "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."


Within the past month, the Dept. of Homeland Security's  (DHS) offshoot, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) started what they call "enhanced screening" procedures.  Those procedures utilize full body x-ray screening, electromagnetic millimeter wave screening, and what has been called "custody" pat downs.  These procedures are a far cry from the use of metal detectors and "frisking".  Let me make this perfectly clear.... neither scanner is 100% safe.  Both deliver radiation to your body and radiation, as you should know, cumulates in your bones and organs.  TSA is generous to allow travelers to "opt out" of the body scans. Your opt out option is a "custody" pat down.  These pat downs are the ones used by law enforcement when they are taking people into custody.  To quote a law enforcement officer, 

"There are two types of law enforcement searches, both of which require probable cause or a warrant. A search incident to arrest is a brief pat down insuring that the officer's safety is not threatened. You may or may not be arrested. Then there is a custody search, which is a full blown body search akin to what the TSA is doing - that is done when you are placed under arrest and transported for custody. Then there is a custodial search when, upon entering jail, your wallet is inventoried of everything in it, you remove your belt and shoes and everything in your pockets, and depending on the crime, are subjected to a strip search. Sometimes before, but usually after an arraignment, if you are held in custody, you get the cavity search.

Law enforcement searches are governed by very rigorous rules and a long line of legal precedent. Unless you have a search warrant signed by a judge based on probable cause that a crime has been committed, or unless you are searched incident to an arrest for crime, you cannot be subjected to such a search."


People who are paying for a service, air travel, are having their 4th Amendment rights violated.  They are being treated as criminals without probable cause, without court issued search warrants.  They are being subjected to custody searches and digital strip searches.  This is wrong.  It needs to be abolished.

I object so strenuously to the new procedures, that I am boycotting flying.  I have a ton of frequent flyer miles and I was hoping to go to Europe this coming summer....  oh well....  I guess I'll investigate the cost of going by ship.  However, it is my understanding that these procedures are also to be implemented at rail stations, bus terminals and other such places.  Oh...  and before I forget, the gov't is looking into providing a "National Biometric ID Card" that will eventually contain an RFID transmitter would allow Big Brother electronic data bases to track all of your personal information. It is a simply a national ID card under another name.

The government has gone too far.  It needs to be reined in.  I call upon our Congressmen to do the right thing and stop these violations of our rights.  Old ladies, little kids and the general population are not the threat.  At this time, those who pass and support the laws that violate us are the threat.

There are so many other violations, that I cannot begin to enumerate them.  However, in closing, I suggest you follow this link to read a nursing mother's most recent interaction with TSA agents.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Greyhound Club of America - What's Up?

Several months ago, I submitted an application for membership to the Greyhound Club of America (GCA), the American Kennel Club (AKC) parent club for the breed.  For many, many years, I have been trying to become a member of the club.  I was told that good breeders and serious fanciers of the breed are always parent club members.  Since I consider myself a good breeder and a serious student of the breed, I have been trying to join.  I've not met with any success.  They continue to deny me membership.  I believe I know why, but not a single board member has the backbone to stand up and tell me why.  Instead, they hide behind a veil of secrecy, i.e., secret ballots, etc.  They are more like a high school clique than a club for serious fanciers of the Greyhound breed.


Reasons I am a good breeder: 

1. I health screen my breeding stock;
2. I take back dogs that I have bred, any time, any reason; 
3. I rescue dogs that others have bred; 
4. I'm there for my puppy owners and others, when needed.

However, it seems that being a good breeder, a good owner, and having a love for the breed isn't enough either. Even my length of time in the breed, 15 years, which is more than some of the board members, doesn't seem to matter to the GCA.  I've added to my resume through the years. My dogs have accomplished much, including, but not limited to:

• Out of a total of 11 puppies, we have 7 conformation champions with 3 dogs not shown. This means that 64% of our puppies have attained their championship.
• We have bred 6 dual champions;
• Our dogs have amassed a total of 21 lure coursing championship titles (AKC & ASFA)
• Two dogs in our first litter were nationally ranked in breed competition.
• Three pups bred have group placements (18 placements in AKC and 2 in UKC).
• Four are multiple year invitees to the Eukanuba National Championship. One of them, Dash, was a 3 time invitee. 
• Our dogs have been nationally ranked in lure coursing (AKC & ASFA), oval racing (NOTRA), and open field coursing.
• I've handled dogs in other breeds to their championships (saluki, borzoi, harrier) and also greyhounds that were not owned by me.
• I am an AKC lure coursing judge and received my judging license in 2003.

Still, I'm not good enough to be a member.  Yet, there are members who don't even own a greyhound.  So, why?  Why am I continually being refused membership?  The only thing I can surmise is that I do not meet with their approval for reasons, petty & personal, based on personal agenda.  I can only surmise that I am being blackballed because I was one of many people who fought a prior board on their attempts to close the AKC studbook to dogs registered with the recognized domestic registry - the National Greyhound Association (NGA).  That fight occurred over several years, beginning in 2000 and ending in January 2003, when the AKC Board of Directors with a 12-1 vote lifted the moratorium on the stud book.  Since I meet all criteria, that is the only reason I can deduce.   Go figure...

Ch DM Dots N' Dashes - A Sad Story

Some of you may know that for the past couple of years, I've been involved in a lawsuit surrounding a dog that I bred and owned, Ch DM Dots N' Dashes aka Dash.  Back in 2006, I added a Junior handler onto his papers so the boy could have a good dog to show; a dog that was easy to groom.  I rue the day that I tried to do something nice for the kid, because it sure did cost me in the end.


To aid the boy in working with the dog, Dash wound up living with the family in Amarillo.  The younger son did a good job with him, showing him to many group placements.  He helped Dash become the #4 Greyhound in breed competition in 2007.  


The boys started their winning streak in Garden City, Kansas in 2007, when judge Lester Mapes awarded them a Group 4.  Up until this past spring, 2008, the boys were on a roll and they were quite the team.  Tyler took Dash to two of the Eukanuba National Championship shows and he also presented him on the green carpet in Madison Square Garden at the Westminster Kennel Club show.  It was one heck of a ride for the boys.  However, when Tyler branched out into showing other breeds, Dash was supposed to come home.  It didn't happen.  


C.C. pressed me to sign over ownership to her son, Tyler, the Junior handler who showed him to many wins.  I gave her a contract with stipulations. She agreed to the contract and then promptly broke it.  I requested she return the dog and she refused.  I filed a lawsuit and the judge ruled in my favor.  However, rather than awarding me my dog, he allowed her son to keep him and awarded me $11,000 + attorney fees + interest at 5% and told her to put me back on the dog's papers as co-owner with full ownership rights and privileges.  As of this update, she has ignored the court's judgment, which came down in the spring.

A couple of weeks back, I sent her a certified letter requesting she take Dash to a vet at my expense .  She never picked up the letter and it was returned to me.  If she had not ignored the letter, perhaps, this situation could have been averted or, at least, ameliorated.  I suspect Dash's demise is due to end stage kidney disease.  I lost 3 other littermates this year from this affliction.  I am working with a geneticist to find the problem and have requested, several times, that she have him tested and submit samples to the geneticist.  She ignored the requests, which were made in the interests of not only my dogs, but the entire breed.  There is no history of kidney disease behind these dogs.  We do not know from where it came or why it is happening.  Dash has sired a litter.  At this time, none of them have shown any signs. 


Late on Friday, 27 August 2010, C.C. Hockett, now going by the name Alberta "C.C." Evans, sent me an email telling me that Dash was dying. 


> From: CC
> To: jato791@yahoo.com
> Sent: Fri, August 27, 2010 10:04:09 PM
> Subject: dash

> elaine, it is approx 1045pm cst. dash is on the couoch w tyler. he is jaundiced, pale in the mouth and he i s not eating. he is
> lethatrgic and withdrawn, tyler is w him and we are here wi th him.  it is only a matter of time im afraid. regardless of anything else
> tyler loves dash as we all do so i am letting yoou know what we are facing. i dont see him making it through the night. if he does it
> will be a big surprise. but beyond that I cant see any way to help.  it has happened suddenly in the last two days. ive talked to his vet
> and at this point there is nothing we can really do. im not writing to fight w you. just to let you know what is going  on here tongiht.
> tyler wants him to pass at home with family. I lost E-vac a few months ago. every day I was home she hung on. the one day I left
> home to run errands when I got home she was gone. I will not let dash be alone. he is the old man of the house and important family
> member and we love him.
>
> cc

I sent her an email begging her to take Dash to a vet to be humanely euthanized and also to have the samples sent to the geneticist.  I told her how important it was, how he was the only one in the litter missing from the samples.  It was useless.  


End stage kidney disease is painful and no animal should have to go through it.  Permitting an animal to suffer to satisfy the desire of a minor child, now a teenager, does not teach them how to treat animals humanely.  And, I believe that letting an animal suffer, in pain without veterinary attention, is abuse.  


She refused to take him to a vet in her final reply.  Her guilty conscious about the kidney disease testing got the best of her, in part, as she replied, "I didnt email to get I told you so or anything else. I shouldve left well enough alone. i just thought I would let you know. i wont bother you again."


Thank you Dash for the memories.  I love you and miss you terribly.  I always have.  God speed and cross that bridge with wings on your flying feet.

Elaine

It's THEM!

Tomato gardeners are a strange bunch.  We spend hours during the winter planning our gardens, choosing which plants we're going to plant and making our decisions based upon their good points and their bad points. We trade for seeds; we plant them in the perfect medium, and, when the time is right, we plant them in carefully prepared soil.  We hover over them like a hummingbird hovers around a nectar laden flower, wearing a path between each plant.  Then, when we think they are protected against the elements, against all critters, we find plants stripped of leaves, almost denuded.  Tomato gardeners beware!  Hornworm season is upon us.

Hornworms are truly gross & disgusting critters.  Masters of disguise, they are hard to spot when small on the plants.  When large, many times they look like a curled leaf.  They are the perfect shade of tomato green but with a nasty looking spike tail, white stripes and "eyes" down their sides.  And, to make it worse, they are HUGH, like 4" long huge.  I recently found out, when you try to pry them off the plant, they throw their head around, back & forth, and make noise.  Yeah…  noise.  That really grossed me out.  The noise reminds me of the noise that the giant ants make in the cult Sci-Fi flick, "Them".  (How appropriate, giant caterpillars in NM make noises like giant nuclear ants in NM.).

For the past couple of weeks, I've been on hornworm patrol, policing my tomato plants two and three times a day.  Still, I'm finding them.  I have a lovely heirloom tomato that they seem to have a preference for - a Black Russian. These things seem to be ignoring the yellow cherry tomato and the Red German Queen, but they love the black tomato plant!  So, I continue the war against the hornworms, turning over leaves, picking them off and throwing them into the road to become road kill. I also leave the smaller ones in the birdbath for the birds, which readily scarf them up.

I hope that hornworm season ends soon, preferably before my tomato is stripped or before I start screaming, "THEM!  THEM! THEM!!!!"

Baltimore History & Architecture

I'm not an architect, but there is a lot that I admire in old buildings.  Baltimore has a lot of old buildings.  The city has been around in one form or another since the early 1700's and there is only one building that dates back from the 1700's which still exists. The oldest building is a home, the Mount Clare Mansion, which was built in 1760.  It was the home of Charles Carroll, a distant relative of Charles Carroll the signer of the Declaration of Independence.


There are more homes that survive from the 1800's, such as the home of Mary Pickersgill, the seamstress who sewed the American flag which flew over Ft. McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore.  Another example is the Basilica, which is located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood.  The Basilica was designed by Benjamin Latrobe and it is the oldest Catholic Cathedral in the United States.  It was constructed between 1806 and 1821 and it was consecrated 31 May 1821. 


Many of the really old buildings are are few & far in between.  Many were destroyed in the Great Baltimore Fire (photos link) in February 1904.  One place that survived was the building which used to house the House of Welsh, a noted steak house in Baltimore.  When I was a kid, one of the places that my mom took me for a special treat was the House of Welsh.  Something that I found fascinating about the place was that on the walls of the restaurant, there were pictures of the Great Fire and the damage that it did.  One of the pictures was of that same building and the caption, which was something like, "The only building left."  Here's a bit of trivia for you, on 8 Feb 1904, 35 Western Union telegraph operators start tapping out news of the Great Baltimore Fire from the House of Welsh restaurant, on whose corner of Guilford and Saratoga the last remaining telegraph pole that carried lines in every direction stood. For three days, the operators send out news from the restaurant.   If you want to know more about the fire, please visit the Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Project, Enoch Pratt Free Library (picture above left).  By the way, another fine library in Baltimore is the Peabody Library, part of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, which is part of the Johns Hopkins University (picture above right).  


Baltimore is not a city of buildings that are all alike. It isn't unusual to find a house which looks like a misplaced castle adjoining a building that may have been a warehouse at one time.  The city is quirky and that quirkiness is reflected in the buildings.  That quirkiness is one reason I've always been very fond of the city, regardless of it being my hometown!  I love the incongruities!


Baltimore has many names: Charm City, Monumental City, Bawlmer, Crabtown, etc.  The bench, however, says it all.

Lexington Market - Baltimore, MD

The Lexington Market is where my mom used to shop for fresh produce, fresh butchered meats, eggs, chicken, bakery goods and, of course, fish from Faidley's Seafood Market.  The market is world famous and it was founded in 1782, making it more than 200 years old.  It still occupies the original location upon which it was founded: Lexington Street, between Eutaw and Greene.  I love the place, even if it is located in a not too great section of downtown Baltimore.  It has a wide variety of smells, noises, and people.  It is a great place to people watch.  Because of this, when we were there, we had to go!

The market has changed, but one can still buy fresh killed & butchered meats, chicken, produce and seafood there.  However, in addition to those grocery staples, one can now buy cheese steak sandwiches, smoothies, and a wide variety of other already prepared meals.  We opted for a couple of cheese steaks from the vendor pictured above.  The sandwiches were so large, that neither Rob nor I could finish them!  For about $5, we got 12" sandwiches and an order of french fries.

Here are a couple of other pictures from the market.

Other fine and long time vendors at the market are...

Konstant Peanuts - They sell peanuts that are roasted right there at the market. I think the roaster is on the Eutaw Street side.  I've been eating their peanuts since I was around 5 years old.  There isn't anything like peanuts right out of the roaster.

Polock Johnny's - Another Baltimore institution!  I didn't get a sausage, so I can't say if they are still as good as I remember.  However, what I remember was a great Polish sausage on a potato roll with a great dollop of sauerkraut and mustard.

Regan's Meats - I remember Regan's meats, but my Mom used to buy from Manger's.  As far as I know, Manger's is no longer in operation.  The butchers there were great.  I used to watch them dissect whole quarters of beef into various cuts.  In fact, one of them taught me how to cut & bone meat and also how to select a ham that is low in fat.  Useful skills!

Most of the places where my mom & I shopped are long gone: Stewart's, Hecht's, Hoschild's, Hutzler's, the fishmarket, and others.  It's nice to know that some things, like the market, endure.

While in Philly...

Wow! Philly... I'd not been there since something like 8th grade? It isn't the city that I remember. It is cleaner! Yeppers... cleaner! There are other changes to the city, such as the Liberty Bell is no longer to be found on the green in front of Independence Hall. The Bell is now in its own building, protected from the elements and from those who would take pleasure in harming her. Good idea, but sad. One can no longer touch the Bell or see her up close. You can only view her from behind glass. For more info on the Bell, please see: Liberty Bell Center.

Another change from when I was last there revolves around the change to their public transportation. You can pretty much get anywhere in the city by regional, commuter train. They also have ferries that cross the river between the city and Camden, NJ. A commuter pass allows you to use the busses, subway and regional trains for the week at a discounted rate. One pretty much doesn't need a car! I liked it! We used trains, shuttles, ferries, taxicabs & busses to go everywhere! It was great!

We went to Philly for my husband's annual reunion for his old ship, the USS Joseph Hewes (DE 1078). A fair number of his shipmates and the ship's officers were there, including the ship's Executive Officer (XO), CDR Joe Famme (retired). Mr. Famme ranks right up there as one of my favorite people. Those who attended the reunion had several options of things to do while there. The only thing that was really an organized event was the presentation to the New Jersey museum and the memorial to the ship's crewmembers who are no longer with us.  Honoring them in this way, keeps them with us always.

Some other places we visited in Philly was their Maritime museum, which features the ship, USS Olympia C-6, which served as Adm Dewey's flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay, and a WW2 submarine. Yep... went on both of them.  The Olympia is in need of restoration but, even so, she is a lovely ship and a very important piece of our history.  Rumor has it that the city is planning on scrapping her as they say they cannot afford to keep her.  That is criminal!  This vessel is a National Historic Landmark.  She is the last of her kind and she was launched in 1892. While we were there, volunteers were working on her, trying to restore her little by little.  It would be a great shame to lose this ship.  The volunteers and I am strongly urging people to write their congressmen about her.  With all the money they are divvying out, perhaps they can divert a smidge her way.  Let's see if we can raise the needed funds to save her.

I am so ashamed of myself.  While on this trip, I ate way too much food - real Philly cheesesteaks, crabcakes, fried shrimp, pizza, crab soup, more cheesesteaks....  Anyway, today, I joined WeightWatchers to lose those pounds that I gained.  Oh well...  The food in Philly & Baltimore is fantastic!

More Travel...

Well, after bouncing around Baltimore for several days, we boarded an AMTRAK train bound for Philly. We did not take the Acela Express, but one of the normal trains. We arrived at Penn Station early as we did not know what would be required of us to board the train. In my ignorance (I'd not been on a train since about age 10 years), I asked if they accepted carry on luggage. I was relieved when they said, "yes". The ride to Philly was uneventful.

Once in Philly, we touched bases with one of Rob's shipmates, Al. We were to meet up with him at the 30th Street station, or, at least, we thought we were to meet him there as he got off the R1 Airport train on his way to Market Place East. Oops! Wrong info... We were supposed to geton the train and go with him to Market Place East.

At the ticket counter, I spoke to a young woman and asked her if they had any weekend passes or something similar that we could use for the weekend to get around town. She sold me two commuter passes for $40+ dollars and several times told me that they would be good through Sunday night. OK...

We got onto a train that was headed to Market Street East to meet up with Al. No one checked the tickets. OK... After bouncing around town for a couple of hours, we got onto another train to go back to the 30th Street Station. Again, no one checked the tickets. OK... Whatever... At 30th street, the trains had been delayed due to a severe storm and we finally got the 7:04pm train at 7:41pm, which was headed to the airport. Well, the conductor checked our tickets and told us that they weren't any good for this weekend. The woman who sold them to us, sold us tickets for NEXT weekend! We won't be here! The conductor just said, "they're idiots!" and didn't charge us for the tickets to go to the airport. However, we need to either get these replaced or get our money back from the ticket issuing agency. Sigh... It's always something.

Elaine & Rob's Excellent Adventure...

I'm not really fond of flying, however, I will get on a plane to go places. The lure of travel is much stronger than my discomfort at being 35K feet above the ground. So... Rob & I were flying American out of ABQ, to DFW and then, to BWI for a long weekend. Our flight from ABQ to DFW was perfect. We had a swift, smooth takeoff and an equally swift & smooth landing. Cool... we should arrive at BWI on time!

Oops... I spoke too soon. We boarded our craft on time but after some 30 mins, the pilot got on the horn and told us that there was a problem with the cockpit door and that they needed to fix it before we could leave. OK... at least, turn on the AC so we could be somewhat comfortable. Nope... ain't happenin'.

The mechanic comes & goes, the pilot starts the preflight. Damn! Another hitch! This time, the radar goes out! Again, a tech comes & goes... We've now been aboard for about 2 hours, more or less. OK. Radar is fixed and the pilot starts the engines and we go out to the flight line. Yeah!!!!

We're off!!!! Not exactly....

The pilot revved the engines one time and then took his foot off the gas pedal. Huh?

The pilot revved the engines a 2nd time... Still a no go. WTF?

The pilot revved them a 3rd time, we traveled about 50 feet and then, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a serious engine fault. We are going back to the gate to see if it can be fixed." Oh joy... but better on the ground than in the air. Anyway, after another 30 minutes or so, they find us a new aircraft and we board her, get priority takeoff status and then, we're off!

Kudos to American for getting us on our way and kudos to the flight crew for their professionalism.

Good Hound Day on the Rio Grande

Back in 2002, Kathy came to Albuquerque to pick up her blue puppy dog, Slate.  She brought BJ's littermate, Allegra, along with her.  While here, she & I took BJ & Allegra down to the Rio Grande River to romp for a bit, off leash.  The attached slideshow has been put together from some of the pictures Kathy took that day.  Boy, did they have fun!

Enjoy...

BJ & Nampa - What is it with Red Brindles?

I swear BJ is alive and well in Nampa. Not only does Nampa resemble BJ, he barks like him. What is it with red brindles and barking? It seems to me that the red brindles never shut up! They always have a lot to say, and they take great pride in saying it and in letting the world know!

BTW, that's BJ to the left. The photo was taken by a friend, Penny Bolt. She did a great job and I'm very partial to this picture. She really captured Beej's intensity when he was lure coursing. Thanks Penny!

Here are some other BJ'isms that Nampa is channeling:

1. BJ was a toy monster; Nampa is a toy monster (see below)

2. BJ was a lunatic for the lure; Nampa grabs the lure and will not surrender it.
3. BJ was my shadow; Nampa is my shadow.

I am ready to change Nampa's name to either B-Three or B-Cubed!

Yours in peace...

Elaine

Yesterday...

We all deal with the loss of a loved one in different ways. I dealt with the loss of my parents, aunts, etc. and also with the loss of much loved pets. However, I've been having a great deal of difficulty dealing with losing Jib. Ever since her death, I've not wanted to do anything with the dogs. My heart just isn't in it. However, I believe I am on the road to recovery.

Yesterday, there was a NOTRA racing event being held in Colorado Springs by a new NOTRA club - Rocky Mountain Borzoi. After much nagging by my friend, Leonore (Borzoi Oxota), I packed up the necessaries and headed north with 3 greyhounds to support them.  I am so very happy that I did.  Everyone there was warm & welcoming.  And, it didn't hurt that with a total entry of 8 greyhounds (my 3 and 5 NGA bred dogs) our Banner was High Scoring greyhound for the day, winning all three of his races.  I must say, he won them in style!

Go Banner!

Elaine

PS - Many thanks to Leonore for the loan of her racing blankets!  I really do need to make some.

Launching of the Fishing Vessel - Echo Sound

Many years ago, I had my sailboat, Tyche, docked for a bit of time at a marina on Bear Creek, which was called, Bear Creek Marina.  At that time, it was owned by a member of the Hardesty family.  It was a working marina where people built boats.  Now, the marina is called Sheltered Harbor.


View Larger Map


Haven't been there in ages, so I cannot tell you much about the place, as it is now.  Back around 1987, however, it was sold by the Hardesty family.  Anyway...  While Tyche & I were there, a fishing vessel named the Echo Sound was being built.  She was steel and, if I remember correctly, about 65' LOA.  Not sure how many tons, but she was built to work the Carolina banks.  I didn't get any photos of her under construction, but I did take some the day she was launched.  Please see the slideshow of her launching!

Me? A Housewife? What???

Back at the end of April, through a series of circumstances, I lost my job at the hospital. Now, in this day & age, many would look at that as a tragedy, something to worry over. Not me! In truth, I believe the hospital did me a favor!

In the past month, I've been looking for work. But on those days where there are no interviews, I've been cleaning my house. Not just dusting, mopping & vacuuming, but really cleaning the house. I've been going through the closets, discarding clothing that hasn't been worn by either Rob or myself in years. I've been going through the basement, discarding all kinds of stuff. So, far, Goodwill has received something like 11 bags of stuff! Anyway, during this process, I've come across things that were long forgotten: dog ribbons & awards, old Christmas ornaments from when I was a child, etc. It's been an interesting experience. Every day, I'm finding something else that brings back a fond memory. In truth, I think I am preparing for retirement.

Prior to becoming unemployed, I made the decision that I was going to retire in no more than 6 years. The goal was to retire anytime between 2013 and 2016, depending upon sale of house, dogs, health, and disposition of all belongings. My goal is to retire into an RV and to travel. I want to travel the world and see all those places about which I've only read: Montana, Alaska, Oregon... I think I want to return to my "roots", but instead of a sailboat - a land yacht!

So, being offered for sale at some point in time in 3- 6 years will be a 2 story house, with a basement, on 2.5 acres of land in New Mexico with a 75' x 40', fenced dog yard with 12'x28' dog house! If you are a dog person and have ever thought about moving to NM... your chance is coming....

Update....

This past weekend, Rio Grande KC & Coronado KC held a 4-day show cluster at the Manuel Lujan center at the Fair Grounds. It wasn't a great weekend, but it was a good weekend. I learned more about the brindle beast, Nampa, and also about his littermate, Glory.

Nampa is such a goober and I tried to make him behave this weekend. It didn't work and, as a result, he started stressing. The more he stressed, the worse he did. It turned into a vicious cycle and he got to the point that he didn't want to be there. It got to the point that he was shaking and his tail was tucked tight against his belly. Bad momma! So, today's object was for the boy to have fun. Our judge was Bill Cunningham and I warned him ahead of time that the boy was going to have fun because something had spooked him. He nodded and, as we were doing the down & back, my boy Nampa returned. He was in the air more than on the ground and that long, skinny, whip tail of his finally untucked. I feel bad that I forgot that it is more important for the dog to have fun than the dog to win. Just goes to show, I'm not perfect.

Glory was also shown this weekend. The highest she placed on Sat, Sun & Mon was RWB. Today, the last day, she finished her breed ring title becoming, DCh DM Jolie Noire FCh JOR! Glory is the 3rd dual champion in the Dash x Abbey litter. The other two are Nampa (DCh DM Flag of Our Fathers FCh JOR) and Banner (DCh DM Star Spangled Banner FCh JOR). The kids are doing Abbey & Dash proud.

Congrats kids...

A Great Loss....

A couple of weeks ago, we had a great loss here. My lovely Jiblet, my girly girl tomboy, broke her neck running with the boys in the backyard. We are unsure as to what happened as I found her behind the doghouse, where she couldn't be seen. Our only consolation is that she died doing what she loved - running & playing. Today, her cremains came home.

God speed Jib... We will be together again.

Love Mom

Best In Show...

Four weeks ago, Valentine's Day weekend, the best in dogshows presented itself at a small kennel club cluster in Midland, TX, and hons, I'm not talking about the dogs.

On Friday, Feb 12, I was showing two of my greyhounds, Banner & Glory, at the West Texas and Concho Kennel Clubs' shows. I showed Banner to judge KeKe Kahn without any difficulty. However, when I took Glory around the ring, my knee blew out about halfway around. A loud 'crack' was heard and I was immediately lame. Good grief! If I were a horse, they probably would have shot me! Before I got back to the judge, there were people waiting for me.

Many in the dogshow world malign professional handlers. They blame their losses on "politics" and say that the only reason their precious "Fluffy" lost was because of the "pro" in the ring. Well, at the Midland shows, the pros stepped up to the plate to help one lone owner handler - me.

Genie Cox, PHA

Genie Cox, PHA, is one of the finest people in dog shows. By the time I returned to the judge, she was standing there, waiting for me and immediately took my dog. When the judge asked if someone else could handle my dog, Genie called over to the ladies (Laurel & Kay) helping her. Between her two friends, my Glory Girl picked up two points by going Best of Breed and a BBX Group 4. They also did a bang up job with her in the regular Group ring.

In addition, Kay, who lives about a mile from the show site, opened her home to me. She had her hubby take me there and set me up with whatever I needed to keep my knee elevated. She is the one who showed my bitch to the Group 4. Only lated did I find out that Kay had her knees replaced and by the end of the day, she was hurting. Even so, she made sure my hound was there and well presented in both Groups. How can I ever thank her? How can I ever thank the judge for allowing the handler change?

On Saturday, my dog Banner was handled by a man with Bull Terriers, a handlebar mustache and a cowboy hat. His name is Jerry. Every day, Jerry inquired about the status of my knee. He was ever so kind and I didn't know him from Adam. Even so, on Saturday he took in my 85# heathen, Banner, and presented him very well. They did not win, but not many people are willing to handle Banner. He is a big, strong dog. Jerry thought Banner was cool!

Since returning home, I have found out that Jerry's full name is Jerry Aly - another handler. According to some, Jerry works wonders with problem dogs. I can believe it as his demeanor is calm and soothing. Kindness exudes from the man. He is gentle with the dogs. Come to find out, Jerry was the foreman on the Rocker B ranch near Big Lake at least until he decided he needed a better job to support his family. He was also a welder for Enron. I've been told that in addition to showing Bullies, he also has handled daschunds, Boston terriers, and horses. I can vouch that he is terrific with animals and they like him! I hope our paths cross again.

On Sunday, another handler, Stevie, took both of my hounds into the ring. Banner showed very well for her and he went Breed. Stevie is from Santa Fe, NM and she has Norfolk terriers. The next time I see Stevie, I need to let her know that with that win, Banner finished his breed ring championship. He is now Dual Ch DM Star Spangled Banner FCh, JOR.

Yeppers... that weekend in Midland, TX, the Best in Show dogs presented itself. It was exhibited by many, many people and two small kennel clubs. The people were kind and caring. They provided me with ice packs, anti inflammatories, transport, etc. They took care of me and my dogs. Rest assured, those kennel clubs will get my unending support in the future. They deserve to be known as the Best in Show!

Peace....

Red Brindles

What is it about red brindles? I swear they're different than any other color of greyhound. For one, they seem to bark a whole lot more than the others AND they are very proud of it. Yeppers... red brindles have a lot to say and they're very happy to let the world know.

To the left is my old, now gone boy, BJ. This picture was taken by Penny Bolt when BJ was either 2 or 3 years old. We were in Lompoc, CA for the Western Greyhound Specialty. After the showing, there was a lure course, which we attended, and BJ won Best of Breed that day at the lure coursing. Anyway...

To the right is Nampa. To me, and I may be biased, he & BJ strongly resemble each other. Nampa is much younger than BJ when this picture was snapped over his Auntie Laurel's house. I think he was about 10 or 11 months old. Anyway, can you see a resemblance?

I truly think that Nampa is channeling BJ. Why? Well, he has many of the same mannerisms AND he talks... a lot! Like BJ, he never shuts up, unless he's asleep and, even then, he sometimes talks in his sleep. Go figure... Like I said, red brindles have a lot to say and they say it!

Another trait that Nampa & BJ share is that Nampa is just as mellow & laid back as the old dog. Just this morning, Nampa was laying on the sofa. So, I laid down with him, using him as a pillow. He just sighed and went back to sleep. I used to do this with BJ from time to time. They are both my boys.

I have a couple of brags about the Nampa.

1. At the TCC Derby, Nampa won the Greyhound breed hunt on Saturday. In the field were his littermate, Banner, Wizard (H. Minnich), Eclipse (L. Soutar), Hero (L. Soutar), and Solstice (H. Minnich). A good time was had by all and, most importantly, all the dogs returned in one piece, even tho' some were a bit more banged & bruised.
2. At his last dogshow, Nampa went breed over one of the top ten conformation greyhounds in the country. He was also pulled in group that day. Not too bad for a 2 yr old dog.
3. Nampa just missed being in the Top Twenty list for NOTRA. He missed it by "__" that much! (I loved watching Get Smart.)

Anyway, enough about my Nampa boy. His next outing will be at the Midland dog shows next weekend. So... c'mon by & say "Hi!"

Take care out there....

Snapshots...

The following story was composed and published on an email list back in, if I remember correctly, November 2001. It was written after my attending my first open field coursing event with my dog, BJ. BJ was a big fellow and he so enjoyed himself that day. I have since lost him to the infirmaries of old age and I'm indulging myself in a trip down memory lane... Enjoy.

A personal account....

I firmly believe that there are times in one's life where brief moments of time seem to stand still. An image of that moment, a snapshot of perfect clarity, color and composition, is forever burned onto the silver nitride of one's brain to be viewed time and time again.

This past weekend, BJ & I participated in our first official open field coursing event. My brain carries one "snapshot" of a particular moment in time and one slow motion, moving picture of the events leading up to that snapshot.

BJ ran well. He ran well and ran with some high quality open field dogs (gh's owned & bred by Karen & Ramon and Karen's mom - Pat). We were running the Corralitos jacks - big, tough, fast blacktails. BJ did not embarrass himself, even tho' his inexperience showed.

On Saturday, we ran with TCC (The Coursing Conservancy) a nice group of people. We had fun and there weren't any injuries in the field - a good day coursing. We kicked up enough jacks to finish the prelims and called it a day as the field was getting too hot to safely run the dogs. BJ had drawn into the 6th course and when the hare broke cover, I believe that he never sighted until he was a long ways back and in a tail chase. He returned to me instead.

Sunday we ran with SWCC (Southwest Coursing Club) and it was a different day. Roll call was held at the Lazy E Cafe aka Brent's Cafe (they have excellent coffee!!!) and BJ drew into Course 5 with Elia (greyhound) and Nova (whippet).

Sunday was a pretty day, sun shining & cooler temperatures. The day dawned with a gentle breeze. But, as the day progressed, the wind intensified to a point just strong enough to encourage the hares to seek cover down in the washes. The first course or two was run up on higher ground bordering the wash and pretty much came off without a hitch.

Since hares were few & far in between up topside, the huntmaster made the decision to sweep down into the wash that we'd been paralleling. Her thinking was, correctly if I might add, that the hares were hunkered down in the wash because of the wind. Course 3 went smoothly and then course 4 was run.

Course 4 was a great course. I don't remember the third dog in the course, but two hounds were Mocha (gh) and Ms. Bootsie (saluki). A nice runup followed by a take attempt and a turn. When the dust settled, Mocha was hot on the tail of the jack, really working it and forcing turns (boy can that bitch turn!), but, standing alone on the field favoring her left front was Ms. Bootsie. Bootsie had broken her foreleg just above the wrist. According to the owner, it had the appearances of being a clean, simple fracture. They splinted her leg on the field and were staying with her, awaiting the arrival of a vehicle to take her to the vet in Las Cruces. While they were waiting, we resumed the hunt.

For those of you who do not know, when BJ was a puppy, he broke his femur in the stifle joint. It has always been the subject of great concern to all who are associated with him. Even so, the boy has done everything I've ever asked him to do. Now, here I was, asking him to do one more thing...one more thing that would really test his desire and abilities as a greyhound, and, not to mention, the leg.

We began walking the field, hunting, searching for the elusive Corralitos jacks. The hunting dogs were Elia (NGA greyhound), Nova (whippet) and BJ (AKC greyhound). Thoughts ran rampant through my brain, "What if.... Suppose...." and finally, "Am I nuts?" I was absolutely, stone cold terrified that some nasty, nasty misfortune would befall my beloved companion and buddy. I was torn and tormented as I questioned my sanity and the wisdom of letting my dog run in this wash with holes in it large enough that they could swallow a man, let alone a racing dog.

Suddenly, the cry went up, "RABBIT!!!". At this point, time slowed down. As if in slow motion, I heard the long, drawn out cry, "Tal...ly..... ho!" as the hare swung in an arch to the left across the front of the hunting dogs. I remember seeing the big, strong jack as it went by, ears flat back and then looking down at BJ. His muscles were bunched for the all important first spring, the spring out of the slips, and he was more than eager to be off. Before I even thought about it, I had released him, he was out of the slips and on the hare, right along with Nova and Elia. The 3 hounds were all within a length of each other with Elia right on the hare's butt. It was at this moment, my "snapshot" imprinted itself.

The snapshot is one of BJ, his ears flat back and his mouth open for maximum air intake. I can see his teeth through the open mouth. He is balanced on his left foreleg, which is well back under his body, the right foreleg tucked well up in front of his chest just before it extends, and his powerful hindquarters coming up tight under his body just before he becomes airborn in the contracted phase of the DSG. The look of intensity...the look of power...the look of grace. I will always remember this moment. Anyway, the game was afoot and the course was on!

From that point forward, time resumed its normal speed. I was told that Elia, who was in the lead on the runup, tumbled but rolled to his feet and came up running. BJ & Nova were right behind him and BJ had a gut-wrenching, hard fall that ripped the blanket off of his back.

**Oh my gawd! I've broken my dog!!!** Came the unbidden thoughts as I clutched first Ramon's arm and then my friend Robert's hand for support and security as the tears began to flow from my fear. Robert reassured me that BJ was alright and he was up & running - and running well - before I could bring myself to watch the remainder of the course.

He too came up running with the blanket tangled around his hind legs. He kicked off the blanket and resumed the chase, closing the gap between himself & Nova and Elia. The course cut left and then right. All too soon, the hounds and hare were out of sight. We watched and waited. The judge still had his glasses up. How far, how long would the course go? After some time, the judge lowered his glasses and the lookout for the dogs began.

The first dog back was Elia. He approached the gallery from the north. As all looked to the north for BJ & Nova, someone called out that he/she saw them up on the ridge, heading south. They were a good 800 yds out and headed away from the gallery. That is where the fun began. With whistles blowing, me calling (made me feel better), and people waving hats, leashes, whatever, his attention was finally caught and he began to head towards the gallery. The huntmistress (I think) encouraged me to go out and meet my dog and to tend to him as he had a long, hard course.

Karen & Pat told me it was an excellent course. I'm ashamed to say I missed most of it because of my fear.

I cannot express my appreciation enough to the fine people of SWCC and TCC for all their help and encouragement. Nothing I have ever encountered could have prepared me for my experiences this weekend. The OFC people are a fine group of dedicated dog people, who helped me when I needed help and took the time to both teach and encourage me. I will always be thankful to them. Before BJ & I packed up to leave, the question was asked, "Did this discourage you? Will you try again?"

No, I was not discouraged. And, yes. BJ ("my wussy AKC greyhound showdog") & I will be in the field again.

Now that I've purged my fears from my system, more things are resurfacing in my memory, including other snapshots of the day.

Mocha.....

Mocha is a pretty, very feminine, red fawn greyhound bitch that is an incredible runner! She goes, I'm guessing, about 58 - 60 pounds and is a little bit larger than her littermate (again guessing), Peanut. But, as feminine as she is, that bitch is an assassin on jacks.

Mocha ran in Course 4 and this course left three more snapshots in my mind's eye. The snapshots left their impressions throughout the playing of the movie left by the course. The hounds, Ms. Boots, Mocha and the third dog, are slipped and accelerate off the line. They are flying! The runup seems short to my little pea brain and then the hounds are forcing a turn. As the hounds forced the jack to turn, Mocha seemed to slide through the turn on her hocks, not unlike a quarterhorse cutting cattle, and accelerated out of the dust cloud, leaving and creating more dust in her wake. This is the first snapshot, her red fawn body going through the turn with a cloud of dust behind her. Her slide through the turn, hind legs well under her, hocks well bent, body slightly arched from the tuck and her back parallel to the ground. Simply incredible!

Continuing the movie... Hollering over my shoulder at her owners, the comment came, "My God! Can that bitch turn!!!" The sight of her demanded my full attention and I could not take my eyes off of her. She is simply incredible! But then, I heard someone to my right say, "She's hurt...leg's broken..." At that time, my heart fell and the joy of watching Mocha faded as my eyes took in the scene of a hurt dog on the field with her owner being excused by the Huntmaster to go and attend to her dog. The scene of the hurt saluki and the people attending her was the second snapshot of that course.

The third snapshot was another one of Mocha. My attention drawn away from her, I did not see her finish the course and make the kill on the hare. The movie clip resumes with Mocha entering the periphery of the scene from the right, carrying the blacktail jack, its body dragging alongside her body. The dead jack appeared to be half as long as Mocha! It looked to be huge in comparison to this petite hound. I can clearly see the grey-brown coloration of the hare against the red fawn of the greyhound. Mocha has her head and neck arched against the weight of the hare. She approaches the people attending the saluki and drops the hare at the saluki's feet. Then click! The third snapshot, her dropping the hare in front of the saluki.

ADDED COMMENT - Hounds don't willingly give up their catch to other dogs. I found Mocha's display of charity a very generous one and one that people would do well to learn.

A Hunting We Will Go.... A Hunting We Will Go...

Last weekend, I took Banner Baby hunting those wascully wabbits. We met up with some friends and their hounds, had a wonderful photographer come along, and had a grand ol' time. BTW, Elmer Fudd is my hero.

Hunting jackrabbits, which are technically hares and not rabbits, is more difficult than one would think. First off, not only the dog needs to be in condition, but so do the people as it is not unusual for y'all to walk 9 miles or more! One needs a good pair of sturdy shoes or boots, a pack to haul around snacks and lots & lots of water. The hotter the day, the more water you need. Last weekend, which was cool, I went through 24 - 24 oz bottles of water and most of it went to Banner. I drank maybe 6 bottles and came home a tad bit dehydrated. Bad Elaine! I know better.

Hunting jackrabbits is well spent time in the company of good friends, good dogs & good rabbits. I am happy to report that last weekend, that only one rabbit made the stew pot and that one was truly a "dumb bunny", as it quit running with three greyhounds chasing it. Perhaps it thought it had an invisibility cloak?

A slide show of the running can be found on the photographer's blog...

Hare-Brained at Home

Enjoy!