December 20, 2014
Catskill Apacatancos Anka, CM, PT, AHBA Junion Herding Dog of Catskill Pumi Kennel, has won the Best of Breed title among the Pumis at the Eukanuba National Championship 2014 Show in Orlando, Florida.
http://youtu.be/oRpUR-TC8TI <——-Click here to see Anka…
December 17, 2014
Koszos, my Electric Light Orchestra bluetooth enabled cat, lit up when he realized that the ten-day long missing Pumis finally are back in his life…
After all, we’ve made it back home. We stopped in New Jersey where we split with Marika. Paul has surprised us with a desperately needed wonderful dinner.
I exchanged all my stuff to to the truck and we were gone back on the road to upstate New York, for three more hours of lonely drive on dark and icy roads.
Finally we’ve made it back home just after midnight. When the truck finally stopped, the dogs went nuts running and barking into the night. Fruska and Csupasz who did not come along were happy to see their fellow Pumis to be back.
the Pumi-train is back again on the farm and running on time as of this morning.
Of course, all five Pumis slept in the bedroom and hopefully…,… things will start returning to normal today.
Farm, home, snow, Pumis and happiness.
Thank you again to Marika Foreman, Kathie Ogden, Dianne Fletcher, and my forever crazy Rat Terrier Ladies’, Stacy McWilliams and Jackie Maye Olsen helping us to achieve such a success.
Wish you a happy holiday season!
December 16, 2014
Peachie…
Welcome to NC!
The Palmetto State…
by the way you must watch the movie “Palmetto” by Volker Schlondorf (available in the U.S. “a juicy film noir” (NYT)
for that fancy red feather to hold the peach cube in your coctail
We’ve made good time on the road up north. Passed through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and stopped in Virginia to spend the night there. The dogs pretty much slept through the 11 hour-long drive.
We stopped for a stretch, grabbed some food. In one of the rest areas a Black Vulture stalked the dogs. I had to leash them because they wanted to catch the big bird. I wonder why these southern Oligoceneans ( in Orlando the alligators and here these antiquated birds) are fixated on the Pumis.
scarry black vulture in the rest area stalking the Pumis, yuck!
what a ghostly rest area just before sundown with that crazy Black Vulture. I had to leash the dogs.
We got to our motel pretty late after a series of closed or “temporarily no credit cards accepted” stations. Surprise surprise, our reservation has not come trough, but we were lucky enough to get a room anyway.
This morning back on the road again. Nasty weather around Washington D.C. heavy rain, road constructions and accidents. While Marika was driving during the long bumper to bumper traffic, I came up with my Eukanuba Commemorative Cocktail.
Colors like Pink and Blue are fundamental and it also has to somehow designate some of the states we’ve driven through like peach from Georgia, the Cardinal from Virginia or some moonshine from North Carolina. Drink it with a palmetto leaf hat on your head from South Carilina. Cheers!
Your Eukanuba Commemorative coctail…ok replace the cherry with a wedge of pink grapefruit and add the chunk of peach on the red feather. Do not forget the ice cubes and the ground nutmeg!
So here is my Eukanuba Commemorative Coctail creation (have not tried it yet.)
2 parts L’Orange Grey Goose Vodka (orange for Florida)
1 part Broadslab Rum (Legal moonshine from North Carolina)
1 part of Blue Curacao (for the Eukanuba blue floor color)
a pinch of ground nutmeg ( for its psychoactive/deliriant effects of myristicin)
one small wedge of pink grapefruit on the bottom of the glass (Eukanuba pink)
a one cubic inch chunk of peach (Georgia) on a clean red feather of a Cardinal (the bird of Virginia) the feather can be fake submerged in the cotail.
served in a wide cocktail glass with two ice cubes.
Enjoy your hangover under your Palmetto hat.
The Palmetto hat I recommend for this coctail. It is rather more like a helmet in case you have a bigger sip than you can handle
December 14, 2014
2400 miles with Marika and four Pumis
#11 Pumi Catskill Apacatancos Anka represented the Pumi this year in the Best of Miscellaneous Group at the Eukanuba National Championship 2014
EUKANUBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2014, BEST OF BREED PUMI, CATSKILL APACATANCOS ANKA OF CATSKILL PUMI KENNEL!
What a week! From snow covered mountains to subtropical Florida and tomorrow back north again. A 2400 miles road trip, with Marika Foreman and four fantastic Pumis. Visiting friends, showing dogs, debating breed standard, wrestling alligators (almost…) and trying out lots of different great food.
We have also turned the trip into a week-long culinary journey
We had a great week. the weather was pleasant and most importantly we had a pretty strong showing.
Catskill Apacatancos Anka has earned three BOB and one Best Bred By Exhibitor title including the Eukanuba National 2014 Show.
Catskill Apacatancos Anka with her Eukanuba National 2014 loot
Kaffogo Agyag, my misunderstood soul
My misunderstood Kaffogo Agyag has earned one BOB and a 4th place in Best of Miscellaneous Class. Catskill Becsi Barsony, the all time winner of public opinion has won one Best of Breed and one Best of Opposite Sex title, and the only boy in the group,
Catskill Battyogo Bikfic, DogMan of the very near future just keep an eye on him
and here comes trouble, Catskill Becsi Barsony who can get away with almost everything (for a few more months…)
Catskill Battyogo Bikfic got two Best of Opposite Sex titles.
Tomorrow, we will pack up and will start our journey back home to the magical winterland of the Catskill Mountains in upstate NY.
The response to the sign on the left was unanimous. Pumis are bigger than any dog (at least they think so) therefore, they are eligible to enter the “large dog” dog park
The “Eukanuba’s Secret” super models
December 14, 2014
Yesterday was the day of the “Meet the Breed,” event, therefore, the Pumis got a break from the conformation ring and we all could take it easier. We started the day in another nice size dog run (what a convenience for city dogs). The farm Pumis had plenty of steam to release after days of public good behavior and the ongoing breed standard controversy. After they’ve finished making dizzy the entire dog park population, we packed up and left.
…and action
Next stop was the Orange County Convention Center, the site of all the shows and trials and the “Meet the Breed event.” After the dog park exercise, the Pumi gang walked in relaxed and behaved like angels.
Once the public realized that we did not sell Grey Cattle, the breed has enjoyed great popularity. Now, it is our job to keep prospective buyers’ expectations realistic.
Once the public realized that we do not sell “Grey Cattle,” the Pumis enjoyed great popularity
So remember, the Pumi is a terrier type breed with the need of daily off leash exercise and quality mental stimulation. Yes, they will sit on the couch with you calm after you gave them their daily exercise routine.
Enjoy your Pumi…
Marika Foreman is taking the helm at the snake and Pumi charming table
things got quickly out of hand and a protest ensued
December 12, 2014
The new name of Eukanuba National proposed by Mr. Trump for next year…
Things got heated up in Orlando, Florida today. Some shots were fired on FaceBook and things got quickly escalated. People and dogs have been out protesting on the information superhighway. The situation has turned into an international incident. Finland and Italy have been on high alert.
this is what can happen if we ignore the standard
your Pumi without standard – we better to do something
U.S. Pumi authorities have immediately condemned the possibility of foreign intervention in the American Pumis’ domestic affairs and quoted the Resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations’, “2131(xx) Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of States and Protection of Their Independence and Sovereignty.”
Are we gonna go to war…? Huh… thanks god not. I hope not… Also, let me make some corrections. Those symbolic shots have not really aimed at each other but rather the dusty cob web covered Pumi standard that evidently not too many people bother to read on either part of the pond.
The Donald is really looking into restoring order in the world of dog standards
Trump is taking grooming dead seriously
But I would suggest to pull our shhh.. together fast because next year we might easily find ourselves under different management, “Trump National,” here in Florida… Rumors say that the Donald, has been fed up with the chaos as he cannot recognize certain dog breeds anymore. It has been said by unnamed sources that Mr. Trump has been seen at grooming places, reading breed standards and he has even tried grooming himself. He has also been spotted at Judges seminars.
the great book of dog breed standards looks like it has not been touched for a while
So if we don’t do something about those crazy forgotten standards, and start following them, we might easily see Donald Trump judging our Pumis next year.
How can we do that? The easiest way it is, in a collective. Perhaps reinventing the idea of the “common goal.”
“As it was eloquently put this afternoon, during the virtual riot,
“Friends don’t let friends show puffy Pumis…”
“Friends don’t let friends show puffy Pumis…”
on our way to the park cute subtropical urban architecture.
December10, 2014
I’ve always laughed at the insurmountable safety instructions, operating manuals and various warnings labels whenever opened a box of a merchandise. I’ve been mesmerized by the terrorizing typographies and drawings of safety labels of goods. Labels warning buyers not to put their hands in the garbage compactor, not letting their toddler diving in the bucket of whatever because he or she might dies or not to drive over a cliff into the void with the new SUV.
I am under the shades of palm trees while Laszlo clearing the access roads roads and the drive ways from a foot of snow in the Catskills.
Readers, let me tell you, today, I have changed my mind forever.
Laszlo emailed this picture of our drive way tonight from upstate NY. What a stark contrast to the Florida sunshine
We had an early show today. Since the weather was beautiful, we have decided that after the show, we take the dogs to a newly discovered giant dog park with a big lake only 15 minutes from the exhibition site. (I am not telling you the name of the park and where it is because I do not want to see your crowd of fancy dogs or your barking Pumis there…)
As soon as we entered the park we let the dogs off leash. Our redneck farm Pumis were in heaven, running chasing at each other and harassing other dogs. In less than twenty minutes, they discovered the lake and they were in the water, splashing it and swimming to cool down. After about an hour, we collected everyone and drove back to our motel. While the dogs were stretching on the floor in the room after their exercise, I emailed the photos we took in the park to my husband, Laszlo, to show him what a fun day we had.
and fetch…
I barely pushed the “send” button on my phone, when the phone was ringing. It was Laszlo. First I did not get it, than he asked me again, wether we did read the sign next to the lake. I opened my phone and looked at the pictures.
On one of the photographs, there was the sign;
“The presence of alligators is likely in this lake. Alligators are drawn toward canine and lake shore activity…!”
the dogs, the lake, and the sign
and the SIGN!
The ghostly Spanish moss…
Thanks god nothing happened, however, this incident certainly added a new note to my northern paranoia about the potentially dangerous fauna of the subtropics.
So please, always read the signs and instructions before engaging anyway in irresponsible behavior…
December 9, 2014
one of those “God is dead but my hair is perfect” (Bernard-Henry Levy) images Orlando, FL
Orlando, Florida
One always has to come from somewhere else to authenticate the value of frivolity…
I have been living in the U.S. for close to thirty years and still falling for Route 66, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Greyhound, the world’s largest carrot or cauliflower (made of plastic) installed on roadsides, just outside of small town USA. I also love fake or authentic diners with their orange chairs, or the very idea of a road trip, (one of the most perfect ways to waste one’s time) the possible “poppest” sub-icons and concepts of our vernacular pop culture. Among them, of course, there is the Eukanuba National dog show with its irky color combination of blue and pink.
Siegfried and Roy. German born American pop culture essentials
This is my third year driving down to Orlando Florida. It has become a ritual. Reservations, preparations, packing, the drive, meeting doggie friends and most importantly spending some carefree quality times with my dogs by escaping from the winter of the Catskill Mountains of NY.
It is also soothing temporarily leaving behind my adopted chronic American nervousness.
Siegfried and Roy. German born American entertainment pop icons
Siegfrida and Royale. Transylvanian born Hungarian Pumi Club of America pop icons (some great moments to remember)
There is no price tag but only a very personal sign value on this carefully packaged annual moment. One gotta love it…
Siegfrida and Royale. Transylvanian born Pumi Club pop-culture Personas (Those irreplaceable moments)
Anka, BOB (photo is in the Miscellaneous group)
Bikfic with Marika Best of Opposite Sex
Today we had the first show, Space Coast Kennel Club of Palm Bay.
Catskill Apacatancos Anka BOB
Catskill Battyogo Bikfic Best of Opposite Sex.
It was a real team effort by Club members and Pumi lovers. Kathie Ogden handled Anka, and Dianne Fletcher volunteered to handle Catskill Becsi Barsony. These are the moments that is hard to put a price tag on.
Lady Eukanuba if you ever wondered… yes the lady in pink on the blue floor on the right might be the sister of Lady Godiva (I am wondering, has she ever walked her dog naked on the streets of Coventry)
After the show, the four of us plus Christine Edwards went out to Miller’s Ale House.
Inside of Miller’s Ale House
Clandestine Pumi operation at Miller’s Ale House
Charleston, the city, the dance and flat chests
December 8, 2014
“The 1920s brought not only the Charleston but the flat chest” Well, I guess, I fit right in here… The quote is from Robert Gottlieb, former editor of the New Yorker. (Why am I not surprised… ) He is forgiven because of his book, the “Art of the Plastic Handbag 1949-59.” It is every woman’s must read…
The Robert Gottlieb must read a man and his collection of hand bags…
After almost 12 long hours on the road, just before midnight, finally we arrived to Charleston, SC. This morning, we went to visit, Susan Smith, who has Catskill Asz, a good looking male from our A-litter. We have not seen Asz since he was about eight weeks old. He smelled and sniffed and looked…it was a remarkable moment when suddenly it clicked in for him. I bet he recognized me.
The Pumi Makeover… Asz watching his alter ego on the grooming table
While I was grooming Asz, the obnoxious northern Pumis has raided Susan’s house and yard. Almost removed the Christmas tree and made sure that the entire city of Charleston could hear them. Susan has treated us with a fantastic lunch and we chatted the afternoon away. It was about four a clock when we collected the Pumis from the pool and began the last leg of our trip.
the updated unabridged edition of Asz after the grooming (he’ll need some more adjustments later)
While Marika was driving, I looked up Charleston’s history. It is a quite interesting place. The city has drawn many different races nationalities, ethnic and religious groups. Jews, Germans, French, Irish, Spaniards free blacks, people from the Carribians and of course the English, mingled in Charleston during the colonial era. Interestingly, Catholics were not allowed in the City until after the Revolution.
obnixous yankee Pumis
where is Santa…?
when are we going?
One crazy fact that caught my eyes, was the early deerskin trade of Charles Towne as the city was called in its early history. In about twenty years in the early 1700s, about a million deers were slaughtered and 5,239,350(!) pounds of deer skin were exported. Considering the high number of vehicle/deer collisions everywhere, I bet, car insurance companies simply call this era “the good ol’ days…”
With Susan Smith, our host, the owner of Catskill Asz
a quick peek of Charleston. The Pink House…yes, the pink house..
we have arrived…
some business simply cannot be taken care of only between 8:30AM-5:30PM
Charleston is also the birthplace of “The Charleston” (dance), George Gerschwin’s “Porgy and Bess” and Congressman Frank Underwood from the Netflix series of “House of Cards” I wonder how many voters looked for Underwood’s name on the ballot during the midterm elections…
We arrived to Orlando Florida around 9 pm tonight. We will be back tomorrow.
Stupid Quiz #2: (while driving to Florida)
Question: When the Fox trotts who dances to the “ton”?
Answer: Charles…
good night
good night
September 30, 2014
savory dinner, great wine, full bodied IPA and great conversation make time fly…
We’ve gotten surprise visitors today. Chris and Tom Levy of Abiqua Pumik, made a quick stop to visit us in Delhi, NY, while on their Pumi promotional/educational cross country trip. We’ve had a great evening with fast flowing Pumi conversation during dinner.
The traveling Abiqua Pumis, all eight of them…! have also enjoyed a great romp on the horse pasture, rolling jumping and wrestling in the fall grass.
Time has gone fast, and it has past 10 PM when we looked at the clock the first time. Chris and Tom had to go because they had to meet family in Hunter, NY. We sadly said good bye, however, decided to meet in two weeks in West Springfield, Massachusetts, to put up one of the biggest Pumi shows on the East Coast.
The Traveling Pumi Tank driven by Chris and Tom Levy across the country promoting and educating judges and breeders about our wonderful breed the PUMI.
Spontaneous visits are always motivating. After hearing the news of our visitors, Laszlo dove into one of the chest freezers to pull out some home grown “echte” GoatSheepShop lamb stew for an original “Szekely Kaposzta” that loosely translates as “Szekely Cabbage.”
FYI, Szekely is a Hungarian ethnic group living in Transylvania – sort of… (it is complicated…) and Cabbage (Brassica oleracea or variants) is a vegetable – as you probably know. To be more precise, you have to make the stew with Sauerkraut.
Although, fancy cookbooks have some truly frivolous recipes for this iconic Transylvanian stew, I suggest that if you want to get the authentic stuff, than you try this. You won’t regret it and your dinner party will not only survive a twenty four-hour news cycle, but your friends, most likely will post your memorable dinner on Facebook.
On medium flame, saute a finely chopped red onion in Canola oil until it turns slightly golden, lower flame, add a spoon full of sweet red paprika, stir well and add some water to prevent it from burning, add stew meat (traditional recipes call for mix of pork and beef. We use our own shetland lamb stew because it cooks fast remains tender and although it is a lean meat does not get saggy or dry) and slowly cook under lid on medium heat until meat browns. Add rosemary grind black pepper, bay leaves, winter savory, salt and caraway seed.
Caraway is a magical fruit. One unidentified quote calls it “the cure of every disease except death.” It is also called “Persian cumin,” that can easily make it the secret spice behind the tales of “The Arabian NIghts.” (Talking of Persia, it really makes this spice/fruit a truly odd crossroads of Zoroastroism and anti flatulence because of caraway’s anti flatulent properties).
To continue the recipe, Cook the meat and spices on medium flame, stir add water if needed. when meat is almost cooked, add drained sauerkraut, stir well and add some of the juice of the sauerkraut to keep liquid over meat. Do not overcook sauerkraut. Add cooked rice to give body and to absorb some of the liquid. We prefer Jasmati or other non-sticky rice. Serve it with sour cream.
This dish goes well with light white wines, like Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Serve it chilled and always plenty. Enjoy…