Connecting to Nature

I'm back from my hiatus

2011-06-10T07:16:00.000-06:00

Well, I have decided to start blogging again. I apologize to my followers for being so absent, but life has been difficult in the last few months.

Recent events have included health issues (which I am working on), regular yoga (which is slowly changing my life and I love, love, love!) and currently not working. So I am staying home with the dogs, working in the garden when I have the energy and trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Here are some recent pictures from the garden of the poppies in bud. I love how the hairs on the buds are so distinctive. They look like some type of alien plant/lifeform.

I also took some pictures of my bleeding heart. To get a close up, I had to use my flash and the macro setting on my lens, hence the almost black background.

I will leave you with some final pictures of an Angelique tulip that I planted 5 years ago. As the plant ages, it appears to be losing pigment. Interesting...

Dog Breed Quiz--How well will you do?

2011-01-25T16:21:00.001-07:00

Created by PetsDirect.co.uk

Try it and find out!

Closing Images from 2010

2010-12-31T22:03:00.014-07:00

I wanted to leave everyone with some images

I took today of the magnificence

of icicles, dogs and cats...

These two images are from our honeysuckle vine right outside our kitchen door. With temperatures in the teens and twenties the last few days, we have an Icicle Waterfall--Amazing isn't it?

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Some action shots of the dogs;

to get the best resolution,

click on the image to enlarge it

Aspen going in for the kill!

Pharaoh leaping

Isabella and Pharaoh playing hard as usual

Isabella racing to catch Pharaoh,
but he is as fast as the wind!

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Here are a few of the cats enjoying their organic catnip:

Cassie, American Shorthair

Merlin, our Maine Coon

Piper--don't know what is with all the tongues showing, must be getting stuck-- LOL

Romeo, our Seal Point Snowshoe

And one last shot of Merlin, our Golden Girl at 14

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Isabella eating snow

Head Study of Pharaoh

Head study of Isabella, 21 months old

Here's to wishing everyone PEACE & JOY in 2011

Cheers!

The Greyfriar: Vampire Empire, book 1--Five Stars

2010-12-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, I need to explain what steampunk as a genre is. After looking at several definitions on the web, I think that the editors of Wikipedia give the most complete definition:

"Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction... Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy"

So with that definition in mind, I want to share with you my thoughts on Book 1 of The Vampire Empire: The Greyfriar.

Written by a husband and wife team, Clay and Susan Griffith, this alternative history of a Victorian world not only has vampires, but evil vampires.

So many of the vampire books that have been published in the last 10 years or so show a kinder, gentler vampire--vampires that readers see as friends, lovers and companions. Not only are the vampires enthralling and gorgeous, but benevolent in spite of their diet of (mostly) human blood. Vampires that in a sense strive to be as human as possible.

Not in the Vampire Empire. Vampires in this novel have taken over the Northern Hemisphere and have bred humans to satisfy their diet of human blood. These factory farmed humans have basically lost the will and desire to fight against their masters.

But all is not lost--free humanity has retreated to the Southern Hemisphere where the vampires can't maneuver in the heat and humidity.

Enter Princess Adele, heir to the Empire Equatoria, a vestige of the tropical British Empire. Adele is on a tour of the northern frontier (Marseilles, France) when her convoy is attacked and she is kidnapped by a vampire clan.

We then are introduced to a mysterious, valiant figure: the Greyfriar. Mythic in stories, this famous but reclusive vampire-hunter shows up to liberate the Princess. As Adele and the Greyfriar attempt to escape the vampire clans, Adele is intrigued by this legendary figure who she thought was a fairy tale. Although a vampire clan manages to re-capture Adele, she knows that the Greyfriar will come for her.

Untold horrors await Princess Adele when she is taken deep into vampire territory: bloody orgies and the blank stares of the human slave population.

Can Adele survive her kidnapping until the Greyfriar comes for her? The politics of both vampire and human empires are in flux, as forces strive to change the balance of power.

Who will emerge triumphant?

Stay tuned for book 2 which will be published November 2011.

I can't wait!

Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

2010-11-01T16:29:00.000-06:00

One of the best books I have read this year!

Amazing historical fiction with details incorporating all your senses. Romance, mystery, murder, and deep abiding friendships are all there.

Characters that are so well developed you feel as if you are in the room with them. I would give this book 10 stars if I could.

I have loved Jennifer's writing since The Northern Light-- which was the Winner of the Carnegie Medal, the L.A. Times Book Prize, the Borders Original Voices Prize, and a Michael L. Printz Honor award.

If you have not read Jennifer Donnelly before you must open one of her books!

The Tea Rose has a sequel--The Winter Rose which I am impatiently waiting for a copy to be returned to the library so I can get my hands on it.

Evidently Jennifer also just finished a third novel in this series that does not have a publication date yet--The Wild Rose.

Revolution also just came out with 2 starred reviews from Kirkus and SLJ. Can't wait for this one also!

Cheers!

PKCLC October 2, 2010 Lure Coursing--Best in Field!

2010-10-11T01:34:00.000-06:00

Recently Isabella and Pharaoh debuted in the sport of lure coursing for sighthounds. It was an AKC trial held by the Pocatello Kennel Club in Blackfoot Idaho.

Both Pharaoh and Isabella passed their Qualifying Coursing trial enabling them both to enter in the actual trial itself.

As the only Irish Wolfhound and the only Afghan Hound competing in this day's event, they both won Best of Breed with scores of 40/50 points (first run) and 40/50 points (second run) for Isabella and 40/50 (first run) and 41/50 points (second run) for Pharaoh!

Since this was Isabella's first event and she had run 3 times already I decided to pull her from the Best in Field run.

Pharaoh still appeared to have plenty of running left, so along with 3 other dogs, I decided to enter him in Best in Field. He ran against a Scottish Deerhound in his run.

When they announced the Best in Field Winner

--the judges chose Pharaoh!!!!

What an amazing day for us! Both Pharaoh and Isabella had a great time and we took home lots of ribbons, toys for the dogs and a huge bed that we barely managed to fit in the car.

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Isabella Qualifying Courser Run

Isabella running with a Scottish Deerhound

Pharaoh's Qualifying Courser Run

Pharaoh--Running big

Pharaoh's Golden Sunrise--Best in Field PKCLC October 2, 2010

Chaos killing the bunny

Best in Field run--Killing the Bunny

Bella and Me

2010-09-22T19:00:00.000-06:00

Just a few late night pictures.

Isabella has such a great face!

Cheyenne Specialty 2010

2010-09-06T13:18:00.000-06:00

Isabella and I entered the RMIWA Specialty 2010 held at Lyons Park in Cheyenne, WY. It was our first specialty and seeing over 100 Irish Wolfhounds in one place was breathtaking. I met so many welcoming and lovely people who shared tips about grooming, stacking and showing in the conformation ring, even though we did not place, it was a wonderful experience. Randy was a real trooper and took pictures, set up and took down all the equipment you need for showing, and drove most of the time. We spent twelve and a half hours at the show site and it was a very long day. We stayed for the dinner and it was great to hear the judges comments. We did well, but I learned that I need to practice striding out to allow Isabella to show off her lovely movement. So both judges did not see her at her best. Here are a series of pictures from the show.

Recommended Books on Dog Training (Positive Training)

2010-08-23T21:08:00.002-06:00

I have been meaning to do this for a while. This past spring, I created a list of dog training books that I have either read myself or have had recommended by positive dog trainers that I work with. It was originally handed out in puppy classes that I had assisted in, and most of the books I had purchased while I was a librarian/book buyer for the Weber County Library. However, most of the books are available for purchase from amazon.com or from Dogwise

Also please check your local public library. If they don't own a book you want to read, ask them to consider purchasing it, or ask them to order it from another library (Inter-Library Loan).

I will update it as new books come out that I feel are great books that other dog owners/trainers should be aware of. Hope you enjoy!

Cheers,

Recommended Books on Dog Training

Tug of War

2010-07-29T22:59:00.000-06:00

Pharaoh is always ready to play! Isabella grabbed a Pogo Plush and Pharaoh immediately snatched a mouthful.

Who do you think won this round?

PhotoScape vs. GIMP and we have a winner!

2010-07-25T02:05:00.000-06:00

We just purchased a laptop that came with Windows 7, so I needed to find some new photo editing software that works with this platform. After reading some online reviews, I tried GIMP, but I am not ashamed to admit it was way too much for me. Then I downloaded PhotoScape and it was pretty intuitive. Here is a shot of Isabella and Pharaoh playing chase. PhotoScape has some fun features. I am looking forward to playing more with it.

New Picture of Pharaoh

2010-06-08T23:36:00.000-06:00

I recently took some pictures of Pharaoh, and here is a full body shot. Pharaoh is a 2 year old Afghan Hound that we recently adopted. He is a Red Brindle with a Black Mask. Because he came from a rescue, his original American Kennel Club (AKC) papers were canceled, so I have to re-register him with the AKC with a Purebred Alternative Listing. This will allow us to compete in lure coursing and agility. I also think his temperament would be a good fit with therapy, so we are going to try that too! I will keep you posted.

So, I am proud to announce

Pharaoh's Golden Sunrise

If you want to see a picture of his darling face, look for an earlier posting in April. Cheers!

"Do Right By Your Dog"

2010-05-11T01:01:00.000-06:00

I was really nervous about showing Isabella this past weekend. When I mentioned this to my friend Meredith Acly, dog trainer extraordinaire, she shared her mantra that she uses before running her dog Sully at agility trials: "Do Right by your Dog". In other words, your job as half of the team is to be clear in your communication; to use your body language and cues to set your dog up for success. Keeping this in the forefront of my mind allowed me for the first time in any competition to be calm and focused. We had fun! This is my goal: to have a happy and confident dog who enjoys working with me. Enhancing our bond each and every time we are competing together is what matters the most to me.

Thanks to Meredith for sharing such a wonderful tip. Cheers!

Utah Beehive Cluster--May 8, 2010

2010-05-10T23:31:00.003-06:00

Isabella's and my first conformation show. She was 13 months old. We won reserve, beating a 3 year old female! Pretty good for our first show. The judge was kind in her comments recommending that I have a great looking girl and to keep practicing!

It's All in the Eyes--Window to the Soul...

2010-04-22T23:28:00.000-06:00

Doesn't Pharaoh look wise? I love this shot. What do you think?

Mount Ogden Kennel Club Fun Match January 31, 2010

2010-02-06T00:05:00.001-07:00

Isabella and I went to our first Fun Match! Hosted by the Mount Ogden Kennel Club on January 31, 2010. Isabella was 10 1/2 months old. Nancy and Dean Laney, my breeders, were there with Isabella's two brothers. It was great to see them! Nancy and Dean gave me some great tips and Randy took a lot of pictures. Here are a few from the match.

Here is one of Isabella's brothers: Rudy

Waiting for Treats!

2010-02-05T00:13:00.000-07:00

Isabella, Pharaoh, and Aspen get daily doses of salmon oil. This is a natural source of Omega 3s. Here are all three of them waiting for their capsules. I dole them out and boy are they focused!

A New Friend Joins the Household!

2009-12-31T23:52:00.000-07:00

We are fostering a young male Afghan Hound named Pharaoh. He is a delightful boy--very playful and affectionate! Here are a few pictures from the last few days. He is fitting in very nicely.We are glad to share our home with him.

Pharaoh is very fast and he loves the snow!

Pharaoh hasn't had access to a safe enclosed yard, so you can see he is enjoying himself immensely!

I can't believe I captured this on film!

Isabella and Pharaoh are fast friends already! They are sharing Isabella's bed, each enjoying a hoof.

Isabella and Aspen Playing in the Snow

2009-12-31T23:42:00.002-07:00

As you can see, Isabella and Aspen play hard!

Can you find the white dog in the snow?

8 months old

2009-11-22T10:52:00.004-07:00

I just took a ton of pictures of Isabella and had to post this one of her hunting for one last tomato of the season. This is our neighbor's garden and she is looking for anything coming through the fence. But Isabella is always willing to pose for the camera!

AKC Canine Good Citizen!!

2009-11-22T10:44:00.003-07:00

Isabella passed her AKC Canine Good Citizen test on November 3, 2009. She was only 7 1/2 months old! This is pretty impressive, as most dogs don't have enough impulse control to pass this test until well over a year old. She now has initials after her name:

Nalaney's Isabella of Arrian's Grove, CGC

Show Practice-- One More Time!

2009-10-04T23:14:00.006-06:00

Now presenting

Nalaney's Isabella of Arrian's Grove!

Show Practice 6 months old

2009-10-04T23:11:00.003-06:00

Isabella and I are learning how to stand for the conformation show ring. We are taking lessons, and this is after one week of practicing. Not too shabby, don't you think?

Isabella 6 months old

2009-10-03T23:09:00.000-06:00

Even though the lighting isn't the best, I love this shot; Isabella's expression is just wonderful. Don't you agree?

Silly Dog 6 months old

2009-09-12T23:06:00.000-06:00

What a pose!

Wet Dog 5 months old

2009-08-15T23:04:00.000-06:00

Isabella right after her first outside bath. She is too big for the tub now!

Isabella--On Your Bed! 3 1/2 months old

2009-07-05T23:02:00.001-06:00

What a good girl your are!

Isabella and Me 3 1/2 months old

2009-07-04T23:08:00.000-06:00

My little girl! She is too sweet.

Isabella investigating Romeo!

2009-06-14T22:55:00.000-06:00

At 11 weeks old, Isabella is very curious about the cats. Here she is getting a little too close for Romeo's peace of mind!

First pretzel pose 11 weeks old!

2009-06-13T22:59:00.000-06:00

Isabella's first example of the famous pretzel pose. She is laying with the front of her body one direction and her rear in a completely different direction. This is a classic Irish Wolfhound pose. Very silly girl!

Isabella 9 weeks old with moose

2009-05-30T22:53:00.000-06:00

Isabella with one of her favorite toys, her moose. This makes me sentimental because this particular toy was Eleanor's favorite toy also.

Isabella 9 weeks old

2009-05-29T22:51:00.000-06:00

This picture of Isabella is a very nice stand that she did all on her own!

First Week Home!

2009-05-24T22:32:00.003-06:00

Isabella
8 weeks old

2009-04-12T20:38:00.012-06:00

I visited the Laney's today and got to see the two week old Irish Wolfhound puppies from Anie and Connor's litter. They are darling. Nancy Laney told me which puppy we get to take home. Her yarn collar is white and her name is Isabella. We have decided to keep the name; it is really cute. Lots of great nicknames from it.

Here are some pictures from the day.

Defiance by Valerie Hobbs

2008-06-05T15:04:00.003-06:00

I just picked up Defiance by Valerie Hobbs. It is a very quick read at only 117 pages, but it packs a lot into those pages. A young man named Toby who just discovered during his vacation that his cancer has returned is hiding it from his parents. He found an old bike that he is riding around the rural roads and sees a cow that is really skinny. Angry at the cow's condition he follows a dirt road to a decrepit house and meets Pearl, an old lady that is living there. Toby and Pearl develop a relationship that revolves around poetry, tea and Toby learning how to milk Blossom the cow. Although Toby is determined not to return to his cancer treatments, he learns a lot from Pearl about life. When to give up and when to fight. A great read. This book gave me goosebumps. 5 stars.

In the Garden

2008-06-05T14:21:00.014-06:00

Well it's the first week of June and it has been a very cool spring. The tomato plants are not very big, but there are blossoms on the plants so maybe we will have tomatoes after all.

I just harvested some radishes but forgot to take a picture of them . The lettuce is doing fine, but I did have to squish to death some caterpillars that were munching on the lettuce.

The sugar snap peas are growing, but no peas yet as you can see from the pictures.

I also took some pictures of the herb garden. The oregano is taking over, but that's ok because the bees love the blossoms. The chives are doing well. I am going to plant some more thyme but I can't find a rosemary that is hardy enough for zone 5. I also planted some oriental poppies that are gorgeous but don't last long.

Here is one of the poppies. Beautiful isn't it?

Photos by Karyn Johnston

2008-05-21T16:54:00.002-06:00

While my brother was visiting my mom and me in May, we had some professional pictures taken by a knitter friend of mine, Karyn Johnston. Karyn specializes in natural light photography of children and families. Her pictures are fantastic!

Karyn took pictures of the four of us, and also some of just Randy and me.

Thanks Karyn for capturing such wonderful images of my family!

Dog Sledding in Wyoming

2008-03-01T11:42:00.005-07:00

Randy and I just got back from Jackson, Wyoming where we went dog sledding. It was somewhat different from what I expected, but still fun. We met a really nice couple from Washington DC and enjoyed a great dinner with them. Here are some photos taken from the back of the sled. During our lunch break we stopped at a hot spring where if you wanted to take off 3 layers of clothing you could frolic in the water but Randy and I just enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

I spotted a Clark's Nutcracker, a type of jay which I had never seen before. A life bird for me! Also saw a raven preening in the trees. Very cool.

BAM Challenge #1: The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

2008-01-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

A book about time and where it is going. This book has very short chapters that open with the musical score for traditional Irish music. It's a shame that the book didn't come with a CD of the songs! Set in Ireland, with the main character playing the fiddle since the age of five is captivating as is traveling to Tir na nOg, the land of eternal youth. Time is being trapped into Tir na nOg, and the fairies there are starting to age. Also time is being lost in our world and life gets more and more frantic. The short chapters would encourage a reluctant reader to keep going and the pacing is very quick. YA reading level. I read it in one night! I rate it 5 stars!

Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander

2008-01-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Gift of the Unmage, book 1 in the Worldweavers series by Alma Alexander.

Double Seventh, the seventh child of two parents who were also seventh children.
Amazing magical ability. As the world watches, Galathea Georgiana Winthrop fails every assignment, every exam, and every teacher that tries to find out her magical gifts. As a last resort her father sends Thea back in time to a Anasazi elder who doesn't exactly teach but simply walks...

When Thea returns with still no signs of her magic, she is sent to the Wandless Academy, a school for the magically inept.

There in a place of no magic Thea faces the battle of her life.

Check out Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander at your local library or on amazon.com

Ages 12 and up. If you like Harry Potter or Diana Wynne Jones Young Wizard series you will enjoy this book.

Trying to be like Martha Stewart

2008-01-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was looking through a book Christmas with Martha Stewart and was captivated by a floral arrangement of roses that looks like a christmas tree. Unfortunately the directions did not mention how many roses were needed for this arrangement. I thought 2 dozen. Nope. 3? No. After making 3 trips to the store and 7 dozen roses later this is it. I will mention that I didn't think to take a picture while the roses were in their prime. Here is how mine turned out. Not quite like hers. This is one arrangement I won't try again. Too expensive!

Tomato Plants Ordered

2007-12-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

Well it's still December 2007, and I just ordered my first tomato plants for 2008! Yes there is plenty of snow on the ground, in fact there will be snow on the ground when they are planted. I am giving Mother Nature some time, since the plants won't be arriving until the first half of April. I realize that I am still an impatient person, but summer seems a long way away right now. Speaking of tomato varieties, I went with some standbys this year: the heirloom Costoluto Genovese is wonderful. Sun Gold (cherry), Sweet Million (another cherry), and a Koralik (a third cherry) will be for snacking. And gasp, we are trying a hybrid from Burpee named Red Lightning. The variety from Burpee can be located on their site: Burpee The majority of the tomato plants we are purchasing come from Territorial Seed Company
I have been ordering tomato plants from Territorial Seed Company since2002. They have a really great product and stand behind their plants. One of the best products I have found for successful planting of early tomatoes are the Walls of Water and red mulch. Most everyone has heard of walls 'o water and they are just want they sound like. Several vertical tubes of water connected in a circle that slowly warm the soil and keep the plant within in a pocket of frost free air. Great! Red mulch is a plastic mulch that goes on top of the soil and helps the plants grow faster and also helps with tomato development. The color red is reflected up onto the plants and works with photosynthesis. Obviously that is not a scientific explanation. Can't wait to taste the first tomato of the season in June.