Hayley Westenra I Dreamed a Dream

I Dreamed a Dream

Les Miserables Fantine - I Dreamed a Dream Lyrics

There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

What a relief!

I got the DNA reports back on my final 2 breeding age Labs today. I always hold my breath when I read them, because one bad gene would mean I'd have to spay and remove a dog I really like from my breeding program.

So far I've been very fortunate, and this pair was no exception. They both tested clear of every genetic defect that it's currently possible to test for. What this means is that I can give a lifelong ironclad guarantee to my puppy buyers against all of these defects. I know before I breed these dogs that they're as healthy as I can make them and my pups new families can rest assured that they're not going to face heartache over things that could/should have been prevented.

Hickory shows as carrying yellow and chocolate color genes, where Ava carries only chocolate. Since Chip carries both, I will have beautiful colored pups out of their pairing.

Finally Marching toward spring

With spring just around the corner, there's hope again; but also much more work to plant and protect and raise what we can so that even if the recession becomes a depression we will be prepared. I'm watching eagerly as the snow melts and ground warms. Seeing blades of green grass poking up makes even the cold days seem a bit easier to bear.

This winter has been a long, cold, harsh one. We've had far more subzero weather than normal and windchills down to -45. We've weathered it and managed to keep safe, managed to keep up with the gas bill, still have food in the freezer and pantry. Once more we have survived.

How do I know when to worm my puppy?

As a breeder, I automatically worm all my pups at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. I purchase a liquid wormer from my vet so I can be sure they’re parasite free. After this, you might want to take a stool sample with you when you take your pup to the vet for his vaccines so it can be examined for worms. A pup with untreated worms can go down hill quite quickly, so it’s always best to catch them early. I worm my adult dogs once a month when I give them their heart worm preventative.

Are all Labrador retrievers hyper?

Labs can be quite hyper and bouncy dogs. They’re often thrilled to find someone who will throw a ball for them so they can retrieve it over and over again. There are many labs that are hyper and absolutely need a lot of exercise. They usually come from hunting lines where they’re bred to be able to go all day without wearing out. If you prefer not to have a dog with life-long puppy energy, these are not the dog for you. If you run several miles a day for your own health and enjoyment, one of these dogs could be your ideal running partner.
Show type Labs on the other hand, can mature into real couch potatoes. They’re bred to be calmer, less needy of daily runs and can actually be very content as house pets. It is the more calm type of labs that I have and breed. I’m too old to be trying to keep up to a hyper dog. Mine can certainly enjoy a good run and love to play fetch, yet if they don’t get to do it every day they’re quite content to lay at my feet and follow me from room to room in the house instead.
Knowing up front what type you want and the energy level you can enjoy living with is a major factor in the selection process. Labs are wonderful dogs, but you do need to consider their energy level to get one that best suits you. A high energy dog in a low energy setting will quickly become noisy and destructive through their frustration. It is as predictable as if you were asking an active toddler to sit still all day and not act out. Neither of you would be happy with the results.
So do your homework and observe the parents… ask questions before you buy and be honest with yourself if you’re not going to provide the opportunity for the exercise they might need.

Why do some poodles have such funny “fru fru” haircuts?

Because most of us only see standard poodles in a dog show on TV or at the end of a leash in an old movie, we’ve developed a faulty perception of poodles. I’ve heard of many men who refuse to have a poodle because they’re viewed as a feminine dog; when in truth, they’re wonderful water hunting dogs. Can’t get much more manly than that!
The “fru fru” haircut, began when hunters wanted to remove some of the heavy coat from their dogs so that when wet, they weren’t so weighted down. The hair trimmed from the torso helped them not to hold as much water and to be more streamlined swimmers. The hair was left in places where the dog needed more protection and warmth. So the chest and back, brain, and joints of the legs were usually left untrimmed. The tuft on the end of the tail was left so that a ribbon was tied to it to be able to identify individual dogs when they came together for hunting events. With a raised tail, the ribbons were easy to spot so you could see which dog in a sea of poodles was your own even from a distance.
Since poodles have very little if any doggy odor, even when they get wet they’re more pleasant to be around than breeds that smell like a “wet dog.” Because their mature coats are wooley, poodles can shake themselves fairly dry and remain quite warm even when fresh out of the water. In Europe, Poodles are quite widely used as the hunting dogs they were bred to be. They make wonderful pets, but that’s not what they were bred for and not how they got their hair cut style.