Friday Zen – “The Log Driver’s Waltz”

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Log Driver's Waltz title screen. NFB short animated film. Song by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

Over the years, there have been a ton of great animated shorts from the NFB, Canada’s National Film Board. Growing up in Canada, the songs from some of these shorts have become embedded in our brains, and few more so than the lovely, lyrical “Log Driver’s Waltz”.

It will always be one of my favorites, for its whimsy and its almost entirely Canadian style of story telling. Based on a song by Canadian Folksong writer Wade Hemsworth, it is sung by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.

There go more brain cells

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It is almost always, always a mistake to listen to a certain friend of mine when she calls and says “You REALLY have to see this show”. Inevitably, it will be some train wreck of a reality show that leaves me feeling like I need to give my brain a bleach enema. ‘Manicurists Gone Wild’! ‘Worm Farmers – Slithering to Glory’! Is there anyone left who doesn’t have their own television show?

In this case, the show was “Jersey Shore”, and the combined rage and humiliation I was left feeling after I’d watched it was combined with relief that I now finally understood all those comedy segments on the Huffington Post. On the other hand, Sean pointed out that anyone who spends five minutes a day looking at People of Walmart and photos of Hamsters riding Subway trains is on pretty shaky moral high ground.

He’s probably got a point.

If you’ve got a few brain cells left to burn, check out Craig Ferguson’s parody clip “Jersey Shore – the Movie”.

Raw Milk Victory

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Schmidt (right), is surrounded by supporters as he toasts to the queen with a glass or 'Raw Milk' at a courthouse in Newmarket, Ontario

Schmidt (right), is surrounded by supporters as he toasts to the queen with a glass or 'Raw Milk' at a courthouse in Newmarket, Ontario

Local dairy farmer Michael Schmidt finally had his day in court, and the ruling has allowed him to continue offering his raw milk co op.

From the Toronto Star –

In a surprise move, a Newmarket court ruled Thursday that dairy farmer Michael Schmidt can continue his raw milk cooperative and that his venture does not break laws against selling unpasteurized milk.

Government officials had little to say about the decision Thursday. But dairy experts say the ruling will spur more cow-share programs to form and encourage the underground co-ops already operating in Ontario to surface. And, they say, it will likely force the government to change its laws to allow the sale and distribution of raw milk.

Schmidt, who operates Glencolton Farms, has been offering raw milk products to the public via a cow share program. From the crown’s case against Mr. Schmidt –

Investigations reveal that Mr. Schmidt has developed a “cow share membership” scheme whereby he sells shares of cows to the public, so that he can subsequently supply them with milk. According to Mr. Schmidt, members pay a fee to care for the milk cows, cows which the cow share owners have purchased a share in (usually 1/4 of a cow for $300.00). he denies that he is actually selling milk or milk products. He suggests that the cow share owners bought a part of the cow, and are therefore drinking their own milk.

The crown case tells us that “In June of 2006, a complaint was received by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs from the York Regional Health Unit regarding the possible distribution of unpasteurized milk”. With nothing else quite as pressing on their hands, the Ministry set up a full scale sting operation, dedicated to doing an undercover investigation in the Schmidt’s cow share program, and the possible other raw milk products which the farm might be selling. There’s no word if the operation was nicknamed “Project Sour Milk”, but wouldn’t it be awesome if it was?

Once officers were finally able to obtain a cow share membership and purchase raw milk, charges were laid against Mr. Schmidt.

Thursday’s decision will allow him to continue to sell raw milk, and raw milk products, and hopefully it will also allow him to expand his cow share membership. I’m not a milk drinker, but I’d love to get my hands on some fresh, unpasteurized cream. I’ve heard you can make gorgeous creme fraiche with it.

Glencolton Farms is just another example of why I love living near Durham. We’ve got what is quite possibly Ontario’s most eclectic community here, complete with Symphony in the Barn, The Words Aloud Festival, The Fabulous Festival of Fringe Film, the Rocky River Cycling Festival, our local Art Gallery and more organic farms than you can shake a carrot at.

Here’s a short video about Glencoulton Farms, made by Markus Schmidt. Watch it, and you won’t find it difficult to believe that animals raised and kept with this much care and respect live healthier lives, and provide us with healthier milk, eggs and dairy products.

All this, and we’ve also got the mystery of the missing cemetery, too. More on that later.

They grow up so fast…

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Luke attends show handling class

Luke attends show handling class

It’s hard to believe that our last round of French Bulldog puppies are almost seven months old. With age comes the thought of show ring careers, so I thought we’d update you on what’s going on with our budding beauty queens (and king).

Over in Illinois, Andrea Morden Moore and the lovely Luke are getting ready for their show ring debut. Luke has already been doing some ring training, and Andrea says he is progressing quite nicely. I’m very pleased with him, albeit only from his photos.

Luke will be making his ring debut at the Chicago International Kennel Club show, which takes place the last weekend in February.

You can learn more about the IKC show on their web page – http://www.ikcdogshow.com/

Luke and Andrea will be showing during the ‘benched’ portion of the show. The Westminster Kennel Club website has the description for “Benched” shows –

Originally, most shows were “benched” in some fashion, where the entered dogs were required to be in assigned areas (on benches) at all times when not being judged in the ring. This allowed for interaction of dogs and their owners with spectators and other owners and breeders as an educational process.

What this means, in essence, is that all the dogs of a single breed are set up in the same area in between showing. All of the French Bulldogs, for example, will be together, which means you’ll also have easy access to all of the French Bulldog breeders and exhibitors who are at the same show. Many times, people will set up little informational booths and displays, often with the breed clubs or local breed rescues also offering a display.

There are very, very few benched shows left in the world, and while exhibitors might complain about them, there are really no better shows for the average public to attend.  Benched shows are ultimately intended to provide a way for the public to interact with large groups of breeders and exhibitors, all in one place, and most people who enter benched shows do so with the understanding that they will make themselves available to answer questions about their dogs and their breed.

If you live in or near the Chicago area, Luke and Andrea would LOVE to have you come out to meet them, and to cheer for them. As I mentioned, they’re only entered in the ‘benched’ portion of the show, which is Saturday and Sunday. I’ll be posting entry times as the show dates gets closer, but please let me know if you plan to attend, so that they can keep an eye out for you.

Up in Michigan, Sue Simon had been hoping to attend the IKC show with Luke and Leah’s dad, Dexter. Unfortunately, the timing isn’t great right now, so she’ll be entering him in some local Michigan shows, including Cobo Hall – which just happens to be another benched show!

This means another great chance to come out and meet with dogs and their owners, including the Dashingly Devious Dexter. Please give him a head skritch from me, and tell him to try to behave himself for Sue!

French Bulldog in the snow

Leah 'enjoying' the snowy CT weather

Over on the East Coast, Luke’s sister Leah is also getting ready for her show ring debut. We’re currently working out details for the Lovely Ms Leah to head up to Canada, where she’ll be ably handled by the ultra talented Kay Reil, who finished Butters for us last year.  I have high hopes that Leah will make it up in time for the CKC’s Charitable dog show event, the Purina National dog show. This year’s show should have a great turn out, as it’s being held at the Interational Center near the Toronto Airport.

Last year, Butters made her debut at the Purina National, and it would be nice to see Leah do the same. We’ll be offering a breed information booth at the Purina National this year, and again – we’d love to see you come out to meet us, and to learn more about Frenchies.

Also on the east coast is Finlee, Delilah’s Dexter daughter. Finlee and her new mom, Amanda, will be making their ring debut some time later this spring, and we look forward to hearing more about their progress. We also need Amanda to send us more photos – Flickr is your friend, people!

Last but hardly least is our own little Dex-ette, Pickle. She’s coming along quite nicely – her body is lovely at this stage, but her head needs to catch up with it. Right now, she looks like she’s got a mature body, with a puppy head. We’re going to give her some time for all of her bits to catch up with each other before we put her in the ring. Some pups just aren’t fully finished until a year or so, and I’m in no rush to get her out there. We’re aiming for early summer, with our fingers crossed. In the meantime, we’re going to do a local obedience class, as I think it will be good for her confidence.

I hope Barb can’t read the blog from Heaven – she used to freak out when she heard I was putting show puppies into obedience class! It’s that lingering, old school belief that “if you teach them to sit, they won’t stand in the ring!”. I think they can learn to do both, and I think it’s good for them to be stimulated and learning something other than just to be pretty faces.

How about you – if you have show prospect puppies, are you making plans for spring? If you’re a pet person, have you ever attended a dog show, or would you ever?

Kate McGarrigle & Lhasa De Sela

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Kate McGarrigle, one half of the Canadian folk/alt duo The McGarrigle Sisters, has passed away from cancer on January 18th, 2010. Kate and her sister Anna were iconoclasts, singing, writing and performing in a way uniquely their own.

Kate passed her musical gifts on to her son and daughter, Rufus and Martha Wainwright.

Kate McGarrigle’s death comes on the heels of the death of another fabulous Canadian singer/songwriter, Lhasa De Sela.

Lhasa De Sela was also from Quebec, but was born in upstate New York. Of Mexican American descent, she performed in Spanish, French and English. Seeing her in concert was an utterly mesmerizing experience, and I regarded her as one of the best singer song writers performing today. I’ve added one of her videos, after the cut.

Here’s Kate on stage at Radio Music Hall, performing “Talk to Me of Mendocino”, with Rufus and Martha performing back up vocals.

Lhasa De Sela performing Leonard Cohen’s “Who By Fire”, after the cut.

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