New Products Coming

We were at UKC Premier up in  Kalamazoo, MI and I got requests for two items I had not considered before...

1. Obedience Articles (leather)  I braided purple and black together in the herringbone braid and sewed them closed with leather lacing.  They came out great and the gal who gave me the idea was so excited that she used them at Valpariso, In obedience!!! There are 6 in a set and since we have so many colors they can come in a wide variety.

2. German Shepherd Dog 12 foot leashes.  Our leather does NOT come in that long - SO I braided the ends of three 4' lengths of 3/8" wide leather and then toward the snap end of the lead I put some extra braiding for holding when the dog is close; and of course a loop on the other end.  The gal who gave me this idea used it immediately in the ring and was very excited about it.  So this will also go up on the website for others to purchase!

Peter and I are so busy these days, we do custom orders at each show, since we can't have every possibility that people want.  Peter is doing OK, but tires easily and unexpectedly has to take a nap.  We're taking this next weekend off to travel to TX and make product so that our racks will not look so bare when we get there. 

We just ordered 18 hides and expect to get them hopefully by San Antonio... havn't heard from Jeff yet.. but we're getting two new colors for the medium and lightweight people, a lime green and a royal blue.

Much Cooler Weather

We've gone or come North depending on who's reading this.  What a nice difference in the weather, especially in the mornings.  We've gotten to Whittington, IL... just west of Rend Lake.  It's beautiful here, lots of tall, old oak, bass and maple trees.  The RV Park we're staying in; Whittington Woods; is great, they have lots of space, everything is fresh and clean.. they have even taken out some of the trees to allow people with satellite domes to catch it.  They have done lots of renovations since they took over and are ready for lots of campers.  We will definately put them on our list to stay at.  Especially since we're coming this way in September for the PWD national.

Peter got a virus on his computer, we'll stay here a couple of days for him to concentrate on fixing it.  GRRRR Windows & Bill Gates, I'm so glad I went to a MAC.  He's a genius on computers and the virus still got him... I feel sorry for people who have to rely on techs to fix their problems. 

GA

Well we've spent a month in GA... has been mostly nice weather, kinda muggy.  The last few days have been very warm, up in the 90's.  This last show I was outside and boy was it warm... had a fan blowing the whole time just to try to keep cool.

Hoshi has been spade... now is time to try rally and obedience.  She is coming along nicely, staying close beside me when we're walking.  She is full of it and hates to be on restrictions like no jumping, or running.. so her exercise level is nill for the next few days.

I got a new (old) sewing machine to do the leather frizbees on, they are fun to make... I ordered and received some real deer leather in gold, red, and blue to make the stars out of and very bright colors of pack cloth for the back of the frizbee, orange, yellow, neon green.  It will show up in the grass nicely in case the dogs miss catching it.

I was asked at this show to make one large enough for Berners... I think I'll do a 9 inch one.. this should be big enough.  For now I'm only doing stars, but will try to come up with something else for variety.

Pilar has finished the PWD in ceramic and it looks good.  We will be going to the Basenji national and the PWD national this september.  I have been working on my calendar to tell where we'll be..

I've been asked to consider the International Terrier show in PA in October... if they've got room I'll definitely put it on my calendar.

Perry, GA April 09

We just finished the Atlanta KC show, it was an OK show... I had a 20' booth outside and was able to have my bicycle out front so sold quite a few K-9 bike joggers.  It's sure a cool device.  It attaches to the seat post of the bike and since it has 3 springs inside the bar the rider does not feel any pulling that the dog does.

The weather was very cooperative for that week, it was chilly in the mornings but by afternoon was nice and pleasant.  I was sure glad to be under the awing of McGill building, the wind did not bother me at all.   I had my 20' tent frame set up and the vendors on one side of me attached their rack to me after they had it blown over.  My tent was very solid.

Tomorrow I'll be setting up for the Sheltie National, Peter has been working very hard on getting leatherwork done.  I've gotten in sheltie flags, sheltie ornaments, pins and pendants... I think we'll have a good show.

Hoshi is in another heat, she came in on the 12th... this is the last straw, she is getting spayed as soon as she's out of heat.  She had been in a false pregnancy for the last 3 weeks before and her new heat came 3 months after her last one.

Peter is doing well, his blood pressure has spiked a couple of times but he has a drug that can pull it down fast and then he's ok for another while.

Hoshi and I have been bicycling around every day, she always wants more.

I got three orders of tattooers out in the last two weeks, all the vendors have now checked in this spring, so we'll have a reprieve until september when they will be ordering for the national.

I'm trying to figure out where we'll be next year, some of the eastern shows we havn't been able to do I'm going to get on the waiting list, hoping we'll get invitations.

AKC Agility

Concord, NC... what a fun show.  I got to watch some of the runs and they were fantastic.  In the booth I started selling the 2x2 weave pole video by Susan Garrett from Canada.  She is a great teacher, I've been using techniques she's taught in another video called "crate games".  Teaches the dog that the crate is a good place and also helps with their reasoning in commands like come, stay etc.

I got more K-9 Bike Joggers in stock and the sales took off on Sunday.  This is the best dog exerciser ever.  It's been improved with a handle, chrome and coating... it can't break the cord now due to rubbing and it's smoother working.  I love it and so do many of the people who came by.  A Great Dane owner says that she uses it on her bike to roadwork her Danes, they love it and she's never been pulled over with the Bike Jogger like with other devices

I use a harness with Hoshi, she is more apt to pull me along when wearing it.  She likes to work and I've also bought her a pack so that she can carry items like leather orders from the RV to the booth.

Busy Couple of weeks

Here we are in North Carolina @ Raleigh.  This show started on Tuesday with setup and then wednesday with showing.. Boy has it been a good show.  

We did Louisville last week and had a rewarding experience there.  Again we were in the Agility area and met many friends from last year.   

Here in Raleigh we've been busy every day, with one day to go Peter has just finished the special orders from today and still has some mail orders to go.  

Don't know what to expect tomorrow, will it be as busy or slower?

We've come up with a great new collar.  It's a martingale with leather for the tightener and using a brass ring for the slider.  It looks really nice and I think the buyer will be happy.  

We are always open to new ways of doing collars and leashes.

I finally got the K9 Bike jogger in this week... they are selling like hot cakes and we're ready to get a large amount in now.

Next week is the AKC agility National, I'm so excited, I've never been to one before and am expecting to see lots of rings and seeing people that I've met from all over the country to show up.

Poor Hoshi is in a false pregnancy AGAIN.  This time she's actually lactating, she is miserable, all the other times she has only stayed in the false pregnancies for a week, this time she has been in for 3 weeks and is getting more miserable with each day.  Her poor nipples are so swollen that many people wonder if she's actually pregnant.  I know better because she has NOT been NEAR a male at all!  She is being so motherly to Nougat, washing her face and ears.  Of course on the other hand she will try to hump her when she gets a chance.

We are still taking our bike rides, we have gone to the post office this week twice and have ridden around the fairgrounds the rest of the time.

North Carolina is a beautiful state, we came over the smokey mountains and they are very beautiful.  The fog is very low and we drove through some very dense spots.  It does look like smoke coming off the rocks.  Speaking of rocks, all along the road coming from Tennessee the road was cut through slate like rocks, very dark, smooth, table like... there was a river along the road and offerings of river rides on the west side, once we got over to the east side, the river was very large and much slower moving.  This I could kayak; I don't like the rapids, not for me.

The rest of what we've seen of the state is beautiful... lots of hardwoods, small meadows, older houses, slightly rolling...it's really pretty.

Snow???

We're still in Lexington, KY, last night there was a very light dusting of snow.  The gal at the desk says that this is about all they ever get.  It's so light the grass is still showing through.

Hoshi and Nougat don't like it because it makes their feet cold, so I took them out today when it was mostly melted.

Nougat is so funny, she's a little "piss pot" she goes around sniffing everything and trying to leave pea everywhere!!!  It gets so that she doesn't have anything left though.  She's awfully cute in her little coat.  She's really good about coming when I call.  I leave them both off leash when we're here at the horse park and close to the RV due to the fact that there is chain link fencing all around and no one else is here.  I haven't seen anyone even by the trailers or RV's.

Hoshi is very good about coming, I've been working with her a lot on obedience and she does really well with heeling, sit, stay come, flat, (except when it's wet or cold, she's a woose too) and will walk beside me even off lead.  Occasionally she will move too far from my heel but all I have to do is tell her "closer" and she comes right back.  I have to work now to get her to "go out" so that she will jump right or left on cue.  Her "leave it" is very consistent ... We're coming along though and having fun doing it.

Peter sees the heart dr tomorrow and then we'll come back to stay the night here and leave for Franklin on Tuesday AM.  Setup is on Wednesday.

Georgia in Late Winter

Coming up through GA from FL was new for us at this time of year.  All the leaves were brown and many of the trees were actually naked!  It's such a beautiful state, and driving up 319 to I-75 was a real treat.  Rolling hills, very small communities, lots of green grass this time of year.  There are still alot of hardwoods but the undergrowth is minimal so that I could see through the trees.  I kept expecting to lock eyes with a deer.

I was surprised that we were still seeing alot of armadillos as road kill.  I thought they were more in the dryer states like TX.  Guess not, it's funny kinda, in the NW and even in the more northern state we see lots of raccoon's alongside the road, but not down here.

Once we got to Knoxville heading west the rocks were very visible, I even caught glimpses through the trees of small caves or cave openings scattered around the trees.  It would be fun to slither inside and see what kind of cave it is.  I'm sure many small animals call them home so intrusion would not be welcome.

On the both sides of the interstate were high rock cliffs, on the north side facing south the water was flowing slowly, but on the south side facing north it was all frozen and looked like whiskers of knomes as they looked out of the rock. LOL  It was really beautiful, when comparing the two sides, there didn't seem to be as much water flowing on the north side, but on the south frozen side, it accumulated and was very full.

We got into Lexington on Wednesday, we parked and I let the girls out to play, they got cold quickly and were happy to come in and snuggle under the blankets on the couch.  

What a wind & thunder rain storm we had last night, I was awake alot and the rain came in sheets while the RV was rocking alot.  Peter thankfully slept through it, but I was awake every couple of hours and it lasted all night.

3rd week of Feb 2009

What a week we've had... we left Bassfield and headed south to Florida... we were within 80 miles of our destination at Chatahoochee, FL just 40 miles short of Tallahassee when the drive shaft fell off the RV... right in the middle of the I-10.

The RV had started vibrating while we were going down the road and Peter was trying to determine what it could be... he went through all the possibilities hoping to get to the KOA where we had a reservation before anything bad happened.  He had just told me that it was possible that it was the drive shaft coming loose when it fell off..  The middle yoke bolt looks like it broke and dropped the shaft front first.  Since we were going 60 mph it ripped itself out of the back and the drivers side back tires rolled right over it.

God was sure watching over us because the shaft could have done alot of damage to the under carriage, but yet there was none.  He is so good, our Protector!!!

We called the insurance to see if they would pay for a tow truck, sure the first 16 miles LOL we were out in the middle of nowhere, 120 miles from Tallahassee where there was a big enough truck that would tow us to the people who could fix this.  Since we're so long with a tag axel, not everyone will tow us.  Plus we had to have the trailer towed also since the tow truck cannot tow the RV with the trailer on behind because the trailer would pop off the first bump that was hit.

KOA recommended a repair place that had proven themselves to them and we followed their recommendation and happy that we did.  These guys "Rising Son's" were great, they found places to construct all the parts, found out that the front part of the shaft was bent also and made sure that it was made too.  We stayed overnight at their place, and they pushed everything through in good time.

We made it to the fairgrounds in Tallahassee in time to set up our booth for the show.

This was a very small show but also had some agility going on.  The public came in and there were quite a few people enjoying the nice day.  Overnight and in the mornings the temp was very cold (23 degrees) and being that we were setup outside I layered all over and wore my boots.  It warmed up during the day into the high 60's and off came the layers LOL.

Longleaf Trace

Have a couple of items to report.  I'm getting a new video for my Stibbar Booth & Store.  It's 2x2 weave training by Susan Garrett out of Canada.  This video shows how to teach your dog weave poles in 12 days.  I'm excited by it because weave poles are the hardest things to teach and everyone has trouble with them.  Most trainers say that after 6 - 9 months of training you should be able to have some consistancy of your dog going through them.

The second item is that we stayed in Bassfield MS and I took Hoshi out on the bike trail that is 42 miles long and goes from Hattiesburg way west to Bassfield and beyond.  Hoshi and I did 3 miles the first day and then 7 miles the next.  Plus we got alot of custom orders shipped out, as we passed by the PO heading for the trail.  There was also a Regions bank in town so got the checks deposited.

It was a great couple of days, we stayed at a stables that is run by a man who was born in bassfield 62 years ago and his dad was born there too.  Very nice couple and they have 7 or 8 hookups and the water is delicious.

Arkansas

We were at McKinney last week and had a nice show.. best of all I picked up a new product. Roberta Kirby is a top notch massager of dogs... and she has a new video out that helps owners massage their own dogs right at the time of injury or problem.

We just finished our first show in Arkansas.  It was a small show but we did OK.  Got enough to make it to Fl next week plus get some product in, plus pay for entries into other shows.

After florida we will be heading to Lexington to see the dr.  Peter needs some updates on his meds, and I need some help with the arthritis, it's getting worse in my hands and right wrist.

We had to get the bearings greased on the tag axel drivers side... it was making alot of noise.

Last 2 weeks

 The trip from Rosenberg to Abilene was beautiful, we stayed off any large roads since TX has great state roads.. the scenery was great. Rolling hills, great big pecan and oak trees spaced far enough apart to make it look like a park.

Hoshi got her fill of cows, but we saw lots of boer goats as well as sheep.  She doesn't know what those are so doesn't pay attention to them.

Abilene show was quite small but I sold 43 ornaments!!! Hardly any leather.  Very disappointing.  We then went back to Houston for the Crosby show that we've done now for the 3rd year... this was the best year ever... sold so much leather that Peter will be working for a couple of weeks to get us re-stocked plus they ordered alot of stuff.  24+ orders on friday and saturday and he worked all day saturday and sunday to get it made.  Then I got more orders on sunday and he has to make them when we get to Dallas.

We love those people, they are very appreciative when we show up.  I've got to get into the summer Houston show this year.

We celebrated with Pizza last night, really good from a local pizza joint in highlands, TX.

We're currently on our way up to McKinney which is just 20 miles N of Dallas.  There is another agility show there this weekend.  It will be interesting to see how we do there.

Peter's mad at the garmin as it makes alot of mistakes, this am has taken us on a round about way to get to I-45... went 40 miles out of our way...grrrrr

Now at last we're on 45 and can make some time.

Peter is doing ok, he's adjusting to his lower blood pressure and to the multiple drugs he's taking.  We're figuring out where we'll be by the end of the month so he can see another cardiologist.

Texas in winter

Praise God, we had a good show at Rosenberg, TX.... now we're on the way to Abilene, TX which is a bit to the North.

We're awaiting confirmations on other shows that will be lined up for Feb... we've got to find somewhere that we can get mail at.

If we're heading for GA then we won't be able to get mail for another week as we'll be on the road with no firm address until after that show.

Peter is tired from driving today as we had a high head wind the hole way and we only went just over 100 miles.  We're staying at the little town of Rockdale in the middle of the state.  Lots of Pecan and Oak trees, even in winter they are majestic.

We're going to stay here an extra day just to catch up on the taxes, it's that time of year for state taxes and Peter has to get them electronically filed.

Going back to Houston, Houston, Houston

Yesterday we left indio with me driving... Peter was not supposed to due to the angiogram that he had on Saturday. They told him that he needed to stay away from any movements that could dislodge the plug that they put into his artery in his thigh.
So, here I am driving the RV with the trailer on behind through town to get to the interstate. It was tense at first, but once I relaxed it worked out fine. We got into Phoenix in good time but then a schoolbus pulled up beside us on the passenger side and told Peter that we had a flat. We had not felt a thing.
We pulled over, made a few phone calls and got someone out to fix it for us. The insurance will pay for the service call even though we have to pay for the tire. It was the extension of the valve stem that caused the tire to go flat. But the flat tire could not be fixed due to the big hole in the sidewall that happened on the road while it was flat.
We finally got back on the road but found an rv park as quickly as possible as it was starting to get dark.
We slept great and got on the road early, trying to make up some time from the flat tire. I called Rob and let him know that we were passing by Tucson and couldn't stop to see him as we were behind schedule.
Peter got to drive today and he made good time, we are currently in Anthony TX which is just over the state line from New Mexico. Not much to tell about the drive as it's very much the same the whole way. Lots of rocks, flat land, dead grass and slight grades.
We are up higher and tonight is supposed to be down in the low 30's. We'll just make sure that we have a second blanket on the bed and snuggle close.
It's nice to have the dogs keep our feet warm when it's cold outside.
We'll get an early start tomorrow and try to get halfway across TX before stopping.

Peter coming home Today

We're just waiting for Peter to get checked out of the hospital so I can pick him up.

His heart is what is making him short of breath.  The pneumonia is all gone and his lungs are clean.

He has been evaluated by the respiratory therapist and has been told that there is no reason for oxygen due to the fact that his lungs are getting the air to his heart but his heart is not pumping correctly so cannot get the air into his blood stream.  Without the pneumonia his heart functions are now up to 40% (normal is 60-70%).  He cannot be zapped if his heart goes into fibrillation again because his functions has to be above 45% so we have to watch that.

His blood pressure is down, he is taking 4 different medications and one of them he takes 3 times a day.  

His blood sugar is still very high, can't figure out the reason for that... we'll have to see a endocrinologist to get some answers there.

He will still get tired easily and be short of breath so he has to be careful of what kind and duration of exercise he can get.  He was hoping that he'd be able to get on a bicycle but not sure now.  Walking is a struggle, while taking his respiratory test an old lady (70's) challenged him to a race and he had to admit that she would beat him. 

His is not liking that fact that he is so limited but he is praising the Lord for allowing him to continue on his lifes journey.  He has been enjoying running around the country so much.  A week stuck in a hospital and he's ready to get moving again, he says his feet are itching really bad LOL.  So we're heading off for Houston tomorrow morning, will be there by thursday. 

 I just went and got 12 new drugs for him.  Keep us in your prayers, and thanks to all who prayed for 

Peter's heart is clean

Peter will get getting out of the hospital on Sunday.  The angiogram today showed that his heart is completely free of blockages.  The doctor was amazed, everyone Peter's age has some signs of blockages, even very slight.  But Peter has none.. he is bringing home a CD for me to see of the angiogram.  I'm really excited, I love to see that stuff.

It's been a long week, both the girls and I have been missing Peter something awful.  We've been trying to keep busy, I've been taking both of them out for a run each day, Nougat starts out at 7 MPH but then slows down a couple of MPH as she gets tired.

I've been cleaning house and rearranging stuff, hoping to get more space for us.  Nougat has taken to watching outside for "the man", staying around the door a lot.

When I've called Peter he will occasionally say hello to the little dog over the phone and she kisses the phone and looks at the door.  

It's going to be great to have him home.  The neighbors to my left have offered to drive me over to get him home.

This hospital that he's in is 12-15 miles away and I haven't been able to see him for the last few days.

More Hospital Time for Peter

Looks like Peter will be in the hospital for over the weekend.  Good news is that his heart dropped out of fibrillation (called converted) so it's in the correct rhythm .  But now they have to back off all the drugs they've been giving him and start over to do drugs that will keep him in correct rhythm.  His BP is also in the correct numbers, he's going to feel really great once they get him stabilized.

The pneumonia is cooperating too, his fluid levels in his lungs are dropping and he doesn't have a rattle any longer.  

He's still on oxygen because the oxygen in his blood is still low, but that's coming up too.

His blood levels this morning were looking good although his red blood count is down to 10.8.. when it goes below 10 he gets procrit shots to put the count up over 13 (normal is 13-18)

I'm tired, running around on my bicycle, I go to the store, hospital, all sorts of stores within 2 mile radius.  Hoshi is loving it - she's in heat again so I have to be careful that there's no dogs in the area but going with me everywhere is her delight.

We were coming back from the hospital the other day and a person drove up beside me and hollered out the window "excuse me" it was at a light so I stopped and asked her if I could help her.  She asked me why I didn't stop and let my dog rest, didn't I know that I was pushing her too hard?  she said "it's so cruel to keep her running" she had seen us for the last two blocks and I hadn't slowed down for that whole time.(going 8 MPH - just a long stride for Hoshi) I just laughed and told her that Hoshi was having fun!!   -  I was panting but Hoshi was ready for more.  We went over to the office to get mail a bit later and she was jumping around and tugging at her leash!!

Peter

Praise the Lord, He is faithful, Peter is doing better every day.  The pneumonia is under control and his lungs are starting to clear up.  The doctors are able to get his BP under control too.  They are telling him that his heart rate will probably not change but with caution he will be able to walk a little (better than he's been able to do in a while).  They may prescribe oxygen for him at home, they were surprised that he hasn't been on it already.

His blood sugars are still really high, they are pumping him full of all types of insulin but nothing is helping.  He is eating well, they are feeding him 3 times a day, a diabetic diet but they are still really concerned that the sugar levels in his blood are so high.

He sounds great, getting lots of rest.

I went to the MAC store today and they plugged my computer in and it worked fine. GRRRR  figures, I checked it this AM and it still wouldn't work for me.  Now I get home and it's all better, I think it missed being bumped around so wanted a ride on the bicycle!

So I'm back on my own computer and I can start getting the taxes finalized, (I was really good about keeping up in 08) I don't have that much do to, when Peter gets back we can put in the cash receipts and send it off to the accountant.

Hoshi and I had a good ride this morning, Mac store was 1 mile one way from the RV park and I had to get my drugs for the month from Walgreens which was 1 mile the other way from the RV park.  Also this AM I took both girls for a ride around the park while I was doing laundry.  Nougat loves to run, she sets the pace for us and we do about 6 mph.  Hoshi at that point is just doing a long stride.  When Nougat slows down that means she's had enough and I take her back to the RV.  Then she spends the rest of the day on the front dash soaking up the sun.

God is good, I am praising Him all day long for His protection and Blessings to us.

Hospital Stay for Peter

Peter landed in the hospital on Sunday Am... he refused an ambulance but took a taxi there.  They got him into the ER immediately and started helping him to breathe better.  He couldn't catch his breath at all and we were told that he has pneumonia and congestive heart failure both.  Don't know where the pneumonia came from the but CHF is from his leaky valve.

He is in ICU in a little hospital in indio, ca called JFK memorial and he is drugged with Valium to keep his stress level down and on two antibiotics for the pneumonia and lasix to get the fluid off his lungs.

He is doing OK and the dr thinks they will keep him for at least 3 days.

I drove the rv with trailer from the polo grounds where we had set up the booth for a show over to the rv park (about 3 miles with a couple of turns) and did OK.  It's cold this morning and am waiting for it to warm up a bit before I ride my bike over to the hospital.

Nougat is freaking out because "the man" is not around, she is so bonded to him that she misses him alot!!!!

It is weird to not have him sitting across from me, I don't want to do this for long!

God is in control and we are both awaiting His pleasure!

January 2009

The first week of January 2009 and Peter has caught something.  He woke this AM gasping for breath, couldn't catch it at all... he got up and he was able to breathe, the first thought that he had was his heart was giving out.  (Both parents had bad hearts)  but after I called Connie and talked with her and he did some research on the computer he came to the conclusion that it wasn't his heart but could be either valley fever or a virus that's been going around.

Whew!!! he had me scared there for a bit.

He is running a fever and is getting more congested as the day goes on but has stuff that he can take and we'll see a dr when we get to Phoenix on Tuesday.

This show in Indio is one of the worst that we've done.  No one has any money and all the vendors are hurting.

We're praying that God supplies so that we can get the toilet replaced, it's been leaking fresh water from the seals.

We are trusting Him for all our needs.