22 maj 2010
Tibetansk spaniel-special i Skavlöten, Täby.  Vår Jesse (Strömkarlens Hjärter Ess) som ser ut som en helt annan hund än då han kom för två månader sedan, tävlade i veteranklass.  Fick ck och blev reserv i bästa hanhundsklass!  Mattes lille pojk!  Ronja (Strömkarlens Rainbow in the Dark) har just blivit junior.  9 månader gammal vann hon sin klass och blev BIR-junior med ck.  Domare Torbjörn Skaar.  Tack Monica för mina fina vovvar!

9 maj 2010
Idag fick vi säga farväl till Tekla - Am Ch Old Smuggler's Cactus Flower.  Om några veckor skulle hon fyllt 14 år men hon har haft juvertumörer en längre tid och blev plötsligt dålig.  Jag har så mycket roliga minnen av Tekla.  Hon var alltid med på noterna, en stor personlighet och det bästa hon visste var utställning.  Så fort jag började packa satt hon klistrad vid dörren för att vara säker på att det var hon som skulle med.  Tekla hann med nästan ett helt år med oss här i Sverige och kommer att vila i vår lilla hundkyrkogård här på tomten tillsammans med halvsyster Inga och mamma Ruffa.

28 april 2010
Valparna är här! Lucy (Am Ch Old Smuggler's Hat Trick) fick sju ljuvliga valpar idag.  Tre pojkar (svart, blå, sand) och fyra flickor (svarta).  Stolt far är Drutten (SE, FIN, DK Ch Rivermeadow's Wild Card). Valparna är leveransklara kring midsommar.  Se valpsidan för mer information.

8 juli 2009
Idag kom vi äntligen till Sverige!  Emily och jag har med oss fyra hundar tills vidare.  Eftersom flygbolaget endast tar emot tre hundar per plan i lastutrymmet tog vi med de gamla hundarna och låter de unga stanna tills vi har flyttat in i vårt nya hus.  Vi har med oss Inga som fyller 16 i september!  Hon var valp när vi flyttade till USA för 15 år sedan.  Femton år senare flög hon tillbaka över Atlanten, en resa som hon klarade alldeles utmärkt!  Vi har också med oss Tekla och whippeten Trixy som båda är 13 år och naturligtvis Emilys tibetanska spaniel Charlie som kunde resa i kabinen med oss.  Ett extra stort TACK till våra vänner i USA som tar hand om våra resterande hundar och katt - Mary & Nancy Steckel, Karen Shaw och Laura & Alden Melbourne.

July 8th, 2009
Today we finally arrived in Sweden!  Emily and I landed with four dogs.  Since the airline only accepts three dogs in the cargo hold per plane, we brought our old dogs and let the young ones stay in U.S. until we are settled.  We brought Inga who will be 16 years old in September!  Inga was the youngest dog that moved to the U.S. with us in 1994.  Fifteen years later she made the trip again and did just fine!  We also brought Tekla who is 13 and our Whippet Trixy who is also 13 and of course the little Tibbie Charlie - Emily's dog - who traveled in the cabin with us.  A great big THANK YOU to our friends in the U.S. who are housing our dogs and cat - Mary & Nancy Steckel, Karen Shaw and Alden & Laura Melbourne.

June 13th, 2009
Chicagoland Regional Specialty - judged by Johan Andersson of Alistair Bearded Collies.  Entry of 84 Beardies.  The only Old Smuggler dog entered was Ch Old Smuggler's Front Runner who competed in Best of Breed for the first time!  Rhys, as usual expertly handled by his owner Cheryl Fehrer, exceeded all our expectations and won Best of Opposite Sex! Rhys is only 14 months old!  Whohoo!

June 12th, 2009
NEW CHAMPION!  Today, the day before the Chicagoland Regional Specialty, "Rhys" finished his championship with a 5 pt major!  He is now titled Ch Old Smuggler's Front Runner!

February 9th, 2009
USDA was here today, to check on the alpaca who had what is commonly described as a "false positive TB test" in the alpaca community, when we performed the TB test required for exportation to Canada in November.  It isn't truly a "false" positive, but it is, in virtually every case, a reaction not to TB but to a related organism.  Such organisms are common in the soil and also often carried by birds.  Our little boy is now negative as far as USDA/U.S is concerned, but does not pass the Canadian requirements, which are more restrictive.  According to those requirements, we need to have this alpaca killed and his tissues sent to a lab where they can confirm that he does not have TB.  There is nobody involved, including the USDA vets, that believe that this alpaca has TB.  He was born here, has never been out of the pasture, and is perfectly healthy.  Also, TB has not been found in Wisconsin since the 1990's in any species and as far as I've been able to find out, has never been found in an alpaca in the U.S.
Anyway, those are the rules.  Lucky for little Hero, I would not dream of having him killed in order to have the herd moved to Sweden.  I just do not think like that about life.  Sacrificing his young life for something I want?  I don't think so....
Also, the whole project had already been thrown off by Hero testing 1/10 of a millimeter over the requirement in the first test, resulting in 3 months of extra quarantine for the whole herd, which in turn meant that all our plans for shipping to Europe would be off.  I had planned it so that the animals would get to Europe before this year's cria would be born, but with the extra quarantine the timing became very complicated with babies being born in quarantine, resulting in extra board and doubled shipping.  I can't afford it anymore, and my lovely alpacas are now for sale.  It is very hard to give up a dream, but I will be forever grateful for the 7 years that I've had with these graceful, intelligent and beautiful animals.  Maybe at some point, I can start again, but for now my alpaca dream will soon be over.  And of course, starting over with new animals is not the same.  I know all their little faces, all the personalities and the quirks they all have.  They know me and all come running as soon as they see me and the little green bucket.  I know they want the bucket.... not me.... :-)... but they know me and trust me, to some extent at least, which with alpacas is all you can ask for.  I have improved on my herd with the breedings I've made and gotten to know their strengths and weaknesses.  It is hard to imagine starting over... but maybe some day...!

December 16, 2008
We submitted hip xrays for Lasse, Lucy and Cleo to the Swedish Kennel Club for scoring.  We got the results back today - all three scored "A".

October 9, 2008
Not all news are good news, unfortunately.  A few days ago I had to spay Nikki, Old Smuggler's Peace by Peace, because of pyometra.  So many plans and hopes went down the drain.  She is, however, feeling much better and very happy to be home.

September 14th, 2008
We've had an unbelievable streak of success this summer and today was no exception!  Lasse - Typografen's Layout - took Winners Dog, Best of Winners and Best of Breed for his second major!  Not to be outdone, Lucy took Winners Bitch for her third major and Best of Opposite Sex.  She finished her championship and is now Ch Old Smuggler's Hat Trick!  Judge was Mr. Charles Trotter.

September 13th, 2008
We went to Manitowoc KC show.  Lucy went Winners Bitch for her second major, Best of Winners and Best of Breed!  Lasse was Reserve Winners Dog. Judge was Ms. Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine. 

August 11th, 2008
We move to a different site - Racine KC.  Lasse takes his fourth straight win in a row with WD and BOW under judge Ms Nancy Sedlacek.  Lasse and Lucy now both have 9 points each.

August 10th, 2008
Another day at Cudahy KC.  Different judge - Dr Robert Brown - same results!  WD and BOW for Typografen's Layout "Lasse" and WB for Old Smuggler's Hat Trick "Lucy".  Unfortunately the major broke so they got 2 points each.

August 9th, 2008
We were off to Cudahy KC where Lasse and Lucy repeat the success from last weekend - WD and BOW for Lasse and WB for Lucy.  The judge was Mr Raymond V Filburn, Jr.

July 27, 2008
Second day of Waukesha KC shows.  Breeder judge Tom Davies picked our Swedish boy "Lasse" - Typografen's Layout for Winners Dog and Best of Winners for a 4 point major.  This was Lasse's first show weekend, with the only exception being the CBCC Specialty in June.
Lucy - Old Smuggler's Hat Trick did just as well, going Winner's Bitch for a 4 pt major.  What a great day for us!

July 26, 2008
It is time for my favorite shows - Waukesha KC summer shows.  Lucy started the weekend by going Reserve Winners Bitch for a 4 point major under judge Walter Sommerfeldt.

July 2 - 17
We leave for Sweden to attend the World Dog Show, Bearded Collie Specialty and International Get Together.