Norman's Daily Bark

Time Flies : Happy 2yr Anniv Norman!

2012-01-16T16:55:00.000-05:00

This is what he looked like the day he came home at about 4 months old.

Laura says goodbye to her sweet boy!

He seemed really BIG. HE seems alot BIGGER now!

We got Mr. Norman 2yrs ago on MLK Day! How time flies! In other news, we are shopping for an Airstream for Frank to live in since he is working in Nashville now....I think an Airstream could be VERY useful for (ahem!) other things too. We have been looking at fixing up an older one....not much luck at finding a decent one so far....but Diamond found a boat she REALLY LIKED on Saturday in Albany, GA!

A Visit to St. Nick

2011-12-18T15:58:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, we ventured to Lenox Square Mall in ATL for Santa Photos. This Santa is normally for humans only, but they let pets join the fun for two Sunday evenings in December.As you can see by the photos, Di and Norm were excellent Cardigan ambassadors...one lady even knew what breed they were because she had owned a Pem! A Christmas Miracle! The only bummer was that Frank had his iphone stolen. Tis the season, I guess.

Win Pic

2011-11-29T17:14:00.000-05:00

Here is Diamond's win pic from Priceville. Cheryl always makes her look so pretty. Hopefully, we will go this weekend to see Santa at Lenox Sq. Mall in Atl. They let the official Macy's Santa do pet photos a couple of hours on two Sundays in Dec. It should be fun. Oh yeah... and the girls can have their picture made with Santa too :).

We have ribbons....

2011-11-13T13:05:00.001-05:00

Diamond was WB and BOW Sunday in Priceville AL. Only one point (I think), but a good finish for her final entry in the 6-9mo puppy class. (She will be 9 months on the 20th). Now she will come home and have fun till next year. I am sure she will especially enjoy watching the Macy's Parade this year as Neil Diamond will be riding and singing on the South Dakota Mt. Rushmore float this year! Then, of course we can watch the Philly Dog Show...We will be glad to have her home! I will post the win photo later when we get it, but here is a pic Cheryl snapped of Di 'laxin' in her crate:

Halloween Fun, Dog Shows, and Deer

2011-11-02T22:45:00.000-04:00


Ready for Halloween...Sarah is Marvin the Martian, and Norm is Marvin's dog, Commander K9	Emily and me are in our Star Trek Uniforms!

Costume parade at Kennesaw Show was led by Emily and Diamond!

Marvin the Martian and Commander K9!

Happy Diamond at the ATL Show a week b4 the Halloween Shows.

This was a pretty appropriate response to this judge for sure.

We have two young yard deer. They are so pretty and my cat stalks them.

Is it coming a flood soon, or what??

2011-10-19T20:44:00.000-04:00

Hello, this is Norman and they made me model this orange jacket. I do not know why but they said they were selling some of these Fido Floats on ebay and needed a model. The one I am wearing was too small. I think it would fit Diamond better,but she is with The Boss. She used to be my boss.

I am also supposed to tell you that Diamond was RWB Friday at the MD shows, whatever that means! Oh yeah...and I think I am going to try Lure Coursing in a couple of weeks if the weather will cooperate. I am going to be Commander Canine for Halloween (that's marvin the martian's dog). Mom will have to make the costume, though. Maybe it won't be too scratchy! I will post a picture of that!

The Remnants of a Good Time

2011-09-30T01:40:00.000-04:00

This is the look of satisfaction after shredding the pillow on the sofa. She was only by herself for a few minutes. Norm says he had nothing to do with it!

Baby Steps and Norm's Visit to Grandpa!

2011-08-30T00:42:00.002-04:00

Diamond participated in her first cluster of shows this past weekend... We came home with a couple of blue ribbons, and lots of new experiences for a barely 6 month old puppy. She had fun and is starting to learn how to be a show dog. Right now she is at Camp Cheryl and she is entered a couple of days at Lexington this weekend. Super-congrats to Norm's sis Rosie for her 4pt major on Sunday, and to Tommy (ScoutxChase pup) for back to back majors in the ATL this weekend. It was all quite exciting to watch!

Here is Emily, Frank, Norman, and my dad in his room in rehab. Norman did well for his first experience in such a place. He got to meet some of the other patients/residents too!

Norman is going to get to play therapy dog tomorrow (though he isn't yet certified or anything)...my dad is in rehab after a nasty blood infection and they told us that it was OK to bring our doggies. I am sure this will be a good thing for man and beast alike. Norm is so sad and lost without his little Di-Di!! I will have to post pics of this visit to the rehab/nursing facility too! I have since added the photo above! Norm and my daddy were very happy to see each other!

Resistance is futile...

2011-08-21T20:00:00.001-04:00

"We are Cardigan...you will be assimilated....resistance is futile..."
They are definitely in charge. Happy 6 month Birthday Diamond!

Not Much Happening Here...

2011-08-15T23:45:00.000-04:00

Hello, this is Diamond! I am trying to keep this big stick I found in the yard away from Norman....I also ate a book today, and threw up in the Element like three times! Like I said, not much happening here!

BUT ...I hope to meet some new friends in Atlanta at the shows in a couple of weeks. We all think Norman needs to enter the weight pull 'cause he's so big and strong.... I will just be out in the ring looking cute and wagging my tail, I think. I will try to be a good girl!

Did I do that???

2011-07-12T00:47:00.000-04:00

Hello, it's Diamond. They say I was bad and ate the purple Ikea bench. Was I really bad??

And they Call it Puppy Love...

2011-06-06T21:54:00.000-04:00

Miss Diamond practices...Norman Barks

2011-06-05T18:50:00.001-04:00

Our club had a match yesterday so Frank took Diamond out in the ring for some fun and Norman got to stay in his crate and...BARK. A good time was had by all!

I Am Cardigan, Hear Me Roar

2011-05-19T01:43:00.002-04:00

Hello, this is Diamond. I got my Cardigan ears yesterday. Everybody says they make me look very cute now that both of them are standing up.I also had to go see people who poked me with needles and things, and that microchip thing really HURT!!. The Dr. gave me a yogurt treat to make me feel better. Please look at the video below if you want to see what me and Uncle Norman do all day (when someone is around to watch us, that is...otherwise I have to stay in my "bullpen"). It sure is fun being a Cardigan! PS: You need to look at Emily's blog about me at diamondiscute.blogspot.com .

There's a New Kid in Town...

2011-05-09T01:40:00.000-04:00

We were thrilled to go to Tennessee on Friday to pick up the newest member of our family, Grangefield Lyberty Cracklin' Rosie Make Me a Smile , "Diamond". She is Ch Winbucks Mosaic Wheel D'Fortune CDX HT (ferris) x Ch Grangefield Lyberty Savannah (jill). Norman is a very happy uncle, although I have to admit that Diamond will certainly be ruling the roost before many days pass. She is a fearless little spitfire, and we love it!

She was born Feb. 20, which is also the same day Norm finished his championship. Diamond will be old enough to debut in the ring at our Club's practice B Match in June. Also... my 5yr old Emily has started her own blog about Diamond : www.diamondiscute.blogspot.com . There are some other photos on her blog from our trip to TN. Special thanks to Laura Prosser and Shirley Hobbs for entrusting us with this beautiful and SMART girl. I will co-own her with Laura.

Winner of the Silly Cardi Award....

2011-05-05T00:37:00.001-04:00

Here are a couple more shots of Norman from Nationals. It is possible that he could have won the silly Cardigan in the ring award, if such an award existed! Please note in the first picture that he spotted me and became a total ham! We had a good time, and it was a great experience for all of us. I have about 2000 photos from Nationals (conformation movement and candids) that can be viewed and/or purchased at www.ashotinthebark.net/cwcca2011 . I have prints, digital downloads, and other merchandise (like mousepads) available. Even if you were not there, please just enjoy taking a look at all the dogs.

There will be a new and exciting announcement coming in the next couple of days! Stay tuned!

A Fun Day at the CWCCA Nationals

2011-04-15T22:21:00.000-04:00

Sarah and Emily got to take Norman around the ring today at Nationals in the Parade of Titleholders. It was fun for the three of us, and it made everybody smile! Check out my photos of Nationals on my website at www.aShotintheBark.net. You can view and purchase photos, file downloads, and all sorts of other neat stuff like tees and mugs and other cool stuff. I am uploading as fast as I can....if you order prints they will be color corrected in the pro lab. Enter code CWCCA for a 25 percent discount on any order. I will be blogging a little more about our trip next week!

A visit to the relatives'

2011-04-07T19:40:00.001-04:00

Hello, this is Norman. We went to Tennessee to see puppies on Wednesday. They belong to my half-sister Jill and some dog names Ferris. Nobody paid much attention to me, but I got to see the puppies, my mom Katie (who growled at me when I got too close to her bone) and several more of my relatives. The puppies are really cute. My little girls were really fond of them! I hope to see all of you in Houston. Stop by and pet me and I will give you a big kiss...

My mom made some pictures of the puppies and she also has a new website for her photography: ww w.aShotintheBark.ne t. Maybe you would like to look at her website and all the puppy pictures HERE. And if you scroll down to the bottom of this page there is a youtube video (it WILL view in HD if you select it) of our visit too. I make several very brief appearances.

Please don't eat the scissors.

2011-03-30T22:38:00.000-04:00

Dear Norman,

Please don't eat the scissors.

thanks,

the management

Mail call again...

2011-03-14T22:19:00.001-04:00

The Saturday Bath and the $600 Cat

2011-03-12T23:29:00.001-05:00

Well it's Saturday, so I told Norman he needed a Saturday Bath. He was not impressed, but relatively compliant. It's not such a bad deal Norman...you haven't had a bath in about three weeks.

Now to the topic of the cat. The cat pictured above (Smokey) that I found in the woods this past summer (feral) wound up with a $600 vet bill. We had just had him neutered and microchipped and all that jazz when he disappeared on Valentine's Day (or if you prefer...the last day of Westminster...) He was gone for about a week, then he reappeared and it became evident something was wrong. Terribly wrong. He spent about 6 days in kitty ICU at the vet getting pumped with steroids and IVs. The vet determined that he had suffered a very serious head injury that caused his brain to swell. At one point he was totally blind. The photo above was taken today and it was his first adventure into the great outdoors in about 3 weeks. Smokey is really a sweet kitty. They told us he is a Maine Coon mix...which means he will probably be HUGE! He is doing great and we are thankful.

The mailman brought something today...

2011-02-28T22:51:00.001-05:00

That was really fast. It's only been a week. And thanks to the photog for letting me pay online. I rarely write checks anymore!

Meet CH Lyberty D-Day at Normandy!

2011-02-20T23:13:00.000-05:00

Norman finished his Championship today in Greenville going WD for a 3pt major. We are thrilled! And he brought home a very pretty ribbon too! Since we didn't get to go, the girls got out their drawing equipment and provided some artistic renditions. Emily told Sarah that her drawings of the Judge (Duerksen) and Ms. Cheryl made them look like vampires. lol. We have been battling the stomach bug since Wed. here....both girls have had it and they are WIPED OUT. I fear I may fall victim within the next few hours...ug.

Norm won't get to rest on his laurels much as tomorrow night is obedience class at the Atlanta Obedience Club. (Provided someone in the family is well-enough to get him there!)

We extend a BIG BIG thanks to Norm's handler Cheryl Mika and to his breeder and co-owner Laura Prosser for letting us enjoy this sweet boy!!

Everybody Have Fun Tonight (Everybody Wang Chung Tonight)

2011-02-16T23:10:00.001-05:00

We had a super time at Janet's puppy party Saturday just over the state line in TN! We all enjoyed playing with and admiring Scout and Chase's beautiful babies. Here is a video of Norman and Scout playing a little in the front yard at Janet's. Scout was such a good sport to the intruder (Norman) don't you think? For puppy pictures, visit Janet's page HERE. Daddy Chase's website can be found HERE. Oh yeah...forgot to say I got me an iphone 4. Super-awesome. This video was shot with the phone and edited in-phone with a free app. Pretty cool.

Back in the Saddle Again.

2011-02-08T23:24:00.000-05:00

Feb. Atlanta Shows...2 RWD, 1 Dump....lots of silliness. On to Greenville, where hopefully everyone shows to maintain majors in dogs all 3 days. I did not even get to go to the shows till Sunday due to sick young'uns. Thankfully Sarah only has an ear infection (bad enough) but at least it's not strep or flu! I made some good photography contacts on Sunday. That was encouraging, since I would love to actually get paid for this dog/pet photography thing at some point. It is much more fun than weddings. If you have a Facebook Account, you can view pictures of the Cardigans on Sunday in Atlanta here.

Norman is always happy to play with Sarah and Emily after he is done showing!

It's gonna be a bright (bright) sunshiny day!

2011-01-29T19:31:00.001-05:00

Wow. It was a little over 70 degrees in the ATL Metro today! We got outside and enjoyed it while it lasts. Norman climbed the Shuttle Tower (swingset) for a better view, and I even coaxed him down the slide a couple of times. Oh yeah, and I did manage to brush about 3 handfuls of undercoat out of him while we were outside too. What a beautiful day!

How Norm got his groove back.

2011-01-19T00:12:00.001-05:00

Drawn by my 5yr old Emily

Drawn by my 7 year old Sarah.

The snow/ice finally softened enough for proper frapping to resume.Norman was very happy! The girls were out of school due to the ice for an ENTIRE week. They found lots of fun things to do, including drawing Norman. I thought their interpretations were pretty cute! Oh yeah....we got Norman 1yr ago on MLK Day! Happy Anniversary Norman! You are a very good boy.
y.

You Are Entering the No-Frap Zone.

2011-01-12T00:02:00.001-05:00

We have been hit with about 4-5 inches of snow sandwiched between a layer of ice below it and a layer of freezing rain above it. Wed. will be NO school (or work) for three days. Norm's first beginner obedience class at the Atlanta Obedience Club (mon) was canceled. North GA is paralyzed. We have neither the knowledge or experience to deal with this amount of ice here in the south. The streets are a huge skating rink. AND Norman...he can't even frap in this because this is really ice and not snow. Poor little guy doesn't really want to even go outside. He loves the powdery stuff, but not this!

An Extra Christmas Gift This Year!

2010-12-30T00:10:00.000-05:00

We got snow on Christmas Day in the Atlanta Metro! This was the first measurable snow in the ATL are on 12-25 since 1881 (they say). We had a White Christmas in Atlanta! It was fabulous...about 3 inches. Enough to be pretty. Norman and the girls were, of course, thrilled!

They put My Picture on This Big Red Sock...Does This Mean Something?

2010-12-25T00:19:00.001-05:00

Hello, this is Norman. It is Christmas Eve, and they gave me a big red empty sock with my picture on it. They told me Santa would put things in it tonight. I'm good with that. Merry Christmas everybody!

The Christmas Photo Shoot AKA Three-Ring Circus

2010-12-18T00:57:00.000-05:00

Norman is a lot easier to handle than my girls, who shift into extreme-monkey mode when the camera comes out.

I saw Norman Kissing Santa Claws....

2010-12-06T22:31:00.001-05:00

Norman just loved Santa. I think he would have spent the day with him!

Please Vote for Norman in his Video Commercial Debut!

2010-12-03T22:05:00.002-05:00

A big favor to ask...This is an AT&T video contest....you have to be a Facebook user (I think) and go to
http://simplify.att.com/videos/what-trees-are-good-for-2?fbid=-q5PCMXYvTl&wom=false to vote for Norman's commercial. I would really appreciate it! Voting ends midnight Dec.7. Here is the video below too....

What I did on T'giving Day (by Norman)

2010-11-25T22:58:00.001-05:00

Norman and Co: The Retro Look

2010-11-17T21:03:00.000-05:00

Sweet Baby boy Norman.

Doolittle, Belle, and Norman.

A pile of puppies with Norm on top...

"I didn't do it!"

Taryn was kind enough to send me these sweet pics she made of Norm and his littermates in Dec. 2009. That's about a month before we got him from Laura! I though everybody might enjoy looking at some puppy pictures...even if they're not puppies anymore!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming...

2010-11-16T01:24:00.000-05:00

Hey..this is Norman reporting (again). I am off-duty for awhile and chilling on my new memory foam bed that my "home people" bought while I was away at the show. It is very nice, especially on a cold and rainy day! I have just returned home from the Priceville AL shows and I am not sure whether I was a good boy or not. The first day (thurs) I won three ribbons: a blue, a purple, and a blue and white. Then I had to stay in the crate pretty much the rest of the weekend. (except they played with me a little more, I think..) They told me I was "singled out" so I had to wait till next year to find one more major to "finish." That is OK with me...as long as I can have some Thanksgiving Dinner in a week or so and watch that dog show on TV that comes on after the big parade with the floaty characters....

From Showdog to Batdog!

2010-11-01T22:02:00.000-04:00

Norman came home just in time for Halloween, and we were very happy to have our little buddy home. However, he seemed to be settling into the showdog routine pretty well by the end of the second week with Cheryl. Most importantly, the little table problem seems (hopefully) to be a thing of the past. I thought he looked great on the table for the All Hallows Cluster Shows in Marietta GA. He went WD two of the four days, so he is now at 11 points (and he needs another major). We had a great time on Halloween evening trick-or-treating with our Batgirls and Norman (batman). We went up to First Baptist Church here in Villa Rica (GA) and he was seen and petted by many people...lots of my FB friends had seen him on Facebook only and were glad to see him in-person. He had a great time and wore his costume without complaint for FIVE HOURS!! We trick-or-treated some more around the neighborhood, then everybody collapsed! Kudos to my kids' school for planning a teacher's workday on Monday!

A case of adolescent rebellion?

2010-10-27T14:08:00.000-04:00

Am I doing OK, boss?

This is better....


Emily enjoys Ice Cream at Groups courtesy of Grandma.

Sarah, the eternal dog petter.....

Norman...Norman...what were you thinking? The first day of the Atlanta Shows (AND OUT CLUB DAY TO BOOT!!!) Norm decides it is time to assert himself on the table and get excused for nipping at the judge (and then Cheryl too). It was like watching a terrible accident. He was put in time-out for the rest of the day...and was gone-over by every human (I think) Cheryl could find in the grooming area. Our club prez saw me later and said "I heard Norman tried to bite Polly" (the Mrs. Dr. Smith). Thanks Norman. BUT he was much improved by Saturday, and we were WD Sunday ,so that was encouraging. He has gone back to TN with Cheryl and even attended her handling class so he could do lots more table work. Laura said he did pretty well at the class so hopefully this little bump in the road has passed. Four more shows in Marietta GA this weekend.....It has been VERY tough without Norman. We will all be glad to have our little buddy home so he can be Batman for Halloween with the girls (BATGIRLS!)

See you later , little buddy!

2010-10-18T22:47:00.000-04:00

We dropped Norman off with handler Cheryl Mika on Sunday at the Nashville Show (Norm was not entered). He will be staying at "Camp Cheryl" for some training before the Atlanta shows this weekend and the Marietta (GA) shows Halloween week. We miss our SWEET Boy but we are sure he is having fun and learning some important things that a good show boy needs to know! Congrats to Norm's sis Rosie for going WB on Sunday in Nashville!

Well...

2010-10-07T23:33:00.002-04:00

This is very belated... here is the official show pic of Norman with handler Cheryl Mika in Atl from August 29 when he was WD and Bos for 5pts. I tried to retouch the bkgd a bit and added the BOS ribbon to Judge Bolus' hand as it was not in the orig. photo. I think that Norman looks very much like his dad "tex" (grangefield Rob Roy) in this picture... well except Tex is red...On a sad note, out 12yr old male kitty was mauled and killed in my mother's garage last Sunday. Dasher died in my arms. It was just awful, and we are still looking for the dogs.The terrible irony here is that Dasher just loved dogs (well our dogs...NICE dogs).Norman is still looking for his buddy.On a happier note... Norman is entered in both Atlanta cluster shows the last two weeks of October. Seven shows in nine days. He will be one tired puppy!

A Responsible Boy

2010-09-25T15:43:00.001-04:00

We went to AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day with Norman today. He happily sat on the table most of the 3hrs as a cute "display"....I only wish I had $10 for everybody that asked 'what kind of dog is that???' We even had signage with his breed and name. He was a very good boy.

So Fun, Show Fun!

2010-09-20T00:24:00.002-04:00

Water Break!

We drove up early Sunday AM for the Chattanooga Kennel Club Show in East Ridge TN (about 2 hrs from where we live). Laura (norman's breeder) groomed and handled him for us. Norm was RWD to the very nice boy Nash. Norm's sis Rosie went WB for both days of the show. Congrats Rosie and Laura! Thanks also to Janet for her hospitality after the show. Scout loved rolling Norman in the yard!

Norman, the Builder

2010-09-10T00:46:00.004-04:00

Norman is such a great boy with the girls. My mother recently found my old (like VERY OLD) Lego blocks and the girls were playing on the floor with them. When Norm came in , he just sat down beside them and watched intently. I would really like to thank Laura for entrusting us with Norman . He brings so much joy to our lives everyday.

Happy Birthday, Norman!

2010-09-05T01:02:00.002-04:00

We had lots of fun celebrating Mr. Norman's Birthday on Thurs. Sept 2! Here's a short video I put together of the festivities.....

MAJOR NEWS!

2010-08-30T01:13:00.004-04:00

Norman went WD and BOS for a 5pt Major under judge David Bolus at the Conyers Kennel Club Show in Atlanta on Sunday! A BIG BIG thanks to handler Cheryl Mika for offering to groom and handle him for us on Sunday. He just loved her! Thanks also to Laura for handling him in the breed ring while Cheryl handled Scout. Norm now has 8 points, and will be 1yr old on Sept 2. It was a fun show (close to home), and winning is a pretty good thing too. BTW, we all got to meet Chase and sign his book too. The girls were so excited about his autograph book that they went home and made one for Norman. They are so funny.

Observing the Pass-over

2010-08-09T12:39:00.011-04:00

*********Seem to be getting passed-over alot these days.... we are finally back home after going to Greenville (awesome show!) and New Orleans (well at least the air was really working well!) The New Orleans show is a great example of the need for the 2 shows in one day format...only about 600 entries each day. Norman looked great in Greenville. He was the youngest dog there in a fairly large (well it was a major), so I didn't feel like he got much of a glance. But the judges really liked him. I think we had Carmen Battaglia the first day and he said he had a great topline. And they always like his head. He a got a little gift sunday in Greenville for best breed puppy (dinky purina bag) Then we get to New Orleans and the judge said he had a little hump in his topline. Can things change that fast (less than a week) with an 11 month old dog?

Anyway... he was rwd both days in New Orleans. On Friday, we had two judge substitutions. The orig judge's flight was late, so they bumped us back an hour, they they got another judge but she was in conflict with two of the other dogs because they are in her training club. So...they find another local judge BUT he is not approved for cardis or herding breeds of any kind. He actually got into the ring and asked the ring steward if cardis were a table breed. Bad sign. He poked and prodded Norman on the table in a very odd manner and then Norman was nuts so I knew we were finished at that point. He was better when he went back into the ring so we did get reserve.

We start conformation classes tonight so maybe frank and Norm can sharpen some needed skills before the Atlanta Shows at the end of the month. Hope to see you there! I made a bunch of pics of group and Best in Show Thursday in New Orleans with my new lens. To take a look go to my FaceBook album here.

Thanks for the Goodies!

2010-07-29T00:25:00.005-04:00

A big thanks to Janet, Spencer, and Scout for the "Paw it Forward" goodies! Norman was excited to get mail! And the Cardi Decal will look fab on the Element too! Soooo....the first two people to post on this blog get Paw it Forward goodies from Norman and me. It might take me about 10 days to get something out...we leave thurs for the Greenville shows and then come home and leave the other direction for New Orleans on Wed. for the show at the Pontchartrain Center.

Norm, the HAM on the 4th.

2010-07-10T22:49:00.007-04:00

Well here are the pics from the July 4th Weekend! Norm loved being in the parade, being petted by the boy scouts, and riding the float. (That was on the 3rd) ON the 4th we enjoyed some steaks on the grill and fireworks. I was amazed that Norm didn't really mind the fireworks, and we had some pretty big loud ones! The only time he barked was when other dogs in the neighborhood started barking. GOOD BOY, Norman! Please take a look at the short vid clip from the parade that I posted to youtube.

The Cover Boy

2010-07-01T21:45:00.004-04:00

Norman will be the doggie cover boy for this coupon magazine that we advertise in (here locally). He is REALLY wearing the little hat! (But he is photoshopped onto Sarah's lap.) The pic of the girls is from last yrs 4th of July. I think this cover took about 10-12 pictures to make one cover photo. Maybe we should change our mascot from an eagle to a cardi!

Norman will also be riding our company float with me and the girls at the 4th of July Parade (on the 3Rd). I will have pictures and maybe even some video so stay tuned!

"Ring of Fire"

2010-06-20T16:23:00.005-04:00

"I fell into a burning ring of fire

I went down, down down

and the flames went higher.

and it burns, burns, burns ....the Ring of Fire"

All I can think of is this Johnny Cash song when I ponder how hot is was at the shows in Asheville. I thought it was supposed to be cool in the mountains. Our ring times were 9 and 10, so it was not SO BAD....but the poor people and animals in the afternoon with forecast highs of 96 degrees. We stuck around sat for group so I could try out my new lens. If you are interested in seeing some more of my shots look at my FB page here.

Congrats to Norm's nephew Yippee for going WD on Sunday for a 3pt major. As far as Norm goes...not so much. He actually stacked nicely and looked good on the table...but movement-wise....he was totally...goofy. We continue to be learners.

Norm and Me...at the "B"

2010-06-07T22:31:00.004-04:00

Well...it was my turn to try my hand at this handling thing...so here I am with Norman at our Club's B Match in Carrollton GA at the ag center. About 50 dogs turned out. Norm was the only cardi (no shocker there), so I got a lovely pink ribbon for first place and another one for best in breed. Then came group...it was Norman , a Border Collie, and a 3.5 month old female Pembroke puppy. The pem kinda... sorta...really...ran up on Norms posterior...it was pretty much over at that point. He went 100% nuts. Game over. guess who won group? the pem.

Emily's best buddy from pre-k , Dylan, came with her parents to cheer Norm on and to check out the doggage. We also met an adorable Cairn Terrier (Emily wants one). Handling was really fun. I must do this for-real sometime...we are headed to Asheville for the show this weekend. It's a pretty fair cardi enty (7-7-2-0). anyone else gona be there?

Field Day

2010-05-31T16:48:00.004-04:00

The girls had field day at their school last week, and Norm was very happy to tag along for some petting....but it was HOTTTTT! Unfortunately, my SD card crashed on my camera, so I had to spend $20 for a recovery program to get the images out, and the best ones from the field day were unrecoverable (it figures!) I bought a Nikkor 2.8 80-200 zoom on craigslist the other day. I want to try my hand a dog show action photography. It really takes a fast lens at these indoor shows. I spent 20yrs as a wedding photographer, and I really think dogs are a LOT more fun!! Norm and I are going to a B-Match in Carrollton GA sponsored by our club on the 5th. Hope everyone is enjoying a long Memorial Day weekend!

Hello...Norman reporting here...

2010-05-16T15:31:00.003-04:00

Hello, it's Norman reporting. I am writing this because my mom has laryngitis. Just daddy and me went to the show in Perry GA on thursday and friday. We saw lots of nice people that petted me, and we saw lots of dogs too. We got to trot around the ring twice on thursday and friday and I got a purple and white ribbon both days. Daddy says this was called "reserve" The boy that got the purple ribbon was a pretty brindle dog who was a little older than me. Mommy said that dog got a ribbon at the Nationals a few weeks ago. I wanted to play with him. I also wanted to play with the judges while I was on the table. Is this wrong? I am just trying to be friendly. I also talked to a very nice man who petted me from something called The Delta Society, and he said that I needed to be something called a therapy dog. If this means that I can play with people and they can pet me, I am all for it!

Official Show Pics, Montgomery AL

2010-05-10T23:18:00.003-04:00

Norm:WD for Fri 4-23 and Sun 4-25 in Montgomery Ala. The photographer was in a really big hurry, esp Sunday, it seemed to me. Frank in headed to the Perry GA show for Thurs and Fri this week . I hope Norm takes more hair with him to Perry than he leaves on my floor.

Good Show Weekend!

2010-04-25T22:23:00.009-04:00

Norman went Winner's Dog on Friday and Sunday for two more points in Montgomery AL at Garrett Coliseum... he was apparenty pretty wild Saturday so he just took reserve. It was great to be able to see Norman and his sis Rosie in the ring on Sunday! (we were not there saturday but Laura kept and handled him for us) I will not steal Laura's thunder but Rosie did VERY WELL TOO! Congrats to the puppies! Thanks for all your help , Laura!

What Came in the Mail Today...

2010-04-21T20:12:00.004-04:00

Norm's first official show pic arrived today...so of course I had to scan it and post it here. Pictured L to R are Judge Pat Hastings, Norman, and Frank (my husband). Then OF COURSE I had to mess with it...wondering what it would look like with a less-distracting background...so here is my version too! Anyhow, we're off to Montgomery for the show Friday, and Laura is showing him Saturday and Sunday along with Rosie ( THANK YOU!). We'll come back down Sunday to watch them and pick him up.

First Point!

2010-04-03T23:13:00.008-04:00

Norman went Winner's Dog under Judge Pat Hastings to win his first point in the show in Newnan GA. We are excited and Norman is exhausted. I think he had fun, though! Laura and Rosie came down with Janet and Scout and Spencer and they were a BIG help. Special thanks to Ms. Cheryl to for making the Norm all PURDY! We'll try again tomorrow afternoon. Happy Easter, everybody!

UPDATE: Norm won his class on Sunday but he did not take winners. We met some great people this weekend and learned a lot. Considering that we had NEVER even BEEN to a dog show before Saturday, I thing we did OK... thanks to Norman!

Dog Show Bound!

2010-04-01T22:23:00.003-04:00

This weekend we are debuting Norman in the show ring in Newnan Ga. Norm's sis Rosie is coming down from TN too for a visit at the show with Laura (and Scout and Janet I think.) I would love to meet anyone at the show who may be reading this and attending the show! . We will be easy to find as we will be the clueless-looking family with the brindle boy.... Tomorrow is Norm's 7 month b'day so I captured this pic of the big goofball on his fav log deep in the backyard. Or the neighbor's backyard. whatever. Anyway, I photoshopped his leash out, as I am both holding leash and making photo.

Happy 7th Birthday, Sarah!

2010-03-21T22:34:00.006-04:00

March 18th was our daughter Sarah's 7th Birthday. She had a birthday party with her school friends at our kids party and play place , http://www.airjumpusa.com/ on Friday the 19th. A good time was had by all , I think. Unfortunately, Norman could not come to the party, so I got a picture with him and the Birthday girl in the flowers a little later.... Anybody going to be at the shows in Newnan GA on April 3rd and 4th? Norm is entered...we are dipping our toes into the show ring. After our first meeting at the closest kennel club, the prez saw his pic and just insisted that we enter him. Made us feel good. I only hope we are prepared for this (if that is even possible!)

You Want Me To Do WHAT???

2010-02-28T00:15:00.007-05:00

So.... the girls' little school dog show was Saturday. Norm had a great time socializing and managed to even have his own little group of girlie groupies (human) before it was over. He was not completely sure about the show thing however....on one down/back he laid low! ( see photo)SO funny but I have to admit that some handling classes might creat a better result. He did win in the category on "dog that the judges would most like to take home." As usual, virtually no one knew what breed he was...BUT It was a fun morning with all proceeds benefiting our school. Check out the animoto video below too! I use animoto alot for various projects. It is very easy!

Teeth Bothering You, Little Boy?

2010-02-23T19:15:00.004-05:00

I do believe that Norm is teething quite a bit! He is chewing on everything. We are going to start classes for CGC in March and are also planning on joing the local KC so we can do handling classes for the Norm. He is entered Sarah and Emily's school dog show saturday, so I will have plenty of pictures of all the fun....BTW, is is good to use conditioner as well as shampoo? Any grooming suggestions are apperciated.

Whatchya Snow, Norm??

2010-02-14T14:57:00.005-05:00

The snow is delicious....and the cat is delicious!

It was a beautiful day Saturday. Norman and the girls enjoyed the snow. They are forecasting another round of it for Sun PM or Monday AM....OK, I am ready for spring!

GA Snowfall

2010-02-13T00:47:00.003-05:00

A pretty good snowfall finally made its was to us here is West Georgia. Looks to be 3-4 inches. Norman has enjoyed hopping around in it. I'm sure the girls will have a blast in it tomorrow (snowfall came later in the day today). I have located someone that does classes for the CGC... and we are also thinking handling classes for conformation. We are excited to investigate this possibility! There is a kennel club in the next town that we can join. Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day, so I'm sure I will have more pics to post this weekend... here is a short normvid...

To all the Dogs I've Loved Before, Part 1

2010-02-08T01:01:00.004-05:00

This is me and my first dog Brownie. I was 2 yrs old in the blue dress and 3 yrs old in the red dress. I just loved Brownie. He was my buddy and he would let me do (almost) anything to him without protest. BTW, the weather has been just awful and rainy here, so not many photo ops for Mr. Norman! Maybe something interesting in the upcoming week, though.

Sweet Norman.

2010-01-31T22:31:00.002-05:00

Norman Sweet Norman. See the GA red clay on the tip of his nose? No snow here...only rain and red mud. Norm continues to be an observer of life and a connoisseur of sticks and hickory nuts in the yard. The cat continues to be an extreme fascination. Life is good.

Norman's New Best Friend.

2010-01-26T22:52:00.000-05:00

Norman has made friends with our cat Toto. She is about 9 months old and ALL PLAY. They have enjoyed tremendous times the past 2 days chasing each other around the house. Eventually, one of them tires of the activity for awhile. I had hoped for a nice posed portrait of the pair, but Norm was the only one willing to stay still for the cam. So I settled for some action shots... Norman made another visit inside our school today and met a bunch of kids (again). Emily's teacher called me specifically to bring him so her daughter could see and pet him. Norman...you're getting very popular!

Show-and-Tell Day!

2010-01-24T23:27:00.000-05:00

The little girl in the blue is our 4yr daughter Emily. That's her dad (Frank) holding Norm.

Lots of little happy hands.

Norman was show-and-tell in my 4yr old Emily's class on Friday. He also went to older Sister Sarah's 1st grade class for a few minutes. He is super with kids and allowed many hands to pet him at one time. I guess I should get used to getting the query "what kind of dog is that, anyway???"

Welcome to Norman's World

2010-01-24T15:54:00.000-05:00

Here begins the adventures of Norman , aka Lyberty's "D-Day @ Normandy." We just call him Norm, or Norman....normally. He is a 4++ month old Cardigan Welsh Corgi and adored by everyone in the family. Many thanks to Laura at http://http//www.lybertycardigans.com/ for the wonderful pup and the great experience of meeting their entire family of great canines! As a photographer, I may be posting more pics than words....so here we go.