Smithwood September Rain at his First Dog Show

Smithwood September Rain at 7 months old - Reserve Winner's Dog at the ECSCA National Specialty under Mary Ann Alston - yep, sometimes you just know!

Sometimes You Just Know..

Sometimes, you just know. That's what I like to say about this puppy. His name is Rain, September Rain - because he was born in September, in the rain. His namesake is an old Jazz standard sung by Sarah Vaughn. When Rain was very small, I held him in my hands and a tingle went up my spine. I just knew that this puppy was going to turn out to be something very special. Experts came to the house. They looked at the babes. They said he wasn't the one but the older I get, the more I realize that I really should listen to my own judgment because... sometimes, you just know.

The Baby in the Family... (shhh...he's the favorite)

Little Superfly was the favorite in the family. His personality was so huge - we knew he would have to have a very special person. He found his true calling with a nice lady he calls "My Linda." We still see Superfly quite a bit. He is "a beloved pet and a show dog incidentally" as our friend Kate likes to say. You'll see more pictures of Superfly on this blog - he's a one in a million puppy that wiggled right on into our hearts with the very first breath he took.

Oh Those boys!

You know, it really is true -- you just can't have dogs unless puppies are born. What would the world be like without any puppies? I sure hope I never know.

......My niece and nephew are a large part of why Dale and I moved back to my childhood home. I never had kids of my own so maybe I was the last one on the planet to realize how special they are. I treasure these children and take great joy in sharing the old Smithwood property with them. They love it as much as we do.

Here's the man who makes my life possible. This is my beloved husband, Dale. He builds the fences, fixes the barn doors so they swing, hammers the foundation back in place, fills in the holes that the spaniels dig in their endless pursuit of China and a hundred other odd jobs on any given day. Here, Dale pauses from installing my special paddock that is attached to my little writer's shack. If you're drinking as you read this, give a nod and a toast - Hey Dale, here's to ya!

A World Without Puppies??

Aren't they sweet? They are the very essence of Smithwood. My dad used to say, "What good is life if you can't share it with a dog?" Indeed. The puppies in this photograph are Smithwood Sweet Lorraine and Smithwood Superstar. They are four weeks old in this picture. This was their first outing. God bless them. They are the light of our lives.