You were warned…

We are still enjoying mild Fall temperatures, so the collies and I are taking advantage of the sunshine before the days grow cold.  This week I did a therapy visit with a friend and her collie, Kelsea.  After the visit we ran over to my favorite picture spot, and I took some pictures of my seniors, Ryder and Scarlett, along with Kelsea.  I did warn everyone that Autumn is my favorite season for photographing the collies! So while the leaves change, and the days grow shorter, we will be sharing some of our favorite pictures each week.  And so it’s not just pictures, I am including some Autumn collie poems, that AI helped me create.  Usually I write my own poems, but wanted to give this new AI feature a try.  

Ryder, 13 years old, and the sweetest boy!

Kelsea, she is a doll

In a field of golden pumpkins,

Stands a loyal Collie dog,

With fur as soft as silk,

And eyes as deep as fog.

He guards the harvest with pride,

A sentry in the night,

Barking at shadows that hide,

In the pale moonlight.

Among the orange gourds,

He frolics and plays,

His joy singing out loud,

In the crisp autumn days.

With every wag of his tail,

He brings warmth to our hearts,

A friend that will never fail,

As the season departs.

So here's to the Collie,

Among the pumpkins so fine,

A loyal companion always,

In this harvest time.

Scarlett and Ryder

In the crisp autumn air, the Collie plays

Amongst the fields of golden maize

With a coat as rich as a pumpkin's glow

He roams freely, with a graceful flow

His eyes reflecting the colors of fall

As the leaves gently cascade, one and all

His loyalty as unwavering as the autumn sun

A faithful companion, always on the run

Through pumpkin patches, he frolics and plays

His spirit brightening the autumn days

With every bark and playful leap

He warms our hearts, our souls he keeps

So let us cherish this Collie dear

In the season of autumn, so clear

For in his presence, we find pure joy

A loyal friend, our hearts employ.

Scarlett 12 1/2 years old, and my perfect girl!

In the autumn's golden light,

The collie runs with all her might.

Through fields of pumpkins ripe and round,

Her joyful spirit can be found.

With fur as soft as fallen leaves,

She romps and plays among the sheaves.

Her eyes aglow with autumn's fire,

A loyal friend that will never tire.

I think the poems aren’t too bad, considering they were written by a computer!  They definitely captured the sentiment of our collies amidst the beautiful Autumn scenery. Going forward though, I think I will stick to my own poor attempts when creating poems about my collies, because the one thing AI can’t do, is write from the heart.  Happy Fall, hope everyone is getting out and enjoying the foliage while it lasts!

It’s National Black Dog Day…

It’s also adopt a shelter/rescue dog month.  So we decided to feature some tri color collies looking for their Forever homes!  We’ve heard it over and over, Dogs with black fur are typically the last to be adopted.  Which I find surprising, as I think they are absolutely beautiful.  One researcher said that it’s true there are more black dogs (and black cats) euthanized, it’s because there are more of them in shelters than any other color.  Whatever the reason, they deserve a home, so we are sharing some collies available to adopt today.

The first two collies, Artemis and Marlowe, are from Collie Rescue of the Carolinas 

The next collie, Suzie, is from the Collie Rescue League of New England

Suzie is a lovely three-year old tricolor lady.  She is affectionate, likes people and other animals and has perfect leash walking manners.  She enjoys exploring new neighborhoods on her walks or sniffing her way along new trails.  She has an average amount of energy.  She plays with toys sometimes, but would rather interact with a person or another dog.  

 Suzie's appetite is good, she likes car rides and is used to being groomed.  She has a heavy, dense coat.  She had a little obedience training as a pup, but would probably enjoy more.  She's comfortable going into strange places and downtown areas.  Suzie benefitted in foster from a routine.  She has a schedule for getting up, her two meals a day and her walks.  She is also suitable for some home offices.  

 Suzie has lots of potential.  She could try anything - obedience, trick training, maybe tracking, etc.  You pick.  She'll give anything a try.  And there's still some puppy inside her.

The next two collies, Astrid and Chester, are from Freedom Collie Rescue, in Texas.

"Astrid is a truly sweet and beautiful 2 year old smooth collie.  Although she hasn’t been exposed to much, she is slowly coming out of her shell and will flourish in a safe, loving and nurturing forever home.  She is definitely a cuddle bug with people, wanting to lay next to you and giving you affectionate licks to show her love.  And she especially enjoys the company of other dogs in the family, wanting to play or being submissive to them to gain their affection.  She would most likely do well in a home with another dog or dogs because she feels more confident with them.  She enjoys going out for walks, meeting other dogs, and letting people/children pet her, sniffing around in the fresh grass, and exploring.  However, loud sounds and busy/new environments cause her to become nervous and anxious.  With more exposure, time, and patience, she can better adjust and be more relaxed.  She also prefers being indoors, near you, or another dog, or finding a nice spot in the house to take her naps.  She’s housebroken, crate-trained, knows how to use the doggy door, and can also jump into the car.  All she really needs is a family to show her love and patience and she will return that love tenfold.  A fenced yard is required. She is being fostered in the San Antonio, Texas area Apply at: freedomcollierescue.org

Happiness is my game.  Hello, I’m Chester! My foster parents call me Chess and I am two years old. I’m a shy, but loving, and give kisses once I get to know you better. I’ve not had much of a social life previously, so my foster parents take me out to experience people, children and pets. Car rides are fun for me. People comment that I am well-mannered and calm. I’m housetrained but right now I’m wearing a belly band to minimize marking in the presence of other male dogs while my hormones calm down from being neutered. I'm up to date on my shots, and on a heart worm preventative. I was diagnosed with heart worms when I first came into rescue, and will be getting my first heart worm treatment injection in early October. I just need to remain calm to get rid of these nasty heart worms! You can foster to adopt me and the rescue covers all expenses and once my heart worm treatment is complete, I can be officially adopted!

Toys- I love them! My favorites are tennis balls and sticks. And who doesn’t like treats? My favorite outings are going for walks and running around outdoors when there is backyard playtime. My foster parents say I’m well-mannered on a leash while walking in the neighborhood, don’t pull and follow along with them. Would love to be in a home with other dogs or I’m happy to hang out with just a human friend.  Did I say I like to snuggle?  Please provide a fenced yard for me to run around, and you may apply for me at freedomcollierescue.org

If you are thinking of getting a dog as a companion, collies make excellent best friends!  There are so many wonderful collies in rescues and shelters across the country right now.  Or if a collie is not what you are looking for, please consider one of the thousands of black dogs searching for a home.  This is actually a very personal cause for me.  My first dog was a little black puppy that I adopted from a shelter.  I named her Mojo, and she was a black lab/shepherd mix.  She was the smartest, most loyal dog I have ever known.  And when the sun hit her black fur, she was just stunning.  I wish I could share a video of her beauty.  Black dogs are just as sweet and loyal as dogs with lighter colored fur, and just as deserving of loving homes.  (Black kitties too!) 

Autumn days are swiftly passing…

 Another busy Autumn weekend has come and gone.  We tried to enjoy every moment, and it was a definite success!

On Saturday I took my Mom to a local fair.  She was very happy, as she just celebrated her 88th birthday and she didn’t think she would get to see another fair.  But I had bought her a transport wheelchair, and convinced her to give it a try.  We had a nice time, and were able to enjoy some delicious fair food while we were there!

On Sunday we were entered at another Fast CAT trial.  This time my daughter also brought Sorsha and Rosie, to let them give it a try.  And it was not really a surprise, they both loved it!  They did very well, and earned lots of points for their first try at Fast CAT.  Peyton earned some additional points, and we finally figured out how to help her succeed.  As long as a stranger releases her, she runs right after the lure, straight to me.  It is only when my daughter or I release her that she turns around, and returns to us.  I wish we had figured it out sooner!  

And we have exciting news, both Addison and ZuZu earned their first Fast CAT titles!   Both girls had great runs, ZuZu even beat her best time.  And they now have the “BCAT” title after their names!

Then on late Sunday afternoon I took Winter and my mother’s collie, Phoebe to Petco.  We had them take the Canine Good Citizen test, and both passed with ease.  So they get to add the CGC title to their names.  This is Phoebe’s first title ever, and I think she was feeling very proud of herself.  I will post pictures when their certificates come from AKC.  That makes six new titles earned by our collies yesterday!  Is the math not mathing?  With their new BCAT titles, Addi and ZuZu also qualify for the Fit dog title, FITB!  What a great weekend!

My Autumn Collie

 

In the brisk Autumn air,

The collie bounds,

Into the forest of red and gold,

A Fall palette of color surrounds.

Dancing through the falling leaves,

His steps are swift and light,

Chasing squirrels through the trees,

His playful spirit takes flight.

His burnished coat of red and brown,

His paws so snowy white,

His beauty steals my breath away,

In my Autumn collie I delight.

~ Kat Pirro

These pictures were from many years ago, when my Ryder was a young collie.  But they are some of my favorites so I wanted to share them once again.

Rowdy, the Hero Collie

In previous posts I wrote about hero collies, and their devotion and loyalty to their families. And this past week another heroic collie has been in the news for his act of bravery and love. A four year old child named Tommy, wandered away from his family’s Kentucky home and was lost. Though lost and separated from his family, the child was not alone. The family’s four dogs stayed by Tommy’s side throughout the night. One of the dogs, a collie named Rowdy, had sustained life threatening injuries when he fought off an unknown animal during the ordeal. Upon discovering the child and his four guardians, the rescuers believed that Rowdy had stopped breathing. Believing the dog had passed away from his injuries and severe blood loss, they decided to focus on getting the child to safety, and planned to return for Rowdy’s body. 

Photo from Rowdy’s owner

Before anyone could go back and retrieve Rowdy, the family noticed the injured collie, battered and limping, slowly making his way up their driveway. He had found his way home, back to the family he loved! Rowdy was rushed to the local animal hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery. Hopkins County Humane Society is covering all of Rowdy’s medical expenses, to honor the collie’s brave and loyal heart.

Photo from Rowdy’s owner

Rowdy the collie’s heartwarming story is yet another example of why I love this dog breed so much! Good boy Rowdy, good boy…

All Things Autumn…

With the advent of Autumn, I am always inspired to grab my camera and a collie and head outside to try and capture the beauty of the season.  The Fall colors seem created to complement the sable and white collie in particular, providing a perfect backdrop to display their lovely coats.  This weekend we were gifted with sunshine and mild temperatures, so Addison and I headed to my favorite pumpkin patch. 

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” — Lauren DeStefano

“I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.” — Lee Maynard

“She looked like autumn, when leaves turned and fruit ripened.” — Sarah Addison Allen

“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.” — John Donne

We are joining the blog hop hosted by our friends at Comedy Plus. Click the link to discover more fun blogs!

Autumn’s Arrival

This weekend we were at an outdoor dog show, and the weather was beautiful.  It was a perfect Fall weekend, with temps in the 70s, a slight breeze and lots of sunshine.  The leaves are just beginning to change color, and pumpkins are beginning to appear everywhere.  This show was held at the fairgrounds of the prettiest little New England town.  And at the dog show our Peyton did some winning, which made us very proud.

Peyton is second in line

On Saturday, Peyton won Winners, Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex, which gave her two more points.  It was a special win for us, as the judge is a collie speciality judge and a well known collie breeder.  And Peyton won Best Opposite over two finished champions, which was very exciting!

Today Peyton won Winners again, which gave her another point towards her championship.  She just needs one more point and she will be a champion!

Today is the official first day of Fall, so I did get out and take some new Autumn pictures, but I’m going to save them for tomorrow.  Peyton deserves to be the star of this post.

Fall is here! (Well, almost, officially it will be here on Sunday)

It’s no secret that we love Fall.  With the fairs, and fair food, Halloween and Thanksgiving, apple picking and hiking, what’s not to love?  It also happens to be our favorite time of year to photograph the collies amid the Autumnal splendor.  There will be many Fall collie pictures on the blog over the next few weeks, but I haven’t taken any pictures yet.  The leaves are just beginning to change here in our corner of New England.  So in the spirit of the Autumn season, I wanted to share one of my favorite Fall pictures.  This picture is of our first champions, Holly and Abby.  Abby, CH Marchello’s Seraphim Song, was our foundation bitch.  And all our collies are related to both her and Holly, CH Accent Marchello Holiday. These two girls, along with our first collie, Lad, are the reason we are obsessed with all things collie…

We hope everyone is enjoying the wonderful Fall weather, and getting outside to get a peep at the beautiful foliage.  Please be sure to return soon, so you don’t miss any of our upcoming picture spam posts!  Happy Fall Y’all!

Nature's first green is gold,


Her hardest hue to hold.


Her early leaf's a flower;


But only so an hour.


Then leaf subsides to leaf.


So Eden sank to grief,


So dawn goes down to day.


Nothing gold can stay.


— Robert Frost