tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5312632173916406022024-03-06T12:00:31.126-08:00Briar Glen FarmsBriar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-69462739070936477122014-03-28T17:33:00.001-07:002014-03-28T17:33:20.431-07:00Just a note to advise our great friends and upcoming kitten owners that I am still struggling with the changes from the Windows XP to the new systems. I have a new computer that will not accept my old email program etc. etc. etc., as well as not accepting our main pedigree programs etc. etc. etc.<br />
So, please bear with me while I work through this stuff and get things back on track. There is light at the end of the tunnel in that I am advised that there is a program that (contrary to experts) will download my original program and files and I have HELP!!!! coming on Sunday in the form of a lovely older "kid" (18) who is qualified (not me) to get this stuff. sorted. <br />
The important thing is that the kittens are fine and we are starting to work on which kittens will best suit the needs of the new owners, and we will get pictures shortly to let everyone know just what warm fuzzies will be coming their way, once I get all this technology "sh##$%^" sorted out.<br />
Where is a 9 year old when you need them??? Unfortunately all my grand kids are in Alberta now with their Mum's who have their own companies where the $$$$$"s are in Alberta.<br />
I'm glad I'll see them after April 17th when I head out for the Calgary show and a nice visit with all the rug rats. First generation and second generation.<br />
So, patience and perserverance as an old teacher used to preach to me.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-65390445060091416732014-03-10T12:12:00.001-07:002014-03-10T12:12:41.603-07:00Off Line for a few daysTechnology is dragging me kicking and screaming into the "new age". I'll be off line for a few days while I have my computer updated for the new Microsoft XP deadline as well as getting some other odds and ends done.<br />
We've been busy at several shows with GC Ragalong Gladiator, Ragalong Coastal Skye and Ragalong Wind Drifter who have been doing very well at the shows. Lots of finals. Have a show in White Rock this weekend followed by a show in Calgary where I get to see all my grand kids and Kids.<br />
All the kids have started their own businesses in the Calgary area, so don't get to see all the rug rats and my girls very often, so will look forward to spending some time with them.<br />
The All Canada Sheep Classic will be held in Ontario this year, so Corky will get a chance to visit another Canadian province. That makes BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI that Corky has now seen. Still need to finish off Ontario, Manitoba and the Yukon territories.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-49510724472287403632013-08-26T17:54:00.000-07:002013-08-26T17:54:27.656-07:00More on the RegionalWow, I was just testing to see if the blog would work off my computer, and voila!!! It works!!! It's going to be a busy week with attending the International Annual TICA show which is being held in Bellvue, Washington. It is held at different locations all over the world. The last time it was in the North West was 10 years ago in Edmonton. So a week of bathing cats and getting the old "Catmobile" in shape for the trip. Once the Annual is over, Corky and I will be heading to Calgary where I will do the Calgary show and Corky will do some work for my middle daughter. I'll head back on my own and hold the fort until Corky gets back.<br />
We have some Fall lambs coming, so it will be busy.<br />
Corky's Mum and Sister and Brother In Law will be here for a week starting Sept. 6th, from New Zealand. It will be nice to catch up for everyone. They are on their way to a family reunion in Ireland. It would be nice if we could go, but farming and critters do not allow for such things. Bad enough getting someone for a few days when Corky and I can get away together.<br />
We've got some critters on our 10 acres in Lake Cowichan, but we have to check to be sure they have enough water as the pond has dropped dramatically. So far they are thriving and keeping the land clear of brambles and weeks and keeping all the trails open and alder free. Even if we don't have time to ride, the horses are still valuable for keeping the fields from getting over grown.<br />
Well, I'm pleased that my computer seems to have fixed itself, so will sign off till next time.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-10195677508268212062013-08-25T18:49:00.001-07:002013-08-25T18:49:43.294-07:00All Canada Sheep ClassicWe had a fabulous show at the All Canada Sheep Classic. First yearling ram. First Fall ram lamb. Reserve Champion Ram. Second Fall ewe lamb from entries from all over Canada. All our sheep were in the top 3 in every class, so the good old Briar Glen lines continue to be well represented. <br />
It seems my Blog will not post off my regular computer, so have to pick out the blog on the iPad.<br />
We also sold two good Pyrenees pups for predator work on two farms at the Classic. We know they'll be pleased with their work and how much they will save in predator losses.<br />
The Regional TICA show in Yakima was a great success with Jassenia taking #1 spot in the Region. Ragalong Cloud 9 took Best Ragdoll and 7th Best over All Breeds.<br />
I'm just getting ready to head to the International TICA Annual being held in Bellvue, Washington this year. Jassenia will pick up her International award there. I'd like to ramble on, but picking on the iPad is too time consuming. Have to get a computer wizard in to find out how I can do it off my computer.<br />
So that's all folks, for now.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-73460663177246000802013-05-03T09:40:00.002-07:002013-05-03T09:40:37.940-07:00Lethbridge continuedI neglected to mention that while on my way down to Lethbridge after the evening of the Calgary show wrap up, it started to get very cold just before Nanton. Seemed that my heater had quit working. God Bless my Mohair shawl that I was able to half pie cover my fingers with while driving. Got a hot coffee in Nanton and nursed it until I got to Lethbridge to keep my fingers from freezing. Alberta weather was highlighted while driving through Lethbridge on my way to my daughter's in Coaldale when a freezing sleet and hail blizzard hit going through town. As my windshield started freezing, it illustrated that I was not going "anywhere" near the mountains on my way back without getting the heater fixed.<br />
First thing the next morning I presented the old girl to a Napa Garage in Coaldale. <br />
A check by mechanics indicated that mice had taken up residence in a portion of the heater block and the baffle had rusted out. Fortunately, no mice residing in there anymore, but they had left their mark. <br />
If I was in BC, I am sure we could have turned up a good heating unit at the local wrecker as my van is one of the models you still see in abundance driving around BC. However, in "Alberta" where everyone drives a "new" truck, any older vehicles are crushed summarily as there is more money in them that way. So.......no hope for a used part. Was it time to call UHaul????? Maybe not. I asked the clerk who called in the mechanic to ask if they could fabricate a part. I mentioned that I am a BIG fam of the Red Green Show and never leave home without duct tape or WD 40. <br />
The mechanic's eyes lit up and said he'd check with his mate. He came back and said "yes" they would try it!!!!<br />
My daughter and grand kids and I had driven by in her "brand new" Alberta Dodge truck in the evening and noted that the old girl was "in" the garage, so that was a good sign.<br />
Next morning I arrived to find that they had in fact fabricated the part and I was good to go.<br />
So put a hold on the UHaul for the 3rd time this trip. <br />
She made it home in great shape except for the aforementioned faulty alternator in Kamloops. <br />
Just got back from a trip to Vancouver and she continues to meet all my needs. Keeps the kittens warm and comfy. Without the Grandkids along I can make up the bed and crash in comfort as well. I guess we'll see how long it will be before I need to call UHaul. Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-44550631003028140192013-04-30T13:40:00.001-07:002013-04-30T13:40:11.182-07:00Back from CalgaryMade it back in one piece, although not without mishaps. I "love" my old "Catmobile" that as mentioned is set up for the comfort of the cats. She has been maintained, but a trip over the Coquihalla exposed some "minor" issues. First issue was brought to my attention just as I had done the Coquihalla and gone down the long hill in Kamloops. The "brake" light came on and to make a long story short, the bad news was that there was a broken brake line and the good news was I found an absolutely fabulous garage in Jay's Automotive, located on Battle St. just off the main drag at the bottom of the Kamloops hill. I would recommend them to anyone and everyone who is on the road. I limped in just before closing time and one of the young fellas volunteered to stay later and fix it. Brake fluid sprayed in his eye and working on the ground under the old girl and he had her fixed up in an hour and I was on my way for $110!!!!<br />
Then in the middle of Salmon Arm I heard a "strange" noise and started to pull off a side street and then heard a great bang and back fire. Again, to make a long story short, the differential had dropped. I called Jay's 24/7 line for a recommendation on a good mechanic in Salmon Arm and also a UHaul as my path of last resort, when she dies for good, is to throw everything in a UHaul and carry on. He recommended Eric's Shuswap Automotive that has a good mechanic "and" a UHaul. Bliss!!!! A short tow to Eric's and I spent the night in my good old girl and Eric had a look at her in the morning (no, we're busy til next Thurs.) and was astounded to find that there was no damage at all to the drive shaft, but apparently someone who had looked at the diff, had left a bolt loose. He'd never seen anything like it in all his years of mechanicking. Thought he could have me on the road in an hour. Road test indicated a "new" sound, so he insisted in taking the shield off the big drum thing off and I got a good education on how the "pinion gear" rotates with the other gears. He was great in demonstrating how everything worked. He saw a bright spot which was a broken tooth in the pinion gear but explained that it uses 3 at a time, so she would be fine only she would have a "new sound". He fished out the broken tooth which I now have as a souvenir. $210!!!!<br />
So, Jay's in Kamloops and Eric's Shuswap Automotive get my recommendation!!!<br />
The voltage regulator went at the top of the Roger's Pass and I got to meet Annette and her husband who drive the tow truck between Revelstoke and Golden. Got lucky again in Golden as there was an early morning cancellation first thing the next morning and the guys at OK Tire had me on the road again in an hour even though I had them throw in an alternatior "just in case".<br />
Smooth sailing in to Calgary. Good thing I had two extra days to get there.<br />
The show was great. Cloud was the Second Best Cat in show with 11 Finals and Hobbit, the kitten got finals in all rings the second day of the show, once he caught on to the idea of showing and enjoying it. I got to hang with my Grandaughter Jassenia who showed "her" cat Jassenia who should be #1 in the Regional Awards.<br />
Also had a phenomenal meal at "Gaucho's" in Calgary compliments of my daughter Sherean and hubby Reuben, for my birthday. If you are a carnivor, that's the place to go. They rotate around all night long with every cut of beef on skewers as well as chicken, lamb and chicken hearts. All you can eat. It was wonderful.<br />
After the show, headed to Lethbridge to see my oldest daughter Tina and the kids and to drop off some kittens to new owners. Had a great time and spent the day with the boys who are excelling in their hockey. Even practiced some shots with them, for which I will take credit for Ty's shutout in Edmonton the following weekend!! (ha ha)<br />
Headed home and made it to Kamloops again and noticed my lights were pretty dim, so camped in Jay's lot overnight and first thing (7:00 am) the fellow got on it and it turned out the alternator that OK Tire had put in was faulty, so they put in a new one on warranty and a new battery, as well as checking out all my brakes etc. God Bless em'. <br />
So, lots of adventures and met lots of great people and the old girl is running like a deer up and down the longest hills. <br />
Right now, am heading over to Vancouver to meet some new owners and be back tomorrow. <br />
Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-10668258898461003492013-04-13T18:26:00.002-07:002013-04-13T18:26:56.270-07:00Heading To CalgaryHi guys, once again, here I am to give the latest and greatest. First we have to thank Miki Zahner and Wendy Huppe for managing our latest show Cat Ragalong Cloud 9, at the Edmonton Cat Show for us where he got 7 Best in Shows and in the process completed his Supreme title. God Bless you girls!!!! Our other cat Jassenia looks like she will be #1 in the Northwest Region. <br />
I am heading to Calgary on Wednesday in my venerable old "Catmobile" van that I generally take to Cat shows as it is set up for the comfort of the cats. I'll be climbing the Coquihalla and the Roger's Pass, so I hope the old girl is up to it!!! I love her dearly, but I may change my opinion if she lets me down.<br />
I will be meeting some new kitten owners on the way and heading down to Lethbridge to see my oldest daughter Tina and my grandsons, Zach and Ty, then heading back to Calgary for the show and having fun with my one and only Grandaughter (6 Grandsons), Jassenia (hence our cat Jassenia's name, at the Calgary show. <br />
So....long story short, you will be able to reach me via email (Corky does not answer the phone!!!) and I can send you information if you like. So, I am off to pack and get everyone ready. I'll post with the results of Calgary if I make it back (ha ha). It would still be ha ha if I don't make it back as I have had a very "interesting" life and if it's time to go, well then there's really nothing I haven't done yet, so I'm cool with the next adventure in the Great Beyond. Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-27887773329969879182013-03-01T10:57:00.001-08:002013-03-01T10:57:22.717-08:00Catching UpI've been told that we haven't been keeping our blog up to date. 50 lashes with a wet noodle to me!!! Life on the farm is just very busy with lambing, puppying, and kittening (ha ha). <br />
We have been attending all the requisite cat shows and our latest prospect Ragalong Cloud 9 has been excelling in the show hall. Lots of Best in Shows and significant wins at the Portland Show in January which is now the largest show in TICA and attracts all the International Winners. <br />
We've been to Ferndale last month, again with numerous wins and will be heading to White Rock next weekend for the CF of BC show at which we will have to set up the show hall and generally make a nuisance of ourselves. Corky has been summoned by the club to attend as well as he is noted for his expertise in setting up show rings and generally being a big help to everyone. Apparently he's been missed at the shows where I go and he stays home to hold the fort. Cloud is booked to go to Edmonton in a couple of weeks for another show and then on to the Calgary show. So, have no fear, we are certainly active with our breeding program and presenting our lines in the show halls. The kitten we showed in Ferndale also got a Best In Show, so Hobbit is also starting to catch the judge's eyes. <br />
Lambing has gone well. Corky has kept all the lambs in this year instead of letting them run loose outside with their mums. This results in a lot more work, but better gains in the lambs as they don't have to compete with the dratted Canada Geese for water sources and grass. The geese leave their calling cards everywhere which is not healthy for the lambs. <br />
We have a litter of Great Pyrenees puppies that will make great family pets and guardians as sell as wonderful livestock protection dogs. We are taking reservations on the puppies and new kittens. So, that's all folks. Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-44664704801404502502012-06-10T22:40:00.000-07:002012-06-10T22:40:50.369-07:00Off to Nova ScotiaCorky and I are off to Truro, Nova Scotia for the All Canada Sheep Show and Sale. We dropped our sheep off in Alberta and they are headed by truck to the sale. "We" get to fly!!!
We will keep you posted on our adventures in Eastern Canada. I lived there for 4 years, but Corky has never been past Alberta, so it is time he saw "Canada".
We just got a note from the Weavers who bought "Luther" from us 11 years ago just after 911. Walt drove through the night from Montana to pick Luther up so he could go back and keep his Daugher Jennifer company while she was in the hospital for what turned out to be a fatal illness. He was a great ambassador and visited all the patients in the hospital. Walt recounted a time when Luther just peeled off and went in to a little boy's hospital room and sat with the little boy. The little boy died later the next day. Luther just knew who needed comfort. Luther just died and is now meeting and greeting Jennifer and Kathy Weaver's Mum who also just passed. They all loved Luther.
We'll be back just in time for our local Garden City Cat Show that Corky and I started 11 years ago. This will be the first time that we don't have to be show managers, so we actually get to get back home just before the show and can show up in time to help set up and can go home!!!! There is a God!!!!
We'll keep you posted on results of the trip. Our Calgary show went very well with several Best In Shows for our HHPK Jassenia. We got to hang out with my grand kids Jassenia, Zach and Ty who volunteered at the show. Jassenia actually learned how to clerk which is pretty cool for a 12 year old. Zach worked hard stewarding for 2 rings both days. We're proud of the kids!!Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-38941413701173336212012-04-17T21:46:00.002-07:002012-04-17T21:52:57.694-07:00Heading for CalgaryIt's been awhile since we've updated the blog. Too busy to get er done. Just thought I would send a note before we head off to Calgary for a show. We're also hauling the sheep we have entered in the All Canada Classic Sheep sale in Truro, Nova Scotia. <br />We have never shown females, but decided this season to show a couple of females. Ragalong Africa has done well in stiff competition and is standing at a Quadruple Grand Champion. Our female kitten Ragalong Yukon Blessing has also done well especially as she has been the youngest kitten in her classes. We have so many Supreme Grand Champion males that it seemed we should maybe do some females. <br />We do have some really nifty male kittens coming up. One out of a Yukon litter and one out of a Burgundy litter, so I think you will see us taking out the boys again next season. Cats, kittens, dogs, horses and sheep are all doing well.<br />We will have our Grandsons Zach and Ty from Alberta with us at the show and also our Grand daughter Jassenia who is also from Strathmore, AB. It's a great chance for us to spend some time with the family in Alberta. Will keep everyone posted when we get back. Take care all.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-82921058002842188072012-01-31T11:33:00.000-08:002012-01-31T11:46:18.483-08:00Home from PortlandAfter a very eventful time, I am home from Portland. I traveled with my friend Susan on Horizon Air from Victoria. Got in early, and both of us were relaxing with a nice glass of wine, waiting for the flight when I heard that the flight was cancelled and collect your luggage and go back to the check in counter. Another hour going through the check in process and we were put on an Air Canada flight to Vancouver and on to Portland. Got to Vancouver and the Air Canada flight was delayed an hour and a half for "mechanical" issues. Did get to Portland where once again we were rewarded by the fabulous Portland show crew presentation. Thousands of spectators, 17 huge barrels of food collected for the food bank and a 3 day spectacular show. <br />We got lots of nice wins capped by the Best In Show award which was selected by a team of celebrity judges and all the spectators. $1000 and huge rosettes which go to my lovely grand daughter Jassenia's kitten. <br />There were 260 cats and any final is considered a rare commodity, so were were very lucky to snag a few. It is the first time we have shown females as the Ragdoll standard is written for males, but we can only keep so many whole males and our house is filling up with our neutered Supreme champions, so decided to go with some females for a change of pace. The girls were absolutely fabulous. I really enjoyed working with them. No male hormones and attitudes to deal with. <br />The trip home was "not" uneventful. The Horizon flight was listed as "late". As it grew a bit "too" late, Susan stepped up to the gate just in time to see the sign change from "late" to "CANCELLED"!!! We had joked that after two hiccups, we were home free. I did, however, venture the comment that "I hope it doesn't work in threes". Yup. Delayed again for several hours while they got another plane ready. <br />Anyway, home again and happy to see Corky and all the new lambs and critters on the place. Til next time.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-27208664910902847962011-11-27T07:18:00.000-08:002011-11-27T07:45:58.552-08:00Home from FranceGot home from France the day before yesterday and have to report that I had an absolutely fabulous time. <br />Paris - smog, smog, smog. Drivers are insane, but had a blast throwing myself wholeheartedly into the fray when I missed a turn and had to go back. The French do not observe green lights or red lights. They just go and consequently you have chaos which can be likened to a video game of who squeezes who out of the line at an intersection. I had to bone up quickly on my obscene gestures and foul language to compete properly. Great fun and very liberating!!!<br />On to Orleans where the Southern European Regional Awards were being held. Imagine....900 cats competing in both TICA and Traditional judging (which is another story). The line ups were incredible and the French were lined up for miles to check in, shivering in the cold. Fortunately for me, coming from Canada, it felt just fine even in short sleeves. Their passion for their cats is phenomenal. Post check in you then line up again to have a vet go over your cat and check its papers and microchip numbers. Quite an experience!! The people are fabulous. Warm, friendly and welcoming. I had two kittens with me, Bree and Showgirl. Bree was already sold to a party down in the South of France who could not get to the airport, so poor me, had to drive to the South of France to deliver Bree after the show. A tough job, but someone had to do it. There was a Ragdoll Specialty in the Traditional Division and both Bree and Showgirl got good finals and I was left with the dilema of how to pack all the awards to fly back home. <br />The awards banquet was fabulous and the TICA best cat, a Ruddy Abysinnian was there along with his cheering section. All in all a wonderful experience with wonderful people and judges. On the advice of one of the Ragdoll breeders, went to Amboise to see the castle where the King of France installed Leonardo Da Vinci for a few years before he died. Did a cute hotel right inside town with the narrow streets and walking a spell to get to your parking, but all part of the experience. <br />On to Nice to deliver Bree. Being a country girl, did not really enjoy the Cannes/Nice scene too much with things like numerous signs showing you to watch your handbag at all costs all the ime or!!! Took a couple of pictures of obscenely large yachts and headed to Marie Sur Mer in the Camargue. Now that's my kind of place. Small town on the Mediterranean complete with horses, horses, horses and wild black bulls. Wonderful Bed and Breakfast 150 meters from the sea and 3 minutes in to the town center for 50 euros a night. Complete kitchen, sitting area, washing machine and wonderful comfy bed in the loft. 2 days there and off to the Pyrenees for 3 days at Laytoure Bed and Breakfast. A 17th century restored farm home in the country. Couldn't ask for more. All the heritage atmosphere with a completely modern bathroom and kitchen. 50 euros a night with a great breakfast. Had to decide if I was going to do two days there and make a run up the freeways at the usual 150 KMs an hour to visit Metz where I had lived for 4 years as a kid, or ..... stay in the 17 century farm home. No contest, laid back and relaxed. Did a few sojourns to Carcasonne and the surrounding towns taking pictures of "cows". Blonde D'Aquitaines, Simmentals, Limousins, Gascons and some Friesians. Saw caverns etc. but really enjoyed the country scenes. Back up to Paris after having some fabulous meals, "lots" of Regional wines and try to find the bloody airport which would not compute on the GPS I had. (I need a 6 year old with me to run these machines). I was not alone, however as there were lines of cars parked outside the terminal 1 asking the same question I had. Where do you park the rental cars???? I got lucky in that I was leaving from terminal 1 and previous to that had no idea from any of my tickets or car documents, which bloody terminal (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5) I was leaving from but had stopped for my inquiries at terminal 1 first. Parked the car and was glad I had it over night as it was a quiet place to sleep. My sojourns in to the airport at night (trying to get my biological clock back to our time) showed poor passengers trying to get comfortable on chairs while the sounds of jack hammers went off all night long. Good little car!!! Home again and happy to see Corky and will check up on all the kids. Love to see the cats and dogs and farm. We are very lucky to live in Canada, as everywhere I went, they all want to come to Canada. That's all folks.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-4222720816820807112011-11-06T21:04:00.001-08:002011-11-06T21:10:59.552-08:00Off to FranceI will be heading to France for two shows in November, so wanted to let our kitten buyers know that their kittens are all doing great and for new prospective kitten and puppy owners, we have a lovely litter that will be ready at the end of November and also have a gorgeous male and female Pyrenees puppy that will be ready, also at the end of November. I am not sure (being computer illiterate and not owning a laptop, whether I will be able to access emails while over there, so if I don't get back to you right away, I certainly will as soon as I can access a computer. <br />I lived in France for 4 years as a child, so am looking forward to visiting some old stomping grounds and seeing some new ones and meeting some new people and trying some new cuisine. I have always been turned off by the fish served with the head on in France, but have plans to try it this time (maybe). No problem with the duck as I love duck. I remember that each little town has its own boulangerie with fabulous French bread and croissants, so I can live on that if I have to. When I was there before you could not drink the water. I am not sure if it is ok to drink now. If not, I will suffer with French wine!!! (hope the water is not fit to drink). So, bonjour for now and I will let everyone know how shows go in France!!!Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-72492275711698930792011-10-23T14:00:00.000-07:002011-10-23T14:10:57.694-07:00To Calgary We GoIt's been awhile since I've had a chance to post on the blog as lots has happened. We have been to the North West Regional Awards show and banquet and came home with lots of nice trophies and prizes. Both Yukon and Burgundy did themselves proud. We did a demonstration at the Nanaimo fair where they gave us a cute little red barn to set up as a cat show to promote our Garden City Show and show off the Ragdolls, Abys and Somalis with my friend Susan. It was very well received and my daughter Tina spent some time with us before heading back to Calgary with Zach and Ty. <br />We had our Grandson Jaden with us for a month over the Summer, his brother Colby for 2 weeks and Tina's two boys, Zach and Ty for a month in August. We all had a blast and it was very busy but fun Summer making fires, putting up tents and we all attended whatever shows were on the agenda. They sure kept Corky entertained while he convalesced from his broken ankle. <br />Life happens too, and my Mum was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer, so I have been busy getting her to appointments and she will have her surgery on Nov. 2nd. In the meantime Corky and I and apparently Jaden (last minute addition) will be going to Calgary for a week to do a show. We will stop for two days at our 10 acre property in Trout Lake just outside of Nakusp, for a break. Corky can give Jaden some pointers on Rugby as the 3 boys are in Rugby. Zach and Ty are going great guns in Junior A hockey with shutouts and goals all over the place. We hope we can catch a game while in Alberta. <br />When we get back and once Mum's surgery is done, I am heading to France for two shows. Yeah!!! I lived there for 4 years as a kid, so am looking forward to spending two weeks there. Corky had the option of going too, but decided to save his airmiles to go to New Zealand, so don't feel badly for him. We're getting ready to leave tomorrow morning, so I will sign this off and get my butt in gear. Take care folks!!!Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-54685652486611467982011-07-23T21:54:00.000-07:002011-07-23T22:12:49.098-07:00Lots and lotsWhew, a really busy past few days. Corky was helping my Grandson build a wooden toy gun on the deck he is installing and boys being boys, they got so wrapped up in the fun project that Corky backed up right "off the deck". That's right, over the edge and 10 feet down. He flapped his arms, but failed to take flight and jumped to avoid the heat pump below and landed on his feet (post Rugby manouever I suppose) but unfortunately things are not as flexible as they were and my Grandson Jaden who was with him heard the "crack" when Grandpa hit the ground. It was very fortunate that Jaden(10) had just finished a St. John's Ambulance Course the previous week as he knew just what to do. He found help "me" and raced back to ensure that Grandpa laid still. I immediately called 911 and Jaden came back and said "he's ok" and I cancelled the 911 call, but did find that my darling was sure not walking when he got up. Jaden was very disgusted with Grandpa when he would not follow the rules and lay still, but tried to walk. Corky was bloody lucky that Jaden was there, as it would have been a very tough trip, crawling up the hill with a broken ankle while Grandma was busy on other parts of the farm. So, Jaden was the hero of the day. We hustled Corky off to the hospital where the usual hospital story unfolded with waits in the waiting room, coming back two days later for surgery at 11 am and finally getting in at 11 PM. We stayed with him and Jaden had a blast exploring the hospital and shmoozing with the nurses and orderlies and generally deciding that he rather liked the hospital scene. We got home at 2 am and managed to get back in at 8 am to pick Corky back up. So, all is well and we are glad that it was only his ankle which will heal in about 5 months. Needless to say things will be rather slower here as I pick up his end of the operation as well as my own. Not sure if we will make the Regional or not. Yukon, Burgundy and a couple of our other felines are in line for awards, but will have to see how things go. <br />Apart from that kittens, cats, dogs, sheep are all doing fine. We were going to the All Canada Classic Sheep show and sale in Saskatchewan, but cancelled that rather abruptly with the turn of events. Not sure if we will get too many sheep shows done, but again, will see. So, please forgive me if I am late getting back to you and especially Revenue Canada etc., might have to wait a bit to hear back from me while I keep things rolling along here. <br />Good news is that Tina, my oldest and her two sweethearts, Zach and Ty, whom most of the cat fancy have met, are coming out tomorrow. Tina will be here briefly as she has a pile of work in her two businesses to keep up with, but we get to have Zach and Ty for a week or two which we will all enjoy profusely. Lots of time at the beach and hanging around the chickens, chicks, cats, kittens, dogs and sheep and horses. Love those little guys. Have to squeeze as much time with them right now before they head in to the lovely teen years, when likely everyone will pass on their moods and opinions for a spell. Right now they are all just delightful. Sherean and her family are also planning to come out at the end of the Summer. Fortunately Grandpa will be laid up enough that he won't be able to get away from them too quickly. They all love to spend time with Grandpa. So, things could be much worse. Take care everyone.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-11508132327850771582011-06-22T20:31:00.000-07:002011-06-22T20:48:55.689-07:00Garden City Show, June 25 and 26I haven't had time to do my blog, not because there was nothing to say, but because there was so much going on. My friend Susan and I did a booth at the Victoria Pet Expo a week and a half ago and I can modestly say that our booth was by far the most popular. I'll bet the kittens on display had nothing to do with it!!! What a contrast our cage with Ragdoll kittens and Susan's with pretty much the opposite with Abysinnian kittens and a Somali. We were promoting our upcoming show on June 25 and 26th. Corky and I are the Show Managers again for the 10th year and it does take a lot of time and effort to pull off successfully. Can't say I will be sorry when it is over again for another 6 months. Be sure and stop by. I will likely be very busy, so don't think I am being snobbish if I don't have a lot of time to talk. Under the serene exterior of the show, there are always hosts of little forest fires going on all over the hall. We have 12 Vendors and a full hall of cats and kittens with International Judges. It will be the first time for the Georgia Peach, Kim Tomlin to do our show. We plan on showing her a good time. We will be doing a buffet and tour of the Butchart Gardens on Sat. night. We have done it before and I never tire of the magical evening. I always think that I would likely rather go my room and put my feet up with a good glass of wine, but as soon as we go through the gates at the Gardens, my spirits lift and everything becomes very serene.
<br />We missed the first two shows of the season as my only brother Big Bob had a stroke and is not doing that well, so I want to spend more time with him this year.
<br />Happily Yukon got his International Win, which in the International Cat Show circles is a really neat achievement. Only 50 cats out of the thousands showing get an International win. Burgunday, Bonzai and Yukon also have a bunch of Regional wins and awards coming at the Regional banquet and show in August, so things in the cat end of things are going well. We've met a lot of neat people lately looking for kittens. You get to meet some of the nicest people in what we do. Grand kids are all doing well and 3 of them will be cleaning cages at the show this weekend. We would not be able to do the show without the help of my kids and Grand kids. Donnie will be putting up signs on Friday night and Serena will be helping all weekend where ever help is needed.
<br />We are also getting fencing around our 10 acre parcel in Skutz Falls in Lake Cowichan, so besides working with the farm stock and cat and dog stuff we are pretty busy. Look forward to meeting and greeting all our friends in the next few months. Wish us luck with the show. Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-64639258449285308162011-05-09T21:39:00.001-07:002011-05-09T21:51:05.571-07:00Back home again "for now"Back home from the trip to the Calgary show where Yukon and Ambrose and Acacia did very well. Best in Shows for Yukon, Ambrose and Acacia which was pretty good for Acacia's first show. Hard for the girls to show against the big boys like Ambrose. The best part of the trip was getting to hang with Jassenia, my one and only Grand daughter (have 6 Grand sons) at the show and the hotel. Got to visit with Sherean and the family (Rownan and Rueben as well as Jassenia. Corky, being the great guy he is, drove home with the kittens while I spent some time seeing Tina, Zach and Ty in Lethbridge. Got to see Zach and Ty playing their Junior triple A hockey and then see Tina working with her 2 new Performance mares, Fancy and Seven. Got to get Zach and Ty together with Jassenia and Rowan for a visit in Calgary and then did the Zoo with Zach and Ty. All in all, a really good time. Had a fabulous meal with Sherean and family. <br />I left from Calgary in the early hours to fly to the show in Conneticut which was the last 3 day show of the Season. Yukon made quite an impression on the East Coast Breeders who were all really nice and it was great to put faces to names. Yukon was the 2nd Best Cat in the Show and he once again managed several Best in Shows which put him in to the International Winners Circle. He didn't miss having to show against Burgundy, but I was not going to fly with 2 cats under the seat for 10 or more hours. <br />Home again with lots to catch up on and preparing for our June Show in Sidney and deciding if we can get away for the Tukwila Titlist show. <br />LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE CANUCKS!!!! YEAHHHHHH!Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-16983117938767251792011-04-13T09:46:00.000-07:002011-04-13T10:12:14.906-07:00On the Road AgainCorky and Marilyn are on our way to Calgary for a show where we will get to meet all our cat show friends, many of whom have not seen Corky for awhile. We also get to visit with 4 of my Grandchildren and their families which is a real bonus. Jassenia the oldest of 7 Grandchildren and the only girl will be stewarding at the Calgary show and hanging with Grandma and Grandpa at the hotel. <br />Corky will be driving home from Calgary, but Marilyn will be visiting with the family and then heading to a show in Conneticut on April 28th and coming back on May 4th. I will be checking emails while on the road, so please send us an email to stay in touch. I tried downloading pictures of kittens that will be available from the end of April, but not sure if I will be able to activate the thing as it doesn't seem to be working on my home computer. It is called a Passport or something and has my files on it according to the fellow from the computer repair, but typically, I can't seem to make it work. Maybe it needs a drive in the truck first to be ready to open its' secrets. If, for some reason it does not work, we have some lovely blue and seal bicolor male and female kittens coming up as well as some cute as a button blue and seal mitted males and females. Kitten pictures on the site accurately reflect the type of kittens available as they will be brothers/sisters or cousins to the ones on the web site. As everyone knows, we guarantee our kittens for 3 years and they come from DNA negative HCM and PKD mums and dads. <br />We will have more news when we get home and I will post while I am on the road if there is anything really exciting to pass on. Take care everyone, Marilyn and CorkyBriar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-16403396406191834762011-03-14T11:20:00.001-07:002011-03-14T11:28:31.703-07:00After CF of BC showBack home from the CF of BC show in Vancouver. 3 days and 18 Rings. Once again, the show went well for our cats with some good placings, Best and Second Bests in very tough competition. <br />Everyone was very sad about the recent events in Christchurch and in Japan. We had a Japanese judge at the show which brought things home. We had a minute of silence for all the victims of these tragic events. <br />I am very happy to have Corky home and he had many stories about happenings in NZ. Children texting their homes from under the rubble, a gentleman who left for town but has not come back yet. So many heart wrenching events which will be multiplied in Japan. Our hearts go out to everyone affected. <br />I had my Grandson Colby with me, helping with the show, and my friend and neighbour Susan Marshall was the show manager with her foot in a cast and in a wheelchair. She had her 2 daughters Tiffany and Kristina also helping with the show. <br />We are planning our Garden City Show on June 25 and 26th and would welcome any one who would like to volunteer and participate. We are hoping to revive our magical evening with a buffet meal and tour at Butchart Gardens on Saturday night after the show. We have a lot to be thankful for. Take care everyone. Marilyn www.ragdollkittens.caBriar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-69084469519387834892011-03-01T16:28:00.001-08:002011-03-01T16:33:25.871-08:00Before the StormThey are predicting a big wind storm tomoorrow, so thought I would get a note off before we lose our power and go off line. <br />We had a great show at Ferndale with Best In Shows and both boys did well. <br />Corky is in New Zealand (Christchurch) where he is visiting family for two weeks. His family is pretty much ok although some inlaws did have their houses collapse. I am sure Corky will be a great help while he is there. <br />Our Garden City Club members seem to be having some interesting times. Susan Marshall had a big butcher knife flip up and slice the tendons on the top of her foot. She apparently is doing ok. <br />With the past snow storm while heading in to the Collision garage to pick up our 1 Ton truck that had suffered a rat attack, a big branch came through the back window of our little car and I got some bumps and bruises but all is well. <br />I'm off to take care of the farm stuff before it gets dark, so if we lose our power, people will have some idea of what is going on around here. Wish all the best for everyone with our challenging weather. Beats an earthquake, though. Take care everyone.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-39794228944079109692011-02-04T16:32:00.000-08:002011-02-04T16:41:54.627-08:00After Portland and before FerndaleMarilyn is back from the Portland show that highlighted a huge number of entries. SGC Ragalong Burgundy was lucky enough to snag a BEST CAT in heavy competition along with a 2nd Best and several other finals. RW SGC Ragalong Yukon Gold also took his share of finals home. It is tough bringing your own competition, but both cats are just too good to leave at home. It was unfortunate that after such a great show, the Portland show crew suffered a bad accident on their way home when a drunk driver literally ran into the back and right on inside their show trailer which contained all the club's show supplies. Thank goodness there were no injuries. <br />Marilyn is getting ready to go to a show in Ferndale Washington at their new location on Feb. 11th. <br />Corky is headed to New Zealand for 2 weeks on the 24th of February, so Marilyn will be super busy for those 2 weeks. <br />All the family is doing well. Grand kids are all coming along well and Zach and Ty in Alberta are burning up the hockey rinks. My daughter Serena's kids, Jaden, Colby and Dusty are busy with Rugby, much to Grandpa's delight. Jaden will accompany Marilyn to the Ferndale show. We always have fun together. <br />My poor daughter Sherean and her family are currently under tons of snow in Strathmore, Alberta. The kids won't be able to move around too much. <br />So, no complaints from this end and I hope everyone is having a great year so far.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-18743100354856921712010-12-15T20:54:00.000-08:002010-12-15T21:11:17.962-08:00Christmas is a comin' and we are not ready!!!!!By now, most years we would have our Christmas cards done and out, "some" baking done and a tree up. So far this year, what with shows in Calgary, Kelowna, Vancouver and then managing our show on Nov. 27 and 28th followed closely by a show in Tukwilla, I have not done "anything" yet!!!! The show in Tukwilla went well with Burgundy taking many finals up to and including a Best In Show. Yukon grabbed a couple and our new kitten protoge Ragalong Sir Ivanhoe also got a few. It's tough bringing your own competition to a show with Yukon and Burgundy, but they are both so nice, I can't leave one behind. <br />Because things have been so hectic, I wanted to use this time and space to wish all our wonderful Ragalong Kitten Owners and Graymar Great Pyrenee Puppy owners a wonderful Christmas wish and a Happy New Year's and let you all know that just because I have not got to the card thing yet, we are thinking about you all and appreciate, greatly, all the wonderful pictures and updates. Just got a warm and fuzzy email from Powell River with 2 wonderful warm fuzzies cuddled up together that warmed my heart. <br />We are going to the Chemainus Dinner Theater with my daughter and her family tomorrow night and staying over til Friday, so that just might be our Christmas fling. We are having Christmas dinner at Serena's so I may never get a tree up or baking done. Thank God for Kelly Hayton who brought absolutely fabulous baking to the Tukwilla show. Christmas cupcakes complete with red and green butterflies. I bought a bunch, so might have to settle for those for my Christmas offerings. Thank you Kelly for your wonderful creations!!!!<br />My oldest daughter Tina has bought herself a house for Christmas, so they are going to have a wonderful time breaking in their new home. We want to take a flight in the New Year to go and see Zach and Ty playing their hockey. They are burning up the ice apparently. Sherean, our middle daughter and her family Rueben, Jassenia and Rownan are busy getting their home ready to sell so they can buy a farm in the Golden area. She has created a Garden of Eden out of dry prairie turf. Anyone who gets their place will love what Sherean and Rueben have created. <br />Corky has been busy holding the fort while I have been getting our boys out to the shows. For Christmas he is getting a trip to New Zealand at the end of February to see his family for a couple of weeks. <br />All the warm fuzzies are well and Daisy has a wonderful litter of nine fat, fluffy Pyrenees puppies and everyone knows, "nothing" is cuter than a Pyrenees pup, so we get to play with them every day. <br />Just in case I don't get time to get back before Christmas, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-20613126653330873152010-11-28T21:59:00.000-08:002010-11-28T22:08:20.352-08:00The Show's OverWe just finished our Christmas Edition of the Garden City Cat Show and it went really well. Ragalong Burgundy got his Supreme Championship with 3 Best Cat In Show Awards!!! Ragalong Yukon Gold who is already a Supreme, got his share of finals along with 2 Best Cat in Show awards, so Corky and I are very pleased. We had a great show with lots of wonderful spectators and a great raffle and spectators Choice award. Everyone went home happy. We pride ourselves on having a really fun, laid back show and everyone has a good time. Our Judges always love Victoria, so all in all it was a good weekend. The only thing is, I don't know yet, who won the Grey Cup!!!! Sure hope it was the West. So, we will spend a day getting caught up and then back to the usual farm routine. As usual, our Grand sons did Stewarding at the show and my daughter Serena and hubby Donnie put up and took down our signs. Thank God for a great family.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-77145673615779321712010-11-25T18:10:00.000-08:002010-11-25T18:17:06.073-08:00Garden City Cat Club show, Nov. 27 and 28Everyone is poised and ready for our November show at the Mary Winspear Center in Sidney. Corky and I are show managers, so will be very busy this weekend making sure that everything goes as planned. A daunting task, given our recent snow storm. We are told that things are warming up just in time for our exhibitors to hit the highways and planes tomorrow for the show. Vicky Shields and Adrianna Kajon, our judges from Albuquerque arrived yesterday and are snugly ensconsed in the Sidney Waterfront Hotel, getting much needed rest before Saturday's opening. Pam Barrett will be flying in from Portland tomorrow and our wonderful judge Yvonne Patrick who was brought low by a flu bug is being ably represented by Lynn Judge who stepped in at the last minute. Elaine Weitz is driving in from seattle and will be doing a mini clerking seminar Friday at 4:00. I think we have things in hand thanks to our devoted club members who work so hard to bring the public a class event. So, let's see how the cats do and we will provide updates after the show. Hope to see everyone there to enjoy the free cake and Starbuck's coffee, fabulous vendors and wonderful cats on exhibit being judged by highly respected international judges.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531263217391640602.post-35070826824966199862010-11-15T09:54:00.000-08:002010-11-15T11:49:42.037-08:00Bad news, good news,We're just back from the Richmond show and it was, for me a rather interesting and enlightening show. I think just about all of my blogs have been very positive and reflect the way we like to look at life. Thank the Good Lord, we have never had to start with a "bad news" segment. It was obvious to many people at the show that there was "something" going on and I was asked by several people, just what "it" was. So, for those who want to follow up on the drama, here it is. I had presold a lovely blue mitted female kitten to a lady in Vancouver. We had communicated for quite some time and agreed that she could pick her kitten up after the Litter Match, that the kitten was entered in to on Sat. afternoon.<br />I guess a lot of people are aware of the "other" drama that occured with the Cat Fanciers of BC Club where two members were recently expelled from the Club. One was Becky Player of Izzadorable Ragdolls, for disruptive and basically, in my opinion, nasty behaviour. Prior to the recent expulsions I had asked the CF of BC show manager for a reference on a party who had asked to join our Garden City Club. The Show Manager stated that though she had had trouble with this party at her shows, the party in question worked hard and she thought Garden City should give her a chance. (which we did) and which also elevated the CF of BC show manager in my eyes for being able to put her differences aside and give someone a fair chance.<br />The situation, however had caused a lot of pain for many people, some seniors who had worked for decades in the Club and the whole thing was really getting out of hand. I am not a CF of BC club member, and basically, it was none of my business, but I felt moved to try and get everyone, including the CF of BC Club members to just take a step back, take a deep breath and let things settle down a bit. At a show in Tukwilla, I approached the members who were causing the problems and gave them all a hug and asked what the problems were. In my opinion, it seemed that the new members really had no idea how one of the oldest and most respected Clubs in TICA got that way from the hard work of its pioneers. Yes, changes were always required and welcomed, but they needed to be done with time and respect for the older founding members. If they were not able to do the changes they wanted slowly and in a timely, respectful manner, then they should start their own Club and could do what ever they wanted and I would be one of the first to enter their show. Becky listed off a group of complaints which any Show Manager has heard dozens of times over. While we may look like we are standing around doing nothing, there are forest fires all over the hall being put out, while we are smiling pleasantly and looking like everything is going wonderfully. So, I advised Becky that they might want to reconsider their course and just let things cool off a bit. Unfortunately, everyone kept headlong into their course and resulted in the aformentioned expulsions, finally. Very sad and very unescessary for everyone.<br />So.......where does this leave me????? Back to the dear lady who was so excited and enthusiastic about meeting her kitten at the show and being able to come back and pick it up following the Kitten Match. Our kittens did very well in the kitten match, they had been previously spayed, microchipped and still had their ID collars on for the match. Our nice lady did not come back and I did not think much about it, but at the end of the show decided to call her to ask when she was coming in. She then, in tears, launched into the following scenario. She had had a good time at the show on Friday, watched the judging, looked at all the cats and the vendors and was happily looking forward to getting her kitten the next day, when, as she left the show hall, a lady came up behind her and said, "you should not buy a kitten from Marilyn. They are all diseased, live in cages and are not socialized", and then walked off leaving our poor lady very distraught and torn about what to do. We all agreed, that she should have come back in right then and asked the questions, but was so upset that she left the hall and was going to forfit her deposit and did not want to support a "bad" cattery. I spoke at length with her and convinced her that she needed to come back the next day and firstly identify the party and also talk to our Regional Director Ellen Crockett, the Can Am show manager and nearly the rest of the show hall about our reputation etc. She chose to drive the 45 minutes back to the show hotel where I met her. I had told several people of the incident and thank goodness for good friends who, though I told them not to upset their evening plans, came back to my room and sat with the lady for over an hour and counselled her and calmed her fears. Even an innocent by stander who had heard me talking in the hall way, turned around and said that she had sent two people to my place to buy kittens and both of them had come back and bought two more. This party works in the veterinary field and was very indignant (thank you for that, I needed it about then). The 3 other parties who counselled the lady also had cats of mine and vouched for them and me 100% and also explained about how no one did the testing on their cats that we have done. We work with 3 lines and before the DNA test was developed we kept whole litters of kittens until they were 9 months old, so we could ultrasound them and select the ones we wanted to keep for breeders. <br />Now what was left, was to identify this "party" who had stalked the lady out of the show hall. We were able to identify the party as Becky Player who also had told the lady that we had rows of trailers and rows of cages. First as to cages, we had won the "Kitten Play Pen" in the raffle held for the Long Family. I had never heard of a kitten play pen, but it did sound cute and was touted by many to be an absolute necessity when training kittens to use the litter boxes etc. Imagine my surprise when Corky put it together and it was a "cage". 3 feet by 3 feet by about 18 inches high and on wheels. I told Corky that we could not use that here. Our kitten room consists of "portable" expandable panels that go from floor to ceiling that allow Mum to use the verticle space up to the ceiling while allowing the kittens to explore and learn how to move, safely around in the horizontal space. Our Regional Director indicated that the "play pen" worked well for this kitten transition phase and I suppose it might, but our set up allows us to have tall cat trees for mum to climb on while babies are learning the ropes. We do not, nor will we ever use cages. Expandable pens that have tall cat trees and a lounge chairs do not qualify in my book as a "cage"<br />As for the "rows of trailers". We run AGFOR (Agroforestry Supply and Services) C0mpany which, until the Govt. ran out of funds, did biological brushing and weeding on BC clearcuts using 9000 sheep on 9 contracts all over BC. For our portable corral system and sorting races we use sets of aluminum Prattley Yards (anyone coming to our home would recognize some of them on our gates and try to figure out how the heck to open them) that come from New Zealand at a cost of $60,000 each set. Our head shepherds come from New Zealand and train Canadians how to safely and effectively move 1500 sheep over a BC clearcut and effectively eat the competing vegetation from around the new planted seedlings, releasing them from the danger of snow press and letting in sunlight and providing fertilizer at the same time. Our shepherds which included both Corky and I, have 24 foot RV trailers with a double bed in front for the head shepherd and two bunks in the back for the two assistant trainees. Each trailer has a generator and heat, kitchens and each shepherd is given a king sized wool quilt before the season as I wanted to be sure they did not get cold. The sheep are leased for $15 each from Alberta farmers and each sheep is Federally inspected and ear tagged so it can not transfer any disease to native wild life. The sheep gain 20 pounds over the Summer while on the blocks, the farmer can use his home fields for hay and the sheep come home and are bred and have their lambs and the cycle starts again the next Spring. Each Shepherd has a team of 3 working dogs, one heading dog and two New Zealand Huntaways. Each contract would have 5 working Pyrenees to guard the sheep. In 10 years of contracting we never had 1 predator interaction which would result in the sheep having to leave, not the predator. When the Huntaways were not required, we donated them to the Canadian Guide Dog Service, where they proved very good at that task. The Pyrenees went home to the farm where the sheep stayed over Winter and when we did not require Pyrenees for forestry work, we decided to show them and we received many American and Canadian Championships. So, this long story, explains our rows of crew trailers, Prattley Yard trailers, stock trailers, our 30 foot Garden City cat show trailer and assorted flat decks. So, whoever was spying for Becky did not get all their facts straight, hence the caution, that Karma will always catch up with you when you are being spiteful and nasty.<br />Our Regional Director, the Can Am show manager and many other judges and concerned parties all advised this poor lady that they had never dealt with a sick cat from our cattery. Everyone knows that no one can escape all incidents or illnesses, but we have been truly fortunate in all our years of breeding to have only a small handful of problems that were dealt with as professionally and quickly as we could. So, the bad news here is that the poor woman's happy day was turned in to a nightmare, as was mine. The worst news is that with all the repercussions of Becky's nasty behaviour, she does not seem to have learned anything. We have all done dumb things, me more than most, but as long as we are learning from it and moving forward, then it is not wasted. Continuing on, just being mean and spiteful is a very destructive course and no one wins, including affected Clubs.<br />The Good News is that we echo Dana's comments that the Can Am show was a delight, the show was well run, the hotel was fabulous and you can't beat most of the kind, caring people in the show hall. Our cats got lots of finals by well respected judges and my Grand Kids Jaden (10) and Dusty (6) who got to "finally" come to a cat show with Grandma, had a ball as did I except for the above pettiness. Please Lord, let this be the last "bad news" blog for a long long time.Briar Glen Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06533171260227473084noreply@blogger.com8