A riddle for you today….

What channel surfs, weights 67 lbs and helps to pay for retirement?

      Before


  

After

He looks GUILTY!

and the $115 vet bill does help to pay towards the Vets retirement plan!!

Yes both Payton and Wendy are OK! We have taken steps too Payton proof the house, so we think.

Payton's Great Adventure continues.

 

Wendy and I are happy to report that Payton is doing great. After dealing with a sensitive digestive track we now have him on a low fat diet and that has turn things around for the time being. The energy that both Mya and Payton have is keeping Wendy and me on our toes errr feet. We have enlisted Payton in an obedience class at Spot on K9s. This type of training is recommended and required of dogs adopted from the Good as Gold Golden Retriever organization. The training is based on the philosophy of Positive Reinforcement and uses a “clicker” and small food rewards for good behavior in training. I had heard of using a “clicker” but was unsure of any success using it. I’m a believer now. After three, one hour sessions, and homework, Payton is doing great.

He / we have more work ahead of us but things are coming along fine.


Mya and I continue our visits to the Greens of Elgin, Rosewood Nursing Home and St. Joseph Hospital.

Hang on Scott and Ann, they are on their way…. Birds that is.

Wendy and I look forward to the time of the year /winter when we can record our first sighting of the returning Robins and Red Wing Blackbirds. We feel that winter must be on the down hill slide with the migrations of the local and not so local birds. Monday morning was that day we saw a few and today on our Payton 7 Mya walk saw bunches of Black birds. While out cleaning up the yard today I heard and saw Cranes flying low. It was a fogy day today. Sandhill Cranes I believe. Over the next month or so the sky will be full or them. You most likely will hear them before you see them but if you look high in the sky you will see them by the hundreds. Very neat!

Echo Competes at District Meet, Qualifies for State Meet in March; and other News

Kristina writes about Echo competing in the recent YMCA District swim meet held at the University of Illinois –Chicago. Hope to have pictures soon.

On Feb. 28th 2010 we went to echo’s district swim meet at the University of Illinois –Chicago. This is the swim meet that decides whether she goes onto state. That is determined only if she makes a state time at this meet. Very nerve racking!!!!!!!!!!!

Understand, she had state times in a handful of events in 2009 /2010, but she had to do them again at district in order to qualify for state compatition.

She was scheduled to swim the 200 freestyle that is 8 lengths of the pool. State time for that event is a 2:17.87 she swam a 2:13.70. The next event was the 100 freestyle state for that event is 1:02.79 she swam a 1:00.69 so on march 21st we will be going to Dekalb for the state meet. GO ECHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next year she will be 13 and that is when she is eligible nationals. I don’t know will see that would be pretty exciting that would mean a rode trip to Florida. No pressure Echo. I’m not sure what national times are to give you an idea though state times for when she turns 13 are for the 200 2:11. 59 and for the 100 it is 1:00.09 so she is really close to those times already. That is the only meet that I get really nervous at. I’ll let you know how she does at state.

Love ya Keyto

STATE of ILLINOIS adds one more to the road!

A happy, very happy Tiffani shows off her new drivers' license!