Autumn Collies and Poetry

 

“For lovers of poetry

And seekers of good

There is gold in the fall 

There are trees of the wood

There are stars in the ether

And rivers that flow

In the sweetness of

The heart finds its home.”

Laura Jaworski 

Morgan, “ready, set, play!”

"Autumn wandering

A thousand golden poems

Drift across the sky." 

Laura Jaworski

“Gold in hand is pleasant

A pocketful is nice

But autumn’s gold holds such a worth

Each leaf is counted twice

So give me gilded woodlands

And gently falling leaves

I’d gladly forfeit opulence

For walks among the trees.”

Laura Jaworski

“Dear trees, what magic you must hold

To change the leaves from green to gold

And weave a flaxen cloth so fine

To dress the wood in autumntime.”

Laura Jaworski

“The scent of cinnamon and cloves

Round pumpkins and crisp, sweet apples

A world turned ruddy in rich shades of orange and gold

Puffing chimneys, sweaters, warm drinks

And leaves, gently leaving one home for another—

Autumn.”

Laura Jaworski

“A little leaf

In a sea of green

Takes a breath, and poof, he’s yellow!

Then his friends join along

And begin Autumn’s song

All because of that brave little fellow.”

Laura Jaworski 

“How sweet the early autumn days

Their changes barely seen

When Nature in her quiet way

Begins to blend her green

With shades of tawny gossamer

And bolder rosy tones

Till colors mixed and stirred unveil

A palette of her own.”

Laura Jaworski 

Beautiful Morgan, by Pinscher Portraits 

“There is a first leaf to turn

There is a last to fall

And in the space between the two

The grandest show of all.”

Laura Jaworski

Fall in New England

With the beautiful Autumn weather we were experiencing, I decided to go to our favorite picture spot with two of my seniors. To get ready to start doing therapy visits,  Phoebe and Maizie had a vet appointment on Wednesday, which was only a mile from the pumpkin patch.  Phoebe had never gotten to visit for Fall pictures, so I decided to stop by.  

Almost everyone else has visited this spot over the years, except for Phoebe, Peyton, Rosie, ZuZu and of course, the puppies Nolan and Morgan.  Rosie is visiting her breeder for a while, so we will bring her next year.  If there is time, I’d love to bring the others, we will see.  Unfortunately, a NorEaster is going to hit us on Sunday.  As it brings high winds and torrential rain, I’m not sure what will happen with our Fall foliage.  Looks like I will have to try to get some pictures tomorrow.  I usually go early on Wednesdays, as there are less people, so it’s easier to take pictures of the dogs.  (Less distractions)

Hopefully the upcoming storm won’t cause too much damage.  This is my favorite time of year to take pictures, and it will be sad if the high winds pull down all the colorful leaves off the trees!  But we still have tomorrow…more pictures to come!

Why a Collie?

Collies are beautiful, versatile and make wonderful companions.  They are great with children, so they make excellent family dogs.  They are also ready for any activity involving their person, from hiking to binge watching a favorite TV series, your collie will be right by your side.

The collie breed was developed in Scotland and was originally bred to assist with livestock.  In the 1860s Queen Victoria fell in love with the breed and added them to her own private kennels.  With the Queen’s interest in the collie, the breed soon gained in popularity.  It wasn’t long before Americans began importing the collie to our country.  In 1877 the collie debuted at Westminster, one of the top dog shows in our country.  With more and more collies being imported and bred in America, the Collie Club of America was formed in 1886, and created the written collie standard.  The CCA’s  collie standard outlines the structure, intelligence and temperament that every collie should possess.

Collies gained in popularity through the stories written by Albert Payson Terhune.  Terhune was an American writer and collie breeder, and helped to elevate the breed’s popularity by writing about the collie breed’s endearing and admirable qualities.  He initially wrote short stories about his collie, Lad, that were published in a variety of magazines.  The public loved the stories so much, he ended up publishing the collection as a novel, Lad: A Dog, in 1919.  The book became a best seller, and led to Terhune writing numerous other books about his Sunnybank collies throughout the 1920s and 1930s.  Terhune’s books engendered in the public a love and admiration for the breed and ensured that the collie became one of the most beloved dog breeds of that time.

In 1940, Eric Knight published his book, Lassie Come Home, which was then made into a film in 1943. With the debut of Lassie, our obsession with the collie breed was renewed.  The popularity of Lassie Come Home led to the creation of numerous other Lassie movies and eventually multiple, long running, television series.  The collie breed was now the star of books, films and television, and people dreamed of bringing home a collie of their very own.  While the collie is no longer one of the most popular breeds, it is currently ranked #39 in popularity by the AKC.  This ranking includes both rough and smooth collies, which are considered to be two varieties of the same breed.  In the UK they are considered separate breeds, and are not bred together.

Unfortunately, when a dog breed is extremely popular, we see an increased demand for puppies, which can lead to some poor breeding practices by those individuals looking to make a quick profit.  With indiscriminate breeding, any dog breed can end up developing health problems.  But through the hard work of ethical, preservation breeders, the efforts of the Collie Health Foundation and the Collie Club of America, and with the advent of genetic testing, today’s collie is considered to be a relatively healthy breed.  So what type of tests should people look for?

• MDR1 - Collies should be tested for MDR1, which is a gene mutation common in collies that makes them sensitive to certain medications.  Collies should not be given certain medications, heartworm preventatives and anethestics, as the MDR1 gene mutation prevents their bodies from removing certain drugs and toxins from the brain and spinal cord. This can lead to seizures and respiratory distress, along with a few other symptoms.
• CEA - Around 80% of all collies will have some form of CEA, so collies should not only have the genetic test that identifies if they are a carrier, clear or affected, but also be examined by a certified canine ophthalmologist.  Most collies will have mild CEA, which should not impair their vision at all.  The least harmful form of CEA is called choroidal hypoplasia.  The more concerning forms of CEA would be colobomas or retinal detachments, but fortunately those are less common.
• PRA - PRA stands for progressive retinal atrophy.  It can lead to blindness, but the genetic test for this disease is included in the Collie Health Panel and breeders can now exclude these collies from their breeding programs.
• DMS - dermatomyositis.  This is another genetic disorder that can affect collies.  It is progressive, and can cause lesions, hair loss, and muscle weakness.  It is included the collie genetic health panel, and can identify which collies are at low risk for developing this disease.

These health issues while concerning, should not dissuade families from adding a collie to their family, as reputable breeders will test the parents before breeding them.  They will be able to disclose the possible risk your collie has of developing any issues in the future.  With the collie’s sweetness, versatility, intelligence and beauty, the rewards far outweigh any potential risks.  And with the testing now available, owners will know the family history and if their collie is a carrier or at risk, before bringing that collie home.  The collie has remained a beloved companion for generations and will continue to bring love and joy into the hearts of their families.  As with any breed, everyone should do their research and find the dog that fits best into their lifestyles.  But for us, the collie will always be our personal favorite.

Another beautiful fall weekend!

 This weekend was very busy, but the weather was perfect, and we were able to enjoy some of the beautiful Fall foliage that is starting to appear throughout New England. On Saturday, my daughter and I drove from Connecticut to Massachusetts to meet up with a photographer.  This was the same photographer that took some beautiful pictures of Rory, now called Valkyrie, a couple weeks ago.  

Valkyrie, 9/9/25, photo by Pinscher Portraits

She agreed to take some pictures of our other collies, and Valkyrie and her owner came too, so we get some new pictures of the sisters!  While the pictures aren’t ready yet, she did give us a sneak preview…

Morgan left, Valkyrie right, 10/4/25, photo by Pinscher Portraits

The picture is just beautiful, and these two puppies are turning out to be everything we hoped for when we planned this litter!  We can’t wait to see the rest of the pictures! After we finished with the photo session, we drove to Amherst, New Hampshire for another FastCAT trial.  And along the way we were able to see some beautiful Fall colors.  Massachusetts and New Hampshire, being further North, have a lot more color than we do in Connecticut.  We stopped along the way, when we spotted this pretty lake.  My daughter’s collie, Sorsha, agreed to pose for a picture.

Winter is my least favorite season, so I am trying to enjoy every Autumn moment. Winter does have its beauty and it does include my favorite holiday, Christmas, I just hate the shorter days and freezing weather.  This Autumn is a little bittersweet though, as I miss taking pictures of my Ryder, the beautiful Fall colors just seemed designed for him.  But the other collies are happy to pose for me, and I will be sharing more of the pictures taken by Kenzy of Pinscher Portraits when they are ready!  Hope everyone is enjoying the last golden days of Autumn with their best friends!