Mountain Men

I know you remember my sister-cousins in Montana. Well, Dan, he makes the best bread you ever done tasted!! And Jesse he likes to help out. They both like to don getups!

I just know you want to try Dan's bread recipe. And I am sure you want to try his sister-wife's, Sheryl's, preserves. But, as of yet, she ain't giving that recipe out. No, no. Even Gwyneth Paltrow has tried to put the squeeze on. To no avail.

Dan's Mountain High Bread (as transcribed by sister-wife Sheryl)

3 cups of flour (bread flour is best-Sheryl) (whole wheat is better- Suddie)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon of dry yeast
1 1/3 cup of cool water
corn meal for dusting

medium bowl, stir flour, salt , yeast, water...stir for thirty seconds, sticky mess dough will result.
cover bowl with plastic wrap.
let sit at room temperature until surface is dotted with bubbles, overnight 18 hours is best
12 hours, still works
scrape onto a board in one piece of glob
tuck edges in towards center to make dough round. do not knead the dough
use a linen or cotton tea towel...dust towel with cornmeal, liberally
fold towel around dough.....
let sit for one to two hours. dough is ready when doubled....(this is the second rise)

1/2 hour before, heat oven to 475, oven rack in lower third of oven.
heat heavy pot in the hot oven , with lid, during the 30 minutes preheat.
take the empty pot out, dust with cornmeal.... and roll the dough into the hot pot, place lid on top,
bake thirty minutes at 475 degrees.

remove lid after thirty minutes and bake until bread is nicely browned. remove,
from oven...let cool, if you can wait..you can wipe the top of the loaf with butter and a paper towel.

Now if you can follow that recipe you're a better dog than me.

Fond memories of Montana.

A Note From Rachel

Angus and Me by Rachel

Dear Suddie:

I am so excited to get my very own puppy! I hope Roxie is doing well. I think about her everyday and sometimes daydream about the new puppy in school. I'm so glad school is almost over only two days left.

You said you match the puppies by their personality. I should let you know a little about my personality. I am cheerful, bright, caring, loving and I love dogs.

I finally got my book "Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses." Did you know the smallest dog in history was a Yorkshire owned by Auther Marples in Blackburn, England? It was 6 cm tall and only 9.5 cm long and weighed 4 oz. I also read dogs can tell the difference between blue and yellow, but can't tell the difference red and green. So if you throw a red ball in the grass it might take your dog awhile to find it. I'm going to get my dog a blue ball. I recommend this book.

Sincerely,
Rachel

Dog Blankets Anyone?

They were not selling like hot cakes. And dog people, they love funk like that. But it was 95 degrees in the shade.

We were at the Cincinnati Kennel Club Show over the weekend and it was a scorcher. Little Rufus was burning up the ring. He received a group placement.

Made me want to bring out this video of brother Angus in the ring.

Dogs Get Sunburns Too

I hope my man, Toby, applies the SPF before hanging poolside in Cali

Humans and dogs alike can suffer from sunburn; long term exposure can result in skin damage and skin cancers. Like humans certain factors make some dogs more prone:

dogs with white or light colored coats
dogs with a very short coat or no coat at all
dogs that have suffered coat loss from allergies or other medical conditions
and of course dogs that are outside during the hottest part of the day.
What steps can you take to prevent your dog from getting a sunburn?

1) Keep your dog inside in a cool room, or if they are outside, in a well shaded area or adequate shelter during the hottest parts of the days.

2) Use sunscreen on the parts of his body susceptible to sunburn. These parts include: nose, ends of the ears, around the mouth, eyelids and the underside or your dog- belly, groin and inside the legs; these areas are particularly at risk. Make sure you use a pet sunscreen because products for human use can contain ingredients that are toxic to your dog. Remember to regularly reapply the sunscreen. Pay particular attention to areas where little coat is covering and where the skin pigmentation is low or light in color.

3) Believe it or not, there are bodysuits designed to protect your dog from UV rays as well. It's best to ask your veterinarian about which bodysuit is best suited for your particular dog. They can be a good option if your dog is continually out in the sun or you live in higher temperature regions.

4) If during the summer months you have your dog groomed, think about leaving his coat a bit longer so the coat offers some protection. Talk to your dog's groomer or veterinarian about clipping your dog, some dog breed's coat's are designed to insulate the dog from the sun's heat. If you clip too much off your dogs coat, you may be doing more harm than good.

Summer is just around the corner, so make sure that you and your dog stay happy and healthy during summer months. If you do happen to see any signs of sunburn such as red skin, fur loss and/or sores, please contact your local veterinarian and make sure you seek medical advice.

The Seven-Year Bitch

Celebrating with Angus and Rufus

Yes, that's right. I turn seven-years old today. Can you believe it? Seems only yesterday I was carefree, rolling around in deer poo. Wait a minute. I was rolling around in deer poo yesterday.

I received all sorts of best wishes from Tibetan Terriers all over the world. I loved them all, but I think my favorite was:

"Happy birthday you old tart! Hope you have a great day. xx"

Ou La La

Sherpa traveling in style in the back of the Range Rover

My boy traveled to the Tibetan Terrier National Specialty show and picked up a certificate or merit.

When he returned home his dad made him a grand breakfast of French toast and farm fresh eggs from Doris Duke and the other old hens he lives with at Green Acres Farm.


Sherpa it was great to see you and your dad. You are beautiful and we love you.

I'm Special, So Special

Rows and rows of champions at the US Tibetan Terrier National Specialty Show

It was great! Lots of butts to sniff. Lots of old friends and lots of BS. My kind of show!

Two of my boys, Rufus and Sherpa, were there. Based on his AKC ranking, Rufus was invited to participate in the Tibetan Terrier Club of America's Top 20 Invitational held during the Tibetan Terrier National Specialty. It was a fancy affair with lots of preening and way too much hairspray. Rufus took home the biggest ribbon I have ever seen. During the week he also received two certificates of achievement. My beautiful boy Sherpa traveled all the way from Connecticut and also received a certificate of achievement. And I didn't walk away empty handed. I received a Register of Merit as "Brood Bitch" for producing so many champion pups. Can you imagine? Who would have thought? And after only two litters.

The pic and description below were featured in the Top 20 Invitational Evening of Champions program

GCH Deep Acres Fields of Gold, "Rufus"

Deep Acres Fields of Gold is the youngest Grand Champion in the history of the breed. He began his show career as Best Puppy at the 2010 TTCA National Specialty and ended the year as the youngest member of, and the only new champion in, the Top 20.