Monday, October 4, 2010

Drizzly, Blustery Days


It is blustery and very chilly here. It has been raining and/or drizzling for a few days now and autumn is in full swing it seems.
 I developed a cold Friday evening. At first I thought it was allergies but its a head cold and I hope it doesn't go any further. My ears are stuffed and as I have positional vertigo anyway, this doesn't help. I can only sleep on one side now and have to be careful bending etc.
Here I sit with'Vicks', my' Ocean' nose spray and hankies watching the drizzly weather outside and hearing the geese and swans honk themselves silly as they do their fly overs.
My dear dog Brandy is gone 2 years this fall. She used to love to swim out into the bay to try and retrieve swans . Some of them as big or bigger than she was. Brandy was a Flat Coat Retriever. How I miss her company and friendship.

Flat Coated Retriever fans are very proud of how few people actually know about their breed! They have taken pains to preserve the both the breed's looks and its purpose. Unlike most other retriever breeds, having flat coats with titles in both field events and conformation (looks) is not unusual. These dogs are supposed to be able to go directly from the field to the show ring to the family room without faltering. Despite how versatile this breed is, they are a well-kept secret and the breed fanciers want to keep it this way.
This is an active breed. Individuals who think they should look into getting a flat coat because of its extraordinary good looks quickly find that breeders expect their puppies to go to people who will commit to a few hours of strenuous exercise a day, plus lessons in obedience, field work, and perhaps agility or other dog sports to kept the dogs healthy and mentally stimulated. Flat coats are cheerful and lighthearted, despite being exceptionally committed hunting dogs.




Last year at this time I also said goodbye to Sandy, my cat. His brother is still with me and I hope that lasts for a good long time. We grow to think of them as family.
Here is Sandy asleep inside a broken dresser drawer. That dresser is the one they were born in and it now serves as my computer desk.







Brandy's photo is to the left on the side bar.This large one is from the net, just to show what Flat coats look like.


I hope your weather is a bit nicer, warmer and your health bright and sunny.

9 comments:

  1. Hi Annie;

    I absolutely love your new header. I could just see myself laying on the deck of the boat watching that big gorgeous moon. Beautiful! You are truly such a talented artist.

    My weather is the same as yours and will be like that until Thursday. I hope you are feeling better. No fun having a head cold and vertigo. Lots of rest, liquids and chicken soup my friend. :)

    I'm so sorry about your beloved pets. Your Brandy must have been beautiful. I had a golden retriever named Brandy and a black lab named Rebel. It was hard to take when they passed.

    Take care and get well my friend. Hugs

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  2. Hi Annie,
    You have me crying here for Sandy and Brandy. It is so painful to loose a pet because they do become a family member. The first cat I lost when I was on my own I had to go to a pet grieiving group to get over the sadness and feeling of loss. Well on a happier note so happy you had a great holiday. Hope your cold gets better.
    Hug, Dru

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  3. Hi Annie! So sorry about your pets. It's so hard to lose one as they are like family. I love your header...so pretty! Hope you feel better soon. Blessings, Tracey

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  4. Hi Annie! I didn't know Brandy was a flat coat retriever. They are a beautiful breed. Kanan is different looking from a lot of labs. He's more of an English Lab- low to the ground, stocky, blocky head and otter tail. His coat practically repels water. I'm sure he would've loved to swim alongside Brandy! :) Sorry about your cold. Ocean is supposed to be very good! I agree that the situation is trying hard. I'd like to see him stick around and see his progression. (((Hugz)))

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  5. What a great painting you have done for your header-just wonderful. Aren't dogs great? I used to love having them around. Maybe I'll get another if I ever stop traveling. Hope the cold is gone soon.

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  6. Hi Annie,
    Hope you have a wonderful day :)
    Hugs, Dru

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  7. Hi Annie, so sorry about your pets. It's the hardest thing, luckily you kept Brandy 15 years. I lost my Tequila in 2005 & she was from December 1993. It was heartbreaking & much too short. They're so much part of us & our family. I hope you feel better already, you're in my thoughts. Hugs
    PS I love your CS Lewis quote, it's the story of my life :-)

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  8. Dear Annie I hope you feel a little better tonight! I am so sorry about your beloved furry friends that passed a few years ago! They never leave our hearts no matter how long time passes. I still miss my Pepper.
    ♥ Pat

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  9. Hi Annie Brandy is gorgeous so sad when we lose a pet. So sorry you're sick, I have Vertigo also,it's so annoying. I love fall and hate to see it go also but our falls are like a mix between summer and fall starts out fallish in the morning but by afternoon it's warm maybe 70 to 79, then it's cold and chilly at night and in the morning. It still looks like summer here but soon the leaves will fall and it will look like fall just as we go into winter. LOL! enjoy a great Wed and get better. big hugs

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