Barns, BBQ & Bales of Cotton

While we were down in Charleston last weekend, I also had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Kirby Player, who is the editor of a great new book called "Barns, Barbecue & Bales of Cotton." This is a pictorial book showing old barns all across the state of South Carolina, giving the history of barbecue in South Carolina and an overview of all of the top agricultural commodities in South Carolina. If you or someone you know loves old barns, barbecue or agricultural history in South Carolina, you will LOVE this book!! It is on sale right now for $39.95 plus shipping and handling. Go to: http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/ All proceeds from the sale of this book go towards supporting agricultural youth education programs, including S.C. Commissioner's School for Agriculture, which is a program that Ms. Beth works with every summer, promoting career opportunities for young people in the Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resource industries. For more information about SC Commissioner's School for Agriculture, please visit: http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/sccsa/

Southeastern Wildlife Exposition 2010

I spent this past weekend with Ms. Beth in Charleston at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. The S.C. Department of Agriculture was a corporate sponsor at this wonderful event and they had a tent outside of the Gaillard Auditorium featuring wonderful chefs cooking with SC products, as well as many small businesses across the state that create wonderful food products using SC Grown items. I was there to see how the crowd would interact with me and to see how stressed I would get. Ms. Beth wants me to promote eating Certified SC Grown produce. Because I represent the Boykin Spaniel breed, which is the state dog of SC, my message is going to be promoting the increased consumption of fresh, tasty SC Grown produce, especially to young children. It's important to eat a variety of fresh, nutritious SC produce to help young people grow up to be strong, healthy adults! Overall, I had a great time at this event. I loved meeting new people and Ms. Beth talked non-stop about Boykin Spaniels, training me and the importance of eating Certified SC Grown!!

Snow in SC!!!!

We had a record amount of snow and ice in South Carolina this past weekend! I was especially fascinated by the icicles that formed on the railings!! Check out some of the pictures Ms. Beth took. I had fun running around in the snow. Ms. Madison especially liked the cooler weather and Ms. Beth took a funny video of her playing in the snow. Now, if only Ms. Beth can figure out how to upload videos onto the blog site..... stay tuned!!!

Rally & Obedience Training.

Currently, I am booked up on Wednesday nights!!! I am taking a Rally Novice class with the Greater Columbia Obedience Club. I like the hour I get to spend with Ms. Beth, learning new exercises and practicing my basic obedience skills. I'm getting lots better at quickly responding to the "down" command, and Ms. Beth is thrilled about that. But stay is really taking me a long time.... I just don't understand why she would ever want to walk away from me and not have me right beside her? What a silly command!!! But, I am trying to do better at it because it makes her so HAPPY when I do spend a few minutes laying or sitting in the place where she issued the "stay" command.

Over the weekend of January 16-17, Ms. Beth took me to the Greater Columbia Obedience Trial at the SC State Fairgrounds. I had the opportunity to watch my Uncle Jackson perform at the Rally Excellent and Rally Advanced levels. (see attached pictures). It looks like he was having so much fun!!! I really hope that I can be as enthusiastic and as accurate as him!! He received 3rd and 4th place ribbons on Saturday! Yay Uncle Jackson!!!

I'll have to keep you posted on my progress ;) Until next time, Happy Training!!

2010!!

Well, it's a new year and we've been super busy!! For the New Year's holiday, we took a trip down to Florida to visit Ms. Beth's family farm and lakehouse. It was sooooooo much fun!!! I wish we lived on a lake. I would go swimming everyday!!! It is so much fun to go tromping in the mud and the muck, and then retrieving in the water and splashing around is fun too!!!

While we were down there visiting, Ms. Beth also read her Christmas present which was a book on the history and development of the Boykin Spaniel breed. The book also had stories about Boykin Spaniels and Ms. Beth said that I shared a lot of characteristics with those famous Boykins!!!

It's been pretty cold as of late and I love to go play outside, but during the day I've been cuddling up inside with Aunt Madison and Uncle Jackson. Setters are the BEST couch potatoes on cold days, and Ms. Beth is glad that they have convinced me that I too can excel at being a couch potato with a little practice ;) ha, ha.

I was also recently in my second dog show. I was entered in the All Breed Confirmation show hosted by the Clemson Kennel Club last weekend. It was super cold that day, but I was just excited to be there spending time with Ms. Beth!! I had to stand still and let the judge run his hands all over me. I keep all of my feet on the ground but I couldn't help but wiggle the whole time..... I am a Boykin Spaniel after all!!! Because this is was one of the first shows where Boykin Spaniels are eligible for AKC confirmation points, the Judge spent some time talking to Ms. Beth and commenting on my wiggly little personality! Once we started moving around the ring though, I was all business!! Couldn't let Ms. Beth down while everyone was watching us!!

Ms. Beth promises that the next show will be bigger and I will get the chance to see LOTS of other Boykins!! That should be in Greenville, sometime in February, so check back in to see how we do :)

Merry Christmas!!

Today was my first Christmas with Ms. Beth and her family in Pickens! What a great time we had! All of the doggies got treats when the family exchanged gifts, we had a yummy Christmas dinner, a long walk in the woods and lots of time for naps!! I enjoyed ever momen!

Hope that your Christmas was everything that you hoped it would be too!! Merry Christmas !!

Christmas Shopping

On Saturday I went Christmas shopping with Ms. Beth. We went down to Pupcakes on Devine Street and we picked up a stocking my picture painted on it!!! How cool!!

I also had the best time playing with the toys and the friendly staff at Pupcakes. The tossed the tennis ball for me repeatedly. They are my new bestest friends :)

If you are interested in getting a handpainted Christmas stocking similar to mine, please stop by Pupcakes on Devine Street or visit their website at: http://www.pupcakespetboutique.com/