The homepage has been updated

I have recently been paying effort so much on to posting my blog that I have become lazy to update the homepage. While the contents of this issue overlap the blog, I will summerize the growth of Piacere, and the continuous challenges to dog shows in April and May.

JSTA Scottie Festival 2009

My blog has been absent for some time. Two weeks have passed after the "Golden Week" was over, during which I have been fairly busy with dealing with the counter measures of my company against the new flu and with playing golf in the weekends.
"Scottie Festival" of Japan Scottish Terrier Association took place in Tokyo on Sunday, May 24.
Unlike the JKC-certified dog shows, which has highly-charged atmosphere with professional handlers swaggering around, this event is full of fun with Scottie fanciers. The festival consists of open shows in the form of dog show, speed-eating contest, food catch competition, funny performance competition, fashion show, and photo contest.
It is also a good opportunity to meet twin brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents of one's Scottie. Meeting in person with Scotties which are known through blogs is another pleasure.
Pieta met her daughter and Piacere's twin sister, Noel. Surprisingly, Noel shows the "prairie" posture, which Pieta is proud of. Noel's owners told me that Noel started showing this posture only three days after she was brought to their home. Pieta and Noel immediately formed a performance duo and challenged the "funny performance competition" and won it.
This shows the reunion of two generations back from the previous one. Melchior on the right-hand side is watching his twin son and daughter, Pizzicato (center) and Tim (left).
Well, the open show was the high-light of the festival. Piacere challenged female baby class, and the competitors were Nanki, who was born ten days earlier than Piacere sharing the same sire, Max, and Piacere's twin sister, Noel.
Despite the bad condition of the ground, rain-slippery tiles, Piacere walked very well. She, however, has not been trained to stay still during the individual examination by the judge and while waiting in line with competitors, and the winner of this class was Nanki, who has ten days advantage and better trainer, Nakahara-san.
Pieta participate the female adult class, and the participants to this class were six Scotties.
By letting her go around at the beginning of the examination of gait, Pieta held her tail erected from the first step of gait.
Pieta showed nice gait in spite of the weather, and won the class, but lost against the winner of junior class in the winners match. The judge told us that he valued more on the consistent gait in the rain than the appearance in still posture, and the younger competitor walked more livelily than rather elderly Pieta.
The blood relationship of the Scotties, who appeared in this blog is shown below.

This festival has already been reported in the blogs of many Scottie fanciers, in which some photos of Pieta and Piacere are shown.

The season of tender green (3) Accomplishment of the "Golden Week"

Although the second half of the Golden Week was damned by day-after-day rain, the final day at my second house, May 9, was blessed with lovely sunshine. It would be a great golf day, but it would also be a great day for weeding the garden. As it was an opportunity to recover the maintenance
of the garden, which had been delayed by rain, and I chose the latter after some hesitation.

Weeding the lawn, two sets of photos, "Before and After".
　　
Wild lawn in front of the net for golf practice. This lawn was laid at this time of 2007.


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Goryeo Lawn in the southern adjacent to the lawn shown above, which was laid last year. Weeding the acervate dandelions shall be left for the next visit.
You can find from the photos that plenty of sunshine was pouring when weeding was over.

I would like to introduce a quiet tree among many garden trees to you.

　　
A lilac tree at the southwest corner of the garden and its flowers.
My wife and I left the second house at night and headed for Tokyo. There was no traffic jam on the Chuo Freeway, and the drive was smooth.

When we came to halfway between the second house and Nagasaka Interchange of Chuo Freeway, my car marked 30 thousand kilometers (18,750 miles) of accumulated run. This photo also witnesses that I took this photo after I parked the car with the gear in the parking position. It was 9:27p.m., and outside temperature was 15 degrees centigrade (59 degrees Fahrenheit).
As I bought this car at the end of September, 2006, the average travel distance per month is 940 kilometers (588 miles). My wife and I drive the car fairly much as the Japanese.

The season of tender green (2) Rain, rain, rain...

During the second half of the Golden Week at my second house, cold rain kept falling, and the wood stove was still needed. The outside temperature in early morning was around 8 degrees centigrade (46 degrees Fahrenheit), and the highest temperature during the day was around 11 or 12 degrees centigrade (51 - 53 degrees Fahrenheit).

Dense fog rose during the morning of May 8th.


Even the garden of my second house was like this. Although it looked fantastic, it was unpleasant wheather for me as I had been expecting to play golf under pleasant highland breeze.

　　
Some scenary of the season at my second house between showers.

Once the fog was cleared and rain stopped falling, Kai-Komagatake Mountain appeared beyond the fresh green forest. The cloud still remained between the mountains and this side of the valey.


Yatsugatake Mountains, which rise in the north of the second house, showed the great body covered with fresh green forest.

Terriers on the highland

Ms. Hiromi Miyashita, a dog shop owner and a professional trimmer living in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, regularly comes to my second house in Yamanashi for trimming my Scotties. This time she trimmed only Pizzicato as Pieta is being trimmed by Nakahara-san for dog shows.
Hiromi always accmpanies her dogs, i.e. a female Scottie, Pisala, her daughter Tida, and a Welsh Terrier, Biscuit.
Although this should have been an outdoor trimming under the highland breeze, cold rain started around noon of May 5th, and the trimming was done indoor finally.

Piacere was most interested in Tida, the youngest, and played with her very much. Tida, on the other hand, who had occupied the love of the owner as the youngest puppy, seemed annoyed by the sudden appearance of younger girl.

Hiromi's three dogs are very well disciplined. From left to right; Tida, Biscuit and Pisala.


In contrast, my dogs, Pizzicato in particular, are restless. At the meal time, Pizzicato would jump up to my wife, who is preparing their food, and Pizzicato's jump is quite high.


The dogs of the both owners are familiar one another as they have been together for years, and behave sisterly. Piacere lies on back on the toilet sheet to ask Pisala to play with her, while Tida, nearer left looks back to Piacere as is she is murmuring "It is I that plays with my mom, who, for
God's sake, is that nasty girl who is temptating my mom?" Pieta is trying to cool Tida saying "Well, don't be so nervous, as it happens all the time among kids, and go easy on her as she is my daughter". Biscuit poses to the camera ignoring the happening behind, and Chilwell is gazing at Biscuit with the expression "Who is this affected female?"


Now a great picture of four generations. From left to right; Pisala, the Empress, her daughter, Pizzicato, grand-daughter, Pieta, and a great-grand -daughter, Piacere. It was a hassle to take this photo, as Piacere has not trained to stay yet, and the photo has been picked up from random shots, which digital cameras allow.

After taking the photo of four generation, we can't afford not to take photos of all the terriers. It is also difficult to take photos of dogs of different colors. The faces of the Scotties in original shots are too dark to see their expressions, I have retouched the brightness. The photo, therefore, gives somewhat unnatural impression.

The season of tender green

It is now the second half of the spring holidays in Japan, the "Golden Week" (GW). GW in the normal calendar started on April 29, the birthday of the last Emperor Hirohito, and will end up on May 6, a substitute holiday as May 3, Constitution Day, fell on Sunday. As I will take May 7th and 8th off the company, my GW is a big one of 12 days. This year has another holiday season in September, as Elderly Day, third monday of September and September 21st this year, and Autumn Equinox, September 23rd, make a series of scattered holidays, which are filled with additional holiday on September 22nd by a new law, which results in 5 holidays in a row. Additionally, my company has decided to add one day off without pay every month under the economic circumstances. This system makes the five-day holidays in September into 6 holidays in a row. Also in July, the normal calendar provides 3 holidays in a row from Saturday, July 18, to July 20, Marine Day, which commemorates the opening of Japan's first modern harbor in Yokohama in 1859. Just before these holidays, July 16 is originally a holiday as the Foundation Day of the company for the people of my company, and the additional day off without pay has been set on Friday, July 17, which generates 5 holidays in a row. Competing against these "new" series of holidays, GW should be far long enough to be "Golden".

Quibbles aside, I arrived at my second house in Yamanashi, near Yatsugatake Mountains last night (May 4th). The second half of GW has been dedicated for gardening and golf.


From this time of the year, weeds start to run out faster and faster. As you can compare this photo with another photo posted on April 5th, many weeds including dandelions, sprout out even in the lawn. Struggle with the weeds continues from now until late October.

On the other hand, however, trees are shining in tender green with young leaves, and spring flowers are blooming. Although the daffodils and hyacinth, which were shown in the post of Apri 5th, have already gone, Christmas Roses, which were also shown in the post, are still in blossom. They seem to fit the climate of the area, and, thus, continue blooming during the summer.

　　
"Terute", flower cherry, shows pretty white flowers, but I'm concerned about the less flowers than last year. [Link to last year's blog in Japanese only]

　　
Annabelles in the foreground of the photo, which delight our eyes every year with their large white flowers, have started putting out new shoots. [Link to a blog post in Japanese to show the annabelle in full blossom]. The trees with white flowers in the backgound of the photo are Hime-ringo (Miniature Apple=Malus baccata var. mandshurica), and a close-up photo of the flower is attached.


The blue flowers in the foreground are grape hyacinth, which were originally planted in a flowerbed but have spreaded all over the garden. The leaves growing in the gap of pavement blocks are sweet violet, which have grown naturally. The yellow carpet in the background is a kind of ground cover, the name of which is not known to me, and the substance of yellow is leaves, not flowers.

I am attaching a series of maps to show the location of my second house for my overseas friends.

Pieta put check to become a champion

May 3rd, Japan's Constitution Day, the location is Kanto Local Finance Bureau Management Zone, the same place where the dog show on May 1st took place. Another dog show "Kawasaki Companion Dog Club Dog Show" was held.

The site was full of mini-buses, camping caravans, and tents, which have been staying there throughout the three days, and it was impossible to park my car however early I arrive. On the previous day, May 2nd, "Yokohama Dog Fancier Club Dog Show" was held, and although I did not show any of my terriers, two of my frieds, who are also being instructed by Mr. Nakahara, brought their Scotties, one male junior and one female junior, and I was in charge of preparing a tent for the team. Since I left the frame of the tent at the site during the night for keeping the space, I felt easy to come to the site this morning. In spite of my effort to arrive as early as just a few minutes past 5 o'clock, however, with the hope to park my car at a car park adjacent to the show site, the car park was full.
Today, the participants from Team Nakahara was two, Land Rose R JP Masamune and Pieta.
The breed judge for Terrier Group was Mr. Manuel Languel from Mexico.
Although Masamune, who showed up on the ring as a male prior to Pieta's match, showed a very good gait, he lost against the winner of the junior class.
The female matches follow, and it's Pieta's turn. It was suggested that up & down gait from the entrance to the ring be made before the dogs are examined on the table.
Pieta is being examined.
　　The round gait. Pieta's tail is up although it is not sufficiently bent forward.
Pieta won the winner among non-champion bitches, and the champion to compete with was the one who defeated Pieta at Tokyo North Terrier Group Dog Show in Tokyo a week ago. Fortunately enough, Pieta got her revenge on the champion.
My friends, who came to the show to cheer up Pieta and Masamune, congratulated us as a prodigious feat that owner-handled non-champion defeated a champion handled by a professional handler.
Pieta obtained Best of Breed and a Major Champion Challenge Certificate. One certificate is left to obtain before Pieta can be registered as a champion.
Well, the judge for the group match of Terrier Group, which tool place in the afnernoon, was the distinguished Mr. Peter Green from UK, who judged Breed and Group matches on May 1st.
While the BOB of Parson Russell Terrier was being examined, I put Pieta on the table to be examined. At this moment, the leash tangled with the comb, and when Mr. Green turned to Pieta, we were not quite ready, which was fatal.
Mr. Green examined Pieta as carefully as that of two days before. This time again, Pieta's tail bent down when she showed up & down gait, and her tail finally started to erect in the second half of the round gait.
This means that Pieta lost in the group match again, and I strongly felt that I needed to train Pieta to erect her tail from the very beginning of gait.
Pieta, however, obtain an MCC, which was the objective of attending dog shows and the firs half of Japan's holiday season, the "Golden Week", which was full of dog shows is now over.

Pieta's second match of return to dog shows

Management Zone by Kanto Local Finance Bureau in Honmoku, Yokohama. Although the name is solemn, it is just an empty land in the neighborhood of Ito-Yokado Department Store. When I arrived there at 8:00am, the land was already fully occupied by cars and my car was not allowed to go in. I heard that minicoaches and camper vans started arriving yesterday afternoon. Dabblers who innocently come to the site in the morning of the show day don't seem to be welcome.

Here is "Yokohama Joint Clubs Dog Show". It is a show of all breeds with 451 dogs, which is pale in comparison with last week's show in Toneri Park in Tokyo.

I chose this show as the second show of Pieta's return to the dog shows, as Major Champion Challenge Certificate (MCC) is issued.



The show started at 8:55am, and the match of 3G (Terrier Group) started around 10 o'clock. The judge for 3G is Mr. Peter Green, who was the BIS Judge in 2009 Crufts Dog Show, the judge of the highest level from the home of dog shows, so to speak. It is worthwhile to take part in this show only to be examined by him.


Slightly after 11 o'clock, the match of Scottish Terrier started at last.



Pieta is receiving individual examination by Mr. Green as an entry to the Scottie's female adult class. During the examination, Mr. Green asked how old Pieta was, and I replied "five and half", which was the only conversation I had with him.


Up-and-down walk was shown before the individual examination, and the round walk followed it. Pieta's tail was not erect enough as she was still nervous. I wished this could not cause


A round walk with a competitor. This time, Pieta walked joyfully with her tail up.


And, Pieta won the Best of Breed (BOB). Well-done, Pieta!


Commemorative photos were taken with Peter Green. This photo will be one of my treasure photos.


The group match of 3G (Terrier Group) started in the afternoon. Twelve breeds fought the female group match. To the left from Pieta in the center are Norwich Terrier and Norfolk Terrier, and to the right are Welsh Terrier and West Highland White Terrier, the breed of Leeds.


Pieta is receiving Mr. Green's individual examination for the second time. His examination is carefull and takes fairly long time, as he did during the breed examinations. Pieta, in the breed match, was carefully examined at her teeth, which may resulted in his question on the age.


During the transition from examination on the table to gait, Pieta lowered her tail, and Mr. Green's line of sight would never overlook it. This might have been fatal.

After all the twelve terriers were examined, I waited with Pieta for the selection of seven excellents. Yorkie, which received the examination at the end was first called. Then Welsh Terrier was called, skipping Westie in between. Then, skipping Pieta and a Norwich Terrier, a Norfolk was selected, and seven excellents were selected, among which Pieta was not.

Although Pieta was not able to obtain MCC, which was the objective of coming to this show, I feel satisfactory with Pieta's result. Mr. Green's judgement is convincing.

It was a very hot day, at any rate.