About That Spring Thing

Sorry for the absence. I got distracted with the holidays, a house guest, making a quilt, and reading Valley Forge, A Novel. The Arctic Express has hit, but we are faring so much better than the east coast. I'm thinking it's just too cold to snow here, and that's what's keeping it on either side of Iowa. As seen above, the drifts are back, but we're keeping our heads up :)  Heck, it's the 15th of January and things could be a lot worse! We did lose a day of racing due to the wind chill factor, the heated track surface just couldn't keep up,  but the temps are suppose to begin rising a bit, and more importantly ..... the winds are calm.

6 Months and a Day

My life definitely seems to go by in Six Month and a Day Increments.
In order to qualify as an Iowa Bred Greyhound there are several requirements that must be met. One of them is that the pups will live in the State of Iowa for Six Months and a Day.  After several inspections by the State to ensure that those requirements are met, the final inspection, which takes place 6 months and a day from the day the pups were born, is performed. The Pups are then deemed official; they qualify as an Iowa Bred Litter of Greyhounds.
Today is that day for the beautiful litter of 8 Kiowa Mon Manny's .They'll now head off to Abilene for the second phase of their training, and the 3 week old Flying Hydrogen puppies now become the alpha dogs of the farm.
It's rewarding to see the progress you have made in six months, nurturing those newborn puppies into a beautiful, happy, healthy, strong litter of Iowa Bred Greyhound pups!
A half of year has passed, and there wasn't a day that went by that you weren't out there doing something with them and for them, regardless of how you felt or what the weather was. Their care and comfort always comes before yours, and as each individual pup passes by, strutting their stuff, they speak for themselves that you have done your job well.

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We have been blessed with a fair winter and little snow to contend with ... running on bare ground in Iowa on January 3rd is pretty amazing!! These guys, along with their 5 litter mates will leave tomorrow for Abilene. They will return to Iowa in about 14 months, ready for the Big Show!

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Tatiana pops outside for a break from her pups. A few small bands of snow from month old drifts is all that we have on the ground and it's January 3rd in Iowa! Pretty soon, we'll be thinking about Spring!!!!

A Silver Anniversary

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Did you know that this year marks the 25th Anniversary of Greyhound Racing at Bluffs Run!  For those of us who have been here since the beginning, it's been amazing to watch the growth in the Council Bluffs/Omaha area since March of 1986 knowing that our Greyhounds played such an important part of it all!
Because it's All About The Greyhounds, We "Paws to Celebrate" in marking our Silver Anniversary Season of Greyhound Racing in 2011 and invite you to come out to watch, stay, and play, as our amazing athletes compete at one of this country's premier year-round Greyhound Racing facilities.
For schedule, programs, stakes race schedules, kennel rosters, and live video feed of all races go to Bluffsdogs.com

And So 2010 Comes To A Close

AND ON THAT NOTE, 

I WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

~ Be Safe and I'll see you in 2011 ~

American Greyhound Pickers

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This charming Greyhound Butter Dish was a Christmas Gift! The history of a piece like this intrigues me, as you can't help but wonder what estate collection it came from, and whose table it graced. An Era gone by, where throwing a tub of Parkay on the dinner table just wouldn't do.
I absolutely LOVE it, and I'm so very lucky the giver "Picked" me to give it to!

Send a photo of your "Greyt" Picks to Iowagreyhounds@aol.com

For an explanation of how The American Greyhound Pickers series works, go here

Dancing Their Way Across The Country & Into Your Heart

Kathleen Gilley and The Gilley Girls

The Gilley Girls Dancing Greyhounds, all retired racers, and to which Bluffs Run and Dubuque Greyhound Park have both had the pleasure of hosting through the sponsorship of the Iowa Greyhound Association, will begin their 15th year of performances in 2011!
Word has it that the Gilley's, both Kathleen and Gill, are gearing towards retirement at the end of this season, and while their schedule does have a few appearances booked through 2011, it may be the last year to watch this gifted couple and their incredible Greyhounds perform.
Gill and Kathleen Gilley are devoted friends to Greyhound Adoption Awareness and they will truly be missed!
Check out their "Greyt" website!

From Our House to Yours

  ~ Merry Christmas to You and Yours ~

Countings Our Blesssings

Dear Santa, Please bring me a Barbie ~

2001 Barbie Collectibles – Society Hound Collection – Greyhound Barbie
Barbie® doll and her sleek greyhound step out into the cool day draped in their luxurious matching ensembles. Barbie® wears a charming 1920s-inspired blue grey faux fur trimmed dress with matching lined cape. Her four-footed companion also wears a blue grey cape with faux fur trim. A rhinestone leash adds showy sparkle to his sophisticated gait. Together they are a uniquely refined complement to any wind-swept season.

 P.S. Cuz I want to be just like Greyhound Barbie when I grow up. Thank You.

Like Raindrops on Roses

These are a few of my favorite things .....

 and the tree just wouldn't be the same without them ~

It's The 2nd Annual .....

 "Somehow We Made It Through Another Year

So Let's All Get Together 
For Some Christmas Cheer"

 I think that's what they're calling it :)

~ Foods on at 7:30 ~

tonight

THE LUBE

If you're here, be there :)

The "Pupsicles"

NMS SWEET THING

Anyone that knows me, knows that probably as a result of running The Adoption Program for 20 years, I love ALL Greyhounds .... whether it's the pup who just doesn't have the "right stuff" and finds a home at the age of two, or an accomplished veteran racer. In my world, I love them all equally, and know they are all "special".
I also know " Extra Special" when I see it.
Since the inception of this Blog, I have been wanting to shine a light on a Bluffs Run Iowa Bred Superstar,   NMS Sweet Thing and his retirement.  Because I was unsure as to whether he was actually "retired" or not, I hesitated to work up the post. Trainers tend to be a superstitious lot, whether they will admit it or not, and not only do I  recognize this, I understand and respect it. I didn't want to put together a post honoring this incredible athlete, NMS Sweet Thing, until I was sure he was retired.  It is now my understanding, that at the age of 4 years and 7 months old, NMS Sweet Thing has done just that, RETIRED. 
That he closed out his career in such "Sweet Style" is of no surprise!

On behalf of his many fan's and admirer's,  I want to post Honors to this very special Greyhound, and let everyone involved with him know that he will be missed.  NMS Sweet Thing is a beautiful and talented Greyhound, and one who surely leaves his legacy, not only at Bluffs Run, but also in what hopefully will be a very successful breeding career! It was a privilege to have raced in his company. If I'm reading the name on his collar correctly, his nickname was Hammer.  I cannot think of a better name for such a force!

 NMS SWEET THING

Click on the "continue" button to replay

2008 All American, Winner 2008 Bluffs Run Championship and 2010 Bluffs Run Open. 2nd 2008 & 2010 Bluffs Run Iowa Breeders Classic. 2008 Bluffs Run All-Star Feature & 2009 Horseshoe Challenge finalist. 2008 Bluffs Run track champ, 33 wins.

Track Champion 2008
2008 AGTOA All American Team Member
2009 Horseshoe Challenge Post Position 5
Bluffs Run Open 2010

NMS Sweet Thing is a fawn male, weighing in at 71 lbs, owned by Nicholas Meyer or Robert Hume, and was born on April 15th, 2006. (Noticing Sweet Things birth date - tax day.  How such a generally lousy day (tax day), can end up turning into a day that changes lives, is pretty ironic!


By competing in the 2010 Iowa Bred Classic, NMS Sweet Thing was chasing the all-time earnings record of $679,000. NMS Sweet Thing was over the $400,000 mark prior to this event, where he finished 2nd to RJ's Al. The second place finish pushes  NMS Sweet Thing career earning to around $550,000, according to Steve Sigafoose. 

NMS Sweet Thing  -Racing Lines on Greyhound Data - Solid Grade A/Stakes! Lines showing - 89 total -

While I'm sure NMS Sweet Thing's trainer, Randy Montgomery can probably point out a better race, this one stands out, at least in this fan's mind, as showing what NMS Sweet Thing was all about ..... incredible racing sense, determination, desire, and as is so very evident .... a huge heart!

Bluffs Run July 3rd Open Stakes Final 15th Race -  
Here's the field (note the Chart writer doesn't even have Sweet Thing hitting the board)
And here's the race!

OK ... I'm Open To Interpretations

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  Captioned by the photographer "Wierd Street Art"

                     This statue sits in the City of Bath England

While I'm sure to be fascinated by either it's rich historical depiction, meaning, or artistic statement, none of which I have an actual clue, I do think it is one way to get Hounds to like you. 

Maybe it's meaning is as simple as that? 

Could they be Egyptian Greyhound Trainers using some sort of reverse psychology, or better yet, getting their charges ready for a Stakes Race? Hmmmm

Like I said, I'm open to interpretations. 
If anyone knows something about it, I'd love to hear it!
source

The Greyhound Pub Crawl

We'll begin our Greyhound Pub Crawl in the UK. Who knows where we will end up!

THE THREE GREYHOUNDS (ALLOSTOCK)  

Even dogs are treated kindly here with free treats and bowls of water provided in the tap room!

THE THREE GREYHOUNDS PUBLIC HOUSE - (Great Asby)

THE GREYHOUND (Dover) - HOME OF THE WORLD MARBLE CHAMPIONSHIP -

Built in 1920, attempt to gain historical listed status fails

Fight to save pub is over, demolished 11/10

THE THREE GREYHOUNDS (Soho, London)

And when you're all through for the day, of course, this would be the place to stay ......

THE GREYHOUND COACHING INN (How cool is this place?)

Searching for the elusive DOG MAN

Searching for anything CLAUDETTE SUTHERLAND and the play DOG MAN, and I'm only coming up with her website. Not much on there about DOG MAN, and it definitely wasn't enough to quench my thirst to learn more ....

" As a writer she wrote and performed  DOG MAN, a personal history produced by Joe Stern at the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles.  Her solo show was invited to the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1996. Daily Variety headlined the show as KANSAS DOG MAN BITES IRISH FESTIVAL—“…a truly original piece about the American Midwest, greyhound racing and her father…DOG MAN speaks both to the heartland and the heart.”

and then this reference ......

 "When I was a little girl probably five or six during WWII there were black-outs for certain businesses. Since my family raced greyhounds and the sporting events were held outside at night, the tracks were closed down so as not to present a brightly lit target.  It must have been difficult for my parents having their only source of income cut off, but we went to Kansas to my mother’s family’s farm to wait it out. "                             

 I'm finding no photo's, video's or additional websites, but if this is a sample of her writing, then I'm positive her play DOG MAN would be a treasure to have seen or read. Maybe if we all friend her on her Facebook page, we can convince her to publish :)
Thanks for the interesting comment, Ron, let us know if you find that stuff you were looking for!

UPDATE ***  Claudette Sutherland was kind enough to respond to Ron's email informing her of this post about the play she wrote and performed, Dog Man. You can find the comment she left here.  That's just Pretty Neat ...You never know who's stopping in at Iowagreyhounds! ~ Thank you Claudette and Ron ~

AND HERE COMES LUCKY ...

News from Bluffs Run indicates Congratulations are definitely in order to the Bean & Stout Kennel - Winners of The Kennel Championship year-long series! 
Also, special mention is made in Steve Sigafoose's above linked article that the Bean & Stout Kennel's phenomenal Greyhound, KC And ALL has recently retired.
KC And ALL is a class act, and he will be missed by his fans! We look forward to watching his off-spring in a couple of years!

KC AND ALL  
(click for his greyhound-data racing lines)

VINTAGE GREYHOUND

The vintage picture below this story holds a special fascination for me.
Of course the darling pup in the picture may not be a greyhound, but that's definitely an old dog truck behind the children. Back in the day, I'm told that greyhound tracks were all so seasonal that the lifestyle was much different for those greyhound families than of the greyhound families of today. Meets at  racetracks were short and seasonal, and when they ended, you moved on to the next. Some families decided to separate, the Trainer moving on and the family staying where the family home was until he returned.
If the decision was made to move the whole family, then the dogs, equipment, family, and possessions were all loaded in the dog truck, and off you went. If you were lucky, you owned your own car, so that the wife, children, and possessions could be loaded in the car. If not, everything, and everyone, went into the dog truck!  Money was tight, roads were poor, distances  great, and gas stations far and few between.  Underlying the whole trip was the need to make it in haste, because of the Greyhounds you were hauling,  timeliness  was vital.
This nomadic lifestyle could not have been easy.
It had to have been the passion within, for the Greyhounds they worked with, that drove the life.
On that regard, not much has changed after all, has it?
Oh, by the way ..... the little guy in the middle "training" that puppy .... is my husband, 3rd generation Trainer in a Greyhound family.
I guess this post makes him officially "Vintage" ~ lol

The Nurse, The Greyhound Trainer & The Political Attache'

Have a Vintage Greyhound family photo and story? We'd love to share it!
Email  IOWAGREYHOUNDS@AOL.COM

DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW .....

MORNING IN IOWA
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 THE KIOWA MON MANNY PUPS
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AMERICAN GREYHOUND PICKERS

This is "GREYT" piece .... even though I'm not exactly sure what it's for - lol.. It's a black cast iron firebox door or something along those lines. Those are brackets at the top  ~ Whatever it went on, it must have been nice ... that's a pretty sharp greyhound cast into it.. Haven't the slightest clue where I "picked" it from or how old it is, but the minute I spotted it, I knew it was a DEFINITE MUST HAVE!

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 SHARE YOUR "GREYT" PICKS BY SENDING A PHOTO TO iowagreyhounds@aol.com

SLEEPING WITH GREYHOUNDS