Below is an interesting read re Petdata on how their service is useful to take away more of our privacy:

http://www.petdata.com/company/news/news050204-1.html.

Links:

Humane Society of the United States –
www.hsus.org

National Animal Control Association –
www.nacanet.org

http://bluedogstate.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html

The Mother of All Databases is already a reality:

PetData Inc., a private corporation in Irving, Texas, already collects information on law-abiding citizens who happen to own pets. They say they have already databanked
information on 2 million residents in
more than 20 U. S. communities, and
four entire counties. Matthews, North Carolina, just joined the ranks of municipalities contracts with PetData.

Your personal privacy on the auction block !

If you live in a community that outsourced animal licensing functions to PetData, you may not even realize it yet. When you vaccinate your cats and dogs for rabies, your vet forwards the details to PetData Inc.

Your name, your address, your contact information. And your dog’s, or cat’s veterinary information–including reproductive status. It all goes into for-profit PetData Inc.’s privately-owned, privately-controlled database.

PetData proudly advertises its membership in the Humane Society of the United States. It has no corporate privacy policy

If breeders stop breeding because of practices that take away their privacy and their rights, where will the general public get their next quality purebred puppy?

California tax officials target breeders via Internet:

June 29, 2009
By: Timothy Kirn
For The VIN News Service

California tax officials are surfing ­ the Internet, that is.

It is not unusual for authorities, potential employers, bankers and others to use the Internet to investigate people.

And now California tax officials are targeting potential breeders that way.

According to a letter from the California Board of Equalization, board officials visited the American Kennel Club Web site and linked to individual dog clubs to identify potential breeders living in the state.

Board officials are not sure if these dog club members are breeders, but they could be.

Tax board spokeswoman Anita Gore confirmed that 361 individuals will receive the letter. She would not say how or why those particular individuals were identified, however.

Below is my prediction of what will happen if reputable breeders stop breeding and many of us are very close with all the legislation hitting us from so many directions:

WHERE WILL YOU GET YOUR NEXT PUREBRED PUPPY???

CHOSE YOUR ANSWER FROM THE FOLLOWING:

____FROM A SHELTER (good luck in finding what you want)

____FROM AN INTERNET BREEDER (picking your puppy up at a gas station or Wal-Mart parking lot at 3:00 A.M. clandestinely because your breeder or better yet dog dealer won’t let you see where the dogs are raised)

____FROM A PET STORE (commercial breeders supply pet stores and may breed their own dogs or get from a puppy mill)

____AT A FLEA MARKET WHERE PUPPIES FROM PUPPY MILLS OR LESS THAN DESIRABLE BREEDERS ARE AVAILABLE ALONG WITH OLD FURNITURE.

____AGAIN FROM THE INTERNET (SEND YOUR PAYMENT AND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT RECEIVE THE PUPPY PROMISED TO ARRIVE BY AIR; ONLY GOD KNOWS WHERE AND HOW THESE POOR PUPPIES ARE RAISED)

YOU WILL NOT BE GETTING YOUR PUPPY FROM A REPUTABLE, CARING BREEDER WHO SIGNS THEIR PARENT CLUB CODE OF ETHICS AND WHO SPECIALIZES IN ONE OR TWO BREEDS BECAUSE OF A PASSION FOR THE BREEDS.

ALL THE LEGISLATION BEING NATIONALLY PROPOSED AND PASSED WILL END THE BREEDING OF DOGS AS WE KNOW IT. THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (JUST READ PETA’S MANIFESTO VERY, VERY CAREFULLY) IS THE END OF ANIMAL OWNERSHIP. IT IS VERY SAD AND UNFORTUNATE, THAT THE ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ARE REALLY TRAMPLING ALL OVER THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF BREEDERS AND DOG OWNERS.

THE ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAS NOT IMPROVED THE PLIGHT OF DOGS BEING BRED IN UNSEEMLY CIRCUMSTANCES AND IT HAS CERTAINLY NOT ADDED TO THE WELFARE OF DOGS WHEN PETA IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EUTHANSIA OF COUNTLESS DOGS, A FACT THAT HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED BY OUR MEDIA. VOLUNTARY SPAY/NEUTER IS WORKING. MANY SHELTERS NATIONWIDE ARE SUPPORTING THEMSELVES BY BRINGING IN PUPPIES AND DOGS FROM OVERSEAS, MEXICO, OR OTHER SHELTERS. OUR COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY ALONE IS TAKING POUND DOGS SCHEDULED TO BE EUTHANIZED TO UPSTATE NEW YORK SHELTERS WHO DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH ADOPTABLE DOGS FOR THE PUBLIC SEEKING THEM. RESPONSIBLE HOBBY/SHOW BREEDERS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM IN PRODUCING DOGS WHO WIND UP IN SHELTERS, BUT WE WILL BEAR THE BRUNT OF ALL THE LEGISLATION BEING PROPOSED OR PASSED AS THE COMMERCIAL BREEDERS WILL HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY ALL THE FEES AND THE FINES.

Where will you get your next purebred puppy?

 

  

Subject: UNBELIEVABLE!!: from the Kansas City Dog Blog —

Here’s the scoop:
On August 1st, the animal control department in Kansas City, MO, implemented a new policy when it comes to evaluating their field officers. Effective immediately, animal control officers in KCMO will be required to issue a minimum of 15 summonses and impound a minimum of  20 animals per month.

  Read it here:  

I have always had horses in my life, but since I had to put my Morgan mare down at 28 years. On my 60th birthday I was still riding her bareback across the field at a full gallop.  Then I lost her. my knees had to be replaced and my back became such a disaster that I could not roll over in bed for a year.  Now my back is much better thanks to decompression therapy and my knees are so marvelous that I can kneel for an extended time in Church; I have total range of motion.  I still never thought I would truly love a horse  again or really have a desire to ride again because I did not think I could ever find a Morgan like my Glory.

When we moved we had three horses we could not keep due to the move.  If my niece and nephew had evidenced a desire to buy the farm at the time we were moving, we may have been able to keep them.  We did keep our Buttercup who was born on the farm and put her into a boarding stable. I hate selling horses as one never knows where they will wind up because horses are often sold and resold and resold.  My heart and mind were much more at ease donating the horses to a first class horse rescue, in this case Last Chance Corral in Athens, Ohio.  So we donated two of our three horses to Last Chance with the request that when and if I was ready the founder of Last Chance Corral, Victoria Goss, would help find me the horse of my dreams. With my niece and nephew living at the farm, it became possible to have horses again at the farm. I wanted another Morgan but the Morgan I wanted would have been so expensive that I could never justify buying a horse as good or better than as my Morgan mare. If you frequent this blog you may remember my blogging about the horse slaughter auction and the need for donations to Last Chance to get as many horses out of the auction as possible. Horses are winding up in slaughter auctions as they are just dumped from race tracks, from those using horse buggies as transportation and horses to plow, and to people who are just plain broke and unable to afford a horse in this economy. When Victoria and I talked about our making a donation and perhaps getting a horse from the auction to go with Buttercup when we moved her back to the farm for she needs to have the companionship of another horse, Victoria told me about a seven year old Morgan who had been kept in a round pen all his life with no training or experiences other than the round pen. She told me he was incredibly beautiful but would take a lot of work, and she meant a lot of work, to get him to the point where he could be ridden; the trainer at Last Chance looked apprehensive when she told me that it would take more than a year at the very least.  Victoria said I could have the Morgan who had just been castrated if I wanted him.  The horses that Last Chance rescued were really nice horses-hard to imagine them winding up where they did. When Al and I went to see the auction rescues at Last Chance and chose Shotzi, who is a small, very pretty and well trained bay mare, as a companion for Buttercup, we met “Screaming Demon,” the Morgan’s registered name, and I fell totally in love.  He didn’t know anything but would not try to hurt anyone and had the kindest, wisest eyes.  I connected to him instantly, but Al and I thought if foolish at my age to get such an untrained horse.  Al and I talked more that night and decided not to pursue it further.  I could not sleep.  I just knew that this horse was sent into my life for a reason as he was truly my dream horse.  So I called Victoria and said I wanted him.  I found an amazing trainer in a stable very close to where we live as I wanted “Stanley” at a barn with an indoor arena with a trainer who would use the Natural Horsemanship approach.  Stanley is coming along marvelously; he is sane, sensitive, affectionate, and so willing and anxious to please.  I will be riding him in a couple of months according to the plan. Since like my Glory, I will be the only one riding him, I hope that we will forge a relationship like I did with my Glory.  I am so very happy he is in our lives along with Shotzi and Buttercup.  Below are pictures of my “Stanley,” a name that just popped into my head as his name!  Until next time . . .

 

 

 

Interesting article by Marc Folco the outdoor writer for The Standard Times. Contact him at openseason1988@aol.com

Mr. Folco really hits the mark about the agenda of HSUS and PETA, organizations who wish to jam their goals of changing the culture of mainstream America about ownership of animals, farming and livestock, hunting, meat eating, ending the enslavement of animals, and criticizing President Obama for swatting a fly. Our rights are being challenged and ended while mainstream America sleeps as one animal rights bill after another is passed in cities, communities, counties and states.  Now I hate killing Bambis, though deer herds must be thinned for many reasons) but I do stand for the rights of others to hunt.  WE MUST WAKE UP AND FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS! One way is to donate money to the two organizations really fighting for our rights:  Sportsmen’s and Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance (SAOVA)    and the National Alliance for the Interests of Animals  www.naiaonline.org and  http://saova.org

Mr. Folco’s Article

Open Season: Firing back at the critics

June 21, 2009 6:00 AM

I get hate mail on the average of once a week, and I don’t know why. My column shouldn’t be controversial. Hunting has been around since the caveman, and guns have been around shortly after the Chinese invented gunpowder — and our Constitution clearly states that U.S. citizens have the right to keep and bear arms if they so choose. So, hunting and owning guns are two of America’s oldest and most time-honored traditions.

Why make them — and my column — a controversy?

After 21 years of dealing with cry-baby anti-hunters and runny-nosed gun-grabbers that whine incessantly about my column, the outdoors lifestyle and the shooting sports, I’ve become thick-skinned. Their barbs don’t penetrate. Some hate mail I answer, some I don’t. Some I answer here.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), based in Washington, threw another of its hissy-fits recently because I wrote about how the wealthy animal rights group has been investigated after soliciting donations to reunite pets with their owners during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They took in $34 million for that purpose but only spent $7 million on it. So, a whopping $27 million of solicited funds were used for something else.

In his letter to the editor, HSUS’s Michael Markarian skirts that issue and also avoids the notion that the group is pushing to get 41 dog bills enacted in 26 states that are cloaked as eliminating puppy mills, but go to the extreme, as usual. Language in such bills has included mandatory spaying/neutering (or pay $500 per dog per year that is not spayed or neutered), reporting all puppy sales to local authorities and eliminating the practice of humane tethering.

Markarian uses diversion, and says that the group campaigns vigorously against abusive hunting practices. They also (falsely) claim that I defend inhumane practices. Inhumane? By whose standards? Those of animal rights extremists? By their standards, all hunting is inhumane and the group’s underlying agenda is to eliminate all hunting.

HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle has been quoted as saying, “If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would,” as quoted by the Associated Press in Impassioned Agitator, Dec. 30, 1991. “Our goal is to get sport hunting in the same category as cock fighting and dog fighting,” as quoted in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Oct. 8, 1991. And, “Sport hunting — the killing of wild animals as recreation — is fundamentally at odds with the values of a humane, just and caring society,” HSUS Website 2003.

And according to a report from the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), Pacelle recently criticized in his blog, those who disagree with the group’s agenda, practically accusing them of not being in step with American culture, the report says.

Pacelle suggests that HSUS opponents should, “start adjusting to the evolving ethos in American culture. You’ll get ahead through innovation and adaptation, not stubborn adherence to custom or current business operations.” He also stated that other animal rights groups, “miss the bigger picture, and our interest in reaching mainstream Americans.”

“Mr. Pacelle’s own words pull the curtain back and unveil the real intent of the HSUS,” stated USSA President and CEO Bud Pidgeon. “He admits to attempting to ‘mainstream’ the group — at the same time he criticizes ‘custom.’ There’s only one reason to do this and that is to fundamentally change America to correspond to the HSUS agenda.”

The HSUS is also involved in a lawsuit to stop the delisting of the gray wolf as an endangered species in the Great Lakes states, where the wolf has rebounded to thriving and healthy populations, far exceeding the goals that were established in order to remove it from the list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — under the both the Bush and Obama Administrations — has determined that the wolf numbers are more than sufficient for it to be delisted. But that’s not good enough for the HSUS and other animal rights groups that are spending money on the lawsuit.

Could it be that the money being donated by people who are duped into believing they are helping doggies and kitties, is being used by these groups to fund those expensive anti-hunting lawsuits which tie up the courts with nonsense? We already know that a lot of the money feathers the nests of high-paid executives at the top of these groups.
Without an animal rights agenda, they’re out of their quarter-million-dollar salaries and would be slinging tofu at a vegan joint. You want veggie fries with that?

Just this week, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is in an uproar because President Obama swatted a fly. So, is swatting a fly (or a mosquito) now considered inhumane and abusive by animal rights’ standards? Are we now to adhere to the animal rights doctrine that mainstream America does not swat dirty, disease-carrying insects?

I see the animal rights brigade as nothing more than a noisy band of half-baked control freaks, led like sheep by cunning executives interested only in job security, who want to dictate how we spend our leisure time, what we eat and how we raise our own private pets. If you don’t like hunting, don’t hunt.

If you don’t like meat, eat weeds. Don’t want puppies, get your dog spayed. But why are they trying to shove their ridiculous agendas down our throats and make controversy out of “truly mainstream” activities that have been “custom” for centuries? It’s a free country, and if I want to hunt, eat meat, raise a litter of puppies and stomp on a bug, I should be able to without worrying about those whiny breast-beaters trying to outlaw it all.

Another recent hate letter was from Floyd, who thought my story about feeling the effects of approaching 50 just plain stunk and he wrote, “Write a book and do an autograph session with your raccoon hat and western jacket. Your description of stink is nothing compared to your articles.”

Well written, Floyd, but I beat you to it. Already working on my book — a collection of short stories, my favorite stinky articles. Hey, I might even name it that. “My Favorite Stinky Articles, by Marc Folco.” It’s got a nice ring to it. And thanks for the idea of wearing a coonskin hat for the book signing. Don’t have a coonskin one though, so I’ll have to wear my full-length coyote hat, made from a coyote that I shot (I’ll let you pet it if you buy a book). I don’t have a western jacket either, so I hope my buckskins will do (I’ll let you play with the fringe if you buy a book).

And if my articles stink so badly, why read them? If I think a writer stinks, I’m not wasting my valuable time reading his/her putrid rubbish from start to finish. I already know that fresh pile of doggie poo the puppy left on the carpet is going to stink, so I’m not going to sniff it.

Another reader was irate because I won a couple of humor awards from the New England Outdoor Writers’ Assoc. for 2008.
“Only you would make a joke out of killing a small defenseless deer — and your ilk rewarded that story on top of it. You and your kind are callous and disgusting,” M.S. said in reference to my story about shooting “teacup whitetails,” one of the award-winners. M.S. went on to say, “You are the most politically incorrect writer I have ever read!”

Well, my stories have won more than a dozen New England and national writing awards (many of them first place), so maybe you’re the one who is lacking a sense of humor. Laughter is the best medicine. Have a dose. Ain’t we got fun! I do have to agree with one thing. You hit the nail on the head — I am politically incorrect. And proud of it.

I am a man who tells it like it is, whether readers like it or not. I don’t write by anybody’s standards except my own, and those of the newspaper of course, where I can’t slander or use profanity. I wear my heart on my sleeve and say what I feel and think. Anybody who cowers to political correctness is a rump-smoocher in my book.

The end of “My Way,” as sung by Frank Sinatra, says it nicely:

“For what is a man?
What has he got?
If not himself
Then he has not
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows
I took the blows
And did it my way.”

Marc Folco is the outdoor writer for The Standard Times. Contact him at openseason1988@aol.com

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090621/SPORTS/906210384/-1/NEWSMAP

http://tinyurl.com/ns7blw

The message above was posted to West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri residents by the Sportsmen’s and Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance (SAOVA) on one of ten regional read only elists.

SAOVA is a nonpartisan volunteer group working to protect Americans from the legislative and political threats of radical animal rightists. It is the only national organization fighting this struggle for both sportsmen and animal owners, natural allies, in these arenas. Visit our website at http://saova.org for this program’s goals, methodology and list signup details.

Although Al’s 80th birthday was July 20th, we celebrated on the 25th.  Every time I put on a big party, I say never again as I just cannot control myself and tackle every project I have wanted to get done in order to make our home and grounds look beautiful.  Everything looked lovely except my nails which I hid all day as I had destroyed them with gardening and had no time to get them done.  Al kept reminding me as drove him crazy as well as myself, that he did not want a party. You could have fooled me as he just glowed when friends and family arrived to celebrate. 

A few pictures of the festivities:

 

Al and his much older brother Bill!!!

Bill will kill me!

 

From left:

Al’s son-in-law Ron, grandson Darren, Garette boyfriend of Audrey, and granddaughter Audrey 

                                            

 

 

Al and Audrey

 

 

Al’s brother bill and sister-in-law Rosie

 

Below is my brother Jerry and sister-in-law Diane  

Below are some of our dog show friends

My friend Charlotte LaRosa and I have been friends for over fifty years.  Her mother and she bred German Shepherds and when I was through college, she arranged for me to get “Lottie,” who became my first Shepherd champion. 

The weather could not have been more beautiful. Everyone seemed to have a great time!

Introducing my grand nephew, darling Fritz, who is enjoying tearing up the sunflower bouquet given to Al by a very understanding friend. Fritz was having such a good time. Fritz and his parents, my niece Annie and her husband Eric, are buying our farm.  Eric and Al have spent the last two and one half weeks putting up fence here and at the farm for a horse paddock and round pen to be ready for the return of Buttercup and a new mare called Shotzi. We saved Shotzi from the horse slaughter auction; both horses are well broken but are at a trainers for a month so that they are bombproof because Annie wants me to teach her to ride and ultimately Fritz to ride. Eric, Al, and I do ride so we will have lots of fun. Next time I will post pictures of my very special “rescue” horse Stanley–an absolutely stunning seven year old liver Chestnut registered, newly castrated, Morgan. He is the horse of my “medicare” dreams!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the best part of all:  Al and my own celebration:

The NAIA has worked tirelessly for many years against anti animal legislation such as proposed by PETA and the HSUS and other animal rights activist groups.  Take a look at the site listed below and get a clear picture of the animal rights agenda.  Go to the NAIA website, just Google NAIA and join this organization that protects our rights to own and breed animals.

http://www.exposeanimalrights.com/

 

MICHAEL VICK IS AN EXAMPLE TO CHILDREN WHO WISH TO EMULATE CELEBRITY FOOTBALL STARS WHO ALL TOO OFTEN DO NOT GIVE THE BEST EXAMPLE OF ETHICS AND INTEGRITY.  ANY ABUSER OF ANIMALS SHOULD NEVER BE PUT ON A PEDESTAL. The real heroes in our world are those like the those of our military and others who make a difference in our world. 

I received this from a friend today and thought it very worth passing on.  Author unknown.   I, for one, will be emailing the commissioner of the NFL.  The example of the abuse inflicted on dogs tells children who worship our football stars that it is acceptable to abuse, mutilate, and kill animals.  Please let your voice be heard. Meredith

Please support those beloved animals who cannot protect themselves….keep this going by sending it to everyone you know…. many voices get heard!  

      Today the commissioner of the NFL reinstated Michael Vick, which means that by this fall he could be playing football again
and earning millions of dollars.  This is the same Michael Vick who
tortured, electrocuted, shot, and hung dogs that he had trained to fight but lost their fights.  He doesn’t deserve this reinstatement.  There are some real thugs playing professional sports these days, but he takes the cake.

        Make your opinion known to the NFL commissioner on this
issue.  Remember, it’s all about the money.  My email to him mentioned that I plan to boycott the games and all those sponsors who spend millions of dollars to advertise during NFL games and that I plan to encourage as many people as I can to do the same. 

        This is a shameful day for the NFL.  The commissioner
seems to think that Vick is remorseful….sure he is….remorseful that he screwed up his lush life.  Remorseful for the inconvenience and interruption of his life. Anyone who could hang or torture or
electrocute a dog is incapable of “normal” human feelings and certainly doesn’t deserve to profit from our hard-earned money. 

        You can email the commissioner at:

Roger.goodell2@NFL.net

July 20th is (or was as I am late in posting this) Al’s 80th birthday.  When I met Al on a blind date on January 20, 1984, I knew. After dinner having a drink, I wanted to put my head on his shoulder–the only person in the world that I ever did.  I had talked to Al on the phone for the first time two weeks before I met him; we talked about growing broccoli of all things and about his farm where we subsequently built our log ranch on the river in Delaware, Ohio, before the dogs necessitated we move to our larger farm in Marengo.  After talking to Al, I told my friends that I had met the man I was going to marry.  I was 39, successful in my career, had raised German Shepherds and was judging, doing community theatre, and enjoying my beautiful home in Columbus and the fact that my lovely mother lived with me;  in other words, I was used to doing exactly as I wanted as I had the freedom to do so.  I had ended a twelve year relationship with a  much older Middle Eastern  man because although he gave lip service to my dog involvement, he was really a control freak who little by little was reining me in.  I finally realized that I could not walk ten paces behind and ended it; I thought as used to my independence as I was and as driven in my career and dogs as I was that I would never marry or risk having another significant relationship as I could not allow myself to give up so much of me again. 

Then I met Al and married him in six weeks start to finish.  I was not going to let him go!  I asked him what first attracted him to me and he said “my moxie”–a quality that has driven him crazy ever since.  Al hated New Yorkers because he thought them brazen and pushy; I am from Brooklyn–brazen and pushy.  It took me years to figure out why I often turned Midwesterners off; only a couple of years ago did it dawn on me that Midwesterners are more laid back; not as pushy or as verbally assertive and aggressive as those of us from the East coast especially my Brooklyn. Once I figured this out, I have used being from Brooklyn as my excuse for everything!!!  Anyway, after twenty five years of marriage, we are still working out the kinks!!!  We have gone through a lot together and share the same code of ethics and hopefully incorruptible integrity.  As different as we are on the surface, we think the same way and are really made from the same cloth. Al has been my rock, my security, my refuge, and my love.  Any success that Rattlebridge has enjoyed is due to his steadfastness; I depend on him totally and would be lost without him.

Happy Birthday, Al, and many many more to come.

 

 

 

 Al the Befuddled!!!

 

 

   

 

Al with his wonderful Tia who was his girl for 16 years:

 

 

 

 

 

Below is my favorite picture of Al.  He and Ch. Rattlebridge Kathleen, ROM, were enjoying being on the water in this photo. “Katie” lived to be 14.  One of Al’s fondest memories is showing Katie to two best puppy in show wins at two old club shows beating me handling Ch. Rattlebridge Reginald each day for Best Puppy!!

 

 

 

One of our wedding pictures.

Al looks the same, but I will never be this thin again!!!

I had the honor of judging the Summerfest cluster of shows the fourth of July weekend in Ventura, California, and had a marvelous time as I always do when I judge these shows.  Our hotel was located right on the beach and the shows next door at the fairgrounds. I caught up with some of my judge friends and really enjoyed their camaraderie.  I judged some lovely dogs.during the three days of shows and then traveled to San Diego with my really dear friends Jeff and Tami Byroads who got their first Cavalier “Tilt” from me. Tami recently showed Tilt at the Bay Area Cavalier Club specialty where he won Best Veteran.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Byroads home is San Diego is truly lovely, but the biggest treat, besides hanging out with my friends, was seeing my “kids:”  Tilt, Winnie and Costume Party.  Friends of Tami and Jeff’s were celebrating a birthday on the beach of the La Jolla Country Club. It was such a lovely night and the food was beyond delicious.  I went to California showing off my weight loss and came back with a bigger girth due to the desserts served at the party. The sunset on the beach was glorious.

Tami and I went to the San Diego zoo!  This Zoo is unbelievable and changed so much since my last visit several years ago.  The elephant exhibit was my favorite, but I enjoyed all we saw, just a little of the huge zoo.  Hopefully, all the walking took off a couple of ounces of dessert. 

I had the opportunity to talk to the Cavalier Club of San Diego about the responsibilities of breeding and ownership.  This is a rather new and very enthusiastic club who put on their first specialty show last February.  I was supposed to judge, but Al’s brain surgery kept me home.  Great club, great club members.   Until next time . . .