Hello again!

I thought I'd post a picture of me and my family - we hardly ever get photo's done - this was one taken last Fall.

Ellensburg was a blast and very relaxing compared to other Ellensburg trips.  I travelled with Kathy Manwheiler (sp?) and we decided to take the Anacortes Ferry through the San Juan Islands both ways.  Its a longer ferry ride, but cuts off an hour of driving from the other route, plus the border crossing is done in 20 min's and they are very friendly too!  Not like the grumpy guys at the BC borders who stress me out.  To do this route though, you need to spend an extra night in hotels - as the boat leaves monday morning first thing.  But still worth the extra $ and splits the trip up more, with lots of time to stay for all of Sunday show if you wish.  In the last two years I scratched the Sunday entries for lionheads as they of coarse were last, and I had to leave in order to catch my ferry.

I showed:  Lullabye, Sunbeam, Jazzline, and Embers.  All got great comments re type - Sunbeam and Jazzline dq'd first show for no break.  With over 35 lionheads,  Legendary rabbitry took BOB with a very nice jr. tort doe, Pridelands' took BOSB for a black buck.  The second Sunday show was with a new judge (for us lionhead breeders) Armondo from California.  He happens to be on the standards committee.  He took the standard very literally, and dq'd everyone of the lionheads on the table for ear wool - all but 2 REWs whom were SM's and consequently got BOB and BOSB.  He was very apologetic though, and we had great discussion on how the standard could be written better or changed to allow for what a nice lionhead that holds a mane - really looks like.  The original standard was written with a SM look in mind.  Well that is impossible to achieve if you want SR manes - which IS what we have to have to pass certification.  Why try and present if your standard is written to almost ensure you failing?  Like the ear wool - it definitely is there on amost all lionheads - there were ones on the table who did very well at nationals - they all have some slightly wispy finer wool on their ears that would for sure be a wool dq on another breed.  Even Embers who is an F1 SM was dq'd for it - so even those exhibit it.  So the ear description HAS to be changed - to either being a fault, or even just "cleaner ear preferred" -   The break has to be defined better, the wool on stomache most dm's have and on front feet as the wool gene covers the first 1/3 of the body - has to be mentioned.  The face wool is not transitional - it has to be redefined.  Etc.  Despite all being dq'd, the breeders there were all so grateful to get some actual constructive help other than the "you have to change the standard if you want to pass" comments.   I know Theresa will take his input in advisement when it comes to writing / presenting her certificate.   We'll see how Gail handles it... Armando is going to try and get her to rethink/rewrite abit of it on recomendations from the standards committee - we'll see if she's open to that.  Hopefully she is....

I picked up some beautiful lionheads from Nita and Kaela Shannon - Amadeus being my favourite!  Flicka is outstanding, but now I've lost my pointed white buck whom I was going to breed her to (spinal deformity)- so I'm not sure what to do with her now!  I don't want to breed more seals...I may just breed to Lennox and hope for nice blacks.  REW or Pointed White are the best choices for  breeding to seals.  Or light sablept's too, which will give you siamese sable.  But my goal is to have any siamese sables here that carry pointed white.... grrr...  My little buck Crush will eventually be a good match for her - a sablept that carries REW.  Oh well, for now I'll show her.  : )

I brought Bunny Hutch's Passion to Ellensburg to actually get culled (for dog food) as he wasn't selling and I needed the space, and his colour is funny... etc.  So Nita takes a look at him and really liked him - then we show him to Theresa , and SHE really liked him and finally I got an explanation of what he is colour wise... a double shaded sablept.   So now both Nita and I want to work with this buck as he has nice body, headset, rollback, clean face and ear etc... what you want in a buck!  LOL   So I'm keeping him for abit longer (despite the fact that I have lots of breedings out of him already, want to cross to my newer does before he goes) - then he'll go live with Nita come November when I plan on going to the Chehalis Show in WA with Kathy.  To think he almost ended up dogmeat.... 

So here I am now with every hole filled and many have more than one rabbit in them...(jr's) - I have a 4 hole stacker coming, and a shipment of 10 rabbits leaving end of July - so its just a month at over capacity for me.  That said, I'll be moving some older stock on within the next 3 months - enquire if interested.  Graphite is for sale whom has been a huge influence in getting nice manes on my kits - I just try to breed him to clean faced does overall to balance out the "transitional" fur he has on his face.  He's friendly and got excellant light sablept. colour for a Sr.  I've kept MANY kits out of him.  Amadeus will be staying here for a long time... please don't ask about him (people already have..) - he will not be for sale for a long time.  : )   Moving on within 2-4 months  will be does like:  Bailey, Saralyn, Tinsel Town, Sparkle (after I get a litter of reds out of her as well as her mom), and Tamri.  Bucks:  Vegas and Slate.    I'd also sell my hollands if anyone would be interested in them...

So that said, I better head out and check the bunnies again.  I'm doing alot of water refills daily, plus the occasional spray of water on rabbits when it gets warmer out.  I'm lucky we live in a pretty temperate climate, and only 2 blocks from the ocean I usually get a nice breeze in the evenings to cool everything down again.  Bailey, Saralyn, and Sunshine are all doing some nest building!  MossyPossum Stargazer is due next week too - so the litters and selections will be constantly changing during the next 4 months - lots of selection for everyone!  Hard for me as I see so many kits I want to keep, but just not possible....

Man.. my longest blog to date! 

Well its been forever since I've posted anything!  Seems I've got so many other things going besides rabbits - homeschooling, and two home businesses (health drink/products and now just starting with Heritage Makers - doing your own scrapbooks/books online).  My summer projects this year are painting the outside of my house, and writing/putting together a book about my father-in-laws life - who died last year in August during a canoe trip with friends.  I can build the book, then order as many copies as I want for family and friends... great concept/idea!  Also have a family reunion coming up in July at Manning Park.  Hoping for a trip to Disney Land in September!!! 

Back to rabbits.... I will be going to Ellensburg with Kathy Manwheiller.  We're travelling in a small but air conditioned jeep - so number of holes we can take will be a challenge.  Hence I'm only taking presold stuff... which is considerable (I think 9?).  I'll be showing 3 or 4 only, as my jr's are like a month shy of getting their breaks.  I  may scratch Shine as she is beautiful but no break - and I"m not sure I want to take the risks associated with a far away trip - with her, just so I can get a dq plus comments.   I'm looking forward to getting together with Nita/Kaela from Legendary rabbits.  They have two VERY nice lionhead bucks waiting for me, plus an awesome little seal doe.  We are also trading red netherlands... a buck for a doe!   I'll also be doing a switcheroo with Tracy (Bunny Hutch) - trading sr. holland does (I'll get a frosty) and some kits to grow out.  I like these cashless deals.  : )

Last weekend we had a VIEX show at Judy Curry's house - a single show under Cindy Wickezier.  My little pointed white doe Lullaby took BOB which was a pleasant surprise!  Best opposite went to Wally's sr. tort buck who often beats me on the table due to his awesome body build.  : )  I took many other BOV's  and BOSV's - in tort, sablept. and siamese sable colours.  It was great to meet with other lionhead breeders.... we are building a nice group here on the island (4).  I got a cute little orange doe from Christina Getgood who is just starting out in lionheads.  She used to show cats, and fell inlove with a petstore lionhead bunny.  So she's been breeding abit during the last 8 months - and slowly replacing her stock with pedigreed animals.  This little orange doe was nice enough to take home despite lack of background info though... thank you Christina for parting with her!  It is so fun to see a new breeder starting out and all the excitement that comes with it for them.  Also starting out about a year ago is Klair.  She has lines from Wally and I - and will be a big contender in years to come... I will post her website link once its up and running!

So I'll post again after the big Ellensburg trip!  Gotta get pedigrees ready and all else organized before I go.  Can't wait!

Today is my birthday, and I was given 12 beautiful babies (so far!).... the best present ever - especially after so many months without babies.

Forget Me Not's London (holland) had 3 babies - she did a great job nest building (although beside the box, not in it) and is feeding them well.  I had been warned she does not consistently care for her litters, so its nice she is doing so despite the long wait to get her bred.  I have high hopes for this litter!

Then this morning KP's Tinsel Town (lionhead frosty) had 4 kits (sired by Graphite) - all tucked nicely into the nest box and covered and warm... last time she had one kit and put one tuft of fur ontop of it (rescued it intime and fostered and now have my first red lionhead buck) - so nice she did everything well this time around. 

Then 5 babies out of Manely's Bailey (to Donovan- PW) - beside box, but covered, so warmed them up abit and put them into the box - fostered the smallest to another litter which only had 2). 

Lastly a netherland litter finally!  Flock's Tinkerbelle had 3 plus a peanut... again beside the box - checked her every half hour and finally they were born just before 10 a.m. - transferred them into the box and covered up to keep warm.  That's the thing with using solid bottemed cages - the does don't always use the box... but still feel its safer than on wire.

So just waiting for Tamri to deliver now - for F1 red kits.  She's a day late and I'm afraid there is either a fetal giant, or its her first litter and the kit is stuck... she is almost a year old, so there are some risks there because of her age for first litter.  She has built a nest and we await with bated breath... she is in my dining room so I can keep a constant watch on her.   Please God, give me some more red lionheads!  I rebred Pretzel as that didn't take - last chance is reds out of Mojito due next week.

I got my two new netherlands on Sunday - thanks Andrea for transporting them... Can Head aka Wind N Rain - showed me his trick already - putting his can over his nose so his head disapears.... LOL.  Of coarse as soon as the camera was ready he stopped. But I'll keep trying to get a picture of him.  Both otters are very nice for type - Was hoping Wind would be more Tannish, but hopefully crossing him into the reds will give me some tans...

Well today started well!  Still gotta homeschool - having some family over for cake this evening.  Went out with a couple close girlfriends last night to the new Milestones in Milstream area - was great!  Yacked till 11 p.m....

Looking at entries for Apr. Cowichan show - probably Saralyn, Passion,  Radiance - maybe Sprinkles (br. black netherland).  Wish I had more Jrs to show, but oh well!  Another possibility is Donovan (jr. pointed white LH) if he makes min. weight.  Gotta run!

This morning Lee A. Nevills announced she has successfully pulled new COD in 5 new colours!  They are:  Seal, Chocolate, Chocolate Tort, Lilac, and Opal.  There is someone else planning to pull for Otters and Martins in the fall - so most colours will be covered by then which will give us huge variety for shows - all allowable for sweepstakes etc.  Lee doesn't have a website up yet, but will eventually under the name: L.A. Lions.  Pretty cool!

On a personal note, the weather here is beautiful - have set up my bunny grass run again - near my new rabbitry and within view of one of the windows in my house so I can visually check when I'm inside.  I'm hoping of doing a second one when I can - it is so nice to see the buns in a more natural habitat again.  Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  : )  Glad spring is here (in Victoria) and the ground is drying out.  Hoo Ray!

VIRBA was a great show - missed not having Pridelands there, but we got a great turnout overall.  First show was judged by John Grimm who did a great job.  He liked Titian (red F1 netherland buck) type wise (did dq him) and took his time going over the lionheads with accurate assesments overall.  Tended to side with best bodytype - did do a few dq's but not obsessive about it.  Wally (Ridgewood) took BOB with a jr. tort buck, and I took BOSB with Bunny Hutch's Ziata (siamese sable doe).  He DID dq Passion for colour - I had him entered as a sablept. and he used to look like a darker one... but now he is a choc. brown colour almost!  No real shading either?  So we agreed for now he is an "it" for colour.  Genetically I think he's siamese sable, so that is what he will now officially be...  My two sablepts entered (Graphite and Sundance) - he liked Graphite better body type wise - though Sundance had better colour, cleaner face and flanks etc... best body took the win.  I sold Sundance at the show (need money right now as not many babies to sell after this winter!).  So Mossy Possums Graphite took BOV, Sundance BOSV - only two in class so don't really count this as much of a win...  : )  I like my two remaining sablepts better than Sundance for does - and plan on keeping kits of coarse - hence decision to sell Sundance who went to a breeder in WA.

Bunny Hutch's Radiance (pictured in my new logo) did well - taking BOSV for torts overall, but beaten by a jr. buck for variety.  She had a nicer mane than him, but he had a better body.... still, NOT bad for an over the year old doe who has had 2 litters! (6 or 7 torts overall).  LOVE HER!  I'm not going to breed her yet and see how that mane regrows - has done alot in the last two weeks already.  I will show her for two more shows locally (Apr. 5th and first weekend in June) then breed her.  I'm taking a chance with that hoping nothing happens to her, but my curiousity is too great to see how she matures.  She plucks ALL of her mane out for litters - some does do alot less and stay pretty... not Radiance! 

Tamri from BH was a beauty of a jr. too - her mane is coming back after a molt, but Radiance has better body type in my opinion.  Tamri has yet to have a litter, so looking forward to atleast using her in the mean time while Radiance gets some show time in.

Day 2 show:  Really frustrating... Judge was Manuel Hidalgo who judged all open classes very slowly - comes to lionheads and all was done in 15 minutes.  No time for written comments, no dq's on anyone even for obvious reasons - barely a glance at all of them.  I guess he doesn't like them much.  I will NOT show under him again - is a waste of time and money.  BOB and BOSB were both given to Wally (Ridgewoods) with jr. torts (one who had been dq'd the day before).  He left the table before even pronouncing best of breed - I had to ask him to come back and tell us who won.  He glanced over and waved his arm and said, "oh.. the torts of coarse!" And that was it.  : (    First time I've felt a judge didn't give us a fair show.  But it happens.

I will be writing up a showing 101 page in the future for beginner show rabbit people. I find I get asked the same questions alot and feel this will a valuable resource.  But first I have to write an article for Mane Musings... gotta get on it - due in two weeks!!! 

But when all is said and done - I am so happy with my stock now... I've paired down to bare bones, but plan to keep alot of jr's now - I should have lots to choose from as almost everyone is bred now and usually the spring breedings take!  Bunny Hutch's stock will give me consistent shorter bodies and nice long manes I believe, and Graphite will give me that too... so I'm hoping this will raise my quality of rabbits up again another notch.