Dinsdale Photo Blog

February Fields

2012-02-14T12:06:00.003-05:00

Foxy farm dog Tess joined the Schnauzer walk. Fun to photograph a dog that isn't a schnauzer.

A couple more photos of Tess, what a great girl to let a bunch of Schnauzers walk her property.

Westminster Reminder

2012-02-13T08:06:00.000-05:00

Your yearly reminder to watch the Westminster Dog Show tonight. In Canada it is being broadcast on Animal Planet Feb 13th & 14th at 8-11pm. I am not much into dog shows lately, but, it is still fun to watch this annual event in the comfort of my home, PJ's on, big bowl of popcorn, see ya there.

Pretty in Pink

2012-02-11T15:16:00.000-05:00

I Woof You a Happy Valentine Day

2012-02-10T14:24:00.000-05:00

Ahem, who me? I would never eat the chocolates you left on the counter

Unique Expressions

2012-02-09T19:08:00.000-05:00

I was on a Siberian Husky website this morning, not sure how I ended up there, but the owner of the site was commenting on how their most recent dog is so unique. Is it just me, do others have a problem seeing the 'unique-ness' of breeds of dogs they are not very familiar with? Do owners of other breeds look at our Standard Schnauzers and ask "how can you tell them apart?"

Morning Work Out

2012-02-06T12:10:00.000-05:00

There is a small track about half a km from our house, it's a great way to spend sometime in the morning with a camera. I think these guys were relatively new to the sport and very excited to be out together.

This fellow was feeling left out and did a little dance and lots of snorting every time the trotting duo went by.

Better then the Superbowl

2012-02-06T10:08:00.003-05:00

I never watch the Superbowl....never watch any North American Football truthfully, but, I always enjoy the Superbowl commercials. Above is the making of the Volkswagen commercial staring Bolt the dog, below is the completed commercial. Love the fat suit.

olden days

2012-02-04T16:30:00.003-05:00

The town had a little Winterfest today, horse drawn rides and ice sculptors

Smile :-)

2012-02-01T07:56:00.001-05:00

“A smile is the best way to get away with trouble even if it’s a fake one.”
― Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto, Vol. 1: The Tests of the Ninja

snowy faces

2012-01-31T12:01:00.001-05:00

A few more photos can be found on our Dinsdale Facebook page

Run rabbit run rabbit.....

2012-01-30T09:22:00.001-05:00

And now for something completely different. A sheepdog in rabbit clothing :-)

Ahhhh Sundays

2012-01-29T09:14:00.003-05:00

A time to snooze and recharge, or......maybe trim some eyebrows

"Say What?!"

Breathtaking video

2012-01-26T11:14:00.001-05:00

Untitled from Rock Wallaby Productions on Vimeo.

Nothing at all to do with Standard Schnauzers, but, when I found it on another blog I felt it was such a visual treat that I had to share. Be sure to watch it full screen.

Winter schnauzer

2012-01-24T18:28:00.002-05:00

Are Schnauzers Combustable?

2012-01-22T09:07:00.002-05:00

Dreams of summer warmth

Clear skies

2012-01-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

With the extremely cold weather of late comes clear skies at night. Now, you won't catch me outside taking photos at 2am, but, if the sky is super clear you might find Mick out there.
This is a photo of the Orion Nebula that Mick took on the weekend, isn't it amazing.

This is what the website Space.com tell us about the Orion Nebula:

Orion is located 1,500 light-years away and is the nearest region of massive star-formation to Earth. Located at the center of the Orion Nebula is a group of four young, massive stars; they are collectively referred to as the "Trapezium" because of the shape they make. The Trapezium is surrounded by a halo of 1,000 faint, low-mass stars similar to the Sun.

Sad stuff

2012-01-19T12:53:00.001-05:00

The breeding of dogs involves many things, hard work, joy, perseverance, frustration, excitement, anticipation, stress and sometimes sadness. This week we have been working our way through stress, frustration and now sadness. Our seemingly charmed breeding of Hazel to Cutter, we thought his stud dog days were done, it had been a couple of years since Cutter had successfully sired a litter and several years since we had Cutter pups due to arrive at Dinsdale, ended in sadness. Hazel encountered complications with the birth that resulted in an emergency C-section and the loss of all the pups. This is a first for me and one I could of done without experiencing.
The first evening was difficult, Hazel was confused and cried most of the night, figuring it was post surgery pain I gave her some meds and hoped she would settle...she didn't. Then is dawned on me, even though this was her first litter, she obviously knew she was missing pups. I gave her a stuffed tug toy and she rushed into her kennel with it, laid down curling her body maternally around her 'puppy' and quietly went to sleep.

Hazel and beloved puppy-toy

Hazel is slowly on the mend, my biggest worry right now is trying to dry up her milk production and avoid mastitis, although mentally the stuffed toy has settled her, stuffed animals don't nurse and Hazel has huge milk production. If anyone has any suggestions on how to dry her up, please pass it along.
The other issue, she is very protective of her 'puppy' my other dogs are not allowed to look in Hazel's crate without maternal growls and insults being thrown at them. Fiddle is not amused. I'm hoping her hormones will subside more quickly then if she actually had pups to raise. On the plus side, keeping this puppy clean should be a lot easier then what I am use to with a new litter.

Winter scenes 2012

2012-01-14T11:47:00.002-05:00

Same time last year

2012-01-13T09:37:00.001-05:00

Photo taken this morning

Residing in Canada my January posts have always included snow....this is my first snow photo of winter 2011/2012 and we are into mid January. To me this is crazy, not complaining, just have never gone until January 13th before having snow on the ground, I have no problem getting use to this. I am going into my 5th year blogging and it is fun to go back to the same day in prior years. Below are posts from the different years at similar times

2008
2009
2010
2011

Yep snowy in every single one. Yesterday we had rain all day, when I went outside some very confused daffodils were pushing tips through the ground in my raised bed. I hope they are able to duck back under the soil.

Brat Pack

2012-01-11T08:17:00.000-05:00

I love when the owners of my dogs hook up for play-dates. This is a little Manitoba Brat Pack that meets up to let their Schnauzers have a romp. All of them are Beamish kids (yes my boy that is currently tormenting me-see post below)
Sitting in front is Ailis a Fiddle & Beamish daughter, behind her is her little sister Mitzi and to the left Quito, both Mitzi & Quito are Trinny & Beamish daughters.

Oh the pain and the torment

2012-01-09T13:47:00.005-05:00

This is my handsome boy Beamish, beard frozen after plunging it in a bucket of water. I 'normally' love this boy, but currently, when I have females in season, he is not.....hmmmm how to word this delicately?...the object of my affection. When females are in season Beamish becomes a walking male hormone, a VOCAL, quivering, stammering, pacing, whining, howling, hormonal male. He takes the prize as my all time TOP butt headed male, and believe me he had to surpass a lot of butt headed males from over the years to take top position.

Love ya Beamish, well... I will love ya in about another 10 days when everyone is out of season.

Sleepy

2012-01-07T09:10:00.000-05:00

If you ever wondered how a dog breeder knows a female is ready to be bred....just look at their bloodshot eyes, sleep deprivation is a big clue. Apparently the egg dropped last night around 4am and the boys began howling and whining to let me know that we have fertile girls in the house. No need for progesterone testing around this place to tell if now is the time for making puppies....Grrrrrrr I need to buy new ear plugs to survive the next few days.

nom nom nom

2012-01-05T12:09:00.001-05:00

Combine vodka, sugar and fresh cranberries...shake daily until sugar is dissolved, then store in a dark place for 3 months, decant into a bottle and enjoy. Apparently it gets even better the longer you wait, but, I don't see this sitting around for long.

It looked so pretty with the sugar dissolved, had to photograph before wrapping in a paper bag and slipping to the back of the cupboard.

Hello 2012...throw another log on the fire!

2012-01-03T11:07:00.003-05:00

We had one of the mildest Decembers ever, no snow here for Christmas. Truth be told I really have no problem with that. Now January...oh my goodness COLD! 2011 leaves us like a lamb and 2012 enters like a lion.
These lovely Long Tailed Ducks were not bothered at all by the crazy temps and winds, business as usual for them. I looked them up on Wikipedia and they are migratory northern sea ducks that can be found in Northern Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe and Russia, basically anywhere sub-zero, yesterday they must of been in their element.

Long-Tailed Ducks

Empty Milkweed pods

New Beginnings

2011-12-30T09:30:00.000-05:00

This past year had been a time to regroup, to think about the direction of my life, to simplify, to say goodbye to portions of my life that were dragging me down, not lifting me up. I went into a bit of a hibernation, gathered what was important to me, said no to the things that didn't make me feel good. I am changing the direction of the journey, moving on.
I am thankful for 2011, for the chance to reevaluate and nourish myself, I am excited and hopeful for what 2012 has to offer, a new year, a new start. The world is always changing and reinventing itself...do you feel it? Are you open to it?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Lovely

2011-12-29T08:22:00.002-05:00

We love the wood stove, couldn't be happier to have it in our home. If we throw a couple of good sized logs on before bedtime there is a nice bed of embers ready to spark up a new fire in the morning. Which is exactly what I did on this very frigid AM.
My guys have always worshiped the heat provided by our space heaters, they quickly discovered the beautiful warmth of the wood stove. I have a steamer on top of the stove that I fill with water to add humidity to our dry winter air. Yesterday Mick commented on the lack of static electricity this year, seems the steamer and the limited use of the forced air oil furnace is the reason, much to the relief of my dogs, nothing worse then coming for a cuddle and getting a static electricity shock from your owner.

Merry Christmas to All

2011-12-25T17:14:00.003-05:00

And to all a good night.
See everyone in the New Year.

What tha???

2011-12-14T10:32:00.000-05:00

Get that big red dude outta here!!!!!!!!

Regardless of what everyone said about Santa Claus, Olive knew there was just something weird and not be be trusted about an old fat dude, sporting a fake beard, a red elf suit and trying to get her to sit on his lap......

Searching for photos of Christmas Elves

2011-12-13T09:50:00.004-05:00

Tidus and Santa

I am starting to receive Christmas photos from owners. You all know how I love funny, silly, cute, hilarious photos of Schnauzers. If you have one of our Standard Schnauzers do share your Christmas photos and I will continue to add to our list of Christmas elves.
Heck, even if you have a Standard Schnauzer from another breeder send it in and we will get it up on the Blog. Ho ho ho don't you feel the Schnauzer Woe :-)

Pecos & Poppy sporting festive antlers

Doc & Suede

Lenny and his girls

Dexter's Visit with Santa

Charlie looking like a Christmas Angel

Molly under the Christmas tree

Quito poses with festive winter friends

Quito again as the reluctant Elf


Poppy, Quito's sister and just as reluctant


The dapper Finn


East Coast Elves Jessie & Raven

Jazz and Guinness

Kodie smiles for the camera

A woody trail

2011-12-11T15:18:00.001-05:00

This morning we set off to a Provincial Park that is about 20 minutes from us. It is crazy busy in the summer and we go out of our way to avoid it, but Fall & Winter is fantastic. Mostly we ran into others enjoying the breezy frosty morning with their dogs.

Mick poses with Mersey and Beamish

"Put the camera down and hurry up before we lose them"

"Follow ME! said the wood-sprite"

The Lighthouse looked gorgeous this morning

Canada and our winters

2011-12-08T07:34:00.001-05:00

Rantings from one of my favorite Canadians, Rick Mercer. Ya gotta laugh eh?

Oh my, can schnauzers even compete with this?

2011-12-06T17:11:00.000-05:00

The cutest Holiday video ever! Below, how they created the magic.

Cross that off my to-do list

2011-12-06T14:19:00.001-05:00

Twenty-six individual doggie 'bunny' dinners done!

If you check in on my blog occasionally you may have seen my postings about the addition of rabbits to help supplement the dogs diet. Really pleased with the results, its wonderful to know that I am supplementing my dogs with well raised fresh meats.

The occasional rabbit has also made it to our dinner table, yes it's true, once you get over the whole fluffy bunny thing, healthy garden fresh rabbit makes an amazing dinner.

Hurry Hurry get your Calendars!

2011-11-29T09:12:00.001-05:00

Update-Looks like I am out of calendars, dropped a few into the mail today, and the rest will go as payment arrives, should have them all to those that requested one by the end of the month. Hope everyone enjoys them.

I have 2012 Calendars! They are lovely, glossy quality photos, composed of photos that have appeared on the Blog as well as some that I have never posted. Calendar 'open' dimension from top to bottom is 17" and 11" wide. In the photo above August is shown open so you can visualize the finished product.
Photos include Pups, Golden Oldies both Black Schnauzers and Pepper & Salt Schnauzers, ears natural and cropped. No Show photos, just beautiful shots of Standard Schnauzers doing what Schnauzers do best, being our pets.

I have a couple that I have pre-printed, I could pop them in the mail immediately if you would like one by Christmas. I can also order more if I get enough requests and have in the mail in the New Year, so long as I receive your request within the next two weeks.

*CORRECTION* error on original invoicing, sorry. Price is $20 including postage & envelope for Canadian orders, $21.50 to send to USA.

Calendars are ~~$25~~ (see above for price correction) that includes postage & envelope in Canada, haven't worked out a cost to the USA but could get a price if anyone south of the border is interested.

I am not looking to go into the publishing business, just thought a few folks that visit the blog, or have Dinsdale dogs themselves might enjoy a purely 'Standard' Schnauzer Calendar for their walls. If there is no response then I will not order anymore for printing. So let me know soon! :-))

Email me at dinsdale@eagle.ca for details....Oh and for fun, the first 2 people to contact me will get a free Calendar :-) Only Canadian or USA eligible for the free calendar fun offer.

Dawn

2011-11-28T09:08:00.001-05:00

Rosehips and raindrops

2011-11-27T10:34:00.001-05:00

Sweet, sweet and sweet

2011-11-25T10:13:00.001-05:00

Yep, she's back on the blog, the sweetest schnauzer ever, Hazel. Dogs present us with so many different personalities and Hazel has been, since puppyhood, the most sweet natured schnauzer I have owned. She isn't confrontational, not particularly cheeky, she isn't dominant (which doesn't necessarily make her a wuss) she is respectful (probably a bit too much so with some of the older girls) funny and playful, wonderful when we have young pups in the house, she has always been super trustworthy with pups and small dogs. The only time I see her *bitchy* side is when she is in season, the noises she can produce when a boy even looks at her, well lets just say it seems to cool their advances pretty damn fast.
Here are some photos taken today of the worlds sweetest schnauzer.

OK Olive you are Super Yummy Sweet too

Hmmm....Daisy?? OK, ok, today you are number three on the Sweetness Scale

Tis the season to be.....

2011-11-23T15:25:00.001-05:00

......happy??? I picked up a bunch of seasonal hats & scarfs to dress the dogs up for some seasonal fun photos. Hope promptly laid down on the sofa and asked me to kill her quick before she died of embarrassment. Anyone that tells you dogs do not have a sense of self, show them these photos of Hope.

"I can't even bring myself to look at you, grumble grumble"

"I suggest you not turn your back on me..just saying"

Monday wanderings

2011-11-21T11:18:00.001-05:00

Sunday was spent clearing all the garden beds and putting them to sleep for winter. I ventured out with my garden shears afterwards to continue with the task of trying to keep the wild perimeter of the property from it's never ending attempt to swallow up the land. I chopped and pulled a ton of wild grape ivy from the now leafless branches of the trees it is trying to consume. Once done I putting the cuttings to use wrapping and weaving them into rustic garden wreaths.

We have an old Balsam at the side of the driveway that needs to be removed, I have a feeling that if we don't have someone come in to take it down, soon the winter elements may do it for us. The moss and lichen growing on it are very beautiful to photograph.

Sunlight and Schnauzers

2011-11-18T10:51:00.001-05:00

To make up for my lack of photos this week, a flurry of random schnauzer shots taken today

Bubbles' in the sky

2011-11-13T09:51:00.001-05:00

A quick photo taken by Mick last night. It's crazy amazing what is in the night sky that our eye cannot see. Below is an explanation of the Bubble Nebula:

Called the Bubble Nebula, this eerie, translucent sphere is created by fierce winds from a superhot star 40 times the size of our sun. Moving at nearly 4.5 million miles per hour, stellar winds whip the cloud of gas around the star into a near-perfect bubble, which stands out from the rest of the more stationary gas in this emission nebula.

Located 7,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia, the bubble is about 6 light-years in diameter and glows pink because of the red, hot gas that surrounds it.

Living in the moment

2011-11-12T18:59:00.001-05:00

There are many lessons our dogs can teach us, Mersey demonstrates living and enjoying the moment.

Vermin Control

2011-11-12T16:53:00.001-05:00

While I was washing windows today Mersey was hunting vermin, rats with furry tails, the red devil squirrels. Sadly she didn't catch any, but she shows fine 'pointing' skills.

Canadian show jumping horse Hickstead dies

2011-11-07T08:10:00.000-05:00

I was so sad to hear of the death of show jumping SUPER stallion Hickstead yesterday in Italy. Hickstead and his Canadian rider Eric Lamaze won Olympic Gold in Bejing in 2008.
One of the greatest show jumping teams, heck I even named one of my dogs Hickstead in his honour.

Link below provides further information.

Canadian show jumping horse Hickstead dies

November Skies

2011-11-06T20:56:00.003-05:00

The end to a beautiful weekend

What a colourful world

2011-11-04T10:52:00.001-04:00

This morning the house seemed dull, Olive was bored. This is her 'Why are you so B-O-R-I-N-G?' face that she gives me when I am on the computer too long. I grabbed the camera and off we went to see what was going on outside.

Woohoo! Talk about vibrant.

We explored a far area of the property that I never seem to get out to and look what we found...colour, light and....

Vines of berries growing up trees

Apples chewed and stashed by squirrels

Mushrooms growing in the Spruce branches...kind of weird??

The occasional shaggy schnauzers

More vines and seed pods growing over abandoned lawn chairs, I told you I seldom get out to this area :-)

The Hazel tree caught glowing in the Autumn light.

I cannot believe how lucky we are to have these gorgeous November days, I know it can't last forever so I am signing off the computer for a few days to enjoy it. Have a wonderful weekend.

Frankenstein's Dog

2011-10-31T08:52:00.001-04:00

More Halloween goodies

End of the pumpkins

2011-10-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

The last of our pumpkin photos, unless I snap a shot of the muffins and bread that the little ones are to become, yum, love Halloween. All the leftovers will be cooked down and added to the dogs meals, they always enjoy pumpkin.

The Colours of Autumn

2011-10-29T08:03:00.000-04:00

Who would of thought rabbits wear shades of Autumn, some are down right Halloween in nature. These kits are just over 2 weeks of age, just out of their nest box, some very shy, others more bold and inquisitive.

I find it fascinating to witness the growth of a puppy from birth to when they leave me for their new homes at 8 weeks old. SUPER fast forward that further when talking about rabbits. The rabbits below are only six weeks older, amazing!

Sweeter then Pumpkin Pie

2011-10-28T10:19:00.000-04:00

Love LOVE this photo of Fiddle. However, you should see the out-takes, mostly Fiddle giving me her best stink eye glare, threatening to do evil to me with those pumpkins. Makes getting this lovely photo out of over 100 shots (thanks for cooperating Fiddle) all the sweeter.

more from the pumpkin patch

2011-10-26T14:05:00.000-04:00

A couple more Hexe photos taken yesterday.

Halloween's Coming

2011-10-25T14:05:00.002-04:00

Hexe Our Favorite Witch

Sgt Pepper

2011-10-24T08:22:00.000-04:00

Sgt Pepper is a pup from Hexe's first litter, sired by Beamish. When I received an update from his owners yesterday I couldn't get over how much Sgt looked like his daddy Beamish!
He was the only Pepper & Salt male in Hexe's litter (baby photo above) a stunning bright silver pup with a gorgeous coat, yep just like Daddy. I got the biggest kick out of this pup as he loved to sleep 'under' the pillow, funny little character. When his future owners first came to visit me they were pretty stuck on getting a black pup, later they told me that meeting future Dad Beamish made the difference and they were happy to take either colour. I love great updates and am thankful for owners that keep an open mind about their future pup.

Below is a photo of their boy at almost 5 months of age and an update about him. Thank you Kelly & Jon and as you can see, I did enjoy the photo :-) Oh and check out the groomed photo of his dad in the post below, what a family resemblance!

Hi Lori

It's been a while since we sent you an update on Sgt Pepper, so I thought I'd drop you a line.

Our little pup is doing great! He is such a wonderful addition to our family. I don't know what we did without him!

He is teething right now, so a little uncomfortable, but we've made sure he has lots of toys and things to chew. We are working on training, and we find him to be very smart and quick to learn. But most of all, we are so happy with his temperament! He is such nice pup... Very happy and easy going. I can't thank you enough for giving us such a wonderful puppy.

I've attached a picture we took today. We were walking home from the dog park, and he turned his head at the perfect time.

Enjoy!

-Kelly

Transformation

2011-10-21T15:35:00.005-04:00

This was Beamish before I set about stripping out coat and trimming up those hairy ears. Still looking like my Baby Beamish. The great thing about Beamish is his fantastic coat, seriously, it took me about 15 minutes to go from this, to the handsome man below.

Formerly goofy, silly, hairy, cracker dog to a composed, coiffed, serious grown-up, amazing what you can do in a quarter of an hour.

Putting Away

2011-10-20T09:59:00.000-04:00

Two days ago I was scanning the Internet looking for a way to convert these into something palatable.

Tada! Combine above ingredients with 4 hours of chopping, heating, stirring and canning and you end up with this. Spicy Salsa Verde, Tomato Chow-Chow and Pickled Hot Peppers, yum!

Still remaining in the garden are carrots and a second late season planting of beans, swiss chard and lettuce. Hoping to stretch harvesting those to the end of October then the garden will finally be put to rest until next Spring.

With canning out of the way and rain falling seems a great day to pop some Schnauzers on the grooming table and tame their wild and wooly coats. Beamish I'm talking about you......

Wordless Wednesday...

2011-10-19T09:15:00.002-04:00

...or, no time to 'rabbit' on :-)

October

2011-10-18T08:53:00.001-04:00

Love that the changing seasons are magnified when living on the shores of a large body of water. Huge difference from these photos taken a few weeks ago. Or, these photos taken in February.
Sadly with all this rain and WIND, photos of the changing leaves hasn't been possible. If the sun ever returns and the rain and wind don't knock all the colour from the trees, I will try to capture the last of our autumnal scenery, maybe even slip a Schnauzer into a shot or two.

Dog Lessons

2011-10-16T11:53:00.001-04:00

Lesson one, it's all about possession, he who has the toy is seldom questioned.

Lesson two....patience is a virtue and all things come to those who wait.

Working Dogs

2011-10-10T08:33:00.002-04:00

Photos from the Park Spark Project in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dog owners scoop dog poop into biodegradable bags placing them into the 'digester' to produce and USE methane gas. Turning these city pets into 'working dogs' Neat idea! Read below about the Park Spark Project.
Hey wasn't this the context of the Movie Thunder Dome, fueling with Pig manure? :-)

THE PARK SPARK PROJECT
Dog owners everywhere are collecting pet waste in plastic bags and then sending it to landfills. The waste contained in these plastic bags release small amounts of methane that over time is a substantial quantity. The Park Spark Project is based on substituting the common trashcan and plastic bag with a public methane digester and biodegradable bag, so that the dog waste collected is converted into a usable form of energy (methane).

This methane will burn constantly in the form of an 'eternal flame' monument until someone proposes an idea for the use of the flame. Here the Methane produced by the Digester is being burned in the form of a lamppost for light.

Thanksgiving in Canada

2011-10-07T12:26:00.002-04:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. We are thankful for the glorious sunshine all this week (note the wonderful squares of sunlight Amina is basking in) forecast tells us it will continue right through the holiday weekend, yeah!!!!
Enjoy the turkey.

Shaggy girl

2011-10-04T13:42:00.000-04:00

Amina is staying with us for a couple of weeks while owner Bev is in Europe at the FCI Agility World Championships followed by an extended vacation in France, I am MORE then slightly envious.

Amina is a Mersey & Monty pup from a couple years ago, she is co-owned by myself and Bev and will be bred on her next season at Dinsdale. She is just going out of season right now, which means another 6 months before that happens, plus I need to get her in for hip x-ray and certification next week. She is a wonderful little girl, happy and outgoing, arriving only yesterday afternoon she fit in immediately with my crew and is hanging out today as if she has always lived with us. Amina is training mostly in agility with Bev who has owned and bred Miniature Schnauzers for years, this is her first Standard and she has done a super job raising Amina.

Oh and I have to do something with those eye brows, or, should I say eye brow (no S) she is sporting the uni-brow and looks a little like a Kerry Blue pup.

Farm Dog

2011-09-30T14:11:00.001-04:00

Different theories on the development of the Standard Schnauzer can be found, one that rings true to me is their role as an all purpose farm dog.

Origin and Purpose from the Canadian Breed Standard reads:

The standard schnauzer can be traced back to 14th Century Germany. It is a compact working dog and should be so judged. Its principal vocation was to guard tradesman's carts and be an all purpose farm dog.

Cutter poses today while out 'helping' me in the field.

Good Dog!

Garden harvest

2011-09-29T14:27:00.001-04:00

The wet weather has my tomatoes going bad on the vine almost as soon as they are ready to eat. This morning I was able to save a large batch simmering them down with garlic and basil into a delicious tomato sauce. Threw together a pizza dough and made up a dozen of these wonderful little Pizza Breads to freeze, well, ten of them are making it to the freezer, two were consumed while still hot from the oven yum!
Hoping we get a couple more weeks of sun to ripen all the green tomatoes still on the vine.

Winter ready

2011-09-28T08:51:00.001-04:00

We have been busy trying to get things ready for the coming winter. Aside from normal work around the property we FINALLY installed a little wood stove, apparently my birthday gift :-) It isn't completed yet and the glow within is actually a candle, but we are getting there. I made the hearth this weekend, still have to trim the back wall and install a mantel. Mick ran into a few 'glitches' while running the chimney, which will hopefully be overcome and finished this weekend. I feel much better to have back-up heating this winter, especially with the cost of oil.

Once we get projects completed regular postings & Schnauzer photos will resume...at least that's the plan.

Garden Guest

2011-09-24T09:19:00.000-04:00

Found this fellow in the garden yesterday. Surprisingly quick on his feet, I barely had time to focus before he was hidden away.

Daisy & Clover in Stop Motion

2011-09-23T07:40:00.001-04:00

This is a first attempt at using Stop Motion software. Video is made up of individual jpeg images taken on burst mode with my digital camera then chained together, same concept as Animation or Claytoon.

I think it gives a pleasant affect, Mick complains it is irritating to watch, you decide.

Inspirational??

2011-09-22T08:44:00.001-04:00

Inspirational is a bit of a stretch, but it is both fun and silly which works for me today.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T09:17:00.002-04:00

Hey it's Hickstead

2011-09-12T07:46:00.001-04:00

I haven't shown photos of Hickstead for some time now. Here he is just shy of turning one year old, for some reason I had it in my mind that he was only 10 months, but no, 12 months it is. He is a little smaller then I thought he would mature out to, but, seeing as my dogs have been really pushing the size allowed for the breed lately, size moderation is a fine addition to the breeding program. Those ears are still a bit...ahem high on the head, more Terrier then Schnauzer, but Hickstead seems to think they make him look dapper.

Sex in the Grass

2011-09-11T12:53:00.000-04:00

Ha! Made you look :-)

Two dragonflies caught in a passionate embrace

The stuff of fairy tales

2011-09-10T16:52:00.004-04:00

I totally understand why people get caught up in Dragonflies with bodies and wings that glitter like jewels. I love how they bask in the sun, dragonflies are real posers. They will not quickly leave a favorite sunny roost and if disturbed they will light again if allowed . There were three sunbathing late this afternoon and they were very patient with me.

These ones are a smaller species then the ones that soar outside our front window catching small flying insects in the early evening sun, fascinating to watch.
Quick Internet research tells me this dragonfly is called an Autumn Meadowhawk or Yellow Legged Meadowhawk, the most prevalent dragonfly species in our area this time of the year.

Morning light

2011-09-10T08:45:00.001-04:00

The light hitting the Plume Poppy this morning, a little more golden this time of the year

Toy obsession

2011-09-08T17:17:00.001-04:00

At 10.5 years of age Cutter (looking all dignified above) has developed a toy obsession. He has always enjoyed ripping into a squeaky and retrieving a ball if it means getting it before another dog does. But, this is different, it started about a week ago with a rubber 'Chuck-It' ball. He became obsessed with the ball, would spend all his time squeezing it between his jaws, fishing it out of corners and under furniture, no other dog is allowed to even look at HIS rubber ball.

This afternoon on the deck he found some toys left over from the pups this summer, he chewed the rope bone until he was exhausted and panting, guarding it from his sister Hope. Who, I think feels her brother has lost his mind, I can see her rolling her eyes at him as he holds a protective paw over his finds.

Morning coffee

2011-09-08T08:37:00.001-04:00

Enjoying coffee on the porch with the dogs, love this time of the year, cool-ish mornings and NO mosquitoes. Chipmunks are very active the last week, their cheeks jammed full of seeds for winter storage.

Schnauzers on high chippy alert!

We're watching you

2011-09-07T08:49:00.000-04:00

I captured these photos of the girls watching me this morning while trying to photograph our clematis before the rains arrive. Have I mentioned how nosy Standard Schnauzers are?? The shots of the clematis are rather dreary, but I love the girls on the window sill.
*Note to self....time to clear away spider webs and clean windows

Summers last long weekend

2011-09-04T08:30:00.001-04:00

This is it, the last long weekend of summer. This morning the blackbirds were gathering in the trees. A little ominous this dreary, warm, rainy Sunday.

Newly shorn

2011-08-31T19:33:00.003-04:00

My gorgeous Fiddle...newly sheared. I struggled over doing this and finally decided that instead of always being shaggy but wiry I would rather her be clippered and neat looking. Coarse stripped coat, or, clipped right down, Fiddle looks pretty.
Fiddle is Mick's girl, he hasn't seen her yet, looking forward to seeing what he thinks tomorrow when he arrives home.

Beautiful Ontario

2011-08-31T13:04:00.000-04:00

When Frodo's owner gave me the permission to post a few photos from his Flickr account I had no idea I would have such a hard time choosing 1 or 2 wow, what beautiful photos, here are my SEVEN favorite shots starring Frodo.
Sometimes living in Ontario we become envious of all the beautiful places outside of our Province, our Country, these photos made me step back and appreciate what an absolutely gobsmacking, beautiful place we live in.

I encourage visitors to click on the Flickr link and visit Tom's other photos.

Eight year old Frodo is a litter-brother to my Fiddle.

Cozy morning

2011-08-29T08:28:00.003-04:00

We have had a real turn in the weather, previously crazy sweaty heat and humidity to brisk cool, dare I say Autumnal, morning today. Daisy snuggles down into the new dog bed unaccustomed to this sudden change in weather.

August Rose

2011-08-25T22:42:00.003-04:00

I bought a couple of climbing roses early this summer. Generally I stay away from roses, or they stay away from me by dying :-( I wanted a climbing yellow rose for the garden fence, this was suppose to be yellow. I was disappointed at first but have come to appreciate this salmon coloured beauty (it does have a yellow center) the scent is amazing. Not sure if it will still be around come next year, given my past with roses, but for now I will enjoy this flush of blooms.

Delicious

2011-08-25T16:11:00.003-04:00

It's true I have a 'thing' for schnauzer noses, I confess, I go weak in the knees, turn to putty when I see a wonderful, rubbery, sublime schnauzer nose. Mersey possesses the most perfect schnauzer nose of all. It's true, I can't say enough, or, get enough of this wonderful black piece of perfection...enough said.

Our (belated)Birthday Girl

2011-08-23T13:58:00.009-04:00

Olive is a year old...yesterday, I am always a little behind. She is affectionate and fun, our youngest puppy Poppy LOVES her best, well her and Hazel, both of whom enjoy endless puppy play. She can be bubbly and enthusiastic, but definitely has a very soft and sensitive side. I see lots of her mother in her physically, however temperamentally she is very different from Fiddle, more like her happy father. Big Happy Birthday wishes to all her litter-mates. Below are a photos recently recieved from the owners of some of Olives littermates. If anyone else has a recent photo of their Fiddle & Beamish Birthday pup send along and I will post here. This is Clover And the wicked smiling Bea Ailis looking beautiful in her newly stripped coat And this would be Chaos The Handsome Ryder

Summers morning

2011-08-18T10:01:00.006-04:00

And rural scenes..... Lush tomatoes ripening First year I have grown cucumbers Black Eyed Susan's in bloom Jalapenos' almost ready for pickling

Old Barns

2011-08-14T11:47:00.004-04:00

I am feeling a bit like a frustrated farmer lately constantly dreaming of moving to a property with lots of acreage and a beautiful barn. In the meantime I love photographing old barns in the area.

Ahh Summer....time to relax

2011-08-08T08:53:00.007-04:00

It is always fun to receive updates from folks that own one of my schnauzers. What never ceases to amaze me is when these owners run into each other. I have had several updates this year that included Dinsdale Schnauzer owners meeting on the street, at parks at their local Petsmart. Such a small world we live in. Below is a little update about Ozzie (pictured above) doing what we all should be doing this summer.

Hello Lori,

First of all I would like to apologize for not keeping in touch and updating you on how Ozzie is doing. Well he is doing just great, he has been a welcomed member to our family. He has such a great personality plus wants to meet everyone he encounters on his daily walks. He has the look, he will be on the couch or hanging off the foot stool and you will feel the stare down knowing it is time for the walk. It was on one of our walks we ran into another Dinsdale dog, Hugo and his family who also lives in Sherwood Park. It has been such a rarity to see another standard in our area and for it to be one of your pups. This is such a great breed of dog and I would like to thank you again for allowing us to experience what is like to have one of your dogs. Here are a couple of pictures from the lake and Oz in his favourite thing the boat, loves to bark instructions to the skiers plus get into the water with family .

Cheers to Ozzie's owners for taking the time to share photos and update me on their boy.

Local wildlife

2011-08-05T23:14:00.004-04:00

Photo snapped by Mick during a bike ride tonight, I didn't know their legs were so long.

Beach Baby

2011-08-04T11:12:00.008-04:00

Poppy finds a beach prize, from the look of her ears this wasn't decaff! Tuesday Hexe had a swimming lesson..... Apparently by Thursday she had forgotten it. Poppy obviously decided Hexe wasn't taking her down and flees, such noble loyalty to her big friend. Looking for something to retrieve Fun in the waves Why did you bring the worlds most annoying pup along???

We have a name

2011-08-03T08:48:00.004-04:00

She has gone through several names over the last month, mostly I called her 'Puppy' last night I started calling her 'Poppy' and she of course responded to that immediately. So, let me introduce our newest little 'flower' Poppy.

Yeah!!! Beach Time!!!!

2011-08-02T11:51:00.006-04:00

This morning Hexe and I had the beach to ourselves, boy did we have fun. I think it is fair to say that Hexe is SOOO over her pups now!

smiles for the weekend

2011-07-29T15:32:00.004-04:00

Bwaaahahahaha......puppy might not be smiling but I sure am, I always get a satisfying giggle at their expense when it comes to ear taping. This little girl has a HUGE pair of ears, they sat fine...until yesterday, today we tape, and I do the evil laugh :-))

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-26T22:35:00.001-04:00

Okay posted Tuesday evening, but it's almost Wordless Wednesday.

Today in the Garden

2011-07-21T10:50:00.002-04:00

And finally

2011-07-21T10:43:00.004-04:00

If you think puppies are the cutest thing in the world....OMG you haven't been around rabbit kits at 2.5 weeks of age!!!

This puppy stuff

2011-07-20T18:50:00.004-04:00

How much fun is my Trinny pup? I have one girl I haven't sold, I have dithered and hummed and hawed, and every day I switch between selling and keeping, today is a keeper day. I hope everyone that has a Trinny pup is enjoying them, this little girl is an absolute delight. She is a bright little penny that figures everything out in nano seconds, every day is a happy day in her world. I have always laughed and said how much I would love to live in 'Trinny Land' I figure the sun is always shining the sky is a glorious shade of blue and the flowers are endlessly blooming. Her daughter is the same, sweet and happy and always thinking that....maybe today...just maybe.... Fiddle will like her (she doesn't) I can see the absolute shock on her face when mean & nasty Fiddle nails her for being too damn happy. But she forgives Fiddle and I know that by tomorrow morning she will be back to greet her with the same optimism that today is the day, the day that Fiddle will welcome her puppy advances, and you know what? I think if any puppy can do it, this one can.

more babies

2011-07-10T16:12:00.005-04:00

No not schnauzers! Check out the bunnies, six days old, adorable. Another week and they will actually look like baby rabbits :-)

Spa Time

2011-07-07T12:32:00.004-04:00

The beautiful Ste.Anne's is a short drive from my house. I have never been but am thinking I might investigate further to restore my energy once the pups are all off to their homes.

Charlie and the Girls

2011-07-06T09:33:00.006-04:00

Charlie had surgery on Monday to repair an umbilical hernia. He isn't too happy with the limited play needed to help him heal this week. The girls in the house think it's just great to have Charlie in the middle of the room, I am sure Charlie enjoys being Mr.Popularity. Little does he know that what the girls really want are Charlie's toys.

For our American friends

2011-07-04T11:20:00.001-04:00

Damn Mosquitoes!

2011-07-03T19:36:00.004-04:00

Blood sucking parasitic disgusting irritating waste of space mosquitoes! Exactly what is the point of them???

What to do?

2011-06-30T14:26:00.002-04:00

Trinny's pups are 8 weeks old and the first two headed off yesterday to their new owners in Winnipeg. The rest are leaving us over the next couple of days. Soon new owners will all be familiar with a variation of the above photo. The I want attention NOW howl, or the...let me out of this crate NOW howl, or, where are my siblings howl, or perhaps the...why are you not playing/feeding/walking me NOW howl. Puppy fun for sure. This little girl will remain here, for the time. Not sure if that time will be days, weeks, months or forever. The jury is out until I catch my breath and make a decision, should she stay or should she go?