Amazing Sunset

Bonjovi's home - Art & Soul exhibit at Ash Fork Library

Drove to Las Vegas to meet Gary and pick up Bonjovi - home at last from the CO, ID, MT Circuit. I could tell Bonjovi was glad to see me, but I wasn't sure whether any part of him was the least bit miffed that I had handed him off to Gary 3 weeks before and simply walked away (had he known the anguish I went through he would have forgiven me instantly)...he jumped in the truck, visibly glad for the cool air, a respite from the 105+ deg temps outside. Plopped down in the Co-pilot seat as is his custom, and promptly went to sleep. As we headed home, I'd catch him giving me sidelong glances. Was that the look of love? Or reproach?

We had to reintroduce BJ to the clan so that he could once again regain his rightful place as top dog. As we went for our evening walk, we were blessed with one of the most beautiful sunsets at WindSpirit Ranch. The next morning, Bonjovi once again enjoyed his romp through the fields...

Excited that some of my paintings are being exhibited at the Ash Fork Library...

Bonjovi is a Champion!

I'm so excited that Bonjovi is finally finished - a Champion! How very cool is that?

I've not seen him since I handed him off to Gary Steele 2 weeks ago...that may not seem like a big deal, except we are together 24/7. I don't even go to the store, or feed the horses, or even sip a glass of wine, without my boxer boy next to me.

So, meeting Gary in Flagstaff on their way to the ID, MT circuit, handing him off, turning and walking away was huge...I finally decided that for all the heart, love, time, money I've invested in my beloved boxers, I had to do this...give him a chance to become the champion I knew he was, or accept that I had done my very best, send him with the best, then be at peace with it.

The truth of it is that I couldn't love him more now...but maybe I've proven something to myself. One of those AH HA moments...this inspires me to be more, do more, have more faith and confidence in myself.

Gary told me how Bonjovi "nailed" his first major points: The judge had put him second, then asked Gary to take him around the ring, with instructions "come to the center of the ring and don't touch your dogs!" All of the hours of training to self stack, came together in that one instant, as the judge rethought his initial choice and put Gary and Bonjovi first. I thought my heart would burst with pride.

I'm so grateful to Gary Steele for seeing promise in my dog, believing in him, and making it happen in one week!!...my Bonjovi is now CH. Mar-Rocco Bix-L's Bonjovi RA, how cool is that?

What's next for us? Can't wait for him to come home next week, then we will finish Rally Excellent, do Agility - he's not just a pretty face you know...but first Bonjovi needs to be a couch potato for a while, chasing rabbits and bugs...watching sunsets, sipping wine...:-)

And then there are the Sunsets...aaah the sunsets!!!

Not to brag (don't you hate it when people start off saying that? usually means they're about to brag), but I've traveled some - actually I've traveled a lot! Less than some...more than most.
I've seen breathtaking sunsets in Spain, the French Riviera, California, Hawaii etc. etc....even jaw dropping sunsets in Chicago! What I remember most about these sunsets is what I was doing, and who I was with at the time I saw them...

When we brought our property from Sharlene in 2004, the first thing she said to me was "uh, I hope you like your own company", Steve & I looked at each other, eyes shining, feeling on top of the world, in unison, we said "why?". Sharlene said "because, you're going to be spending a LOT of time with yourself up here....we looked at each other, rolled our eyes...and I promptly responded "sure Sharlene, no problem, I'm a loner anyway", she looked up at a red tailed hawk circling overhead and said "Ooookaaay, just thought I'd let you know"....6 months later, having sold our place in CA, and left my (many) friends, I stood by the horse corral, looking up at the same red tailed hawk (I'm sure it was the same one) saying to myself, what was I thinking? Leaving my (large) home (with our well, city electricity, neighbors within shouting distance), friends, activities....to come to this place? Sharlene was right, I like my own company, BUT NOT THIS MUCH!!!

Now, nearly 6 years later, I've gotten perspective...I've seen not only a lot more red-tailed hawks, but also where their nests are, and barn owls, and ravens as big as turkeys...but one of the things that stands out -- are the sunsets...and now its about the sunsets, not what I'm doing or who I'm with...every evening, the sky turns into a kaleidoscope of color, followed by stars that make one think they're in a planetarium...I have learned to love my own company...also road trips (when my own company is not quite enough), stargazing, Monsoon season, coyotes howling, rainbows and much much more.

"The surest way to reveal one's character is not through adversity, but by giving them power."
-Abraham Lincoln

My favorite time of the year, spring/summer at WindSpirit Ranch...the wildflowers take turns bursting into bloom...this week its the orange flowers - my favorite color. The grasses are so high that the dogs have to jump like gazelles to see where they're going...everywhere I look there's the
subject for a new painting...

"A grateful perspective brings happiness and abundance into a person's life"
-The Noticer, Andy Andrews

Bonjovi and life lessons

Taking my boxers for their early morning run...Bonjovi always likes to take a toy, keeps his prey drive at bay...on 50 acres, we often see rabbits. If they lay very still, Bonjovi will usually just run by them. Too often, fear of being caught make them run for it, then the chase is on...I'm always rooting for the rabbit..."run for your lives" I yell. As they head for the nearest fence to make their escape.

There are many life lessons watching my dogs chase rabbits...they give it 100%, running for all they're worth, huge smiles on their faces, they nearly careen into the fence, look forlorn at the rabbit making their escape, then they look around, brush themselves off, and look for the next rabbit to chase - and off they go!!! Why do we humans hang on to defeat and disappointment? There's always another rabbit to chase...

Life off grid

People often ask me, "you live so far away from EVERYTHING, how do you run your business? who are your customers? Certainly NOT residents of Ash Fork!!!??? Besides, how do you even run your embroidery machines?" If you've seen my WindSpirit Embroidery website homepage, you may have noticed a picture of Steve working on the embroidery machine...that is not your grandmothers embroidery machine - no sir! its an industrial, 2 headed Barudan work horse...how we got it up our rocky, steep dirt road, that is the topic of another blog...

But to answer the question I often get, I say: "When you live far away from everything, the whole world is your customer!" Thank God for the internet, satellite, and road trips.

Another breathtakingly beautiful morning at WindSpirit Ranch...indigo skies, red tailed hawks flying overhead looking for their breakfast...time to feed horses, take boxers out for their morning run and welcome another glorious day - but first, another cup of french roast coffee.

Later, T-shirt designs to create, embroidered caps to run --