The Pirates Set Sail

ARRRRRRRRRRR.....there be Pirates about!!!!

Three Pirates set sail on their maiden voyage this past weekend in Ft. Dodge, IA and also in Greys Lake, IL.

On Friday, Miss Swan, or Camelot's Black Swan was the first to plunder the spoils, winning the first point in her career and also going on to win Best of Breed and a Puppy Group 3 in IL!!

Then, in IA, Angel, or Winjammin's Flying Dragon, was Winner's Bitch both days and showed well, but the point was in boys and even though she didn't get a point, she made her presence felt. Captain Jack, or Winjammin's Captain Jack Sparrow was next to pillage the ring on Sunday by winning the point and beating sister Angel for Best of Winners and almost upsetting his Uncle Phantom for Best of Breed!!!!

Not to be outdone, Momma Pirate, Emmy, CH Camelot's Maiden Voyage, was Best of Opposite Sex both days in IA, and also was third in a very tough Open Intermediate Juniors class. Paige and Emmy are quite the team and they just keep pouring it on every time they get in the ring.

Three more Pirates have yet to weigh anchor, so be on the lookout in the Midwest!!

Aye, there definitely be Pirates about...

Happy 4 Months to the Pirates!!

It's hard to believe but the pirates are 4 months old today! It seems like only yesterday they were these cute little babies squawking at their mom for a meal. Now they are rampaging through their respective houses and charming everyone they meet. The main thing they say now is, "SURRENDER THE BOOTY!!"

Emmy's Emmettes Are Here!!!!

The Emmettes have arrived!! Emmy delivered 6 healthy and happy babies the other day. This was her first litter, and since it had been 2 years since our last one, Ruby's wine litter, we were very nervous as to how it would go. Well, Emmy is a trooper and a half, all 6 babies were free whelped in 4 hours and 50 minutes, and the breakout is 2 black and white girls, 2 blue merle girls, and 2 blue merle boys. The runt was 10.3 ounces and the largest pup, the last to be delivered, was 13.2 ounces. All are eating well, and weights are steady to increasing, with two already putting on a half ounce or more in the first 24 hours. Holy cow are they vocal (very clear growls and barks) and ACTIVE!! Emmy is having a hard time corralling them in one place at times. Two have already taken little puppy spins around the whelping box, and God forbid one gets stepped on by a sibling when bellying up to the mom-bar...what a racket!!!! BARK BARK!!! Get off my head!!! LOL!! And poor Emmy just lays her head down, closes her eyes and deals with it. What a super mom!!!

We're still working on names, but we have themed the litter. Since mom is Ch Camelot's Maiden Voyage, and dad is Ch Camelot's Oh Captain My Captain, we decided to theme the litter....PIRATES!!! Yup, Emmy already celebrates "Talk like a Pirate Day" most of the year as it is, with her speaking with an "ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" most of the time, so this was a perfect fit. So, if you have a suggestion, please post in the comments. The hard part is not reusing a name that another Cardi already has...

And now, here are the 6, basking in all their post meal glory:

Homage to Veterans

I'm just trying to be a father,
Raise a daughter and a son,
Be a lover to their mother,
Everything to everyone.
Up and at 'em bright and early,
I'm all business in my suit,
Yeah, I'm dressed for success from my head down to my boots,
I don't do it for money, there's still bills that I can't pay,
I don't do it for the glory, I just do it anyway,
Providing for our future's my responsibility,
Yeah I'm real good under pressure, being all that I can be,
And I can't call in sick on Mondays when the weekends been to strong,
I just work straight through the holidays,
And sometimes all night long.
You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door,
Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey I'm true down to the core,
And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price,
I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice,
Oh, and I don't want to die for you,
But if dying's asked of me,
I'll bear that cross with an honor,
'Cause freedom don't come free.
I'm an American soldier, an American,
Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand,
When liberty's in jeopardy I will always do what's right,
I'm out here on the front lines, so sleep in peace tonight.
American soldier, I'm an American,
An American,
An American Soldier

- American Soldier by Toby Keith

To all our veterans, thank you for all you do, have done, and will always do. We are, truly, in your debt.

Duty, Honor, Country

Most Sincerely,
All of us here at Winjammin' Corgis

Barkday Wishes

Happy Barkday to our Bejammin' wine litter, who turn two years old today. Big scratches to Cristal, Merlot, Kiki, Lucy, Zen, and Porter!!! Hope you kids get big belly rubs and all the cookies you can handle. Ruby and Sulley send their own wags and woofs on your special day.

Herding Dogs or Bird Dogs??????

Last night, Cristal was let outside after we got home, as always. When she first runs out, it isn't uncommon for her, or the others for that matter, to flush the birds from the yard. Usually, it's a robin that winds up on the fence watching the dogs until it's safe to go back to the yard and continue it's hunt for worms or whatever.

Well, last night, things took a very interesting turn. Cristal ran outside with her mom, Ruby, and I wasn't too far behind them. The girls flushed a bird out of the fresh cut grass, and Cristal changed her angle of approach to the bird and with one snap, CAUGHT THE BIRD IN MIDFLIGHT!!! I kid you not! There she stood, bird squawking away, wings showing out both sides of her mouth. I said, "DROP IT", and, bless her heart, she did. Everything was fine until the bird tried to peck at her nose when she bent down to investigate the bird more. Then, she quickly snapped up the bird, by the leg this time, and tried to run off with it. "DROP IT" came the command, and she did drop it, although you could tell she wanted to play with her new toy, and probably not in a good way. Then she headed into the house like nothing had ever happened.

Ruby, in the meantime, headed straight for the house as soon as I said "drop it" the first time. She wasn't about to do anything she knew she wasn't supposed to, and she does love the local wildlife, so probably wouldn't hurt anything unless it tried to hurt her first.

Once I got the girls back in the house, I went out to check on the bird, and on closer inspection, it looked like a baby. I opened the back gate, and once the bird found an escape route, it tried to fly away. It made it about 10 feet and then had to land. Then it flew another 10 feet and landed again, but it was walking and moving sluggishly, like a newborn animal would. I'm thinking that it was a baby on it's first trip out of the nest. I think mom was nearby, as I heard chattering and there was a bird flying around watching the baby.

THEN, comes this morning. This time, it was Ruby and McDreamy! Yes, McDreamy!!! We evidently have a small hole in the ground by the foundation of the house where there used to be a rabbit den. There haven't been rabbits in our yard in probably 4+ years, due to Ruby slobbering all over a nest of newborns one time. Anyway, by the time I get outside, Dream has a bird cornered against the foundation, it's wings were spread wide (picture a guy spread-eagled against a building), it's eyes were huge and it's mouth was open. It was a VERY comical sight, but you could tell the poor thing was traumatized. I had to forcefully remove Dream to the house and of course Ruby was having no part of the bird, once she saw what it was. I honestly think Dream wasn't hunting, but more of curiosity mixed with, "oooohhhhh squeaky toy!"

The sad part is that I think it was either the same bird as yesterday, or from the same clutch of eggs. Hopefully in the four hours that the dogs won't be out while we're at work, the bird will recover and fly away. I guess I'll have to make a yard check before I let them out at lunch.

The Barkday Boy!

We can't believe it...the "poster child" of Winjammin' Corgis is 5 today!!! It seems like it was just yesterday when Phantom came home to terrorize the girls. But it wasn't long before he put his personalized stamp on our hearts, and took over the day to day doggie operations in the house.

He has been our biggest clown, best cuddler, constant companion, and of course, the best show dog (and teaching dog) we could have ever hoped for. He is our first, almost everything, champion, breed winner, group placer, group winner, and most importantly of all, first in our hearts.

Happy Barkday big man!! You're getting some steak tonight for dinner! :o)