Rocky Studio Tour 2013

The final push is on before the annual studio tour next weekend.  I have lots of new things to show, demonstrate and show for this year. This week the studio looks like a hurricane hit it but by next weekend all will be in place to welcome new and returning guests into my studio and gallery spaces. I love the chance to show people what is possible with glass and even have a new painting  of the horses in the northern lights available this year. The map is available on the website at www.rockystudiotour.com or at the local tourist information booth. It runs July 19,20,21 and goes from 10 am-6pm each day and is a free self guided tour.

Dog Harness Alert

I don't usually post items like this on my blog, but I was shocked by the results of the testing of dog harnesses that are used to restrain dogs in vehicles. However, perhaps now more product development testing will be done to make them safer to use.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/05/22/consumerwatch-tests-on-dog-harnesses-show-100-percent-failure-rate/#.UaZMXYh1M-Z.facebook

Lambing Time!

Well, the lambs have started to arrive and I am so very grateful for the incredible weather this week that has helped all these little ones get off to a good start. They are pretty sleepy in the heat of the day or when their mom's are busy pigging out at the trough, but they are starting to spring about the pen at lightening speed and leaping off anything. It is taking longer to do chores these days as you can't help but spend more time checking, watching and just enjoying their unbridled delight in being alive.
This picture only shows a fraction of the lambs as we are already at 31 lambs in just a week!

Winter Bliss!

While my soul may be yearning for the snow and frost to go, I was thrilled to capture this shot of my Canadian mare, Lakota enjoying the crisp air!

Spring Rituals

Well, it may not feel a whole lot like spring, but the spring rituals have begun around the farm. This week the crows arrived in search of nesting material. They swoop in, land on the sheep's backs and just start plucking till they can't hold any more in their beaks and then I watch them fly off over the fields to their nesting site. We have hair sheep (St.Croix and Dorper crosses), so they actually don't get a real type of wool, but actually a hair type of fleece that the sheep actually shed out in the spring. So the sheep actually don't seem to mind the crows landing and plucking (it looks a little rough to me) but with all the snow that is inevitably to come yet this spring, they may regret losing their top coat haha

Yellow Dog Warning System

This is a great new warning system! Please spread the word to help prevent incidents.

Important Health Study on Golden Retrievers

This is a very important study that has just been released on the effects of spaying and neutering on dogs. It is also great that they used Golden Retrievers as well, so even more solid evidence for our breed as to the issues of interfering with the natural growth development of animals.

http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10498#.URxICxYek-k.facebook