Gillis "Flies the Coop"

Hey guys, did you pack my bone?




Yvonne and Gillis




We're leaving now, right?





Today Gillis left for his new home in Bar Harbour, Maine. Yvonne and Charles Davis drove the 6 hours in Tropical Storm Danny to pick him up. We had a lovely visit and Gillis was very happy to see "Mom and Dad". His tail never stopped wagging. After he and his family had gone, Alice packed up Topper, Dawn and Harley and off to "Lake Club Med" they went. It's scary how quiet it is here in Bradford....time for a nice hot cup of tea and a good book! Our good friend Amie (another IWS owner) is here and she has the tea seeping, so I'll close.
Talk to you Monday.
Pam

Cow Pie Bingo

Eating in the Kitchen.




Everyone has their own bowl!




Just a little NH information. The small town north of Bradford, North Sutton, is holding "Old Farm Days" this Saturday and one event is Cow Pie Bingo...it's held in a barn and cows walk through...and yes, the floor is marked and the square where the cows leave a "deposit" is called out and bingo is played..bet most of you are just dieing to play (lol)!! We are thinking of taking the pups, but they will be at "Lake Club Med", so they'll miss that lesson in life.
Feeding is becoming easier. They actually are eating from their own bowls, and occasionally will switch, but for the most part seem happy to have their own dish. Marion sat outside with them this afternoon and they played happily while the lawn men cut the lawn around them...they did go into the run while the very back was cut, but no one seems upset or frightened by the noise of the mowers.
Ranger and Rosa spent the day at their play school, but came up to be with the pups around 4pm. They all spent an hour racing around the yard, charging through the tunnel and jumping in and out of the puppy pool. We didn't go down to the swimming hole as the temperature is going to be in the high 30's tonight and I didn't want them to still be wet!! Go figure, NH weather really does change drastically from hour to hour some times.
Well, Saturday Gillis is going to Bar Harbour, Maine. He has never been in the ocean so it will be interesting to hear how he adapts. We will miss him, as he is a fun pup and enjoys everything about life...he even learned to "sing" when Ranger and Rosa started to howl/sing...it's a haunting sound that they make, very Irish!
I'm going to ask the puppy owners to send some pictures so we all can Ohhh and Ahhh over them.
Pam

Photos from Canada

Mr. Dog and his new toys and bed.



Mr. Dog and his play area at the bay.



Mr. Dog relaxes and enjoys the view.



Monica, Mary Katherine and Mr. Dog wait for the plane home.



Mr. Dog exchanges his American money for Canadian money at the local bank.



Our friends, Monica and Sylvia sent some great pictures from Sydney, Vancouver Island, BC. Monica has a "Boutique" for animals, so Sylvia's little boy, Mr. Dog, and Monica's Mary Katherine are kept in the latest toys, and could wear the latest fashions should they choose to. Monica's Mary Katherine is the latest star at her Boutique and is learning how to "wear the crown"!
Enjoy the pictures.
Pam

And then there were 4

The pups learn to swim..and followed their mom, Kayla.




Sophie, little pink collar girl, now at home in Maine.




Kayla and pups at the lake.




Dr. Keith getting ready to leave for the airport.




Silver Boy now sports a Patriot's Collar and Lead! (Dr. Keith is a Charger's Fan!)


Well, today our friend, Keith, a vet from Southern California, came and took his male pup "home". His choice was the silver collar boy. He loved the way he wanted to play fetch and his more independent attitude. He enjoyed Harley Dude, but felt that Silver would fare better out in California...I think he'll look great with some "blond streaks" in his curls (lol). Keith spent yesterday afternoon with us and we took everyone down to the swimming hole. Today when he came to pick up "his pup", Silver boy came right up to him, sat in front of him and grinned! I think the pick was perfect.
Alice sent some pictures of the pups with Kayla at the lake over the weekend. By all accounts everyone had a ball (both four legged and two legged animals)!! They are invited back next weekend, so they will be enjoying themselves at "Lake Club Med" again.
It is amazing when I look back at the first pictures of the babies and realize the growth both physical and mental/emotional they have achieved! They have tasted all sorts of food, been socialized-- touched/petted by so many different people, been stacked and photographed. They have had so many different toys, run through tunnels, jumped on trampolines, climbed up rocks/ sm. mountains and have been swimming in a lake and a small swimming hole that's part of a larger stream. They have all taken trips in the cars, either to the vets, or the store, or to the lake and have done so very well. They all come when I call "pup, pup, pup". They have physically grown...starting out at around 10 oz, they now weigh anywhere between 14 lbs and 17 lbs. They race around, but have nice "trots" when they slow down, very nice dark eyes and lovely coats. 6 have the look of Kayla and 4 have the look of Seamus...can't wait to see them as they grow into their paws!
Many of you know that Marion spent a night in the hospital, but she is home and doing well, just a little tired. This weekend we will be "down to" 3 pups and they are going to camp, so Marion's life and her house will be back to a more normal routine.
I will post pictures sent to me, and will try to keep you up to date on Mallyree Kennel News.
Talk to you all soon.
Pam

The Silence is Deafening

Goodbye Sydney!



Hey Guys, come back and swim with me!




Where is that stick?



Rosa watches the little girl pup swim.


The pups said "goodbye" to their "cousin" Sydney (my granddaughter) the other day. She and her family headed back to North Carolina this morning and she and I went up to play with the pups one last time. We took them out into the woods and swimming, it was so horribly hot and they needed to cool down as well as stretch their legs. A romp in the woods and going down to the "swimming hole" seemed just the thing. They enjoyed the water, they waded into it happily. The girl jumped in after Rosa, who was chasing a stick, and came up swimming without a problem. The little "hunter" was next to dive in while the other boys just waded in and took a few strokes. They all seemed to love the river,and were cooled off. It was handy that Ranger and Rosa were there to follow and pester. Sydney played with them for another hour and when we left they were tired and very happy!
This morning the pups left for "Camp". Alice took them up to their place on Newfound Lake and I'm sure that they are having a ball. She is planning on taking them into the water and has plenty of help there to make sure all are safe. She has promised plenty of pictures of their stay. It seems too quiet up at Marion's! As soon as the pictures come I will post them.
Tonight I'll hit the hay early and for once I don't have to get up before 5:30 a.m. Watch, I'll probably wake up at 5 a.m. (lol)
Talk to you Monday.
Pam

What a Day for a Daydream!

This is the Tunnel of Love!



Ah, The Sweet Life!



I just saved this Pig's life!



I think those are Mom's Glasses, don't touch them!



Hey everyone, look, he's in the pool!

It's just beautiful up here in NH. OK, well it's 90+ degrees, but there is a cool breeze and a few clouds..but it's better than rain or snow! The pups are continuing to delight and entertain anyone who comes by. Neighbors came today with grandchildren and the pups were so happy for playmates. By the time I remembered the camera the kids were gone, but the pups were still full of energy, so I got a few fun shots. One of the boys, Mr. Silver, is definitely a hunter. He retrieved the bumper, the ball and the pig! He loves to go get anything and bring it back....including my glasses, my shoes, my book, but not my lunch - that he ate!
Our little girl, Sassy - the name my granddaughter decided on--and it fits her--is trying, as most sisters will, to keep her brothers in line. She is often seen letting them know what's the right way, and comes to me to "tattle" when they won't listen. (lol). Giles II, the boy going to Bar Harbour, ME, is enjoying life, he loves being held and petted, he enjoys the water and yesterday tried to catch and eat the spray coming from the hose..it was a funny thing to watch. Harley Dude continues to be the "sweet, gentle giant" - he actually isn't the biggest, but the description seems to fit and he is so loving. He does play and join in with the other dogs, but loves the two legged kind a lot. Gideon, the "stud", is as proud and sound as can be and my hope is that he will not be as stubborn as his Grandfather (Ranger) when I go to train him. Actually I'm a much better handler/trainer now than when Ranger was a "kid", so hopefully I will be in the Agility and Rally Rings with him and we'll be a good team. Alice is also excellent and will be on the other end of his lead too.
Well tonight my family is going to eat dinner on the water at Lake Sunapee as everyone leaves on Saturday and we wanted at least one meal where we weren't cooking and cleaning up! It's been a wonderfully hectic summer, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world!
Talk to you Friday.
Pam

The Morning After

Are You Sure I Have To Take The Duck?



The Newstadt Family Is Ready To Roll!


I just have to tell you that when I came into the ell this morning at 6:10 a.m. I was greated with a site that would have made a lesser woman cry! It looked like the little "dears" had an all night party! Papers torn up everywhere, toys strewn about, poop and pee on any small shred of paper found and 6 smiling faces waiting for breakfast. Didn't look like even one of them was sorry. Sooooo, after breakfast I took the ell "bedroom" down! Then I gave them each a bath, as I was sure they were too dirty to be handled! Tonight they will sleep in the kennel, 3 in one run and 2 in another. Yes that's right we are down to 5. The Newstadt family came and we had the best time playing with the pups, "testing" them, just seeing if one or the other of the boys struck the right cord. The dark blue collar boy, "Chip Ahoy" as we have been calling him here, was finally selected, or rather, he selected Al and the family finally agreed that this one was a good fit. I've posted the pictures we took of them just before leaving.
It was brutally hot today, so this evening I will take the "kids" out to the pool. I brought Ranger and Rosa up to play and go swimming, so we can all cool down. The pups have been sleeping on the cool cement and I put a occilating fan in the kennel, so they should have a cool night. Tomorrow looks to be as hot, so I'm getting out another "pop-up" tent for more shade. We'll play out back in the morning and evening, they can sleep during the hottest part of the day.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Pam

Learning At Grandpa's Knee

I've Got The Ball



Are You Sure We Should Follow Him??



Grandpa Imparts Lots of Knowledge



Boy Are You Small!



Everyone In The Pool!


Yesterday afternoon was clear, hot and beautiful. Just the type of day for a swim in the pool. The pups were playing, running and jumping, but very hot, so we filled the pool with nice cool water and put them in. They spent a lot of time climbing out until their Grandpa Ranger showed them how to use this strange piece of equipment to the best advantage. Not only could you get cooler, but you could drink from it, chase balls in it and jump and splash in it!! It was fun to watch them also engage Rosa in play. Rosa is 2 but she ran from, jumped with and chased after them all! It was easy being with them all as they entertained each other. Ranger showed me once again that wonderful caring, gentle side of his personality. After watching him with those pups, I know that I can leave them "in his care" if I need to.
Today is a busy time for me, a surprise 80th birthday party for my husband, Mike, plus all the family that is coming, so I'll close and "get moving". Talk to you tomorrow.
Pam

And Then There Were 6

I'm as Pretty as my Sister!



Move Over Girl, I'm Pretty Too!



Look at Me, I have a Harly Davidson Collar, Dude!



Emily Likes Me Best!!



I've got the Looks and Muscle to Go with the Brains!

I started this one on Tues, but it's now Saturday, Aug 15th. This is going to be a long "letter" as a lot of activity has gone on since Sunday's visit. Our first pup "out of the nest" was a beautiful girl. She happily went with our buddy, Greg, and his bitch, Maude. They headed out for Rhode Island, with New Jersey as the second stop. She did "cry" at first, but Greg reported that she has won over all she meets and is doing beautifully! Next, the 9 other pups had their first vet visit- 3 on Tues, Aug 11th. and 6 on Thurs the 13th. The Tues group all did well on the drive down, even when we passed a roll-over on the interstate--the car was on fire (fully) and the police, ambulance and fire trucks- sirens on blast-were just arriving. That group took all the noise in stride, with only an occasional whine. At the vets, they seemed to be checking out the place, but no crying, no shaking, and some very big slurps for our vet, Dr. Furness. The weights were even (all in the 11.5-13 lb range), all heart sounds normal, all got that first "shot" without even seeming to notice a sting in the rear. Talk about proud parents!!! On the way home, they all urped up lunch, one even went so far as to do it in projectile form (clean up is so much more fun when you have to "find" it). It didn't seem to bother them as within one hour they were yelling for supper! Tues night, Alice took Kayla "home" and we waited to see if either Kayla or the pups had a problem with that. Well the answer was a resounding NO! All seems to accept the split and no one cried or fussed (except Alice and Me).
Wednesday saw the second pup leave, but this one was going by air to western Canada. He was joined by "Mary Katherine" his Swedish cousin. They were both "under the seat" passengers and Monica and Sylvia reported that everything went smoothly. I drove them up to northern VT, and a very dear friend, John Assid, took them across the boarder to Montreal. Remember I said it takes a village, well John and his wife, Lorraine, are a solid part of my village!
Thursday was a little cloudy, with occasional showers, but the pups played, and went to the vets for check-ups and shots. This group only had one upset stomach, and again everyone loved them and they loved everyone! One of the couples from Maine came and took their lovely girl. I'm not good at saying "goodbye", so I do tend to stay away when the owners come....I tend to get teary-eyed and want to snatch the "baby" back....it's so hard to let go!!!!!!!!
Friday, the 3rd girl went to PA with her new daddy. He drove the day before and had a 10 hour trip back to his home. I sent him with food, milk, dishes, etc. and written instructions etc. along with his "Puppy Packet". But true to form, I couldn't watch the girl go, so my husband and I took our Granddaughters out on a cruise off the coast of NH (Portsmouth to Isle of Shoals).
Friday also saw another couple come, just to pick out their boy...they are leaving him here until mid September, as they will be traveling and needed to "board" him if he went home with them. He will be having fun here in NH with his sister and brother, who are staying also. Then he will head to Maine along the ocean near Bar Harbour.
Monday will see another Boy head off to MA. And probably another boy will leave the next day. By the end of the week there should be 3 left as one other boy flies to CA. with his new dad.
When I think back to the week they were born, it seems as if time has flown. I went over my first "to experience" list for them and realized that they have done all that and more. They are happy, tail-wagging, face-licking, chewing on you loving pups and just as beautiful as we hoped for!
I will keep up the blog for a few more weeks, and then probably post any news about the babies when the owners let me know...in the begining it might take me a bit, but I will post pictures etc when they are sent.
I've enjoyed "chatting" with all of you....as you are now counted in my village!
Pam

Stacking Up

Mary Steps Out!



Alice Works The "Bird Dogs" with a Wing.



Greg Watches with Sylvia, Alice, Monica, Marion and Emily.



Am I Handsome or What ?!



Monica, Marion and Sylvia chat on the porch.


What a wonderful day. Not only did the weather cooperate, but the pups were surrounded by our "evaluators". Marion, Alice and I were joined by Greg Siner from New Jersey, Emily Pikul and her mom, Kathleen, from Massachusettes, of course, Connie, Monica and Sylvia. The day started (after breakfast)with a bath for each pup. I didn't get those pictures, but we all got plenty of the crew being stacked and evaluated. I'm posting a few, but will get more from Emily and Alice and put them up this week. I hate to tell you how many total years of evaluating Irish Water Spaniels was sitting in the back yard today looking at each pup, going over confirmation, movement, coat and personality. It took over 5 hours to really review each dog and his or her strong points and weak points. Greg left around 5 p.m. happy with his choices. Alice and I left around 6 p.m. followed closely by Emily and Kathleen. I did call to let Connie know about the timing for her return to Logan Airport tomorrow. She flys out to NYC at 1 p.m. and from NYC to Amsterdam later in the afternoon. She will be traveling for around 20 hours to get back to Denmark and her home. I am posting a few of the pictures, but am going to sleep within the next hour as I'm spent.
I will post the rest during the week.
Pam

"Mary" made it here!

First of all, I'm sorry but I forgot my camera today, so no pictures until tomorrow! Monica and I picked Connie up at Logan Airport (Boston, MA) last evening at 6:10 p.m. She came in from Sweden. (Her home is Denmark, but she was doing her friend, Suzanne, a favor, bringing one of Suzanne's pups to the USA) Her plane was early and luckily, so were we (we expected her to arrive at 6:40 p.m.) As we approached Connie- we had spotted her right away- we saw a carrying case at her feet with this adorable brown curly dog poking her head out, just surveying the crowd. Kind of like a princess looking out over her subjects! She was so relaxed, just taking in the sites. She climbed into her new mommy's (Monica)arms without a fuss, accepting the oohhss and aahhss as people passed along. It seemed as if it happened every day. We were "in love" with her from the get go! This pup's name is Mary Katherine (a good Irish name) and she is a pistol. Last night she slept with Monica. Today she played with the Mallyree Crew and had a ball!!!!! She is just a few weeks older so was a welcomed playmate. She also is just enough older so that she is "the boss" of the group. The boys are in love with her, the girls follow her lead. It was so educational to watch the interactions and reactions. Interestingly enough Kayla wasn't thrilled with the little cutie. It seemed to stress her out. There was a stranger among "her" babies and everyone else seemed OK with it, but she didn't seem sure. Kind of like "Stranger Danger" stuff. We will see how things pan out, as Mary will be here until the 12th when Monica and Sylvia and a boy pup leave for home.
There is always the question of when is the best time to separate the pups from Mom, so this will be discussed and reviewed daily, as we are sure she still has a few pearls of wisdom to impart to her children. I'll let you know what the decision is as soon as we decide.
Look for a bunch of pictures tomorrow night. Greg is coming for his pup, Alice will be up, as well as Emily, and then there are the "rest of us".
I do want to thank Sylvia, Monica and Connie for taking over the feeding and daily care of the pups. Connie was up at 4 a.m. today, so when I got there at 6:30 a.m. she pitched right in and the pups were fed and their "bedroom" all cleaned, including mopping the floor, by 7:30 a.m. Connie even had coffee made!! I was able to go home and spend some quality time with my vacuum, washer and dryer, not to mention my husband and dogs.
I'll be back tomorrow night with a great bunch of photos!
Pam

Hail, Hail the Gang's All Here!

Monica and Marion getting the drinks ready!



Now This is a Ball!



Kisses and Hugs



I'm Just Too Cute!

Monica and Sylvia arrived safely in Manchester,NH last night from Vancouver at 6:30 p.m. It was so good to see them. We immediately headed to the NH Liquor Store and then to Bradford (there are some really important things in life). We got to Marion's about 8 p.m. and toasted the litter. Then we fed them, played with them until all of us were sleepy and ready for bed.
This morning I came and fed the babies then set up a second run so as they get larger, we can give them the space needed to be comfortable.
I realized that I had not given you the full/correct address to see all of Jeremy's pictures...here is the correct address:
www.kezer.net/etc2009/2009-08-02-KaylaPuppies
Today is "meat day" and "goat milk day". We order in large quantities (need to save $$ whenever we can) and use the freezer to the max!
This weekend will be full of people stopping by to visit. I realized that the pups have experienced so many things, different textures, different foods, different people...they and we have been working on the "potty training", and they are setting a reasonable schedule for feeding, sleeping and playing. The only thing that we haven't done is the ride in the car, so this weekend we will drive around the "loop"--that's down the road to the main street, around the "block" (that's a country block of course)and back up the road through the covered bridge to home. I'll try to get some pictures of this.
Talk to you over the weekend.
Pam

Some wonderful Puppy Pictures

Instead of my downloading and trying to import pictures I'd like you all to visit Jeremy's site at;
www.kezer.net/etc2009/2009-08-02/KaylaPuppies
This should lead you to 50 fun pictures of the group!
I'll post a more complete blog later tonight, as I'm on my way to pick up Monica and Sylvia from western Canada.
Pam

Summer Is Finally Here For Good!

See Kids, It can be used for more than swimming!




Mom said this is "not a toy", so what is it?


Oh what a wonderful past 4 days--the weather is as beautiful as it gets! The pups are enjoying the outside and we all have climbed out of the "rainy day dumps". Yesterday was our hospital's Golf Tournament, and I volunteer each year. It is so much fun to see all my "old friends" (lol) I went up to Marion's in the morning and gave the crew breakfast, put them out in the run with toys and their Mom, and cleaned up the sleeping area. Then I spent about an hour just playing with them. They are so cute...they make eye contact and then launch themselves at you, trying to get to the top of the mountain of other pups all barking, licking, and of course chewing on what ever is available (toes, leg, arm, "bottom" etc). Today I'm off with grandchildren to a local amusement park, so I played with the crew this a.m. and Alice and her husband, Paul, will do the afternoon honors.
Thanks to Alice for the pictures on the blog today. (taken Sunday). As soon as I get the link to Jeremy's site, I'll post it and you can see many more pictures.
We have friends flying in from western Canada on Thursday and another friend is flying in from Sweden on Friday, so the pups lives will be full of IWS loving, puppy loving people for the next week.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Pam

Sunday with Friends

Friends Gather



Jeremy at Work



Hail, Hail, The Gangs All Here

What a nice day today was. Seven friends came by (along with their IWS) to play with the puppies! Kim, Jeremy, Mindy, Grace, Judy, Susan and Alice spent a few hours out back in the yard, talking, taking pictures, and enjoying the pups, who put on quite a show. They bounced around, played with each other, played with toys, chewed toes and shoes, and "kissed up" to the visitors! They had their "lunch" out in the yard, and like any youngster, they wore a lot of it. They are eating a mixture of milk, grain and meat and yes, it's sticky....but they wolf it down. We had Kayla out with her brood, and she enjoyed the company as much as anyone. My two, Rosa and Ranger, were there, as well as Susan's two, and Judy's. So it was a true Irish Water Spaniel get-together. Jeremy took a bunch of action shots of the pups. I thought you all would get a kick out of the pictures I took of the people. Jeremy will have some great shots, but I'll have to get them from him this week. I'm sure they are wonderful, as he is a very gifted photographer. The pups are 6 weeks old and are as friendly and outgoing as you could want. They all seem healthy and happy. They truly are well fed and they get plenty of exercise. Plus they are well socialized. This has been one enjoyable litter, and I find myself sitting with them for an hour, petting them and telling them that I'll make sure they go to not just good homes, but great homes. I know I'll have a hard time as each go. I've been known to cry and carry on, so it will be hard to write about their departures, but maybe it will be helpful, as I'll be "talking to" friends.
I'll post any photos that Jeremy wants me to.
Talk with you tomorrow.
Pam