# Together again



## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Last week I was in DC and I missed Anja and Rorie so much. When I came back Anja was hoarse from barking so she has this funny bark now. Today on her walk she met a beagle/pointer mix Toby and she played with him briefly-she didn't want him to get too carried away. 

Yesterday Rorie and I watched the Gilmore girls together. Rorie is adjusting to college life and having a difficult time so her grandmother sent some sorrority girls to help her and they tried to come up with a nick name for Rorie. Meanwhile her mother's friend who is pregnant realized she doesn't like kids. So Rorie's mom tried to re-assure her by reminding her that she did well with Rorie and she said "well everyone loves Rorie"

After the Gilmore girls we all went to the park It was kind of a rainy dreary day so I wasn't going to swim Rorie She had other ideas. she saw the geese and off she went after them I was kind of nervous beacuse they had little ones. It was really cool though because the one goose separated from the other and the little ones and Rorie swam after that goose. She came back after I honked the car horn. Today they came out to watch her swim so I guess they aren't holding a grudge. Even the little ones were there. When she started swimming the geese would come out and form a circle around her like she was part of their family. They seem to enjoy watching her and to be amused by her. I nick named her the goose.:wub:


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Anja has tentatively begun to swim and for some reason she is really happy this week. A couple of times she has come running towards me and just kicks her heels up in the air. Maybe she knows something I don't. She rolled this week so its off to the Launder Mutt for her...love that name

We went to a spot we haven't been in a while and Rorie just screamed cause she knew where we were and when we got to the bridge she lept into the air and spun in a circle. She jumped off the bridge and stood on her hind legs waiting for me to throw the stick. When we went for our walk she found snakes and I screamed...just can't do snakes. She came running back to me lept into the air licked my face and sat very very close to me to protect me from the snake in the grass...


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Yesterday we went to the park. Anja met Angie a one year old rescue GSD. Angie really wanted to play. Anja did too but not that much. Anja swam again in the spot she usually swims in... On the way back we saw two butterflies.

Rorie swam of course. But there were 2 labs and a miniature Austrailian shep and they had balls. Rorie really liked the labs jolly ball so off she went...I was a little concerned she might go after him to get the ball...which she did but in a different way than I thought. She swam over acted all interested in him...very sweet really and the moment he took his eyes off the ball and focused on her...she snagged the ball and off she swam...She has an evil streak...I gave him the ball back and off to Country Max we went to buy a jolly ball


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Took Anja and Rorie to the field at work yesterday I hiked Anja on the trial and she met Lizzie. Lizzie is a lab/poodle so she had curly hair. I think Anja loved Lizzies curls So she ran up to Lizzie and really wanted to play so Lizzie did a little bit which only made Anja wanted to play more. She liked Lizzie

Rorie and I played frisbee on the field and in the middle of our game Micky appeared. He is a white boxer. Dogs without tales concern Rorie...she wonders what happened? Micky wanted to play so Rorie played. Rorie plays hard...Micky yelped. I don't think he was expecting that. His owner put him on a lesh and took him home. Micky seemed relieved. Even though she is a girl she can play just as hard as the
boys

Today we went to the pond. The goose family is back I love watching them. It was mom and dad and the 3 little ones. They are growing up fast.

At the end of the day we went to our first handling class. Rorie wasn't too sure what it was all about or what the instructor was up too ...so she washed her face which of course won over the instructor. She said that Rorie had a good build for a working line and was not over angulated--she isn't a shepherd person though so she is sending us to a GSD breeder to evaluate her...Poor Ror she so doesn't know what this class is all about~She was in class again with some big dogs though 3 English mastiffs a springer and a King Charles Cavelier spaniel


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Holland...where in the heck are the pics? Come on...
you know certain threads are worthless without pics!! :gsdbeggin:
Did the geese threaten you?
Your class sounded great...I miss structured training right now.


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## Relayer (Apr 29, 2010)

Sounds like you two have a nice rich life together. That's great!!


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

We enjoyed it...misplaced the camera so for now the thread will just have to be worthless lol...


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Next week will be our last week of rally class and I think I will work Anja because I think she misses working. We found an awesome place to walk and swim. Rorie jumps off the dock and Anja swims by the beach. Even Anja didn't want to leave and that is a good sign. Rorie was very bad today she jumped off the dock and begged for me to throw the ball...but I didn't so she had to come back in. Secretly it makes me smile though...Meanwhile I have become addicted to the Gilmore girls on the show Rorie has met a boy and because she is a working girl his family didn't think she was good enough and his father said she didn't have what it takes to be a good journalist. So she stole a yacht and droppred out of Yale...And her mother is very upset because she believes in Rorie. My Rorie has never felt not good enough...I hope Rorie figures out that she should never let someone make her feel not good enough


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

The girls and I had such a good day today. First we went swimming at the lake. Then we went to Fairport with a friend and walked along the Erie Canal. It was really beautiful and as people passed they asked what breed they were and then commented about how beautiful they are and that you don't usually see GSDs in that color. Both Anja and Rorie swam Anja is getting rather good. As we were coming back a woman said "Oh look she recycles" Ror was carrying my pepsi bottle (she really does need a job) The woman said she was going to buy her dog a back pack. I think Rorie would like that too...


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Monkey see Monkey do~

Lola the Affenpinscher was in our Tuesday handling class According to google Affe means monkey in German and the breed is known for its monkey expression. Lola was super cute and really seems to know what she is doing. So as her owner placed her on the table to stack Rorie watched very carefully. Then she tried to do just what Lola did. She stacked and allowed the instructor to touch her without wiggling...even her tale...she is very conscious of her tale. She was so good with Lola and believes even a little guy can teach you a thing or two.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Since we didn't have rally on Saturday I took the dogs to the field at work. I hiked Anja first. She got out of the van barking and I looked over and thought I saw a dog, but then it was gone almost like a phantom.  We've seen her before. As we walked we met them along the way. It was Ginger a German short hair. She's a liver color and has a very athletic build. Ginger has tons of energy When Anja first met Ginger she ran in circles around Anja until Anja finally got fed up and snapped at her. Ginger still had tons of energy I think, but this time Anja was happy to meet her and they had a good time

Rorie and I did some obedience and then her favorite we played frisbee and just as we were ending a couple showed up with two West highland white terriers. My first dog was a Westie and his name was Nicky. Nicky's favourite place was our family cottage. It was at the cottage that Nicky ate the neighbours goose. The neighbours were really good about it...I loved Nick...I really hope Rorie never eats the goose...its her nick name


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

Anja is enjoying swimming more and more. She bites at the waves. While we were swimming we met Cooper. Cooper was an apricot Standard poodle. He was wading in the water with his young owner. Her mother explained that while Cooper is a standard poodle and poodles are water dogs, Cooper didn't get the memo...I know the feeling.

Last night we had class outside. While we were waiting to start class, Abby the dalmation came out. Abby wanted to play and Rorie is the dog who loves to play so I let her off leash. Abby is very fast and agile. While Rorie played with her it looked like she was trying to herd Abby which I guess shouldn't be so surprising she is a shepherd. As we were leaving we met a Corgi puppy. She was very striking with really dark marking. Rorie welcomed her. They are the Good Shepherds.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Abby and the end of an era~
Our family cottage was located in Prince Edward Island Canada. Prince Edward Island was originally settled by the Micmacs (native people) The Micmacs christened her Abegweit meaning cradle on the waves and believed that she was created by the spirit. Prince Edward Island is known for her pastoral landscape, red soil, the home of Confederation and of Lucy Maud Montgomery who wrote Ann of Green Gables. For years the only way to get to the island was by plane or by boat. She was serviced by ferries and the most famous of those was the SS Abegweit affectionately nick named by islanders "Abby" She began service in 1947 and was replaced by SS Abegweit II who ended her service in 1997 when the bridge linking Prince Edward Island to the main land was built. She has recently been sold for scrapping. She was the end of an era


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Sunday Hike~ Anja and I went for a hike Sunday We were walking over the bridge towards the stream when a dog came bounding towards us. Anja is friends with everyone so I wasn't worried. It was her friend Kobe, a chocolate lab. They had met before Anja really loves to play with Kobe. Kobe is very energetic. Her owner says 'not everyone can handle Kobe" Anja did a play bow and they both ran off towards the river. As they came back Kobe jumped on top of Anja and Anja yelped ...she decided she wasn't going to play with Kobe anymore today...She enjoyed her time with Kobe and I think next time she'll still be very happy to see Kobe again. Kobe is fun to play with and Anja gets over things~


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~School starts in September~ When I got Rorie as a puppy my friend just had a baby girl and during Rorie's first week home we all went for a walk together. Grace was in a stroller and her sister was 3 and she walked Rorie that day. Anja came too. This September Grace will start school.

Today Rorie and I walked to the elementary school behind our house. Rorie was watching the boys play basketball and she wanted to play so badly it took all I could to hold onto her. I walked her around the corner of the building and she pulled me to the door. Maybe she wants to go to school in September too? As I stood at the door I looked at the sign (I've learned to do that at rally class) And there it was I swear it was a picture of A German shepherd stacked with a line drawn through it and underneath "No animals allowed unless the principal has given permission. I am glad Rorie can't read signs. And I am glad she doesn't have to go to kindergarten -I'd miss her-A class with her in it would be a very special class~


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Gopher it~ Tuesday's conformation class was a little hectic. Rorie was feeling bloated and having cramps and then to add insult to injury there I was putting a diaper on her. She was really very good about that. At the begining of class she met Callie. Callie is a black and white Austrailian shepherd. She is very pretty. Rorie stared very intently at Callie. Maybe she was saying "Don't you dare make fun of me in my diaper" She realized that was making Callie a little nervous though and gently said hello. Callie went off to explore while Rorie gaited. She was very discouraged though it was very hot and its hard to look beautiful in a diaper. Finally it fell off...whew! And Callie worked with us. Its always nicer to work when you have a friend. We went in to get a drink of water and when we went outside again at the far end of the field was a gopher. Rorie stacked all the while looking very intently at the gopher. Her head looked really beautiful thanks to the gopher. There's a match at the end of the month and I think Rorie and I will gopher it! This is the place we go to class www.boomtowne.com


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Two Very different Tales~At work we had an inservice on diversity. We did an exercise -we were supposed to talk about ourselves without talking about what we loved the most--Anja and Rorie have two very different tales. Anja came to live with me after my rescue GSD Sadie passed away. Sadie was named after my friend Sadie (which wasn't her real name it was a nick name because we knew someone else who had the same name) My friend Sadie and I looked a little bit a like. People would frequently mistake each of us and have entire conversations with one of us thinking we were the other. And of course my friend Sadie had a GSD.

Both Anja and Rorie are bi-colors, so at class people frequently state "which dog is that?" Anja bounces when she walks it makes me smile and she carries her tale straight up. Her favourite thing to do is bark. She loves to bark. She gets along with all breeds of dogs but her favorite is the Boston Terrier she loves them! Anja doesn't play-Rorie is the dog who loves to play-Rorie walks like a panther and carries her tale curled-some people call it a gay tale-I call it a happy tale 

Rorie came in third at the conformation match~there were 3 dogs lol As we were leaving I put her under the mister and a little girl with a King Charles said "Oh look a rainbow" When I brought Anja out I could see the rainbow clearer. We had fun at the match I think Rorie liked it and she didn't care how she placed. Someday we will try it again~the working line dog in the show ring-we need a gps~it was a beautiful rainbow


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~A Different V score~ Today as we got to the dock to go swimming there were 2 geese waiting there for us. They swam away as we approached, but they don't seem at all frightened of us. As Rorie dived off the deck a flock of geese flew over us in V formation-the working dogs V score. Anja and I walked along the lake-she walked as far as the spot where the geese were swimming and then she thought it was time for us to go home.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~One thing leads to Another~ So for the past couple of days we haven't gone to the lake. The last time we went Rorie was shivering. Our swimming days are over for the season. Each morning the two geese greeted us at the dock. One morning Rorie chased them. I think shes given up on being top dog and wants to be top goose instead.

The geese flying south makes me think of this song. From our family cottage at night we could see the lights of Summerside Prince Edward island accross the bay. Years ago my uncle was the mayor and the woman that sings this song was a physical education teacher there. She is originally from Springhill Nova Scotia. My friends fathers' family is also from there


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

The same year that the song the Snowbirds came out this group formed. They are Canada's ambassadors-her elite


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

As a child this was one of my favourite Nova Scotia songs-I think this was one of my mother's favourite singers. Cape Breton in October is host to Celtic Colors a music festival


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Meeting an Old Friend~ Every once in a while on our walks Anja and I meet Ginger. When Anja first met Ginger she was a rambuctious puppy and lept all over Anja-Anja wasn't too thrilled about that and showed Ginger her teeth. Ginger has grown up and last week when Anja saw Ginger she was really happy. She did a play bow and lept into the air (I think she wants to prove that sometimes the dog who doesn't play-plays) Ginger runs in circles and is very fast and Anja follows her-it almost looks like she's smiling. We met Ginger again today and I can tell Anja really likes her and enjoys her play time with Ginger.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Edward and Alice~ Yesterday on our walk Anja and I met Edward and Alice the two westies. They looked so cute running in the field together. Edward came running up to say hello to Anja who was barking back at him. Alice held back and despite reassurance would not come to say hello. We walked off in different directions and met again. Anja and Edward greeted each other. Then Anja turned her head away from Alice and just didn't look at her and Alice very tentatively came up and said hello to Anja.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Sorry but I have to work~ Anja and I both saw her at the same time. Ginger streaked through the field. I love watching her run. Anja's tail went up and she began to bark hello. She was with a different person and I wondered if it was Ginger. "I can't get her away from the field" he said. Well, I said she loves to play with Anja. So he let her of leash-Ginger played briefly with Anja and then off she went to the field. Anja followed to see what it was all about. Ginger seemed awfully excited -Anja just couldn't figure out what the fuss was all about. She came back and sat by Ginger's human-he seemed to need a friend. "She's hunting field mice" he said. Ginger's butt was way up in the air as she dug frantically and stuck her head down the hole. Every once in a while she would take a break and drink some water. If Rorie had been there she would have worried about Ginger's missing tale-Anja wasn't worried Ginger seems to work really well without it. But it was obvious she was going to have to wait for another day to play with her friend~


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Welcome to Holland~ by Emily Pearl Kingsley This column appeared in Dear Abby years ago It is supposed to help parents of children with disabilities For me it also explains change and when things don't go as expected

"I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability-to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. Its like this...

When you are going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip-to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Colieseum. The Michaelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. Its all very exciting. 

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later the plane lands the stewardess comes in and says "Welcome to Holland"

Holland you say what do you mean Holland I signed up for Italy. I'm supposed to be in Italy. all my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. it's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. and you will meet a whole new group of people you would have never met.

It's just a different place. It's slower paced that Italy, less flashy than italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "yes that's where i was supposed to go. That's what I had planned.

And the pain of that will never ever go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to italy you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.~

A couple of days ago my co-worker was talking about how beautiful Italy was "You just have to go there" she said-Funny I found myself wanting to go to Holland


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Hope and Faith~ "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel" Maya Angelou. Hope and Faith were mother daughter and it was very important to Hope that Faith get a good education. So Hope sent Faith to the United States where among other things she learned to play the piano. I met Faith when I was a child and when I was upset she knew just what to say-people never do forget how you make them feel


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~A Very Special Class~ Recently I went to see this class put on a performance they did a great job! And one of the songs they sang made me think of Anja


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Could I have this dance~ They also sang this song. You can dance even when you are in a wheelchair. To me dancing is like a relationship and some day I want to learn how to dance with my dogs. When this man thought he might be moving into a new home he promised his daughters a dog and he kept his promise. Music brings people together from Nova Scotia to Washington DC


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Anja"s Home~ When we moved Anja missed her home. Dogs know where home is and Anja must have known we were going there yesterday because she did a little dance. She is usually such a serious dog it made me laugh. Rorie stayed at Boomtowne -"Rorie you know we all love you here" said the smiling lady-but Rorie is very good at making me feel guilty.

Anja is adjusting to her new home. She knows how to open doors-so off she went to introduce herself to our Russian neighbour who loved Anja's name. In our new house she loves to talk a walk around the path in the backyard where there is a park with a wooden carving of a hawk, an eagle and a goose. She's made a lot of new friends

She misses her home though and loves going back. Translated from German her kennel name meant house on a hill/mountain. The town that Anja was born in has a wining football team and every football season they put signs up like "Courage" We went back at the end of winter and the week before the reserves came back from a year in Afghanistan and the signs were still there welcoming them home. 

Yesterday when we went back Anja's bed and bone was there waiting for her and she streteched out in front of the fan and slept while my friend and I scrapped. Anja's enjoys her scrapping time.


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## prudence12 (Jul 25, 2011)

holland said:


> They seem to enjoy watching her and to be amused by her. I nick named her the goose.:wub:


=D ... that's a really cool and just-the-way-it-is name!


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

~Nicks Home~The Westie is originally from Scotland but Nick was born in the United States and imported into Canada. Nick my grandmother lived in Nova Scotia translated it meant New Scotland. Every Christmas we went back to my grandmother's sometimes we took the train. It was a wonderful place to spend Christmas -there was always lots of snow. My uncle would cut down a tree from the back woods and the house was full of people. The last time we went together my father Nick and I was in the summer. I went somewhere and my father and Nick went out back to go on a hike. Nick must have seen something -he must have loved the freedom-off he shot after it. My father hiked for hours looking for Nick. He hiked to the top of the mountain-there is a lake there. When he finally arrived home there was Nick lying on the sofa-he had been there for hours according to my uncle. Nick always knew where home was. My uncle told my father that when he came back next time he'd have salmon. When I would go to visit my uncle would remind me that the salmon was there waiting. When I visited DC I had salmon-it was really good. My Aunt Margaret always wanted to have one more Christmas there...


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