Introducing Tuc (pronounced "Tuck")

We're all back safe and sound from the overnight to AZ to pick up the pupmeister, as well as from the emergency run to pick up my niece in NH (yup, it was 16.5 hours in the car yesterday). More on all that later (I'll get to that in another post).

We have really IMPORTANT stuff to get to :o)

Here he is: "Tuc" (official registered name: "Sundancer's Stoney Ridge Tucson," called "Tuc" for short and officially pronounced tuck ).


I took the following three pictures out in AZ where I picked the pup up two days ago. This first is of Tuc with his breeder, Theresa of Sundancer Labs. The other Lab in the picture is Tuc's cousin by adoption, our former Mr. Blue and Pinot's brother, now called Copper (from last fall's Elsie/Ridge litter) and newest member of the Sundancer gang:


Here's Tuc with his littermates (the black pup closest to the crate at the rear of the kennel):


And here's Tuc in his favorite sleeping position up against the crate in puppy-area inside Theresa's home:


The rest of the pictures are located here, at our place, all taken since my return very late Sunday night (well, 2 a.m. Monday morning, really).

When we arrived home (after Tuc spent 7 HOURS in his travel bag -- I'll post about our travel nightmare separately), we gave the little guy plenty of time to sniff around indoors and out, but we didn't introduce him to the other dogs at that time -- didn't want to overwhelm him. So he met Sarah and Chris and Don and got to explore his new digs. Then by 3 a.m. we were all ready for bed.

Tuc slept in his crate in the family room with me sleeping on the sofa cushions on the floor right next to him. And he slept a good 3.5 hours (and kept his crate dry!).

I suspect he would've slept longer, but my sister called at 6:45 a.m to tell us about her daughter getting sick in New Hampshire and her needing me to ride along to pick up my niece to bring her home to her doctors here (another story). The phone woke Tuc up, but I took him right outside where he potty'd well. :o)

Here he is in his crate just before his first "night" here:



After I left for NH, Don let Tuc meet and romp with the gang! Well, he met the gang he'll live with anyway. Baxter is up at the cottage with Sarah and Chris this week, so Tuc only met Kenya, Pinot, Elsie, and Ridge.

Here are Tuc and Kenya getting acquainted (these photos courtesy of Don):



Pinot, Tuc, and Kenya starting to play:


Here are Pinot and Tuc checking each other out:


Don tells me Tuc had a great day. I didn't get back from NH until 2:40 this morning, so I missed Tuc's first full day here. But today, he's doing fabulously.

He's also developed a few favorite spots in the house to hang out in, the #1 of which seems to be underneath the kitchen chairs beneath whichever person happens to be sitting at the table at the time. Don took a personal day today (in case I was too tired to make the complete 16.5 hour round trip yesterday and had to stay at a hotel). I made it back, but Don's being here worked well so I could sleep in this morning. Don just worked from home.

Tuc parked himself underneath Don while Don was on his telecons and handling e-mail.

Here he is, all stretched out, snoozing away:


So, we're all well and adjusting nicely. No potty accidents today (only one yesterday with Don). And the crate's been dry (Tuc made it through the night last night).

What a sweet, charming, secure, confident, affectionate, well-mannered pup he is! Theresa and Jeff (Theresa's DH) and Tabitha (their daughter) have done a wonderful job socializing and working with him. If you're interested in a Lab, I'd highly recommend them (Sundancer Labs): they are just fabulous (and knowledgeable) with their dogs. In fact, Theresa's been my mentor through our breeding endeavors here. Much of what I know I've learned from her. :o)

Tuc's a great pup. And I must admit, having Tuc will make the transition to life without Baxter a whole lot easier (though the Boos will always be my bud).

That's enough for now. I'll post more soon -- I just need a nap. The hours of traveling I've put in since Saturday have worn me out! ;o)

'Til next time,
Joan

We're Baaaaack!

We're back.

Nightmare plane ride (but the pupster was a trooper!).

And the pupster's official name is now "Sundancer's Stoney Ridge Tuscon" and we will call him Tuc (as in "Tuck") and "Tucker" for short.

Gotta run -- family emergency -- need to drive to NH (8 hours one way) for round trip pick up of my sick niece. So what's another 16 hours of travel in a day, eh?

Tucker is doing fine, and will be wonderfully watched by Sarah and Chris, the newlyweds for the day, then by Jon (youngest son), then by Don this evening.

Not the ideal for him, but he's met everyone and loves them all (full wiggle butts for each!).

Will post more with lots of pics tomorrow!

Ciao,

'til next time,
Joan

Our New Canine Kid Arrives Sunday

Here's Master Green as of the 4th of July! Many thanks, Theresa at Sundancer Labs in AZ (where we're getting Master Green), for the photo. Isn't he a happy boy!
























From what I hear, he's pretty mellow and low key, too (sound familiar? -- perhaps a bit like our big galloot of a couch potato mellow guy who's moving to Maine?) :o)

He apparently slept through his vet check, shots, and microchip insert. :o)

This is Master Green snoozing at the vet's last week (compliments again of Theresa at Sundancer):






















I fly to AZ tomorrow, will stay with my brother Saturday PM, then big bro will drive me out to Theresa's (Sundancer Labs) early Sunday morning where we'll pick up Master Green, and I'll get to see Copper, our former Mr. Blue puppy. Then big bro will drive me back to the airport where I catch the plane to fly home Sunday afternoon with the pup in tow in a specially designed, airline approved, puppy carry-on that will store under the seat in front of me. :o) I'll get home late Sunday PM EDT.

I'll post more when I get back :o).

In the meantime we down to deciding between TWO names: Calvin or Luther.

We, of course, have to see what his personality is like, but would anyone out there care to cast a vote?

'Til next time,
Joan

The Deed is Done!

The Sweet Sarah Girl Child is married! She and Chris tied the knot on the 28th, then honeymooned in Saint Lucia, then returned two days ago.

And all went well -- far beyond our hopes and expectations (and theirs, too, I think). I couldn't have asked for more.

:o)

This shot is from the rehearsal dinner (a wonderful event hosted by Chris's family).















The next few are from the wedding (the delay in my blogging has been my wait to get some real photos!):





































Here's the new couple making their grand entrance at the reception. The sunglasses were a hit! The entire bridal party wore them for their entrances.




















Oh, and have I ever introduced you to my three original human kids? Together? Here they are: l to r: Jon (20), Sarah (21, almost 22), Dan (24)

























Since the wedding I now have four human kids (welcome, Chris!). We're not into that "in-law" thing. Chris is just another member of the family now. Yay! ;o)

And we still have our canine kids, too, who have been seriously requesting more attention from us with all the attention we've given the human kids over the last few weeks. (Sorry, Lab-kids, but sometimes the human kids have to take precedence!)

Geez... even canines do the sibling rivalry thing!

Baxter, Elsie, Ridge, Kenya, and Pinot are, of course, delighted that home life is returning to normal. They love hanging out in the kitchen when we're cooking (or making fruit salad as Don is below):


























And we're back to doing more training and playing and exercising and such with them now that the big event is over with (more on that in another post to come).

In two very short weeks, however, we'll be "losing" Baxter, Sarah, and Chris to Maine. A Royal Bummer :o( for us, but TERRIFIC for them (honestly -- we're delighted for them).

And we can always visit (Maine is beautiful).

But in just two days we'll have ANOTHER addition to the family (Master Green from AZ) to distract us. I'm flying out Saturday to pick him up and will return Sunday. I'll post his most recent pictures separately.

So... the deed is done. We're all tickled, exhausted, relieved, and looking forward to this next season of life. We're gradually reclaiming a new normalcy.

God-willing, and hopefully, this next season will be filled with good things and life and joy (unlike the last season).

We're looking at Sarah's and Chris's wedding and the arrival of Master Green as the start of all things good for a while -- a change of tide, if you will. We're due, I think.

In any case we really needed this joyous, fun event. It's done us all good.

And congrats, Sarah and Chris! We love you both and wish you all the joy your new life together can hold!

'Til next time,
Joan

Our Getting-Married Daughter's Life with Our Labs

This is my all-time favorite picture of Sarah, our Sweet Girl Child, and Baxter:


And in seven short days the wedding bells will ring for her. As you might expect, we're neck-deep in last-minute details and all the little things we now realize we forgot to do.

One of those was to pull old pictures to scan for the PowerPoint loop we're displaying at the reception. The loop will include photos of Sarah's growing-up years co-mingled with photos of Chris's (her fiance's) growing-up years, followed by more recent photos of the two of them together.

So DH and I spent hours yesterday pouring through boxes and boxes of photos and albums we haven't seen in years (I never was good about organizing my photos, and don't even ask me about scrap-booking!). We had great fun (and surprisingly few tears) reminiscing about our human kids' childhoods.

In the process, I found old photos we've taken of our Labs -- a great reminder of just how integral they've been to our lives (DH's and mine) and those of our children.

Permit me, if you will then, to indulge in a few memories as a tribute to the gift we have in our human and canine kids alike. I think the following photos will warm you heart nearly as much as they do mine.

This first batch is specifically a tribute to our Sarah Girl, whose huge heart, tenderness toward all things living, and exuberance for life enrich all who know and love her (more than she knows). She and our Labs have been buds for a long, long time:

In the last two years with Kenya as a pup, Mamma Elsie, and Elsie's newborns:



With the Baxter Boos and Ridge!


With the Elsie pup back in 2005:


With Baxter, as a little squirt, back in 2003


And what's really fun, is that our soon-to-be son-in-law shares Sarah's heart (love, tenderness, etc.) for living things (I suspect that's why he's starting med school). He and Sarah were a great help in socializing the pups from Elsie's last litter:





And with helping Kenya with her transition to our family two years ago:



All of our kids have loved all of our Labs through the years (and our Labs have loved them). I wish I could post photos from when they were young, but my scanner is giving me fits. So this first batch will have to do.

We're thoroughly tickled about the wedding, and we love Chris to pieces. Of course, any suitor wanting to marry our daughter had to pass the Lab test and the Cottage test (he had to love both, and the Labs had to love him), and Chris "passed" with flying colors. :o)

We couldn't be more pleased. :o) :o)

So join me, won't you, in wishing them well as they start their new life together! Med school is no picnic, especially as newlyweds and on top of an out-of-state move, but they'll have the Baxter Boos with them in Maine to smooth rough edges along the way (we'll miss you, big time, Boos!).


If you feel like inundating them with well wishes (that would be fun), feel free to e-mail them or send e-cards to Sarah (sarah.esherick@gmail.com) or Chris (cjwatras@gmail.com). Be sure to tell them your from LabTails. :o)

They're great kids starting a good life together; I'm glad one of our Labs can join them along the way. :o)

Thanks for indulging me. It's a bitter-sweet time.

'Til next time,
Joan

Announcing Master Green

Regular Reader knows we're "losing" Baxter -- our big galoot of a couch-potato black Lab, all 110 pounds of him -- in July when he moves to Maine with DD and her new husband. Baxter is our neutered male and a wonderful family guy -- I'll miss him terribly. He's my Boos!

But it will be a good move for the Boos (he thrives on 1:1 with his humans), and he will be a needed comfort for Sarah and Chris in Maine, especially for Sarah while Chris gets used to med school. The young couple gets married in just two weeks, then goes on their honeymoon (to St. Lucia) for a week, then returns here for three weeks, then moves to Maine where Chris starts grad school. It's a bunch of transitions for them in a very short time (Sarah just graduated from UDel two weeks ago), and Baxter will be a loving constant for them through so much change.

Regular Reader also knows that our long-term plan for Stoney Ridge Labs (our small breeding endeavor) was to eventually invest in a black male Lab for siring litters when we retire our current stud, Ridge.

Well, folks (drum roll, please...), we found our new studly. Here he is...all three-weeks-old of him, Master Green:



Master Green (called so for his green ribbon -- as yet unnamed) is coming to us from the folks who adopted our former Mr. Blue (now called Copper) last fall: Sundancer Labs, out in Arizona. Theresa, the Sundancer gang's "mom," took this photo of Master Green and sent it to us just last week. For more litter photos, you can track their progress at the Sundancer Labs' planned litters page.

Here are a few other shots, compliments of Theresa:



That's him there flat out on his back -- sleeping just like Elsie and Pinot. :o)

It looks like Theresa and I will be double in-laws (she has Copper, from our Elsie/Ridge litter, and we'll have Master Green from her most recent Ellie/Max litter). We're family twice over!

In mid-July, I'm flying out to AZ for a quick overnight to pick up Master Green and carry him back with me on the plane -- he'll be just over eight weeks old then.

And this way, Baxter, Sarah, and Chris will all get to "meet" him before they move. And we'll have over five weeks to acclimate him here before Elsie would be due with her next litter (we're expecting her to go into heat any time now).

It's great timing, and we're thrilled to be getting a Sundancer Lab. And Master Green fits the bill for our investing in a sound, solidly pedigreed, black Lab male from a wonderful breeder.

And from what I hear, he's quite a kisser!

:o)

We'll keep you informed, but so far so good -- Master Green seems to be developing nicely.

So are we crazy or what?

And, not to worry: no one will ever replace the Boos in my heart. I'll just have to create a new spot for Master Green (truth be told, I already have)! ;o)

'Til next time,
Joan

Panting Faces

So, do you think it's hot (or humid) enough for us?

A Few Fun Pool Photos (with Pinot's commentary)

I'm a good girl, I am!





















I even hold the hose for my Mom.

I'll betcha didn't know I could shoot laser beams from my eyes!

And when I'm crazy, I'm only half crazy! :o)

The Ear Factor

Pinot's Pool Fun Instructions

First you carry the hose over to the little blue pool:




Then you make sure to place the hose in just the right spot:

Next you snuggle in to enjoy the spray:




When the water gets too deep or cold, you just get rid of it!

And if you happen to knock the hose out with the water, start all over again!

:o)

An Eventful Few Days

So... I last posted Monday morning when it was hot.

Later Monday morning we discovered poor Kenya had lost her wag (from the cool-water bath Don had given her Sunday PM). Cold Water Tail; Broken Wag; Limber Tail Syndrome -- you know the drill.

Poor thing was miserable (more miserable than I've seen any of our dogs EVER when they've had Limber Tail Syndrome). She even whimpered.

Sarah (the soon to be married human child) sat with her.
















Don sat with her (she's panting in distress in the photo below).

















I sat with her; we all took turns. She really wanted human contact, and kept looking at us with those big brown pleading eyes, seeming to say "make it stop hurting."
















And her tail and hind-end were completely still (that's just NOT her).

So we limited her activity, kept her with us but separate from the other dogs (to keep her calm), gave her baby aspirin, and let her rest for all of Monday and into Tuesday. It's just as well -- it was still dangerously hot here -- too hot to do anything anyway.

But Kenya seemed to rebound well, though not completely, by Tuesday afternoon (she returned to being our wiggle-girl). Baby aspirin and rest really did the trick.

Tuesday was hotter still (heat indexes to 108), then wild storms blew through knocking down trees and power lines all over our region.

We went without power from Tuesday evening through last night (thousands are still without power as I write this).

So I spent a good bit of time unloading freezer contents into coolers packed with ice so we wouldn't lose all our food in the heat.

And I spent a good deal of time getting water.

You see, no power here means no water (we have a well, and the well pump operates on electricity). It also means no central air.

On one of the hottest days of the year.

• When ALL the kids were home (nobody away at college)
• When ALL the kids are eating at home (no more meal plans)
• When various kids had various other people here
  
• When we were supposed to getting the house cleaned and ready for wedding visitors (ah, too bad; no electricity means no vacuum -- shucks!).
• Oh, and also while DH was AWAY in Vancouver on business (poor soul missed all the excitement, again!).

And we have BIG humans AND five Labs to keep hydrated. :o)

Good thing we have a van. :o)

Today, things are back to relative normal. I repacked all the food from the coolers into the freezer and fridge.

Then I dumped the leftover ice:















You woulda thought it was Christmas -- Elsie, Kenya, and Pinot couldn't wait to get at it! You'd think their little pads would get cold -- geez!














































Ahhhhhh...., but as far as they're concerned, there's nothing like ice-cold ice on a hot, sunny day (it's high 80s today -- finally a break!).


















Stay cool (and safe!).

'Til next time,
Joan

Heat Health

It's 90 degrees (F) already, and it's only 10 a.m.

Yuk.

Heat indexes for today are supposed to top 105 degrees.

Double yuk.

So, in honor of our early, ridiculously hot, heat wave (especially for June), I thought I'd refresh myself on heat-health for our canine loved ones.

Here's what I can recall:


1. Water, water, and more water. :o) Yup, keep 'em hydrated, even if that means using a fresh-water-filled (clean water, folks), gigunda, blue-plastic water bowl (hehe):


























Oh, and the more the merrier!


























2. If the blue-plastic water-bowl method doesn't work. Try ice cubes. They're a favorite at our house year round.


















3. Shade, shade, and more shade. :o)

















4. Or keep them indoors in air conditioning during the heat of the day (don't forget to provide access to fresh drinking water indoors, too). They may not be happy, and they may be bored, but at least they'll be safe. :o)

























5. Remember how quickly car interiors and macadam surfaces heat up. Dogs left in hot cars die. And dogs walking on overheated pavement burn their pads, often before you realize how hot it's become.


Aargh.

Okay... this is officially NUTS! I've been trying to upload pictures and post today's entry on blogger for over four hours. Aaaaargh....

No more pictures today (sorry). I'll try again tomorrow. In the meantime, for more information on pet heat safety, check out these articles at AKC:

Canine Summer Safety Tips

Summer Safety

Don't Overheat Your Hound!

'Til next time,
Joan