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!